We're just back from 9 nights at WDW. We have only been during the off-season before, so I was worried that I would have problems with the crowds, and heat. It was another wonderful trip.
WEATHER: Yes it was hot and humid, but not as oppressive as I expected. Take your fans, water, etc. and take breaks in the AC. The thunderstorms rolled in around 4-5--some were very heavy, and didn't disappear as quickly as expected. Sun and Mon evening rained most of the night.
CROWDS: Obviously, they were heavier than in the off-season, but with planning, EMH and e-nights and fastpasses, you can see it all. My family chose to do this trip laid-back and relaxed, so we didn't see any of the evening shows, and focused on seeing the live acts and the lesser known attractions.
LOST TICKETS: I had purchased my park hopper pluses and annual passes in December, and put them in my safe deposit box. The day before we left, I realized I didn't have my keys to the box, and it was too late to get someone to drill the box open. Thankfully, I had made copies of the vouchers, so guest services at MK replaced them quickly and with great friendliness. Then, do to some confusion at DisneyQuest (long story) I lost the park hoppers. I went back to MK with the receipt, and they replaced them, again with no problems.
MILLIONAIRE/PLAY IT: We enjoyed playing this game, and all three of us ended up in the top ten at least once. I was number 1 and DH was number 2 at the end of the game. There was a 5th grader in the hot seat for one of the games--she had been in the hot seat at least 8 times during the week.
CAST MEMBERS: We did see a few people who didn't enjoy their job, but for every one of those, there were ten others who went out of their way to be friendly. We had a bus driver who stopped to help a turtle across the road, a monorail attendant who was so nice, great wait staff. I didn't see any signs of cutbacks.
THE MAGIC: I was so afraid that the heat, cutbacks, crowds etc. would hurt the magic. I also had an additional burden on my heart: Just before we left, I found out my 46 year old brother has pancreatic cancer. For a few days, I was able with my family to have hopes and wishes. As I stood there last night watching WISHES, with tears streaming down my face, I had and continue to have hope. The magic is still very much alive!!
WEATHER: Yes it was hot and humid, but not as oppressive as I expected. Take your fans, water, etc. and take breaks in the AC. The thunderstorms rolled in around 4-5--some were very heavy, and didn't disappear as quickly as expected. Sun and Mon evening rained most of the night.
CROWDS: Obviously, they were heavier than in the off-season, but with planning, EMH and e-nights and fastpasses, you can see it all. My family chose to do this trip laid-back and relaxed, so we didn't see any of the evening shows, and focused on seeing the live acts and the lesser known attractions.
LOST TICKETS: I had purchased my park hopper pluses and annual passes in December, and put them in my safe deposit box. The day before we left, I realized I didn't have my keys to the box, and it was too late to get someone to drill the box open. Thankfully, I had made copies of the vouchers, so guest services at MK replaced them quickly and with great friendliness. Then, do to some confusion at DisneyQuest (long story) I lost the park hoppers. I went back to MK with the receipt, and they replaced them, again with no problems.
MILLIONAIRE/PLAY IT: We enjoyed playing this game, and all three of us ended up in the top ten at least once. I was number 1 and DH was number 2 at the end of the game. There was a 5th grader in the hot seat for one of the games--she had been in the hot seat at least 8 times during the week.
CAST MEMBERS: We did see a few people who didn't enjoy their job, but for every one of those, there were ten others who went out of their way to be friendly. We had a bus driver who stopped to help a turtle across the road, a monorail attendant who was so nice, great wait staff. I didn't see any signs of cutbacks.
THE MAGIC: I was so afraid that the heat, cutbacks, crowds etc. would hurt the magic. I also had an additional burden on my heart: Just before we left, I found out my 46 year old brother has pancreatic cancer. For a few days, I was able with my family to have hopes and wishes. As I stood there last night watching WISHES, with tears streaming down my face, I had and continue to have hope. The magic is still very much alive!!
