EmmyKay
Never grow up
- Joined
- Feb 29, 2016
- Messages
- 129
Just returned from a truly magical Disney trip from August 28 – September 4, and I wanted to share some of my experiences.
This was my 3rd trip with my DH, and my kiddies (DS11, DS9). My mother in law also came along with my nephew (16), and my niece (11). It was my niece and nephew’s first ever trip to Disney. We were fortunate enough to get Free Dining for this trip.
End of August/Beginning of September: Crowd-wise, this is an excellent time to visit Disney World. I keep hearing there is no “slow season”, but I disagree. I think this is it! My kids go back to school after Labor Day, so this time works out great for us!
The weather: There was rain! Lots and lots of rain! These buckets of rain did not stop our group at all. We threw on our ponchos and had a fabulous, wet time. I found that not only did the rain lower the temperature considerably, it also thinned out the crowds. On Wednesday night during our rainy extra magic hours at MK, every ride was a walk on, including 7 Dwarfs. So…my advice to anyone planning…do not pay attention to weather forecasts…they change hourly, and with the exception of dangerous, severe weather, don’t let the rain stop you!!!
The Beach Club: This was our first time at this resort, and we absolutely loved it. The pool and the location were fantastic. The Wilderness Lodge is still my favorite based on the theme, but the Beach Club is a close second for us. We had a room closer to EPCOT (approximately 3 minute walk to the International Gateway), and the kids really enjoyed using the smaller pool at night. The only cons for us…the trip back from Hollywood Studios at night was tough. There were long waits for the boats. We ended up taking a cab back to the resort more than once. Also, the Market Place had limited food choices, but it was OK in a pinch.
Dining: We really enjoyed 50’s Prime Time Café, Beaches and Cream, Cape May Café Character Breakfast, Be Our Guest, and Kona Café. We also had the privilege of eating at Tiffins in Animal Kingdom, which for me was the best dining experience I have ever had on Disney property so far. It is expensive, so even with Free Dining, the tip and drink bill was high. We absolutely loved the Hoop Dee Do Review….so much fun and the food was yummy!
Rides and Attractions:
MK: Maybe it was me…but I felt like the Haunted Mansion was darker than usual and I had a hard time seeing. I rode once during the day and once as the sun starting setting so maybe that had something to do with it. Although…as I mentioned this was not a sunny trip. Anyone have a similar experience?
EPCOT: Loved the new Soarin’. I agree with other posters that there seems to be a lot of CGI, but that didn’t bother me. Possible Spoiler: The only thing I did not like was that the Eiffel Tower was crooked due to the curved screen.
Frozen Ever After is really well done. The lines were long during the day. We had a FP, but they didn’t seem that long first thing in the morning.
Hollywood Studios: Trading with the Jawas was so much fun! We went to Party City prior to our trip and spend under $10 on random party favors and the Jawas seemed to love them! I ended up giving a few away to children from other families who didn’t have anything to trade.
Because of the overlapping timing of Fantasmic and the Star Wars fireworks, we had to schedule 2 separate nights at the Studios in order to see both. I didn’t think this was a big deal…but…I did not like the way the Star Wars Fireworks interfere with Fantasmic. I found it very distracting during Fantasmic. The Star Wars firework show was totally fantastic!!!
AK: Expedition Everest at night was awesome!!! We did Kilimanjaro Safaris right before sunset, which was great!
MNSSHP: We attended the first party on September 2. It did not seem crowded at all. There were very low wait times for the rides. Boo to You Parade and Hallowishes were excellent! The only minor disappointment was the absence of the Headless Horseman. I’m not sure if he was there for the 2nd parade, but he was not there for the first one. Maybe because of the weather, although it was a relatively dry night.
Almost all cast members were friendly and helpful.
We had an amazing time!!!! I can hardly wait to plan the next trip! Happy planning to all of you!
This was my 3rd trip with my DH, and my kiddies (DS11, DS9). My mother in law also came along with my nephew (16), and my niece (11). It was my niece and nephew’s first ever trip to Disney. We were fortunate enough to get Free Dining for this trip.
End of August/Beginning of September: Crowd-wise, this is an excellent time to visit Disney World. I keep hearing there is no “slow season”, but I disagree. I think this is it! My kids go back to school after Labor Day, so this time works out great for us!
The weather: There was rain! Lots and lots of rain! These buckets of rain did not stop our group at all. We threw on our ponchos and had a fabulous, wet time. I found that not only did the rain lower the temperature considerably, it also thinned out the crowds. On Wednesday night during our rainy extra magic hours at MK, every ride was a walk on, including 7 Dwarfs. So…my advice to anyone planning…do not pay attention to weather forecasts…they change hourly, and with the exception of dangerous, severe weather, don’t let the rain stop you!!!
The Beach Club: This was our first time at this resort, and we absolutely loved it. The pool and the location were fantastic. The Wilderness Lodge is still my favorite based on the theme, but the Beach Club is a close second for us. We had a room closer to EPCOT (approximately 3 minute walk to the International Gateway), and the kids really enjoyed using the smaller pool at night. The only cons for us…the trip back from Hollywood Studios at night was tough. There were long waits for the boats. We ended up taking a cab back to the resort more than once. Also, the Market Place had limited food choices, but it was OK in a pinch.
Dining: We really enjoyed 50’s Prime Time Café, Beaches and Cream, Cape May Café Character Breakfast, Be Our Guest, and Kona Café. We also had the privilege of eating at Tiffins in Animal Kingdom, which for me was the best dining experience I have ever had on Disney property so far. It is expensive, so even with Free Dining, the tip and drink bill was high. We absolutely loved the Hoop Dee Do Review….so much fun and the food was yummy!
Rides and Attractions:
MK: Maybe it was me…but I felt like the Haunted Mansion was darker than usual and I had a hard time seeing. I rode once during the day and once as the sun starting setting so maybe that had something to do with it. Although…as I mentioned this was not a sunny trip. Anyone have a similar experience?
EPCOT: Loved the new Soarin’. I agree with other posters that there seems to be a lot of CGI, but that didn’t bother me. Possible Spoiler: The only thing I did not like was that the Eiffel Tower was crooked due to the curved screen.
Frozen Ever After is really well done. The lines were long during the day. We had a FP, but they didn’t seem that long first thing in the morning.
Hollywood Studios: Trading with the Jawas was so much fun! We went to Party City prior to our trip and spend under $10 on random party favors and the Jawas seemed to love them! I ended up giving a few away to children from other families who didn’t have anything to trade.
Because of the overlapping timing of Fantasmic and the Star Wars fireworks, we had to schedule 2 separate nights at the Studios in order to see both. I didn’t think this was a big deal…but…I did not like the way the Star Wars Fireworks interfere with Fantasmic. I found it very distracting during Fantasmic. The Star Wars firework show was totally fantastic!!!
AK: Expedition Everest at night was awesome!!! We did Kilimanjaro Safaris right before sunset, which was great!
MNSSHP: We attended the first party on September 2. It did not seem crowded at all. There were very low wait times for the rides. Boo to You Parade and Hallowishes were excellent! The only minor disappointment was the absence of the Headless Horseman. I’m not sure if he was there for the 2nd parade, but he was not there for the first one. Maybe because of the weather, although it was a relatively dry night.
Almost all cast members were friendly and helpful.
We had an amazing time!!!! I can hardly wait to plan the next trip! Happy planning to all of you!
Can't wait for the SW Fireworks, Frozen, and Soarin also!
