brerrabbit
Sixth Generation Native Texan
- Joined
- May 12, 2000
- Messages
- 2,609
We just got back Saturday from a week at WDW and once again we had a great time. It was just DW and I as it has been for the past three summers. DW works at a Middle School so the only time she gets off are summers so thats when we usually go. Saturday June 18 till Wednesday June 22 was not bad crowd wise at all but things really seemed to pick up Thursday and Friday. We stayed at POFQ and had a great room. 2333 on the corner overlooking the pool out the front and the river out the side window.
I have read some threads here since returning and have some comments on the trip that somewhat relate to what others have said and some ideas of my own so here goes.
Expectations: Seems like so many of the complaint threads here really deal with the high expectations people have od WDW based on the magical things mentioned on these boards and based on the amount of money they are paying to go. I look at it this way. What we paid to go for a week at WDW was somewhat comparable to what we would have paid to go anywhere and get a resort room and entertainment at another destination. We could have foregone going to the parks every day and spent more time at the resort, the golf course, the spa, or shopping in DTD. But we didn't, we had park hoppers for seven days and used them well. However that said we did spend time outside the parks at other resorts, shopping, looking around, and at DTD shopping and walking around. WDW is a vacation like a lot of others, places like tis board set expectations very high and as a result if people don't get what they expect the vacation is ruined. We do not and never have set our expectations to high and as a result have really enjoyed every trip. We could have lived without towel animals, but got Mickey ears on the bed at check in and a elephant on day two that lasted the week.
We enjoyed our meals very much but did not eat at any of the big name places like Le Cellier, California Grill, or CRT. Our meals included Tony's, Rose and Crown, Via Napoli, Earl of Sandwich, Ohana's, La Haceinda, and Tokyo Dining. We enjoyed every one. We also did the Wild Animal Trek at AK and it was assume, and worth what we paid for it. Even though it was just the two of us we did character meets and got tons of pictures. We really enjoyed Stitch, and Phinias and Ferb.
As far as scooters and strollers, we really only got annoyed once by the scooters and several times by strollers. The scooter incident was as we were walking from Tomorrow Land to Fantasy land and there was a construction wall in front of us. A Lady using one cut in front of us and ran right into the wall almost knocking it over. Her grandson(?) ran up and steered her away and was trying to explain it's use but she apparently did not have a clue and as soon as she was free from the wall hit the gas and sped off the other direction still not knowing what she was doing. I think a wheelchair would have been a better option.
As far as strollers we never got hit or runover by them but please people, there are just plain some places where you should not bring double wides into ie shops and expect the world to make a hole for you because you have a battering ram out in front of you. Also 9 and ten year olds in strollers seemed a little much. The other thing we noticed is that because I guess of the increase in the number of strollers being used in the parks the parking areas for them have been moved farther away from attractions to allow for more strollers. We witnessed numerous discussions between guests and CM's as to why do I have to park it all the way over there? The poor CM's were just trying to do their jobs and getting worked over pretty hard. On a different note a lady on the star tours ride got on it with a drink in a cup and when the CM said she could not keep it got very upset and proceeded to tell everyone on the ride how much she paid for it and wanted to know what they were going to do with it. As the doors closed she yelled are you going to through it away? After the ride over the speaker the CM told her to meet her so she could return the drink. Forget all the signs that said no food or drinks, she wanted it on the ride, even after the CM told her you won't be able to hold on to it.
The other thing we saw was some people who literally looked like the were about to pass out at any moment. I know WDW is a magical place but no the still have not figured out how to a/c the whole park, and it does get hot and you will sweat. If you spend 99% of your life in a cooler climate with a/c don't think you will go to Florida and magically be able to walk multiple miles a day with no problem. I understand some people are Pooh sized but please as they say, if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. We saw at least 10 to 12 people with first aid help at various points because they looked like they had heat exhaustion. We had pedometers and our style of touring meant we logged 8 to 9 miles a day, but we had been walking and biking at home for a couple of months to get ready for our trip. Plus we live in the Houston area and our weather is almost the same as Orlando so we were ready.
I know it is not pc to discuss weight but again this is more health related than anything but we saw on multiple occasions a 400 pound older person pushing a slightly larger younger person in a wheelchair with both of them looking like they were about to drop. I don't know what the deal was but I felt bad for both of them.
Over all we took it at a slower pace than most because we seem to return each year and don't go all commando every trip. We did not hit one rope drop but still got all the rides we wanted on all the attractions we wanted, and never waited more than 30 minutes for anything. But maybe that was part of the secret for us. A posted 50 minute wait for Space Mountain at 3:00 in the afternoon that only took 30 minutes was great because we were in an air conditioned que or on an air conditioned ride for 30 minutes during the hottest part of the day. It was a welcomed relif for us and we would have had no problem waiting the full 50 minutes if we had to.
