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Disney Vacation (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter DOVCommish
- Start date
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
That June morning a few years back when my wife got up before sunrise to book the dining for TOAL I and locked in Christmas Morning breakfast inside Cinderella's Castle and Christmas Eve dinner at Ohana was a very happy day.
Capella
Footballguy
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
Yes, and Cinderella and Step mother. The stepmother will try to marry off the stepsister to the guys in the room, young ones too.
Hidden secret. If you have a daughter get there early before it opens. Have her dress up as Cinderella. The cast members choose one girl to open the place by saying bippity boppity boo by the door. And when she says it the door flies open and Cinderella is there to escorts her helper to their royal table.
If you have a young son have him bring a ring pop and propose to one of the sisters with it. It's hysterical.
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Capella
Footballguy
Pretty damn good. Got 3/4 - been to Liberty Tree, haven't tried the Boathouse yet.
Osaurus
Footballguy
AcerFC
Footballguy
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
Do the Boathouse. I think you would love it. Pro tip. Boathouse for dinner. Jellyrolls for some nightlife. Perfect married date night.
3 hour lunch
Footballguy
Just got back today. Not that anyone probably wants my trip report, but for anyone who may be interested since this thread has helped me in the past.....
Background: Me (38), wife, 2 daughters (10, 9). Have been to MK and DHS several times but had not been to AK before and not to Epcot since like 1992.
Sunday:
Ohana. Great as usual. Were able to change from a party of 4 to a party of 6 when checking in. I could just sit and eat dumplings and bread pudding all night.
Monday: DHS
Highlights- Toy Story Mania; Fantasmic, Indiana Jones (have done all of these before)
Lowlights- N/A
Didn't get to do- Aerosmith Coaster (down half the day, huge wait the other half). Tower of terror (only because my wife/daughters want nothing to do with it)
Bottom line- this is a half day park right now that desperately needs its upcoming expansion. Will probably return to check it out but for now it's slim pickings, especially with the tiered fastpass system.
Tues/Thurs: MK
Highlights- 7 Dwarfs (love this ride, a good speed for all ages); Splash Mountain; Be Our Guest dinner (reeeeally impressed; what an atmosphere)
Lowlights- sucks being in this place between 11:00 and 6:00, basically. Stroller jail. Car to tram to monorail makes for a long entry. Also, are you telling me they couldn't get rid of Tom Sawyer Island and do something cool with it? Some others (Carousel of Progress, Swiss Family Robinson Tree; Tomorrowland Speedway) should be bulldozed as well. I rode Space Mountain for the first time in 25 years.....it was too much for me now. Too much being jerked around in the dark. My wife and 10 year old loved it though.
Didn't get to do- N/A. Two days and lots of fastpasses.
Bottom line- still has a few favorites and enough other rides still worth doing (Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Storytime w/Belle, Barnstormer) that it would be difficult to ever take this park out of the rotation.
Wed: Epcot
Highlights- Soarin. Might have been my favorite ride of the week. Very unique. Was pleasantly surprised with Frozen Ever After- we got there at rope drop to ensure we could ride it. Thought the Pixar movie shorts was well done.
Lowlights- Ellen's Energy Adventure? Journey into Imagination with Figment? Both were brutal, in my opinion. Ellen had seats for about 500 and there were only like 40 people in there.
Didn't get to do- Test Track (bad weather, long waits). Only saw a few minutes of Illuminations because it started pouring and my girls were freezing.
Bottom line- Enjoyed aspects of it; but may not be back. Whipped around the countries quick but maybe too fast to truly get much out of it. Wish Soarin was at a different park!
Friday: AK
Highlights- Safari; Lion King show; Everest (was a hair fast for me but I still enjoyed it; and it's a really unique and entertaining ride)
Lowlights- nothing really. Kali Rapids is a good ride that could have been great but we still rode it twice.
Didn't get to do- N/A
Bottom line- probably moved to our #2 park. Good mix of animals, shows & rides. Perfect amount to do in one day. Rivers of Light is the new nighttime show but it was not showing yesterday. Still enjoyed the Tree of Life mini-show thing.
