Just Back - Random Notes

[longtimedisneylurker]

We also found the RSR fastpasses said "go ahead and get another", so we went and got them for Cali Screaming', which stated on them that we could not get another FP for the allotted time. But I'd heard that the ride was disconnected, so we got ToT ones also, so counting WoC we had four fastpasses in hand before 9:00.

The part I highlighted is relevant to the RSR fastpass discussion too. What I was sharing originally is that RSR is disconnected which surprised me. If it has ever been disconnected before, then it was not being blatantly advertised as so by Disney like it was this week. It is possible, of course, that RSR has been disconnected before and the tickets still had the usual FP wordage for when to get another ticket like Screamin' and Roger do and you would only have figured out RSR was disconnected by trying to get fastpasses for another connected ride. Since I hadn't seen any prior reports about this working, I thought maybe the RSR thing was new this week, and I was sharing. It will be interesting to note if RSR fastpasses revert to their previous wording when the crowds die down a bit and whether RSR remains disconnected or not.

 

[StyledSugar]

Thanks for the FP info on RSR. Hopefully it will stay the same for our Christmas trip!!

 

[cmwade77]

Based on those return times, sounds like an average weekday during the busy season, especially if lower levels APs were not blacked out.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Based on those return times, sounds like an average weekday during the busy season, especially if lower levels APs were not blacked out.

The return times were not atypical for the times we usually go (spring break, summer, Thanksgiving), but with all the "how busy will it be/is it" questions out there, I thought return times and wait times give people more data for their own evaluation since "busy" seems to be different to everyone.

There were A LOT of people around, but honestly it didn't feel as intense as last year's Thanksgiving week, and I think that's because DCA wasn't filled with construction walls and has more space, more activities, and feels like it could be a full-day theme park experience now even to those who go a lot longer and harder at their touring than we do.

 

[sonnyjane]

There were A LOT of people around, but honestly it didn't feel as intense as last year's Thanksgiving week, and I think that's because DCA wasn't filled with construction walls and has more space, more activities, and feels like it could be a full-day theme park experience now even to those who go a lot longer and harder at their touring than we do.

Oooh that's a good point.

 

[KCmike]

Nice report. Too bad you had to leave early.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Nice report. Too bad you had to leave early.

Yeah I was kind of bummed about leaving early, but I just wasn't feeling well enough to make it worth staying for that last day. I felt lousy and wasn't eating and wasn't going to have any energy. The kids understood, and they know that we are lucky enough to be able to return soon. We activated our set of annual passes that I bought back before the last price increase. This may be our last year of passes for a while, but I expect we will get at least three more shorter trips out of them.

BTW, some of your posts are what inspired me to mention the Carsland and Carthay Circle CDs. Did you ever get your hands on either or both? I splurged on them for myself since it was my birthday trip. I've listened to a few of the tracks on each so far, and they are fun.

 

[KCmike]

Yeah I was kind of bummed about leaving early, but I just wasn't feeling well enough to make it worth staying for that last day. I felt lousy and wasn't eating and wasn't going to have any energy. The kids understood, and they know that we are lucky enough to be able to return soon. We activated our set of annual passes that I bought back before the last price increase. This may be our last year of passes for a while, but I expect we will get at least three more shorter trips out of them.

BTW, some of your posts are what inspired me to mention the Carsland and Carthay Circle CDs. Did you ever get your hands on either or both? I splurged on them for myself since it was my birthday trip. I've listened to a few of the tracks on each so far, and they are fun.

Thanks for remembering that I was talking about those cd's. I haven't pulled the trigger on either of those yet. The kids were talking about presents for Christmas and everyone is making lists. Your post reminded me of those two cd's that I would like to put on my wish list. I'm not sure about the Carsland cd but I really want the Carthay Circle one. The carsland one has too many songs I already have. The only track I really want is the hidden track song where Mater (larry the cable guy) messes up the song. Is that on there? I have fond memories of my oldest daughter and I just laughing and having fun on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. Wow I can't believe this is my 7,000 post! How the time flies.

Hope your feeling better!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I was so focused on the Disney part of our trip that I forgot to mention our one trip off-site. We visited the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana on Monday. We've been there a couple of times and usually get admission through the ASTC reciprocal museum program since we are members of a participating science museum local to us. The purpose of our visit this time was to check out the Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology Exhibition, a $10 per person upcharge, that we found well worth it. http://www.indianajonestheexhibition.com/the-exhibition.html
We are fans of Indiana Jones and I find archaeology interesting, so this was a fun combination of movie trivia and props and real-life artifacts and interesting archaeology facts and finds. It's a self-guided tour with head phones and touch screen devices. DS11 really wanted to go even though he knew there would be learning and history and not just movie stuff. It was a nice balance of both so kept our family interested for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Afterwards we spent some time enjoying the rest of the museum's exhibits.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Thanks for remembering that I was talking about those cd's. I haven't pulled the trigger on either of those yet. The kids were talking about presents for Christmas and everyone is making lists. Your post reminded me of those two cd's that I would like to put on my wish list. I'm not sure about the Carsland cd but I really want the Carthay Circle one. The carsland one has too many songs I already have. The only track I really want is the hidden track song where Mater (larry the cable guy) messes up the song. Is that on there? I have fond memories of my oldest daughter and I just laughing and having fun on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. Wow I can't believe this is my 7,000 post! How the time flies.

Hope your feeling better!

