We just got back from Disneyworld last night (4/16/05) after spending a week there. Wow, what fun that was!
We stayed at the All Stars Movies resort and really liked it. The room was nice and clean. They had 2 pools (although the main one closest to our room was closed 3 of the days for cleaning
). The food court was nice and big.
We rented a car and that was nice because we could take our time at the store and go back if needed. The first night we used the car to go to MK. That was a mistake that we learned quickly. If you stay on the resort and have a rental car...leave it parked and take the bus instead! To get to MK we had to park in the parking lot, take a tram from the parking lot, then take the ferry as the other tram (forgot what that is called) wasn't running just to get to the entrance of MK. The resort buses are MUCH better and drop you right near the entrance of MK, bypassing the need for the ferry and trams.
Fastpasses were great! However, most of the time we didn't need them. I have no comparison on the crowds because this was our first trip but honestly this past week wasn't bad at all. I overheard someone saying the week prior was spring break and it was packed so I guess we chose the right time to go.
My favorite park was....hmmm, that's really a tough one. I really enjoyed MK and Epcot. But also really liked the Animal kingdom. MGM Studio's was ok but not one of my favorites.
I loved almost all the rides. The 3-D movies were SO great! Be sure and see Mickey's Philmar symphony one. That one in my opinion was the best of all of them.
My least favorite rides were the Tower of Terror (didn't care to be dropped 13 stories
) and I am still suffering from the Mission Space ride. I swear my equalibrium is all out of whack. Not sure if it was from that ride or not but ever since that ride I've been off balance. Even sitting here typing the room is rocking back and forth...very odd feeling. Hope it goes away soon.
The charactures were great and the kids loved them!
If you get a chance to eat out at one of the places I'd highly recommend the Rainforest Cafe...way COOL! So many things to see while your having dinner. The saltwater fishtanks were incredible as well as the monkey's and elephants. Don't forget to visit the gator outside of the resturaunt too.
The weather was nice. Not overly hot. The hottest day was probably 80 I'd say. But even then it wasn't unbearable at all. Most evenings it was a little chilly and there was always a breeze going.
We had a fantastic time overall and I would love to go again next year. I now understand why many of you are such big fans. It's truly a magical place with lots to do and see.
I'd highly recommend going for a full 7 days. We got to do/see almost everthing. But did miss a couple rides/shows here and there.
In AK be sure and watch the bird show! That was really neat to be that close to such large and beautiful birds. It was something to watch them fly over the audience like that.
We did eat at the parks a few times and honestly it wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be. At least not compared to Cedar Point theme park we have in Ohio. A burger and fries (without a soda) was $6.95) as an example. We had a small colapsable cooler (6 cans) that we stuck in the bottom of our stroller so we always had soda and water to drink. Most of the time my 4 year old and I shared the burger and fries because she never eats all her food and the portions were VERY generous on the food at the parks. So it would cost the four of us about $18-19 to each lunch.
It was also nice to take a break and go back to the resort and swim. One evening we did that in the afternoon until dinner time, went and ate dinner and came back to the room and watched a movie (we were all pretty pooped that night).
The fireworks at MK and Epcot were INCREDIBLE! Up close and personal like.
Oh, one thing I want to tell those of you that have never been to Disney, is that everything is turned WAY UP...volume wise I mean. The rides are LOUD, the announcers are LOUD, etc. My daughter complained a little and would cover her ears during the shows we went to (all the 3D movies) because it was just so loud.
If anyone has any questions, please ask. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things and would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Kelle
We stayed at the All Stars Movies resort and really liked it. The room was nice and clean. They had 2 pools (although the main one closest to our room was closed 3 of the days for cleaning
). The food court was nice and big. We rented a car and that was nice because we could take our time at the store and go back if needed. The first night we used the car to go to MK. That was a mistake that we learned quickly. If you stay on the resort and have a rental car...leave it parked and take the bus instead! To get to MK we had to park in the parking lot, take a tram from the parking lot, then take the ferry as the other tram (forgot what that is called) wasn't running just to get to the entrance of MK. The resort buses are MUCH better and drop you right near the entrance of MK, bypassing the need for the ferry and trams.
Fastpasses were great! However, most of the time we didn't need them. I have no comparison on the crowds because this was our first trip but honestly this past week wasn't bad at all. I overheard someone saying the week prior was spring break and it was packed so I guess we chose the right time to go.
My favorite park was....hmmm, that's really a tough one. I really enjoyed MK and Epcot. But also really liked the Animal kingdom. MGM Studio's was ok but not one of my favorites.
I loved almost all the rides. The 3-D movies were SO great! Be sure and see Mickey's Philmar symphony one. That one in my opinion was the best of all of them.
My least favorite rides were the Tower of Terror (didn't care to be dropped 13 stories
) and I am still suffering from the Mission Space ride. I swear my equalibrium is all out of whack. Not sure if it was from that ride or not but ever since that ride I've been off balance. Even sitting here typing the room is rocking back and forth...very odd feeling. Hope it goes away soon.The charactures were great and the kids loved them!
If you get a chance to eat out at one of the places I'd highly recommend the Rainforest Cafe...way COOL! So many things to see while your having dinner. The saltwater fishtanks were incredible as well as the monkey's and elephants. Don't forget to visit the gator outside of the resturaunt too.
The weather was nice. Not overly hot. The hottest day was probably 80 I'd say. But even then it wasn't unbearable at all. Most evenings it was a little chilly and there was always a breeze going.
We had a fantastic time overall and I would love to go again next year. I now understand why many of you are such big fans. It's truly a magical place with lots to do and see.
I'd highly recommend going for a full 7 days. We got to do/see almost everthing. But did miss a couple rides/shows here and there.
In AK be sure and watch the bird show! That was really neat to be that close to such large and beautiful birds. It was something to watch them fly over the audience like that.
We did eat at the parks a few times and honestly it wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be. At least not compared to Cedar Point theme park we have in Ohio. A burger and fries (without a soda) was $6.95) as an example. We had a small colapsable cooler (6 cans) that we stuck in the bottom of our stroller so we always had soda and water to drink. Most of the time my 4 year old and I shared the burger and fries because she never eats all her food and the portions were VERY generous on the food at the parks. So it would cost the four of us about $18-19 to each lunch.
It was also nice to take a break and go back to the resort and swim. One evening we did that in the afternoon until dinner time, went and ate dinner and came back to the room and watched a movie (we were all pretty pooped that night).
The fireworks at MK and Epcot were INCREDIBLE! Up close and personal like.
Oh, one thing I want to tell those of you that have never been to Disney, is that everything is turned WAY UP...volume wise I mean. The rides are LOUD, the announcers are LOUD, etc. My daughter complained a little and would cover her ears during the shows we went to (all the 3D movies) because it was just so loud.
If anyone has any questions, please ask. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things and would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Kelle
