salmoneous
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- Joined
- Nov 10, 2005
- Messages
- 6,468
I keep meaning (and failing) to write up a full trip report, but do want to get at least something out - if only for the opportunity to say thank-you to the folks on this board for the great information. Thanks!
Me: M, 38, married, traveling alone, haven't been to a Disney park in at least a decade
Flight: Tacked a stop in Orlando on the end of an existing trip. Turned a $100 round-trip into a $150 3-way flight. Did I mention I *love* Southwest? For the flight home, the Wilderness Lodge concierge checked me in and printed my "A" boarding pass - acted like she does this all the time.
Rental: No problem picking up my car from Dollar at airport terminal. Car did smell of industrial cleaner - perhaps trying to cover smoke smell. Everything went fine, except I had a little trouble finding a gas station to fill up when returning via 417. Ended up driving all the way to and through the airport before finding a station on the other side.
Non-Disney hotel: Got in late and crashed at the Florida Mall Hotel. The rate ($100) was a lot less than I saw at any comparable-quality hotel. Worked out perfect for me as I had a little bit of business to conduct in that neighborhood. But I should caution that (a) obvious renovations are taking place, (b) these was a slightly weird "vibe" about the whole place - perhaps due to the unusual setting in a mall and (c) the location may be close enough to many things, but won't be ideal for anyone especially visitors to DW (well, anyone except a few oddballs like me that have business nearby.)
Getting to WL: Had no trouble or traffic on the drive. Stayed to the right at the parking-toll plaza, told the guy I was going to the WL, and he waived me right through. The guard at the WL did want to check my name when I said I had a reservation to check in.
Pre check-in: Spent the late morning exploring the lodge, the paths and boats around Bay Lake, and some of Fort Wilderness. Particularly liked the fact that there was "real" wilderness to experience. Could easily have spent a whole day exploring and boat riding.
Check-in: About 1:00 I decided to check-in. I had booked (via Expedia for $175-ish) a standard-view room and asked if there was anything available on a high floor. The guy spent a lot of time checking his computer and a printed room map (I believe the map showed what rooms were in each view category). He came through with room 5004, which was all the way at the end (closest to lake) of the NW "wing" - facing out towards the woods and the lake. You could see a bit of the Contemporary Resort through the trees, but it was mostly a spectacular nature scene off the balcony. Wonderful room. Loved it!
Pre-MK: I got dressed, had a drink at the pool-side bar, then took a boat over to the Contemporary to check out the "monorail resorts" before the park opened for party-goers. All three were fun to explore, but I saw nothing that made me wish I had stayed in one of them over the WL. Found it a bit odd (and frustrating as I was hungry) that most restaurants weren't open in the afternoon, but I guess it makes sense with folks being in the parks.
MNNSHP: Got to the gates a little after 4:00; they were set up with many of the turnstiles already marked for Halloween party guests. Got my wristband, sightsaw on Main Street for a bit, then headed off for two attractions that weren't going to be open during the
Carousel of Progress and Jungle Cruise. Spent the rest of the night doing the typical theme park activities and having an all around great time. Around 6:00 they stationed people at the ride entrances, telling folks without wrist-bands that it was time to leave. I was in Frontierland - on the "mountain" rides - and they never herded us party-goers to another part of the park or anything like that. Crowds were sparse and the rides weren't just "walk-on" but "stay-on and ride again if you want".
Crowds: This was Halloween, sold-out, with good weather to boot. I imagine this is as crowded as the party ever gets. I never had an issue with crowds, waiting no more than 10 minutes for any ride, with most being walk-on. Being in the park less than 8 hours, I was able to hit 16 rides, including all the fast-pass ones (though there is no fast-pass during the party.) In addition to the rides, I was able to do lots of sightseeing and picture taking, re-ride a few rides, get dinner (Pecos Bill's), see the parade and fireworks, see non-ride attractions (Minnie's House etc.), buy a gift for the wife back home, buy batteries, get sacks of trick-or-treat candy, get my free MNSSHP picture - just about everything the park had to offer. If anybody ever wants to know the best way to experience the Magic Kingdom, I've got to believe this is it!
In all fairness, there was some crowding. Especially between 7:00 and 9:00, there were a lot of people out on the streets, packing the candy stations, mobbing the characters and standing in line for the most popular rides. I understand why there were posters here frustrated with crowds. But it had to be *significantly* better than the park on a normal day. And the crowds that did exist could be largely avoided by simply staying away from the most popular stuff during the most popular times.
Trip end: Took a boat back to the WL, slept great, spent the morning at the (beautiful) fitness center and pool, then packed up and went home. I honestly can't image a better trip to DW. Well, unless you count a longer stay and/or one with friends and family, but this was perfect for a 1-day solo visit.
Digital Camera: Just a brief mention since I bought my first digital camera specifically for this trip and since there seems to be a lot of postings on the subject. Got a 4MP Canon (model A520) which worked out great. Running on AA was key, as rechargeables ran-out in the park and I was able to buy standard batteries to get me through the night. Took a million pictures (and deleted most of them on the spot - best feature of digital!) Brought along a $5 flexible mini-tripod which was somewhat useful for night/fireworks shots, but it broke by the end of the night. I'll take along a $15 model next time . If I can figure out how to get them online, I'll put some of the good pictures up for you guys to see.
