Just got back!!!

[dl0015]

This is why we go in December...

 

[Music City Mama]

Right on!!! I feel the same way. This is my 3rd trip-we have been in May, June, and July. This trip in June was by FAR hotter than when we went in July! I prob won't go back during the summer again. I will either go for spring or fall break, and just deal with crowds, verses the heat.

I just don't know when I'd be able to pull it off other than summer. Spring break usually falls in the "peak time" and that makes the trip more expensive. We don't get enough time off during fall break to make it worth the trip and I'm not one to pull the kids out of school (for my older ds) -- also, I worry about hurricane season in the fall. Does anyone know if even if "peak time" is more expensive, if it's more crowded than summer? Obviously, I'd avoid the week before and after Easter, but what about March?

The crowds were not really that bad, but you were sweating by the time you got on your bus in the mornings! Like, dripping down your back sweating, not just a little on your forehead.

This is soooooo true.

 

[kkhworth]

Music City Mama, we are pretty close to each other! Are you actually *in* Nashville, or just the area? I about about 1/2 way between Nashville and Chattanooga.

 

[kmvand1]

This is why we go in December...

I used to say that too, but am preparing to leave tomorrow.

 

[Music City Mama]

Music City Mama, we are pretty close to each other! Are you actually *in* Nashville, or just the area? I about about 1/2 way between Nashville and Chattanooga.

I'm about 30 minutes south of Nashville. I actually had to go through your area, and on the drive down was nervous that a "certain music festival" would cause us traffic problems. No worries, though.

 

[kkhworth]

OH, I can HEAR that every year, as I am only at 15 mins this way from the interstate! lol The traffic starts on Monday of that week before it starts. It is CRAZY!

 

[mrodgers]

Another one here for last week, at Pop Century as well. We were in building 4.

I kept looking at the weather on DirectTV all week before. 92-95 didn't sound too bad. We have a thermometer in the car that is pretty accurate. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday it was 100-102.

Humidity is almost non-existent in Florida compared to what I am use to. It was really humid in the early mornings, but that burned off by the time buses were running. I was up roaming the resort at 6 am with my camera with the heavy morning humidity and it definitely left by 8-9 am.

The OP later in a post mentioned the sweat dripping down the back. Yup, that's what it was like. We looked like we just came out of the pool with our clothes on. It wasn't too bad for me, it's 115 at work in the summers with 96-98% humidity (steam molding plant) so I'm use to it, but my wife couldn't handle it too well at all.

Speaking of the pools, WOW, they are HOT as well. I think I got burnt more from the water temperature than the sun, LOL.

Also speaking of work, you folks at Pop Century.... Did you see the big foam Lego blocks outside of the transportation area at the resort? They are actually Gorilla Blocks (Lego is a trademark name, but I used it for simplicity of describing them...) Well, I drove 1100 miles on vacation to get away from work and what is the first thing I see when I arrive to Pop Century? I see WORK!!!

These are the blocks. I made the materials for these blocks. Me and the 1 guy I work with are the only ones who make this material.....

I do not understand the people that don't FP Splash Mountain. We got on with a FP in less than 3 minutes and the standby line was a very hot and boring 60-70 minutes!

It was our first trip (only trip probably) and without fast pass, we wouldn't have done anything. We arrived at the parks shortly after opening and left at noon. Back to the parks at 5 pm for dinner and roamed the parks from about 6 until 8 pm in the evenings. My oldest daughter LOVED!!! Splash Mountain, so we rode it 3 times on Monday and twice on Friday. Rode ThunderMountain twice on Monday and once on Friday. Soaring we rode twice on Wednesday and Test Track once, all with Fast Passes. We never waited at all. The time it took us to walk through the line straight to the loading section is the time we waited. Walk faster and we could have gone on sooner.

The shortest we saw for standby was 60 minutes, average was 75 minutes, and the longest on Friday was 120 minutes for these 4 rides mentioned above. We walked right on for 9 times in a total of probably 18 hours in the parks for those 3 days (Epcot we spent the whole day because it rained and cooled down considerably.)

Epcot was by far our favorite park and we stayed all day. The others we left at noon and went back for a couple hours in the evening. Magic Kingdom was completely different than we expected. We expected a huge park with open spaces much like Epcot is and was surprised at how narrow everything is. With the crowds in the afternoon, it was just miserable trying to get through the park to leave.

As for fireworks, I've read for 6 months at how fantastic the fireworks are. I'm guessing that most of you folks don't have a very good local fireworks show on the 4th of July because we were not impressed at all. Sure it was neat seeing the fireworks with the lighted up castle, but the actual fireworks were just... . My local small town fireworks they spend a lot of money on and Zambelli Fireworks does the show (probably the best fireworks company in the US) and Magic Kingdom's fireworks was just so-so.

 

[MichelleVW]

As for fireworks, I've read for 6 months at how fantastic the fireworks are. I'm guessing that most of you folks don't have a very good local fireworks show on the 4th of July because we were not impressed at all. Sure it was neat seeing the fireworks with the lighted up castle, but the actual fireworks were just... . My local small town fireworks they spend a lot of money on and Zambelli Fireworks does the show (probably the best fireworks company in the US) and Magic Kingdom's fireworks was just so-so.

I'm from Cincinnati and they have the best fireworks I've ever seen (Labor Day fireworks). But there is just something about watching fireworks at Disney that makes them so special to me.

 

[LaurenT]

Welcome Home, Sorry to hear it was so hot. I've been reading here about the heat. The heat can sure zap your stamina.

I'm sure my GD will be excited about the silly bandz, you never know with these styles one day there popular, next day there shoved in a drawer. Maybe by September silly bandz will be out.

We went to see Toy Story 3 yesterday -0 they had a table with all kinds of Silly Banz..lots of Disney ones. Becky got a pack of TS3 ones....

 

[TLinden16]

I'm going to move this to our trip report board.

 

[LaurenT]

I just don't know when I'd be able to pull it off other than summer. Spring break usually falls in the "peak time" and that makes the trip more expensive. We don't get enough time off during fall break to make it worth the trip and I'm not one to pull the kids out of school (for my older ds) -- also, I worry about hurricane season in the fall. Does anyone know if even if "peak time" is more expensive, if it's more crowded than summer? Obviously, I'd avoid the week before and after Easter, but what about March?



This is soooooo true.

I'm pulling Becky out of school in early November. There's veteran's day and a superintendant day one week...so we can squeeze in a 9 day vacation with her only missing 3 days of school....catching her up on 3 days isn't a big deal, and we get to go during the least crowded time. Temps still good for the pool, food and wine still going on, Christmas lights already going up..Osborne lights just starting...perfect time..so worth 3 little days out of her school year. I justify it by knowing that other kids stay home sick and Becky is very healthy - if she takes one sick day a year, that's alot.

 

[grandmavicki4]

Had a wonderful time. the heat was bad though. My husband was sick from it the whole time. But all and all really awesome trip. Wait times were not bad used fast passes and really only waited for one ride and that was Toy Storie, and it was our last day kids all wanted to ride again I think we waited about an hr. but worth it. My only problem was to much food. We had Delux dinning plan and I kept wishing I could give the food to the homeless. We are not that big of eaters and we had way to much. Next trip we are back to regular dinning plan.