Who's Gonna Have More Fun? Two PTR's for the Price of One!

[Mndisneygirl]

well, at least in your family Shelly, you can split up in pairs. Paige is usually the lone holdout on rides for us and we don't even do the big thrill rides!!! She doesn't like going on POTC! Too dark! But she loves BTMRR.

We did get her on TT last time at Epcot and she was thrilled. Of course after an hour in line hearing "I'm scaaaaared", it was a relief that she liked it or we would have never lived it down!

We're contemplating (all but Paige) RnR next time. I might have to check it out further. Can you see where you're going at all during the ride? We don't spend much time at DHS (didn't go at all in March) since we don't do ToT or RnR and have gotten a bit tired of the shows. We still like it, but our trips have been so short that we've had to skip a park. We've alternated between skipping DHS or AK. This time we went to AK.

Jo - YOU ARE TOOOOOO FUNNY!!!!!
Killing me!!!
Towels on the chairs - Yeah, I think you should try that at GF!!!

Are we going to hear about your favorite parks next Jo?


Oh yeah - double digits? CONGRATS!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Love your pictures, Shelly! My DS6 is a definite thrill seeker, too. TT is one of our favorites.

Thanks Mindy!

I wonder how many people have DHS as their favorite park? Maybe it's more than I think, but I would have thought it was behind MK and Epcot for most people. I don't why I even think that, since it does have some of my favorite attractions! I would have to put Epcot as my fav, followed by MK (but now after giving it more thought I may have MK and DHS tied for 2nd ) and last, agreeing with you, AK.

In my family, DH is the only one who won't even talk about thrill rides. We talked him into RNRC last time and he still hasn't forgiven us. The only way we were able to convince him to go was that he couldn't see what he was getting into!

You need to tell your first-time readers how your daredevil DS12 first came to go on ToT!



Notice I got on here in the morning. No more falling behind for me!

Probably not many if I had to guess! That's okay, I enjoy being different! I guess it was on our second trip that I realized how much I loved DHS. When we walked in I just remember feeling like -- wow this place is really cool and I just love it here! And it was on that trip that DS was tall enough to start riding the bigger rides with me.

We talked DS9 and DH into riding RNRC last year. That probably won't ever happen again.


Okay, so my TOT story -- Two trips ago (Nov 2009) we were on our 5th trip and DS12, my daredevil still had not been on TOT. He loves all things fast and high, but doesn't do well with dark & scary. I had been on it once before and while it wasn't necessarily my favorite ride, I just knew he would love it if he tried it. So after hounding and hounding him to get over his fears and ride the darn thing I finally resorted to bribery. No, I'm not proud of my actions. But hey, it worked!!! So for a mere $5 DS and I were going up and down on TOT and he was yelling -- THIS IS AWESOME, I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM GETTING PAID TO RIDE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awesome favorite park rides!!! I have a little thrill in me but not where I would do them more than once LOL!!!!

YAY for TT and Soarin...aren't they great rides!! I too have found that EPCOT keeps creeping up on the list as my favorite park! I can't wait to step foot back there in 6 days WOOT WOOT!!!

Can't wait to hear more about your trips!! You guys are going to have a blast!!!

Thanks Jen!

Yeah, one time is enough for me anymore!


6 days!! Lucky!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Well duh, it's the monorail uniforms that sucked me back in. Nothing screams sexy like double knit polyester.
Besides, I'd never build anything with the gingerbread- I'd be too busy eating it.

Sexy polyester

Well maybe you could just oversee the building of the gingerbread house on your days off from driving the monorail.

Shelly---

Great post on your favorite parks!

That is such a fun picture of you and your oldest at DHS--- that was a good photopass photographer. Check out the guy in the background waving.

I love the pic of you guys on TT... you and your oldest are all smiles in the front seat, the back seat riders don't look so enthused.


And I'm with ya on the not being able to ride a bunch of wild rides before stopping. I don't think I like this getting older stuff---- It hinders my good time.

A lot.

Thanks Jo!

I never noticed that guy in the background waving before! What a dork!

