Matty_Disfan
Heading ba-ack...!!
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2002
- Messages
- 376
Was 8 days in the world, stayed at POR in the AB preferred with DW and DD5 and DD3.5
We had not been back to the world since 2003.
- Strollers are a must if you have kids younger than 7 (at least).
- Garden Grocer was perfect! Saved us a lot not buying breakfast, bottled water and morning snacks every day.
- It was way busier this year at the beginning of May than when we last went (2003). Rope Drops were packed, headliners like TSM and Soaring had 30 min. wait times almost immediately and by noon even the shows were packed with people lining up 30 min prior to each show to get in (Disney Junior, Belle, Little Mermaid, Nemo, Fest LK).
- Buses are a double-edged sword. They are convenient but unless you leave your resort midday or the park in the late morning you are packed in like sardines with your kids on your laps and the men (like me) standing so others can have a seat.
- Jedi training is a must if you have any kids between 4-10. You also HAVE to get there early to sign up or you will miss out.
- TSM is overrated. There, I said it. I liked it, I really did. It was fun but it was simply not worth the rush at RD or the massive standby lines people seemed willing to embark on. 80 min by noon? Who would stand in line for that long without feeling like they had just been fooled into wasting their time??? Luckily we FPed it but still felt like we had missed out on other fun things planning our RD and morning strategy around it.
- Mickey meet and greet at the Mainstreet Theatre was HIGHLY underused and was so much fun. We were leaving the park at 1:30pm and the wait was posted as 15 min. It took all of 5 min until we met the Mouse and Minnie. It was private, intimate and they took their time. This wait time can only grow!
- Fantasy Land upgrade looks good, from what we could see (not much) but they are really moving on it.
- Dumbo and the Carousel were both wildly popular with our girls. I could not have predicted it, but they were MUST SEE attractions (much to my chagrin).
- Ak - show up send a runner to FP EE or Kali and then send the rest of your group to Safari. The park is yours if you do this!!
- The Princess Breakfast at Akershus is a rare treat and we felt was worth every penny. Tears were brushed away from some happy grown ups' faces, I can tell you.
- IF you are with older kids (or on a date night thanks to some helpful family members) get caught at Splash or BTMRR while the Electrical parade goes by. It cuts off this little area COMPLETELY from the rest of the park so no one else can get in. This allows you to run back and forth between these rides with little or no wait. We witnessed this happen and enjoyed multiple rides on both of these attractions while the parade wound by!!
- Midday swims and naps are a god-send. With a little self-restraint you can have a way more fulfilling evening with the lighter crowds.
- Cirque De Soleil is incredible. Still.
- Soaring is the best thing Disney has done in the past 10 years. My dd5 rode it 3 times with some smart FP -ing and loved it more than any other ride she went on. So did I. Unlike TSM this ride is worth the RD and FP planning.
- POR was beautiful, fun but too big and busy. We went to FW to do HDDR and it was like we were home. Next time we will get a cabin there.
- HDDR was a Blast. It is worth the ridiculous price. Top notch corny dinner theatre, highly recommended. Six-Bits was hilarious.
- Magical Express is easy and fun. Both ways.
- Those Balloons with the mickey head inside the clear plastic balloon? Expensive yet cheaply made. Ours deflated soon after purchase. Mylars would have been a better option.
- Disney is great. We won't be going again for another five years so I'll probably be off the boards until I get the itch again in another three years. Thanks for all the help planning!
We had not been back to the world since 2003.
- Strollers are a must if you have kids younger than 7 (at least).
- Garden Grocer was perfect! Saved us a lot not buying breakfast, bottled water and morning snacks every day.
- It was way busier this year at the beginning of May than when we last went (2003). Rope Drops were packed, headliners like TSM and Soaring had 30 min. wait times almost immediately and by noon even the shows were packed with people lining up 30 min prior to each show to get in (Disney Junior, Belle, Little Mermaid, Nemo, Fest LK).
- Buses are a double-edged sword. They are convenient but unless you leave your resort midday or the park in the late morning you are packed in like sardines with your kids on your laps and the men (like me) standing so others can have a seat.
- Jedi training is a must if you have any kids between 4-10. You also HAVE to get there early to sign up or you will miss out.
- TSM is overrated. There, I said it. I liked it, I really did. It was fun but it was simply not worth the rush at RD or the massive standby lines people seemed willing to embark on. 80 min by noon? Who would stand in line for that long without feeling like they had just been fooled into wasting their time??? Luckily we FPed it but still felt like we had missed out on other fun things planning our RD and morning strategy around it.
- Mickey meet and greet at the Mainstreet Theatre was HIGHLY underused and was so much fun. We were leaving the park at 1:30pm and the wait was posted as 15 min. It took all of 5 min until we met the Mouse and Minnie. It was private, intimate and they took their time. This wait time can only grow!
- Fantasy Land upgrade looks good, from what we could see (not much) but they are really moving on it.
- Dumbo and the Carousel were both wildly popular with our girls. I could not have predicted it, but they were MUST SEE attractions (much to my chagrin).
- Ak - show up send a runner to FP EE or Kali and then send the rest of your group to Safari. The park is yours if you do this!!
- The Princess Breakfast at Akershus is a rare treat and we felt was worth every penny. Tears were brushed away from some happy grown ups' faces, I can tell you.
- IF you are with older kids (or on a date night thanks to some helpful family members) get caught at Splash or BTMRR while the Electrical parade goes by. It cuts off this little area COMPLETELY from the rest of the park so no one else can get in. This allows you to run back and forth between these rides with little or no wait. We witnessed this happen and enjoyed multiple rides on both of these attractions while the parade wound by!!
- Midday swims and naps are a god-send. With a little self-restraint you can have a way more fulfilling evening with the lighter crowds.
- Cirque De Soleil is incredible. Still.
- Soaring is the best thing Disney has done in the past 10 years. My dd5 rode it 3 times with some smart FP -ing and loved it more than any other ride she went on. So did I. Unlike TSM this ride is worth the RD and FP planning.
- POR was beautiful, fun but too big and busy. We went to FW to do HDDR and it was like we were home. Next time we will get a cabin there.
- HDDR was a Blast. It is worth the ridiculous price. Top notch corny dinner theatre, highly recommended. Six-Bits was hilarious.
- Magical Express is easy and fun. Both ways.
- Those Balloons with the mickey head inside the clear plastic balloon? Expensive yet cheaply made. Ours deflated soon after purchase. Mylars would have been a better option.
- Disney is great. We won't be going again for another five years so I'll probably be off the boards until I get the itch again in another three years. Thanks for all the help planning!
