Flowers and Star Wars and Harry, oh my! TR started, link inside!

[kittylady1972]

Day Six

Day six brings us to the Magic Kingdom. Day six and we haven't been to the Magic Kingdom yet?!

We will drive over to the TTC and then catch a ride to the MK via monorail or ferry. Even though we can't park right at the MK I still feel that driving is faster than taking the bus in the long run.

We have an early entry breakfast booked for the Crystal Palace so that we can enjoy a yummy meal with Pooh and friends. I was debating over booking a castle breakfast instead but I think $200 for breakfast is a bit excessive even if it means getting to eat in the castle.
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Wow, can you hold out for six days without seeing the MK? Tough one!

I totally agree on the breakfast...we used to love eating in the castle but I just CANNOT bring myself to spend the money they are asking these days. Maybe I'll splurge on the grandkids someday...in the far far distant future!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Wow, can you hold out for six days without seeing the MK? Tough one!

I totally agree on the breakfast...we used to love eating in the castle but I just CANNOT bring myself to spend the money they are asking these days. Maybe I'll splurge on the grandkids someday...in the far far distant future!

I know, kinda crazy how that worked out but it is all based on my careful examination of park hours, EMH, and special events.

When comparing costs $200 could feed us for 2 1/2 days if we ate counter service for lunch and dinner or we could eat one meal at the castle for the same amount. 1 meal or 5 meals? Wasn't too hard a decision.

 

[oOJulieOo]

I love the teacups photos!

The photo of you and the brothers with Tigger is great!

I can't believe you're not going to MK till day 6. I don't know if I could handle that anticipation!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I love the teacups photos!

The photo of you and the brothers with Tigger is great!

I can't believe you're not going to MK till day 6. I don't know if I could handle that anticipation!

I would definitely go to MK earlier if it fit but that is how the hours played out. If only Disney sold 11 day tickets we could go the first night there.

 

[Marshay]

Your MK day sounds great! We always drive, too. I'm just not a 'wait for a bus type of person.

Ok, must confess we are doing Cinderella Castle for lunch -- it's our first time ... I figure we got to try it sometime, but we have 2 girls (one will be only 2 years old so she is free!) and I can't wait to dress them up and have our "fairy tale" lunch.

I'm not expecting much for the meal -- everyone says it's the ambience that you are paying for...

I never ate at the Plaza -- what is good there?

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Your MK day sounds great! We always drive, too. I'm just not a 'wait for a bus type of person.

Ok, must confess we are doing Cinderella Castle for lunch -- it's our first time ... I figure we got to try it sometime, but we have 2 girls (one will be only 2 years old so she is free!) and I can't wait to dress them up and have our "fairy tale" lunch.

I'm not expecting much for the meal -- everyone says it's the ambience that you are paying for...

I never ate at the Plaza -- what is good there?

I think I would feel differently about the castle if it was just me and mom or if we had little kids traveling with us. It also comes down to money for me, I am a "poor" student for the next three years. Maybe I will be a bit more free with my money once I am out of school and earning some real money.

The Plaza, I have only eaten there once but I have read tons of reviews, almost all favourable. I had the grilled chicken sandwich and it was divine. So yummy!

 

[GeminiAngel]

I LOVE the electric parade! Was a DLR favorite for years. I miss it.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I LOVE the electric parade! Was a DLR favorite for years. I miss it.

I hope I like it. I LOVE Spectro and I am a bit sad that we will not get to see it this year.

 

[All7OfUs]

Phew, you're finally to MK!! The whole day sounds great, and I must agree $200 for breakfast is outrageous!! And I mean totally!

But then agian, I"d probably not even pay $5, so take that with a grain of salt.

I think your'e all going to have a great day, and from the looks of the teacup pix, I'd steer clear too.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I hope I like it. I LOVE Spectro and I am a bit sad that we will not get to see it this year.

There are some discussions I've heard in other places where it basically comes down to that those who have seen spectro before the Main Street Electrical Parade like Spetro beater and the opposite is usually true too. I saw Disney's Electrical parade (as it is called on the herald float and when it was in DCA) during my first trip to Disneyland in 2008, I liked it but I liked Spectro better. Spectro to me seams to have a more majestic feel to it that seams to fit more with the Magic Kingdom.

 

[marvali]

I admit, I deserve a big spanking for being so remiss in not seeing this like eh, hmmm. 28 pages ago!!! :scared1

Lessa, if you need it I can lend you one of my wooden spoons.......

