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Disney Vacation (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter DOVCommish
- Start date
sho nuff
Footballguy
Looked awesome from the outside while we were there.Little mermaid was ok...the line system and the interactions there plus how they did up the inside of that place was awesome though.
Brony
Footballguy
me too.Cinderella Castle Saturday.
We're going there for breakfast. I'll be the one with the Kitty Jockey t-shirt.
parasaurolophus
Footballguy
Leave Saturday for an adults only Food and Wine festival trip. Looking forward to walking around the world showcase and not feeling guilty as if I am keeping my son from more fun attractions for him. He has always liked the world showcase, but I think it is because we only attack it in moderation and usually at the end of the day.
Premier
Footballguy
Spent the whole weekend there. My Fiancée is a big Disney nut but I'm getting a little burned out on it. Anyway:
Contemporary Resort, 6/10: how do they get 7-1000 dollars a night for this place? We got an employee discount so decided to check it out, but it was decidedly average. We stayed in the south wing which looked like a motel 8 on the outside. Gorgeous room interior, but with a view of a back wall it wasn't much to see. Pool was ok. Arcade was killer. Place smelled nice and the walk to the park was awesome but...sheesh. Grand Floridian is much much more beautiful.
Ohana, 8/10: got a little buffet-feelish for a while with the pot stickers and noodles, but I liked the wings and the shrimp were absolutely phenomenal. Waitress told us the key was to order the shrimp first and skip the chicken/pork which we will definitely do next time. Bread pudding was out of this world. Will go back.
Grand Floridian Cafe, 10/10: for what I had it was perfect. Hamburger cooked as ordered (med rare) with lobster meat, onion jam and prosciutto on it. What could be better? Coupled this with an old fashioned and I was in business. Mango ketchup with the fries ruled too.
Cinderella's Royal Table, 4/10: really a 9 for experience and a 1 for the food. Just awful. Had the snapper which was bland and my fiancée had the pork chop (unfathomably dry). All gross. She loved being there though. Had a window view seat to see the fireworks.
The Wave, 8/10: really good breakfast buffet. Loved the smoked salmon setup with the cream cheese and bagels. Killer grits, super creamy. All the other stuff was standard fare but none of it was bad either. Nice biscuits and decent gravy. Good price for where you're at.
All in all we ate like kings this weekend. Good times. As an aside, MK was packed yesterday. I thought October and November were slow for them?
Contemporary Resort, 6/10: how do they get 7-1000 dollars a night for this place? We got an employee discount so decided to check it out, but it was decidedly average. We stayed in the south wing which looked like a motel 8 on the outside. Gorgeous room interior, but with a view of a back wall it wasn't much to see. Pool was ok. Arcade was killer. Place smelled nice and the walk to the park was awesome but...sheesh. Grand Floridian is much much more beautiful.
Ohana, 8/10: got a little buffet-feelish for a while with the pot stickers and noodles, but I liked the wings and the shrimp were absolutely phenomenal. Waitress told us the key was to order the shrimp first and skip the chicken/pork which we will definitely do next time. Bread pudding was out of this world. Will go back.
Grand Floridian Cafe, 10/10: for what I had it was perfect. Hamburger cooked as ordered (med rare) with lobster meat, onion jam and prosciutto on it. What could be better? Coupled this with an old fashioned and I was in business. Mango ketchup with the fries ruled too.
Cinderella's Royal Table, 4/10: really a 9 for experience and a 1 for the food. Just awful. Had the snapper which was bland and my fiancée had the pork chop (unfathomably dry). All gross. She loved being there though. Had a window view seat to see the fireworks.
The Wave, 8/10: really good breakfast buffet. Loved the smoked salmon setup with the cream cheese and bagels. Killer grits, super creamy. All the other stuff was standard fare but none of it was bad either. Nice biscuits and decent gravy. Good price for where you're at.
All in all we ate like kings this weekend. Good times. As an aside, MK was packed yesterday. I thought October and November were slow for them?
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AcerFC
Footballguy
Ok, so we will start off with the fact that we were supposed to take off last Tuesday as the eye of Sandy was hitting NYC. Like I said in this thread, there was no way we were going to make it. My wife, being more level headed than me, called Delta on Friday and had our flight changed from Tuesday to Sunday night. There was no fee since the hurricane warning was in effect. Turned out it was the right move since the flight on Tuesday was cancelled. We tried to get a room at the Polynesian but it was sold out. We stayed Sunday and Monday at the nickelodeon hotel because my son loves it there. Its nice enough. We just kicked back and relaxed at the pool and water park.
I called Disney on Monday to see what time we could check in on Tuesday. When they told me 8:00am, I switched from a 5 day park hopper to a 6 day base and basically added a full day at the park to our trip. We pulled up to the Polynesian at 8:15 and just missed the morning rush. I then had to drive the rented car back to the airport and then catch the magical express back to the hotel. My wife brought the kids to EPCOT as I was doing that. I know its been said in this thread but Ill say it again, IF YOU STAY AT THE POLYNESIAN, WALK TO THE TRANSPORTATION CENTER, DO NOT TAKE MONORAIL ALL AROUND. Will save you 20-25 minutes.
