Just back 9/23-28

[Disneynutbsv]

Any questions?

We had a great time. Everything was pretty much walk on, a few times of 30 minute waits, but not very often.

 

[LittleDino]

Hey there! We just got back too. 9/24 - 9/28. Yesterday at this time (9:20 AM) we were riding Soarin' (twice in a row).

I'd have to say Saturday and Sunday were semi-busy. More crowded than I expected, but still mainly 10-20 minute waits for rides... the longest wait time I saw was 40 minutes. Monday - Wednesday were much better though... pretty much walked onto everything, or only waited 5 minutes. Never needed to use FastPass.

We saw HalloWishes on Tuesday night. They were supposed to do the first showing of them on Monday night, but postponed it until Tuesday. We did the Keys to the Kingdom tour on Tuesday morning - excellent tour, with a wealth of information... the Haunted Mansion makes so much more sense now when you hear the actual storyline behind it.

We'll be back there in December.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Hey there! We just got back too. 9/24 - 9/28. Yesterday at this time (9:20 AM) we were riding Soarin' (twice in a row).


We saw HalloWishes on Tuesday night. They were supposed to do the first showing of them on Monday night, but postponed it until Tuesday. We did the Keys to the Kingdom tour on Tuesday morning - excellent tour, with a wealth of information... the Haunted Mansion makes so much more sense now when you hear the actual storyline behind it.

We'll be back there in December.

Oh, I didn't know they were doing a special wishes!! Bummer, we weren't doing anything either

 

[KathylovesPooh]

Welcome back! Wondering if you happened to go to MK EHM (either AM or PM) and if they were crowded? Were there many FastPass machines working throughout the parks?

 

[annameg]

So what's the story behind the Haunted Mansion? It is my kids' favorite ride. We leave in 13 days. I am so glad that you had a great trip.

 

[LittleDino]

Disneynutbsv - Don't worry about not seeing HalloWishes. Personally, I prefer the normal "Wishes" fireworks display. This one had Halloween music, and more orange and green fire works. And "ghosts" and pumpkins projected on the castle. Creative... but still not my favorite.

KatheylovesPooh - I did not do any of the EMH nights (or mornings). I typically avoid EMH parks... seems like they are a lot less crowded on the day after an EMH takes place. For example, MGM had an evening EMH on Sunday... we spent the day at Epcot, then went to MGM on Monday... it seemed very empty... we walked onto everything and practically "completed" the entire park by the end of the day. The fast pass machines were working at all the parks, we just never saw a need to use them when there was only a 10-20 minute wait.

annameg - I'll try to post the HM story a little later on today... I'm at work, so I better do some work.

 

[shatzjsl]

Glad everyone had a great time! I wish I had a trip planned. Well, I have one brewing but nothing firm yet.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Welcome back! Wondering if you happened to go to MK EHM (either AM or PM) and if they were crowded? Were there many FastPass machines working throughout the parks?

No, we didn't use MK emh. The only emh we used was AK. I noticed a lot of FP machines covered up while we were there. All 3 of the mtns had fp machines running but it was never more than a 30 minute wait. Last tuesday we walked onto space mtn, it had a 5 minute wait. So did Buzz. I think Splash and Btmrr had 10-20 minute waits. Pirates was like no wait at all (great place to sneak into to get out of the heat!)

 

[eeyore7567]

We used EMH at the MK on Wednesday, September 14, 2005. We actually flew in that afternoon and walked through the gates at 6:00pm

They were giving away wrist bands already around Pirates of the Caribbean. To make a long story longer, we walked over to Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain to get an idea of how crowded it was. The lines were no longer than 5 minutes. So we first ate at Pecos Bill. We probably took about 30 minutes. From 6:30 - 11:30, we rode Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain (twice), Haunted Mansion, Small World, SpetctroMagic Parade, 1/2 hour wait in front of the castle to see Wishes, Wishes Fireworks itself, PhilarMagic, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, Stitch's Great Escape, Space Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean. Oh yeah...and had an ice cream on Main Street.

Not bad for 5 hours. And we walked around leisurely.

 

[amandadaddy]

I'd also like to know about the Haunted Mansion. It's scheduled for rehab during our visit in November, so we'll miss it this year. Last year we started to notice problems with the ride audio and effects not cutting in and out and such. Did y'all do the HM? If so, did you notice any problems or anything indicating what kind of rehab was needed?

Thanks and welcome back!