I did however notice DH & DS9 in the TT pic! And that is a ride they actually like! Remember the RNRC pic???

I know, getting older really stinks. Especially when you are at WDW and you want to act like a little kid!!

Shelly, my daughter who is also 12 and I are a lot like you two. We LOVE to get our ride on and will ride it all! Morghan would also ride a million times in a row if you let her. We also plan to check out AK for just a few hours and then get outta there. EE is one of her favorites though.

Maybe we should all 4 hit the parks together sometime!!

well, at least in your family Shelly, you can split up in pairs. Paige is usually the lone holdout on rides for us and we don't even do the big thrill rides!!! She doesn't like going on POTC! Too dark! But she loves BTMRR.

We did get her on TT last time at Epcot and she was thrilled. Of course after an hour in line hearing "I'm scaaaaared", it was a relief that she liked it or we would have never lived it down!

We're contemplating (all but Paige) RnR next time. I might have to check it out further. Can you see where you're going at all during the ride? We don't spend much time at DHS (didn't go at all in March) since we don't do ToT or RnR and have gotten a bit tired of the shows. We still like it, but our trips have been so short that we've had to skip a park. We've alternated between skipping DHS or AK. This time we went to AK.

Jo - YOU ARE TOOOOOO FUNNY!!!!!
Killing me!!!
Towels on the chairs - Yeah, I think you should try that at GF!!!

Are we going to hear about your favorite parks next Jo?


Oh yeah - double digits? CONGRATS!!

My kids do that too. DS12 will not go on the HM because it "gives him bad dreams". And after DS9 tried RNRC he was too scared to ride much of anything the rest of the week -- even BTMRR.

I'm glad Paige liked TT!!

You guys have got to try RNRC! No, you can't see where you are going a lot in the ride. Some, but not a lot. I think that's why DS9 hated it so much. He likes to know what is coming next!

 

[mari360]

Shelly - I think bribery is ok... he got over his fears and made $5 dollars.... very smart boy. Like you i really don't like AK too much. Next time I go i don't think i'll be making it to that park. It is one of those parks that can be done in 1/2 a day and just my luck everytime I go it rains.... LOL...

 

[mari360]

Jo- So what are your fav parks and why?

I love all the parks for their own reasons.

Mk - For the nostalgia of it. Walking down main street and seeing the mickey head balloons and looking down and seeing the castle. THen not to mention one of my most memorable rides the Jungle one. I can't remember the name right now. It was my dad's fav's so now when ever i go i make it a point to go on it.

Epcot - I just Love everything about it. I like that there are thriller rides and then they have stuff for Marissa (DD) to learn likt innovations.

DHS - TSM, Little Mermaid, I feel this park is small but i just love everything they have in it.

My DD fav park is MK... i guess because they have fantasyland there and she can ride all the rides there. LOL ....

 

[MindyLuvsMickey]

Shelly-in our house, we call it "positive reinforcement". Nothing wrong with it. I'm a bit of a behaviorist, so I usually find a way to scientifically justify said bribery

Before little Chase came along, I think DHS was our favorite family park. Ry loved ToT and LMA, he loved Indiana Jones and Star Tours. We'll see how Chase tolerates it this trip.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Shelly - I think bribery is ok... he got over his fears and made $5 dollars.... very smart boy. Like you i really don't like AK too much. Next time I go i don't think i'll be making it to that park. It is one of those parks that can be done in 1/2 a day and just my luck everytime I go it rains.... LOL...

Yes and now when he disagrees with me I can always say -- Remember when I told you that you would love TOT and you did???

Yeah, I think DS and I might just get up early one morning and go over to AK and be back long before lunch!

Shelly-in our house, we call it "positive reinforcement". Nothing wrong with it. I'm a bit of a behaviorist, so I usually find a way to scientifically justify said bribery

Before little Chase came along, I think DHS was our favorite family park. Ry loved ToT and LMA, he loved Indiana Jones and Star Tours. We'll see how Chase tolerates it this trip.

Positive reinforcement. Love it!

The boys can't wait to ride the new Star Tours!!

