Random Disney Thread
 

We just got back, our first trip in 7 years. It's changed a lot; I think part of it is because so many parents are focused on getting their kids photographed with all the characters. I've seen those lines be longer than the ride lines; we walked right onto several rides at Epcot while there was a huge line snaking out of the Epcot character photo lines. And now all the kids want to get the characters' autographs too...

It was Star Wars Weekend at MGM. Boo. You talk about some weird people there! There were lots of adults (not the ones working at the park) all decked out as Star Wars characters.:eek:There was a middle-aged woman who weighed maybe 300 lbs. all decked out like Leia and all these kids were gaping at her like, "Is that what happened to Princess Leia?" The host on one stage was asking, "How many of you saw Star Wars the first week it opened?" and I started to put up my hand until I noticed that the others with hands up were wearing costumes. Ew.

Lots of international families were there. I heard almost as much Spanish as English. We commented that when one wears a sari with Nikes or a Muslim headpiece with a Disney visor, much of the exotic intrigue goes away, lol.

Finally, pirates sell. In past years, there was no line to get on the ride but now there is. Plus there used to be that little shop right outside the ride that people passed through rapidly but now there's a huge store with hundreds of people buying pirate merchandise, lots of selections available too. I do like the new and improved ride, though!

Other comments?

I'm going early in the fall. I went one other time in 1991. Looking forward to see how much things have changed since then.

My brother went last year and showed me some pictures... it's amazing to see "mascots and characters" walking around with the general public like they are normal people.

My boyfriend & I just took his kids down there last Friday, although we only went to Magic Kingdom. The youngest, an 8-year old, enjoyed herself quite a bit. But her older brother (11-years old) was too cool for just about everything there-next year we'll head to Busch Gardens instead since the coasters there will appeal to him more.

We go to Disney about every other weekend (dedicated Disney-a-holics). We have Premium Annual Passes which are expensive but worth every penny if you use them. And we do! We also don't have kids, which makes a big difference. We go with friends who do have kids fairly often, and it's a bigger ordeal, but still fun.

I love a lot of the changes, but I see room for improvement. Tomorrowland has a few empty buildings that need to be revamped and used again!

The two things I miss most about Disney is "If You Had Wings" at the Magic Kingdom and the ORIGINAL Journey into Imagination at EPCOT.

I'm a huge fan of Typhoon Lagoon (was there last Saturday, will probably be there this Saturday and definately next Saturday for my birthday...). If you haven't been there it's a lot of fun, especially for those of us who aren't huge into super fast waterslides. The Shark Reef is fun if you pay the extra money to do the semi-SCUBA version.

I LOVE the new version of Pirates, but good GOD get a fast pass system there... stat! Although if you wait until the parades are going on it's not too bad. The Jungle Cruise is the most fun at night, as are the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and Thunder Mountain.

Disney Quest is a LOT OF FUN, especially if it's really hot out or late at night. We love the Animation Academy!

I could go on and on, but I'll stop now and save it for the book I'm always saying I'm going to write about Disney *lol*.

We are going at the beginning of August for my birthday!! My best friend just moved to Orlando this winter and we are going to visit her and her husband to see the new house.

I have not been to Disneyworld since 7th grade, so I am sure their have been ALOT of changes since then and my husband has not been there EVER!! I am really excited to take him there. My friends husband works at Disneyworld part time so he is going to get us free passes. Can you tell I am super excited!!

I am akinda spoiled I guess....I have grown up in FL, so I cannot count the times I have gone to Disney...I lost track a long time ago... I am sad though by what I reading....Pirates was always my favorite ride!!!! My family would go on eit a couple times in a row because no one really cared to go on it!!! Now it is sooo busy it needs a fast pass? Crazy! What did they change about it?

Not about Disney the theme park but....

I noticed in bringing back The Little Mermaid and watching it with my daughter, there is NO mention at all of Ariel (or any of the other girls') mother. I mean, since she's not there at all, you might assume, due to King Triton's fear/hatred of humans, that she was killed by a human... I guess plot-wise, another parent might have gotten too complicated and been an unnecassary interferance.

Several of the Disney characters lack a mother. I've read several essays on, "Does Disney hate women?"

I wish they hadn't changed Journey Into Imagination, either. The second version of it was awful and I'm glad that they changed it again to add Figment back. We loved the skunk Figment!

I can't stand the redone Tiki Room; it was like that in 2000 too and I thought the complaints would have gotten them to change it back. Iago ruins the whole thing and I've noticed that people don't leave the place with a smile anymore.

The Haunted Mansion is closed from June 6-25. I hope they don't crap it up too but you couldn't even buy Haunted Mansion merchandise this week-all I saw was some Jack Skellington stuff at Madame Leota's. I heard a guide telling a group that they were gutting the place and it would be awful if they turned it into a Jack Skellington ride like they have during Christmas at Disneyland.

I miss If You Had Wings too! Is Buzz Lightyear where it used to be? They seem to look a lot alike.

Haunted Mansion closes once a year about this time to clean, paint and refurbish. I don't think there is anythign to worry about... at least I hope not.