 

[Disneynutbsv]

I'd also like to know about the Haunted Mansion. It's scheduled for rehab during our visit in November, so we'll miss it this year. Last year we started to notice problems with the ride audio and effects not cutting in and out and such. Did y'all do the HM? If so, did you notice any problems or anything indicating what kind of rehab was needed?

Thanks and welcome back!

The ride stopped moving around Leota's area, not sure exactly what happened, but everything else looked the same to me. I didn't know any audio cutting out at all. Just that the ride stopped moving.

 

[swtnikki]

Welcome back! I don't have any questions, but I'm glad that you had a great time.

 

[kcdisneymom]

Just back also. HM seemed ok to us. Everything went smooth, no lines at all. We hit MGM EMH. Park closed at 8:00, EMH till 11:00. Wrist band lines were somewhat long when we got there at closing. Rode RRC twice(minor wait for system repair the first time) and TT twice using FP the second time. That one seemed to keep a 15-20 min line the whole night. If you can get wrist bands within 2 hour before park close time frame, I'd do it. We saw them at the front and by RRC. Now have Buzz, Stitch and Incredibles next to Buzz's ride for autographs(Metropolis Convention Center). Just FYI Living Seas was closed. Bummer for little guy. No Nemo.

 

[LittleDino]

Okay... here’s the storyline behind the haunted mansion ride. This is what I learned from our tour guide Cory on the KTTK tour. The story begins with Master Gracy who is engaged to Emily, and Madame Leota who is in love with Master Gracy. Leota believes that if Emily were “gone” Master Gracy would then fall in love with Leota and they could get married. So on Master Gracy and Emily’s wedding day, Leota kills Emily and puts her body in a trunk and puts the trunk in the attic of the mansion. Well... Master Gracy is so distraught over Emily’s death that he hangs himself. Madame Leota is left to haunt the mansion after she presumably dies of old age.

So the ride begins with You entering this haunted house many many years after these 3 have died. As you enter you “think” you see the pictures on the walls following you/changing (first room). Then you get into the stretching room and you’re still not sure if your eyes are playing tricks on you or not. Then suddenly the lights go out, and when you look up, you see the body of Master Gracy. You are now scared so you “run” to find a way out of the house... (this is where you now get into the doom buggies). You “run” through the hallway, and library, where you see the pictures “looking at you.” You enter a room where you see Madame Leota calling up the ghosts/spirits to haunt the house and scare you away (this is where you see that green head in the glass ball). You keep running and find yourself in the attic where you see the ghost of Emily in a wedding dress (and heart beating), next to her is the trunk containing Emily’s body – (if you look closely, you’ll see her wedding dress hanging out of the trunk.) Emily is angry, restless, and strikes out at the first thing she sees (which is you). Emily pushes you out the window (this is when the doom buggy tips backward and you descend down that hill – if you look to the right you’ll see the attic window shattered). You do not survive this fall and are killed, this is why the care taker and his dog are shaking when they see you.... you are now a ghost.... and the ghosts in the grave yard are celebrating your death. Since you are a ghost now, the other ghosts seem more “solid” to you. The ride ends with Madame Leota (that freaky little doll in the purple dress) telling you to remember to bring your death certificate if you want to return and "retire" at the mansion.

So the story has already taken place when you enter the haunted house, the ride is “your story” of entering the house, becoming scared, trying to find a way out, but getting killed by Emily and becoming the 1000th ghost.

*Our tour guide also let us know that when the HM is refurbished, it’ll only be for clean-up purposes... nothing is going to change.

 

[annameg]

Thanks. It does make sense now. I've always enjoyed anyway, but now it will be extra special.

 

[pamouselover]

DISNEYNUT...I MISSED YA! We were at the LUV BUG...with all the luv bugs!
HAHAHA (Them things are such a pest)

We did magic hours on Wen. 9/28 and was not to frilled with it. We walked right up to get our wrist bands.
A CM told us about HalloWishes in the VMK spot and also told us that after 7pm the crowds would die down. The crowds were really heavy I thought.
I dont think they died down till around 9:30.
Most rides were closed because of lightin, and we finally got to ride splash MT. in the dark and thunder MT. later in the night. We did not think HalloWishes was all that great either.I LOVED WISHES! So magical....I stood right under tink flying on the bridge.

 

[WeLoveThePoly]

The ride stopped moving around Leota's area, not sure exactly what happened, but everything else looked the same to me. I didn't know any audio cutting out at all. Just that the ride stopped moving.

It may have stopped momentarily so they could let someone in a wheelchair on.

