Here now--a few random things I am noticing

[erinch]

We have lots of previous trips. Wandering around this time, here are a few random reflections.

1. Magicbands rule. We were at universal,for a few days. Didn't spring for Lanyards, and were juggling room keys, tickets, and express passes. Magicbands are awesome, even if you are staying offsite.

2. They don't sell Magicbands in the World of Disney store.

3. Restroom etiquette in the ladies room is non existent. There used to be a sign cutesy country restaurants posted that ended "be a sweetie, wipe the seatie." They ought to post those in every language in every stall.

4. Mt. Everest at night is the best ride in existence. The back seats are much better than the front seat. It is a walk on during Jumgle book. As soon as that finishes, it goes from 5 minutes to half an hour.

5. Last here in 2013. Could be random, but there are many fewer little girls who have been to the BBB than last time that I am seeing. And a lot of little girls happily walking around in princess dresses with hair of their own creations.

6. In my opinion, Disney merchandise has plummeted in originally and quality. We have a collection of amazing 6inch plushes -- the Haunted Mansion Minnie and Mickey, Tower of Terror Goofy, all the muppets, Epcot originals from each country. Most of them are now generic and wrapped in baby blankets.

7. When you are trying to drag 20 year olds around, the best solution is to leave them behind. DH and I left them napping and went back to AK and had a wonderful evening.

8. The sunset on the safari is the cheesiest thing ever. But I expected it over the whole Savannah and it isn't.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Good tip for EE at night thanks I must try that! I love BTRM and 7DMT at night! I hear what you are saying about the MB so handy!

Interesting about the rest rooms. Not nice it's a good job they provide those seat covers!

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

We have lots of previous trips. Wandering around this time, here are a few random reflections.

1. Magicbands rule. We were at universal,for a few days. Didn't spring for Lanyards, and were juggling room keys, tickets, and express passes. Magicbands are awesome, even if you are staying offsite.

2. They don't sell Magicbands in the World of Disney store.

3. Restroom etiquette in the ladies room is non existent. There send to be a sign cutesy country restaurants posted that ended "be a sweetie, wipe the seatie." They ought to post those in every language in every stall.

4. Mt. Everest at night is the best ride in existence. The back seats are much better than the front seat. It is a walk on during Jumgle book. As soon as that finishes, it goes from 5 minutes to half an hour.

5. Last here in 2013. Could be random, but there are many fewer little girls who have been to the BBB than last time that I am seeing. And I lot of little girls happily walking around in princess dresses with hair of their own creations.

6. In my opinion, Disney merchandise has plummeted in originally and quality. We have a collection of amazing 6inch plushes -- the Haunted Mansion Minnie and Mickey, Tower of Terror Goofy, all the muppets, Epcot originals from each country. Most of them are now generic and wrapped in baby blankets.

7. When you are trying to drag 20 year olds around, the best solution is to leave them behind. DH and I left them napping and went back to AK and had a older full evening.

8. The sunset on the safari is the cheesiest thing ever. But I expected it over the whole Savannah and it isn't.

Point 4 -I couldn't agree more!! EE at night is a totally different experience than during the day. Back in the day when AK used to have PM EMH we would go and ride EE multiple times.

In fact, that whole park is a completely different experience at night. Truly magical to me.

It's one of the things I'm most excited about for our upcoming October trip - I sure hope the hours get extended beyond 730.

 

[loves to dive]

Can't wait to see AK at night, I just noticed this morning the hours have changed for my upcoming Sept. trip to 9 pm closing so I plan on spending arrival day/night there.

I agree about the women's bathrooms, unfortunately, it isn't just at WDW. I was at the movie theater last weekend and there was toilet paper on the floor in every stall. Seriously, why? I don't understand how women can be so nasty in public bathrooms, reckon their bathrooms at home have toilet paper on the floor? How hard is it if you drop it, which I don't even know how, to pick it up and put it in the trash or the toilet you are sitting on? And why hover? If everyone sat and didn't sprinkle all over the seat because they can't hover, no one would need to hover. Sorry, rant over.

I agree about the merchandise, it gets harder and harder to find something not generic.

I like the magic bands too, we were part of the original group that got to test them and we were fans from the beginning. To be honest though, I've stayed at Swan so I've had to have a room key and it didn't really bother me since I carry around my AP discount card and a CC anyway and usually at least one Disney gift card or prepaid Visa so an extra card is no big deal.

 

[bumbershoot]

Didn't you have lanyards from before that you could have brought for Universal? We have a ton of them.

I like lanyards and cards so much better than a bright plastic bracelet.


Often it's a forceful flush that makes it appear that you've peed on the seat. Worth thinking about.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Didn't you have lanyards from before that you could have brought for Universal? We have a ton of them.

I like lanyards and cards so much better than a bright plastic bracelet

Maybe the OP is like us - even after many trips to both WDW and DLR, not a single person in our group owns a lanyard. I hate things hanging from the back of my neck (necklaces, etc). I also never wear bracelets or watches, but after a day of wearing a MB I didn't even notice it anymore.

 

[erinch]

Bumbershoot, just personal reflections. We aren't lanyard fans. And are appreciating the Magicbands for entry, FP, and photopass.

In the restrooms, there is a distinct difference between the splash from the flush, and the rudeness of guests who don't clean up after themselves. It is the latter that seems so prevalent. I asked a restroom cm how her job was. She said cleaning up after people is constant and " not pleasant."

 

[DiannaVM]

Often it's a forceful flush that makes it appear that you've peed on the seat. Worth thinking about.

