Back in the fall, a friend of mine contacted me, asking for some advice for his family’s first trip to DisneyWorld. He grew up in Washington state, worked with me here on the east coast about 20 years ago, and then moved back to Seattle but we’ve stayed in touch. They have two pre-teen kids, a daughter and a son, and his mother-in-law also tagged-along for the trip. Originally, they were planning to visit DisneyWorld between Christmas and New Year’s, but when I found out they had vacation days that extended beyond New Year’s, I advised them to shift their visit as late as possible in order to avoid the crowds and to get cheaper room rates. They followed my advice and moved their visit to New Years Day through January 4th. They also took my advice and stayed at my favorite moderate resort, Port Orleans Riverside. He was wondering about planning some time off-property, but I reassured him that there was plenty to do, plenty of restaurants to try, and to just enjoy being in the “Disney bubble” for a while. I also sent him some links to help with his planning, and explained fastpass, photopass, and some of the popular attractions that everyone will be running for at rope drop at the various parks.
During their visit, I got a few texts from him here and there, and it sounded like they were having a great time. I’d hoped that I’d get more of an update after they returned home, and a couple of weeks ago he sent me the write-up that I’m sharing below. I thought that you folks might like to read the perspective of a first-time visitor and so I asked him if it’d be okay if I shared it on my trip report thread. He graciously consented. I’ve changed the names to read “Dad”, “Mom”, “Daughter”, “Son”, and “Granny” to keep them anonymous. I'll turn the rest of this post over to my friend. Enjoy!
Travel Journal - Holidays 2012/2013
Vacation: Disneyworld, USA
Vacation Dates: January 1 – January 4, 2013
Travel Day: Tuesday
Date: January 1, 2013 (Day 1)
Destination: Magic Kingdom
Purpose: As they say, “Let the Memories Begin”
Mode of Transportation: Shuttle bus
Temperature: Mild, low 60’s
Participants: Dad, Mom, Daughter, Son and Granny
Favorite Rides/Memory: For Daughter, it was the Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mtn. RR
Favorite Saying: “I have never seen so many strollers in my entire life.”
Best T-shirt: ‘Don’t Bro me If you don’t Know me!’
Memorable Food Experience: The Dole Whip Floats at Aloha Isle in Adventureland (special thanks to Glennbo123)
Issues Encountered: It was crowded on New Year’s day. There were long lines for just about everything.
Journal Entry:
Originally, we planned to leave early, drive down from Brunswick on the 1st and spend the rest of the day in the park. It wasn’t until we arrived in Georgia that we realized exactly how much time it was going to take to get to Orlando. With nothing holding us back (like New Year’s Eve parties), we decided to change plans and drive down on Monday (Dec. 31) instead. This allowed us to get an earlier start on Jan 1 and spend the whole day at the park. We stored our bags and checked in at the Port Orleans Riverside (POR) around 9:30am. It wasn’t the early start I was hoping for, but by this point everybody in the family was either developing a cold or fighting one off.
Our shuttle bus took about 10-15 minutes to reach the Magic Kingdom. My initial impression was one of horror. What are all these people doing here? Is it always this crowded? Why is everyone in such a good mood? It was at this point I remembered “The Bubble.” I tried to relax.
We enjoyed Main Street, USA and then walked toward Frontierland. The standby line for Splash Mountain was already too long. I didn’t want to get soaked right away, so that was okay. We intended to return later, but I forget why we didn’t get a fastpass. We rode Big Thunder Mtn. RR and then went through the Haunted Mansion. Next, we did Peter Pan’s Flight. Mom and Son decided to do The Barnstormer. Daughter, Granny and I felt the line wasn’t moving fast enough so we opted for a train ride (WDW Railroad) around the park.
Lunch time; we ate at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. The food was not memorable, but did the trick. We got a fastpass for Space Mountain and then joined the line at Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. Afterwards we saw a musical near Cinderella Castle and caught part of the afternoon parade. Next, we made our way to Adventureland for Pirates of the Caribbean. Daughter met the fairies at Tinker Bells’ Magical Nook. While waiting outside, we took the opportunity to try the delicious Dole Whip Floats at Aloha Isle.
