25 thoughts on our recent trip

[KaptKaveman]

25 thoughts on our recent trip. Roughly in the order.

1. Thursday(12/17) and Friday(12/18) seemed to be great days for crowds at MK. Not sure if it was the Christmas party or just no one was off for the Holiday yet. We decided to go over to MK on Thursday before our 6:30 fast passes started at Epcot. In 3-4 hours we got a ride on 7DMT, 3 rides on big thunder, 2 on splash mountain, and 1 on the haunted mansion. Still had enough time to hit Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land at Epcot before our test track fast pass. Friday was a little busier at MK but still manageable.

2. Finally convinced our chickens….. I mean children(DS9 and DS12) to go on tower of terror after 4 years. One loved it(9year old) and the other looked shell shocked after the ride but at least I finally got to go on it myself. BTW I got them to go on it by showing them a POV on youtube of the entire ride from the queue to the finish. They decided it didn’t look so bad(HAHAHA)

3. The Osborne Family Christmas lights turned out to be the highlight of our trip. I cajoled the wife and kids to go on it and reluctantly they agreed. My wife even insisted we go back on our last night instead of our normal last night at Epcot. We stayed until they turned the lights off at 10pm. Why is Disney getting rid of them again… surely they can find a spot somewhere while Star Wars is being built.

4. Second trip since the hat is gone and it still looks better without it.

5. I wish Avatar Land would open up…. Not sure if it’s the way the park is layed out but AK is ridiculously congested all the time. On the plus side it was cool on the day that we went and the animals seemed a lot more active. Even got to see the tigers doing something other than sleeping.

6. I thought there were supposed to be Hyenas on the safari. We didn’t see them but we did have an awesome safari(Sat 12/19) that day with lots of animals out and active.

7. Note to self…. If wearing jeans and a hoodie do not let the kids convince you to go on Kali River Rapids ever again. Nothing like walking around AK like John Wayne for the rest of the afternoon

8. Note to Disney….bulldoze the carnival area in Dinoland and put in a B&M hypercoaster, give it a dinosaur name for all I care. Something to take the crowds away from all the other rides.

9. I know why they do it but I wish there were some way to get from Disney Springs to the parks. This place is a mess and every year I tell myself never again…. But still I am typing this so….

10. Further note to self….. NEVER go to Disney springs on a Saturday night…. Much less the last Saturday before Christmas.

11. Adults and teenagers please turn off the foul language at least while in the parks, preferably while on Disney property altogether.

12. MK was mobbed on Sunday 12/20 and it seemed like almost every major ride and both monorails were repeatedly having technical difficulty.

13. Apparently I didn’t learn from the Kali River Rapid fiasco from the previous day, riding in the front row on Splash Mountain was not the best idea on a day with highs in the mid 60’s.

14. Wishes was awesome from the end of Main Street just before entering the hub, and we had enough time to get to Tony’s for an 8:25 reservation. Tony’s wasn’t as bad as the reviews would indicate

15. Monorails having issues, took FORVER to get back to our car Valet parked at Poly. Almost broke rule mentioned in number 11… repeatedly.

16. An ADR at Garden Grill in Epcot before the park opens is great but it will probably not get you on Soarin’ or Test Track faster. I don’t like Soarin’ and had FP for Test Track so we were there strictly for Garden Grill but watching the CM’s escort the endless line of people to Soarin’ was entertaining.

17. We love Living with the Land, I hope I never make a trip to Disney without riding it

18. The Crowds were huge at Epcot on Sunday, we went back to POR to go for a swin instead

19. Valet parking at an Epcot resort and walking/taking boat to Epcot or HS is very convenient.

20. That contortionist lady in China is absolutely incredible

21. Did the Agent P hunt in China with the Kids while wife went shopping. Great way to spend time with the kids while she picks up some souvenirs.

22. Never seen a line like that for the Grand Fiesta Tour

23. Made a serious effort to explore china and Japan, will try to do Morocco in May when we come back

24. I like the Great Movie ride, I don’t like sitting in front of an incessant gum cracker while riding it. Almost broke rule mentioned in number 11…. Again.

25. Wife cried when Osborne Christmas lights were turned off at 10pm.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Sounds like a great trip, even with the crowds. When we were there last December the boats were so crowded and so few running we were late for a Narcoossees dinner and our friends were late for Ohana despite getting to the boats 1 1/2 hours ahead of our reservation. Almost broke your observation #11 ourselves. The boats were coming full and no one was getting off.

 

[mom2rtk]

25 thoughts on our recent trip. Roughly in the order.