EPCOT- Rode Nemo, Spaceship Earth, Ellens Energy ride, Figment 2X, ate lunch, Mission to Mars
We did not hit the countries because we were going to come back on Friday (that never happened because the kids loved Magic Kingdom too much)
We went back to the hotel for our Ohana dinner. My wife and I enjoyed it but my kids didnt eat much so we gave our Saturday reservations to Brony.
We started Wednesday off with a Lilo and Stitch breakfast at Ohana. The kids loved it. The food was good enough. They bring it to you so that is a nice aspect. We then went to the Animal Kingdom because we feel like it is a half day park for our kids.
Animal Kingdom- Kilimanjaro Safari, Lion King Show, pictures with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Pocahontas while we got candy four our bags at each stop. Nemo show, flying dinosaurs and left.
We went back to the hotel for a bit and swam and trick or treated before heading out to the Mickeys Not so Scary Halloween party. It costs extra, but I always think its worth it because you can get so much stuff done. We rode some rides but the best part of the night for both my kids was the dance parties with Woody and Jessie at the Diamond Salon and then Stitchs dance party in tomorrow land. We didnt see the parade which we were bummed about but kids were having too much fun. The trick or treating at the park was nice but we got so much candy at the Poly and Grand Floridian that we didnt feel like waiting in line. The lines started dying down as the night went longer so we hit a few stops up. My daughter loved the Little Mermaid ride so we rode it twice that night. And its a good thing because we couldnt get in again during our time there (without having a reservation for castle). We did take an awesome picture at the Haunted Mansion with a ghost
Thursday was an all day Magic Kingdom day. There was hardly anyone there so we did what we wanted to with minimum waits and smart fast passing. My wife was able to get us 6:30 reservations at Beasts castle so we went back to the hotel at 2:30 and went back for dinner. We ate and didnt do too much after. Once we were in the new section for dinner, we were able to go on Mermaid ride again. But you needed a special bracelet to get back there.
Friday- We were supposed to do EPCOT, but kids voted on MK. It was super crowded and we mainly just strolled around looking for short waits. My kids did the Pirates League which they loved. We had reservations for the luau at the hotel at 5:15 so we bailed early from MK. I was not a fan of the luau. It was just very tight, food was only OK. The actual show was decent enough but I dont think I ever need to do it again.
Hollywood Studios on Saturday was really fun. We had breakfast at Hollywood and Vine with characters from Disney Jr. This might be the best buffet there. Really enjoyed it.
Did Toy Story mania (my wife kept 1 fast pass so I took my 2 year old back on), The car stunt show, Indiana Jones show, Disney Jr, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Muppets 3D, took a picture with Lightning and Mater. I rode Star Tours solo. We ate at Pizza Planet. It wasnt the best pizza but it was good enough and great atmosphere for any Toy Story lovers. My son loved it.
Sunday was our last day so we checked out and hit the Magic Kingdom up. We did lunch at the castle which I enjoyed. I know Premier did not like it. I had the short rib and thought it was great. The chocolate cake for dessert was awesome also.
My family is the kind of family that will stay at a $50 hotel or a $500 hotel. We dont complain much. We have always stayed at Value resorts. Some times because we didnt have the money to stay anywhere else and sometimes because I just didnt want to pay the money. We did stay at the Caribbean Beach but I hated it. But after staying at the Polynesian, I dont think I can ever stay somewhere else. What an awesome hotel. The pool is great and the beach can not be in a better spot. The have movies on the beach for the kids at night, then a light show on the 7 seas lagoon and then the fireworks. The best part is just walking the 200 feet right to your door afterwards. The Grand Floridian is nice, but I like the location of the Polynesian better.
Overall, my kids had a great time and I can say that it was much better to be in Orlando for the week then NY. I didnt have to take one day off of work due to school being closed all week so that was awesome too.
I called Disney on Monday to see what time we could check in on Tuesday. When they told me 8:00am, I switched from a 5 day park hopper to a 6 day base and basically added a full day at the park to our trip. We pulled up to the Polynesian at 8:15 and just missed the morning rush. I then had to drive the rented car back to the airport and then catch the magical express back to the hotel. My wife brought the kids to EPCOT as I was doing that. I know its been said in this thread but Ill say it again, IF YOU STAY AT THE POLYNESIAN, WALK TO THE TRANSPORTATION CENTER, DO NOT TAKE MONORAIL ALL AROUND. Will save you 20-25 minutes.
EPCOT- Rode Nemo, Spaceship Earth, Ellens Energy ride, Figment 2X, ate lunch, Mission to Mars
We did not hit the countries because we were going to come back on Friday (that never happened because the kids loved Magic Kingdom too much)
We went back to the hotel for our Ohana dinner. My wife and I enjoyed it but my kids didnt eat much so we gave our Saturday reservations to Brony.
We started Wednesday off with a Lilo and Stitch breakfast at Ohana. The kids loved it. The food was good enough. They bring it to you so that is a nice aspect. We then went to the Animal Kingdom because we feel like it is a half day park for our kids.
Animal Kingdom- Kilimanjaro Safari, Lion King Show, pictures with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Pocahontas while we got candy four our bags at each stop. Nemo show, flying dinosaurs and left.
