I am back and what I learned

[provencio]

as I sit here at the airport waiting to board my flight back home I am thinking about the wonderful time we had and all of the great advice I received from my fellow "Disers". Here is what I learned and wanted to pass on......

1. No matter how old you are naps are great at Disney. My party consisted of two grown adults and two young ones and we all agree heading back to the hotel during the hottest time of day was wonderful!

2. Rope drop .. Rope drop .. Rope drop.. You were so right you can get so much done!!!

3. Hydro flask wonderful kept our water ice cold all day. Recommend them highly!!!

4. Not sure who mentioned it but thank you for the Star Wars firework watching spot tip..... To the right of brown derby right before entering the launch pad there is a roped off section sit there WODERFUL!!! Storm troopers right there standing guard very few people ...do it if you can.

5. Magic bands .. Worked.. And we loved them made it easy


6. Enjoy it, every moment goes by so quickly .. If your plan does not go smoothly go with the flow... Enjoy people watching and talking to fellow travelers on the bus... Have a Mickey Bar .. Try something that sounds weird on the menu you may love it!!! I had a fried green tomatoe sandwhich waiting for Fantasmic it was soooo good!

7. Sat on the "standing room only bleachers" a tip from seeyarealsoon .. On YouTube...and it was perfect plenty of room and we were able to exit on time and make it to our secret spot for watching fireworks

8.the lines app works great we relyed on it throughout the trip.

9.Josh's plans at easywdw for touring were wonderful and very much on track my vote is to use them... I will again

10. I have also learned that I am a person who appreciates the journey just as much as the destination.. And with that I thank you with tears in my eyes... Thank you for great advice,thanks for helping me pass the eight months before my trip, I so enjoyed getting up early and surfing the boards late... Going to bed way past the time I should because of a trip report I was reading...I loved the wonderful people I "spoke" to here who have the same love and passion for Disney as I do ..... So with that all I have to say is ... SEE YOU REAL SOON!!!! Oh yeah and when does the STAR WARS land open and is it to soon to book ; o )

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Thanks for your fresh thoughts!

 

[TraceyPoppins]

Love to hear from people about the positives! And I completely agree on Rope Drop. For us it's worth getting up early to bang out a bunch of attractions and enjoying the parks with fewer crowds.

 

[freediverdude]

Yep you're hooked! You'll be booking the next trip very soon I think, lol. Have fun, the planning is part of the fun too. And don't forget to look at your pictures online from the rides!

 

[GPC0321]

Aww! This is a great post! So glad you had fun! I love #6 on your list. This is my favorite part of WDW. Just "being" there! Looking around! Soaking it up! That's what I missed the most when we left. Not the rides or the food or the shows. Just "being" there. I remember hearing the *swishhhhh* and *beepbeepbeep* of a bus getting ready to load passengers as we walked past the bus stop on our departure morning. I had heard those sounds so much over the past several days, and it filled me with sadness that we weren't joining those lucky folks climbing aboard. I miss those sounds. I miss the "Please stand clear of the doors" announcement on the monorail (in English and Spanish!). I miss the announcements leading up to Wishes and the MSEP: "Ladies and gentlemen. BOYS and girls!" I miss the music from the Disney TV channel first thing in the morning (and yes, I've found it on Youtube, but it's not the same when I'm heading to work instead of a park). I miss hearing the sound of music and the CM's voice coming from the pool area as they are doing the games and activities. I miss Main St. USA, crowded or not, sunny or pouring rain, it doesn't matter. I love being there.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Glad you had a great time! I totally agree with the afternoon breaks and going with the flow! We worked a break into *almost* every day and it was one of the best choices we made, even if we just took the girls swimming. Also, there were a couple of days that didn't go according to "plan" but we changed directions and still had a wonderful time, with a lot less stress.
One of the things we did against advice was I inadvertently scheduled 3 evening EMH days, and it turned out to be one of the best things we did. I know it was May, but virtually everything was walk on, with a couple of exceptions.

 

[JRennie]

Love to hear from people about the positives! And I completely agree on Rope Drop. For us it's worth getting up early to bang out a bunch of attractions and enjoying the parks with fewer crowds.

So agree! My husband doesn't quite understand why I'm such a drill Sargeant about getting there for RD and leaving by early afternoon. Maybe one day for our next trip I should schedule a day for us to arrive at MK in the afternoon just so I could see the look of horror on his face when he sees how many people are there

 

[edk35]

I will always do rope drop yet I have friends that JUST CAN'T SEE MY WAY OF THINKING. It works!!! Yes you are up early but THE EARLY BIRD ALWAYS GETS THE WORM. So can you tell me more about the standing room only tip for which fireworks??

