starjazz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2012
- Messages
- 1,247
I know I thoroughly enjoy reading some of the impressions and experiences had recently when I'm planning, so I thought I'd share some from our trip last week.
We were at the Tropicana from Friday 2/20 night until Saturday 2/28 morning. We had 5 park days including Sat, Mon, Tue, Wed & Fri.
CROWDS ETC.
Saturday was by far the busiest day. To be expected of course given its a weekend. But we had a great day. We did the early entry (whatever its called when you get a 5 day park hopper) and were at the bag check by 6:20 am for 7:00 open. We were FIRST IN LINE!!! Woo hoo. We went straight to Alice in Wonderland upon entry - beautiful refurb on that ride, loved all of the digital video stuff. Afterward, we pretty much had the run of Fantasyland, got it ALL done (canal boats and casey's not open), plus subs before 8:00. At 8:00 we went to Frontierland and owned BTMRR - kid's love it. They did it 3 times with no wait in standby. Again, great refurb here - so much better. We did the rest of Frontierland rides in the morning, and were ready for early lunch about 11:00 having conquered most of those two lands.
In summary, if you can use your early entry for a Saturday at the earlier time, its VERY worth it. Compared to Tuesday early entry that was 2 hours later (9 instead of 7), the lines were nil.
After lunch we hopped to DCA and enjoyed an afternoon on Paradise Pier and Bugs Land - both were doable with minimal waits compared to the rest of the parks. E ticket rides were hovering around 60 minute wait times the rest of Saturday.
Our midweek days were phenomenal crowd-wise. I mean, when Space and BTMRR are 20-25 minute standby waits, and Haunted Mansion and Pirates and Buzz, etc. are basically walk-on, you know things are good. There were momentary spikes in those lines, but if one area went up, we just mosied to another land and things were always better. With fast passes we didn't wait for anything on those three days.
Friday was busier again as some of the cheerleaders were coming in and the Dapper Days crowd was visible - although not overly abundant. The Dapper folks looked great. Fun to see. By Friday, we were basically doing the last minute things we hadn't done yet, and getting in a few of the favorite rides which we could accomplish with fast passes. We utilized the disconnectedness between the parks and held passes in both so we could make sure we didn't wait in lines. Did I mention I hate lines?!
TROPICANA
Back tracking a bit, but I can't say enough about this hotel. The staff are great - very helpful, and always with a smile. Very attentive and timely. They are also very accommodating, putting our group of 9 in three connecting rooms on the top floor just as we asked for about a week in advance. Rooms are large enough for the four in my family, 2 kids 4 & 6 yo, and the DW and I plus our double stroller. Plus the place is quiet, which is a must for us. The courtyard has kids in the pool at nights, but after about 10 pm it was always quiet. Or I was just totally unconscious, but either way, had undisrupted sleep here, so that's a win. The rooms also are fully equipped, there's a nice little grocery/coffee shop and a gift shop. Parking is tight, but doable and inexpensive relatively. Place is very safe and only BWPPI is closer to the crosswalk, so perfect location. Plus, price is usually comparable or less than surrounding locations. We'll come back here again and again.
SHOWS/PARADES/FANTASMIC
Who does these better than Disney, right? I mean whether it was the 20 minute Magical Map show, or the 45 minute Aladdin show, these are just downright amazing. Disney throws the best talent, writing, special effects, lights, staging, etc. at these shows. I just love them. Even the Jedi Academy is so high quality - its just jaw dropping the first time you see it. My kids are thrilled by the shows - they love pointing out their favorite characters and singing along. And to think these actors and actresses do this several times per day, and each time bring the highest level of energy and excitement, its impressive. We watched Soundsational Parade twice, once at the very beginning during the day, and once at the very end of the route at night. Both times every person in the parade was on his/her game. the only difference was that at the end of the route, they are lots sweatier. Kudos to Disney for these.
Fantasmic was great. We did the RBT dining package. Dinner was good, not great. I had the steak and shrimp. Steak was a tad dry, but the reduction sauce accommodated for that well enough. Taters and shrimp were great, and the desserts were a hit. Our seating area was really pretty good. We got there a bit late, and were about 4 rows back from the water, seated on the ground. We brought a blanket for the kids, but they ended up in our laps for an elevated view. That way was a decent view, although I'll say I wish we'd been slightly left or right, because I felt like we were right between the two water spray screens, so neither was at a great angle. Maybe the dessert deal would have better seating from that perspective. But I can't complain - 4 rows from the water is pretty dang great, and totally immersive. I think west coast Fantasmic remains Disney's greatest night show, including all of the east coast's offerings. I did miss World of Color this trip. Oh, and hey! - what happened to the dragon? Is the ending with Maleficient because of her recent movie? They shouldn't have killed the dragon - that thing was awesome. Maleficient was still spectacular, but I missed the dragon.
