harrison080699
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2013
- Messages
- 3
My family appreciates all the good info and tips from this site. Here is our trip report for your use.
CBR October 6 - 12, 2013
Disney Dining Plan
DH, DW, DS(8), DS(6)
Arrived Sunday, October 6th, 8am at CBR. Check-in was easy; room was not available at Martinique but that was expected and prepared for. Valet all the luggage and drove to the Martinique parking lot and grabbed the bus to MK. (Side note: we found the bus waits closer to the 20 minute time all week, Ive read the feedback about catching them just right Im just saying this was our experience). We received a text from CBR letting us know our room was ready - 2418.
MK was awesome, crowds seemed to be heavier than the Lines crowd levels anticipated (this was true all week). Wait times were 5-10 min on everything except Splash Mountain, Thunder railroad, Barnstormer and Space Mountain, these rides saw wait times into the 70 minute range. We left early to get ready for the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. Room was great, consistent with all the updates on this site: working fridge, Nemo bedding, etc. Luggage was delivered in timely manner. The Hoop Dee Doo Review was awesome. Both boys belly laughed out loud several times. Good food too! I would recommend.
CBR to Hoop Dee Doo directions what a train wreck this was, it could not have been more confusing (and we asked the CBR front desk, talked to the gate person at the lodge and two bus drivers on the lodge property) and still were not sure what bus was the right one (we were not the only confused parties) Note to Disney: please provide clear detailed instructions to Hoop Dee Doo from each resort location.
1. Allow 1 hour from your resort to the Fort Wilderness lodge (does not matter if you are driving or taking the bus)
2. Park in THE OUTPOST parking lot, walk to THE OUTPOST (or Lincoln Log pavilion thingie) You will not go to the Fort Wilderness Resort Building.
3. Ask a bus driver if he is going to the Hoop Dee Doo (please remember, this is a campground resort, the buses show Loop A/B or Loop F/E) There is not a bus that says Pioneer Hall / Hoop Dee Doo and multiple buses could be going to the correct spot.
4. Once you get there, youre golden follow the crowd.
5. When you are leaving, look for a bus that says THE OUTPOST or ask the driver if he is going to THE OUTPOST. Again, this is a campground resort and multiple buses could be going to the correct spot.
Photopass+ Side Note: We did preorder the photopass+. This paid for itself 2 or 3 times over during our trip. Part of the Hoop Dee Doo and Chef Mickey experiences is a family posed photo. They process your photo while you eat and come to each table trying to get you to purchase the photo package ($40 - $60) but not with photopass+; its included. The cast member asked to see our PP+ card and then handed us our photo package way cool! It almost seemed free since we preordered the pass a while ago. Also, all the rides that have action photos can be added to PP+ ($25 - $45 each if you buy at the end of ride). We had 20+ ride photos.
Monday MK *Disney morning magic, our DS(6) lost his first tooth while brushing.* Rope drop and day was normal. Crowds seemed high but were manageable with planning and fastpass. We did not see any impact on traditional fastpass due to the bands (and there were a lot of bands). Early dinner at Liberty tavern was great; pot roast is awesome. We took a CBR break midday and swam at the pirate pool. We all loved the pool. We were back for the electrical parade and EMH.
Tuesday EP Ready set go! Everyone run to test track. Seriously, if you do not get to the park early and get a fastpass, this ride will be off limits without an unreasonable wait. In my opinion, the bands affected this ride. For every traditional fastpass rider, we saw 4 to 5 band fastpass riders. Traditional fastpasses were gone by 11:00am. We were probably one the first 50 to ride and when we came out the standby wait was already 30min. We saw it reach 70min. Not impressed with Soarin rode it once. Teppen Edo lunch was awesome. Our family loves the Figment Imagination ride. The surprise was the Agent Ps Showcase Adventure. Our 2 sons were 100% into this activity. They both went into agent mode, crawling into dark spaces to get the next clue and searching for the clue location. Its not a ride and it does take some time but we seemed to have more fun doing this than anything else at Epcot. We used the La Hacienda dinner reservation tip for the Illuminations fireworks. Our reservation was for 8:15pm, we checked in at 6:00pm and requested a window seat. I recommend checking in early because they were not able to get us window seat until 8:00pm. We would have been out of luck if we did not check in early.