At this point in the day I was tired and beginning to develop a headache. Before we could go home, though, we still had Space Mountain. Son requested the front seat in our car, but changed his mind at the last second. I had no choice but to switch with him. The ride was fun for about ten seconds. After that I thought I was going to die. I was 100% convinced the car was going to run off the rails. I put both arms in front of my face to protect myself. This caused me to get bounced around and I began to feel nauseous. Once the ride ended I went straight to a bench, closed my eyes and put my head in my hands. Mom told Daughter to sit with me until I was ready to walk again. She rubbed my leg and kept asking me if I was going to be okay. I just told her I wasn’t sure. After 15 minutes I was able to go outside and get some fresh air.
Son got his picture taken with Buzz Lightyear. The rest of the family went for dinner back at the resort. I went to bed early.
Vacation: Disneyworld, USA
Vacation Dates: January 1 – January 4, 2013
Travel Day: Wednesday
Date: January 2, 2013 (Day 2)
Destination: Epcot
Purpose: To ”Discover the Wonder”
Mode of Transportation: Shuttle bus
Temperature: Warm, low 70’s
Participants: Dad, Mom, Daughter, Son and Granny
Favorite Rides/Memory: The fireworks and light show at Epcot with Daughter.
Favorite Saying: “I need to go throw-up.”
Best T-shirt: The one with a picture of Karl Pilkington’s face. (If you don’t know who Karl Pilkington is, then I can’t help you)
Memorable Food Experience: Lunch at Tutto Italia Ristorante in the Italy World Showcase
Issues Encountered: If we had it to do all over again, I think we’d avoid Mission Space first thing in the morning.
Journal Entry:
Day 2 was set aside for Epcot. Once we heard about the new Disney Phineas & Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure we had a pretty good idea what we’d be doing. First though, the kids chose to start the day with Mission Space. There were two options for the ride: extreme (orange) and relaxed (yellow). Son told the attendant we wanted the orange line. Big mistake. Just as we were about to enter the capsule I had second thoughts and backed out. I went outside to sit down with Granny. About 30 minutes later our three astronauts came dragging out. They looked like zombies and complained about nausea. Mom took it the worst. She tried to tough it out but didn’t feel any better until after she heaved in the women’s restroom. Score one for Dad.
With the help of plenty of water and beautiful sunshine, we were able to re-group. The kids chose to begin their Phineas & Ferb adventure in Norway. This interactive game was well designed and kept the kids busy, running about hunting for clues. While there we rode the Maelstrom Viking Boat Voyage. By lunchtime we were nowhere near Canada (no Le Cellier Steakhouse for me) but had made it far enough around the lagoon to enjoy an Italian meal. We were able to get a table right away at Tutto Italia Ristorante. Both the food and service were terrific. By coincidence, one of our servers was from Cagliari, Italy on the island of Sardinia. She was pleased to learn we had visited her hometown while on a trip to Italy last summer.
We used fastpasses for Soarin’ after lunch. Next, Son and Daughter completed the Phineas & Ferb adventure in both France and the UK. We stopped for ice cream in France and then Daughter took a photo with Belle. We went back to the resort in the early evening. The kids had time for a quick swim in the pool before dinner.
Mom, Granny and Son decided to stay home for the night. Daughter and I took the shuttle back to Epcot for dinner and fireworks. We chose Sommerfest in Germany for bratwurst and apple strudel. At around 10pm they began dimming the lamps and lighting the torches. The fireworks and light show was truly a highlight; made more memorable with the opportunity to spend it with my daughter. We both agreed it was one of the best shows we had ever seen.
Vacation: Disneyworld, USA
Vacation Dates: January 1 – January 4, 2013
Travel Day: Thursday
Date: January 3, 2013 (Day 3)
Destination: Hollywood Studios
Purpose: To see ”Where Action Takes Center Stage”
Mode of Transportation: Shuttle bus
Temperature: Chilly, with some rain
Participants: Dad, Mom, Daughter, Son and Granny
Favorite Rides/Memory: A tie between Toy Story Midway Mania and Tower of Terror.
