Just Back

[sbnuggie]

Howdy folks,

Just back from our first trip to WDW. I'll write a complete trip report a little later. In the meantime some points from our trip:

1. Hot

2. Humid

3. This is supposed to be the slow time of the year? Wow, wonder what it's like when it is busy?

4. This place sure is big!

5. What do you mean we just missed the bus? How long till the next one?

6. Did I mention this place was big?

7. As a DL veteran, I believe DL to be better then MK.

8. Upon checkout, our final bill was how much??????????????????

9. There is nothing magical about DME on your return trip to MCO at 4:30 AM...................

More to follow...........

Tired and Exhausted, but had a great time

[Drince88]

9. There is nothing magical about DME on your return trip to MCO at 4:30 AM...................
Oh, I'm with you on that one! I've decided it's worth it to miss another half day or full day of work to not have that early early early bus pickup time!
Glad you had fun

[mckat]

It makes me glad I spring for the towncar- I get a shopping trip, so get to eat breakfast in my room, snacks and a beer at night that isn't 5$. Plus, I don't have to leave 3 hrs before my flight. It is about 100$ though- but in the scheme of things Disney that isn't bad. Besides, it's the only time I've had one of those drivers waiting at the airport with my name on the card- woo woo

[NeilPage]

We went with some friends, we rented a car, and they took the Disney bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Thier bus ride in was smooth, quick and they had a great energetic bus driver providing tidbits of info and trivia.
Given the 3 hour before departure bus requirement, I volunteered to drive them back to the airport for their flight. Not a bad ride, except about $2.50 in tolls (each way). And then cops shooting radar right before the airport -- I was driving a minivan, so no ticket!
Go with a car rental -- we got a Dodge Minivan for 6 days for $249 using our CostCo discount and Entertainment discount. By staying at WDW Lodge, you can park at the parks for free, and also go to any other WDW Lodge (dinner, ride monorail, sightsee, etc.). Also allowed us to eat outside of WDW and go to Universal.

[Chicago Wookiee]

3. This is supposed to be the slow time of the year? Wow, wonder what it's like when it is busy?

7. As a DL veteran, I believe DL to be better then MK.




So what was the longest queue line you waited in?

How is DL better??? It may be smaller and thus easier to get around but I have always found that MK was better with more space to spread out all the people and also allowing a few moments here and there to not stand in queue lines. Last time we went to DL it seemed to be queue line, ride, queue line, ride....

[NeilPage]

(Trip taken 5/7 - 5/11/07)
At WDW, we waited about 20 minutes for It's a Small World, Runaway Train and Magic Carpets. Fast pass on Pooh. Skipped Dumbo since line was over 30 minutes all-day. Walked right on at Carousel, Pirates (closed a couple times during the day, so I guess people got discouraged), and People Mover. We were there until end, so minimal line at Space Mountain (although unable to ride since someone fainted right before we could get on).
At Animal Kingdom, the longest wait was for the Pterodactyl ride -- about 45 minutes for the 1 minute 15 second ride. Definitely not worth it. We waited about 15 for Exped Everest, and then less than 5 for our second ride in the Singles line. During extra hours, we were able to get right on the raft ride (several times), safari ride and Bug's Life show.
We go during "slow" times of the year to avoid the masses. Waiting over 20 minutes with a toddler in the heat for a 2 minute ride is not fun.
Fastpass helps, but so does flexibiltiy and timing.

[sbnuggie]

The longest wait we waited, about 45 Min for Peter Pan, we fastpassed everything else and only went on major rides 1x in the morning. The longest standby times for the major rides that I saw were:

Space Mt = 60 Min
Splash = 80 Min (Very hot day)
Big Thunder 60 Min
Buzz = 45 Min
Indy speedway 35 Min
Nemo = 60 Min
Soarn = 90 Min (We skipped it cuz we've ridden it so many times out here)
Mission Space=60 min
Test Track = 60 Min
Tower of Terror = 45 Min
Rock n Rollercoaster=60 Min
Great Movie Ride = 35 Min
Everest=80 Min
Kali River = 60 Min
Kilamanjaro = 70 Min

Those are the major ones that I remember.

