From Disneyland to WDW: The Laffites take Florida.. and Epcot Rocks!(Update 7/3)

[Laffites Landing]

I am a little late but better late than never right? I love your pictures and it seems like it was an amazing trip. Can't wait to read more. I keeping wanting to do a trip report but for now I am just enjoying all the BC/YC members who write such great ones!!!

I was dead set on doing a trip report so I tried to take pictures and keep everything straight in my head so I could do it. I didn't always succeed. It's hard to "plan" to do a trip report because you have to stop and take pictures at times when it seems a little awkward, like meal times and when the family is just not interested in posing for another stupid picture.

And you're right, better late than never. You were down there around the same time as me, weren't you? Were you affected by Tropical Storm Debbie at all?

 

[Laffites Landing]

I'm not sure why that is. This attraction has been at HS (MGM) since the beginning, so maybe it is that veterans have been there, done that. Kind of like It's a Small World. Plus you don't have all of the "strategy" stuff like you do for TSM, ToT or RnR. You just get in line and ride.

Right! Ok, it's just such a cool ride. I wanted us to go on RnR first thing but it was closed and then it was like a 90 minute wait. I guess since we didn't quite make rope drop, we were kind of forced into doing The Great Movie Ride as our first ride and we thought it was really great. Turned out to be a very good decision. There's nothing like it out here in SoCal.

 

[Laffites Landing]

Great update!

Your pictures from the Beauty & the Beach show are awesome! I really like the movie, and I have seen a couple of local community or school theatre versions of the show.

Like JanetMom, with boys in my brood, I have only seen this show at Disney once, and that was solo. I have to sacrifice watching Indiana Jones to see this or The Little Mermaid.

IMHO, missing LMA is not a big loss. We see it every few years, and that is more than enough for us.

We have dined at Coral Reef several times. The food is usually pretty good, the atmosphere is cool but I am always amazed at how quickly the kids lose interest in the aquarium. Service has always been slow for us.

Looking forward to more

PS- right before bed last night I read all of the comments about the WoC show, and I read a mini review of Disneyland from another poster and I couldn't stop thinking about visiting DL!

Like I said. The show wasn't great but I truly love the movie and want to see it on Broadway eventually. I know that's weird coming from a man. My son probably could have lived without seeing the show but my wife really wanted to see it as did my daughter. I guess I'm just blessed with having one of each sex so we can do both boy things and girl things (I like them both) at the parks.

As to Disneyland, yes, it is something that is a must for every Disney fan. There are some very familar things about the park but it is just slightly different and there are some things that simply don't exist anywhere in the Disney universe (Indiana Jones, World of Color, the Matterhorn come to mind). Maybe sometime in the next three or four years, you should come out here.

 

[Laffites Landing]

Beauty and the Beast is a family favorite here too. The Broadway play is coming to the Capitol Center for the Arts here in Concord, NH in January and my 2 daughters and I already have our tickets to go see it!

We're always up to a little Disney magic between our trips!!!

I live in Southern California so I'm sure it will come here or Las Vegas for a limited engagement at some point in the next few years. I have to see it. Don't know when or if I'll get to New York. Enjoy the show! Don't want to ruin the ending for it, but they fall in love!

 

[Laffites Landing]

I am looking forward to your comparisons! I have been spending lots of time on the Disneyland forums.

Oh that's something about being 7 miles from Disneyland! My brother in law and his family live in Fullerton and have annual passes (no blackout dates). So we are going to be out there from Aug 8th to 17th. Currently we are booked for a few nights at CCI since I don't know if my brother in law's family will want to spend as much time there as us...haha. They go very frequently...and I want to experience as much as possible!

Kerry

If I had an annual pass, I'd come out to see you. Unfortunately, it won't happen. I'm actually kind of jealous of you because you are going to get to see Buena Vista street and Carsland before my family and I! I sure hope you enjoy yourself. It will be hot here in August so stay hydrated. Oh and just realize, you pretty much can do both parks easily in five days. You have ten so I think you'll find that you can do most of what you want to do. Just get up early!

 

[chefmb]

I've been enjoying the trip report today. Our power came back on after being out since Friday---UGH--in the middle of a heat wave with temps in the high 90's!! It's nice to be able to catch up on the DIS while sitting in air conditioning!
I spent a day in DL way back in 2000 during a business trip. I'd love to convince my family to go there for a vacation, but they seem to think that it just won't compare to WDW. I must say that my favorite ride ever was the Indiana Jones ride in DL. Loved it!
Keep the trip report coming. Until I can get back to the World, I have to live vicariously through my fellow DISers and friends who take WDW trips!

 

[Feckless]

Hey Mr. Laffite! I'm here!!! I've been swamped at work so just caught up. I'm loving your report, and all your awesome pictures. I sucked at the pictures in my TR!!!

All this talk of WoC is making me sad, given that I live at one of the furthest points from DL in North America!!!! Maybe someday I'll visit.

Looking forward to your next installment.

 

[Laffites Landing]

I've been enjoying the trip report today. Our power came back on after being out since Friday---UGH--in the middle of a heat wave with temps in the high 90's!! It's nice to be able to catch up on the DIS while sitting in air conditioning!
I spent a day in DL way back in 2000 during a business trip. I'd love to convince my family to go there for a vacation, but they seem to think that it just won't compare to WDW. I must say that my favorite ride ever was the Indiana Jones ride in DL. Loved it!
Keep the trip report coming. Until I can get back to the World, I have to live vicariously through my fellow DISers and friends who take WDW trips!

Hey Chefmb!