Next trip- probably an MK day, an AK day, and maybe a DHS day depending on how the expansion looks. Didn't do Universal this year and have never done Universal IOA so may add at least of those in as well.
Background: Me (38), wife, 2 daughters (10, 9). Have been to MK and DHS several times but had not been to AK before and not to Epcot since like 1992.
Sunday:
Ohana. Great as usual. Were able to change from a party of 4 to a party of 6 when checking in. I could just sit and eat dumplings and bread pudding all night.
Monday: DHS
Highlights- Toy Story Mania; Fantasmic, Indiana Jones (have done all of these before)
Lowlights- N/A
Didn't get to do- Aerosmith Coaster (down half the day, huge wait the other half). Tower of terror (only because my wife/daughters want nothing to do with it)
Bottom line- this is a half day park right now that desperately needs its upcoming expansion. Will probably return to check it out but for now it's slim pickings, especially with the tiered fastpass system.
Tues/Thurs: MK
Highlights- 7 Dwarfs (love this ride, a good speed for all ages); Splash Mountain; Be Our Guest dinner (reeeeally impressed; what an atmosphere)
Lowlights- sucks being in this place between 11:00 and 6:00, basically. Stroller jail. Car to tram to monorail makes for a long entry. Also, are you telling me they couldn't get rid of Tom Sawyer Island and do something cool with it? Some others (Carousel of Progress, Swiss Family Robinson Tree; Tomorrowland Speedway) should be bulldozed as well. I rode Space Mountain for the first time in 25 years.....it was too much for me now. Too much being jerked around in the dark. My wife and 10 year old loved it though.
Didn't get to do- N/A. Two days and lots of fastpasses.
Bottom line- still has a few favorites and enough other rides still worth doing (Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Storytime w/Belle, Barnstormer) that it would be difficult to ever take this park out of the rotation.
Wed: Epcot
Highlights- Soarin. Might have been my favorite ride of the week. Very unique. Was pleasantly surprised with Frozen Ever After- we got there at rope drop to ensure we could ride it. Thought the Pixar movie shorts was well done.
Lowlights- Ellen's Energy Adventure? Journey into Imagination with Figment? Both were brutal, in my opinion. Ellen had seats for about 500 and there were only like 40 people in there.
Didn't get to do- Test Track (bad weather, long waits). Only saw a few minutes of Illuminations because it started pouring and my girls were freezing.
Bottom line- Enjoyed aspects of it; but may not be back. Whipped around the countries quick but maybe too fast to truly get much out of it. Wish Soarin was at a different park!
Friday: AK
Highlights- Safari; Lion King show; Everest (was a hair fast for me but I still enjoyed it; and it's a really unique and entertaining ride)
Lowlights- nothing really. Kali Rapids is a good ride that could have been great but we still rode it twice.
Didn't get to do- N/A
Bottom line- probably moved to our #2 park. Good mix of animals, shows & rides. Perfect amount to do in one day. Rivers of Light is the new nighttime show but it was not showing yesterday. Still enjoyed the Tree of Life mini-show thing.
Next trip- probably an MK day, an AK day, and maybe a DHS day depending on how the expansion looks. Didn't do Universal this year and have never done Universal IOA so may add at least of those in as well.
glvsav37
Footballguy
Awesome to hear that you had a good time. Bonus on getting the extra seats at Ohana.
I know that was a concern of yours. Pretty much agree with everything here (Except bulldozing TS Island a CoP—you shut your dirty mouf! lol) and glad you enjoyed AK. As I've stated a few times, its at least a 2 day park for us. It's one of those parks that you can enjoy best if you slow down, but that's not the norm for most theme park goers.
Yea, a decent amount of Epcot's Future World is in bad shape. Esp when you can't do Test Track or other E-ticket rides, it really shows it's warts. Management stated that they are currently reimagining all of FW, but who knows whenever that will start to be put into action.
Overall, seemed like an enjoyable trip! Feel free to share more, it's always appreciated.