Wednesday HS we were second in line at 8:00am. They opened park 30min early at 8:30am. The ticket scanner in our line malfunctioned, but you roll with it. This park definitely requires a plan. We had 2 goals a Toy Story Mania Fastpass and Jedi Training sign ups. We accomplished both. Jedi training slots filled by 9:20am and when we finally arrived to Toy Story the wait was 30min. We caught up with my DW who was already in line, and she had Toy Story fastpasses for 1:30pm. When we got off Toy story the wait was 45min and fastpass times were 4:00pm. Toy Story fastpasses were gone by 10:30am. If you do not plan for this ride, you will ride it once and wait an eternity. Craziness! We saw the ride reach a wait time of 120min. Again, in my opinion, the bands affected this ride. For every traditional fastpass rider, we saw 4 to 5 band fastpass riders. Jedi training was really cool and worth the planning to get registered. Crowds seemed higher than predicted by Lines. The Star tours wait fluctuated between 15 -30min. Tower of Terror and Rockin Roller Coaster stayed around 3045min.
Thursday EP Test Track - same story, it actually shut down for a while and the fastpass line increased to a 35min wait. TIP: if a ride goes down during your FP time slot, they will honor your FP anytime during the entire day. Wait until the FP time expires and get another FP from somewhere else. Its like having two viable FP at the same time. We did 2 more Agent Ps adventures and ate/drank our way around the world showcase while the boys did the adventure. Caution the food is great and drinks can catch up with you. We left early for pool time at CBR. TIP: we always seem to have snacks from the dining plan left over at the end of the trip, so this year we used them at the showcase - it was easy and enjoyable.
Friday MK We had breakfast at 7:45am Chef Mickeys with Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie and Pluto. This was our only character meal because we believe its the best. We still arrived at MK by rope drop. We had so much fun with Agent Ps adventure that we decided to try the Sorcerers of the MK. Oh my, we are hooked. We did 2 adventures and the boys loved it. We left early for naps before MNSSHP.
Friday MNSSHP We were costumed up and ready at the bus stop at 6:00pm. Please skip if you are sensitive to criticism. We waited 40min for a bus and another 20min before we filled the bus and made it to MK. It was ridiculous; we counted 4AK, 3HS, 2EP, 2Internal, 2CBR buses before a MK arrived at our stop. This was more than missed timing, and I realize that the buses from other parks are returning guests. However, Disney knows there will be a large amount of people making their way to MK from 5:00pm-7:00pm on MNSSHP nights. There should be a flood of extra buses for MK pickup. Disney please make note of my above comments. OK, Im done.
MNSSHP was the best. We danced with Sully, Mike, George, Jesse, Woody, Bullseye. One-on-one time with characters is priceless. The parade has added an interactive portion. All the kids were in the street dancing with Phineas and Ferb, and then came the headless horseman and villains AWESOME! TIP: if you are willing to wait for the last villians show (which is after the last fireworks, around 11:15pm), it is essentially empty. 90% of the people start leaving after the last fireworks and we walked right up to the stage front for the show. TIP: Purchased glow sticks and light spinners from dollar store before we left, Instead of dropping $20 for each kid at the park.
Saturday HS arrived for EMH, but, by the time we arrived at Toy Story Mania, FP was at 1:30pm; standby wait time of 45min. Again, this rides frenzy is insanity. The overall crowd level was light. We rode Star Tours multiple times. Pretty laid back day compared to the rest of our week. We left around 5:00pm.
Magic Shots dont forget to ask every photographer. Most have a magic shot loaded on their handheld and if not, they can load them fairly quickly. Just ask nicely; theyre pretty cool. TIP: we were told several times that photographers with tripods do not do magic shots.
