(Previously) Ongoing 1st trip TR by a DLR vet

[DLR29]

Hi everyone. I'm in Orlando now. I went to Epcot for the first time last night. We rode Living with the Land, The Seas w/ Nemo and Friends, and Spaceship Earth because it closed today for a few months for refurb. We also rode Test Track with only a 30-35 minute wait. It didn't seem that crowded for what everyone said. We had dinner at the Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club Resort. I did lose my camera on Test Track so I won't have very many pictures. The only pictures that I will post are the ones that I'll be taking on my mom's camera.

Today, we got up early and got to MK for the opening ceremonies and rope drop. I was the first person at the Space FP machines and then we rushed over to ride BTMRR and Splash stand-by. Then we walked on to PotC. An okay ride but I like DL's better. We then got on the first raft to TSI (10:00) and explored for a bit. We found a paint brush and exchanged it for a FP for BTMRR which we rode immediately after coming back from the island.

Then it was our Space FP time, but on our way, we stopped and rode Jungle Cruise. We had a good skipper, which is what makes or breaks the ride. I really liked the Asian ruins part that DL's doesn't have. Then before riding Space, we got BLSRS FPs. We walked by a very long line at Space and boarded. It was much different from DL's, but still very fun. We had a little time before our BLSRS FPs so we rode TTA which was relaxing and had a cool breeze. Then we walked on to BLSRS with our FPs and then left for the day. It was hard to aim/control and I prefer DL's. We left at around noon and had already done 9 rides. 5 of them major. Not bad for July. Tonight we are going to Epcot for dinner at Le Cellier and Illuminations.

 

[Illuminations06]

sounds like you're having a lot of fun at disney so far!! have a great time at Le Cellier and Illuminations; it's really entertaining!

 

[DLR29]

Just a little note. These little paragraphs are not the whole TR. They are simply little notes that I will use to remember everything. I will write a complete and detailed TR later. I'm writing these notes during our afternoon break, but I also want to relax during that time too.

 

[DLR29]

Everning: July 9th

Last night we arrived at Epcot around 4:15. We decided to ride Journey into Imagination because it had no line. It was a little boring until the end which caught us all by surprise. We walked over to Le Cellier and were seated with our ADR's very quickly. That pretzel bread is to die for! My filet mignon was amazing and delicious. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone.

We got out of the restaurant with 3 hours until Illuminations, so we explored some of the World Showcase. First up was Mexico. I really liked the pyramid and the theming inside. The wood carver was very neat. Gran Fiesta Tour was alright, but nothing to write home about. We left Mexico and continued on left. Maelstrom had a long line, but because we hadn't waited in very many lines so we toughed it out. It ended up being about 30 minutes. The ride itself is well themed and very fun, but an extra minute or 2 would make this so much better.

We toured China, Germany, and Italy. Then my DB, who is now in love with Test Track, was getting bored of World Showcase, so we rode TT with only a 40 minute line (when they advertised 70). When we exited, we found standing room places to watch Illuminations. My DB and DM were not so keen on getting up front with lots of sweaty people (a TON of Brazilian tour groups) so they watched from the back. The show was spectacular and so amazing, words can't describe it. I loved the lights in the sky and the images on the globe. The finale was also great! We sped out of there and got back to our condo in 10 minutes.

 

[DLR29]

Morning: July 10th

We woke up a little later this morning and started out for MGM. We arrived around 9:15 and immediately got ToT FPs. Then we went back to ride Great Movie Ride. I loved this ride a lot. It was long, well themed, and different than any other dark ride I've ever been on (guides actually interacting with the ride). It was then time for our ToT FPs. My DB tried it (he hasn't been on the one at DCA, but my parents have), but didn't like it. Oh well, I thought it was great. The random drop sequences and the 4th dimension room made this ride better than DLR's.