We went back to the hotel for a bit and swam and trick or treated before heading out to the Mickeys Not so Scary Halloween party. It costs extra, but I always think its worth it because you can get so much stuff done. We rode some rides but the best part of the night for both my kids was the dance parties with Woody and Jessie at the Diamond Salon and then Stitchs dance party in tomorrow land. We didnt see the parade which we were bummed about but kids were having too much fun. The trick or treating at the park was nice but we got so much candy at the Poly and Grand Floridian that we didnt feel like waiting in line. The lines started dying down as the night went longer so we hit a few stops up. My daughter loved the Little Mermaid ride so we rode it twice that night. And its a good thing because we couldnt get in again during our time there (without having a reservation for castle). We did take an awesome picture at the Haunted Mansion with a ghost
Thursday was an all day Magic Kingdom day. There was hardly anyone there so we did what we wanted to with minimum waits and smart fast passing. My wife was able to get us 6:30 reservations at Beasts castle so we went back to the hotel at 2:30 and went back for dinner. We ate and didnt do too much after. Once we were in the new section for dinner, we were able to go on Mermaid ride again. But you needed a special bracelet to get back there.
Friday- We were supposed to do EPCOT, but kids voted on MK. It was super crowded and we mainly just strolled around looking for short waits. My kids did the Pirates League which they loved. We had reservations for the luau at the hotel at 5:15 so we bailed early from MK. I was not a fan of the luau. It was just very tight, food was only OK. The actual show was decent enough but I dont think I ever need to do it again.
Hollywood Studios on Saturday was really fun. We had breakfast at Hollywood and Vine with characters from Disney Jr. This might be the best buffet there. Really enjoyed it.
Did Toy Story mania (my wife kept 1 fast pass so I took my 2 year old back on), The car stunt show, Indiana Jones show, Disney Jr, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Muppets 3D, took a picture with Lightning and Mater. I rode Star Tours solo. We ate at Pizza Planet. It wasnt the best pizza but it was good enough and great atmosphere for any Toy Story lovers. My son loved it.
Sunday was our last day so we checked out and hit the Magic Kingdom up. We did lunch at the castle which I enjoyed. I know Premier did not like it. I had the short rib and thought it was great. The chocolate cake for dessert was awesome also.
My family is the kind of family that will stay at a $50 hotel or a $500 hotel. We dont complain much. We have always stayed at Value resorts. Some times because we didnt have the money to stay anywhere else and sometimes because I just didnt want to pay the money. We did stay at the Caribbean Beach but I hated it. But after staying at the Polynesian, I dont think I can ever stay somewhere else. What an awesome hotel. The pool is great and the beach can not be in a better spot. The have movies on the beach for the kids at night, then a light show on the 7 seas lagoon and then the fireworks. The best part is just walking the 200 feet right to your door afterwards. The Grand Floridian is nice, but I like the location of the Polynesian better.
Overall, my kids had a great time and I can say that it was much better to be in Orlando for the week then NY. I didnt have to take one day off of work due to school being closed all week so that was awesome too.
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
You have a type-o there. I usually don't get too technical on the English language in this place, but just wanted to let you know.
AcerFC
Footballguy
Its basically Peter Pan in a shell. The shell and the way the ride moves is like Finding Nemo. It was fun for kids that like Mermaid. I thought the Ursella part was cool.
AcerFC
Footballguy
I honestly don't know the cost per night. Here is my invoice. We got free dining with the plan. I have to say again that is was one of the best hotels I have stayed in including all inclusive places in Dominican, Mexico and St Lucia and those places were all awesome. Arrive: Depart
ACKAGE(S): 10/30/201211/04/2012POLYNESIAN- X9L / MAGIC YOUR WAY FREE DINE PAYMENT SUMMARY TOTAL TOTAL PAID AS OF AMOUNT DUE BY 10/30/201209/15/2012 $3424.39$3559.57$-135.18 PAYMENT HISTORYPaid 09/17/2012 $ 3359.57 CREDIT CARDPaid 01/09/2012 $ 200.00 CREDIT CARD
Bob Sacamano
Footballguy
Really?!?'AcerFC said:
Bob Sacamano
Footballguy
That cost includes passes, right? You said you did 6 day passes? For 3 of you? 4 of you? Sorry. Can't recall your kid situation.'AcerFC said:I honestly don't know the cost per night. Here is my invoice. We got free dining with the plan. I have to say again that is was one of the best hotels I have stayed in including all inclusive places in Dominican, Mexico and St Lucia and those places were all awesome. Arrive: Depart'Premier said:
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AcerFC
Footballguy
Sac,
I think it had more to do with seeing the happiness from the kids there. It just seemed perfect while we were there. But thinking about it, if I had to choose between the Moon Palace in Cancun or Polynesian, I would probably choose Moon Palace. Maybe I should rephrase it by saying it is comparable to all inclusive places I have stayed.