1. Thursday(12/17) and Friday(12/18) seemed to be great days for crowds at MK. Not sure if it was the Christmas party or just no one was off for the Holiday yet. We decided to go over to MK on Thursday before our 6:30 fast passes started at Epcot. In 3-4 hours we got a ride on 7DMT, 3 rides on big thunder, 2 on splash mountain, and 1 on the haunted mansion. Still had enough time to hit Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land at Epcot before our test track fast pass. Friday was a little busier at MK but still manageable.

Likely a bit of both. Party days are typically great days to be in the MK. And most schools were in session at least through the 18th.

 

[Accident]

6. I thought there were supposed to be Hyenas on the safari. We didn’t see them but we did have an awesome safari(Sat 12/19) that day with lots of animals out and active.

I haven't been since they were added but I understand it's part of the nocturnal animals they are added for when the park is opened later with the night show next year. I suspect if they are out now, you'd need to take the ride at the very end of the day to see them.

14. Wishes was awesome from the end of Main Street just before entering the hub, and we had enough time to get to Tony’s for an 8:25 reservation. Tony’s wasn’t as bad as the reviews would indicate

i've heard this a lot lately, has it improved to the point that you would eat there again on a future trip?

 

[boufa]

The parking thing bothered me... Hey, you do what you want, but parking at a resort to go to the parks just isn't my thing. Even Valet. It's not a moral or ethical question, though those are interesting arguments, I just don't see the time savings. The monorails are inconsistent enough that they don't really offer a safe (time wise) way to go from any resort to the MK.

I for one am a huge fan of the fireworks from either Gastone's or near Dumbo. Significantly fewer crowds, great views, though they are not the designed views, they certainly are pretty darn good, and you are on the right side if you want to try to catch more rides after the show.

 

[aretha30]

Sounds like a great trip! I come very close to breaking number 11 every time someone rams me with a stroller or a scooter....

 

[KaptKaveman]

I haven't been since they were added but I understand it's part of the nocturnal animals they are added for when the park is opened later with the night show next year. I suspect if they are out now, you'd need to take the ride at the very end of the day to see them.

Thanks for this info! Will try to hit an end of day safari next time.

i've heard this a lot lately, has it improved to the point that you would eat there again on a future trip?

I hadn't been there before, the negative reviews kept me away. My wife actually got the reservations that same day while I was getting drenched on Splash Mountain.... in December. The price with TIW was reasonable so we would probably go back at some point but I still have a goal to try a lot of other places out first.

 

[fbarker]

9. I know why they do it but I wish there were some way to get from Disney Springs to the parks. This place is a mess and every year I tell myself never again…. But still I am typing this so
I agree there are times we don't even make it over there but its made a bit easier by being at POR and taking boat. A nice relaxing ride back and forth and you are not fighting the traffic and looking for a parking place. One reason we so love POR

17. We love Living with the Land, I hope I never make a trip to Disney without riding it
Also one of our favorites. It seems we see or learn something new each time we take it.

20. That contortionist lady in China is absolutely incredible.
We have never seen this please tell me more

 

[KaptKaveman]

Edit: Nevermind it was a stupid question

 

[KaptKaveman]

I agree there are times we don't even make it over there but its made a bit easier by being at POR and taking boat. A nice relaxing ride back and forth and you are not fighting the traffic and looking for a parking place. One reason we so love POR

That was one of the benefits and reasons I stuck with Port Orleans this time. Our trip last year the week before Thanksgiving we stayed at POFQ and the boat to Disney Springs(then DTD) was great, and Disney Springs was manageable with the crowds. This year we had to wait for the third boat at POR(that should have been our first clue). With the crowds there I just wanted to get the heck out, I tried to convince my wife that we could just walk to Saratoga Springs and catch there bus but she didn't trust me so we wound up waiting for the first bus that we could get on, went to CSR and then jumped on a bus to the Studios.

Also one of our favorites. It seems we see or learn something new each time we take it.

And they always seem to have atleast one more Hidden Mickey around the holidays. Last year it was a gourd that was Mickey Shaped. This year in the water tanks they had a snowman with Mickey ears

We have never seen this please tell me more

She is the first part of the "acrobat" show they do in China. On our schedule it was 15 past every hour. She folds her body in ways that quite frankly if I hadn't seen it I wouldn't have thought it was possible. The rest of the show is okay but it seemed better to me before the tumblers/acrobats started wearing the springy stilts. Still I think it is definitely worth stopping and watching.

 

[Aurora0427]

I am glad you mentioned that its been something I have been wanting to ask but didn't want to create a new thread just on that. In the past I had been getting a morning ADR at Kona Cafe, parking there in the regular lot and leaving the car there.... both times we would leave the car there and come back for a late lunch at Captain Cooks then grab our car and go back to our resort for a break. Then I saw threads here about the negatives to that and I felt guilty. It seemed like the answer to this was Valet park, so that is what we were going to do this trip.