To say how I like DL over MK would take longer then I have to post. But in short, I feel that Fantasyland at DL is much better themed. DL is smaller and has a more homey feeling to it.

[rosie]

It makes me glad I spring for the towncar- I get a shopping trip, so get to eat breakfast in my room, snacks and a beer at night that isn't 5$. Plus, I don't have to leave 3 hrs before my flight. It is about 100$ though- but in the scheme of things Disney that isn't bad. Besides, it's the only time I've had one of those drivers waiting at the airport with my name on the card- woo woo

Who do you use? I'm thinking of doing this even though it would only be my daughter and myself...

[tjrj]

Hey sbnuggie-just back too. :) Have you caught up on sleep yet?

ITA-for me-as a former southern Californian DL is better than the MK. I can't tell you what a disappointment the MK small world facade is. However, MK does have Liberty Square which I liked and of course-my nostaligic Country Bears.

Longest wait for us was about 15 minutes. We fastpassed everything we could. Youngest son wanted to ride Aladdin but I just couldn't justify the wait for what is essentially Dumbo on carpets. So we rode Pirates(again) and he was happy.

You guys warned me-it's big. I didn't believe you-but NOW I do. Holy moly!

And if this time of the year isn't busy and isn't hot and humid-I seriously don't even want to consider June, July and August!

It takes longer to get anywhere using Disney transportation that you feel that it should. Lesson learned-allow at least one hour-and don't be late! Second lesson learned-be at the bus stop at least one hour before opening. Buses less crowded, you don't feel rushed.

Yep-trip report, reviews to follow

[adrock1212]

FWIW - As a former CA resident and current WDW visitor, here is my perspective:

DL is much more of a "locals" park. As the original, most of the visits from outside CA occur during the summer months when families can easily travel. The other 9 months are usually quite slow (especially mid-week). As the Disney Company does not own much of the surrounding area, visitors tend to stay "off property" thereby changing the flow dynamic.

By contrast, WDW is a "Destination Resort" and is heavily marketed in the US and abroad for Year-Round travel (Disney offers discounts during off-peak periods to fill their hotels). Disney controls EVERYTHING within the gates (notice how smooth the pavement is when you cross under the WDW sign?) and the capacity for the resort (MK, EPCOT, AK, DIS-MGM, DTD, Water Parks) is roughly 10X the average daily attendance at DL!!!
Add the EMH mornings and EMH Evenings, and certain parks can swell up quite rapidly (within 2hrs after park opening) which does not often occur at DL unless it is a holiday weekend.

Since Disney provides an extensive transportation system for its guests on a 12,000 acre property, it is very efficient (even though many of us have horror stories of delays) and moves guests into the parks quickly since that is why the guests are staying close to the park.

As a comment to your posts, it is IMPORTANT to stress the use of FastPASS in WDW. I always had a pattern at DL and sites like RideMax help for DL touring, but as everyone says at WDW, ARRIVE EARLY

Bottom Line:

Both parks are GREAT! They just have different requirements on touring.:D

[sbnuggie]

Ok I finally posted a trip report in the trip report forum, it's neat remembering everything but you can tell as I was typing I was getting tired so the daily reports keep getting smaller and smaller..........Oh well, now all I have to do is edit the digital video and make a DVD for the family to enjoy.

[mckat]

Who do you use? I'm thinking of doing this even though it would only be my daughter and myself...

I've used two services, the latest was Quicksilver-because they support this site. They were great on time, and one of the drivers even had a special Disney music CD for the trip!

http://www.mouseplanet.com/sponsor.php#quicksilver

is the link on this site. Be sure to request a stop at the Grocery store on the way out when you book the reservations (it is a great perk). If you want a booster chair, you can request that as well.

[Klutch]

I've used two services, the latest was Quicksilver-because they support this site. They were great on time, and one of the drivers even had a special Disney music CD for the trip!

http://www.mouseplanet.com/sponsor.php#quicksilver

is the link on this site. Be sure to request a stop at the Grocery store on the way out when you book the reservations (it is a great perk). If you want a booster chair, you can request that as well.

