"This isn't bad for July" 7/8-7/14 Now with plenty of PHOTOS!

[DLR29]

Pre-TR

Teenager writing this report so bear with me. 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, 11, 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! 14 and a Disney nut! 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.

 

[DLR29]

Sunday, July 8th: Epcot

As my family (finally) woke up, I got the tickets ready, filled our mister, and put on bug repellant/sunscreen and set off! Since we had made Cape May Cafe ADR's, we parked over at the Beach Club Resort (though it took us a little while to figure out how to get there) and tried to find our way to the International Gateway. We tried to walk around the hotel, and it took us a lot longer than if we had just walked into the lobby. But we found it eventually and we entered Epcot. Right now I was frantically taking pictures with excitement. We were at WDW!

Since I knew ahead of time that Spaceship Earth was closing on July 9th, we headed straight for that to ride it before it closed. We walked on. It was a great way to start our trip. My favorite part of the ride was at the top of the dome with all of the stars. Then we checked out the electronic tip board (which helped us a lot during our trip) and it said TSw/N&F was only 5 minutes. It ended up being a walk on. The ride is amazing and I really liked the part where you go into the East Australian Current or something like that.

We had time for 1 more ride before dinner, so we saw on the tip board that Living with the Land had a 5 minute wait, which also ended up being a walk on. I liked the beginning with the different biomes. I also enjoyed looking at the oversized produce, although there was only 1 nine-pound lemon.

Then we exited Epcot and headed for the Beach Club. We were seated within a few minutes and our server was very nice. We had a conversation with her because she used to live near DL and i was wearing our DL lanyard that holds tickets/FPs. The food was pretty good. They had a clam bake, some good BBQ ribs, and a good dessert bar.

We returned to the park and walked over to Test Track because it only said it had a 40 minute line. After hearing some stories about TT's long line, I didn't think that it was that bad. We ended up boarding in about 35 minutes. The ride was incredibly fun and my brother really enjoyed it (surprisingly). The outside part was so fun and fast! The truck scared all of us! However, when we exited the ride and started exploring the GM exhibit (which was really cool), I discovered that I didn't have my camera. I found the case inside one of the cars, but no camera. I was sure that someone had stolen it. What made it worse, is that I had just lost my camera at DL in December, on the first ride of the trip, and had just paid for this other one! It was so frustrating going through the same thing 2 times! After reporting it to Guest Relations (which I thought was pointless after never finding my camera at DL), we left the park disappointed. We went back to our condo and I went to sleep, angry and confused. Not a good way to start a Disney vacation.

What will happen to me next? I don't know. You'll have to keep reading. Next up in MK and Epcot again. Though I don't know when I will be posting it.

 

[abordelon]

We are leaving the 23rd. I can't believe it's only 6 days from now! Anyway, great start with your report. I am sorry to hear about your camera. That is becoming such a common theme in all the reports I read. Everyone has had a camera lost or stolen.

 

[DLR29]

Monday, July 9th

We woke up early and started to get ready for the day. Though I was still a little disappointed about my camera, I was still excited about going to the MK. We set off for the parks just after 8:15. We parked in the Pluto section of the lot and immediately hopped on the tram. At the TTC, we took the ferry because it was just leaving. We got to the gates before the opening ceremonies and positioned ourselves in front of the right tunnel. The ceremonies were nice, but I was much more focused on getting into the park.

Once they allowed everyone into Main Street, around 8:50, everyone was running in different directions. I took all of our passes and sped ahead to the Tomorrowland rope drop. At 9, when they walked us back to Space, I was the first one at the Space FP machines. I got them and cleared out of there. We walked all the way across the park to ride BTMRR as the first ride of the day. We walked on and actually only had 6 people in the train. It was a great ride, similar to DL's. I did like the part where the train rocks back and forth. That was different.

We waited only about 5 minutes for Splash which felt good on a warm summer morning. When we were going around the drop, another log was going down the drop, and we were sprayed by the fountains that shoot up. I thought that it was better than DL's because it was longer and had more theming. We wanted to go over to TSI on the first raft, but we still had 25 minutes until 10, so we walked over to Adventureland, where we walked right on to PotC. MK's version is very short and only had 1 drop. Though I liked it, DL's is WAY better.