The cost did include the 6 day base tickets for 3 of us. My son turns 3 in 3 weeks so we didnt pay for him. That is why I couldnt figure out the per night cost without doing math (which I didnt want to do)
Im in at :sj:
I think it had more to do with seeing the happiness from the kids there. It just seemed perfect while we were there. But thinking about it, if I had to choose between the Moon Palace in Cancun or Polynesian, I would probably choose Moon Palace. Maybe I should rephrase it by saying it is comparable to all inclusive places I have stayed.
The cost did include the 6 day base tickets for 3 of us. My son turns 3 in 3 weeks so we didnt pay for him. That is why I couldnt figure out the per night cost without doing math (which I didnt want to do)
Im in at :sj:
Brony
Footballguy
Just got back from long weekend there. It was first time there for me since 1984 and we took our 2 girls, 4 and 6 yo.
BIG THANKS to AcerFC for the 'Ohana reservation on Saturday! Our other option would have been a 830 reservation on Monday which would have sucked with tired kids.
Neither my wife nor I are huge Disney people so here are a few of our impressions
- November was good time of year to go. Cheap airfare and weather was great (low 80's). Even though this is supposedly an uncrowded time to go, it still gets crowded...
- Day 1: EPCOT.
didn't like much. The concept of EPCOT is good, but when the crowds are bad, it doesn't make life much fun. Disney did their part to keep things moving, but there weren't many places to sit and the food can only be so good when you are cranking out 1,000 empanadas an hour. Reminded me of Taste of Chicago.
- Day 2: Magic Kingdom. I did some work to plan for the trip and frequently checked the Disney dining to get us reservations for the Cinderella breakfast. Of course, this surprise was welcomed by a mini freakout by our 6 yo. She begrudingly went and never really tried to enjoy herself. ####in kids. Rest of the day went well, but was exhausting with crowds and heat. Hit 'OHana early and it was great to take a load off and enjoy a cold one before Acer's 630 reservation. Dinner was very good. Shrimp and bread pudding were standouts; pork was OK. I don't think we would have liked it if we did it at 830.
- Day 3: Animal Kingdom. After Saturday crowds at MK, it was really nice to go to the more open, shaded Animal Kingdom. Great place to see characters. Safari was great to hit first thing. Despite this tip being well publicized and us missing the Magic Morning hours, our wait was 10 minutes and there were tons of active animals. Flame Tree BBQ had good food and tons of tables in a tranquil setting.
- Day4: Magic Kingdom. We went relatively early and got in park at 815 just after opening. It was like we had the place to ourselves. Very odd after last being there 2 days earlier on a crowded Saturday. Kids rode their favorite rides multiple times and they met Tinkerbell in 5 minutes which is usually 30 to 60 minute wait. We left at lunch and came back around dinner time for parade and fireworks. Worked pretty well, though the kids were still zonked at the time of the fireworks. We sucked it up and watched from Main Street. Crowded there but we had plenty of elbow room.
Other thoughts
- We didn't do that much in preparation or strategy. Just chose to get to parks early and use Fastpass where we could. Through Fastpasses and appropriate breaks, our longest wait for anything was 15 minutes. We waited 35 minutes for Lion King, but that had a set start time, so the wait was by our choice, not due to crowds. People who don't use Fastpass and wait 45+ minutes for Jungle Cruise or Peter Pan ride are insane IMO.
- Despite having few reservations and very few must-see's, the trip becomes very regimented and not very relaxing. For kids at 4 and 6, there was still tons of "Keep walking", "turn left", "get on the train now", etc. I thought things would be more chill since we weren't rushing to get to the hot attraction, but it's still tons of stimulation.
- We stayed off property and felt this worked well. Getting from our hotel parking lot to Disney parking lot was smooth sailing every time. Staying at one of the monorail properties would have been more convenient obviously, but I felt like we were at no disadvantage to the other Disney properties.
- We had fun and the kids liked it, but I don't think we'll be going back a lot. It was great to experience it and the kids were never bored, but I'd rather but the $ towards a nice resort in the future.
BIG THANKS to AcerFC for the 'Ohana reservation on Saturday! Our other option would have been a 830 reservation on Monday which would have sucked with tired kids.
Neither my wife nor I are huge Disney people so here are a few of our impressions
- November was good time of year to go. Cheap airfare and weather was great (low 80's). Even though this is supposedly an uncrowded time to go, it still gets crowded...
- Day 1: EPCOT.
didn't like much. The concept of EPCOT is good, but when the crowds are bad, it doesn't make life much fun. Disney did their part to keep things moving, but there weren't many places to sit and the food can only be so good when you are cranking out 1,000 empanadas an hour. Reminded me of Taste of Chicago.- Day 2: Magic Kingdom. I did some work to plan for the trip and frequently checked the Disney dining to get us reservations for the Cinderella breakfast. Of course, this surprise was welcomed by a mini freakout by our 6 yo. She begrudingly went and never really tried to enjoy herself. ####in kids. Rest of the day went well, but was exhausting with crowds and heat. Hit 'OHana early and it was great to take a load off and enjoy a cold one before Acer's 630 reservation. Dinner was very good. Shrimp and bread pudding were standouts; pork was OK. I don't think we would have liked it if we did it at 830.