CBR October 6 - 12, 2013
Disney Dining Plan
DH, DW, DS(8), DS(6)
Arrived Sunday, October 6th, 8am at CBR. Check-in was easy; room was not available at Martinique but that was expected and prepared for. Valet all the luggage and drove to the Martinique parking lot and grabbed the bus to MK. (Side note: we found the bus waits closer to the 20 minute time all week, Ive read the feedback about catching them just right Im just saying this was our experience). We received a text from CBR letting us know our room was ready - 2418.
MK was awesome, crowds seemed to be heavier than the Lines crowd levels anticipated (this was true all week). Wait times were 5-10 min on everything except Splash Mountain, Thunder railroad, Barnstormer and Space Mountain, these rides saw wait times into the 70 minute range. We left early to get ready for the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. Room was great, consistent with all the updates on this site: working fridge, Nemo bedding, etc. Luggage was delivered in timely manner. The Hoop Dee Doo Review was awesome. Both boys belly laughed out loud several times. Good food too! I would recommend.
CBR to Hoop Dee Doo directions what a train wreck this was, it could not have been more confusing (and we asked the CBR front desk, talked to the gate person at the lodge and two bus drivers on the lodge property) and still were not sure what bus was the right one (we were not the only confused parties) Note to Disney: please provide clear detailed instructions to Hoop Dee Doo from each resort location.
1. Allow 1 hour from your resort to the Fort Wilderness lodge (does not matter if you are driving or taking the bus)
2. Park in THE OUTPOST parking lot, walk to THE OUTPOST (or Lincoln Log pavilion thingie) You will not go to the Fort Wilderness Resort Building.
3. Ask a bus driver if he is going to the Hoop Dee Doo (please remember, this is a campground resort, the buses show Loop A/B or Loop F/E) There is not a bus that says Pioneer Hall / Hoop Dee Doo and multiple buses could be going to the correct spot.
4. Once you get there, youre golden follow the crowd.
5. When you are leaving, look for a bus that says THE OUTPOST or ask the driver if he is going to THE OUTPOST. Again, this is a campground resort and multiple buses could be going to the correct spot.
Photopass+ Side Note: We did preorder the photopass+. This paid for itself 2 or 3 times over during our trip. Part of the Hoop Dee Doo and Chef Mickey experiences is a family posed photo. They process your photo while you eat and come to each table trying to get you to purchase the photo package ($40 - $60) but not with photopass+; its included. The cast member asked to see our PP+ card and then handed us our photo package way cool! It almost seemed free since we preordered the pass a while ago. Also, all the rides that have action photos can be added to PP+ ($25 - $45 each if you buy at the end of ride). We had 20+ ride photos.
Monday MK *Disney morning magic, our DS(6) lost his first tooth while brushing.* Rope drop and day was normal. Crowds seemed high but were manageable with planning and fastpass. We did not see any impact on traditional fastpass due to the bands (and there were a lot of bands). Early dinner at Liberty tavern was great; pot roast is awesome. We took a CBR break midday and swam at the pirate pool. We all loved the pool. We were back for the electrical parade and EMH.
Tuesday EP Ready set go! Everyone run to test track. Seriously, if you do not get to the park early and get a fastpass, this ride will be off limits without an unreasonable wait. In my opinion, the bands affected this ride. For every traditional fastpass rider, we saw 4 to 5 band fastpass riders. Traditional fastpasses were gone by 11:00am. We were probably one the first 50 to ride and when we came out the standby wait was already 30min. We saw it reach 70min. Not impressed with Soarin rode it once. Teppen Edo lunch was awesome. Our family loves the Figment Imagination ride. The surprise was the Agent Ps Showcase Adventure. Our 2 sons were 100% into this activity. They both went into agent mode, crawling into dark spaces to get the next clue and searching for the clue location. Its not a ride and it does take some time but we seemed to have more fun doing this than anything else at Epcot. We used the La Hacienda dinner reservation tip for the Illuminations fireworks. Our reservation was for 8:15pm, we checked in at 6:00pm and requested a window seat. I recommend checking in early because they were not able to get us window seat until 8:00pm. We would have been out of luck if we did not check in early.