I then took the opportunity to use the RnRC SR line while the rest of my family relaxed. The line didn't take long, but they were sending out empty trains for a while like it was broken. Then we walked over to the backlot for the 11:50 LMA show. The stunts were great and I really liked the end result (the movie at the end with the finale), but it was very loud and there were only a few fans blowing. We then came back here for lunch and we plan on going to AK for a few hours this evening.

 

[DLR29]

Evening: July 10th

We came back to the parks around 4. AK, which was great. THere were a ton of people leaving and we realized that the parade had just ended and so we followed the end of the parade to Africa. We pretty much walked on to Kilimanjaro Safaris and saw a bunch of animals. We then walked back through Discovery Island to Dinoland because the tip board said there were Dinosaur FPs left.

It was wrong, but unfortuneately the line was very short, only 10 minutes long. The ride itself was fun, but there were a lot of dark, unused spaces, and the audio was very very loud, especially at the ending. While my family relaxed and grabbed a frozen lemonade, I jumped on Primeval Whirl, my first spinning mouse coaster. It was fun, but bumpy and it had a few minor breakdowns while I was in line.

My DD(dad not daughter ) needed some AC, so we ate dinner at Pizzafari. The food was alright, but not great. We decided to see the last, 7:30, show of Festival of the Lion King. I am so glad we did. It started to pour and there was a ton of thunder and lightning. Everyone ran for cover when the theater doors opened. The show was spectacular and much better than I expected. We then left AK and returned to our condo. The lightning and thunder continued on for a long time and they were striking very close to us. It was a little freaky.
_________________

 

[DLR29]

Morning: July 11th

We woke up early again and arrived at MK for rope drop. I was to get Space FPs and then meet my family at Winnie-the-Pooh, but the FP machines weren't working right away and we just got Winnie-the-Pooh FPs. We walked across Fantasyland and rode Peter Pan and IASW with small waits. Then Snow White which was much better and scarier than DL's. Mickey's Philharmagic was next, which was a fun show. I really enjoyed the scents and different effects featured in this film.

I then rushed back over to Space where the FP machines had since begun operating. Then we rode Winnie-the-Pooh with our FPs and then Goofy's Barnstormer. We walked along the back path by the train to Tomorrowland and got in line for Stitch. The show was alright and not as bad as I had heard, though I'm not sure I would do it again. The Carousel of Progress was the next thing and it was fun to see an old attraction still in operation that Walt created.

We had another great ride on Space with our FPs and we rode the railroad to Frontierland where we got BTMRR FPs for tonight. We're returning the MK tonight. And BTW, I just got a call from Lost and Found and they have my camera. I'll be picking it up tonight.

 

[momof2boyz12]

Great start. I enjoy the daily "blurbs" about what you are doing. How are the crowds at the parks? And the weather? We will be there in 8 days, and this is our first trip to Florida/WDW in July. I am a little nervous about the heat and crowds as I have two sons, 3 and 6.

Have fun!

 

[Disfan3]

this is great!! You are right there!! How exciting!!!

Thanks for sharing and have an EXCELLENT DAY!!!

 

[Tanmadpey]

I'm loving reading the reports. We leave on Friday night!!! How are the crowds? I know you mentioned the first day at Epcot wasn't bad, but what about the rest of the week? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your answer.

 

[DLR29]

It is crowded, but very manageable. If you get there early, use FP, leave in the middle of the day for a break, and return in the evening, you'll have no problems. Here's how the crowds have been so far.

Sunday night: Epcot- pretty light: Soarin and TT had 45 minute lines around 6. Less around 7. All other rides except Maelstrom (20-30) and Mission:Space (20) had no line. That included Spaceship Earth, JIIw/F, Universe of Energy, Living with the Land, Gran Fiesta Tour, and Nemo.

Monday morning: MK- pretty light: Before 10, we rode Splash, Big Thunder, and PotC (all were walk ons/5minutes) as well as getting a Space FP. Then before noon, which is when we left, we had ridden BTMRR again, been to TSI, Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear, Space with our FP and TTA.