Someone sent me a link to a Disney site that describes the updates they just made at the Haunted Mansion. Apparently, everything's good;they got rid of those hokey giant spiders and put windows in the sides of the doombuggies so you can see better. I forget what else but I'm just glad that they didn't close to crap it up a la the Mexican pavilion at EPCOT or the Tiki Room.

The Haunted Mansion is my very favorite ride - and I LOVE the improvements. They really are improvements, instead of a stupid make-over (yes, I'm still bitter about "Journey into Imagination" . . .don't get me started!) No windows in the Doom Buggies, though - the whole point of the "pod" is to restrict what you can see, so the effects will work.
The Escher staircase is sooooo cool - and the awful spiders have found a home in the Jungle Cruise, so it's all good. I like the new bride - my daughter doesn't - and I'm so glad they got rid of the jumping heads in the attic. I also really like the pictures in the waiting area. We've waited to hear the gargoyles - could barely hear them, so that was a bit of a disappointment.

I was glad they redid "El Rio del Tiempo" in the Mexico Pavillion, which we called "El Rio de Lameo". We love the Three Caballeros! And they still have the cliff-diving footage from "If You Had Wings", which I always love to see. Ah, memories.

I love the Caballeros but I really really miss that song, 'Hola Mis Amigos', that went with the former version and that carousel at the end too! I wonder if the country of Mexico just quit paying for sponsorship and Disney decided to turn it into a movie-themed ride?

I wish that the Norway ride were longer.

My daughter and I are going to visit my dad in February and I told him that we need to spend one day at Magic Kingdom. The last time we were there was 1999 and my daughter barely remembers it (she was 5 then). I'm looking forward to it. It would be nice to have more time, but this is a quickie trip.

Get there EARLY to try and get as much in as you can! Depending on when in Feb. you are going, the crowds could be light - but if you have spring breakers it will be more crowded. Use Fast Passes, and hit the Mountains early - unless your daughter will just DIE if she doesn't do Dumbo and Peter Pan, in which case you should do them first!

I do like the new Pirates of the Carribean ride. I call it the Johnny Depp ride since his face is everywhere.

NOt about the park:

I really like watching "The Emperors New School" I hate that it comes on soooo late.

"We go to Kuzco Academy"
"K-U-Z-C-O Kuzco, Kuzco, Go, Go!"

I will be taking my 8th graders to Epcot in March and I think I am just as excited as they are!

It is funny how I could ride Space Mountain five times in one day when I was 12 years old. A couple of months ago, I went on the ride one time and all I could think was "Lord please don't let me die". :p

Space Mountain
 

I did not heed any of the warning signs and went on Space Mountain, sitting in back of my son, who was about 6 at the time. Everything was fine until he heard me calling for my mommy. Then he burst into tears. At the end, though, he wanted to ride it again! Kids!

Paula M.
Sigma Delta Tau
ΣΔTPatriae Multi Spes Una One Hope of Many People

I am a true DISNEY A HOLIC! I can ride Space mountain over and over again. I make sure i am the first in line for the front seat and sit by myself.

I think i got my 8 yr old that way too. He started to fight me for the front seat 2 yrs ago. :)

I wish i could the year of a million dreams and stay at the castle accomadations.

It is my own true guilty pleasure...disneyland and Disney calif adventure!

BUMP.

So, we will be headed to Disney in May with the kids (aged 3.5 and 1.5 at the time). We hadn't planned to go with them at such a young age, but my brother's bride-to-be has decided that that is where the wedding will be. So, off to Disney we go for a 5 day vacation.

We already have our hotel reservations to stay in the Contemporary, which we chose for its convenience to the park given the kids' young ages, and my son's fascination for all things trains. We know that we will be making a few trips back and forth to the room each day for rests, etc.

What can you seasoned travelers tell me about the dining plans? For our family, and situation (snacks in room at rest times), it just doesn't seem economical. Two of our meals will be paid for as part of the wedding festivities. In addition, I have been told that only certain places in the park take the dining plan.... not exactly something that a 3 year old and a 1 year old would understand when they want to eat RIGHT NOW!

However, every single time that I am on the phone with Disney they tell me that I am making a HUGE mistake by not getting the plan. The skeptic in me seems to think that just confirms my theory that it isn't a good economic deal, because why do they care about saving me money? I have to pay for the phone calls since they don't even have an 800 number for crying out loud!! My husband is leaning more towards the idea of getting it, just for convenience.

Anyone have experience with this, especially with young children who will just want a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner every night?

I am a graduate of the College of Disney Knowledge - :) - and certified Disney travel planner! My take on the meal plan - which I did one time just so I could speak from experience - is that it would be great if you had teens who could eat all that food. For us, it was too much. We like a light breakfast, big lunch, and then dinner on the fly. Eating your big meal at lunch saves you money - and breakfast in the room gets you out earlier (although since you are staying at the Contemporary, there will be no avoiding Chef Mickey's. If you don' have reservations there yet, I'd suggest you get them ASAP. Maybe for your first night dinner?)

Back to the dining plan - Yes, they push it pretty hard - but just say no would be my advice. Let me know if you have any other questions.