That is more than alright, I was much more than 28 pages behind when I finally was able to get round to reading your report. [/COLOR]

So you're saying you were like a day and a half behind???

We do have tanning salons for those who don't want to lay out in the snow.

Loved the snow pictures and all the family photos. Tells me a whole lot!!!

MK plans sound really good. BTMRR at night is definitely a lot of fun and adds to the experience.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Phew, you're finally to MK!! The whole day sounds great, and I must agree $200 for breakfast is outrageous!! And I mean totally!

But then agian, I"d probably not even pay $5, so take that with a grain of salt.

I think your'e all going to have a great day, and from the looks of the teacup pix, I'd steer clear too.

I am usually pretty cheap in regards to breakfast. We will only go to a few of the breakfast buffets that I have reserved and that is because Erich loves breakfast. Otherwise we will be cheap and just eat cereal and fruit in the room.

There are some discussions I've heard in other places where it basically comes down to that those who have seen spectro before the Main Street Electrical Parade like Spetro beater and the opposite is usually true too. I saw Disney's Electrical parade (as it is called on the herald float and when it was in DCA) during my first trip to Disneyland in 2008, I liked it but I liked Spectro better. Spectro to me seams to have a more majestic feel to it that seams to fit more with the Magic Kingdom.

I have heard that too. The main difference for me from the few clips that I have seen is the music. The Spectro music just sounds more "magical" to me.

Lessa, if you need it I can lend you one of my wooden spoons.......

That's okay Marv, Mom has quite a few lying around in the kitchen.

So you're saying you were like a day and a half behind???

It only took me four days to get through her thread.

Loved the snow pictures and all the family photos. Tells me a whole lot!!!

We are just a bunch of loons.

MK plans sound really good. BTMRR at night is definitely a lot of fun and adds to the experience.

 

[marvali]

That's okay Marv, Mom has quite a few lying around in the kitchen. [/COLOR]

Hmmm, I KNEW I liked that woman!!!

And now I KNOW where the Brothers Grimm get that dark side......

 

[carissanboys]

A friend on here just posted about her meal at CP and they got to see Rabbit! She had no idea he wasn't normally there.

I ate at The Plaza for the first time on my last trip. And I did BTMR in the dark!

 

[englishrose47]

Love the Plans !!For sure I would not go on the Tea Cups with the Bros !!!Oh wait a minute I woudn't go on the Teacups period !!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hmmm, I KNEW I liked that woman!!!

And now I KNOW where the Brothers Grimm get that dark side......

A friend on here just posted about her meal at CP and they got to see Rabbit! She had no idea he wasn't normally there.

I ate at The Plaza for the first time on my last trip. And I did BTMR in the dark!

That would be so cool if Rabbit made an appearance!

Love the Plans !!For sure I would not go on the Tea Cups with the Bros !!!Oh wait a minute I woudn't go on the Teacups period !!

I used to be able to handle the tea cups but now that I am older they just make me ill.

 

[PirateKate]

I don't think CRT is worth it either. CP is a perfectly good breakfast. And I actually rode the Mad Tea Party with my brother. He spun the tea cup so fast it almost felt like Mission Space.

 

[YukiPhnx]

I don't think CRT is worth it either. CP is a perfectly good breakfast. And I actually rode the Mad Tea Party with my brother. He spun the tea cup so fast it almost felt like Mission Space.

I once had a "who can spin the teacup faster" competition with my friends. I won in the end! Or....did I....? The ground was shaky for a good 30 minutes after that...

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I don't think CRT is worth it either. CP is a perfectly good breakfast. And I actually rode the Mad Tea Party with my brother. He spun the tea cup so fast it almost felt like Mission Space.

I once had a "who can spin the teacup faster" competition with my friends. I won in the end! Or....did I....? The ground was shaky for a good 30 minutes after that...

A Pyrrhic victory

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Day Seven and Eight

Day Seven and Eight bring a first for us, Universal Studios. Planning for our two days at Universal has been rather difficult. There is not a whole lot of information out there about these parks, at least not like there is for WDW. Now many of you are probably thinking that the only reason we decided to go to Universal was because of the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter that opened this past summer. Well, of course, we are very excited to see this area of the parks as we, mostly Erich and I, are huge Harry Potter fans. That is not the reason for visiting the parks though, at least not the only one. Back in 2007 when we decided that we would be taking a big two week trip in 2012 we decided that we should include Universal into the plans. Well, the 2012 trip is now a 2011 trip and there is the new Harry Potter section which is exciting but also frustrating at the same time.