It was still not 10 (I know, 3 major rides in less than an hour ) but we still got in line for the rafts to TSI. I had read on here about the paintbrushes and we were determined to find one. Me and my DB took one side of the island, while my parents looked on the other. We each took a cell phone and after a few minutes, ours started to ring. My parents had found one and we met back on the dock. They were very excited and when we returned to the mainland, we received our free FPs and also a Magical Moments certificate, which was a nice memento for the moment.

We decided to use the special FPs right then, so we used them on BTMRR and skipped about 20 minutes of line. Then our Space FPs were good, so on our way over there we stopped for a ride on Jungle Cruise. We had a good skipper, which was good because the boats were backing up at the end so she told us some Disney jokes off the top of her head. I really liked the temple portion of the ride. The ride was longer than DL's, but most of the jokes were original.

We crossed the hub, grabbed BLSRS FPs, and then skipped at least 45 minutes of Space's line with our FPs. The ride was fun, with more drops than DL's. But DL's soundtrack and smoother track make MK's inferior. I did like MK's comfy seats. Then we had a little time before our second set of FPs was ready, so we rode the world famous TTA. It was relaxing and a fun ride with no line. I thought that BLSRS was going to be a really fun time, but it was really frustrating not being able to remove the guns from the car like DL's. It was still fun, just not easy to aim or control your score. I really liked the space tunnel part. We then stopped touring MK and went back to the condo. Not bad because we left the park around 12.

We came back to Epcot around 4:15 and asked to get a parking space closer than where they were assigning us to. It worked and we parked 2 rows back from the handicapped lots. We entered and went straight to JIIw/F. It was kinda boring, but the ending took us all by surprise. We had a 5:00 ADR for Le Cellier so we walked over to Canada. By far this was THE best meal of the entire road trip so far. The pretzel bread was to die for and all of our steaks were amazing. I would recommend this place to everyone and anyone, and I would most certainly go back. After dinner, we explored the East side of World Showcase. Gran Fiesta Tour was alright and a place to escape the early evening rain. I really liked the Mexico pavilion with the vendors, the artifacts, and the giant pyramid in the background.

Maelstrom had a pretty long line, but since we hadn't waited much at all on the trip, we stood it out. The ride itself was fun, but if it had an extra couple minutes, that would be perfect. I'm not sure it was worth a 25 minute line, but I really liked the backwards part. While waiting for Reflections of China, we walked around the Terra Cotta exhibit. The show, I thought, was a little dull, but some of the views were good. Then we walked through Germany. I loved the little train village. We got dessert (gelato) at the Italy pavilion and proceeded back to Future World.

Since my DB just loved Test Track the previous night, we rode again, this time waiting just a bit longer. It was nearing 9 and many people were setting up their area for Illuminations. There were several tour groups sitting in the North side of the lagoon. At one time, when my DD answered his phone, a lady in front of us said, "Woah, English? It's like we're the foreigners here." My DM and DB didn't want to stand near the lagoon with all of the body heat, but me and my DD got up close. The show was excellent and a very entertaining performance. The finale was the best part. We then left as fast as possible, people weaving through the huge crowd exiting the park. We got in our car and drove off to sleep at our condo.

MGM and AK coming soon. 500th post!

 

[tinawv]

Looks like the beginnings of a great trip report (except for losing your camera).

 

[MEK]

Thanks for the fun read. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.

 

[estherhead]

How many trips have I lost a camera on? LOTS! Once my dad put our video camera on top of our car & then forgot about it & drove over it! The tape of the vacation was obviously ruined. So sorry about that. It's just so easy to do.

Other than that, sounds great! Where else are you going on your 6 week road trip? I'd love to hear all about it!

 

[lynn71092]

Sounds good.
I'm in!!

 

[DLR29]

Ah, it's on the second page. Sorry everyone. There will be an update tomorrow.

 

[DLR29]

Tuesday, July 10th

After watching Illuminations the previous night, we (my DD especially) were a bit slower in getting up this day. We did end up leaving our condo around 8:50 and arrived at the MGM gates just before 9:15. I think that the gates look a little cheap for Disney and I was hoping for more of a grand Hollywood entrance. The first thing that we did was get ToT FPs. Then we went back to the Sorceror’s Hat to ride the Great Movie Ride. Its entrance is completely blocked by the hat (which I don’t like), but the exterior of the Chinese Theater looked great. We waited maybe 20 minutes for the ride. I liked the preshow, where they showed clips of movies that were seen in the ride. The ride itself surprised me. I really enjoyed it, how the tour guide got into the action and was a part of the experience. The audio-animatronics and scenery were good too.