Wednesday HS we were second in line at 8:00am. They opened park 30min early at 8:30am. The ticket scanner in our line malfunctioned, but you roll with it. This park definitely requires a plan. We had 2 goals a Toy Story Mania Fastpass and Jedi Training sign ups. We accomplished both. Jedi training slots filled by 9:20am and when we finally arrived to Toy Story the wait was 30min. We caught up with my DW who was already in line, and she had Toy Story fastpasses for 1:30pm. When we got off Toy story the wait was 45min and fastpass times were 4:00pm. Toy Story fastpasses were gone by 10:30am. If you do not plan for this ride, you will ride it once and wait an eternity. Craziness! We saw the ride reach a wait time of 120min. Again, in my opinion, the bands affected this ride. For every traditional fastpass rider, we saw 4 to 5 band fastpass riders. Jedi training was really cool and worth the planning to get registered. Crowds seemed higher than predicted by Lines. The Star tours wait fluctuated between 15 -30min. Tower of Terror and Rockin Roller Coaster stayed around 3045min.
Thursday EP Test Track - same story, it actually shut down for a while and the fastpass line increased to a 35min wait. TIP: if a ride goes down during your FP time slot, they will honor your FP anytime during the entire day. Wait until the FP time expires and get another FP from somewhere else. Its like having two viable FP at the same time. We did 2 more Agent Ps adventures and ate/drank our way around the world showcase while the boys did the adventure. Caution the food is great and drinks can catch up with you. We left early for pool time at CBR. TIP: we always seem to have snacks from the dining plan left over at the end of the trip, so this year we used them at the showcase - it was easy and enjoyable.
Friday MK We had breakfast at 7:45am Chef Mickeys with Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie and Pluto. This was our only character meal because we believe its the best. We still arrived at MK by rope drop. We had so much fun with Agent Ps adventure that we decided to try the Sorcerers of the MK. Oh my, we are hooked. We did 2 adventures and the boys loved it. We left early for naps before MNSSHP.
Friday MNSSHP We were costumed up and ready at the bus stop at 6:00pm. Please skip if you are sensitive to criticism. We waited 40min for a bus and another 20min before we filled the bus and made it to MK. It was ridiculous; we counted 4AK, 3HS, 2EP, 2Internal, 2CBR buses before a MK arrived at our stop. This was more than missed timing, and I realize that the buses from other parks are returning guests. However, Disney knows there will be a large amount of people making their way to MK from 5:00pm-7:00pm on MNSSHP nights. There should be a flood of extra buses for MK pickup. Disney please make note of my above comments. OK, Im done.
MNSSHP was the best. We danced with Sully, Mike, George, Jesse, Woody, Bullseye. One-on-one time with characters is priceless. The parade has added an interactive portion. All the kids were in the street dancing with Phineas and Ferb, and then came the headless horseman and villains AWESOME! TIP: if you are willing to wait for the last villians show (which is after the last fireworks, around 11:15pm), it is essentially empty. 90% of the people start leaving after the last fireworks and we walked right up to the stage front for the show. TIP: Purchased glow sticks and light spinners from dollar store before we left, Instead of dropping $20 for each kid at the park.
Saturday HS arrived for EMH, but, by the time we arrived at Toy Story Mania, FP was at 1:30pm; standby wait time of 45min. Again, this rides frenzy is insanity. The overall crowd level was light. We rode Star Tours multiple times. Pretty laid back day compared to the rest of our week. We left around 5:00pm.
Magic Shots dont forget to ask every photographer. Most have a magic shot loaded on their handheld and if not, they can load them fairly quickly. Just ask nicely; theyre pretty cool. TIP: we were told several times that photographers with tripods do not do magic shots.
