Santa Clause is coming...to Disney! Dec. at CBR! *8/4- pics of WWoHP!*

[nessz79]

As a Disney Nut, you are in reality just a big kid, so you were well within your rights to go explore the caves. I know I would have.

And Thanks for the pics of the stores. It's been 4 years, but the pics of the Christmas store brought me right back to our last trip.

Love the new title too. You threw me for a second because I could have sworn I had subscribed, but the title didn't sound familiar.

Thanks- I'm trying to mix it up! I don't have too many followers and I can't figure out if it's me or my title. I'm hoping it's just my title!

I know- I'm always going to be in suspense about that cave now. Since DH and I are chaperones for Grad Bash, I'll have to see if it's open.

I loved the Christmas store- I would have taken a bit more time if I weren't the only one in our party interested in browsing.

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

Thanks- I'm trying to mix it up! I don't have too many followers and I can't figure out if it's me or my title. I'm hoping it's just my title!

I know- I'm always going to be in suspense about that cave now. Since DH and I are chaperones for Grad Bash, I'll have to see if it's open.

I loved the Christmas store- I would have taken a bit more time if I weren't the only one in our party interested in browsing.

I was wanting to buy everything in the store.

Not sure why more people aren't here. The new title may help, who knows.

I think as a chaperone it will be one of your duties to explore those caves. You need to be sure they are safe for the kids.

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Hey there! Just finished up reading your mini trip report! We leave to go to WWOHP in a week!!! OMG I can not believe how crowded it is there! So what shold my strategy be hit that up earlier or later in the day? Also what are these reservations you spoke of to get in? Do you need them? How and where do you go about getting them? Any info you can provide would be great!

So glad you had a good trip!

 

[nessz79]

Hey there! Just finished up reading your mini trip report! We leave to go to WWOHP in a week!!! OMG I can not believe how crowded it is there! So what shold my strategy be hit that up earlier or later in the day? Also what are these reservations you spoke of to get in? Do you need them? How and where do you go about getting them? Any info you can provide would be great!

So glad you had a good trip!

Hi!!

Ok, according to what I have read on the US/IOA board and from my own experience, do NOT try to enter WWoHP in the morning or early afternoon. I would recommend 6 PM or later.

I don't understand the reservations thing either. All I know is when we got in in the morning, there was this super long line with people lined up single file. There was someone with a bullhorn (no kidding!) yelling at people that they only need one person from their party to get their reservations and that everyone else needed to get out of line. I was so shocked by the crowds and franticness of the situation that I never really understood what was going on.

However, in the morning, when we came up to the WWoHP area, we were redirected. Only those who had reservations were able to get into WWoHP. Everyone else was directed across a bridge. Once we crossed said bridge, we could either a) get into an extremely long line to wait to get into WWoHP which didn't move very quickly. People shuffled along every now and then and I heard rumor that it would be 4 hours to get into WWoHP in this line. or b) you could move in the opposite direction towards the rest of Jurassic Park. We chose B. As we moved in the opposite direction we saw more of the same line wrapping all the way back towards Toon Lagoon (trust me, this is pretty far). I was like . No way!

So we went back to the hotel to rest and came back after 5. After doing a quick re-tour of Seuss Landing, we were able to get into WWoHP with no silly lines to go through. The rides had long lines, of course, but at least we could see the buildings and shops up close.

 

[nessz79]

I think as a chaperone it will be one of your duties to explore those caves. You need to be sure they are safe for the kids.

Absolutely!

 

[Tinker_Tam]

Loving the mini trip report!!

YEA!!! for adding more park days!!

 

[nessz79]

Loving the mini trip report!!

YEA!!! for adding more park days!!

Thanks- I'm so happy!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

Hi!!

Ok, according to what I have read on the US/IOA board and from my own experience, do NOT try to enter WWoHP in the morning or early afternoon. I would recommend 6 PM or later.

I don't understand the reservations thing either. All I know is when we got in in the morning, there was this super long line with people lined up single file. There was someone with a bullhorn (no kidding!) yelling at people that they only need one person from their party to get their reservations and that everyone else needed to get out of line. I was so shocked by the crowds and franticness of the situation that I never really understood what was going on.

However, in the morning, when we came up to the WWoHP area, we were redirected. Only those who had reservations were able to get into WWoHP. Everyone else was directed across a bridge. Once we crossed said bridge, we could either a) get into an extremely long line to wait to get into WWoHP which didn't move very quickly. People shuffled along every now and then and I heard rumor that it would be 4 hours to get into WWoHP in this line. or b) you could move in the opposite direction towards the rest of Jurassic Park. We chose B. As we moved in the opposite direction we saw more of the same line wrapping all the way back towards Toon Lagoon (trust me, this is pretty far). I was like . No way!

So we went back to the hotel to rest and came back after 5. After doing a quick re-tour of Seuss Landing, we were able to get into WWoHP with no silly lines to go through. The rides had long lines, of course, but at least we could see the buildings and shops up close.

Sounds like I should wait a couple of years to go see Harry Potter. Hopefully the crowd level in a few years will be much lower.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Whew! I was way behind and just caught up. Sad to read that the trip is already over. Did you get your tickets upgraded?

 

[taramoz]

DS 7: We'll call him Simba. Sweet, smart, artsy, an introvert. He loves fast rides. Is at an age where characters are "obviously fake" which is kind of sad. However, he still loves to interact with them in his shy way.

Find out in my next installment!

OMG, just starting reading yours and saw the "obviously fake". I am going through this with my daughter (6) and it is so sad for me!