It was then time for us to ride ToT. This was the first time that my DB was going to try a drop tower and he was nervous. My parents and I had ridden DCA’s ToT before, and so we knew the general idea. We had a minimal wait and proceeded into the preshow, which was exactly the same preshow as DCA’s. We were seated quickly and on our way into……… the Twilight Zone. Although I like California’s ToT, the random drop sequence and 4th dimension room make MGM’s a real winner. I then rode RnRC cool2: ) while my family took a rest from ToT (my DB didn’t like it, but he was a good sport about it). The Single Rider line helped a lot here, although before boarding, they emptied the ride and were sending empty trains through the ride for a few minutes. When the ride was operational again, I climbed in and was launched! Wow, this ride is amazing. Smooth and lots to look at, plus thrilling with inversions and tight turns at high speeds. This ride has everything! I was expecting it to be pitch black, but was instead, pleasantly surprised by the neon and road signs scattered throughout the attraction. Another great ride!

It was around 11:15 at this point, so we walked to the backlot to catch the 11:50 LMA stunt show. We waited about 15-20 minutes in the hot, covered line with limited fans and LOADS of body heat surrounding us. Then they escorted us to the stadium where everyone scrambled for the middle seats. We found decent seats before people were forced to sit behind poles or off in No Man’s Land. I honestly enjoyed this show a lot. The stunts were spectacular and the finished product was very cool to see. Highlights included the cars on their side, the jump backwards (which ended up being not. People who have seen the show know), and the grand finale! The show was pretty loud with all of the motors revving. After the show, we, and several hundred others, inched our way out of the stadium. Talk about crowded! After people weaving our way through the masses, we felt like we needed to take a break, so we left the park and started back for the condo.

At 3:30 we set off again, and by 4 we were at the AK gates, the only park we hadn’t visited yet. We entered into the Oasis and, pleasantly, discovered a large group of people leaving. Suddenly, we realized that the daily 4PM parade was just finishing and that a bunch of people would be leaving after that. We followed the parade into Africa, where, because of the parade, the Kilimanjaro Safaris entrance had been blocked. As the parade left, we, and several other people rushed into the safaris line to see if we could get on quickly. The line was nothing and they even opened up the second side of the line just as we got there. Seated in the back, we were thrown every which way through our trip to Africa. We saw plenty of animals for the middle of the afternoon in muggy Florida summertime.

We trekked back to Discovery Island and eventually Dinoland USA. The tip board said Dinosaur had a 60 minute line with FP available. However, when we got there, there were no FPs, but the line was only 10 minutes long. The ride was pretty good, but extremely loud, especially at the ending with the Carnosaurus. I think that Indy is better at DL because Dinosaur had a bunch of dark empty spaces. If there were more plants to simulate a prehistoric jungle, I think I would have liked it better.

We exited into Chester and Hester’s Dinorama. I had to take a spin on Primeval Whirl just so I could say that I had ridden it. The ride broke down a couple times while in line so a 15 minute wait turned into about 25. What also contributed to the 25 minute line was that they were only running 1 side. By this time, the heat and humidity was getting to my DD and he wanted to find an indoor, air-conditioned restaurant. It had also started to sprinkle, so the rest of us didn’t mind eating indoors either. I had heard good things about the Flame Tree Barbeque, but all of the seating was outdoors, so we passed. We ended up eating at Pizzafari, which was all right, but just average. While eating, we decided to see the final FotLK show at 7:30.

We showed up the recommended 45 minutes in advance, and, boy, were we glad. We were at the front of the line, waiting for the last show to finish when it started to rain. A few sprinkles here and there, we thought, ‘Oh, it’s not going to be that bad.’ WRONG! Soon we began to see large streaks of lightning and booming crashes of thunder. We could tell that the lightning/thunder was very near to us because of the volume and the lack of a gap between the lightning strike and the thunder. Along with the loud noises and bright flashes, it started to pour, and everyone standing in line rushed for cover in the little overhang just before entering the theater. It was very crowded with everybody crammed into the little dry space.

