Disney World

manta173 wrote:

I know it's optimistic but the wife and I are trying to plan out a 10th anniversary trip for next year.

Anyone here done Disney cruises?

Heads up! Just got an email that the 2022 itineraries are available now, if you wanted to start looking.

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/f...

skeletonframes wrote:
manta173 wrote:

I know it's optimistic but the wife and I are trying to plan out a 10th anniversary trip for next year.

Anyone here done Disney cruises?

Heads up! Just got an email that the 2022 itineraries are available now, if you wanted to start looking.

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/f...

Thanks!

Not Disney World, but seems the best place to post it.

Cheesy as hell, but I love it!

Arise!!!

About two weeks until my family (my wife, son, sister-in-law, niece, and my mother- and father-in-law) are going to WDW!

It will be my sister-in-law's and niece's first trip, and this is our third attempt to go since May 2020 (trying to remember why we canceled).

Going to post pics, and I hope we can hug Mickey while we are there (I know we can't now, but a lot can change in two weeks).

And I will make a LIGHTSABER!!!

Yes! I'm vicariously excited just to hear that anyone is getting back out into the world, and the World.

I hope your niece enjoys her first trip.

Just got back from a trip there. It was great fun! Enjoy your trip!

Driving to Pittsburgh for a Direct Flight to Orlando tomorrow! Wish me luck. Friday is Peppa Pig Land (Ok, not Disney, but still)!

I had to look that one up because I didn't remember seeing it on World Drive. Have fun!

easy sunday wrote:

I had to look that one up because I didn't remember seeing it on World Drive. Have fun!

It just opened about a month ago. It’s attached to Legoland.

It definitely isn’t ready for prime time. It feels like when an online game launches and the servers are clearly not meant to handle the launch crowd, but everyone is just waiting for all the initial people to go away so the servers can actually handle the load.

There’s only one restaurant, though they’re bringing in food trucks. Both of them had 70 minute waits, and if you wanted to get to the food trucks you needed to go out and back through security. Every ride had a line that was way too long for what it should’ve been, and they ran out of food and most of the stuff in the gift shop. I think it will be better in about 6 to 10 months after everyone gets through the ‘this is the new thing’ phase.

Edit: From my wife’s Facebook, after a harrowing quarter hour:

Mrs. Iso wrote:

Thoughts I’ve had in the last 15 minutes…

- Muddy Puddle Millshakes…are they really worth a 70 minute wait?

- Why does Peppa Pig have bouncers?

- oh wow, I’m so glad it’s not my kid that ran up on stage to try to join Peppa’s show. I guess that’s why she has bouncers.

- Stomach does not agree with the muddy puddle milkshake.

- I wonder if anyone would notice if I took a nap on this picnic table.

There will be pics later. My family is at the pool and I’m trying to finally kill this head cold with rest, fluids, and drugs.

Tomorrow is The Magic Kingdom!!!

This an ok spot to talk DisneyLAND?

If yes, we're thinking about a trip in June or Oct. Thoughts?

Also trying to determine length of stay. 3 days? 5? 7? This would be a family of four (kids 9 and 5, 6 if Oct).

Top_Shelf wrote:

This an ok spot to talk DisneyLAND?

If yes, we're thinking about a trip in June or Oct. Thoughts?

Also trying to determine length of stay. 3 days? 5? 7? This would be a family of four (kids 9 and 5, 6 if Oct).

June is usually one of the lightest months for attendance at the park, although October is still pretty light. In wither month, you could probably see and do everything you want in both parks in a couple days, but I'd imagine you might want an extra day or so with kids that young.

Top_Shelf wrote:

This an ok spot to talk DisneyLAND?

If yes, we're thinking about a trip in June or Oct. Thoughts?

Also trying to determine length of stay. 3 days? 5? 7? This would be a family of four (kids 9 and 5, 6 if Oct).

I agree that three days seems like plenty for the two parks. I also agree that June and October are both relatively light, but I suggest that you subscribe to touringplans.com, where they have a crowd calendar that is tuned daily. Particularly in October, there are very busy days and very light days, so choosing exactly when to go can make a big difference.