3 hour lunch
Footballguy
I just didn't get Tom Sawyer Island- there's nothing really there. Carosuel of Progress is OK I guess; we did it a few years back just to have a comfy air conditioned seat for a few minutes.
We stayed at a vrbo townhome a bout 2 miles from the parks; which we have always done. Staying on property just seems so $$$.
Ate at Coral Reef and La Hacienda de San Angel at Epcot which were both good, but sorry we didn't get Le Cellier a crack after hearing people talk about it. Just didn't know if the kids would appreciate it.
We stayed at a vrbo townhome a bout 2 miles from the parks; which we have always done. Staying on property just seems so $$$.
Ate at Coral Reef and La Hacienda de San Angel at Epcot which were both good, but sorry we didn't get Le Cellier a crack after hearing people talk about it. Just didn't know if the kids would appreciate it.
glvsav37
Footballguy
I hear ya...there is more nostalgia factor there then substance. But that said, if there is 1 park that can afford nostalgia, it's the MK. Attraction-for-attraction, there is so much more there than any other park, lately even 2 parks combined. It's a really big drop off and kind of a reason why I can see AK would move up your rankings as it did.
TSI really suffers from a good way to get there. The boats are just a nuisance and with so many visitors crunched for time, no one really wants to go over there. I would love to see them put Aunt Polly's or some other type of QS restaurant back in there. It would give people a reason to head there to have a quiet meal and let the kids run off some energy for a bit while the parents relaxed. However, in DL, they did nip a bit of TSI off for the new StarWars land, so it's never really out of the question at WDW.
CoP is classic Disney. Its one of the few things at WDW that you can truly say Walt touched (In case anyone did not know, that CoP is actually from Disneyland. They moved it from DL in 1973 and opened it in WDW in 1975. But even before that, Walt created that for the 1964 Worlds Fair). But yes, it is very dated, esp when you get to the "Today" scene. It's actually laughably bad.
TSI really suffers from a good way to get there. The boats are just a nuisance and with so many visitors crunched for time, no one really wants to go over there. I would love to see them put Aunt Polly's or some other type of QS restaurant back in there. It would give people a reason to head there to have a quiet meal and let the kids run off some energy for a bit while the parents relaxed. However, in DL, they did nip a bit of TSI off for the new StarWars land, so it's never really out of the question at WDW.
CoP is classic Disney. Its one of the few things at WDW that you can truly say Walt touched (In case anyone did not know, that CoP is actually from Disneyland. They moved it from DL in 1973 and opened it in WDW in 1975. But even before that, Walt created that for the 1964 Worlds Fair). But yes, it is very dated, esp when you get to the "Today" scene. It's actually laughably bad.
glvsav37
Footballguy
So while I'm the kind of person that hates when someone takes 3 random tweets and frames a whole story around "Everyone is...." I found this pretty funny
This pre-Oscars commercial for Avatar World is terrifying people
Really? Terrifying? OK. But it did bring up a point that lingers in a lot of peoples minds, of "is Avatar still relevant" and while I know there are more movies planned, it was a huge gamble (or knee-jerk reaction) for Disney to take. I'll admit, I've only seen the movie 1x, and it was 100% because of the land opening soon, and I have no interest in seeing it again or running out to the sequels. But that's not to ay that I'm not looking forward to the land opening at AK. If anything the commercial made the scenery look intense, prob nothing like any other land we have seen up till now. I think it will be especially amazing at night.
We shall see in a few short months.
This pre-Oscars commercial for Avatar World is terrifying people
Really? Terrifying? OK. But it did bring up a point that lingers in a lot of peoples minds, of "is Avatar still relevant" and while I know there are more movies planned, it was a huge gamble (or knee-jerk reaction) for Disney to take. I'll admit, I've only seen the movie 1x, and it was 100% because of the land opening soon, and I have no interest in seeing it again or running out to the sequels. But that's not to ay that I'm not looking forward to the land opening at AK. If anything the commercial made the scenery look intense, prob nothing like any other land we have seen up till now. I think it will be especially amazing at night.
