Just back, any questions??& a few observations

[we*luv*orlando!!]

We are just back from our long awaited 3 week trip to Orlando and we have been up 26 hours now and I am ready to drop!

Before we went I looked at the forcast everyday and was dismayed to see rain predicted everyday. If anyone else is going soon and is thinking like I did(OH NO NOT RAIN!) worry not! The temperature for the last three weeks has been in the very late 80's to the mid 90's and out of our 21 days only 4 were disrupted by rain. The days all started out very warm, sometimes cloudy but as the day wore on the rainstorms were welcomed as the heat was unbearable. It didn't rain everyday as predicted, and the light showers did not stop us doing anything, we even sat at the Boardwalk eating Pizza one evening in a light shower as it was so hot. the evenings in which it did thunderstorm were quite scary if you were driving when they started. we were unlucky enough to be caught in the worse storm we have ever seen last friday night while we were at Epcot watching Illuminations. It started just after 9pm. We had a good spot opposite France and the heavens opened, I am not joking when I say rivers of water gushed through the world showcase. we sheltered in the french restaurant but they were not very happy about this but we were soaked to the skin. It did not let up for over an hour so we had to walk to the car from France in the pouring rain. we were flying home the next day and our trainers were soaked still the morning of the flight. we put them on the car roof for three hours in the sun to dry off! With hindsight we should have made for the exit as soon as the rain started as we were so far away from the parking lot but we didn't realise!

I also worried about the crowds before I went. yes they were heavy July 4th week but after that they were more manageable, especially at Epcot which was practically empty last Friday. Animal Kingdom always feels the most crowded. the longest line we saw was for the Tower of Terror which was 75 minutes. Make use of fastpass as much as you can. Universal Studios on the other hand was very busy and the lines for almost all rides were always over 40 minutes and fastpass system they have is not as good IMHO, they "sell" out really quickly in the day. DS loved Duelling Dragons but said Dr Doom was not worth the wait.

Any questions I will gladly answer if I can help. Time for bed now and hopefully a full nights sleep before work tomorrow - DOH!

 

[kazzie]

Welcome Back Glad to hear you had such a great time Hope the jet lag isn't too bad!

 

[WDWfan uk]

Welcome home !

I have seen rain like that in the Magic Kingdom - we had to shelter in It's A Small World !!! When we braved the downpour, the rain was bouncing off the ground and coming back up

Can't wait to hear more about your trip !

 

[Minniespal]

Welcome back ~ Thanks for posting!!!!

 

[neilybealy]

blimey those waiting times do seem huge compared to our trip last sept/oct

we only used fastpass once and then that was just so we could say we've used it

max wait anywhere (disney and universal/ioa) was 15 mins and walk straight on with fastpass

 

[neilybealy]

blimey those waiting times do seem huge compared to our trip last sept/oct

we only used fastpass once and then that was just so we could say we've used it

max wait anywhere (disney and universal/ioa) was 15 mins and walk straight on with fastpass

EDIT - please can a mod delete one of the duplicate posts - i clicked on submit twice by accident and now it won't let me delete it, thanks - neil

 

[uktigger]

hi we luv orlando
glad to see you had a great trip

i have to say i am on e of those people who panic about the rain,but after reading your post you have given me hope,we are going next june and i have heard the rain can be bad

eve

 

[MrsJobba]

Hi

Thanks for your report. I am going in 10 days and can't wait.

I noticed you said that you had pizza at the boardwalk. I was wondering did you see much construction?

When we were there last year year there was loads of building work. I know it is supposed to finish by the end of july 03

Also , what where the best places you ate at?

Looking forward to your reply


HJ
XX

 

[we*luv*orlando!!]

Thanks to everyone for their comments!

HJ, in reply to your question re the Boardwalk, I didn't see any construction so i would guess the building is finished. Also, about places to eat...we are a fairly difficult bunch to please as two of us are vegetarians, we have a fussy 10 year old and an unadventurous 17 year old so we dont tend to try many new things. we always make one trip to the Peabody hotel and go in the B-Line Diner, as it is fab. It is not cheap - 5 of us had burgers, fries, sodas and a dessert and the bill was just over $70 but it is such a nice place to go and the dessert bar has to be seen to be believed. the service is also brilliant. My DH said the best burger was eaten in Johnny Rockets in Pointe Orlando, cheaper to eat there and great fun. The best fries in all the parks, IMHO, were found at the Flame Tree Barbeque in AK. $3.49 for a portion big enough for two to share and they have a seasoning on them which makes a nice change. DH and DS also like the ribs there. We also ate four times at the Pizzeria Uno on the 192. The menu includes steaks and pasta as well as pizza, but the best thing was the deal they have that children 10 and under pay what they weigh at a penny a pound. our DD wheighed in at 80 pounds so her pizza each time cost us only .80 cents. this would be great if you had kids, the deal was for max two kids per adult I think. We also go to the Sizzler once a week to please everyone from the buffet, although this year we all thought the standard had gone down slightly.
I really envy you going to Florida in 10 days, be prepared for the heat and have a great time!