 

[nessz79]

Whew! I was way behind and just caught up. Sad to read that the trip is already over. Did you get your tickets upgraded?

No, that was just a mini-trip to Sea World and IOA to see Harry Potter. The real trip is still in December!

 

[nessz79]

OMG, just starting reading yours and saw the "obviously fake". I am going through this with my daughter (6) and it is so sad for me!

I know- I'm like "Already????"

Welcome, by the way!!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

DS 7: We'll call him Simba. Sweet, smart, artsy, an introvert. He loves fast rides. Is at an age where characters are "obviously fake" which is kind of sad. However, he still loves to interact with them in his shy way.
DS 5 (nearly 6): We'll call him Tigger. Boisterous, generous, a definite extrovert. Although he's "all boy" fast rides kind of scare him. However, he loves "scary" rides and isn't afraid of the scarier themes. Loves animals.

I shall call him squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my squishy Come on, squishy Come on, little squishy

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Thank you so much for all the info for the WWOHP!!! I Am so excited to go next week, but I know I am going to get annoyed by the crowds! I can see it now!

So I am thinking after 5p is when we will be hitting up WWOHP!

 

[nessz79]

Thank you so much for all the info for the WWOHP!!! I Am so excited to go next week, but I know I am going to get annoyed by the crowds! I can see it now!

So I am thinking after 5p is when we will be hitting up WWOHP!

I followed a thread on the US/IOA boards about Harry Potter crowds and noticed that people that were able to enter w/o a line, entered in the evening. I think that's your best bet.

 

[nessz79]

I shall call him squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my squishy Come on, squishy Come on, little squishy

I had to think where I had heard that from!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

I had to think where I had heard that from!

Sorry about that. When I saw that someone quoted that from your first post, that line from Finding Nemo just popped into my head, and I had to get it out.

 

[nessz79]

Ok, so I tried to do my first Disney spreadsheet. I'm not too good with Excel to begin with and I was using Excel from a Mac, so it was doubly difficult. I was able to copy and paste it in to this message, but I think I need a little decoding for you guys. I broke it down into each day we will be there. Technically, we'll be in Orlando on the 16th, but we'll be staying at an off-site hotel and won't be doing anything Disney that evening. The next morning, 17th, we'll be checking into CBR as soon as we get up and eat.

For each day, I put the park hours for each park, the Crowd Calendar rating for that day (according to unofficial guide), which park is recommended, which park is not recommended (for each day), and which park we plan on going to. The only parks we know for sure on what days are MK on the 17th and Epcot on the 19th. We have reservations inside the park those days and we know we'll be there. I couldn't push park hoppers as I didn't want to push things. DH is already a bit uncomfortable going to a park every day and is also uncomfortable with the ridiculous amount of money we spent this summer.

Anyway, this is kind of what it looks like (but better in Excel):


Friday, 17th Sat, 18th Sun, 19th Mon, 20th Tues, 21st
MK 9-7, 9-10, 9-7, 9-1AM, 9-10,
Epcot 9-9:30 9-9:30 8-9:30 9-9:30 8-9:30
DHS 9-8:00 8-8:00 9-11:00 9-8:00 9-8:00
AK 9-6:00 9-6:00 9-6:00 8-7:00 9-7:00


CC Rating 4 6 1 4 5

Rec. Park HS EP EP MK, EP, HS MK, AK, HS
N. Rec. Park MK HS MK AK EP


Plan to visit MK MK or EP? EP HS? AK?

To sum it up, as I realize you can't see much from this format:
Friday, 17th- Check in at CBR, MK, Crystal Palace at 11:45, park open to 7
Sat, 18th- our anniversary, maybe visit Epcot for a few hours, Raglan Road at 5:30
Sun, 19th- Epcot, early EMH, Coral Reef at 11:35, but we're thinking of switching the reservation to a different restaurant at Epcot
Mon, 20th- Maybe Hollywood Studios, Cape May at 5:30
Tues, 21st- Animal Kingdom for a few hours, leave to go home in the early afternoon

What do you guys think? I know it's hard to read. I think we'd like to do Epcot 2 days, because it's DH and I's favorite park and it *is* our anniversary. I think the kids will live with only 1 day of Magic Kingdom. After all, we've been here several times before and will come again. I would like to do HS if not just for the Osborne lights, which I've never seen before. Also, DH thinks DS5 would really enjoy AK as he is super into dinosaurs, reptiles, any animals really.

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

Sounds doable. I'm surprised the kids are ok with only one day at MK. I saved that park for last in 2007, and then we never went to another park. Missed out on alot of Epcot, but since we will be ther for eight days this time we should be able to get two full days at Epcot.
I really got to update my ptr with my high level plans. Hopefully I can find some time to get it together later tonight.

 

[nessz79]

Sounds doable. I'm surprised the kids are ok with only one day at MK. I saved that park for last in 2007, and then we never went to another park. Missed out on alot of Epcot, but since we will be ther for eight days this time we should be able to get two full days at Epcot.
I really got to update my ptr with my high level plans. Hopefully I can find some time to get it together later tonight.

Maybe because we've only done 1 day at Magic Kingdom. We usually only go on 3 day trips, as that's as long as I can convince DH to go . However, I must say that our kids are literally happy with just about every park/vacation we go to. Whatever the last place we've been, that's their absolute favorite place to go .

DH and I's favorite is Epcot. I'm hoping to pass it on to the kids, though they've only been once so far. All their trips before that was to the MK only.