Monday evening: Epcot- semi-crowded: Lines for TT and Soarin were around 60 minutes around 6 and a little less around 7. Nemo had a 30 minute line as did Maelstrom and Mission: Space had a 20 minute line again. Other rides had 0-10 minute lines. Illuminations was very crowded as there were many Brazil tour groups seeing it that night.

Tuesday morning: MGM-pretty crowded: Might have been because the park is smaller, but the lines grew fast here. ToT and RnRC had a 45 minute line at 10:00 and GMR had around a 30 minute line. The lines for the 2 stunt shows were long and crowded. The walkways here are narrow and pretty crowded, but we got in and did the things we wanted to and got out of there as fast as possible. We were able to do ToT, RnRC (single rider), GMR, and see LMA in 3 hours.

Tuesday evening: AK-not crowded: Although all rides were out of FP, Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl had 15 minute lines around 5 or 6. The park really clears out after the 4PM parade. ITtbaB was 5 minutes every time we passed. Kilimanjaro Safaris had a walk on wait when we rode right after the parade passed. The last show of FotLK was pretty crowded but that was probably because it was pouring outside. I don't know about KRR or EE because we didn't get over to Asia.

Wednesday morning: MK-moderate: Lines were short in Fantasyland for about an hour, although the lines for Peter Pan and Winnie-the-Pooh built fast and were 45-60 minutes by 1. Other than Space, the lines in Tomorrowland were very manageable all less than 20 minutes. Space's line was about 45 minutes around 11:00. Splash had a 60 minute line and BTMRR had a 40 minute line around 12.

Wednesday evening: MK-moderate: Again lines were long, but manageable. Splash had an 80 minute line around 4, but still was offereing FPs. BTMRR was around 45 around that time. Jungle Cruise had a 60 minute line around 5, but PotC and MCoA only had 10 minute lines. Space only had a 50 minute line around 7 and was still giving FPs for 10-11. Buzz and Monster's Inc. both had around 20 minute lines. The rest of Tomorrowland was reasonable.

The crowds are large and we have done a lot of people weaving, especially at the entertainment at all 4 parks (Dream along with Mickey show, parades, fireworks). If you don't want to deal with these lines, go early and hit the rides with long lines later. Then return in the evening for the shows and rides that don't have long lines at all.

 

[DLR29]

Rides that you definitely should ride early because the lines grow fast:

MK- Space, Splash, BTMRR (also has an outdoor line =hot line in afternoon), Jungle Cruise, Winnie-the-Pooh, Peter Pan, Astro Orbitor, Dumbo, Tomorrowland Indy Speedway.

Epcot- Test Track, Soarin, Maelstrom

MGM- ToT, RnRC, Great Movie Ride

AK- EE, KRR (because it's hot, the line will be long), Safaris

All of the rest of the rides have been having lines less than 30 minutes when we have returned in the afternoon.

 

[Tanmadpey]

Thanks for taking the time out of your vacation to respond!

I hope the rest of your time is magical!

 

[DLR29]

Evening: July 11th

We returned to the MK around 4 and took the train to Frontierland to use our BTMRR that we had picked up earlier in the day. We sped past at least 45 minutes of line. Then my parents wanted to see the Country Bears. I thought it was boring and I couldn't quite hear all of the audio, which made some of the show confusing.

Then we watched the Tiki Room Under New Management which was an interesting twist on the classic Tiki Room. I liked it, although there are probably a lot of people who like the original at DL better. Pirates only had a 20 minute line advertised, so we waited. It ended up being 20 minutes for the line and the ride conbined. We were hungry so we ate dinner at Pecos Bill Cafe. The burgers were good and there was a big fixin's bar.

After dinner, we headed over to Tomorrowland where we saw the new Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor. It was funnier than I had expected. Then we got BLSRS FPs and rode the TTA again. Then we got some smoothies and soft serve at Auntie Freezes (which was pretty good) to kill some time before our FPs were up. Though the second ride was better, I still like DL's Buzz better because it is easier to aim. We then shopped a little on Main Street and left before the first Spectromagic parade because my DB was getting tired.

