Here Now & Just Back - A Place To Share Your Recent Experiences

[saraheliz]

Back a few days ago from our August 9-17 trip. We had a blast! We really lucked out with ride breakdowns- we were escorted out of RoR halfway through the pre-show and given a LL to come back, and then had to be escorted out of Soarin' after a kid threw up in the previous showing (they were trying to figure out what to do as we walked in so they had us buckle and wait and then about 15 minutes later escorted us out)- also got a LL to return but we were on our way out of Epcot. Other than that, ride closures didn't really impact us, we occasionally noticed a ride was down and would maybe swing a different way but nothing major or disappointing at all.

The standby lines we waited in were significantly shorter than posted- RoR was posted 50 and we waited 24, and then another time posted 55 and we waited 14. ToT was posted 50 and was about 25-30. We didn't wait in a lot of standby lines but wait times were definitely inflated.

My favorite ride (Peter Pan) reopened early on our last day so we were able to ride it during MNSSHP (again, posted wait time of 40 minutes, was about 10) so that made our last night awesome!

We LOVED Tiana...much needed refresh from Splash (which we also loved but TBA is much better).

We did use LLMP every day and some LLSP, and we got into every VQ we tried for. LLMP is an inferior product to Genie + IMHO but we rolled with the changes and had a great trip. We did park hop almost every day and it's not so great with park hopping.

The weather this year was SO much better than the weather during the same timeframe last year. We had the normal afternoon storms but they really didn't mess with our plans too much.

We stayed at BLT (LOVED!) and did MNSSHP, if anyone has any specific questions please let me know!

 

[katyjeka]

We are here today, September 8th, We left AK Kidani at 715 for early entry. Bus ride was 12 minutes, timed it. We had LL for Tron. VQ for Tiana. We didn't log on for Tiana until 815 and got number 63 for a group of seven. Leaving park now(2:00)to get cleaned up for Epcot. We were able to ride Tron, Tiana, Small World, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Speedway, Monster Inc, train, Dumbo, Pirates, Barnstormer, People Mover , Magic Carpets. Very easy morning with low waits. It's hot which only made the dole whips taste sweeter!!!

 

[robinb]

This is always a great week for WDW

 

[katyjeka]

Just finished Space 220, great meal. MS twice, Guardian, Spaceship Earth, all in under 2 hours.

 

[katyjeka]

Had a rainy fireworks cruise but it was a lot of fun. Great captain.

 

[BlueGreen5]

MS twice

yikes!

Sounds like you had a fantastic day!

 

[Solodore2]

We are here today, September 8th, We left AK Kidani at 715 for early entry. Bus ride was 12 minutes, timed it. We had LL for Tron. VQ for Tiana. We didn't log on for Tiana until 815 and got number 63 for a group of seven. Leaving park now(2:00)to get cleaned up for Epcot. We were able to ride Tron, Tiana, Small World, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Speedway, Monster Inc, train, Dumbo, Pirates, Barnstormer, People Mover , Magic Carpets. Very easy morning with low waits. It's hot which only made the dole whips taste sweeter!!!

Sounds like you're having fun!

 

[erinlynn2020]

We are here today, September 8th, We left AK Kidani at 715 for early entry. Bus ride was 12 minutes, timed it. We had LL for Tron. VQ for Tiana. We didn't log on for Tiana until 815 and got number 63 for a group of seven. Leaving park now(2:00)to get cleaned up for Epcot. We were able to ride Tron, Tiana, Small World, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Speedway, Monster Inc, train, Dumbo, Pirates, Barnstormer, People Mover , Magic Carpets. Very easy morning with low waits. It's hot which only made the dole whips taste sweeter!!!

thanks
our MK day is this Sunday so that helps a lot
if it’s slow we will try to do all of Fantasyland (kids 1, 8, 11) at opening
might not need LL?

Lunch Rest Swim at resort

then head back for fireworks

We’ve got. MNSSHP on Tuesday so can do Adventureland, etc then
Would love your thoughts, thanks again

 

[katyjeka]

thanks
our MK day is this Sunday so that helps a lot
if it’s slow we will try to do all of Fantasyland (kids 1, 8, 11) at opening
might not need LL?