Finally, the fireworks were a let down, but you know what, by that time of night, I was kinda happy for a brief but great fireworks show. I mean, compared to Wishes or similar, it was just completely silly, but it was really just fine for us. Kids still liked it, you didn't have to rush to get a spot to watch it, it didn't kill 90 minutes of the day, so you know, all in all, I was fine with Fire in the Sky. How many night time things do you need.
Now if they'd bring back the Electrical Light Parade, all would be well with the world.
CLOSURES
The most glaring closures were Luigi's Tires because you just can't miss that big wall, and the castle wrap. However, we got some Disney magic, and on our last day, the castle was unwrapped and beautiful. We got lots of family pics in front of it, did the walk through. It was so exciting to see it on our last day. The kids were elated. They didn't miss it when it was covered, but they sure noticed when it was suddenly there!! As for Critter Country and the Grizzly Peak area, you can't even tell they're closed when you're there. I mean, clearly if they are your favorite areas, you'll know, but just casually walking about the parks, its not very obvious. My kids couldn't have cared less, and thats despite my 4 yo being excited about Winnie. For all of the closures and the hype and bummed out feelings about this time of year in general that is always expressed here at the DIS, I will ALWAYS love my February trips because the weather and lines are so much better. Just comparing a Saturday to a Tuesday, you kind of notice the difference between February and July. Its a difference of a 20 minute Space Mountain standby wait and a 45-60 minute wait.
This year we were excited to do Small World (which was being uncovered on our last day, Friday, so I bet its completely uncovered by now) and the Railroad and BTMRR which were all closed last year on our trip.
DISNEY MAGIC
We tried for the railroad tinder car...didn't get it because they had to blow off steam or something. We tried for the Mark Twain captain's quarters...didn't get it because a single adult woman had claimed it first. However, I was very pleased by this story: my daughter has asthma and it was exacerbated on our first day, probably due to excitement and the LA air. She had to leave at about 11:00, and eventually went to urgent care for some asthma meds. She recovered okay, and after our break day on Sunday, was good to go for the rest of the trip. I went to Town Hall on Saturday and explained the predicament. They gave us 4 readmission passes. Those are just great, and I was super happy with that accommodation. They also gave her three buttons to wear, and she was very glad to have those as well.
We also had a cute run-in with Sully. He came walking through DCA by his ride when my wife and 4 yo were hanging out waiting for us to finish ToT. He strolled right up to my 4 yo, and told her to give him 5. Then he did a dance with her, gave hugs, and took photos. Just 5 minutes of time with her alone out of the blue is why I like DLR. You don't get that in WDW, or at least not as much. And its why I love Disney itself - the themeing and characters and full immersion are just so great. Always feel like your in a dream come true at this place.
WEATHER
We absolutely had the luckiest week. Our break day, Sunday, it rained a bit. But our park days the weather was perfect. Low 70's all week, with off and on cloud cover - enough so that the sun didn't beat us all day. We even got some swimming in on our Thursday break day. The heated Tropicana pool and GIANT hot tub were great! Last year we had more rain this time of year, but its a risk you take going in Feb. This year, perfect all week. Very blessed!
COMPLAINTS
You won't see much out of me. The CMs were all really nice. Other folks were generally great too, although I honestly don't pay much attention since I'm usually watching my 2 kiddos and atuned to my family's needs. Park food is park food. There's nothing that we ate that was great (although, Monte Cristo at Cafe Orleans was damn close). Horrible food included the veggie burger at Carnation Cafe which my Mom selected since she's a vegetarian. We're not much for sending food back, but the thing was completely inedible, so we did. They gave her a bowl of plain pasta with butter and parmesan, made to order. I thought that was pretty fair compensation to say the least. We tipped our very apologetic server well. And the crepes at Cafe Orleans - very bland/blah. Let's see, what else. I'm struggling here to come up with stuff. Freeze the Night = LAME. I missed DJ's dance party - it just wasn't scheduled during the week sadly. I mean, it was really great all around. If I think of something else, I'll add it later.