Favorite Saying: “Who decided that turkey legs are the definitive American food?”
Best T-shirt: Definitely NOT the guy in a Portland Timbers jersey. Loser!
Memorable Food Experience: The burger for lunch at Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater along Commissary Lane. Also, the chocolate dipped pineapple spears from the sweet shop along Sunset Blvd.
Issues Encountered: I am now officially done with shuttle buses.
Journal Entry:
Hollywood Studios was on the schedule for Day 3. We were prepared to get to the park when it opened, but had transportation issues. Actually, the shuttle bus got stuck in traffic. This was hard for us to understand, even harder after 20 min. sitting in traffic. Why are we competing for space on the road with yahoos driving in for the day? I paid to stay on the property; with the assumption that Disney would be able to transport me to the park in a reasonable amount of time. This is not reasonable. The bus driver did the best she could, but it still confuses me why there are no dedicated lanes for shuttle buses. Hell, we’ve got bike lanes coming out the wazoo here in Seattle, and they don’t even pay for them. I’m not going to stand for this. Next time, to avoid this situation all together I will pay even more money to stay at a resort on Disney’s monorail. That’ll show’em.
We started the day with Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. The show was such a hit that we quickly moved on to Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. Next, it was Honey I Shrunk the Kids. The lunch crowd outside Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant seemed pretty large. I wasn’t sure we would be able to get a table, but we put our name in anyway. That was a good decision. After 15 min. we were led into a dark, cavernous room with a full size movie screen. We dined at a table instead of a “car”. Everyone enjoyed their food especially the ice cream shakes.
We caught a musical performance near Mickey’s giant hat and then did The Great Movie Ride. Next on the list was the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. We were pacing ourselves at this point, getting ready to use our fastpasses at Tower of Terror and Toy Story Midway Mania. Mom, who had not fully recovered from her trip to the moon elected to skip the Tower of Terror. The kids and I couldn’t wait to get inside. Of all the rides so far, I could see doing this one over and over. What a thrill.
We made our way over to Sunset Blvd where we discovered the pleasures of chocolate dipped pineapple spears. Of course, the dipped strawberries were delicious too. We found an empty bench along the street and gorged ourselves on chocolate and fruit. I noticed the trash cans at Disney never seem to get full. Do they have false bottoms?
The day only got better with Toy Story Midway Mania. What a great ride. I partnered with Son and was determined to get more points than him. In the end, I won, but it was close. I was pretty happy with myself; there are few things left that I can still beat him at – and he’s only nine.
The kids and I returned to the Magic Kingdom that night for dinner and the “nighttime spectacular”. Daughter said she liked the fireworks more at Epcot, but really enjoyed seeing the castle change colors. I will remember seeing the skies light up, but also the obnoxious Asian woman next to me with no concept of personal space.
Vacation: Disneyworld, USA
Vacation Dates: January 1 – January 4, 2013
Travel Day: Friday
Date: January 4, 2013 (Day 4)
Destination: Magic Kingdom & Downtown Disney
Purpose: More Memories
Mode of Transportation: Shuttle bus
Temperature: Mild, low 60’s
Participants: Dad, Daughter, and Son
Favorite Rides/Memory: We loved Tom Sawyer Island. Visiting Downtown Disney was pretty cool too.
Favorite Saying: “Stay to your right, please. Stay to your right!”
Best T-shirt: ‘SEC – Real Football, Real Girlfriends!’
Memorable Food Experience: The cupcakes we had with lunch at Be Our Guest Restaurant in Fantasyland. Also, the yellowtail snapper at Fulton’s Crab House in Downtown Disney.
Issues Encountered: None really, although Daughter wasn’t too excited about riding the Tea Cups by herself. (After all we’ve been through can you blame us?)