Today's our off day and I hope to go see Harry Potter 5.

 

[DLR29]

July 12th

Today we relaxed, swam, and did not go to the parks. Instead, I saw Harry Potter: 5 at the AMC at DTD. It was pretty good but probably pretty confusing for anyone who hasn't read the book. Then afterwards, we ate at the Rainforest Cafe because we are Rainforest Cafe Club members, so we got a free appetizer. Then we explored the shops and walked around DTD. Tomorrow we go to AK and MGM for Fantasmic.

 

[DLR29]

Morning: July 13th

We woke up early and went to AK. By entering through the Rainforest Cafe entrance, we were able to get into the park before the people at the front gate. We were the first people at the rope drop. My DD and I rode EE (first train of the day) while my DM and DB got 2 FPs for EE and 2 FPs for KRR.

After an amazing ride on EE, we rode another safari where we saw more animals than our afternoon ride. We still had some time before the FP times were good so we walked the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. It was nicely themed and we saw a lot of cool animals. We walked back to Asia and my mom and I rode EE with those 2 FPs. This time we rode towards the back and I thought it was better back there. The yeti is such a HUGE animatronic!

Then my DD and I rode KRR with the 2 FPs. The ride was kind of wimpy, but the theming was superb. We walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek which was also well themed like its Africa partner. The animals were not very active because of the heat, but they were still visible. We tried to get into the 11:30 FN:tM, but it was full so we just explored the Discovery Island trails, shopped, and left. Tonight, we are seeing Fantasmic at MGM.

 

[DLR29]

Evening: July 13th

We arrived at MGM just before 4, hoping to get into the 4PM IJSS. When we got to IJSS, it was closed due to capacity which was a bummer, but we walked back towards the Backlot Tour. We joined the line for the tour, but half way through, it started to pour and they shut down the ride due to inclement weather. So being frustrated, my parents suggested that I ride RnRC with the SR line because surely that would be short. WRONG! The SR line was packed with tour groups and lot s of people. The tour groups were having a "battle" of cheers that got so out of control that the CMs had to come in and calm them down. The line NEVER moved in the 30 minutes that I waited. The only time we moved was when someone up the line got out of line. it was ridiculous.

I unfortuneately had to leave the line too because we had 5:00 reservations at H&V for the Fantasmic dinner package. The food was pretty good and so were the desserts. After dinner we walked back to the Backlot Tour which had opened. The props and special effects were very cool, but our guide was just average. We then wanted to see the Narnia exhibit, but since Mickey Avenue is closed because of TSM construction, we had to walk all the way around. The exhibit itself was disappointing. It was just a summary of the movie and a trailer for the upcoming Narnia movie.

We still had time before Fantasmic so we saw the VotLM. It was well done and had some great puppetry. Then we proceeded to Oscar's Gas Station where we were allowed to walk straight into the Fantasmic theater where we found decent seats an hour before. The theater filled up within 15 minutes and it was 45 minutes of waiting. The Brazilian tour groups were "battling" it out again, but it was temporarily silenced with "the wave". The show finally started and was just as amazing as DL's. A wonderful experience.

 

[DLR29]

Morning: July 14th

This morning we got to Epcot just after rope drop. I got Soarin FPs and met my family at Test Track. We walked on and then I rode Mission: Space, while my family rode TT again (my brother really likes this ride). M:S was unlike anything I'd experienced and it was intense! Orange version of course. We all then rode Ellen's Energy Adventure, which I thought was comical as well as educational. The theater/ride concept was very cool.