They opened the theater doors and our horde of people rushed in for cover, while the horde of people who had just seen the show were not wanting to leave because of the thundershowers. This caused mass chaos in the theater, which by no means is small, but was pretty much full. It took the exiting crowd a whole 20 minutes to clear out, some were encouraged to watch another show. They were also letting in more people who were desperate to get out of the bad weather. The show started on time and I was pleasantly surprised at how well done the show was. I was amazed by the detailed floats, and, as a big fan of the Lion King, I loved the songs. Of course our section, the warthogs, pretty much dominated over everyone else. I left the theater awestruck by the show. This show is the bomb! The rain had let up just as we left, and we, along with a everyone from a full theater, headed for the exit. We left just after 8 because the park had closed, so we got a bit more of rest in readiness for the next morning at MK. BTW, the thunderstorms and loud booms of thunder didn’t let up until around 9:45 or so. Some of the crashes were a bit frightening.

 

[DLR29]

Wednesday, July 11th

After getting to sleep earlier the night before, we woke up early in order to get to MK early again. This day we decided to take the monorail to the park instead of the ferry, which had just returned and wasn’t going to be leaving for a while. We exited the monorail to see that the opening ceremonies were just starting, but since we saw them on Monday, we found a spot near the entrance of the left tunnel while everyone else watched the show. I sped ahead of my family to get Space FPs and I was going to meet them at MAoWtP. When the rope was led back to Space, however, the ride was down and so were the FP machines. So I rushed back to Fantasyland where we got MAoWtP FPs.

We walked across Fantasyland and only waited maybe 5 minutes for Peter Pan. The ride is very similar to DL’s except for that in the station the boats move continuously, whereas at DL, they stop to unload/load. Since IASW was just across the way, we hopped on with no wait. I liked this version maybe even more than DL’s original version because at MK, the scenery is much closer to the boats, as opposed to DL’s where a short wall separates the boats from the props. It’s a little hard to explain, but if anyone has ridden both and can explain it better, go ahead. We did get stuck in the last room for about 5 minutes because the boats were backed up. Nonetheless, the song was pretty much stuck in my head the rest of the day.

Being a DL veteran, I can say that MK’s Fantasyland theming is far inferior to DL’s. It looks like the old DL from back in the 60’s and 70’s. The lines are basically switchbacks separated by chains in a large overhang that looks cheaply like a circus tent. DL’s is much better, looking like a European village with the buildings looking like buildings and part of the castle. Whatever, the rides are great at both parks. Snow White’s Scary Adventures was next, where we just walked right on. The ride here is much better than DL’s. DL’s ending is too abrupt and strange. Also I thought that MK’s was much more scary, with the witch looking more nasty. We still had a little time before Winnie-the-Pooh, so we decided to see Mickey’s Philharmagic. What a great show! The scents in the Beauty and the Beast scene made us all hungry, and the way that Donald and the Sorceror’s hat interacted with the different Disney movies was spectacular. Definitely in my top 10.

Just before riding MAoWtP, I ran back to Space, which had since opened up and retrieved FPs for later that morning. When returning, I found my family talking to a Dream Team member and I thought that we had won a dream. Unfortunately, it was only my DD asking where he could find an Alice in Wonderland pin for his co-worker. We boarded Winnie-the-Pooh with our FPs immediately and I found the ride to be very fun. I liked how we “bounced” with Tigger and “floated” in the flood. Finished with what we wanted to do in Fantasyland, my DD and I rode Goofy’s Barnstormer for the same reason that I rode Primeval Whirl. I’m obsessed with riding every coaster I can, even the kiddy coasters. We took the “red path” down to Tomorrowland. It was a nice path because there was hardly anyone walking on it.

Before we rode Space, we had time for 2 attractions: SGE and CoP. The sign outside of Stitch said 5 minutes, so we hopped in line. The line might have taken 5 minutes, but with 2 preshows, we got into our seats in about 25 minutes. It was very strange having shoulder restraints for a show. The whole show was very strange and unusual. It smelled nasty and there were lone portions of darkness where you could hear other people laughing or screaming because of the effects, but most of the show was pretty boring. We then walked across Tomorrowland to see the CoP. I’m so glad I got to see this attraction because I don’t know how much longer it will last, being a very old show. I thought it was interesting how the technology that I’ve grown up to take for granted has evolved so much. I also got the song stuck in my head (which isn’t so bad considering I had IASW an hour before).