- Day 3: Animal Kingdom. After Saturday crowds at MK, it was really nice to go to the more open, shaded Animal Kingdom. Great place to see characters. Safari was great to hit first thing. Despite this tip being well publicized and us missing the Magic Morning hours, our wait was 10 minutes and there were tons of active animals.
Flame Tree BBQ had good food and tons of tables in a tranquil setting.- Day4: Magic Kingdom. We went relatively early and got in park at 815 just after opening. It was like we had the place to ourselves. Very odd after last being there 2 days earlier on a crowded Saturday. Kids rode their favorite rides multiple times and they met Tinkerbell in 5 minutes which is usually 30 to 60 minute wait. We left at lunch and came back around dinner time for parade and fireworks. Worked pretty well, though the kids were still zonked at the time of the fireworks. We sucked it up and watched from Main Street. Crowded there but we had plenty of elbow room.
Other thoughts
- We didn't do that much in preparation or strategy. Just chose to get to parks early and use Fastpass where we could. Through Fastpasses and appropriate breaks, our longest wait for anything was 15 minutes. We waited 35 minutes for Lion King, but that had a set start time, so the wait was by our choice, not due to crowds. People who don't use Fastpass and wait 45+ minutes for Jungle Cruise or Peter Pan ride are insane IMO.
- Despite having few reservations and very few must-see's, the trip becomes very regimented and not very relaxing. For kids at 4 and 6, there was still tons of "Keep walking", "turn left", "get on the train now", etc. I thought things would be more chill since we weren't rushing to get to the hot attraction, but it's still tons of stimulation.
- We stayed off property and felt this worked well. Getting from our hotel parking lot to Disney parking lot was smooth sailing every time. Staying at one of the monorail properties would have been more convenient obviously, but I felt like we were at no disadvantage to the other Disney properties.
- We had fun and the kids liked it, but I don't think we'll be going back a lot. It was great to experience it and the kids were never bored, but I'd rather but the $ towards a nice resort in the future.
harryhood
Footballguy
Going down January 7th for the Disney Marathon(Wife is in one of the events), and staying at Coronado Springs for 5 nights. Our 3 and 5 year old will be with us as well. Any eating spots close to my hotel that we must check out? Thinking of Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom for a day each, given their ages. Was going to bypass Hollywood Studios but it sounds like they have some popular things for the little children(Disney Jr, etc)?
Looking forward to a trip with the both of them as the last time they went, they were 3 and 1. They should be pretty
come Christmas morning.
Looking forward to a trip with the both of them as the last time they went, they were 3 and 1. They should be pretty
come Christmas morning.
AcerFC
Footballguy
My kids, 5 and 3 (in 2 weeks) liked MK and Hollywood Studios the best. They didnt want to go back to Epcot and couldnt ride many of the rides at Animal KingdomGoing down January 7th for the Disney Marathon(Wife is in one of the events), and staying at Coronado Springs for 5 nights. Our 3 and 5 year old will be with us as well. Any eating spots close to my hotel that we must check out? Thinking of Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom for a day each, given their ages. Was going to bypass Hollywood Studios but it sounds like they have some popular things for the little children(Disney Jr, etc)?Looking forward to a trip with the both of them as the last time they went, they were 3 and 1. They should be pretty
Battles
Footballguy
Yep. More stuff for youngsters at Hollywood Studios than Animal Kingdom. I wouldn't bypass Hollywood Studios on a 5 night stay.'AcerFC said:My kids, 5 and 3 (in 2 weeks) liked MK and Hollywood Studios the best. They didnt want to go back to Epcot and couldnt ride many of the rides at Animal Kingdom'harryhood said:Going down January 7th for the Disney Marathon(Wife is in one of the events), and staying at Coronado Springs for 5 nights. Our 3 and 5 year old will be with us as well. Any eating spots close to my hotel that we must check out? Thinking of Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom for a day each, given their ages. Was going to bypass Hollywood Studios but it sounds like they have some popular things for the little children(Disney Jr, etc)?Looking forward to a trip with the both of them as the last time they went, they were 3 and 1. They should be pretty
Godsbrother
Footballguy
EPCOT on a weekend during the F&W festival can be rough with the crowds. Experience EPCOT on a normal weekday, eat at some of the table service restaurants and it is a different story.'Brony said:- Day 1: EPCOT.
Very surprised your daughter didn't love the Cinderella breakfast. My daughter loved it and years later we went again with my two nieces and they did as well. I'm guessing you just caught her on a bad morning. MK can be exhausting but our plan is always to arrive befor opening and be on our way out of the park before lunch, take a break at the resort, then come back in the evening. I see you did this later and it worked out well.'Brony said:
'Brony said:- Day 3: Animal Kingdom. After Saturday crowds at MK, it was really nice to go to the more open, shaded Animal Kingdom. Great place to see characters. Safari was great to hit first thing. Despite this tip being well publicized and us missing the Magic Morning hours, our wait was 10 minutes and there were tons of active animals.
