All May 2006 WDW trippers will you give us your reflections?

[suevee]

Hi,
We are going in June and I thought it would be nice to have one thread that people could look up to see what WDW was like in any given month. So I thought let's start with May while the pixie dust is still fresh. I know when I get back I am so down I don't really post much but at the same time I like to share my experiences.

So if you think this is a good idea just jot down a little about the time you were there, the crowd level, the weather, and how your trip went. Thanks

 

[goofy4tink]

I was there from May 15 to the 20th. It was hot! There were more people than I expected there to be...not unmanagable but a lot. Epcot was a zoo the Friday we went, but dh talked to a CM while waiting for me to join him and he was told there were a ton of school/church groups in the park that day and the day before!!! The groups were everywhere and some of them were not so well behaved.
The Flower and Garden Festival was fun, but I guess I may have had too high expectations.
All in all...I don't think I would go in May again. I prefer to go in the late fall/early winter.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

For the first week of May the crowds were light, but picked up a bit on the weekend. Wait time was almost always less than the posted time, sometimes by half. If you want to watch nighttime parades and entertainment and have an ADR at a sit down restaurant(not a buffet) allow 2 hours from ADR until you leave, so know what times parades, shows, and fireworks are. It was hot getting into the nineties at times, but that's where snack credits really come in great if you're on the DDP.

 

[KelnRon]

We were there May 19th ~ May 27th. Very busy! I was surprised at how busy it actually was! We went to Disney Monday evening and the crowds were not so bad at first. Later in the evening it was packed. We did get to see the fireworks which were truely magical! We have been to Disney many times but have never stayed that late in the evening! We went to MGM on Sunday for Star Wars weekend and the place was packed. We did get to see the parade but really too busy to enjoy anything else. Spent the rest of the week at Universal. Also very busy. The lines probably would have been managable but it was so hot! Waiting in line for 45-60minutes in 96 degree's just was not fun! We did manage to buy express passes for Universal the last day and we skipped all the long waits and rode on all the rides we missed! Defianately the best $80 we spent on the trip!!! The days at the pool really were the most relaxing on this trip. I don't think we will return when the temperture is in the 90's! All in all we had a great trip!

 

[Texas_Disney_Fanatic]

I have been in the past during June time but It has been a long time and I am going back in two more days. I can't wait but as far as I know you will have a blast. I know even with the hot weather disney is awesome in the summer.

 

[disnut8]

We were there for Memorial Day weekend. Hot, hot, hot!!!! I couldn't do any thrill rides thanks to a neck brace from a car accident. But we had a great time. The husband did Rock N Roller Coaster on his own with a FastPass. We both did Twilight Zone - I just exited before boarding the elevator. We were in front of first timers and the two young daughters got scared during the library pre show so I assured them if they followed me, they and their mom could exit and not ride. We also did Millionaire (not the special Star Wars one) and the top three or four rows were empty. I love this show and was disappointed it wasn't fuller.

Loved the concert series again as part of the Flower and Garden Festival. We saw The Guess Who and I think my husband wanted to camp out at the America Pavilion all weekend long! Another example of class Disney entertainment.

But the heat was bad. With the neck brace, I minded it more than ever. And we live in north Georgia where the temperatures are about the same. If I could have been in the pool, I would have been. Stayed at the Coronado Springs and didn't experience any crowds at all. Nice, nice time.

 

[lcznc]

We were there 5/17-5/21 and it got progressively hotter and more crowded as the week wore on. On a positive note, by arriving at the parks around opening and were able to walk on most major attractions. The weather was delightful the first three days but was sweltering by the weekend. If I was to visit in May again, I would probably opt for early May instead. We are going in late October for MNSSHP so it will be interesting to compare as May and October seem to be two very popular months.

 

[binky]

We were there May 23 thru 29, and I agree that it was HOT and CROWDED! The first few days were not bad really, and we got to each park about 45 minutes prior to opening. That's the only way we were able to do as much as we did. Towards the end of the week (and Memorial Day weekend) things got busier. Sunday at AK was almost unbearable. We left by 3:00. Luckily we rode EE first thing in the morning with a 5 minute line. By 3:00 the FP return was 7:30! I thought more kids would still be in school, but I was wrong! With my planning, and getting to the parks early, we did alot, and our trip was great overall, but I won't be going back in May!