In short: loved the WL and found the Halloween Party to be the absolute best way I could imagine to see the park. Again, thanks to everyone for your help in making this a great trip.
Me: M, 38, married, traveling alone, haven't been to a Disney park in at least a decade
Flight: Tacked a stop in Orlando on the end of an existing trip. Turned a $100 round-trip into a $150 3-way flight. Did I mention I *love* Southwest? For the flight home, the Wilderness Lodge concierge checked me in and printed my "A" boarding pass - acted like she does this all the time.
Rental: No problem picking up my car from Dollar at airport terminal. Car did smell of industrial cleaner - perhaps trying to cover smoke smell. Everything went fine, except I had a little trouble finding a gas station to fill up when returning via 417. Ended up driving all the way to and through the airport before finding a station on the other side.
Non-Disney hotel: Got in late and crashed at the Florida Mall Hotel. The rate ($100) was a lot less than I saw at any comparable-quality hotel. Worked out perfect for me as I had a little bit of business to conduct in that neighborhood. But I should caution that (a) obvious renovations are taking place, (b) these was a slightly weird "vibe" about the whole place - perhaps due to the unusual setting in a mall and (c) the location may be close enough to many things, but won't be ideal for anyone especially visitors to DW (well, anyone except a few oddballs like me that have business nearby.)
Getting to WL: Had no trouble or traffic on the drive. Stayed to the right at the parking-toll plaza, told the guy I was going to the WL, and he waived me right through. The guard at the WL did want to check my name when I said I had a reservation to check in.
Pre check-in: Spent the late morning exploring the lodge, the paths and boats around Bay Lake, and some of Fort Wilderness. Particularly liked the fact that there was "real" wilderness to experience. Could easily have spent a whole day exploring and boat riding.
Check-in: About 1:00 I decided to check-in. I had booked (via Expedia for $175-ish) a standard-view room and asked if there was anything available on a high floor. The guy spent a lot of time checking his computer and a printed room map (I believe the map showed what rooms were in each view category). He came through with room 5004, which was all the way at the end (closest to lake) of the NW "wing" - facing out towards the woods and the lake. You could see a bit of the Contemporary Resort through the trees, but it was mostly a spectacular nature scene off the balcony. Wonderful room. Loved it!
Pre-MK: I got dressed, had a drink at the pool-side bar, then took a boat over to the Contemporary to check out the "monorail resorts" before the park opened for party-goers. All three were fun to explore, but I saw nothing that made me wish I had stayed in one of them over the WL. Found it a bit odd (and frustrating as I was hungry) that most restaurants weren't open in the afternoon, but I guess it makes sense with folks being in the parks.
MNNSHP: Got to the gates a little after 4:00; they were set up with many of the turnstiles already marked for Halloween party guests. Got my wristband, sightsaw on Main Street for a bit, then headed off for two attractions that weren't going to be open during the
Carousel of Progress and Jungle Cruise. Spent the rest of the night doing the typical theme park activities and having an all around great time. Around 6:00 they stationed people at the ride entrances, telling folks without wrist-bands that it was time to leave. I was in Frontierland - on the "mountain" rides - and they never herded us party-goers to another part of the park or anything like that. Crowds were sparse and the rides weren't just "walk-on" but "stay-on and ride again if you want". Crowds: This was Halloween, sold-out, with good weather to boot. I imagine this is as crowded as the party ever gets. I never had an issue with crowds, waiting no more than 10 minutes for any ride, with most being walk-on. Being in the park less than 8 hours, I was able to hit 16 rides, including all the fast-pass ones (though there is no fast-pass during the party.) In addition to the rides, I was able to do lots of sightseeing and picture taking, re-ride a few rides, get dinner (Pecos Bill's), see the parade and fireworks, see non-ride attractions (Minnie's House etc.), buy a gift for the wife back home, buy batteries, get sacks of trick-or-treat candy, get my free MNSSHP picture - just about everything the park had to offer. If anybody ever wants to know the best way to experience the Magic Kingdom, I've got to believe this is it!
In all fairness, there was some crowding. Especially between 7:00 and 9:00, there were a lot of people out on the streets, packing the candy stations, mobbing the characters and standing in line for the most popular rides. I understand why there were posters here frustrated with crowds. But it had to be *significantly* better than the park on a normal day. And the crowds that did exist could be largely avoided by simply staying away from the most popular stuff during the most popular times.
Trip end: Took a boat back to the WL, slept great, spent the morning at the (beautiful) fitness center and pool, then packed up and went home. I honestly can't image a better trip to DW. Well, unless you count a longer stay and/or one with friends and family, but this was perfect for a 1-day solo visit.
Digital Camera: Just a brief mention since I bought my first digital camera specifically for this trip and since there seems to be a lot of postings on the subject. Got a 4MP Canon (model A520) which worked out great. Running on AA was key, as rechargeables ran-out in the park and I was able to buy standard batteries to get me through the night. Took a million pictures (and deleted most of them on the spot - best feature of digital!) Brought along a $5 flexible mini-tripod which was somewhat useful for night/fireworks shots, but it broke by the end of the night. I'll take along a $15 model next time . If I can figure out how to get them online, I'll put some of the good pictures up for you guys to see.
In short: loved the WL and found the Halloween Party to be the absolute best way I could imagine to see the park. Again, thanks to everyone for your help in making this a great trip.