Fast forward to our first day this trip. I had decided prior to going this year that we were going to get TIW because running the numbers it seemed like we would come out ahead with this trip and our summer trip. So we stopped at Guest relations in MK and the lady there was ringing me up and she was going over the perks and she said "Free Valet Parking" and I was like wait ... what.... So a couple of days later we did that at Kona/Poly and our last day we did that at Trattoria al Forno/Boardwalk.

Then we are on our drive back to Georgia and I was reading up on TIW and I got to the fine print and found the words FREE VALET PARKING FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF DINING. Now I feel guilty again. The question is... is it frowned on to even valet park at the resorts, eat there, and go to the parks while using TIW?

Look, I wouldn't let complete strangers on a message board induce feelings of guilt. I don't really have an answer for you, because we don't drive at Disney. Ask the resorts next time you're there... Can we valet, eat, go to the parks, or do we need to move our car.

 

[keishashadow]

3 - It is ridiculous to think that WDW couldn't build a facade somewhere to install the lights on property. Glad I got to squeeze in just one more viewing this year. After seeing the crowd the first full week in Novemberwas even happier that my DIL sprang for the dessert party.

19 - We enjoy our stays @ BWV. Unfortunately, since we visit during popular times, often resort to valet since parking is usually swamped with resident guests. Know they have the overflow lot, but still wonder how they manage to accommodate everybody even via valet.

 

[loves to dive]

I agree 100% on the gum chewing person. I was on one of the last shows for the behind the scenes ride at HS and had a gum popping lady in the que getting on the tram right behind me. Of course, she was on my seat in the tram and sat right next to me. I suffered through it but couldn't wait for the ride to end. Then wouldn't you know it, every where I went in the little museum after the ride she was right there next to me, no matter how I tried to escape her. I cut what was usually my favorite part of the ride short just to get away from her. Had she been my kid, I would have popped her so quick she would have swallowed that gum. I would have broken rule #11 but I was actually on a solo trip, had my son been there I would have said a few choice words to him about her (he's 35 and ex-Navy so it wouldn't have been anything he hasn't said himself).

 

[KaptKaveman]

Look, I wouldn't let complete strangers on a message board induce feelings of guilt.

Thank you that was sage advice. I deleted the question.

 

[KaptKaveman]

I agree 100% on the gum chewing person. I was on one of the last shows for the behind the scenes ride at HS and had a gum popping lady in the que getting on the tram right behind me. Of course, she was on my seat in the tram and sat right next to me. I suffered through it but couldn't wait for the ride to end. Then wouldn't you know it, every where I went in the little museum after the ride she was right there next to me, no matter how I tried to escape her. I cut what was usually my favorite part of the ride short just to get away from her. Had she been my kid, I would have popped her so quick she would have swallowed that gum. I would have broken rule #11 but I was actually on a solo trip, had my son been there I would have said a few choice words to him about her (he's 35 and ex-Navy so it wouldn't have been anything he hasn't said himself).

It literally ruined the great movie ride for me and I love that ride. Its a good thing Disney can't use Marvel characters in their parks in Florida because I was close to going Hulk Mode. IS THAT GUM GOOD? BECAUSE IT SOUNDS DELICIOUS!

 

[PetePanMan]

To each his own but I just don't get Living with the Land....

 

[epcotty]

Good thing we were at the Studios last Sunday, crowds were moderate, not that bad (even at the lights). We were at Epcot on the 5th, crowds also were not that bad. Morocco doesn't have much besides the nice fountain area. Even then Gran Fiesta Tour had a surprisingly long line but not too bad. Good trip report

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

Thank you for the great dose of humor!!! We chose NOT to go to DS this trip specifically because the only day it was feasable was Saturday the 19th. Thanks for confirming my hesitance!

 

[GaryDis]

I thought there were supposed to be Hyenas on the safari.

I haven't been since they were added but I understand it's part of the nocturnal animals they are added for when the park is opened later with the night show next year. I suspect if they are out now, you'd need to take the ride at the very end of the day to see them.

The two zoos at which I've seen spotted hyenas recently both had natural-looking shelters built into the earth, with the open side facing the humans. In both cases, the hyenas were pretty much sleeping the day away, so ditto on the nocturnal aspect.

Also, my understanding is that the hyenas will be sharing terrain with the painted dogs, at separate times. So I'd never expect to see them both on the same safari, and most likely, the dogs will be out during the day and the hyenas during the evening.

Edit: typo

 

[Cee]

We were there 12/13-12/20. Crowds great, Osbourne Lights-amazing, and I love Living with the Land too. So glad you had a wonderful vacation. Happiest New Year!