 

[oogieboogie]

I was there 5/26-5/29. Yes, it was hot and crowded. We still had an enjoyable time though, partly because we'd been there often enough we were very relaxed. We only went to Star Wars weekend on Saturday, Epcot for the F&G Festival, and MK early in the morning to ride some quick rides.

I think the key is really to relax, go with the flow, and have a plan in place. On the plane down to Orlando, I sat next to a family who was going down for memorial day weekend, staying at the Dolphin and it was their first time to WDW. They didn't have a clue of what attraction was in each of the parks, how busy it would be, or even where they would eat. They wanted a nice sit-down meal someplace, but they didn't even know about making ADRs! You can bet I gave them an hour-long quick crash course on WDW.

It was extra busy because Florida schools were done for the year, and a lot of local families were taking advantage of the long weekend to get in a quick weekend getaway. Sunday at around 2pm, Soarin' FPs were all gone, the standby was 110 minutes. Test Track was at 110 minutes also, Living with the Land was at 40 minutes. By contrast Mission:Space was walk-on on the green line and around 10-15 minutes on the orange line. On Memorial Day Monday, Peter Pan's Flight at MK was at 20 minutes at 9:30am and Snow White's Scary Adventure was at 10mins.

 

[The Mick]

I live about 30 minutes away, so I try to go once a month or so. Hit a couple parks on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and went to Star Wars weekends a couple weeks before that.

AK was PACKED that Friday. It was insanely crowded, and most of the people were there for Everest. The stand-by line was 1.5 hours long. The fastpass had you coming back in 5 hours. And it was hotter than hades. But even with all that, it was still a great time. Everest was awesome. The Birds of Flight show was a lot of fun.

After that, we hit Epcot. It was somewhat crowded. I've seen it much more crowded before (usually during F&W or Holidays Around the World) and much less crowded on occassion. Overall it was a very comfortable experience, as Epcot always is. It's like your favorite pair of shoes - always love to put them on. When I want to get away and relax, Epcot (and in particular World Showcase) is the place I go.

Ended the night at Downtown Disney - it was moderately crowded too. There's a lot of construction going on in Pleasure Island. But DTD is always fun, especially when you supplement it with a margarita.

A couple weeks before, we hit MGM for SW weekends. CROWDED. Really crowded. SW is still really popular. The lines for taking pics with Darth Vader, Boba Fett, etc. was long as it is every year. But it was fun. BTW, I was in FIRST PLACE in points during SW Millionaire, AND THE GAME ENDED! If it lasted just a few minutes longer, I could have had a chance to go up there and win a Disney cruise! Oh well.

Overall, it was as incredible as it usually is!

 

[rabyoga]

We went from May 18th-May 25th. I thought the crowds weren't too bad. Very managable. The only park I thought was more crowded than in years past(we went the last 2 Mays the same time frame) was Animal Kingdom. With the Expedition Everest-it's to be expected. We got to all parks before than opened. And that's key. We didn't do any EMH. We used the unoffical touring plans for MK and they worked like a charm. I used them a bit for the other parks; but I changed them a bit. At Epcot, Soarin' was crowded, as usual. Mission Space wasn't bad at all. In fact, the less intense ride was a walk on. Even Blizzard Beach was nice(although it was the day that was clouded and a bit chilly-probably low 80's.)
My gripe: The second day we did Epcot... Norway was a mess. The bathrooms were disgusting. The estimated wait time for Maelstrom was WAY off-said 5 minutes and we waited 30 minutes and the line area was trashed. I don't know what the problem was. Every other country in Epcot was fine. Perhaps Norway was having a bad day..
Otherwise, It was a great time. Any time a Disney is good one..