TIPS/TRICKS
Don't run to the Anna and Elsa meet and greet first thing. You'll waste 30 minutes in line. Later in the day, there is no line for those fast passes. Come back and get them later - like lunch or after (if you're going on a weekday during lower season. I'm sure that fluctuates with bigger crowds). Same for Racers, but with that one, I'd get there an hour after opening. The first rush of crowd get lined up, then that line moves through pretty quickly, and after that its easy to get the FPs. Don't waste precious time during that first hour standing in an FP line.
When the entry gates have huge lines, find gate 14. I've posted about this before, and so have others, but it still remains a mysterious secret. That line is forever a fraction of the size of all others. I think the tree right in front of it hides it some, so people don't line up there, but we used it every time those lines were back into the plaza like half way to DCA, and we were usually 3rd or 4th family there. Kinda felt like cheating a bit, but hey, waddyagonnado?
Go to Town Hall - they are so nice, they'll hook you up with buttons.
We had two pens break that we bough while there. Swapping out took a few bats of my big long eyelashes, but both times got new pens for the kids autograph books. Otherwise, shopping was fun. I loved that sci-fi/hero store in DTD - fun stuff in there.
This time of year I have no idea why people see a 45+ minute wait in standby for a ride and say, "Hey, lets get in line". There is just no good reason for wasting that kind of time. Use fastpasses, folks. Its just crazy to me that people don't do at least the tiniest bit of research to figure out that you're not just gonna decide after lunch that you'd like to go "hop on" RSR. But I suppose without all of them, us FP users would have longer waits and less availability.
Oh, and finally, I rode the old fire engine main street vehicle. First time on one of these. I sat right next to the driver. I asked how long it'd been around. He said since 1958!!! Its the oldest motorized vehicle in the park, and is the one Walt himself used to ride around in. What an honor, and how fun.
SUMMARY
Last three years in a row we've done WDW and DLR x 2. We're on break for a few years now, but we just LOVE Disney. My family (extended and immediate) is all about it. I'd quit my job and be a Stormtrooper in Tomorrowland if I could. This was the best of the last three year's trips. 5 full days, and honestly, there were things we still didn't get done. But of course, there were rides that we did in excess because the kids loved them so much. BTMRR, Cars, Space, ToT, etc. all were done about a half dozen times. Best of luck to all those heading to the parks soon! Have a great time, and for those reading just for pure reminiscing sake, hope you enjoyed as much as we did!
We were at the Tropicana from Friday 2/20 night until Saturday 2/28 morning. We had 5 park days including Sat, Mon, Tue, Wed & Fri.
CROWDS ETC.
Saturday was by far the busiest day. To be expected of course given its a weekend. But we had a great day. We did the early entry (whatever its called when you get a 5 day park hopper) and were at the bag check by 6:20 am for 7:00 open. We were FIRST IN LINE!!! Woo hoo. We went straight to Alice in Wonderland upon entry - beautiful refurb on that ride, loved all of the digital video stuff. Afterward, we pretty much had the run of Fantasyland, got it ALL done (canal boats and casey's not open), plus subs before 8:00. At 8:00 we went to Frontierland and owned BTMRR - kid's love it. They did it 3 times with no wait in standby. Again, great refurb here - so much better. We did the rest of Frontierland rides in the morning, and were ready for early lunch about 11:00 having conquered most of those two lands.
In summary, if you can use your early entry for a Saturday at the earlier time, its VERY worth it. Compared to Tuesday early entry that was 2 hours later (9 instead of 7), the lines were nil.
After lunch we hopped to DCA and enjoyed an afternoon on Paradise Pier and Bugs Land - both were doable with minimal waits compared to the rest of the parks. E ticket rides were hovering around 60 minute wait times the rest of Saturday.
Our midweek days were phenomenal crowd-wise. I mean, when Space and BTMRR are 20-25 minute standby waits, and Haunted Mansion and Pirates and Buzz, etc. are basically walk-on, you know things are good. There were momentary spikes in those lines, but if one area went up, we just mosied to another land and things were always better. With fast passes we didn't wait for anything on those three days.
Friday was busier again as some of the cheerleaders were coming in and the Dapper Days crowd was visible - although not overly abundant. The Dapper folks looked great. Fun to see. By Friday, we were basically doing the last minute things we hadn't done yet, and getting in a few of the favorite rides which we could accomplish with fast passes. We utilized the disconnectedness between the parks and held passes in both so we could make sure we didn't wait in lines. Did I mention I hate lines?!