We shall see in a few short months.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
We've still never watched Avatar but I'll watch it before we head back in September. It never struck me as something I would enjoy but I'll give it a chance.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
When we go in September we are taking my FIL - it will be his first trip ever. He's somewhere around 58 and has already said he doesn't want to ride the roller coasters. I'm planning the trip around him and curious for input from you guys on can't miss attractions. Right now this is my lIst:
MK - Pirates, Hall of Presidents, Splash, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Train, COP and Tom Sawyer Island (probably Country Bears too)
AK - Safari, Train to conservatory, Lion King/Nemo shows, Avatar, Bird show
EP - World Showcase, Soarin, Test Track, Living with the Land, Aquarium, Spaceship Earth
HS - ToT, All the Star Wars stuff (he's a huge fan), TSM, muppets
All the nighttime shows and parades.
Plenty of breaks and dining.
Tell me what I'm missing.
MK - Pirates, Hall of Presidents, Splash, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Train, COP and Tom Sawyer Island (probably Country Bears too)
AK - Safari, Train to conservatory, Lion King/Nemo shows, Avatar, Bird show
EP - World Showcase, Soarin, Test Track, Living with the Land, Aquarium, Spaceship Earth
HS - ToT, All the Star Wars stuff (he's a huge fan), TSM, muppets
All the nighttime shows and parades.
Plenty of breaks and dining.
Tell me what I'm missing.
Osaurus
Footballguy
I caught about 10 minutes of it last weekend and was uninteresting as the first time I saw it.
Osaurus
Footballguy
glvsav37
Footballguy
Overall, you seem to have it covered GB.
Not sure if he is into nostalgia or history, but I have some really good audio walking tours of the MK that he could listen to where he can get a nice base of the nuances in each of the lands. Then when he is there, he might notice some of the details a bit more and have an adult level of appreciation for it, over just being a theme park.
Capella
Footballguy
Avatar was ok, the 3D was amazing but nothing I need to see again.
[Stephen A Smith voice] HOWEVER, I am excited for anything new they add to the parks. We've only been to AK maybe 5 times total in 5 years, I imagine that will go up substantially now with this and rivers of light.
[Stephen A Smith voice] HOWEVER, I am excited for anything new they add to the parks. We've only been to AK maybe 5 times total in 5 years, I imagine that will go up substantially now with this and rivers of light.
AcerFC
Footballguy
Its a great big beautiful tomorrow.......
Avatar was a movie you had to see in the movies to appreciate it. The story is nothing special. Its dances with wolves in space. But the 3d was insane for the time it came out. Ive only seen it once, in the theatres. But it was a great experience.
It struck me as very odd that disney would give an entire piece of land for its own thing. I could only imagine they didnt want universal to snatch it up.
A jungle book land would be much more awesome and Disney imo but who knew when that live adaptation came into the picture. That movie was super awesome. I can imagine a kaaa rollercoaster and a log flumey Baloo ride. Could have been great.
Avatar was a movie you had to see in the movies to appreciate it. The story is nothing special. Its dances with wolves in space. But the 3d was insane for the time it came out. Ive only seen it once, in the theatres. But it was a great experience.
It struck me as very odd that disney would give an entire piece of land for its own thing. I could only imagine they didnt want universal to snatch it up.
A jungle book land would be much more awesome and Disney imo but who knew when that live adaptation came into the picture. That movie was super awesome. I can imagine a kaaa rollercoaster and a log flumey Baloo ride. Could have been great.
Capella
Footballguy
I always assumed this was a reaction to Harry Potter world.
Based off the little we've seen I don't think you will need to have seen the movie to appreciate the land.
Big Blue Wrecking Crew
downsized
Disney Dining Plans...anyone up for a cliff notes version on how best to leverage? Will not be in a park every day and do not want to plan the day around eating (the one thing I have heard about some of the plans).
AAABatteries
Footballguy
AAABatteries said:
Oh, we got the food covered. It will be during Free Dining and during Food and Wine.Osaurus said:
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
Here's a nice snapshot of restaurant costs to calculate their DDP value, might be helpful to see if you want to do a Dining Plan at all.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Thanks Keith - I may ask him this week and see. If you are able to burn them I can buy some CDs and send to you.glvsav37 said:
Are these the WDW Radio walking tours?