Then it was time for Space with FP again, and again, we sped past a long stand-by line. I don’t see why someone would wait in a 45 minute line when you can get a FP and do other things in between. You get some decent airtime when sitting in the 2nd car of the train. Before leaving for our daily afternoon break, we took the train from Mickey’s Toontown Fair to Frontierland and got FPs to use for BTMRR for later when we returned. When we left the park we saw tons of people entering, who we felt bad for because they were just entering in the heat of the day and when the lines were at their longest. But that’s their fault for not planning or getting up early enough. In between the hours we were there (9-12) we rode almost 10 attractions. That’s not that bad for July (hence the title of the thread).

During our afternoon break, my DM got this call on her cell phone. They had recovered my camera!!!!!!!!! I was super excited for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, the battery had drained a lot, so I didn’t get a bunch of pictures that evening. We returned to MK after stopping at Lost & Found. First thing, we boarded the train at Main Street and took it to Frontierland where we used our FPs that we had gotten previously. Again, we skipped a bunch of the hot, sweaty line with FPs. Then my DM and DD wanted to see CBJ because they miss it now that it’s not at DL. I couldn’t hear a lot of the audio under the clapping/cheering/murmur in the audience. I never really liked it even at DL as a kid.

We then walked to Adventureland and saw Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management. I didn’t know what to expect, but I thought (don’t kill me ) that this version was an improvement from the original version at DL. Since we were in the area and PotC had a short line, we rode. The line sign said 20 minutes, but it ended up being 20 minutes including the ride time. We were hungry and so we ate at Pecos Bill Café, which had pretty good burgers with a high quality fixin’s bar. After dinner we trekked across the hub and into Tomorrowland. We got in line for the new Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor. The show was funny in spots, but I think they shouldn’t have put the jokes from the audience at the end, but something funnier. I really enjoyed the “box o laughs” or whatever it was called.

We grabbed BLSRS FPs and took another ride on TTA just to do something. We got smoothies and ice cream at Auntie Freezes nearby which felt good on a hot summer evening. When it was time for our BLSRS FPs, we boarded with minimal wait. The second BLSRS ride was easier to control than the first and I got a better score. Since my DB was starting to get tired and tired of the heat, we shopped and left before the parade.

 

[DLR29]

Thursday, July 12th

This was our off day. If you are going in July or anytime in the summer I highly recommend taking a whole day off to just relax and not tour the parks. I also recommend taking an afternoon break everyday to avoid the heat and crowds. We started off the day by sleeping in and being lazy! Yeah! We all took a morning swim and enjoyed the pool, which we hadn't been able to do because of the parks.

Since Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix had come out the day before, my DM and I went and saw it at the DTD AMC theatres. While we watched the movie, my DB and DD saw Ratatouille. Their movie got out a half an hour before ours so they agreed to go over to the Rainforest Cafe and get reservations while waiting for us. We rushed over to the DTD Marketplace and met up with them just in time for our ressie. We were seated in the gorilla room and, since we belong to the Rainforest Safari Club, we got a free appetizer. Between the 4 of us we shared 2 meals which was plenty and it saved us $.

After dinner we explored DTD, shopping, and we also got some Italian Ice. The World of Disney store was huge! We also enjoyed looking at the Magic of Disney Art shop, although we didn't buy anything there. We went back to the condo and got to bed early for an early morning the next day.

 

[zigzagzerr]

This is a really great report -- sorry, I just came upon it today, or I would have replied sooner!

I am loving the perspective of a Disneyland person, having gone there many times growing up, and I agree with you on pretty much everything. I especially agree about the feel in Fantasyland in the 2 parks.

Wonderful job, subscribing.

 

[DLR29]

Friday, July 13th

This day we woke up at 7 and quickly grabbed breakfast and set off to the parks around 8:15. We arrived at AK with 20 minutes to park opening and, from the helpful DISboards tip, we entered Rainforest Café and proceeded to the separate gate there. As opposed to the crowded main gate, there were maybe 2 parties ahead of us. They also let us into the park before the main gate, so we walked through an empty Oasis. It was very cool getting to the front of the rope drop and seeing everybody follow us in. We waited maybe 5 minutes at the rope and then the opening ceremonies began. They were fun, but I was more concerned about riding EE.

