rosemary4126
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2005
- Messages
- 43
ACCOMODATIONS:
Stayed off Disney in Lake Davenport Estates subdivision about 8 miles from Disney. 4br house with a private screened in pool. 2 weeks in Orlando but only 4 Disney park days. Our previous Disney trip was onsite at Port Orleans. We really liked having our own kitchen and living area. Having our own private pool any time day or night was great also. The house ran about $900 a week. We rented a whole month with 4 families (3 generations) sharing the house. Walmart 2 miles away and Publix 1 mile away. If you are thinking of staying off property this was a great location and very simple to get to everything.
TRANSPORTATION:
Transportation to parks was an easy drive although there was a definate advantage to on property when leaving Magic Kingdom, because it is so difficult to get back to the MK, TTC parking lot. The other parks took no longer to drive than Disney transport. Disney roads are VERY well marked. From the Lake Davenport area route 192 goes right to World Drive. TIP: If you have AAA, ask your agent about a Diamond Parking pass. AAA Diamond parking is right next to handicapped parking at all the parks. Even at the July tourist crunch the parking lots were not that full. WARNING: Most of I-4 in Orlando was under construction and was a pain - but the signs to all the attractions are very well marked.
DISNEY PARKS
The crowds were incredible, which we expected going the first 2 weeks of July. My only complaint is the wait times on the signs did not keep up with actual wait times. Otherwise, Disney was the absolute master of herd control. No one else does it better.
EPCOT - Did 2 Epcot days.
Soarin, get fastpass. This was a great experience and is an absolute must do. We had someone who is afraid of heights who loved this also.
Talking with Crush the Turtle at Living Seas. - IMHO this is a must do for kids, we did not have kids and still got a big kick out it.
Wonders of Life was closed.
After dark check out the fiber optic sidewalk at the entrance to Innoventions West.
Favorites at World showcase included the 360 film at China and Canada, the band in Mexico, American pavilion - the theatre and the Fife and Drum corps.
Epcot Food - Le Cellier in Canada, got a walk in seating around 3pm for 4 people. Food was pricey but good. Biergarten in Germany, buffet with the umpah band. Lots of fun, food was OK. Pastry shop in Norway. The honey glazed cream puffs were the best of our picks.
Illuminations - grabbed a bench along the fence near China. Not the most prime spot but a bench in the shade where no one could stand in front was perfect for the grandpa of the group.
MAGIC KINGDOM - Big crowds but did not have any trouble with long waits until about 5pm. We started in Liberty square and worked back around to Tomorrowland. Cinderellabration was cute. After 5pm the waits for everything but Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland were over 2 hrs. Spectromagic was incredible as was the nightly fireworks. We had a grandpa with crampy legs along and noticed great lack of places to sit along Main St.
FOOD: we opted for counter service at Cosmic Rays. Chicken and Ribs was good, BBQ pork good, the veggie wrap was barely eatable. The crowd was insane but we eventually got a table and it was a good place to get out of the heat. Just for reference, a report on Orlando news on July 4 said MK was at capacity at 1pm and was turning people away.
MGM - Another family in our group reported trouble getting fastpass for the Lights Action stunt show so we hightailed to the back of the park to get fastpass. Surprised that the whole back of the park did not open until after 10am. Because of limited time offerings we opted for the stunt show instead of Indiana Jones. I've seen Indiana before but IMHO it's a much better show than the stunt show. Food - Prime Time Cafe. they were packed. Our waitress was MIA more than once but the food was decent and the theming in there is great. You'll want to do a PS no matter what time you want to eat. They were turning people away. Fantasmic. Due the crowds I thought we might have trouble with seating for the show and thought about paying up for the dinner/Fantasmic buffets but didn't. We arrived after the initial crush of people were seated and had no trouble getting a seat.
Animal Kingdom - we skipped this park this trip.
Resort Hopping day. We picked a day and drove to Wilderness Lodge. All it took to park was a driver's license. The theming in here is great. There is a geyser out past the pool that goes off every hour on the hour. Took the ferry to MK and then transferred to the ferry to Polynesian. Enjoyed the landscaping there. Ate at Ohana's in Polynesian. The food was delicious and it was a different kind of eating experience. PS is really recommended but when we were told they were booked up we walked up and asked anyway and got a seat for 4 after about a 1hr wait. If you sit by the window it's an incredble view of MK. Stayed for the electrical parade that comes to Polynesian beach around 9pm. If you are ever on the ferry to Fort Wilderness look for the shoe tree.