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
Yeah that was my initial take on it, too. After they dropped the ball on the HP theme park rights they were poised to snap up the next big "independent" movie theme park tie-in. Walking through Hogsmeade or especially Diagon Alley at UO, either or both of those would have fit in great at DHS.Capella said:
glvsav37
Footballguy
NP yes...they are a little old but they give a good overview of main st, liberty square and frontierland which have a good amount of history and thought behind them if you are looking for it.
He may appreciate the deeper level behind it.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Good calls on these - when my son and I were discussing this we had mentioned Riverboat, Jungle Cruise and One Man's Dream - forgot about Tiki Room and Phillarmagic is always on our list so we should be good there.glvsav37 said:
Isn't the Stunt Show going away by September or do I have my dates wrong? He would love it if it's still around.
Monsters - hmm, probably put it on the list but won't be a must-see IMO
As for TSI - we already mentioned that to him and he seemed intrigued - I agree there's not much to do but it's a decent place to take a break and get some shade and eat a snack. Would be nice if there was easier access.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
The Indiana Jones Stunt Show has had several different closing dates announced, yet it keeps surviving the ax. Touring Plans (usually a solid source for stuff like this) doesn't have a closing date listed. IIRC, at one point there was the expectation that it would get shut down because part of Star Wars Land would be built on the site. But if that day is coming, it hasn't been announced yet.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
I'll add my 2 cents here.
I don't think the Quick Service plan is worth it - there's some quick service restaurants that are good but the only appeal of this plan to me is just having it already paid for and you can just eat wherever you are without needing reservations
I also don't think the Deluxe plan is worth it unless you are either a huge foodie or just have chet money to blow on food. Especially it's not worth it with kids - it's basically impossible to eat 3 sit down meals per day per person and it would be massively time consuming. You can pay for others with the plans so maybe if you do the Deluxe Plan and spread it across multiple people it might be worth it but I've never really looked in to that.
The regular dining plan is to me the sweet spot and if you can get it during Free Dining it's a great option. You get 1 TS (Tableau Service), 1 QS (Quick Service) and 2 snacks per day on the plan for each night you stay. I recommend booking your table service during off times or when you are taking a break if you can.
I understand booking restaurants isn't something that everybody likes - they want to go with the flow but to make the most of your trip it's best to get that stuff scheduled ASAP.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
DLR cast members have been told letting park guests camp out for hours for parades and shows is no longer acceptable. They have been instructed to clear out park guests who lay blankets down on Main Street, sit on benches in prime viewing areas for extended times, etc. telling park guests they need to move along, but are welcome to come back when the ropes marking viewing areas come out, usually 30-45 minutes before the parade.
This is more of an issue at DLR than WDW because of the high volume of Orange County locals who are annual passholders. There's a subset of them who will pack a cooler, go to Disneyland, lay out a blanket on Main Street, have a picnic, watch the parade, and go home. Or grandparents who will mark territory for hours, reading or playing cards while the rest of the family explores the park and also get prime parade viewing.
After this is in play at DLR for a while, expect some form of it to get phased in at WDW, especially MK. Guests who stand in one place don't spend money in the park.
This is more of an issue at DLR than WDW because of the high volume of Orange County locals who are annual passholders. There's a subset of them who will pack a cooler, go to Disneyland, lay out a blanket on Main Street, have a picnic, watch the parade, and go home. Or grandparents who will mark territory for hours, reading or playing cards while the rest of the family explores the park and also get prime parade viewing.
After this is in play at DLR for a while, expect some form of it to get phased in at WDW, especially MK. Guests who stand in one place don't spend money in the park.
glvsav37
Footballguy
@Gottabesweet
hold the phones....we may have a new contender in the battle for the best burger
Geyser Point Bar and Grill just opened at Wilderness Lodge and take a look at this beauty.
Its more of a quick service/Bar location, so don't expect a 4course meal, but since you asked about burgers I wanted to pass it along
hold the phones....we may have a new contender in the battle for the best burger
Geyser Point Bar and Grill just opened at Wilderness Lodge and take a look at this beauty.