 

[rubbergypsy]

we were there may 11-15. temps in the 90's, loved it, swimming was great during the afternoons, crowded, but walked on almost everything, only used fastpass for space mt, test track, and peter pan. really short queues, but i used tgm and i think his advice was on track. going in august for free dining but then i think we will make may our annual month for disney, really loved the high temps, went in feb and a bit too chilly for my idea of a vacation. epcot was busy, no prob in ak, but we got there almost at opening, basically we went early in am took breaks after lunch and swam and then off to dinner and another park, it definitely was crowded in the evenings. we had a great time.

 

[Robin4]

We were there 20-28 overall it wasn't bad. Middle of the day it was insanely hot and very crowded so the best decision we made the whole trip was taking a break and going to the pool especially this time of year it's the best option for avoiding the 2. During the morning there was little or no wait time so getting to the park when it opens makes a huge difference. Also if you've already seen the park's night time show we found that the wait time was smaller. We were expecting the worse when we went I mean we usually go in February when there's virtually nobody there but really didn't find it to be that bad. My best advice would be to get there early, take breaks in the middle of the day, drink lots of water (i found myself getting dehydrated about mid way throught the trip), stay late if you can, and use a fast pass when you can. We had a great time and will go back around the same time next year! Have an awesome time

 

[bobbiwoz]

Mother's Day weekend, Friday to Monday and it was a perfect visit.

We went on EE twice on Friday, and enjoyed it, and on the safari a giraffe came so close, I think the people on the other side could have reached out and touched it. That night we saw Wishes from the top of the RR station, a pretty good place, and we beat the rush back to the resort, no waiting for the bus afterwards at all!!

We thoroughly enjoyed Davy Jones' Flower Power Concert! We saw it on Friday, first show, and Saturday, just before Illuminations. We watch Illuminations from the bridge between England and France, then it's just a short walk to BCV where we stayed.

Sunday we went to the Mother's Day brunch with some family members and friends. It was just a relaxing day, we did some shopping and hung around the pool, Storm Along Bay is fabulous.

I really enjoyed the Flowers, especially the topiaries. We're actually going back, for the last weekend. It's a special anniversary (we met 40 years ago June 10th) and wouldn't you know it, Herman's Hermits will be the featured concert! There are flowers, displays that I/we missed, and I've made notes on what I still want to see. That weekend we had family and friends with us, this trip it will be just we two, and it's longer, we'll be heading down toward the Keys after WDW.

Here's a link to some pictures of the Flower show from the Flower and Garden board:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1114592

Bobbi

 

[birdiesunshine]

We were there May 8-15th

1. Stayed at AKL. Very pretty. We had a savanna view and it was lovely. The pool was big and we liked the zero entry for our 3 yr old.

2. The weather was picture perfect. High 80's low 90's all week. It rained a total of 3 hrs all week. We woke up in shorts and went to bed in shorts yet never felt too hot.

3. The lines were shorter than the posted wait times which was very nice. We never waited more than 10-15 mins for any standby line.

4. Restaurants were wonderful. Boma, Jiko, Ohana, Chefs de France, Whispering Canyon. Chefs de France was my favorite. We had 7:50pm ressies, I got a glass of champagne while waiting for our table. Once inside we got a great view for illuminations. The food was great and so were the other 3 glasses of chanpagne It was a perfect night.

Overall the trip was excellent. We picked a great week.

 

[suevee]

Thank you for all the replies. I think this thread will really help the people planning to go next May as well as give a taste of things to come for those going in June!!!

 

[slug]

Thank you for all the replies. I think this thread will really help the people planning to go next May as well as give a taste of things to come for those going in June!!!

Definately. Going next May 17-23 and will love reading reports from this May.

 

[GoofyGirlnPrincessV]

We (dd 4 and I) went May 1-6 and the weather was nice and there were no crowds. Rode all the rides in Fantasy Land many times with less than 10 minute waits. Lines for the princesses were only about half hour. All of the other rides were less than 15 minute waits and that was without FP.

Hit EPCOT early EHM and had our pictures taken eveywhere. Enjoyed the flowers. Hit some rides/shows. Crowd level was minimal until lunch time and I don't know if it is me or what but EPCOT always feels HOT. So we had lunch at the Electric Umbrella and then headed back to POFQ for a nap and pool time.

AK got there early went to see Lion King then off to find Stanley. Again AK always feels really hot. So after getting some pics at Camp Minnie/Mickey we headed back to POFQ.