Downtown Disney. Ate at Rainforest. A great place. Service was fabulous. Loved the raspberry tea. We had previously eaten at Rainforest at Animal Kingdom and thought that one had more action than the one in Downtown Disney. But they are both really neat. If you are a newbie, you'll want to get your name in right away and then expect to wait several hours to get in. Use the time to shop. Ate a different day at Capt Jacks Marina. Service was not that great but the clam chowder was incredible. Stick your head in Ghirradelli (sp) and maybe you'll get free chocolate. Don't forget to go look at the Lego sculptures.
Non Disney things we did.
Kennedy Space Center. A really neat experience and definately worth the dirve from Orlando. Plan a whole day at least. Security is tight. The shuttle was on the launch pad and the excitement was fun. Next day we went to Astronaut Hall of Fame for the expected launch (was cancelled). The Hall of Fame was neat but I would not make the drive from Orlando just for that. Took about 90 minutes to get there from route 192 and I-4.
Cocoa Beach - went to Lori Wilson park. Picnic benches, outside shower and restrooms. If you would like a day at the beach while in Orlando this is an easy beach to reach via the 528 tollroad.
Seaworld - Favorites were Clyde and Seymore show, the Dolphin show and the Jewels of the Sea aquarium at Atlantis, manatee exhibit and Dolphin cove. We thought Fusion was a waste of time. 2 free beers at the Hospitality center pleased the men. Were struck by how rude the crowd was at Seaworld and realized after the great herd control at Disney that was the difference. We arrived at 9am and nothing really opened until 10. I would not go here again during the massive crowd season.
Titanic Experience - right off I-4. Was MUCH more interesting than I expected. A little difficult to find hiding back in the strip mall but well worth it. A one hour guided tour and then access to the exhibit for as long as you like. If you like living history or are a Titanic buff don't miss this.
Holyland experience - right off I-4. Was much less interesting than I expected. There were a few points of interest but this place was a real waste of money and time IMHO.
Stayed off Disney in Lake Davenport Estates subdivision about 8 miles from Disney. 4br house with a private screened in pool. 2 weeks in Orlando but only 4 Disney park days. Our previous Disney trip was onsite at Port Orleans. We really liked having our own kitchen and living area. Having our own private pool any time day or night was great also. The house ran about $900 a week. We rented a whole month with 4 families (3 generations) sharing the house. Walmart 2 miles away and Publix 1 mile away. If you are thinking of staying off property this was a great location and very simple to get to everything.
TRANSPORTATION:
Transportation to parks was an easy drive although there was a definate advantage to on property when leaving Magic Kingdom, because it is so difficult to get back to the MK, TTC parking lot. The other parks took no longer to drive than Disney transport. Disney roads are VERY well marked. From the Lake Davenport area route 192 goes right to World Drive. TIP: If you have AAA, ask your agent about a Diamond Parking pass. AAA Diamond parking is right next to handicapped parking at all the parks. Even at the July tourist crunch the parking lots were not that full. WARNING: Most of I-4 in Orlando was under construction and was a pain - but the signs to all the attractions are very well marked.
DISNEY PARKS
The crowds were incredible, which we expected going the first 2 weeks of July. My only complaint is the wait times on the signs did not keep up with actual wait times. Otherwise, Disney was the absolute master of herd control. No one else does it better.
EPCOT - Did 2 Epcot days.
Soarin, get fastpass. This was a great experience and is an absolute must do. We had someone who is afraid of heights who loved this also.
Talking with Crush the Turtle at Living Seas. - IMHO this is a must do for kids, we did not have kids and still got a big kick out it.
Wonders of Life was closed.
After dark check out the fiber optic sidewalk at the entrance to Innoventions West.
Favorites at World showcase included the 360 film at China and Canada, the band in Mexico, American pavilion - the theatre and the Fife and Drum corps.
Epcot Food - Le Cellier in Canada, got a walk in seating around 3pm for 4 people. Food was pricey but good. Biergarten in Germany, buffet with the umpah band. Lots of fun, food was OK. Pastry shop in Norway. The honey glazed cream puffs were the best of our picks.