They led the rope through Asia and we were speed walking to the ride. My DD and I were the first ones in the stand-by line, but they had let other people in from Dinoland through the FP line. Huh? I really wanted the front, but we were put in the 6th row. Oh well. While my DD and I rode, my DM and DB got 2 EE FPs and 2 KRR FPs because my DB didn’t want to do either. The ride is spectacular! I think it’s the best ride at WDW. The backwards part was intense and the entire ride was much faster and smoother than I had expected. Also the yeti audio-animatronic was HUGE! We met up with the other 2 and walked across to Africa where we boarded a safari in less than 20 minutes. Again it was a fun ride. I’m not sure we saw a lot more animals than our afternoon one, but we did see a few more. The lions were even walking around!

We finished the safari and took the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. The gorillas were right up against the glass and a lot of the animals were active, especially the meerkats and the okapi. Then, our EE FPs were good, so my DM and I hopped in the FP line. What I like here is that this ride was built with FP in mind so it has its own FP line theming. This time we sat towards the back for another great ride! I could ride this all day. At this point, around 10:00, the line was already 45 minutes, and we were thankful that we had gotten there early. We spotted my DB and DD and walked over to KRR, where the other two FPs were ready. My DD and I got pretty wet, but the only part that got anybody in our raft wet was at the bottom of the drop. The scenery was good (the fire in the burning forest was hot!), but the ride was pretty wimpy. The actual rapids are better over at Grizzly River Run at DCA.

Next up on our tour was the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Since it was nearing 11:00 and it was getting hotter, much of the animals were in the shade and not active, but they were very visible. The tigers and bats were sleeping, but I liked the theme of their environments. What I also really liked about not only this trail, but the Africa one too is that the animals have tons of space to roam around, and they’re not crammed into a small section like a zoo. AK is naughtazu right? We rushed over to FN:tM to try and get into the 11:15 show, but it was already full. Oh well. It’s something to see on our next trip (whenever that will be). So we called it a morning and headed out, stopping to explore the Discovery Island trails a little.

We got back to the condo a little earlier this day, so naturally, we left for the parks a little earlier in the late afternoon. I really wanted to get to MGM for the 4:00 IJSS, so we got to the park around 3:45 (cutting it a bit close) and joined the line. We didn’t make it sad1: ), so chalk that one up with FN:tM for things to see on a different trip. We couldn’t see the 5:15 show because we had 5:00 ADR’s. Then we walked to the Backlot Tour hoping to get on, since we had missed it on Tuesday. As we were approaching the attraction, it started to pour and they closed the ride. At this point, I was so frustrated because I had been denied 2 attractions since we had gotten into the park. My DM thought that it would cheer me up with another ride on RnRC. She thought since it has a SR line, the line wouldn’t be that long for just me and I could squeeze in a ride before dinner.

She was wrong! When I approached the SR line, there were several tour groups in front of me. I thought that I had misread the signs and I was in the FP or Stand-by line, but no, they were in the SR line. Some of the Brazilian tour groups were “battling” it out between the SR line and the stand-by line with their little chants. It got so out of hand that several CM’s had to come in and calm the storm down. I still had not moved and I was tired of hearing shouted Portuguese cheers and songs. During the 30 minute time that I stood in the SR line, the line never moved. The only time that I moved was when people ahead of us were tired of waiting and left the line. 1 tour group actually left, which was when we moved the most. But the actual line didn’t move at all. It was like the SR line inside was way backed up and they weren’t letting any more SRs inside. I had to leave because of our ADR’s, but I was not happy.

We had booked Hollywood & Vine F!DP’s 180 days in advance, so I met up with the rest of my family there, and I explained the frustrating situation there. However, a little food in me calmed me down. The food was pretty good. My DD really liked the herb crusted salmon, and I liked the prime rib. We received the voucher for F!, finished our meal with a couple trips to the dessert bar, and set off for the Backlot Tour again because the rain had stopped. This time we did get to ride and I really liked the preshow with the explosions and water effects. The actual ride was good. I liked seeing all of the props and costumes that were on display, and Catastrophe Canyon was very neat. I was sitting on the left and got wet, which felt good on a hot, summer evening. Our guide though was either inexperienced, or nervous, or something because she didn’t seem like she knew everything. We all enjoyed the villains exhibit after the tour.