Harry complicates everything! It is near impossible to plan the park day for Islands of Adventure (the Universal Park where the Wizarding World is located) because of the crowds for Harry Potter. I have read many threads offering advise and there seem to be two general plans:

1)Get to the park at least an hour before it opens and then run for Hogsmeade like your life depended on it. Get in line for Ollivander's and then for The Forbidden Journey. The risk with this plan is that Universal offers early entry to its resort guests to this section of the park so if they reach capacity we end up standing in a big line JUST to ENTER the Wizarding World. The reason this happens is that they created the area to be as authentic to the books and movies as possible so the shops and streets are very small and only a limited number of people are allowed entry at one time. I have heard stories of people having to wait in line for hours just to get into this section of the park.

2) Explore the rest of the park, then hit up the Wizarding World an hour or two before the parks close. The theory behind this is that the crowds will all have been crowding Hogsmeade throughout the day leaving the rest of the park relatively empty and then most people will already have come and gone by the evening thus leaving free entry and low crowds in the Wizarding World. The risk? That the crowds don't thin out in the evening and then you don't get in because there is too long a wait and you left this part of the park until the end of the day so you don't end up seeing it at all. I would like to see this area at night though as the pictures I have seen are beautiful.

So you can see my cunundrum?

Universal Studios itself and the rest of Islands of Adventure should not be hard to navigate, apparently the crowds flow pretty well and are much smaller of late because everybody is over at Islands of Adventure trying to get into the Wizarding World.

To help guide us in our planning we picked up this book

http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Orl...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297726655&sr=1-1

It provided a good summary of the parks and had some helpful tips. It was no Unofficial Guide though and the authors had a tendency to make digs at Disney.

What we may end up doing is adding an extra day onto our tickets if we find that we didn't get everything done that we wanted to or if we want more time. Apparently this is easy to do, just go to guest services? That is a decision we will have to make once there.

I'm not sure which park we will do on which day. I'm thinking we will do Islands of Adventure first. My rationale behind that is that hitting that park earlier in the week will mean less crowds as they probably build as you approach the weekend.

Here are the things I am most looking forward to at Islands of Adventure:

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I want to see and do everything!

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey - located inside Hogwarts castle. This ride is supposed to be amazing and very innovative. Apparently people of certain body types cannot fit into the ride seats. I hope that I am not so fat that I can't ride!

Dragon Challenge - Dueling roller coasters. These existed in the park before and were rethemed for Harry Potter. Alek and I will be the only ones riding, Mom and Erich can hold the bags while we ride. Universal makes you stow your belongings in lockers rather than providing areas to stow them like at Disney. If you use the locker past a set time limit they make you pay for it. Guess it works out that Mom and Erich are ride chickens.

Flight of the Hippogriff - A kiddie coaster, but the theming in the queue sounds amazing.

Ollivander's - I have heard this is not to missed. They let only a small number of people into the wand shop at a time and then one of the guests is picked by Ollivander to go through the experience of finding their wand. If you are familiar with the books you will know what a fun experience that would be.

All the neat shops like Dervish and Bangs, Honeydukes, Zonko's, etc. - The joke shop and candy store apparently sell exclusive merchandise not found anywhere else. I also want to stop by the Owl Post so I can get a postcard or letter stamped to send to my cousin who is an avid Harry Potter fan. She would go bananas if she got mail from Hogsmeade.

Getting a butterbeer at the The Three Broomsticks. Maybe even have lunch or dinner here.

Apparently if you use this bank machine your receipt comes out actually stating that the money was withdrawn from Gringott's!

Other park attractions:

The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman

Seuss Landing - Probably won't go on any rides here since they are mostly for little kids but I can't wait to see the theming.

Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls - What kind of Canucks would we be if we didn't stop in to say hello to our favourite mountie.

The Incredible Hulk - a fast twisting coaster. Need I say more?

Jurassic Park River Adventure

Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges - a water raft ride where you get completely soaked. Sounds like fun to me!

Poseidon's Fury - Show

I would also love to eat at Mythos but it is only open for lunch so we will see how that works into our plans. Apparently you do not need to make reservations to eat here despite the fact that it is a popular and highly rated restaurant.

Later this week I will be back to post about our plans aka what we are looking forward to at Universal Studios.

PS. None of these pictures are mine since obviously I have never been to Universal. I borrowed them from Photobucket and the Universal Picture of the Day Thread.