MGM was awesome as usual.

We ate at CP for breakfast and we always have some "grand adventure" trying to use the monorail before the park opens. I wish the ferry boat started early! I really despise the monorail in the am. Food was awesome, characters were good. We didn't get to see Eeyore, he kept getting stopped in the aisles by kids running up to him. I have a cute pic of Tigger and it looks like he is trying to eat my DD..LOL

50's Prime Time for dinner...Potroast was yummy as usual...Server was kind of blah but he was getting yelled at by the table next to us since they didn't like their food.

Tried LTT for dinner for the first time. Food was good, server was really nice. Not sure if it is me, but I noticed the louder the tables were the more the characters went to see them. Since it was just DD and I they kept walking by the end of the meal she hadn't had a pic or siggy from the characters and looked really sad. The server asked her what was wrong and she told her. Well the server ran right up to the character handler and told her that not one character came by. Not even a minute later they all came around and Chip came by twice. I guess it is hard when it is just the two of us...

Tried 1900 PF for dinner and that was an incredible night! The food was so yummy and varied. Character interaction was wonderful. We will have to do it again on future trips!

POFQ was great once again and I really am POFQ's Biggest Fan! Room was ready when we checked in at 10:30am. CM's were very nice. Mousekeeping was great and left a Towel Bunny.

My dd went to BBB and had a great time.

You can see pics in my siggy...

Overall, I love going the first week in May!!!

 

[wvjovifan]

We were there May 22 - 26 and I agree, it was HOT!!! We arrived at noon on Monday and checked in at WL and I fell in love with it!!! We headed straight to Epcot and did Future World in the afternoon, not really busy at all. We FP Soarin as soon as we arrived and had lunch at Electric Umbrella. Did all of FW without much wait on anything. The Flower & Garden Fesival was beautiful!! Sat in the front row for BJ Thomas. Tuesday we did MGM and got there at opening and did the big 2 right away and got out of that section. The rest of the park wasn't that bad, and we were ready to leave by 2:30. Had a massage at Sturdy Branches and it was wonderful!!!!!!!! Wed was a day at Seaworld. Thursday was my birthday and we did MK. Got there at 7:40 for EMH and walked on to Space Mountain. Since we have been there many times, we weren't really interested in much at Fantasyland, so we did a quick trip around TTA and had my picture taken with Stitch! Crowds were growing, so we used FP wisely and didn't wait in any line more than 10 minutes! Waited around for Aloha Isle to open at 11 and had my first Pineapple Float---marvelous!!! Lunch at Crystal Palace, saw the afternoon parade and were out of there by 4. We saw Wishes from a pontoon boat with a yummy triple chocolate birthday cake from the Contemporary Private Dining Friday the crowds were growing for the holiday, and we hit AK and it way really hot!! We FP EE right away then rode it, strolled over and walked onto Dinosaur, came back for EE again, FP the Safari, did Lion King, rode Safari, did ITTBAB and Pangani Forest. By 2 we were outta there
to go back to WL to cool off a bit and catch ME for the airport! Loved every minute of it!!!!!! Can't wait to go back...in fact I think my next trip will be in May of 07, but maybe a week earlier. My advice...get there at opening, have a plan of attack, and use FP wisely and you will not waste time in lines.

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

I was there from May 15 to the 20th. It was hot! There were more people than I expected there to be...not unmanagable but a lot. Epcot was a zoo the Friday we went, but dh talked to a CM while waiting for me to join him and he was told there were a ton of school/church groups in the park that day and the day before!!! The groups were everywhere and some of them were not so well behaved.
The Flower and Garden Festival was fun, but I guess I may have had too high expectations.
All in all...I don't think I would go in May again. I prefer to go in the late fall/early winter.

We were there 5/14-5/19, so nearly the same dates. Agree that it was hot -- hotter than we'd experienced last March. But the crowds were so much lighter than March (Spring Break) and we liked paying the regular season room prices rather than peak season prices. We'd definitely definitely go again in May, and we survived the heat by just making sure to hit the parks at opening, hitting the pool midday, and returning to the parks at/after dinner.