Journal Entry:
Both Mom and Granny were still under the weather on Friday morning. This meant they were unable to join us for the return leg to The Magic Kingdom. Daughter and Son both made it clear they wanted to ride Splash Mountain. Unfortunately, when we got there we learned that it had been closed for repairs. Doh! Instead, we rode It’s a Small World, but that didn’t seem to soothe the pain. I could only do one thing; join the queue at the new Be Our Guest Restaurant. Sure, it was only 11:00 and the line was already miles long, but Daughter said this was what she wanted so rather than risk disappointment again, we jumped in line.
I have to hand it to the girl on this one. The line moved fairly quickly and before long we made our way into the castle. The interior was over the top. We loved the whispering knights and the large dining room was amazing. Ordering our meal proved both challenging and fun; we messed up the first time trying to enter our order on the touch screen, but eventually figured it out. Our sandwiches were adequate, but the cupcakes we shared for dessert stole the show. After lunch Daughter did the Teacups and Ariel’s Grotto.
We spent a good deal of time on Tom Sawyer Island as well as climbing the Swiss Family Treehouse. Our guide on the Jungle Cruise kept us laughing the whole time. We stopped for more chocolate dipped pineapple spears along Main Street USA. Typically, Son needs to use the restroom about once every hour. He’s strange that way, but at Disney it wasn’t as much of a burden. They’re so clean I felt unusually comfortable visiting the restrooms with him. This is completely opposite to the situation at the SBUX in Brunswick, GA where I told him, “Don’t go in there.”
Daughter and I were ready for more adventure, so we dropped Son at the resort and went to Downtown Disney for the evening. This time we took the boat along the canal from our resort. We had a terrific meal at Fulton’s Crab House, including oysters, lobster bisque and a super fresh yellowtail snapper. For dessert we went to Ghirardelli’s. We enjoyed walking and browsing with all the other people out on a Friday night. By the end of the night we had made it from one end of DTD to the other and back.
Later, when we returned to the resort we were able to catch about ten minutes of Yeehaa Bob’s show in the River Roost Lounge. I’m sad we couldn’t see more, but this and Splash Mountain will just have to wait until next time.
Additional Notes (after Glennbo's follow-up questions, "did the crowds improve throughout the week", and "would they like to go back"?): New Year's Day was very crowded, overwhelming even. It took us by surprise. In retrospect it probably shouldn't have, but I guess you could say we were a bit mentally unprepared. We did not envision waves of people and standing room only conditions. I think part of the issue was that we had just come from Brunswick where things were sooo quiet. We stayed near downtown and were able to walk everywhere, including to an aunt's house, without seeing a whole lot of people. Sometimes we did the walk (about one mile) down the middle of the street. We always had a ball with us and would play soccer or volleyball down the middle of the street as we walked across town. One night after dinner at a Thai place on the main road through downtown Daughter and I practiced her volleyball in the middle of the road under a street light for half an hour. We only had to move a few times for cars. It was like heaven for a family from Seattle.
Crowd-wise it got progressively better as the week went along. By Friday, back at Magic Kingdom, we noticed a marked difference. We could get around much easier.
We would definitely like to go back. After doing something/anything once we're the types who think, "we can do that better the next time." It's a character flaw. I think we'd like to try and get into Orlando directly and make it our only stop. Ideally, we'd love to carve out some time when everybody else's kids are in school. Also, it will have to be after they get a Starbucks. It was driving me crazy that so many other big brands had a presence at Disney, but not SBUX. I did a little investigating and learned the situation should be resolved soon, with a nice new SBUX store at Downtown Disney. I'm sure the lines there won't be an issue!
Link to next chapter
I appreciate the compliment that you think I have some powerful DIS computer skills to set your thread a special way, but I have to admit it just boils down to dumb luck!
(okay Rosie, there's your chance)
Further proof that sometimes it IS better to be lucky than good!!
I left myself open and so far you haven't commented unless my CP link isn't working which is a possibility or I just con't know where it is !!! I simply bug Glenn for an update , telling him when to do it and does he listen NO
For the location and ambience, I think it's not too bad of a splurge. I think it was worth it for the memories they made.
Inconceivable!
!!!