Nice.'Brony said:
Doing 4 Disney parks in 4 days is not going to be relaxing. If you go again I suggest going for 6 or 7 days where you can have a day or two where you don't visit a park and just relax. You will enjoy the parks a lot more when you don't go four consecutive days.The Deluxe and even moderate resorts are pretty nice and the DVC resorts have tons of activities that don't involve amusement parks. It really comes down to what you want to do.'Brony said:
sho nuff
Footballguy
We have done the non-stop week before (going to the park every day for 6-7 days).Its exhausting.Last year's trip we did 5 park days in 7 days and it was great.This trip we did 6ish park days during the 7 days and it was just right.The one day we did not do the park, we hit downtown disney that morning (great time as there are no crowds there then and we got what we wanted at the Lego Store, World of Disney, the Christmas store...we get a new ornament every time we go, and were easily able to make our custom mickey rice crispy treats at Goofy's candy shop...a kid favorite now). Then it was to the pool at our resort. Then had the halloween party that night.Was a very relaxing day.
Disco Stu
Confirmed FBGal
Another option is just doing a morning in the park. Get there when they open. Dominate Fantasyland until it starts to get crowded, use a fast pass on one of the Mountains, and GTFO.
AcerFC
Footballguy
It's funny. Before last week, I didn't leave the park ever. We got there when it opened and left when it closed, AND THEN used hopper to go to a new park. Now that I see what relaxing can do thrown into the middle of a day, I will never spend all day in a park again if I can help it.
The Polynesean had activities for the kids around the pool. I can't remember seeing that at a value. Do try do it there also. Was nice to just let the kids play with the workers and kick back a bit
The Polynesean had activities for the kids around the pool. I can't remember seeing that at a value. Do try do it there also. Was nice to just let the kids play with the workers and kick back a bit
Brony
Footballguy
I would like to go for 14 days and go to the park on 1 day and, in fact, on that one day, I'd just go in the morning. Alas, kids' school and my work schedule didn't allow for that, so there we are. Belated thanks to people who contributed to this thread! I did use it to help plan and guide us while down there. For example, renting a car was much, much better than if we tried to do taxis. (Rental car tip: don't do the Sunpass or toll pass system if it's a surcharge. The rental car lady tried to sell this on us for $11/day but I finally pressed her to clarify the number of toll boothes: it's two. 2 toll boothes between MCO and Disney area. )
Brony
Footballguy
Thanks GB.Yeah, I thought the Princess thing would have been right in her wheelhouse. I think she got weirded out by sight of the castle and thinking it was some dark ride. Which reminds me; why does Disney have turn every g damn thing into a dark evil nightmare? I was enjoying an ice cream there and as I got to the cone, I was expecting that Disney would make an evil witch appear just to #### with my head cause I was liking something too much.Very surprised your daughter didn't love the Cinderella breakfast. My daughter loved it and years later we went again with my two nieces and they did as well. I'm guessing you just caught her on a bad morning. MK can be exhausting but our plan is always to arrive befor opening and be on our way out of the park before lunch, take a break at the resort, then come back in the evening. I see you did this later and it worked out well.
Todem
Footballguy
We went Oct 26th - Oct 31st (got home in time to trick or treat that night I live in South FLorida).
We stayed at the Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa. A 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment with full kitchen, washer and dryer, Whirlpool in master suite....the works.
99.00 bucks a night plus taxes/resort fees etc worked out to 129 a night all in.
Stocked the fridge with breakfast foods from Publix/Walmart down the street and saved huge on that. Plus saved tons of time so we can get a head start on the parks.
The resort is less than 10 minutes from the main gate at Walt Disney World and 15 minutes from Universal's area.
Best value around IMO. No maid service....but who cares. The room is huge and with my son and my niece it was perfect.
Did Beni Hana the first night...we love their food.
Went to Epoct on Saturday and had no lines for anything and fast passed Soarin 2 times. The countrys were mobed with the F&W festival going on and we did not stick around that side of the park too much as for the kids...nothing to do other than Norway's Viking Boat ride.
My wife and I have always loved Epcot and the kids enjoyed it.
Sunday we took them to Legoland. For kids 4-9 it is a great park.....we won't be going back again. Kids got in free with 2 adult tickets. They had a blast. But for the price...not worth it unless you can get the deal we got.
Monday we hit Universal Studios. Rode everything twice.....average wait time was 10 minutes. The kids loved that park a ton. It was there second time and they liked it even more. My son is 7 1/2 and my niece is about to turn 7.
Tuesday we did Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween from 4pm to 11PM (kids had enough at 10:30) and let me tell you....it is a great way to do the Magic Kingdom...at night...with no waits at all for rides. No fastpass is needed as only a limited number of tickets are sold for the event. We let them trick or treat for an hour.....they had enough after one stop, they wanted nothing but rides....and rides is what we did. Space Mountain 3 times, Thunder Mountain 3 times, Haunted House 2 times. Our average wait time was 10 minutes. Even Peter Pan...which is a lousy ride IMO, the wait was 10 minutes (otherwise I would never wait more than 15 minutes for that). Small World....god I know....5 minute wait. The Grand Prix was only a 10 minute wait.
Great time of year to do Disney and Orlando period. We only go either in Feb-March or End of October. We learned a long time a go to stay away in the spring and summer. It is not worth the trouble.