Its more of a quick service/Bar location, so don't expect a 4course meal, but since you asked about burgers I wanted to pass it along
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glvsav37
Footballguy
Many people don't even know it's there, but now is the time to see it one last time.
Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba at Disney Springs is closing Dec 31st.
https://disneynewstoday.net/2017/03/03/la-nouba-by-cirque-du-soleil-will-host-its-final-disney-springs-performance-this-december/
Ive seen it a few times and we can say it's an interesting show. I think when it came out 20 years ago it was sort of groundbreaking. But now there are other Cirque shows that have passed it by. Let's hope they are replacing it with a new show.
Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba at Disney Springs is closing Dec 31st.
https://disneynewstoday.net/2017/03/03/la-nouba-by-cirque-du-soleil-will-host-its-final-disney-springs-performance-this-december/
Ive seen it a few times and we can say it's an interesting show. I think when it came out 20 years ago it was sort of groundbreaking. But now there are other Cirque shows that have passed it by. Let's hope they are replacing it with a new show.
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In The Zone
Footballguy
The wife and I saw this back in 2010 for my birthday and thought it was fantastic. Now that was a night. Dinner at T - REX and LA Nouba. I hate to see it go.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
PSA: if you are planning a trip for later in the year you can get a $75 per night gift card staying at Caribbean Beach. I was able to get a $202 rate so basically getting a moderate room for $125. That means if free dining is available (which it should be) I can get a room for 4 for a week with park hopper tickets and free dining for a little over 3k.
ETA - I forgot to mention that they are offering the deal because CBR is under construction. Cast member said it was $25 and they just bumped it up to $75.
ETA - I forgot to mention that they are offering the deal because CBR is under construction. Cast member said it was $25 and they just bumped it up to $75.
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AAABatteries
Footballguy
And just to make you all jealous I plan to use the $500 or so on eating and drinking my way around Food and Wine. My plan is to have one of everything that week. 
glvsav37
Footballguy
Some interesting (and short) teaser video from the Pandora water ride.
https://mobile.twitter.com/visitpandora/status/837781023584845824/video/1
same stuff we have seen in the new commercial, just a little clearer.
https://mobile.twitter.com/visitpandora/status/837781023584845824/video/1
same stuff we have seen in the new commercial, just a little clearer.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
I'm going to Disneyland tomorrow.
Gonna do two DLR days, and do a side trip inland a bit to the Safari Park in Escondido run by the San Diego Zoo.
Curious to see if the crackdown on loitering Main Street for parade viewing is still going on. The Electrical Parade is back so that should be fun, though I am a fan of Paint The Night.
Gonna do two DLR days, and do a side trip inland a bit to the Safari Park in Escondido run by the San Diego Zoo.
Curious to see if the crackdown on loitering Main Street for parade viewing is still going on. The Electrical Parade is back so that should be fun, though I am a fan of Paint The Night.
bagger
Footballguy
Just got to Disneyland today. Milled around downtown Disney...good call on security can't go through grand Californian like we used to but may just take the opportunity to just take the monorail into Disneyland then since we never do that.
Got the family all settled into the hotel room and got the pack and play out and it slides out of the case and lands right on my foot. Fairly certain there may be a fracture there somewhere as there's a golf ball on top of my foot now.
Going to CA adventure tomorrow. Should be fun although will be a bit hobbled but will not be deterred.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
At SNA. Boarding plane home in a bit.
Really fun long weekend. Worked in a trip down the to Safari Park in Escondido - had a blast, but a lot of it was from an extra-charge Caravan Safari where we got to drive right up to several groupings of animals, and got to feed giraffes and a rhino. In the general admission stuff, was really cool seeing a few condors up close, a new Tiger Trail where one of them started licking the glass we were on the other side of, a Gorilla Forest where we saw some behaviors on display very familiar to anyone with siblings, and a Cheetah Track where a cheetah ran two 100-meter dashes (first heat was 6.4, second was 6.1).