So excited for you and your kids. That's a great age for them to take in both parks, and Downtown Disney is fun too. Have you thought about where you would stay?

Leaning towards Disneyland Hotel, not Grand Californian or the Pier option. Pool seems to get better reviews and the price is also better than Grand Californian. We're not luxury travellers and besides, we'll be spending most time on the park.

Also not interested in an Airbnb because of rental car. Just going to Uber to the hotel and then a shuttle back to LAX.

There’s plenty of great hotels within walking distance of Disneyland, and they are WAY cheaper then the Disney properties.

That's true, though the Disneyland Hotel sounds like a lot of fun (monorail to the park!). If you are interested in looking at those nearby options, the Disney website lists a number of them as "Good Neighbor" hotels. Some are quite literally across the street from the parks.

We ended up going on a Disney Cruise (after a lot of anxiety and second-guessing). In short, it was amazing! We also went to the parks for 3 days after and that (while still a great vacation) was less amazing. The price increases didn't stop us from doing anything, but it really made us feel less "magical" while we were there. Also, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes are a tad broken and Guest Services were less than helpful. I feel bad for them because it seems like a stressful time for Cast Members with all the cut-backs. All in all, we had a wonderful time and even changed the mind of a friend that thought he hated Disney World, so that was nice.

We will, for sure, be booking another cruise in the next few years, but might not go back to the parks for a loooong loooong time.

Trip over... bulleted thoughts, for that is how I am broken as a person.

-The new rides are AMAZING. Millennium Falcon Smuggler's Run was awesome, and it was a distant fourth of the best new rides (right now, I would the rest in order: Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, Rise of the Resistance, and the surprising winner Mickey's Runaway Railway).

-I got stuck on Rise for 30 minutes in the Storm Trooper room (you know). It was cool for the first 15 minutes, less so for the next 20. However, there are some great pictures.

-My son (5) loved Country Bear Jamboree. Like, was laughing so hard that people in the theatre were laughing with/at him laughing. Currently, he is pretending to be Ted from the Bear Skin Rugs and is learning the jug.

-I hated paying for lightning lane, but between that and my DAS pass (for my son's ADHD and my MiL's anxiety disorder), we did not have to wait in a line for more than 15 minutes. My wife worked that system like a ninja.

-First time doing Disney off-property. Honestly, with them removing so many benefits of staying on-property, it didn't feel much different.

-Need to figure out how to upload the telescopic shots. We got the one at EPCOT and the one at MK. (Sadly, the ones in HS were closed due to bad weather).

-Built a lightsaber. The experience was cool, and as soon as it gets home (it is in the car with Grandma and Granddad), I am looking forward to displaying it. I will try to get pics up soon-ish.

-I am happy that rumors are spiking that you will soon be able to once again get autographs and hug the characters, (get your COVID shots people). I am sad that it is happening weeks after we leave, and the next time we go my son will know that...

Spoiler:

They are just actors in costumes.

-My son's favorite rides (in no order): Splash, Rise (the stormtrooper ride), Mickey RR, Soarin', Slinky Dog Dash, Mine Train, and Journey Into Imagination. His favorite is Country Bear, which he points out is not a ride, it is a show.

-Maybe I will try to get him into the Hoop-De-Doo Musical Review next go around.

-The last time I went my least favorite park was HS. Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land weren't open, and it just felt like it needed more. It got more, and now HS is right up there with MK.

Overall, a great and mostly uneventful trip. Even our flights were fine (well, my family's... my sister-in-law is still stuck in Florida after four of her Spirit flights didn't go).

UpToIsomorphism wrote:

-My son (5) loved Country Bear Jamboree. Like, was laughing so hard that people in the theatre were laughing with/at him laughing. Currently, he is pretending to be Ted from the Bear Skin Rugs and is learning the jug.

I'm so jazzed that your son loved Country Bear Jamboree. Every time I'm there my enjoyment is dimmed by the thought that no one under 30 could possibly sit still for this slow-moving twenty-odd minute stage show. I'm glad to be proven wrong.

I miss the Country Bears at Disneyland

easy sunday wrote:
UpToIsomorphism wrote:

-My son (5) loved Country Bear Jamboree. Like, was laughing so hard that people in the theatre were laughing with/at him laughing. Currently, he is pretending to be Ted from the Bear Skin Rugs and is learning the jug.

