mtmbyck
I AM Canadian eh!
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2005
- Messages
- 1,712
So I'm a planner like all of you. We were all up at 7am to be at rope drop by 8:30 for a 9am opening. I already knew that Toontown was gone, BTMR was down, ice cream parlor down, steamboat down.........
So arrived at around 8:15 to parking. It already looked busy and this isn't resort guests. Purchased 1 day tickets (this is our only park this year) so choked on the $400 admission but happily paid whatever to be at my happiest place on earth.
The plaza at front gate was packed. And it was HOT and HUMID. The welcome show starts and the gates open and the mad dash begins. I cannot figure out where these idiots think they need to run to.....OPEN ALL DAY FOLKS.
So our strategy was to get DDs on Space Mountian. We arrive to a huge line at fast passes. Ride is down and return time is 10am. So we all decide splash mountain is the only other thrill ride so let's go there. Ride is DOWN. Think think.........let's make our way to Pirates.............go ahead and guess.........DOWN. So we begin to meander our way back to Space Mountain. Grabbed Jungle Cruise fastpasses as it was the beginning of our space Mountian time so we qualified for new ones. Space mountain was still down. By now park was at around 20 minute ride lines. At 10am! Peter Pan was 45 minutes.
We rode the tea cups, Snow White, Small World (my choice and they wanted to kill me), and haunted mansion (we waited the 15 minutes for this although posting said it was a 25 minute wait). So by 11am kids are hungry. We grab dinner at the Tomorrowland Terrace.
We saw Space Mountain open and figured we'd give it a try. The fastpasses line was back to the people mover
but the cast member said it was only a 30 minute wait. I had him sign my Jungle Cruise FPs in case we missed the time because of this line (which occurred because ride had been down and all FPs were being honored since 9am). Kids waited in line and got inside the building. And then they shut the ride down.....but kids didn't come out. They said they would cycle those inside through and then do the work. Evidently only 1 track with 2 cars was running. My kids emerged at about 1:30-100 minutes after they had joined the line and most of that time inside the building.
I neglect to tell you that the monorail was also not working between 11am and 6pm so all guests would have to use the ferry and that we had to leave the park by 4pm as we had dinner arrangements that couldn't be changed.
So off to use Jungle Cruise passes. They accepted the signature and allowed us on. Took about 15 minutes to get on. Then off to Pirates-now open but a 40 minute wait. We knew we'd have to leave afterwards as it was already close to 3pm.
So that was our day. The day I had longed for was spent running all over the park trying to ride things that were closed. We missed so many favourites. So I stopped at guest services. I did not want to cause a scene in front of DDs but I said the the cast member "let me tell you about my day"..........and without me even asking, they asked what day I'd like to return during this vacation.
Disney did the right thing.....while not their fault, I spent a lot of money on a day that was not the value it should have been. I can tell you the park was jammed packed and it was hard to move around. There were massive groups of spring breakers, cheerleaders, Class of ???. With some friendly conversation in lines we determined that not only did we have the usual Texas and Florida spring break, but this year New York and Arizona changed their date by one week earlier so they are there too!
Well, I'll be doing it all again Tuesday so let's hope they figure out the issues and we can move successfully around the park.
Hope none of you have similar experiences!
So arrived at around 8:15 to parking. It already looked busy and this isn't resort guests. Purchased 1 day tickets (this is our only park this year) so choked on the $400 admission but happily paid whatever to be at my happiest place on earth.
The plaza at front gate was packed. And it was HOT and HUMID. The welcome show starts and the gates open and the mad dash begins. I cannot figure out where these idiots think they need to run to.....OPEN ALL DAY FOLKS.
So our strategy was to get DDs on Space Mountian. We arrive to a huge line at fast passes. Ride is down and return time is 10am. So we all decide splash mountain is the only other thrill ride so let's go there. Ride is DOWN. Think think.........let's make our way to Pirates.............go ahead and guess.........DOWN. So we begin to meander our way back to Space Mountain. Grabbed Jungle Cruise fastpasses as it was the beginning of our space Mountian time so we qualified for new ones. Space mountain was still down. By now park was at around 20 minute ride lines. At 10am! Peter Pan was 45 minutes.
We rode the tea cups, Snow White, Small World (my choice and they wanted to kill me), and haunted mansion (we waited the 15 minutes for this although posting said it was a 25 minute wait). So by 11am kids are hungry. We grab dinner at the Tomorrowland Terrace.
We saw Space Mountain open and figured we'd give it a try. The fastpasses line was back to the people mover
but the cast member said it was only a 30 minute wait. I had him sign my Jungle Cruise FPs in case we missed the time because of this line (which occurred because ride had been down and all FPs were being honored since 9am). Kids waited in line and got inside the building. And then they shut the ride down.....but kids didn't come out. They said they would cycle those inside through and then do the work. Evidently only 1 track with 2 cars was running. My kids emerged at about 1:30-100 minutes after they had joined the line and most of that time inside the building. I neglect to tell you that the monorail was also not working between 11am and 6pm so all guests would have to use the ferry and that we had to leave the park by 4pm as we had dinner arrangements that couldn't be changed.
So off to use Jungle Cruise passes. They accepted the signature and allowed us on. Took about 15 minutes to get on. Then off to Pirates-now open but a 40 minute wait. We knew we'd have to leave afterwards as it was already close to 3pm.
So that was our day. The day I had longed for was spent running all over the park trying to ride things that were closed. We missed so many favourites. So I stopped at guest services. I did not want to cause a scene in front of DDs but I said the the cast member "let me tell you about my day"..........and without me even asking, they asked what day I'd like to return during this vacation.
Disney did the right thing.....while not their fault, I spent a lot of money on a day that was not the value it should have been. I can tell you the park was jammed packed and it was hard to move around. There were massive groups of spring breakers, cheerleaders, Class of ???. With some friendly conversation in lines we determined that not only did we have the usual Texas and Florida spring break, but this year New York and Arizona changed their date by one week earlier so they are there too!
Well, I'll be doing it all again Tuesday so let's hope they figure out the issues and we can move successfully around the park.
Hope none of you have similar experiences!
Have a great day!
But if they want to truly enforce this window of opportunity, it needs to be TWO hours, to accommodate delays at other attractions, dining, etc. I'll be expressing my view to Disney after my friend gets back next week. 