I have read some threads here since returning and have some comments on the trip that somewhat relate to what others have said and some ideas of my own so here goes.
Expectations: Seems like so many of the complaint threads here really deal with the high expectations people have od WDW based on the magical things mentioned on these boards and based on the amount of money they are paying to go. I look at it this way. What we paid to go for a week at WDW was somewhat comparable to what we would have paid to go anywhere and get a resort room and entertainment at another destination. We could have foregone going to the parks every day and spent more time at the resort, the golf course, the spa, or shopping in DTD. But we didn't, we had park hoppers for seven days and used them well. However that said we did spend time outside the parks at other resorts, shopping, looking around, and at DTD shopping and walking around. WDW is a vacation like a lot of others, places like tis board set expectations very high and as a result if people don't get what they expect the vacation is ruined. We do not and never have set our expectations to high and as a result have really enjoyed every trip. We could have lived without towel animals, but got Mickey ears on the bed at check in and a elephant on day two that lasted the week.
We enjoyed our meals very much but did not eat at any of the big name places like Le Cellier, California Grill, or CRT. Our meals included Tony's, Rose and Crown, Via Napoli, Earl of Sandwich, Ohana's, La Haceinda, and Tokyo Dining. We enjoyed every one. We also did the Wild Animal Trek at AK and it was assume, and worth what we paid for it. Even though it was just the two of us we did character meets and got tons of pictures. We really enjoyed Stitch, and Phinias and Ferb.
As far as scooters and strollers, we really only got annoyed once by the scooters and several times by strollers. The scooter incident was as we were walking from Tomorrow Land to Fantasy land and there was a construction wall in front of us. A Lady using one cut in front of us and ran right into the wall almost knocking it over. Her grandson(?) ran up and steered her away and was trying to explain it's use but she apparently did not have a clue and as soon as she was free from the wall hit the gas and sped off the other direction still not knowing what she was doing. I think a wheelchair would have been a better option.
As far as strollers we never got hit or runover by them but please people, there are just plain some places where you should not bring double wides into ie shops and expect the world to make a hole for you because you have a battering ram out in front of you. Also 9 and ten year olds in strollers seemed a little much. The other thing we noticed is that because I guess of the increase in the number of strollers being used in the parks the parking areas for them have been moved farther away from attractions to allow for more strollers. We witnessed numerous discussions between guests and CM's as to why do I have to park it all the way over there? The poor CM's were just trying to do their jobs and getting worked over pretty hard. On a different note a lady on the star tours ride got on it with a drink in a cup and when the CM said she could not keep it got very upset and proceeded to tell everyone on the ride how much she paid for it and wanted to know what they were going to do with it. As the doors closed she yelled are you going to through it away? After the ride over the speaker the CM told her to meet her so she could return the drink. Forget all the signs that said no food or drinks, she wanted it on the ride, even after the CM told her you won't be able to hold on to it.
The other thing we saw was some people who literally looked like the were about to pass out at any moment. I know WDW is a magical place but no the still have not figured out how to a/c the whole park, and it does get hot and you will sweat. If you spend 99% of your life in a cooler climate with a/c don't think you will go to Florida and magically be able to walk multiple miles a day with no problem. I understand some people are Pooh sized but please as they say, if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. We saw at least 10 to 12 people with first aid help at various points because they looked like they had heat exhaustion. We had pedometers and our style of touring meant we logged 8 to 9 miles a day, but we had been walking and biking at home for a couple of months to get ready for our trip. Plus we live in the Houston area and our weather is almost the same as Orlando so we were ready.
I know it is not pc to discuss weight but again this is more health related than anything but we saw on multiple occasions a 400 pound older person pushing a slightly larger younger person in a wheelchair with both of them looking like they were about to drop. I don't know what the deal was but I felt bad for both of them.
Over all we took it at a slower pace than most because we seem to return each year and don't go all commando every trip. We did not hit one rope drop but still got all the rides we wanted on all the attractions we wanted, and never waited more than 30 minutes for anything. But maybe that was part of the secret for us. A posted 50 minute wait for Space Mountain at 3:00 in the afternoon that only took 30 minutes was great because we were in an air conditioned que or on an air conditioned ride for 30 minutes during the hottest part of the day. It was a welcomed relif for us and we would have had no problem waiting the full 50 minutes if we had to.
