pigby
<font color=66CC33>This one might be a little more
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2000
- Messages
- 3,410
Decided not to go with the Fantasmic Package this year - main reason is now DD is 11 would have to pay full adult price and she has appetite of a sparrow.
There were two Fantasmic showings most nights we were there so we decided to go with the late one. Got there half an hour before - sat in middle section about a third way up from front (ie great seats) and the theatre wasn't a third full. This is the way to go in my opinion. Hung around shops for half an hour or so afterwards to let main crowds disappear - when we got to the bus stop walked right on an empty bus!
Wishes and Spectro - two showings of Spectro on most nights so we stayed for late one. Got a spot in Liberty Square 10 minutes before start and very few people around us - again hung round a bit later and got straight on a bus (is this really July?)
WL and Electric Light Pageant - saw this about four or 5 times in the week we were at the lodge - never seen it before but thought it was brilliant - watched from the beach at 9.35pm. After this went up to our room - could see Wishes from our balcony - we were in room 4022. People have said that if you get a room on the top floor (6th presumably - 7th is concierge), you may have a 'glimpse' of Wishes - well we were on the fourth and had a great view through a gap in the trees.
Our room was great but it did have an interconnecting door and noise carried through it. Our neighbours on the first night decided to have a very noisy party until the early hours (with all their family - mustv'e been at least 10 of them) - eventually had to ring downstairs and they said they'd get the duty manager to speak to them - they were quiet the night after then they checked out, thankfully. Didn't experience noise like that at POP.
Stayed on Disney for whole of 2 weeks - did think about ringing Tiffany to take us to Universal but decided not to in the end. Had been spoiled by front of line last October and thought the crowds might be mad. Went to TL - paid extra for this as we have AP's, but did get small discount. Really enjoyed the water park - rode all three flumes on Crusher and Gusher and DD and DH went on Humunga Karabunga about 4 times. Also went on Tuesday - in the line to go on the family raft ride when saw a few people stopped - they were watching the shuttle, which had just been launched - you could see it really well.
As there was so little rain, this meant the large crowds didn't disperse and we found early mornings (and often early nights) a must. By lunchtime, we were leaving the parks (sometimes for the day). Went to MK on a Saturday to do the free VMK Tour (any of your kids into that? - couldn't keep my DD away from the computers on Main Street). The tour with a great CM (Hi, Jeff!) was meant to be 2 hours with specal tours of Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion but a sudden storm meant we couldn't do Jungle Cruise (but Jeff gave us a free fastpass for anything at the end). The short storm meant a thinning in crowds and we were able to get an edge of pavement seat on Main Street for the parade 10 minutes before it started (rain had stopped by then). If anyone wants full details on VMK and the tour, let me know. I always think Saturday mornings are the quietest in MGM, Epcot and MK cos most Americans are travelling that day. MGM on the first Saturday morning was dead.
Lots of attractions had technical problems this year - TT, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz, Ellen's Energy Adventure (had to leave by emergency exits on this one), Honey I Shrunk the Audience (never got to go back to see this one). DH and myself loved this one but DD wasn't so keen - she preferred Test Track - especially single rider line (rode this twice directly after one another - but why do some folks not realise you have to move over in the car, to let single riders in).
Still lots of great CM's but did encounter one or two non smiling CM's too - certainly more than normal. Quite a few rude guests too - but not from the UK or US generally - soem folks don't quite understand the concept of standing in line.
Have used AP's twice now in the space of a year - fortunate enough to be going back for a week in October, but feel a little Disney'ed out and may split our stay between Disney and Universal. I think if I had a choice, I would choose October over July on the whole, but we still had a great time.
There were two Fantasmic showings most nights we were there so we decided to go with the late one. Got there half an hour before - sat in middle section about a third way up from front (ie great seats) and the theatre wasn't a third full. This is the way to go in my opinion. Hung around shops for half an hour or so afterwards to let main crowds disappear - when we got to the bus stop walked right on an empty bus!
Wishes and Spectro - two showings of Spectro on most nights so we stayed for late one. Got a spot in Liberty Square 10 minutes before start and very few people around us - again hung round a bit later and got straight on a bus (is this really July?)
WL and Electric Light Pageant - saw this about four or 5 times in the week we were at the lodge - never seen it before but thought it was brilliant - watched from the beach at 9.35pm. After this went up to our room - could see Wishes from our balcony - we were in room 4022. People have said that if you get a room on the top floor (6th presumably - 7th is concierge), you may have a 'glimpse' of Wishes - well we were on the fourth and had a great view through a gap in the trees.
Our room was great but it did have an interconnecting door and noise carried through it. Our neighbours on the first night decided to have a very noisy party until the early hours (with all their family - mustv'e been at least 10 of them) - eventually had to ring downstairs and they said they'd get the duty manager to speak to them - they were quiet the night after then they checked out, thankfully. Didn't experience noise like that at POP.
Stayed on Disney for whole of 2 weeks - did think about ringing Tiffany to take us to Universal but decided not to in the end. Had been spoiled by front of line last October and thought the crowds might be mad. Went to TL - paid extra for this as we have AP's, but did get small discount. Really enjoyed the water park - rode all three flumes on Crusher and Gusher and DD and DH went on Humunga Karabunga about 4 times. Also went on Tuesday - in the line to go on the family raft ride when saw a few people stopped - they were watching the shuttle, which had just been launched - you could see it really well.
As there was so little rain, this meant the large crowds didn't disperse and we found early mornings (and often early nights) a must. By lunchtime, we were leaving the parks (sometimes for the day). Went to MK on a Saturday to do the free VMK Tour (any of your kids into that? - couldn't keep my DD away from the computers on Main Street). The tour with a great CM (Hi, Jeff!) was meant to be 2 hours with specal tours of Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion but a sudden storm meant we couldn't do Jungle Cruise (but Jeff gave us a free fastpass for anything at the end). The short storm meant a thinning in crowds and we were able to get an edge of pavement seat on Main Street for the parade 10 minutes before it started (rain had stopped by then). If anyone wants full details on VMK and the tour, let me know. I always think Saturday mornings are the quietest in MGM, Epcot and MK cos most Americans are travelling that day. MGM on the first Saturday morning was dead.
Lots of attractions had technical problems this year - TT, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz, Ellen's Energy Adventure (had to leave by emergency exits on this one), Honey I Shrunk the Audience (never got to go back to see this one). DH and myself loved this one but DD wasn't so keen - she preferred Test Track - especially single rider line (rode this twice directly after one another - but why do some folks not realise you have to move over in the car, to let single riders in).
Still lots of great CM's but did encounter one or two non smiling CM's too - certainly more than normal. Quite a few rude guests too - but not from the UK or US generally - soem folks don't quite understand the concept of standing in line.
Have used AP's twice now in the space of a year - fortunate enough to be going back for a week in October, but feel a little Disney'ed out and may split our stay between Disney and Universal. I think if I had a choice, I would choose October over July on the whole, but we still had a great time.