It was time for out Soarin FPs so we headed over to the Land. The line at 10:45 was already 70 minutes. (it was 110 when we left around 2). Shocked World Showcase had just opened when we got off, so we toured the other half that we hadn't on Monday. O Canada and Impressions of France, I thought, were boring, but provided some good views. The American Adventure was fun and a very good Audio Animatronics show. Otherwise, we just looked around Japan, Morocco, and UK. We left very tired and just before a thunderstorm. I don't know if we'll be returning to the parks tonight, so this could be my last WDW update

 

[DLR29]

Evening: July 14th

We did go to the parks last night. We got to the MK ticket booths around 5 and went to Space to check out the line/FP's. They were still offering FPs but they were for later than we wanted so we just went on BLSRS with a 20 minute wait. I then sped all the way across the park and got BTMRR FPs for 7:15 and then ran all the way back to eat dinner at the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station. The food was not great and for anyone who's had good, real Chinese food, I would not recommend this place.

After dinner we checked out the PPF line. It said 50 minutes with the FPs for 11:00, so we decided to wait it out. The line turned out to be around 35 minutes, but it moved very slowly. We didn't mind waiting in lines because we had already ridden everything that we had wanted to, before, with minimal waits. Then we trekked over to Frontierland to use our BTMRR FPs. The stand-by line said 30 minutes but it looked longer and it was very hot with all of the body heat. The ride is very fun at dusk and probably even better at dark.

My DD and I then rode Splash while my DB and DM went looking for frozen lemonade. While we were in the 60 minute line for Splash, a party of 4 came through the FP line asking for a group of 2. They had extra FPs and they gave them to us. We probably skipped half of the line, which was a nice gift. I really liked the view of the castle from the top of the drop at night! We then sped out of there before the parade reached Frontierland. We weaved through the Main Street shops but were stuck just before City Hall. We watched about 3/4 of the parade which was spectacular, but afterwards, we joined the crowds and got out of there, as we were tired and ready to go.

Good-bye WDW. It was fun. I'll be writing a full TR as soon as possible. Today we're going to the Kennedy Space Center, so I might give another update.

 

[DLR29]

Okay here's where the detailed TR's start.

Pre-TR

We have been planning this WDW trip since last June. We booked our Worldmark timeshare/condo because we didn't need to use $, just our credits. It ended up being directly next to the Crowne Plaza Hotel on International Drive to give you an idea of location, and it was only a 5-15 minute drive to the parks. This would be our 1st trip to WDW and 1 out of the 6 weeks of the road trip that we are currently on.

My family consists of 4 people: My dad, who likes most of the rides and has never been to WDW before. He is a little forgetful sometimes and has a tendency to get a little snippy when he doesn't get enough sleep. He also (until this trip) didn't realize how important it was to get to the parks at rope drop.

My mom who, like me, loves Disney and everything Disney. She has planned most of this long road trip. She has even posted on these forums and searched the Internet for lots of different dining and touring tips. She also made the ADR's for our table service meals.

My brother, who hates Disney and strongly despises the characters because he doesn't want to admit that he likes anything that I love. He also tires out very quickly in the heat and only likes to ride certain rides more than once. Although this trip he tried very many new things that he liked and disliked, he would much rather be home than on this road trip.

Me! I've been on these boards trying to soak up every piece of information and tips. I've also bought the Unofficial Guide and TGM as well as reading many other guide books, got the personalized maps, and been looking up every single detail of WDW I can possibly find on the web. I have been extremely excited since the day we booked our condo. I also would have loved to start at the parks really early and stay really really late. Too bad the rest of the family actually gets tired!

We got in the car on Saturday June 30th and set off. We finally arrived a week later on July 8th. We checked in to the condo which was very nice. 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and a nice living room and kitchenette. If we had stayed onsite with the same kind of room it would have been at least $250 a night. As we unpacked, I was so eager to get to the parks, but the rest of my family (my dad mostly) wanted to relax a bit after driving a bit. So I had to wait awhile, anxiously, while they napped and my brother watched cartoons.

Since I am on a road trip, I do not know when the next time I will be getting wifi next, but the Epcot day will be coming soon.