I've used Tiffany Towncar and was very pleased. With only two people, you could book an actual limousine. :cool: It doesn't cost any more than a van. Most people can't actually use a limo because there's not enough room for people and luggage; two folks should be fine.

DD would likely be thrilled with an actual limousine ride. :D

[danyoung]

How is DL better??? It may be smaller and thus easier to get around but I have always found that MK was better with more space to spread out all the people and also allowing a few moments here and there to not stand in queue lines.....

I think you'll find yourself in the minority on this one, Wookiee. Most people who have visited both parks agree that DL park is vastly superior to the MK. Yes, the MK is more spread out. But management has let maintenance slide way too far in the MK. DL just completed a high-budget makeover for the 50th, and it shows in every building facade and piece of scenery. And most versions of attractions that are in both parks are just better in DL, especially Pirates. But the MK does have the superior castle, and Tomorrowland is still cooler in the MK, what with the working People Mover and the Jets up high on the pylon where they belong, not clogging the central plaza and impinging on a Victorian era Main Street.

Don't get me wrong - I'm happy to spend time in either park at a moment's notice!

[Chicago Wookiee]

I think you'll find yourself in the minority on this one, Wookiee.

I find this happens often :D and not just about Disney stuff!!

My next visit to DL isn't until 2010. I'll just take your word for it... :fez:

[anniem8]

We just returned from our trip April 30 - May 5. I agree with the crowds comment. I was kind of surprised that many people were there when school is technically still in session in most places. But, I must add - we had a GREAT time!!! And I do owe it all to MousePlanet. Seriously. I've been researching this trip since our last in 2001 and it really did pay off. We stayed at the campground (awesome!) and used Disney transportation the whole time we were there. (We never moved our car!) Everything you all said about Disney transportation was true! It really did work for us. So did FastPass and the 'go to the left' rule! We never waited in a line longer than 20 minutes. When I figure out how to do it, I think I'll post a trip report. I learned sooooo much from reading others! Thanks everybody!

[pixiepower]

Sbnuggie we were there at the same time! We were there May 2-9. I agree about the heat and humidity. Early in our trip I thought, "Man! Now I don't feel bad about not waiting until August for the free dining!" Especially around 3:30 in the afternoon.

On the 6th there was a crazy thunderstorm and I ran the kids into Country Bears while my husband grabbed the strollers. That cooled things down tremendously as well as clearing the park out. We walked onto everything after that. In fact, they let us walk on Splash and keep our fast passes because there was no one in line. We did that two times without any wait. The rest of our trip was beautiful weather wise although the love bugs were increasing and I made a mental note to avoid love bug season next time. Yuck!

We didn't have any trouble with the crowds though, and walked onto almost everything with very little or no wait. We used fast pass whenever we could and that worked out great. We also avoided the parks that had EMH that day. The only thing we had to wait awhile for was Dumbo, even though that was the first thing we did that morning. There's no escaping the line for that one. That, and there was a sign at Jungle Cruise that erroneously read 10 minutes and it was more like a half hour. There was some screw up with one of the boats.

We walked onto Pirates a bunch of times though, on different days, walked into Buzz, Haunted Mansion, Small World (over and over for my daughter), Snow White, Philharmagic, Aladdin, and used FP for Pooh, Peter Pan and BTMR. Twice we did Space Mountain with a 5-10 minute wait. We had similar luck at all the other parks, walking on Star Tours over and over (for my obsessed son) and even TOT at MGM. We did all of Future World before lunch too. Now we did luck out at AK where we won dream fast passes, and I noticed the standby time at the safari was 50 minutes. Our dream fast passes didn't cover Triceratops Spin though and we were still able to do that 3 or 4 times in a row without waiting more than one cycle.

The heat will suck the life out of you, and we probably should have headed back to the hotel in the afternoon. That's probably why we had such good luck with lines though!

I have to agree with DME on the return. We got the cute Disney bus when we arrived, and an ugly yellow Mears shuttle with smelly seats on the way back. We almost missed it too, because we were expecting the DME looking bus. Wah-wah, talk about starting the post vacation let-down early!