This is true. Last year there was a line(as there always is) at the restroom at BOG. I didn't feel like waiting and so thon stall I ended up in had a seat that was wet. I did what I needed to do to get it clean enough and used it. When I flushed I nearly had to press my body up against the stall door because the water splattered so far out of the toilet (just water, during the last piece of the flush lol. Hard to explain.).


Anyway when I came out I warned the woman going in after me that the toilet will splatter when it flushes. My guess is a lot of toilets are that way because they do flush rather hard.

 

[AngiTN]

Awww, we love the baby characters wrapped in their blankets. Trying to collect them all.

Other guests do seem to be the culprit behind many issues in the parks. Their rudeness often are what have made a CM grumpy. Like the lady I watched lay in to a manager at POR last month. She wanted him to take care of the bees and actually told him that she was paying too much money to have her time at the pool ruined by bees. I don't know how he was able to maintain his cool when she yelled at him for 20 min about bees. That's just one example of unreasonable guests we come across. Not surprised to hear about them in the bathrooms.

I was quite disappointed with the Sunset Safari too. If you go right at sunset it does look neat but if you go at dark it's awful. I hope they find a way to pull a screen across the lights to diffuse them some once it's dark. If they softened that it would look better. And they need to add some more ambient lighting to the rest of the areas. They are just too dark. I can see animals at night better at AKL where the light from the lodge helps

 

[glassslippergirl]

I was in a country restaurant bathroom outside Atlanta years ago talking to my grandma about the mess the woman before me left on the seat (it was yellow, so not a hard flush). A random lady with the thickest southern accent I've ever heard told me, "There oughtta be a urinal for women who cain't do right like that."

We love MB, too. We always stay offsite, so took the plunge and bought Jedi Mickey and Darth Donald ones at the last SWW. They make everything so much easier, especially since, when I use them at park or ride entrance, I'm also usually wrangling DS4. If I could link a credit card to it and pay for things, I would, but I get that some perks have to be reserved for onsite guests.

Glad you're enjoying your trip!

 

[jcemom]

7. When you are trying to drag 20 year olds around, the best solution is to leave them behind. DH and I left them napping and went back to AK and had a wonderful evening.

Best tip ever! LOL

 

[pigletto]

7. When you are trying to drag 20 year olds around, the best solution is to leave them behind. DH and I left them napping and went back to AK and had a wonderful evening.

Yes! We've been staying offsite recently and I love the space, but I am very much looking forward to being onsite next time for the simple fact that DD19 doesn't have to be up and ready to leave for rope drop if she doesn't want to . She can meet us later and that makes EVERYONE happier.

 

[Trisihi]

Thanks for tip #7!

 

[bethbuchall]

7. When you are trying to drag 20 year olds around, the best solution is to leave them behind. DH and I left them napping and went back to AK and had a wonderful evening.

I have it on good authority that there are some afternoons this is perfect for hot, cranky husbands, too.

 

[phillymummer]

I have it on good authority that there are some afternoons this is perfect for hot, cranky husbands, too.

I can vouch for that!

 

[brooke789]

6. In my opinion, Disney merchandise has plummeted in originally and quality. We have a collection of amazing 6inch plushes -- the Haunted Mansion Minnie and Mickey, Tower of Terror Goofy, all the muppets, Epcot originals from each country. Most of them are now generic and wrapped in baby blankets.

We had not been to WDW in 3 years when we went earlier this summer. The quality of everything we purchase was absolutely horrible. Toys broken right out of the package. One of our first nights I bought my son a light up Mickey spinner for nighttime. It was not lighting up an hour later. I exchanged it the next day and then same thing and exchanged it another 4 times before exchanging for another item (stuffed animal) on our last night.
Monorail Racer launcer - broken an hour after opening. Returned for another and it has been fine.
Also, bought the little package of Disney buses (about the size of Matchbox cars but buses for $18)...first package a bus was missing a few wheels (they were not even in the package). Exchanged it for another (happened to be our last day) and then multiple wheels fell off after we got home. I actually contacted Parks Merchandise on that one and they sent me my money back. We kept the buses and DS now plays with them with no wheels...
Just found out today that the stuffed Mickey DS bought in June's nose has come unsewn and is falling off about 2 months later.

Seriously, lacking in quality. We did not have this happen whatsoever on our trip in 2013. So, not sure what happened in this time period.

 

[RafikiTiki21]

I believe they don't sell MagicBands at World of Disney because there is a stand alone MagicBand specific store just outside of it in DS towards the water coming out of WoD. Large wall displays of bands, and pins too.

 

[buzznina]

Our family finds that every outdoor ride seems better at night. Reason why we rarely do RDs anymore, we would rather close the parks then open them

 

[chigirl]

I run a business and the women's bathrooms start the day spotless, I have a great janitorial woman...she cleans them every hour, and
they get gross, fast. The mens she cleans twice a day. Women throw toliet paper everywhere and, sorry, have explosive bowel movements. My biggest lol was when I went into the bathroom to wash ink off of my hands, one other woman was in the bathroom grunting and groaning. The smell was unbelievable...I tried to finish washing my hands, but she came out of the stall, and said, "It smells terrible in here!", knowing it was my business. I honestly could not help myself and said, "Well, you were in here before me and I just washed my hands, so?" But women do need to quit messing and then complain that businesses dont keep the bathrooms clean. Men do it!!!

 

[Mambo Junkie]

I was booking my fps and got a 6:00 safari but I can move that up if there's no benefit at night. What do you think of a 6:30 EE; will it be dark enough at 7:30, or should we just single rider? Also, I can get a very late Kali, but I'm afraid it will scare the willies out of me. I have a horror of 2 of the rafts crashing into each other, plus it will be September 20. Do you think it will be too cool?