My boyfriend and I are going in July and got the "standard" dining plan, which is one quick service, one table service, and one snack per night. We did it for two reasons: a. less stress and b. we wanted to eat at some of the pricier restaurants, so it was actually cheaper to get the dining plan ($40 per person, per night) than to pay as we went. We ended up making dinner reservations at Le Cellier, Coral Reef, and Cinderella's Royal Table(!!!!)

I honestly think it depends on the individual family and what you want to do on your vacation. I can see scenarios where the dining plan would be a good idea, and others where it wouldn't. I do, however, second that you should make reservations ASAP. We made ours last weekend, and had to compromise on times for both Le Cellier and Coral Reef, and got THE LAST reservation for Cinderella's Table for that week. We weren't aware how cutthroat dining at Disney had become until our AAA agent told us.

Thanks Belle!

Are you suggesting Chef Mickey's for the Characters aspect? We do have reservations for a Character Breakfast that the bridal couple is hosting. However, my 3 yr old son is petrified/terrifed/wet-your-pants scared of all things that come in a suit (Santa, Chick-fil-a cow, Sesame Street Live, etc). So... suffice it to say that we only need to do a character meal that one time!

Now, if Mickey's is where the good food is, but the characters will keep their distance (!!) then I will go ahead and make reservations. Do we need to have reservations for all the dinners or can we just show up?

We also were just thinking of bagels in the room for breakfast, as we tend to eat light breakfasts anyway. Are the breakfasts in the restaurants la carte or huge buffet? Any reason that we should have a disney breakfast instead of our packed bagels?

We were told that if a restaurant takes reservations, you need to make them.

In March, I'm going with the dance team that my daughter sponsors! We thought about the dining plan but really, the kids are in it for the dance competition and the rides so we'll just eat whatever wherever.

Live-in and I have been talking about maybe going this summer if we're still here... I'm kindof excited - it's been 20 years since the last time I went!

go to your nearest bookstore and buy a copy of "the unofficial guide to disney world". this book is great-even for seasoned disney visitors.

reserve two strollers-even if the 3 year old "thinks" they want to walk-they are going to get tired and having that extra stroller will pay off in spades in keeping you or hubby from having to hold them. get distinctive bandanas or ribbons(they can match) to tie on the handles of the strollers so that you can spot yours easily when you come out of a ride/exhibit. it also helps keep folks from getting "mixed up"and "accidently" taking your stoller, when their non-strollered child gets tired. we actually had one of ours stolen once, but i was able to track it down because the creep who stole it did not take the bandana off of it. i know that people make fun of leash kids, but it might give you some piece of mind to have the 3 year old a little more secured-those crowds can be overwhelming.

take backpacks/diaper bags and put some juice boxes/water bottles and snacks in them under the diapers-in case they look in the bags as you enter the park. you could even buy a loaf of bread, some p-nut butter and jelly to keep in your room and make sandwiches to take for lunch. you would save tons of $$ and you could feed the kids when they are hungry-the lines at the disney fast food restaurants get reallllllllll long around lunch time and the noise can be overwhelming. paying $12-15 for a hot dog/hamburger, french fries and drink when the kids will eat a bite or two is a waste of money. even water sells at a premium at the disney parks. bagels in your room for breakfast is a great idea. as far as a la carte or buffet breakfasts, it depends on the restaurant.

you are really being smart to take breaks and go back to the hotel. the kids will need it-and you may too! if you get the opportunity to speak to someone involved with the monorails, you might ask if one of you could ride in the front(the nose) of the monorail with your son. sometimes they will let you. and of course, there is the steam train that goes around the magic kingdom.

may should be a wonderful time to go. temperatures should be nice.

my kids never liked people dressed up in animal suits, and we managed to have a great time and avoid the characters with no problem. the characters usually don't approach you-they let you come to them. hopefully if your son is gradually exposed to them over the course of the trip, by the time you attend the wedding breakfast festivities, it won't be so scary for him.

I went in Dec while I was in Orlando for business. I wish the Harry Potter attraction had been open. I saw the preview on the HBP dvd.

Is it weird that I really want to go to Disney for my Spring Break? I also feel the immense need to visit Harry Potter Land...

the wizarding world of harry potter is slated to open this spring at universal, so maybe your break will coincide with the opening.

I love Disney! I'm even convincing the people i'm going with to Japan in April to spend one day at Tokyo Disney. My first non-North American Disney adventure.

I got back 2 days ago! There's a lot of construction going on, maybe for that big expansion of Fantasyland? It seemed like so many of the Fastpasses were gone by noon.

Everytime this gets bumped I GET SO EXCITED!

110 more days!

:) I'm going with the dance team again in March. :)

Gypsyboots just got back from her honeymoon at WDW. :D

Ohhhh! Did she win that wedding?

Alas, no. But she did have a lovely time on her honeymoon.

Congrats to Gypsyboots (and to Gypsyboots' mother!)

Funny, I was going to bump this thread anyway. We are taking the 3 and 5 year olds on a Disney Cruise in February. Any veterans of one of these? It seems there is more to do than time will allow. Any must-do vs must-skip suggestions? We are doing the 7 day cruise.