ghtx
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 29, 2012
I just got back from 5 nights at BLT, and I enjoy reading these ad hoc "just back" posts so I hope you like this one.
The trip was great as usual, though very hot and crowded (the past few times we've gone in October, January, or February). But since we planned it well (RD, FP), we didn't have to wait more than 25 minutes for anything, and we only waited more than 10 minutes a handful of times.
I went with extended family that had older kids, so I got to ride some rides that I hadn't been on since I was a kid: Test Track, Tower of Terror. These were really really impressive. I've forgotten how great they are. I was also really impressed with the Mine Train (which I rode for the first time). It's pretty much a perfect ride for families. And the Frozen Sing-a-long was great.
I was also super impressed with Cinderella's Royal Table. Even though it's insanely expensive, I would have paid twice as much if I would have known how great it was. My daughters were way into it. I've heard people complain that the service feels rushed - but I was happy that our food came out so fast and we were done so fast - important when you have small kids and when you want to get back to touring the parks.
We did RD every morning, and I am convinced that the best strategy is to arrive right at the tail end of RD (i.e. early enough to walk through the gates about right at scheduled opening, but not early enough to have to stand around waiting at the entrance for 30 minutes), and then ride the non-super-headliners with no waits. We did this twice at MK, and got in a bunch of rides. But when we tried it at Epcot, we got there late (more on that below), and didn't get to Soarin until about 8:15 (AM EMH morning), and by that time the posted wait was 70 minutes. So instead we did Living with the Land, Nemo, and Spaceship Earth all with no wait.
I used Touring Plans like I have on my last few trips, and I still love it, but I think their estimated waits are a bit on the optimistic side. A personalized touring plan is basically an upper bound on what you could get done in a day. Each day, there was at least one ride that we dropped completely since we didn't have time for it, though the plan said that we did.
This was my first trip with FP+ without the old FP (on my last trip I got to use both). FP+ is great - I like not having to jump around the park for paper FPs. I only got a fourth FP once.
We went to a water park (BB) for the first time since I was a kid. It was great. Rode the kiddie slides dozens of times in a row with no wait.
Transportation was kind of a pain on the first couple of days. A monorail resort to Epcot is especially a pain since you have to transfer. I would rather just take a bus, even if it stops at another resort. The worst was on the Epcot AM EMH morning. We knew the Epcot monorail wouldn't be running that early, so we waited at the Contemporary bus stop. The CM there said an Epcot bus was on its way. After waiting for 20 minutes, he then said that actually we would have to take the monorail to the TTC then take a bus from TTC to Epcot. That's why we missed the Epcot AM EMH RD and missed Soarin. But that was pretty much the only disappointment of the trip.
Can't wait to go back again! We are thinking Labor Day weekend for the next trip - low crowds but hot enough to use the pools and go to the water parks.
The trip was great as usual, though very hot and crowded (the past few times we've gone in October, January, or February). But since we planned it well (RD, FP), we didn't have to wait more than 25 minutes for anything, and we only waited more than 10 minutes a handful of times.
I went with extended family that had older kids, so I got to ride some rides that I hadn't been on since I was a kid: Test Track, Tower of Terror. These were really really impressive. I've forgotten how great they are. I was also really impressed with the Mine Train (which I rode for the first time). It's pretty much a perfect ride for families. And the Frozen Sing-a-long was great.
I was also super impressed with Cinderella's Royal Table. Even though it's insanely expensive, I would have paid twice as much if I would have known how great it was. My daughters were way into it. I've heard people complain that the service feels rushed - but I was happy that our food came out so fast and we were done so fast - important when you have small kids and when you want to get back to touring the parks.
We did RD every morning, and I am convinced that the best strategy is to arrive right at the tail end of RD (i.e. early enough to walk through the gates about right at scheduled opening, but not early enough to have to stand around waiting at the entrance for 30 minutes), and then ride the non-super-headliners with no waits. We did this twice at MK, and got in a bunch of rides. But when we tried it at Epcot, we got there late (more on that below), and didn't get to Soarin until about 8:15 (AM EMH morning), and by that time the posted wait was 70 minutes. So instead we did Living with the Land, Nemo, and Spaceship Earth all with no wait.
I used Touring Plans like I have on my last few trips, and I still love it, but I think their estimated waits are a bit on the optimistic side. A personalized touring plan is basically an upper bound on what you could get done in a day. Each day, there was at least one ride that we dropped completely since we didn't have time for it, though the plan said that we did.
This was my first trip with FP+ without the old FP (on my last trip I got to use both). FP+ is great - I like not having to jump around the park for paper FPs. I only got a fourth FP once.
We went to a water park (BB) for the first time since I was a kid. It was great. Rode the kiddie slides dozens of times in a row with no wait.
Transportation was kind of a pain on the first couple of days. A monorail resort to Epcot is especially a pain since you have to transfer. I would rather just take a bus, even if it stops at another resort. The worst was on the Epcot AM EMH morning. We knew the Epcot monorail wouldn't be running that early, so we waited at the Contemporary bus stop. The CM there said an Epcot bus was on its way. After waiting for 20 minutes, he then said that actually we would have to take the monorail to the TTC then take a bus from TTC to Epcot. That's why we missed the Epcot AM EMH RD and missed Soarin. But that was pretty much the only disappointment of the trip.
Can't wait to go back again! We are thinking Labor Day weekend for the next trip - low crowds but hot enough to use the pools and go to the water parks.