Then my DM wanted to check out what the Narnia exhibit was, but since Mickey Avenue is closed due to TSM construction, we had to walk ALL the way around, which was a pain. The exhibit was bad. It was pretty much a summary of the first movie, a short section where the Witch comes and talked a little bit, and a preview of Prince Caspian, the next Narnia movie. We then had to choose between the VotLM and another ride on GMR. We saw that the VotLM doors were open, so we walked right on (which is pretty good for July). I really liked the show, but it frightened a few little kids. I had the songs in my head the rest of the night. We then walked to Oscar’s Gas Station near the front, where, with out special dinner package voucher, we were allowed to go on our own path to the Fantasmic! theater.

Getting there an hour before, so 8PM, meant getting pretty good seats in our dinner package section, but the regular section was already very full and by 8:15 it was completely full. My DD left to get a frozen lemonade when the Brazilian tour groups were at it again! They had started doing the “Battle of the Brazilians” again with their chants and cheers like they were at summer camp shouting for spirit points or something. Again the CMs had to come and settle things down, but there were still spontaneous shouts of “BRASIL! BRASIL!” or other things in Portuguese. The people sitting around us were getting fed up too. The groom of a newly wed couple was thinking about traveling to Brazil and shouting “USA” in the streets while waving the American flag. I thought that was funny. Some people (probably tired of “BRASIL!” too) started the wave. Geniuses! This wave went back and forth for maybe 15 minutes and it stopped the chants for a while, before the groups decided that they would rather cheer some more than continue the wave. Seriously, it was their section that killed the wave.

Nearing 9:00, the announcement was that “Tonight’s showing of Fantasmic could be postponed or cancelled due to inclement weather.” There were moans, but many cheers when there was another announcement saying, “In just a few minutes, Fantasmic will be starting”, or something like that. However, before the show started, we heard both of those announcements twice more! The crowd sounded like this: “Awww. Yeah! Awww. Yeah! BOOOOOOO! YEAH! By the third announcement about the postponing of the show, the stadium echoed with boos and shouts! But when the lights dimmed for the 2nd time, (3rd hopeful announcement) many more cheers replaced the jeers, and the show finally did start.

I really enjoyed the show. It was very similar to DL’s, but I’m not sure which one I like more. While MGM’s has the Pocahontas scene, DL’s has Peter Pan. Both are great shows and definitely worth getting the dinner package and not waiting 2 hours for good seats. We left, exhausted, and returned to our condo, and crashed.

 

[zigzagzerr]

You must have been exhausted!!

We had an MGM day like yours last year -- blocked out of a few attractions because of the crowds, treated like herds of cattle at the shows. And rained on, too....are you sure we weren't there the same day?

I was worried as I was reading that you would get rained out of Fantasmic (which would really have capped off the day, yes?), so I'm glad you got a chance to see it. I've never seen the one at Disneyland.

Great job on the report!!

OT....I noticed that you will be at DL while we're at WDW (we're arriving 8/17), obviously great minds think alike.
Where in CA are you? I grew up in Glendale, in LA county, and I went to college in Northern CA, at UCSC.

 

[DLR29]

OT....I noticed that you will be at DL while we're at WDW (we're arriving 8/17), obviously great minds think alike.
Where in CA are you? I grew up in Glendale, in LA county, and I went to college in Northern CA, at UCSC.

I live up in Nor cal, in between San Fransisco and San Jose; the Bay Area.

Here's the last update in the series. I will have pics in a couple weeks.

Saturday, July 14th

After a late evening we were a little slow in getting up, but we did make it out of the condo around 8:30 and to Epcot just after park opening. I ran to the Land pavilion and got Soarin FPs. What was interesting here is that the increments of the FPs were in 3 minutes instead of the usual 5. I then hoofed it across Future World and met my family at Test Track. We pretty much walked on and got our own car to ourselves, so we made a funny face at the camera. We’ll probably get it when we get back in 2 weeks, and I can post it on here.

After getting off, I wanted to ride Mission: Space, but none of the rest of my family wanted to ride (they’re not keen on motion simulators, especially ones that spin), so I walked to the next pavilion by myself, while they hopped in the Test Track line again. I asked for an orange card and walked right on. This ride is intense! Though I couldn’t actually feel the spinning, the g-forces that were produced by the spinning were incredible. I also liked how it was interactive and we were assigned different positions and buttons to push. I wanted to try the green version to compare, but I didn’t know if my family was waiting, so I went back to the Test Track entrance. It turns out, I probably could have had time to ride the green version, but they were out within 20 minutes.