 

[DaisyDuck001]

THE EARLY BIRD ALWAYS GETS THE WORM.

This is very true. But the late bird gets the baklava. I would rather have the baklava.

 

[loves to dive]

So glad you enjoyed it and I agree it's the journey and the little things. We are fortunate enough to get to go often so we've learned it's not all about the rides and more about the place itself.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Sounds like you had a great time! So glad!

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

Hey OP,

That's the "Post of the Day" in my book.

So true about passing the 8 months leading up to your trip. This place makes everything about planning a Disney trip better.

P.S.
Don't cry because it's over. Smile because IT HAPPENED!

 

[Jennasis]

DH and I also discovered the joys of the mid-day nap! Great way to recharge for the rest of the day. Sounds like you had a lovely trip!

 

[provencio]

I will always do rope drop yet I have friends that JUST CAN'T SEE MY WAY OF THINKING. It works!!! Yes you are up early but THE EARLY BIRD ALWAYS GETS THE WORM. So can you tell me more about the standing room only tip for which fireworks??

Yes ... I follow on YouTube a couple who post videos about their trips it's under Seeyarealsoon.... They wanted to see Fantasmic and make it to the parks fireworks immediately after so they suggested to sit on the top row of the "standing room only bleachers" during Fantasmic. This is wear they sit park guests when all the other seats are full. The bleachers appear to fill up when the bottoms ones are completely full ... Well when we arrived about 20 minutes after gate opening the bleachers were still pretty empty so we headed up to the top row and had a great view we were able to stand and see perfectly... Now it may not work with small kids but it worked for us and we were close to exit and made it to both shows. When entering the theatre make a right and they are above the "walkway" it looks like a reserved area but it's not cast members said " of course you can sit there ... One lady even said I love to when I am watching it beats the stampede"

 

[mommycrawford]

as I sit here at the airport waiting to board my flight back home I am thinking about the wonderful time we had and all of the great advice I received from my fellow "Disers". Here is what I learned and wanted to pass on......

1. No matter how old you are naps are great at Disney. My party consisted of two grown adults and two young ones and we all agree heading back to the hotel during the hottest time of day was wonderful!

2. Rope drop .. Rope drop .. Rope drop.. You were so right you can get so much done!!!

3. Hydro flask wonderful kept our water ice cold all day. Recommend them highly!!!

4. Not sure who mentioned it but thank you for the Star Wars firework watching spot tip..... To the right of brown derby right before entering the launch pad there is a roped off section sit there WODERFUL!!! Storm troopers right there standing guard very few people ...do it if you can.

5. Magic bands .. Worked.. And we loved them made it easy


6. Enjoy it, every moment goes by so quickly .. If your plan does not go smoothly go with the flow... Enjoy people watching and talking to fellow travelers on the bus... Have a Mickey Bar .. Try something that sounds weird on the menu you may love it!!! I had a fried green tomatoe sandwhich waiting for Fantasmic it was soooo good!

7. Sat on the "standing room only bleachers" a tip from seeyarealsoon .. On YouTube...and it was perfect plenty of room and we were able to exit on time and make it to our secret spot for watching fireworks

8.the lines app works great we relyed on it throughout the trip.

9.Josh's plans at easywdw for touring were wonderful and very much on track my vote is to use them... I will again

10. I have also learned that I am a person who appreciates the journey just as much as the destination.. And with that I thank you with tears in my eyes... Thank you for great advice,thanks for helping me pass the eight months before my trip, I so enjoyed getting up early and surfing the boards late... Going to bed way past the time I should because of a trip report I was reading...I loved the wonderful people I "spoke" to here who have the same love and passion for Disney as I do ..... So with that all I have to say is ... SEE YOU REAL SOON!!!! Oh yeah and when does the STAR WARS land open and is it to soon to book ; o )

This was truly one of the sweetest posts I have seen in a very long time!...Thank you for your observations, and I am so happy that you had a great trip!

 

[provencio]

Hey OP,

That's the "Post of the Day" in my book.

So true about passing the 8 months leading up to your trip. This place makes everything about planning a Disney trip better.

P.S.
Don't cry because it's over. Smile because IT HAPPENED!

So true but so hard lol

 

[provencio]

Oh one more thing ... I took the advice from someone on the "best walking shoes" and purchased Reef flip flops ... I normally use Birkenstock or crocs but will use these forever ... No I mean no sore feet!! Thx for the recommendation and we walked 9-10 miles a day !!!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Great reflection with helpful hints and positive feedback, makes me so excited for my late August trip!

 

[Nancyg56]

I love your post@@ Thank you!

 

[annemce118]

I am so glad that you had a good trip. I love reading these boards and getting tips or reading about the parks. My trip is in 60 days, and I can't wait!!