TROPICANA
Back tracking a bit, but I can't say enough about this hotel. The staff are great - very helpful, and always with a smile. Very attentive and timely. They are also very accommodating, putting our group of 9 in three connecting rooms on the top floor just as we asked for about a week in advance. Rooms are large enough for the four in my family, 2 kids 4 & 6 yo, and the DW and I plus our double stroller. Plus the place is quiet, which is a must for us. The courtyard has kids in the pool at nights, but after about 10 pm it was always quiet. Or I was just totally unconscious, but either way, had undisrupted sleep here, so that's a win. The rooms also are fully equipped, there's a nice little grocery/coffee shop and a gift shop. Parking is tight, but doable and inexpensive relatively. Place is very safe and only BWPPI is closer to the crosswalk, so perfect location. Plus, price is usually comparable or less than surrounding locations. We'll come back here again and again.
SHOWS/PARADES/FANTASMIC
Who does these better than Disney, right? I mean whether it was the 20 minute Magical Map show, or the 45 minute Aladdin show, these are just downright amazing. Disney throws the best talent, writing, special effects, lights, staging, etc. at these shows. I just love them. Even the Jedi Academy is so high quality - its just jaw dropping the first time you see it. My kids are thrilled by the shows - they love pointing out their favorite characters and singing along. And to think these actors and actresses do this several times per day, and each time bring the highest level of energy and excitement, its impressive. We watched Soundsational Parade twice, once at the very beginning during the day, and once at the very end of the route at night. Both times every person in the parade was on his/her game. the only difference was that at the end of the route, they are lots sweatier. Kudos to Disney for these.
Fantasmic was great. We did the RBT dining package. Dinner was good, not great. I had the steak and shrimp. Steak was a tad dry, but the reduction sauce accommodated for that well enough. Taters and shrimp were great, and the desserts were a hit. Our seating area was really pretty good. We got there a bit late, and were about 4 rows back from the water, seated on the ground. We brought a blanket for the kids, but they ended up in our laps for an elevated view. That way was a decent view, although I'll say I wish we'd been slightly left or right, because I felt like we were right between the two water spray screens, so neither was at a great angle. Maybe the dessert deal would have better seating from that perspective. But I can't complain - 4 rows from the water is pretty dang great, and totally immersive. I think west coast Fantasmic remains Disney's greatest night show, including all of the east coast's offerings. I did miss World of Color this trip. Oh, and hey! - what happened to the dragon? Is the ending with Maleficient because of her recent movie? They shouldn't have killed the dragon - that thing was awesome. Maleficient was still spectacular, but I missed the dragon.
Finally, the fireworks were a let down, but you know what, by that time of night, I was kinda happy for a brief but great fireworks show. I mean, compared to Wishes or similar, it was just completely silly, but it was really just fine for us. Kids still liked it, you didn't have to rush to get a spot to watch it, it didn't kill 90 minutes of the day, so you know, all in all, I was fine with Fire in the Sky. How many night time things do you need.
Now if they'd bring back the Electrical Light Parade, all would be well with the world.
CLOSURES
The most glaring closures were Luigi's Tires because you just can't miss that big wall, and the castle wrap. However, we got some Disney magic, and on our last day, the castle was unwrapped and beautiful. We got lots of family pics in front of it, did the walk through. It was so exciting to see it on our last day. The kids were elated. They didn't miss it when it was covered, but they sure noticed when it was suddenly there!! As for Critter Country and the Grizzly Peak area, you can't even tell they're closed when you're there. I mean, clearly if they are your favorite areas, you'll know, but just casually walking about the parks, its not very obvious. My kids couldn't have cared less, and thats despite my 4 yo being excited about Winnie. For all of the closures and the hype and bummed out feelings about this time of year in general that is always expressed here at the DIS, I will ALWAYS love my February trips because the weather and lines are so much better. Just comparing a Saturday to a Tuesday, you kind of notice the difference between February and July. Its a difference of a 20 minute Space Mountain standby wait and a 45-60 minute wait.
This year we were excited to do Small World (which was being uncovered on our last day, Friday, so I bet its completely uncovered by now) and the Railroad and BTMRR which were all closed last year on our trip.
DISNEY MAGIC
We tried for the railroad tinder car...didn't get it because they had to blow off steam or something. We tried for the Mark Twain captain's quarters...didn't get it because a single adult woman had claimed it first. However, I was very pleased by this story: my daughter has asthma and it was exacerbated on our first day, probably due to excitement and the LA air. She had to leave at about 11:00, and eventually went to urgent care for some asthma meds. She recovered okay, and after our break day on Sunday, was good to go for the rest of the trip. I went to Town Hall on Saturday and explained the predicament. They gave us 4 readmission passes. Those are just great, and I was super happy with that accommodation. They also gave her three buttons to wear, and she was very glad to have those as well.