As far as hotels......you can't go wrong staying off property at either Hilton Vacation clubs(which we have done numerous times at International Drive and Parc Soile) or this little gem we found the last 2 times we went. I think if it is a once in a lifetime trip....go for it at a Disney property.....but if you can go as frequently as we can (being Florida residents) off property has numerous great places to stay at far less rates. More money to eat at great resturants, and to cover the ever increasing costs of park tickets. I am blown away what they are charging now. Blown away. I got used to the Florida resident play 3 and 4 prices etc. There is no value in one day tickets.
Hell I remember paying 20 bucks to get into Disney.....that's how long I have been going there. LOL.
We stayed at the Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa. A 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment with full kitchen, washer and dryer, Whirlpool in master suite....the works.
99.00 bucks a night plus taxes/resort fees etc worked out to 129 a night all in.
Stocked the fridge with breakfast foods from Publix/Walmart down the street and saved huge on that. Plus saved tons of time so we can get a head start on the parks.
The resort is less than 10 minutes from the main gate at Walt Disney World and 15 minutes from Universal's area.
Best value around IMO. No maid service....but who cares. The room is huge and with my son and my niece it was perfect.
Did Beni Hana the first night...we love their food.
Went to Epoct on Saturday and had no lines for anything and fast passed Soarin 2 times. The countrys were mobed with the F&W festival going on and we did not stick around that side of the park too much as for the kids...nothing to do other than Norway's Viking Boat ride.
My wife and I have always loved Epcot and the kids enjoyed it.
Sunday we took them to Legoland. For kids 4-9 it is a great park.....we won't be going back again. Kids got in free with 2 adult tickets. They had a blast. But for the price...not worth it unless you can get the deal we got.
Monday we hit Universal Studios. Rode everything twice.....average wait time was 10 minutes. The kids loved that park a ton. It was there second time and they liked it even more. My son is 7 1/2 and my niece is about to turn 7.
Tuesday we did Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween from 4pm to 11PM (kids had enough at 10:30) and let me tell you....it is a great way to do the Magic Kingdom...at night...with no waits at all for rides. No fastpass is needed as only a limited number of tickets are sold for the event. We let them trick or treat for an hour.....they had enough after one stop, they wanted nothing but rides....and rides is what we did. Space Mountain 3 times, Thunder Mountain 3 times, Haunted House 2 times. Our average wait time was 10 minutes. Even Peter Pan...which is a lousy ride IMO, the wait was 10 minutes (otherwise I would never wait more than 15 minutes for that). Small World....god I know....5 minute wait. The Grand Prix was only a 10 minute wait.
Great time of year to do Disney and Orlando period. We only go either in Feb-March or End of October. We learned a long time a go to stay away in the spring and summer. It is not worth the trouble.
As far as hotels......you can't go wrong staying off property at either Hilton Vacation clubs(which we have done numerous times at International Drive and Parc Soile) or this little gem we found the last 2 times we went. I think if it is a once in a lifetime trip....go for it at a Disney property.....but if you can go as frequently as we can (being Florida residents) off property has numerous great places to stay at far less rates. More money to eat at great resturants, and to cover the ever increasing costs of park tickets. I am blown away what they are charging now. Blown away. I got used to the Florida resident play 3 and 4 prices etc. There is no value in one day tickets.
Hell I remember paying 20 bucks to get into Disney.....that's how long I have been going there. LOL.
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Grady Wilson
Footballguy
We're rookies to this and our hitting 4 parks in 4 days. Yes, it is going to be very exhausting and I'm sure we'll go back to the hotel after a few hours and then go back to the parks. Based on everything I've read, I think our kids (5 and 2) will enjoy the parks in this order: MK, HS, AK, Epcot. We're not doing the park hopper thing. My question is should we go to MK on the first day or the last day. We were thinking go to the parks they will have the least amount of fun with first. Part of me says waiting until the 4th day to go to MK the kids will be so tired they won't enjoy it, but then part of me says if we go to the least favorite park on the last day they will only want to stay there for a couple of hours.
What say ye?
What say ye?
Ramblin Wreck
Footballguy
When are you going? I would go to MK on the least crowded day you think you'll be there. In other words, a weekday over a weekend. If it's going to rain one day, I prefer Hollywood Studios (because lots of shows) or Epcot (more indoor stuff except walking between countries) on those days.
Grady Wilson
Footballguy
We're not going until the first week of May and will be at the parks Monday through Thursday.
Battles
Footballguy
If you can use Magic Hours then go to the park on that day. Magic Hours trump ANY consideration. Also, Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be more crowded in MK than any other day. Avoiding crowds at MK is the main concern.
parasaurolophus
Footballguy
As somebody else said, when are you going?
parasaurolophus
Footballguy
Just got back. Was 80 degrees yesterday in FL and now 26 here. Terrible transition.
Yesterday was an amazing day all around. Started with hollywood studios. Did the big three in less than an hour. Then went back to the hotel and hung out by the pool for a bit. Went to a wine tasting seminar at epcot, sampled some beers, and various dishes around the world. Went to animal kingdom lodge ate at sanaa and sat around the fire after. Got to watch the animals with night vision goggles.