Lunch Rest Swim at resort

then head back for fireworks

We’ve got. MNSSHP on Tuesday so can do Adventureland, etc then
Would love your thoughts, thanks again

We were at the party last night, great time and rain held off. Sprinkled a little. We rode Tiana twice, longest wait was 20 minutes. We also rode most of Fantasyland, Pirates(5 minute all night) Thunder mountain was down. 15 minutes for Space Mountain. I found the lines for candy were the longest but our girls are older and wanted to do other things, the lines moved quick though. Jack and Sally were the best!!! Haunted Mansion was so funny!!

 

[Miffy]

We're here now. Got a great AP rate at AKL and couldn't--well, didn't want to--resist.

We were at DHS yesterday. Used MP for MMRR and B&tB and had it for TSM but didn't use it since we got overheated and couldn't stay. There are a LOT of people here. Not at all what I was expecting. We were very happy to have the MP for MMRR, since the line was gigantically long and that is a very very hot-in-the-sun queue.

We also had SP for RotR, and we were glad to have that as well.

Had lunch at MM--made the ADR 10 minutes ahead of time. The place was half empty. But dark, cold, and we were sitting down. All pluses yesterday.

Rode the Skyliner to RR and hung out in the lobby for a bit. Took an Uber back to AKL, something I will never ever do again, since this is the second time an Uber driver has taken us to the DAK parking lot instead of to the lodge. At least we finally got there.

I went by myself to DAK later in the day. At 5:49 posted wait time at FoP was 45 minutes, so I figured what the heck and did standby. The actual wait time was 26 minutes. I lucked out and had probably the best seat in the house--B3, seat 8, which is at the top level in the middle theater and I had one of the two middle seats. Great glasses, great attraction. My only complaint is I didn't have time to do it again since by the time I got out, the park was closed.

DAK did not seem as crowded as DHS had been, however, I was there near park close, so I can't speak for how it might've been earlier in the day.

It's another scorcher today. But we're at WDW! Yay!

 

[erinlynn2020]

We were at the party last night, great time and rain held off. Sprinkled a little. We rode Tiana twice, longest wait was 20 minutes. We also rode most of Fantasyland, Pirates(5 minute all night) Thunder mountain was down. 15 minutes for Space Mountain. I found the lines for candy were the longest but our girls are older and wanted to do other things, the lines moved quick though. Jack and Sally were the best!!! Haunted Mansion was so funny!!

thank you so much, the girls are super excited! One of the booking Cms mentioned treats & I think the candy is all, right? She made it sound like there was lots of freebies but IIRC it’s only the trick or treat stations & I can’t see standing in lines long for candy, the rides are the main thing; love that you had such short lines! Thanks again

 

[katyjeka]

thank you so much, the girls are super excited! One of the booking Cms mentioned treats & I think the candy is all, right? She made it sound like there was lots of freebies but IIRC it’s only the trick or treat stations & I can’t see standing in lines long for candy, the rides are the main thing; love that you had such short lines! Thanks again

I was shocked at the amount of adults that walked by empty rides to wait for candy. I guess I'd understand if it was limited edition candy but not candy that I can buy a bag at target for 6 bucks. I guess we are not big candy people. Enjoy your trip.

 

[brockash]

thank you so much, the girls are super excited! One of the booking Cms mentioned treats & I think the candy is all, right? She made it sound like there was lots of freebies but IIRC it’s only the trick or treat stations & I can’t see standing in lines long for candy, the rides are the main thing; love that you had such short lines! Thanks again

Yes, I had the same thing when I calles to inquire about MNSSHP. The CM said there's free popcorn, ice cream, drinks. She was obviously getting it confused with the after hours, but even when I questioned her she insisted that was imcluded in the party. So much so, that I actually went and double checked after thinking maybe they changed something but no just another very misinformed CM.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I was shocked at the amount of adults that walked by empty rides to wait for candy. I guess I'd understand if it was limited edition candy but not candy that I can buy a bag at target for 6 bucks. I guess we are not big candy people. Enjoy your trip.