We also had a cute run-in with Sully. He came walking through DCA by his ride when my wife and 4 yo were hanging out waiting for us to finish ToT. He strolled right up to my 4 yo, and told her to give him 5. Then he did a dance with her, gave hugs, and took photos. Just 5 minutes of time with her alone out of the blue is why I like DLR. You don't get that in WDW, or at least not as much. And its why I love Disney itself - the themeing and characters and full immersion are just so great. Always feel like your in a dream come true at this place.
WEATHER
We absolutely had the luckiest week. Our break day, Sunday, it rained a bit. But our park days the weather was perfect. Low 70's all week, with off and on cloud cover - enough so that the sun didn't beat us all day. We even got some swimming in on our Thursday break day. The heated Tropicana pool and GIANT hot tub were great! Last year we had more rain this time of year, but its a risk you take going in Feb. This year, perfect all week. Very blessed!
COMPLAINTS
You won't see much out of me. The CMs were all really nice. Other folks were generally great too, although I honestly don't pay much attention since I'm usually watching my 2 kiddos and atuned to my family's needs. Park food is park food. There's nothing that we ate that was great (although, Monte Cristo at Cafe Orleans was damn close). Horrible food included the veggie burger at Carnation Cafe which my Mom selected since she's a vegetarian. We're not much for sending food back, but the thing was completely inedible, so we did. They gave her a bowl of plain pasta with butter and parmesan, made to order. I thought that was pretty fair compensation to say the least. We tipped our very apologetic server well. And the crepes at Cafe Orleans - very bland/blah. Let's see, what else. I'm struggling here to come up with stuff. Freeze the Night = LAME. I missed DJ's dance party - it just wasn't scheduled during the week sadly. I mean, it was really great all around. If I think of something else, I'll add it later.
TIPS/TRICKS
Don't run to the Anna and Elsa meet and greet first thing. You'll waste 30 minutes in line. Later in the day, there is no line for those fast passes. Come back and get them later - like lunch or after (if you're going on a weekday during lower season. I'm sure that fluctuates with bigger crowds). Same for Racers, but with that one, I'd get there an hour after opening. The first rush of crowd get lined up, then that line moves through pretty quickly, and after that its easy to get the FPs. Don't waste precious time during that first hour standing in an FP line.
When the entry gates have huge lines, find gate 14. I've posted about this before, and so have others, but it still remains a mysterious secret. That line is forever a fraction of the size of all others. I think the tree right in front of it hides it some, so people don't line up there, but we used it every time those lines were back into the plaza like half way to DCA, and we were usually 3rd or 4th family there. Kinda felt like cheating a bit, but hey, waddyagonnado?
Go to Town Hall - they are so nice, they'll hook you up with buttons.
We had two pens break that we bough while there. Swapping out took a few bats of my big long eyelashes, but both times got new pens for the kids autograph books. Otherwise, shopping was fun. I loved that sci-fi/hero store in DTD - fun stuff in there.
This time of year I have no idea why people see a 45+ minute wait in standby for a ride and say, "Hey, lets get in line". There is just no good reason for wasting that kind of time. Use fastpasses, folks. Its just crazy to me that people don't do at least the tiniest bit of research to figure out that you're not just gonna decide after lunch that you'd like to go "hop on" RSR. But I suppose without all of them, us FP users would have longer waits and less availability.
Oh, and finally, I rode the old fire engine main street vehicle. First time on one of these. I sat right next to the driver. I asked how long it'd been around. He said since 1958!!! Its the oldest motorized vehicle in the park, and is the one Walt himself used to ride around in. What an honor, and how fun.
SUMMARY
Last three years in a row we've done WDW and DLR x 2. We're on break for a few years now, but we just LOVE Disney. My family (extended and immediate) is all about it. I'd quit my job and be a Stormtrooper in Tomorrowland if I could. This was the best of the last three year's trips. 5 full days, and honestly, there were things we still didn't get done. But of course, there were rides that we did in excess because the kids loved them so much. BTMRR, Cars, Space, ToT, etc. all were done about a half dozen times. Best of luck to all those heading to the parks soon! Have a great time, and for those reading just for pure reminiscing sake, hope you enjoyed as much as we did!