I'm so jazzed that your son loved Country Bear Jamboree. Every time I'm there my enjoyment is dimmed by the thought that no one under 30 could possibly sit still for this slow-moving twenty-odd minute stage show. I'm glad to be proven wrong.

They cut it down to about 10 minutes by removing the songs that celebrate domestic violence.

We are going to Disney World next week! The first time for both me and my six year old daughter. Excited but also a bit nervous between the complicated scheduling, waiting in lines, and expected 95+ degree weather every day. I am sure it will all work out.

Three tips from the department of advice you didn't ask for department: 1) Mid-day breaks - leave the park at noon for a nap at your hotel, and return mid/late afternoon for a fun evening; 2) Comfortable shoes for all; 3) Kids love pools more than parks.

Anyone ever done both Disney World and Universal Studios in the same trip? Any tips? Thanks!

How long are you going for? Even 4-5 days at Disney World alone can feel rushed because there is so much to do.

Yes, we have done both though it was probably about 10 years ago.

Our last trip (Jan-Feb 2019), we did both. Spent the majority of the time in WDW, but we did carve out one day for going to Universal (both parks). That was primarily because we wanted to see the Harry Potter stuff.

I rode a bunch of coasters in Universal, but I think overall we found it to be somewhat underwhelming. I will say that their efforts at presenting theme are pretty good. The Dr. Seuss area was neat looking, as were both areas for the Wizarding World stuff. There are a lot of restaurants and shopping just outside the amusement parks themselves, and the food there is probably better than what you get inside.

If you're going to do it, make sure you research park entrance deals. We bought tickets at the gate, but we could have saved $40-50 by listening to the local radio before we went (they were running some promotional discount if you brought a proof of purchase for something else).

LeapingGnome wrote:

How long are you going for? Even 4-5 days at Disney World alone can feel rushed because there is so much to do.

Yeah, 4 or 5 days I think. My friends are saying Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are the best Disney parks right now (they're very down on Epcot atm).

Fedaykin98 wrote:
LeapingGnome wrote:

How long are you going for? Even 4-5 days at Disney World alone can feel rushed because there is so much to do.

Yeah, 4 or 5 days I think. My friends are saying Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are the best Disney parks right now (they're very down on Epcot atm).

We liked Epcot more than the other parks, but again, that was ~3+ years ago. This may have been partially influenced by the fact that my wife could carry a cider and black around the park openly. Animal Kingdom was great. Flights of Passage is fun, but don't wait 3 hrs for it. Take advantage of single rider lines if you can, or the parent + kid hand off stuff they'll do for families.

I think the biggest advice I can give is Wear Comfortable Shoes. Oh man, this is key. You'll be standing in line a lot, with no places to necessarily sit / take the weight off. The floors are HARD surfaces.

I thought the sit-down fare was best in Epcot, though we didn't do a lot of the fancier restaurants in the other parks. If they still have the key lime dole whip (Storybook treats in Magic Kingdom), that was my favorite flavor. The orange (in Adventureland, I think) was also good.

I looked at a lot of DFB's videos on Youtube, you might find them helpful in planning for things to seek out / avoid.

https://www.youtube.com/c/DFBGuide

Fedaykin98 wrote:
LeapingGnome wrote:

How long are you going for? Even 4-5 days at Disney World alone can feel rushed because there is so much to do.

Yeah, 4 or 5 days I think. My friends are saying Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are the best Disney parks right now (they're very down on Epcot atm).

I know it's 'basic' but I love eating the food at Epcot and some of the rides are worth the wait especially with kids. There is almost always some sort of food festival that is a lot of fun things to try with booze mixed in.

Hollywood studios is my favorite, mostly star wars but the new mickey railway ride is fun too. I love movies in general though so it's a park catered to me.

The best ride in all of disney is the avatar one you ride on the back of the flying creatures... That's in animal kingdom.

Hollywood Studio is probably the best park for adults and I haven't even seen the new Star Wars areas yet. While Space Mountain is famous, the Aerosmith ride is a much better experience for a dark indoor coaster.