Or maybe a guest dropped their digital camera under the doom buggy as they were departing the ride and went to reach for it and were stopped by a CM who then used a small remote control device to stop the ride and retrieve the camera for them. Not that I did that last year or anything.

Debbie

 

[CJBaby]

We had a wonderful time I looked for DISers everywhere and actually saw a family of DISers on Tuesday as we were departing MK in the afternoon. They were coming in with their Lime Green Mickey's in their clear plastic cases on Lanyard. I said "Hey DISer's" but I had seen my bus in the waiting area so I was walking fast, and I don't think they heard me. Other than that, every third person was wearing a lime green shirt in DW and I doubt they were all DISers!

Getting there at park opening made it so we walked on everything and were able to go back to the hotel for naptime having rode every ride we wanted. On Tuesday I had a 10:20 ADR for CRT and before that we rode:

Dumbo
Winnie the Pooh
Carrosel (twice)
Space Mountain (twice) DH and I took turns watching DD2, but we didn't even need child swap, just walked right on both times.
Buzz Lightyear
Teacups

All before 10:10 a.m.! It was amazing. And most of those rides were repeats as we went to MK the day before (arrival day) at around 4p.m. and walked on everything, including Philharmagic, Peter Pan, Pooh, and Small World.

We actually ventured back to MK on Wednesday emh just because we unexpectedly saw/rode everything in AK, (at Safari first thing on Wednesday morning there was actually a cool breeze!) MGM, and Epcot in between Tuesday after nap and Wednesday morning (including a couple of hours at Epcot before nap on Monday, arrival day)! We spent at least 2 hours each afternoon at the hotel for nap and always left the park by 9 p.m. except for that EMH. I wouldn't recommend EMH, though, if you want to ride. The fastpass machines were covered and lines for Peter Pan were 30 mins long(which was crazy long considering we had walked on 3 times already.) We walked on Pooh again and did the Carrosel 2 times again (dds favorite .) Aladdin had no wait, either. Small world was walk-on at all times. It was just great to be in the MK. The halloween wishes was a surprise to us as well.

We had a great time December trip is next

 

[pamouselover]

So agree...Warning not everyone wearing lime green is a DISER and they will think you are some crazy lady who disney allowed in. I spent so much time looking for disers and hidden mickeys that not only do my feet hurt my eyes also hurt.
My green lime Homedepot mickey buttun I made fell off after the first day!

We had a wonderful time I looked for DISers everywhere and actually saw a family of DISers on Tuesday as we were departing MK in the afternoon. They were coming in with their Lime Green Mickey's in their clear plastic cases on Lanyard. I said "Hey DISer's" but I had seen my bus in the waiting area so I was walking fast, and I don't think they heard me. Other than that, every third person was wearing a lime green shirt in DW and I doubt they were all DISers!

Getting there at park opening made it so we walked on everything and were able to go back to the hotel for naptime having rode every ride we wanted. On Tuesday I had a 10:20 ADR for CRT and before that we rode:

Dumbo
Winnie the Pooh
Carrosel (twice)
Space Mountain (twice) DH and I took turns watching DD2, but we didn't even need child swap, just walked right on both times.
Buzz Lightyear
Teacups

All before 10:10 a.m.! It was amazing. And most of those rides were repeats as we went to MK the day before (arrival day) at around 4p.m. and walked on everything, including Philharmagic, Peter Pan, Pooh, and Small World.

We actually ventured back to MK on Wednesday emh just because we unexpectedly saw/rode everything in AK, (at Safari first thing on Wednesday morning there was actually a cool breeze!) MGM, and Epcot in between Tuesday after nap and Wednesday morning (including a couple of hours at Epcot before nap on Monday, arrival day)! We spent at least 2 hours each afternoon at the hotel for nap and always left the park by 9 p.m. except for that EMH. I wouldn't recommend EMH, though, if you want to ride. The fastpass machines were covered and lines for Peter Pan were 30 mins long(which was crazy long considering we had walked on 3 times already.) We walked on Pooh again and did the Carrosel 2 times again (dds favorite .) Aladdin had no wait, either. Small world was walk-on at all times. It was just great to be in the MK. The halloween wishes was a surprise to us as well.

We had a great time December trip is next

 

[Disneynutbsv]

I put my green mickey on my door, but the maids thought it meant do not clean my room, geesh. We got back the after the first night and the room wasn't cleaned and we were left towels on the door. So, I took it off the door and it got cleaned the next day.