It really depends on why a guest is attending the party. We attend to enjoy the party activities more than the rides. We do those earlier in the day and the evening is all about the party fun including trick or treating! Reliving our childhood ToT!!

 

[kylenne]

It really depends on why a guest is attending the party. We attend to enjoy the party activities more than the rides. We do those earlier in the day and the evening is all about the party fun including trick or treating! Reliving our childhood ToT!!

This. Except we wait until the end of the night to hit the trails so they shovel it in.

Tbh we only ever do the rides with overlays at the party, and maybe Mansion to cap off the night. We are more focused on the party specific offerings. We do our low wait rides on a different party day during the trip, when we're not attending that night.

 

[erinlynn2020]

Yes, I had the same thing when I calles to inquire about MNSSHP. The CM said there's free popcorn, ice cream, drinks. She was obviously getting it confused with the after hours, but even when I questioned her she insisted that was imcluded in the party. So much so, that I actually went and double checked after thinking maybe they changed something but no just another very misinformed CM.

thanks for checking!

 

[katyjeka]

Today's a bittersweet day. We've had a great trip and have completed our list several times over. Crowd levels have been very manageable and weather,although sticky, has cooperated. Food this trip has been good with very few complaints. We've seen a definite improvement over our last trip. Cast Members have been great. Daughter lost her magic band and it was returned. Kidani Village is our favorite resort and this trip confirms it. Watched lifeguard rescue a boy(10 years old) which was a little upsetting for all. Parents please teach your kids to swim. Our trip is a huge success but I'm thinking our next trip will be in a couple years. So many other things we want do and see. Happy travels!

 

[BusterBluth]

1) On our first day in MK, we passed a cast member dressed in Fantasyland garb pushing a cart deep in Tomorrowland. Never saw that before! Are the utilidors no longer being used like they were in the old days?

2) It wasn't the heat during our Sept visit, it was the humidity. Wow, being out for an extended period in the parks is intense! It got most uncomfortable around 2 pm, unless rain finally began to fall. Even though rain was forecast every single day of our visit, we only had 1 truly rainy day the entire week. And that rain only lasted a few hours. One particular afternoon at MK was so uncomfortable it felt like I was sweating out water faster than I could consume it. Hats and clothes that wick away sweat, especially socks, are highly recommended.

3) I'd love to visit during a cooler time of the year, but, in reviewing Touring Plans' Crowd Calendar, the only real slow period in the parks anymore is the first half of September.

4) The food prices, specifically table service, at WDW were eye watering. The worst offender, to no one's surprise: character meals. The best value: the booths at Epcot's Food & Wine. We wanted to sample food at several of these, but after about 3 booths, we were satiated. I also wanted to sample more of the party treats at the Halloween party but ran into the same problem: we were getting full too fast. The sundae made from sweet corn soft serve was fantastic. I also tried the Queen of Hearts slushie. Mmm, that was also really good.

5) Has Galaxy's Edge lost it's intense popularity? On our visit, the posted waits for either ride never exceeded an hour. After about 7, they were both walk-ons. I was astonished. And, are they going to fix those cannons in Rise so that they rock back and forth again? The ride really loses something with that action missing. We also repeatedly saw Kylo in his TIE Interceptor out the window. Isn't that action a replacement for an animatronic someplace?

6) Speaking of Rise, I absolutely love the Imperial captains that board the Resistance ship. But, I wish they were a little meaner. I know that that's a fine line they're approaching as far as interacting with customers, but they are a lot of fun when they start really hamming it up. It would be really cool if they had a trooper actor in there, posing, so you think he's a simple animatronic but then he starts speaking and marching around.

7) We made a special point of visiting Tom Sawyer's Island and the Liberty Belle. It's extremely sad that these 2 are going away next year.

8) I don't know what WDW pays their staff, but whatever it is, it's probably not nearly enough. Every cast member we spoke with was great. Every. Single. One.

9) When folks here describe Animal Kingdom as a half-day park, are they referring to the relatively low number of rides? Cause this park seems more like a minimum 2-day experience to me, between all the shows, animal exhibits, the landscaping, the architecture, the food, and yeah the rides too.