DLR was a lot more crowded than we expected, but if you got there right away and/or were willing to wait the crowds out at night, you could work around it. The Parade crowd was so packed on Saturday evening the PA had to announce all the parade seating was full 35 minutes before the parade started. For the second parade on Sunday night, we got curbside seats with a clear castle view 20 minutes before showtime.
Hit up Red Rose Tavern late last night - Disneyland has converted a Pinocchio themed pizza place to Beauty and the Beast just in time for the new movie. They were out of Grey Stuff (cast member said they sold out early afternoon Sat and Sun, about 7:00 pm last night) but the Lemon Rose dessert was decent. Seeing the decor just made me want to take down one of those cinnamon rolls from Gaston's, but those weren't on the menu.
The Hollywood Land theater at DCA (built to show MuppetVision, now retired) had an extended preview of Beauty And the Beast. I knew I was getting dragged to this movie, but after seeing the preview I'm actually looking forward to it. The preview was a lot of the "Bonjour" number followed by an extended trailer. The theater deployed some wind and water effects when appropriate, and used some video on the walls to give a 270-degree view. When Gaston showed up on screen I blurted out "Owen Shaw!" (The actor portraying Gaston also played Owen Shaw, the villain from Fast & Furious 6) which embarrassed my wife but amused the kid who was all "Owen and Olaf BFFs!" (Josh Gad plays Gaston's minion).
Really fun long weekend. Worked in a trip down the to Safari Park in Escondido - had a blast, but a lot of it was from an extra-charge Caravan Safari where we got to drive right up to several groupings of animals, and got to feed giraffes and a rhino. In the general admission stuff, was really cool seeing a few condors up close, a new Tiger Trail where one of them started licking the glass we were on the other side of, a Gorilla Forest where we saw some behaviors on display very familiar to anyone with siblings, and a Cheetah Track where a cheetah ran two 100-meter dashes (first heat was 6.4, second was 6.1).
DLR was a lot more crowded than we expected, but if you got there right away and/or were willing to wait the crowds out at night, you could work around it. The Parade crowd was so packed on Saturday evening the PA had to announce all the parade seating was full 35 minutes before the parade started. For the second parade on Sunday night, we got curbside seats with a clear castle view 20 minutes before showtime.
Hit up Red Rose Tavern late last night - Disneyland has converted a Pinocchio themed pizza place to Beauty and the Beast just in time for the new movie. They were out of Grey Stuff (cast member said they sold out early afternoon Sat and Sun, about 7:00 pm last night) but the Lemon Rose dessert was decent. Seeing the decor just made me want to take down one of those cinnamon rolls from Gaston's, but those weren't on the menu.
The Hollywood Land theater at DCA (built to show MuppetVision, now retired) had an extended preview of Beauty And the Beast. I knew I was getting dragged to this movie, but after seeing the preview I'm actually looking forward to it. The preview was a lot of the "Bonjour" number followed by an extended trailer. The theater deployed some wind and water effects when appropriate, and used some video on the walls to give a 270-degree view. When Gaston showed up on screen I blurted out "Owen Shaw!" (The actor portraying Gaston also played Owen Shaw, the villain from Fast & Furious 6) which embarrassed my wife but amused the kid who was all "Owen and Olaf BFFs!" (Josh Gad plays Gaston's minion).
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
Didn't see anyone in a Rich Gannon Raiders jersey and Von Dutch trucker hat, so I don't think I saw bagger.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Question for those who have stayed on property. Right now I have a reservation for 6 days to stay at CBR (doesn't really matter where it is) and then I plan to get a 2nd reservation for the next two days at CBR. I did this because I was able to get a rate of $202 for the 6 days versus $272 for the 8 days. For the two days I got a rate of $223.
So, my question is would they allow me to combine those in to one reservation as long as I still pay the different rates or is that a nonstarter with them? My reason is pretty simple - if I get the 8 days together I can get 8 days of free dining (if available) instead of 6. I'm guessing for that reason alone the answer is no but I wondered if it was worth calling and talking to a manager or if someone had every been able to do it. Hell, I'd offer to pay the $272 rate for the 2 days if they'd give me it in one reservation.
