lalasmama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2011
- Messages
- 3,470
I've been back a week now, so it's time to work on a mini-trip report.
The Great:
(1) Solo trip. I love my "quiet" solo trip time. While I know not everyone agrees, or would be willing to do it, I've loved it each time I've done it.
(2) Food. Yummy! I've recently started trying to lose some weight. I'm about 18% down from my starting point, so I didn't want to lose any ground (or gain, as it would be) while at the parks. I enjoyed delicious foods, splurged every day, and came home at the same weight. Yay! Enjoyed pomme frites, endless (well, like 1-2 each day) Dole Whips (lactose intolerant, so I don't often have "ice cream"/soft serve type treats at home), 5-cheese ravioli, and even a few pieces of candy on the treat trails.
(3) 20 minute wait on Toy Story Midway Mania. I hadn't rode this ride in lke 18 months, as the line is always so long. Was so excited to be able to ride it this time! Got there right before WOC started, so WOC had started when I was on the ride. Apparently that's when they close it?
(4) Main Street Transportation. I'd never done the Omnibus or the Fire Engine before this trip. I rode both, and thoroughly enjoyed ringing the fire bell to make people move out of the way. Honestly, one of my favorite memories
(5) I had been trying to talk myself into riding Screamin' with my camera out.
Killed it!
The Good:
(1) Mickey's Halloween Party. This was my first party, on 10/17. I liked the lessened crowds. Whomever it was that recommended Critter Country for the pre-party, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Went through that treat trail twice, met Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore, and enjoyed the break from the Toon Town crowds. I wasn't as crazy about the Toon Town pre-party, but I think that was because I didn't wait an hour to get in; I showed up about 15 minutes early, so there were many hundreds of people in front of me. I'm not a big character person, so that wasn't a draw for me.... However, I rode Gadget's Go Coaster with a 1-cycle wait. Can't argue with that! I loved the parade. I loved the short ride lines.
(2) Weather! 4 out of 5 days was 70s, overcast in the morning, sunny in the afternoon. 10/19 wasn't so wonderful. When I left the parks for my flight, it was 94º. I don't deal well with heat, so I was ready for some AC at that point
(3) Ride lines. Overall, not bad! I'm typically a "nothing longer than 20 minutes" kinda person, and that rarely became an issue. Rode all of the E-tickets easily.
Meh:
(1) Crowds/crowd management. The crowds itself were definitely there, and that didn't bother me. However, the crowd management during the party/parade was a bit annoying--was told where to cross trying to get from Alice In Wonderland to Matterhorn. They held us there for the length of the parade (after being told we were just waiting for the "break" in the parade to pass).
(2) Hotel. Stayed at Tropicana. Overall, the room was good, basic, on the Cove side, which saved a few steps every morning and and evening! The "meh" part was having to walk through their "smoking area," and feeling "watched" sometimes. I have asthma, and it's well-controlled, but smoke is a major trigger, so I was having to walk quickly, while holding my breath, through the area. As far as the feeling "watched," one of the parking attendants was very... attentive. Greeted me on my way to the park, greeted me on my return from the parks (seriously--pulling double shifts?!?), made sure my stay was going well, and just seemed overly aware of my comings and goings. I never felt truly "unsafe" but it made me check behind me each time. That being said, he found me a great return to the airport, which I appreciated.
(3) Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. I had hoped to like this. It felt faster (more fans maybe? like more windy), and I felt like I could see the screens much more than in HSM. I only rode it the one time.
Bad:
(1) That 94º day. So wasn't expecting it to actually be over 90º in October.
(2) Tower of Terror looking like this:
I'll give this trip a 7.5 out of 10... Now, 8 more months until DH, DD12, and I go back!
The Great:
(1) Solo trip. I love my "quiet" solo trip time. While I know not everyone agrees, or would be willing to do it, I've loved it each time I've done it.
(2) Food. Yummy! I've recently started trying to lose some weight. I'm about 18% down from my starting point, so I didn't want to lose any ground (or gain, as it would be) while at the parks. I enjoyed delicious foods, splurged every day, and came home at the same weight. Yay! Enjoyed pomme frites, endless (well, like 1-2 each day) Dole Whips (lactose intolerant, so I don't often have "ice cream"/soft serve type treats at home), 5-cheese ravioli, and even a few pieces of candy on the treat trails.
(3) 20 minute wait on Toy Story Midway Mania. I hadn't rode this ride in lke 18 months, as the line is always so long. Was so excited to be able to ride it this time! Got there right before WOC started, so WOC had started when I was on the ride. Apparently that's when they close it?
(4) Main Street Transportation. I'd never done the Omnibus or the Fire Engine before this trip. I rode both, and thoroughly enjoyed ringing the fire bell to make people move out of the way. Honestly, one of my favorite memories
(5) I had been trying to talk myself into riding Screamin' with my camera out.
Killed it!
The Good:
(1) Mickey's Halloween Party. This was my first party, on 10/17. I liked the lessened crowds. Whomever it was that recommended Critter Country for the pre-party, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Went through that treat trail twice, met Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore, and enjoyed the break from the Toon Town crowds. I wasn't as crazy about the Toon Town pre-party, but I think that was because I didn't wait an hour to get in; I showed up about 15 minutes early, so there were many hundreds of people in front of me. I'm not a big character person, so that wasn't a draw for me.... However, I rode Gadget's Go Coaster with a 1-cycle wait. Can't argue with that! I loved the parade. I loved the short ride lines.
(2) Weather! 4 out of 5 days was 70s, overcast in the morning, sunny in the afternoon. 10/19 wasn't so wonderful. When I left the parks for my flight, it was 94º. I don't deal well with heat, so I was ready for some AC at that point
(3) Ride lines. Overall, not bad! I'm typically a "nothing longer than 20 minutes" kinda person, and that rarely became an issue. Rode all of the E-tickets easily.
Meh:
(1) Crowds/crowd management. The crowds itself were definitely there, and that didn't bother me. However, the crowd management during the party/parade was a bit annoying--was told where to cross trying to get from Alice In Wonderland to Matterhorn. They held us there for the length of the parade (after being told we were just waiting for the "break" in the parade to pass).
(2) Hotel. Stayed at Tropicana. Overall, the room was good, basic, on the Cove side, which saved a few steps every morning and and evening! The "meh" part was having to walk through their "smoking area," and feeling "watched" sometimes. I have asthma, and it's well-controlled, but smoke is a major trigger, so I was having to walk quickly, while holding my breath, through the area. As far as the feeling "watched," one of the parking attendants was very... attentive. Greeted me on my way to the park, greeted me on my return from the parks (seriously--pulling double shifts?!?), made sure my stay was going well, and just seemed overly aware of my comings and goings. I never felt truly "unsafe" but it made me check behind me each time. That being said, he found me a great return to the airport, which I appreciated.
(3) Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. I had hoped to like this. It felt faster (more fans maybe? like more windy), and I felt like I could see the screens much more than in HSM. I only rode it the one time.
Bad:
(1) That 94º day. So wasn't expecting it to actually be over 90º in October.
(2) Tower of Terror looking like this:
I'll give this trip a 7.5 out of 10... Now, 8 more months until DH, DD12, and I go back!