Unless I missed something, the Carsland one doesn't have Mater's hidden song. In fact it only has 5 of Mater's songs, and I thought there were 6, not including the hidden one. To be honest, the thing that sold me on that particular CD was being able to have the track for the Radiator Springs Racers ride so I could actually really hear it all the way through. I've been on the ride four times now, but I always feel like I'm missing some of the musical elements and dialog. I expect I will enjoy the Carthay Circle CD much more, and the tracks I've listened to so far support that belief.

And, thanks, I am feeling better, though not 100% yet.

 

[Malcon10t]

I expect I will enjoy the Carthay Circle CD much more, and the tracks I've listened to so far support that belief.

Unfortunately, the Carthay Circles CD doesn't have ALL the music on it either.

 

[ballarinamom]

I think the biggest news in your thread was RSR being disconnected?!?!?! Anyone else been recently? Fluke or (semi-)permanent?!!?!??

We were there the same time and the fastpass said you could hold a FP for RSR and one other ride- so we picked up Soarin' as it was right there. Then walked around the corner and got the WOC FP as well.

I was in the FP return line for RSR with a mom who got in the FP about 20 minutes before park opening thanks to Magic Hours. She got her first RSR FP and got back in line for another FP and got it. They had CMs there to put your Park Hoppers in for you I guess to keep you from retreiving multiple FP with one Park hopper....

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

They had CMs there to put your Park Hoppers in for you I guess to keep you from retreiving multiple FP with one Park hopper....

The CMs are there to speed up the fastpass-getting process. They did this too when WoC first opened, stationed CMs at the fastpass station to insert your tickets for you to help keep the line moving quickly. There are lots of people who seem quite flummoxed once they actually arrive at a fastpass machine.

Once you get the RSR fastpass, even if you are allowed to get a fastpass for another ride, you should still be blocked out from getting another RSR fastpass until your return window opens up or two hours later, whichever comes first. If the person you mentioned was so close to the front of the line, I imagine her fastpass return window would start sometime between 8:40 and 9:00 AM. It would be possible to get another fastpass for RSR when that return window opened. Did she actually get another fastpass before that time? Waiting in the RSR fastpass line can easily take 20-30 minutes.

 

[DLR29]

This is excellent news about RSR FP being disconnected! Hopefully it stays that way during the Christmas season.

 

[ballarinamom]

The CMs are there to speed up the fastpass-getting process. They did this too when WoC first opened, stationed CMs at the fastpass station to insert your tickets for you to help keep the line moving quickly. There are lots of people who seem quite flummoxed once they actually arrive at a fastpass machine.

Once you get the RSR fastpass, even if you are allowed to get a fastpass for another ride, you should still be blocked out from getting another RSR fastpass until your return window opens up or two hours later, whichever comes first. If the person you mentioned was so close to the front of the line, I imagine her fastpass return window would start sometime between 8:40 and 9:00 AM. It would be possible to get another fastpass for RSR when that return window opened. Did she actually get another fastpass before that time? Waiting in the RSR fastpass line can easily take 20-30 minutes.

The RSR FPs did not have a time to get the next fastpass like the other rides have. It just says you can get one other fastpass for another ride. It does not say you cannot get another RSR FP. However, I didnt want to stand in that line again. I think it was possible to get two FPs for this ride though it may not be the nicest thing to do..

 

[sonnyjane]

The RSR FPs did not have a time to get the next fastpass like the other rides have. It just says you can get one other fastpass for another ride. It does not say you cannot get another RSR FP. However, I didnt want to stand in that line again. I think it was possible to get two FPs for this ride though it may not be the nicest thing to do..

What longtimedisneylurker was explaining is that no ride, whether it is connected to the rest of the network or disconnected, will let you get another FP for that same ride again until the window is up on the ticket. So, no, you would not have been able to get another RSR FP again right away, even it if it disconnected from the rest of the network, that's just how the system works.

 

[ballarinamom]

What longtimedisneylurker was explaining is that no ride, whether it is connected to the rest of the network or disconnected, will let you get another FP for that same ride again until the window is up on the ticket. So, no, you would not have been able to get another RSR FP again right away, even it if it disconnected from the rest of the network, that's just how the system works.

In all of my trips to DL and the hundreds of FPs we have collected, I have never seen one that looked like the FPs for RSR. A regular FP tells you the time you can return to ride the ride and the time when you are are able to get another FP. Even those not connected, tell you the time you can collect a new FP. The RSRs do not have that time when you can get another FP. I did not try it. But I heard 2 accounts while in line over our 6 day trip (yes, I had one of the last 6 day Parkhoppers) who were able to get two sets of FPs for RSR. Just reporting what I saw....

 

[DaveNinja]

We were there in the same time frame (nov 18-21) and stayed at Hojos (tall building, room facing freeway).
I agree with all the comments you made about Hojos. We've stayed there 3 or 4 times so far.

while waiting in the yellow area for the 9pm WOC on the 20th, we had a lady right behind us suddenly projectile vomit. She covered two of the other people right behind us. It totally freaked my wife out. We were lucky we didnt get hit.
I had bought my wife Dessert seating for Fantasmic (monday late show) and she thought it was great. The actual show was a little weak in that Pan and Hook didnt move around much and there wasnt much rope swinging and falling from the other pirates. Also the dragon didnt breath the line of fire to ignite the water. The kids and I were able to sit right in from of my wifes seat so then it was like we were in her group but it only cost me 60 bucks instead of 300, haha.

Did any of you notice that going through the gates monday (19th) was really slow and the lines really long? Took us like 20-30 minutes to get in on monday but it was a lot quicker on tuesday and wednesday at the same time.

I was disappointed that the Frankenwennie hot dogs were gone from AAW. My kids were really happy to pick up Sparky and Phersephone toys and learn to draw Sparky at the animation academy.

we're hoping to go back in Feb