Illuminations - grabbed a bench along the fence near China. Not the most prime spot but a bench in the shade where no one could stand in front was perfect for the grandpa of the group.
MAGIC KINGDOM - Big crowds but did not have any trouble with long waits until about 5pm. We started in Liberty square and worked back around to Tomorrowland. Cinderellabration was cute. After 5pm the waits for everything but Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland were over 2 hrs. Spectromagic was incredible as was the nightly fireworks. We had a grandpa with crampy legs along and noticed great lack of places to sit along Main St.
FOOD: we opted for counter service at Cosmic Rays. Chicken and Ribs was good, BBQ pork good, the veggie wrap was barely eatable. The crowd was insane but we eventually got a table and it was a good place to get out of the heat. Just for reference, a report on Orlando news on July 4 said MK was at capacity at 1pm and was turning people away.
MGM - Another family in our group reported trouble getting fastpass for the Lights Action stunt show so we hightailed to the back of the park to get fastpass. Surprised that the whole back of the park did not open until after 10am. Because of limited time offerings we opted for the stunt show instead of Indiana Jones. I've seen Indiana before but IMHO it's a much better show than the stunt show. Food - Prime Time Cafe. they were packed. Our waitress was MIA more than once but the food was decent and the theming in there is great. You'll want to do a PS no matter what time you want to eat. They were turning people away. Fantasmic. Due the crowds I thought we might have trouble with seating for the show and thought about paying up for the dinner/Fantasmic buffets but didn't. We arrived after the initial crush of people were seated and had no trouble getting a seat.
Animal Kingdom - we skipped this park this trip.
Resort Hopping day. We picked a day and drove to Wilderness Lodge. All it took to park was a driver's license. The theming in here is great. There is a geyser out past the pool that goes off every hour on the hour. Took the ferry to MK and then transferred to the ferry to Polynesian. Enjoyed the landscaping there. Ate at Ohana's in Polynesian. The food was delicious and it was a different kind of eating experience. PS is really recommended but when we were told they were booked up we walked up and asked anyway and got a seat for 4 after about a 1hr wait. If you sit by the window it's an incredble view of MK. Stayed for the electrical parade that comes to Polynesian beach around 9pm. If you are ever on the ferry to Fort Wilderness look for the shoe tree.
Downtown Disney. Ate at Rainforest. A great place. Service was fabulous. Loved the raspberry tea. We had previously eaten at Rainforest at Animal Kingdom and thought that one had more action than the one in Downtown Disney. But they are both really neat. If you are a newbie, you'll want to get your name in right away and then expect to wait several hours to get in. Use the time to shop. Ate a different day at Capt Jacks Marina. Service was not that great but the clam chowder was incredible. Stick your head in Ghirradelli (sp) and maybe you'll get free chocolate. Don't forget to go look at the Lego sculptures.
Non Disney things we did.
Kennedy Space Center. A really neat experience and definately worth the dirve from Orlando. Plan a whole day at least. Security is tight. The shuttle was on the launch pad and the excitement was fun. Next day we went to Astronaut Hall of Fame for the expected launch (was cancelled). The Hall of Fame was neat but I would not make the drive from Orlando just for that. Took about 90 minutes to get there from route 192 and I-4.
Cocoa Beach - went to Lori Wilson park. Picnic benches, outside shower and restrooms. If you would like a day at the beach while in Orlando this is an easy beach to reach via the 528 tollroad.
Seaworld - Favorites were Clyde and Seymore show, the Dolphin show and the Jewels of the Sea aquarium at Atlantis, manatee exhibit and Dolphin cove. We thought Fusion was a waste of time. 2 free beers at the Hospitality center pleased the men. Were struck by how rude the crowd was at Seaworld and realized after the great herd control at Disney that was the difference. We arrived at 9am and nothing really opened until 10. I would not go here again during the massive crowd season.
Titanic Experience - right off I-4. Was MUCH more interesting than I expected. A little difficult to find hiding back in the strip mall but well worth it. A one hour guided tour and then access to the exhibit for as long as you like. If you like living history or are a Titanic buff don't miss this.
Holyland experience - right off I-4. Was much less interesting than I expected. There were a few points of interest but this place was a real waste of money and time IMHO.