10) Every single time we visit Epcot, I go with the intention of more fully exploring World Showcase but come away barely seeing a third of it. Of all the pavilions, Italy strikes me as the least interesting. Maybe I'm missing something but there's nothing to do there but buy food. It should at least have a small exhibit space (like the Viking thing in Norway).

11) During a trip to one of the parks one morning, we were talking about the triangle stretch of undeveloped land sitting south of 192 and north of I-4. Isn't this Disney land too? If it weren't, I imagine it would have been developed already.

12) Where's all the Disney buses ??? In prior trips, the WDW roads were full of Disney buses. My wife and I remarked on the notable reduction as we drove through on our way to the parks. I imagine we're seeing fewer buses because of the gondola. If that's true, it makes me wonder if they're going to expand their gondola system. It also makes me wonder if the monorail's days are numbered.

 

[katyjeka]

We were there the same

1) On our first day in MK, we passed a cast member dressed in Fantasyland garb pushing a cart deep in Tomorrowland. Never saw that before! Are the utilidors no longer being used like they were in the old days?

2) It wasn't the heat during our Sept visit, it was the humidity. Wow, being out for an extended period in the parks is intense! It got most uncomfortable around 2 pm, unless rain finally began to fall. Even though rain was forecast every single day of our visit, we only had 1 truly rainy day the entire week. And that rain only lasted a few hours. One particular afternoon at MK was so uncomfortable it felt like I was sweating out water faster than I could consume it. Hats and clothes that wick away sweat, especially socks, are highly recommended.

3) I'd love to visit during a cooler time of the year, but, in reviewing Touring Plans' Crowd Calendar, the only real slow period in the parks anymore is the first half of September.

4) The food prices, specifically table service, at WDW were eye watering. The worst offender, to no one's surprise: character meals. The best value: the booths at Epcot's Food & Wine. We wanted to sample food at several of these, but after about 3 booths, we were satiated. I also wanted to sample more of the party treats at the Halloween party but ran into the same problem: we were getting full too fast. The sundae made from sweet corn soft serve was fantastic. I also tried the Queen of Hearts slushie. Mmm, that was also really good.

5) Has Galaxy's Edge lost it's intense popularity? On our visit, the posted waits for either ride never exceeded an hour. After about 7, they were both walk-ons. I was astonished. And, are they going to fix those cannons in Rise so that they rock back and forth again? The ride really loses something with that action missing. We also repeatedly saw Kylo in his TIE Interceptor out the window. Isn't that action a replacement for an animatronic someplace?

6) Speaking of Rise, I absolutely love the Imperial captains that board the Resistance ship. But, I wish they were a little meaner. I know that that's a fine line they're approaching as far as interacting with customers, but they are a lot of fun when they start really hamming it up. It would be really cool if they had a trooper actor in there, posing, so you think he's a simple animatronic but then he starts speaking and marching around.

7) We made a special point of visiting Tom Sawyer's Island and the Liberty Belle. It's extremely sad that these 2 are going away next year.

8) I don't know what WDW pays their staff, but whatever it is, it's probably not nearly enough. Every cast member we spoke with was great. Every. Single. One.

9) When folks here describe Animal Kingdom as a half-day park, are they referring to the relatively low number of rides? Cause this park seems more like a minimum 2-day experience to me, between all the shows, animal exhibits, the landscaping, the architecture, the food, and yeah the rides too.

10) Every single time we visit Epcot, I go with the intention of more fully exploring World Showcase but come away barely seeing a third of it. Of all the pavilions, Italy strikes me as the least interesting. Maybe I'm missing something but there's nothing to do there but buy food. It should at least have a small exhibit space (like the Viking thing in Norway).

11) During a trip to one of the parks one morning, we were talking about the triangle stretch of undeveloped land sitting south of 192 and north of I-4. Isn't this Disney land too? If it weren't, I imagine it would have been developed already.

We visited the same time...the cast members were fantastic!! Had a great visit and left with some fantastic memories.

 

[smrice95]

We were there in August and I commented to all how wonderful the CM were. I felt like "old" Disney was coming back! They seemed happier too! I also love AK.