[amc1217]

Sbnuggie we were there at the same time! We were there May 2-9. I agree about the heat and humidity. Early in our trip I thought, "Man! Now I don't feel bad about not waiting until August for the free dining!" Especially around 3:30 in the afternoon.

The heat will suck the life out of you, and we probably should have headed back to the hotel in the afternoon.

Wow, I'm trying to figure this out. We were just there May 16-21, and the ONLY time it felt hot for more than 20 mins at a time was Monday. The rest of the trip, I was amazed at how mild the weather was. It was even too cool for me at times. On previous trips, ranging from late May-late Aug, I was drained from the heat by 2ish and we would hit the pool or a water park. This time, the weather was so kind, I was able to go until 3 or 4:00, and invariably when we headed to a water park, it suddenly got windy and cool. I guess weather can vary alot even by just a few days. I'm thankful that it only rained on us once, because it made for a miserable night.

[Grumpymom73]

As someone who lives in Ctrl FL I can tell you we are having unusually mild temps this Spring. I don't think we have made it to 90 degrees more than one or two days. And humid? Trust me this is not humid. Smoky, yes. Humid, no. LOL

Seriously, though. If you just came back and you found the weather to be uncomfortable I wouldn't plan on any future trips during the summer months. As a former Northerner, I know how the heat can make your trip less enjoyable. No one wants to dread leaving the hotel room to go to the parks because of the heat.

[Tisha]

Oy, you're really scaring me for my trip in June if when you went a month earlier it was already really hot, humid and crowded!

[pixiepower]

I know I can not tolerate extreme heat as well as others, but seriously it was in the low 90's our first few days. The thing that struck me about it was how hot it was in the morning. On May 3rd, we were waiting outside Hollywood & Vine at 10 am and I looked over at my husband (who shaves his head m.p.b.) and he had sweat pouring down his face. The last half of our trip was gorgeous though, and at least it was hot enough for the water parks this time!

[jenjustinsmom]

I just got baxk and it was not crowded at all. I was there the 16-21 This is also my 8 or 9th trip since 2000. Longest line was soarin 50 min

[tink2disney]

I grew up in southern california, and went to DL often as a child. my first time at the MK was in middle school and hated it at first. it was august, and i hate humidity. the second time i went was in college with my mom, and that time i loved it!
i will say DL has indiana jones, and a better small world, but over all i like MK. I would say MK and disney world is more of a destination, but disney land will always have a special place in my heart :D

[amc1217]

I just got baxk and it was not crowded at all. I was there the 16-21 This is also my 8 or 9th trip since 2000. Longest line was soarin 50 min

We were there at the exact same time! Are you having the withdrawals I am? Where did you stay? I thought it was pretty crowded, more so than I expected, but not unbearable. I was frustrated at how hard it was to get on some rides though, I guess it wasn't as bad when I went in '03. On Monday if I remember correctly, the Soarin FastPasses were already up to 8pm by 10am. And we saw a few waits in the 60-75 min range. I did think the weather was amazing though, except I was disappointed that we couldn't enjoy the water parks fully. It's good to know the weather was unusual so I don't plan a future trip around the same time and end up unhappily surprised. :eek:

[sbnuggie]

As someone who lives in Ctrl FL I can tell you we are having unusually mild temps this Spring. I don't think we have made it to 90 degrees more than one or two days. And humid? Trust me this is not humid. Smoky, yes. Humid, no. LOL

Seriously, though. If you just came back and you found the weather to be uncomfortable I wouldn't plan on any future trips during the summer months. As a former Northerner, I know how the heat can make your trip less enjoyable. No one wants to dread leaving the hotel room to go to the parks because of the heat.

No, First 5 days in May were all in the low to mid 90's with Humidity Levels avg in the mid %60's. Also the first 5 days tied the previous record high temps. May 6 was just as warm until a Thunderstorm hit about 4pm and then that snapped the little heat wave and Monday and Tuesday the temps and humidity were back to normal. Here is the report:

http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KORL/2007/5/1/WeeklyHistory.html

So we hit WDW during a little heat wave and we got a taste of what it's like during the summer months. I for one wouldn't want to be there during that time with a lot of people, would make for a very uncomfortable trip, IMHO.