I'm sorry about the loss of power. I've been thinking about the mid Atlantic folks. Glad to hear you got it back on now. I sure hope you can come out here. Seeing Disneyland is a must for Disney fans which, since you're here, I'm sure you are one. For people who don't really care about Disney, I can see how they can say that there's nothing special about Disneyland when you've seen Walt Disney World but for those of us who see nuance, I mean, I can't believe how different the WDW Jungle Cruise is versus the one here in Disneyland, just as an example! It's worth coming out here just to see stuff like that!

 

[Laffites Landing]

Hey Mr. Laffite! I'm here!!! I've been swamped at work so just caught up. I'm loving your report, and all your awesome pictures. I sucked at the pictures in my TR!!!

All this talk of WoC is making me sad, given that I live at one of the furthest points from DL in North America!!!! Maybe someday I'll visit.

Looking forward to your next installment.

Hey Ms. Feckless! to my trip report!

I thought your report was quite good and I enjoyed the pictures you shared with us. I should have gotten a picture of my son with HIS gun that he bought. In his case, it was a storm trooper gun (he's a fan of the dark side of the force, unfortunately!) but I'm thinking it would have been cool to duplicate that cool picture you took of your DS with him. Maybe next time.

As for Disneyland, yes, it would be great if you could make it out here someday. If I'm still here, our families could have a nice dinner together or something. It's a fantastic resort and in many ways, better than WDW. Well, not better, just different.

And yeah, World of Color.... AWESOME!

 

[tralin]

Joining in! Can't wait to see how you like WDW compared to DL. I'm from the westcoast too so DL is our usual trip. going to WDW in Sept. for the 3rd time, DD16 and DD4 first trip.

 

[tralin]

Subscribing!

 

[G_Bruns]

LaffitesLanding going to POTC in WDW -- !!!

But no updates in 3 years?

LaffitesLanding, are you all right?

 

[X_Atencio]

LOVING the trip report so far. Hope more is on the way!

The Great Movie Ride looks like a trip! Also love that long game in the ToT lobby. What are they playing there?! Looks like Scrabble without a board.

Oh, and that Bailey's and Jack Daniel's dessert at Coral Reef looks deelish! Wonder if I can recreate that at home in the lab (kitchen)...

 

[G_Bruns]

LOVING the trip report so far. Hope more is on the way!

The Great Movie Ride looks like a trip! Also love that long game in the ToT lobby. What are they playing there?! Looks like Scrabble without a board.

Oh, and that Bailey's and Jack Daniel's dessert at Coral Reef looks deelish! Wonder if I can recreate that at home in the lab (kitchen)...

X_Atencio to the WDW thread for LaffitesLanding's trip to WDW!

What parts of the trip are you looking forward to hearing more from? For me, EPCOT!

 

[X_Atencio]

X_Atencio to the WDW thread for LaffitesLanding's trip to WDW!

What parts of the trip are you looking forward to hearing more from? For me, EPCOT!

A big hearty back to you, G_Bruns!

If we ever see more of this report (and I certainly hope we do! ), then I agree EPCOT would be a true highlight. Laffite even called it out as such! For me though, there's always Liberty Square and a certain attraction contained within...

 

[G_Bruns]

A big hearty back to you, G_Bruns!

If we ever see more of this report (and I certainly hope we do! ), then I agree EPCOT would be a true highlight. Laffite even called it out as such! For me though, there's always Liberty Square and a certain attraction contained within...

I think I "hear" you loud and clear!

 

[G_Bruns]

LOVING the trip report so far. Hope more is on the way!

The Great Movie Ride looks like a trip! Also love that long game in the ToT lobby. What are they playing there?! Looks like Scrabble without a board.

Oh, and that Bailey's and Jack Daniel's dessert at Coral Reef looks deelish! Wonder if I can recreate that at home in the lab (kitchen)...

I almost forgot to say....

"The Great Movie Ride looks like a trip! Also love that long game in the ToT lobby. What are they playing there?! Looks like Scrabble without a board. "

I was thinking the same thing, that it looks like Scrabble without the board, but then I thought that it's probably Mahjong. http://g01.s.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1zNL6...ble-Foldable-Mahjong-Table-Wooden-Mahjong.jpg The overall setup can look pretty similar!

 

[X_Atencio]

I was thinking the same thing, that it looks like Scrabble without the board, but then I thought that it's probably Mahjong. http://g01.s.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1zNL6...ble-Foldable-Mahjong-Table-Wooden-Mahjong.jpg The overall setup can look pretty similar!

Interesting point. It may be Mahjong, not Scrabble. If it is Mahjong, though, which variant do you think it is? I don't think it's Fujian mahjong, because there's no Daidi joker. Could it be Taiwanese mahjong, with 16 tiles instead of 13 in the hand? I can't quite count 'em in the photo. Maybe Laffites can confirm, if he ever comes back!

It might also be Rummikub.

 

[G_Bruns]

Interesting point. It may be Mahjong, not Scrabble. If it is Mahjong, though, which variant do you think it is? I don't think it's Fujian mahjong, because there's no Daidi joker. Could it be Taiwanese mahjong, with 16 tiles instead of 13 in the hand? I can't quite count 'em in the photo. Maybe Laffites can confirm, if he ever comes back!

It might also be Rummikub.

Dunno! I played mahjong on Windows 93, and that's all I know!

Rmmikub is such a garbage game, it's for people who think that playing gin rummy with tiles makes them a better person. It's a stupid game, just a normal card game with highbrow pretensions.

Do people even still play it? I hope not.

If Laffites returns, maybe he can chime in

 

[G_Bruns]

Joining in! Can't wait to see how you like WDW compared to DL. I'm from the westcoast too so DL is our usual trip. going to WDW in Sept. for the 3rd time, DD16 and DD4 first trip.

how was it