Yesterday was an amazing day all around. Started with hollywood studios. Did the big three in less than an hour. Then went back to the hotel and hung out by the pool for a bit. Went to a wine tasting seminar at epcot, sampled some beers, and various dishes around the world. Went to animal kingdom lodge ate at sanaa and sat around the fire after. Got to watch the animals with night vision goggles.
Grady Wilson
Footballguy
April 28 through May 3 of next year. We'll be going to the park on Monday through Thursday which is April 29 through May 2 and we fly back home on the 3rd
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Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
This Saturday, God willing, I will be sitting down at the table of the gods, awaiting the food handed down from on high, a little bit of drool coming out of the left corner of my mouth as I see the plates of perfection being placed in front me. Wings, sauces, wings, steak, wings, shrimp, wings, pork, wings, oh and so much more. And wings. And then the bread pudding that was seemingly touched by angels.
I would post updates of the meal as I devour it like the Kraken on the world, but the pornographic nature of the meal might break the filter here. Of course, I must once again balance between the goodness of the meal and the fact that my family, kids included, will be sitting with me. It's slightly awkward, but I will manage. Saturday...... Saturday.... Saturday......
I would post updates of the meal as I devour it like the Kraken on the world, but the pornographic nature of the meal might break the filter here. Of course, I must once again balance between the goodness of the meal and the fact that my family, kids included, will be sitting with me. It's slightly awkward, but I will manage. Saturday...... Saturday.... Saturday......
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
To mix it up a little, we went with Disneyland annual passes instead of going back to Orlando. It was nice to hit up Disneyland before their annual pass price spiked, the new Carsland is AMAZING, and it's a convenient excuse to hit other destinations out west during out annual pass window. However, the quality of the hotels and on-site dining cannot touch WDW. There's nothing close to the best Epcot restaurants or the best resort meals. Even Ariel's Grotto, DCA's big princess meal and meet-and-greet, was perfunctory and mediocre.If you're the type who doesn't stay in the hotel room much, consider Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios to be half-day parks, and don't like to break the bank on meals, I recommend giving Disneyland a shot. You can walk/monorail from the Disney hotels to the parks, and there are plenty of offsite hotels right across the street. Disneyland is inspiration for Magic Kingdom, but it also has Star Tours and Indiana Jones. California Adventure is pretty much the rides from Epcot and Hollywood Studios: since all the FastPass and crowd intensity was pointed at Carsland, we walked right on to Toy Story Mania, Soarin, and Tower of Terror multiple times. Radiator Springs Racers in Carsland took some advance planning, but it instantly became one of my favorite rides on any Disney property, and that's even with Cars in my bottom tier of Pixar movies.
snogger
Footballguy
Have a good one.. Send me the none drooled on leftovers.
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
Tick tick tick......
Disco Stu
Confirmed FBGal
Update?
RBM
Footballguy
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
Just got back. O'hana was great, although it appears that they have changed the wings slightly. The dumplings are very good and the rest of the menu is stellar (it is slightly upsetting that they don't offer the potatoes anymore. But, it appears that they changed the wings, and not for the better. I was very disappointed in the wings and it hurt the overall meal for me as I was expecting pure heavenly bliss. Still, I was satisfied greatly ( the 4 double Jack's I had at the bar helped).
The rest of the trip was the usual gluttony around the world. Alcohol feels like it's more expensive this year. Great time. Too short. Figuring out a way to go back in a few months.
The rest of the trip was the usual gluttony around the world. Alcohol feels like it's more expensive this year. Great time. Too short. Figuring out a way to go back in a few months.
GreenbayBuckeye
Footballguy
Going Jan 5-12. 3 days at Universal and 4 days Disney. Am I nuts?
Godsbrother
Footballguy
Depending on how aggressively you tour the parks you may want to plan an off-day in the middle of your vacation. Seven straight days of Disney/Universal can be exhausting.
Usual21
Footballguy
My mom just sold her business last week and made some nice change off of it. She takes us out to dinner last night to celebrate and lets us know that she booked Disney from Dec. 25-31. I'll be in Magic Kingdom for Christmas. As soon as I heard, I jumped on my phone and of course, most good restaurants were booked solid. I called and pleaded that it was my wife's b-day (which it is) and they found a booking for Ohana on the 28th @ 9:05. "I'll take it." I said.
The only restaurants we were able to get so far are:
12/25 - Liberty Tree
12/26 - Brown Derby
12/27 - Tusker House
12/28 - Ohana
12/29 - Kona Cafe
12/30 - The Wave
I'm going to keep trying to get Le Cellier and Chef Mickey's for the kid. I CAN'T FRIGGIN WAIT.
The only restaurants we were able to get so far are:
12/25 - Liberty Tree
12/26 - Brown Derby
12/27 - Tusker House
12/28 - Ohana
12/29 - Kona Cafe
12/30 - The Wave
I'm going to keep trying to get Le Cellier and Chef Mickey's for the kid. I CAN'T FRIGGIN WAIT.
ATC1
Footballguy
I hope you like being up and close to people you don't know. It is crazy for Christmas.
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
Surprised the wife this weekend with her birthday trip to Disney this coming Thursday. Would there be any problem with keeping a tablet in the hotel room?