So, my question is would they allow me to combine those in to one reservation as long as I still pay the different rates or is that a nonstarter with them? My reason is pretty simple - if I get the 8 days together I can get 8 days of free dining (if available) instead of 6. I'm guessing for that reason alone the answer is no but I wondered if it was worth calling and talking to a manager or if someone had every been able to do it. Hell, I'd offer to pay the $272 rate for the 2 days if they'd give me it in one reservation.
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Capella
Footballguy
glvsav37
Footballguy
Some new/updated info on Pandora at AK....you know its getting close when they release the attraction height requirements
It would be very cool if they introduced some sci-fi-fi version of the Adventureland map game though here. I could see some awesome effects be involved.
As for the others, this is not really 'new' as it leaked a while ago, but it was unconfirmed—leaked image of the Na'vi ride vehicle. But now that the attraction info is out there, it could be plausible. I've heard that you straddle this like a horse. I wonder how this works though with kids or disabled riders. If it is true, then maybe there is a 'car' type version you can sit in as well.
I'm holding out hope that the river ride is more then a boat ride. But with no height requirement, it's unlikely. If at all, I hope they infuse some of the technology from the Shanghai Pirates ride.
I'm curious about the last one, the Valley of Mo'ara. Interesting is they are considering this an 'attraction', but like with most of AK, there are plenty of walking paths and go-at-your-own-pace type of scenery. Very cool about the Wilderness explorers and curious about how they are going to work these in.
It would be very cool if they introduced some sci-fi-fi version of the Adventureland map game though here. I could see some awesome effects be involved.
As for the others, this is not really 'new' as it leaked a while ago, but it was unconfirmed—leaked image of the Na'vi ride vehicle. But now that the attraction info is out there, it could be plausible. I've heard that you straddle this like a horse. I wonder how this works though with kids or disabled riders. If it is true, then maybe there is a 'car' type version you can sit in as well.
I'm holding out hope that the river ride is more then a boat ride. But with no height requirement, it's unlikely. If at all, I hope they infuse some of the technology from the Shanghai Pirates ride.
JackReacher
Footballguy
Just did a quick weekend at Disney. Beautiful weather.
Wanted to pass this on. My wife signed up for the Disney Visa credit card. We loathe credit, but this deal was too good to pass up. Spend $500 in the first 6 months and get a $200 DIsney gift card. If you add another person to the account, you get another $50 Disney gift card.
One of the cooler perks with the card is that there is a separate meet-and-greet area for Disney Visa card-holders. We were at EPCOT Saturday and waited one minute in the card-holders line (near Figment) to see that characters. All pictures taken by Disney there are free. So that's cool.
You also get the same discounts as an Annual Pass holder when you use the card and there is no annual fee. But you must pay off the card right away as it has a ridiculous APR (16%?). Again, we loathe credit, but if you are able to pay off right away, it's a great value.
Also, can't say enough about the Annual Pass member's only entrance. It really worked for us at rope drop at MK on Sunday. There was no one in that line, while the regular folk were 20-deep. Gave us a huge edge when we booked it to Mine Train. Just wish they had it for bag check too.
Wanted to pass this on. My wife signed up for the Disney Visa credit card. We loathe credit, but this deal was too good to pass up. Spend $500 in the first 6 months and get a $200 DIsney gift card. If you add another person to the account, you get another $50 Disney gift card.
One of the cooler perks with the card is that there is a separate meet-and-greet area for Disney Visa card-holders. We were at EPCOT Saturday and waited one minute in the card-holders line (near Figment) to see that characters. All pictures taken by Disney there are free. So that's cool.
You also get the same discounts as an Annual Pass holder when you use the card and there is no annual fee. But you must pay off the card right away as it has a ridiculous APR (16%?). Again, we loathe credit, but if you are able to pay off right away, it's a great value.
Also, can't say enough about the Annual Pass member's only entrance. It really worked for us at rope drop at MK on Sunday. There was no one in that line, while the regular folk were 20-deep. Gave us a huge edge when we booked it to Mine Train. Just wish they had it for bag check too.
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