We walked past Mission: Space and the closed Wonders of Life to the Universe of Energy pavilion. We entered Ellen’s Energy Adventure’s preshow, which I thought was hysterical. I think Ellen Degeneres is a hoot. Then we boarded the massive ride vehicles, the theater was less than a 1/4th full. The ride was all right. I especially liked the dinosaurs, but some of the film would have been a bore if Ellen hadn’t been in it. It was time to ride Soarin, so we walked across Future World and entered the crowded Land pavilion. Already by 10:45, the stand-by was 60 minutes. We were glad to only wait maybe 10 minutes with our FPs, though we did miss the newly installed interactive stuff in the stand-by line. The ride, while the same as DCA’s, had stronger scents and special effects.

Since we had only done half of the World Showcase on Monday, we explored the West side, starting with Canada. The film was okay, but I’m glad that it’s getting an update. Then we saw Impressions of France, which, was just as boring as O Canada, but since we were seated, I almost fell asleep. We got pastries at the bakery, which tasted wonderful! Then, since we were all tired and hot and it was getting to the afternoon, we only visited 1 more attraction at Epcot: the American Adventure. This show was much better than the CircleVision films or the France film and it kept me captivated through the entire program. World Showcase’s gem. We took a ferry from Japan to the area where Future World meets World Showcase and we left at around 1:30, the latest we had ever stayed at one of the parks the entire stay.

After taking a very nice nap and eating some lunch, we all felt energized and were ready to go again. For our last night we chose MK. We arrived and immediately checked out Space’s line. It was much too long, and FPs were for late (something around 10/10:15), so we skipped it and just rode BLSRS with a 20 minute line. The stand-by line here would move so much faster if it weren’t for FP. Then I rushed all the way over to Frontierland, grabbed BTMRR FPs for 7:15, and rushed all the way back to the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station. Needless to say, I was very tired from walking, and needed to sit down. The food there was not great, and if anyone has ever eaten real Chinese food, I wouldn’t strongly advise you to stay away from this place. With all of the rave reviews, I had expected better, but I am half Chinese, so my expectations are high.

Even though our FPs were good right after dinner, we chose to wait out Peter Pan. The line stated 50 minutes, but we waited close to 35. This line moves soooooooooo slowly and we always celebrated when we saw the line move. The ride is a very fun ride though and I think it’s worth a wait. Then we walked through Liberty Square (passing the closed HM ) to get to BTMRR. It was nearing dark, and this ride was better than all 3 of the other BTMRR rides that we had ridden throughout our trip. I wanted to ride Splash again, so my DD and I stood in line, while my DB and DM went and got frozen lemonade. About 25 minutes into the line, a group came through the FP line asking for a group of 2. They had 2 extra FPs and we took them and breezed by the line. It was a little pixie dust, which was nice. The ride was again great, but the view, at night, of the castle all lit up, at the top of the big drop was spectacular!

We left and found the other 2 in Adventureland, where my DD got a Dole Whip, but I wasn’t hungry so I just had some bites of his. It was just past 9, so Spectromagic had just started. We walked through all of the shops on Main Street before getting stuck by the parade starting point. So we just watched the parade, which was amazing, until the end. The only thing it was missing was that great soundtrack that the DL electric parade has. We then left with the crowds, too tired to stay for fireworks.

Good-bye WDW! I had a blast on my first trip! I know I will be back. Thanks to everyone who read the report. I will have pics in a couple weeks when I can upload them onto our main computer when we get back home from our road trip. I will also be going to DL from 8/14-8/17, so look for that TR also in a few weeks.

 

[DLR29]

Pics in 1 week.

 

[DLR29]

I'm back home! I have pics too! Here we go. First from the first day, Sunday, July 8th.

Finally here!


First ride: Spaceship Earth because it closed the next day


The Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion




Cool upwards waterfall thing outside of the Imagination Pavilion


Look at those clouds


Test Track. An instant favorite for our whole family


Some shots from inside the que






Then if you read the report I lost my camera and then recovered it, so the next batch of photos isn't until the Wednesday of our trip.

 

[DLR29]

I only got 3 pics on the Wednesday because my battery was pretty much dead.

Space Mountain from the monorail


Castle pic


Crowds in Tomorrowland around 7

 

[the_princess]

Great TR and lovely pics...