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Your fave parks are definitely different from mine, but I am definitely a thrill seeker.

I enjoy the classic Disney too though, like Haunted Mansion and the Mad Tea Party.

My faves are:
1. MK
2. Epcot (soo close to sharing the top spot w/ MK, if it weren't for Splash Mountain, Cinderella Castle, and that classic Disney magic that MK holds for me.)
3. AK
4. DHS

 

[sjs314]

Jo - I have no idea what my Mom was playing I just know I was beyound embarrassed

Shelly - DH was talking about the new Star Tours ride , all excited like, surprised me

I do not blame your DH and DS(2)if they skip AK. That park is hot when it is not hot any place else, I went there one of the times we visited in August, I remember we went early in the morning to try to beat the heat, and even early the animals were hiding to stay cool. DH and I decided to skip it this time and just have more DHS time instead, you couldn't pay me to get on EE

Are you guys going to attempt the balloon ride in DTD again? I have a morning and a night planned to head down that way in hopes that we will get to go up in it

 

[T*Bird]

Jo - how are you doing in this crazy weather? It looked like you might be in the line of some storms. Stay safe!!

 

[JoBird]

Favorite parks:

I’d have to say that our favorite parks have changed over the years, depending on who was in our traveling party and their ages.

Some things are consistent, however:

Our love of Epcot.
The feelings of nostalgia we have for the MK every time we enter that park.
My DH getting grumpy as soon as we walk into DHS (???? still haven’t figured it out…).
And finally, us never spending enough time in AK.

I go into every trip saying that we are going to spend more time at that park; that maybe I will understand it more if I do. And every trip I come home without doing all the things I planned.

When we were on our Honeymoon we spent a lot of time at the MK and Epcot and loved both. DHS was still MGM back then and we only spent one afternoon there, so DH didn’t have enough time to get grumpy. AK was in the final stages of being built, so the first chance we had to go to it wasn’t until years later.

When we took the kids on their first trip to WDW in 2004, we spent one day in the MK. It was Christmas and so crowded you couldn’t move. We stood in line for the Winnie the Pooh ride for 2 ½ hours. The CM working the ride told us that 86,000 people had been let into the Magic Kingdom alone by one o’clock that afternoon.

Think about that for a second.
86,000 people standing nose to nose with you.

Not exactly my idea of a good time.
The kids cried and said they hated WDW. My heart was crushed as I tried to explain to them that it wasn’t supposed to be that way. That they couldn’t feel the Disney magic under those circumstances. The Happiest Place on Earth certainly wasn’t happy that day to my babies. I promised them we’d return and they would understand why I loved it. They didn’t believe me.

The next year we went again and once again it was crowded, but this time we stayed for a the days following New Years. It was my Birthday on January 3rd and I took the girls to breakfast in Epcot in Norway while the boys spent time in the MK. As I sat there watching my Belle meet the real Belle, the magic enveloped them. I clearly remember the next night standing in Fantasyland in MK as the crowds died down and seeing the wonder on their faces as the fireworks boomed overhead.
They *finally* understood.

We have found through the years that as Disney changes, so does our love of the parks. We started out loving MK and Fantasyland especially- the rides for the kids as well as a left over, nostalgic feeling of being a kid ourselves when DH and I ride Peter Pan.
As the kids have grown and DH and I have taken trips without them in tow, we have come to love Epcot and could go there every day if we lived close enough. Just walking through WS is enough to put a smile on my face.

We have also discovered that each park is unique and each has a charm all their own. And for that, we love them all.

So, in order, our favorite parks:
~Epcot:

~Magic Kingdom:

~Disney's Hollywood Studios:

~Animal Kingdom:

Favorite Rides, by park-
~Epcot- Soarin, Spaceship Earth, Test Track
~MK- POTC, Splash, Peter Pan, BTMRR (Belle’s Favorite)
~DHS- TOT (mine and Drew’s favorite), RnRc (DH’s favorite)
~AK- EE (MC’s favorite), Dinosaur

In the next post we’ll go park by park and talk about what makes us feel the way we do.

 

[JoBird]

Good Morning everyone! Hope the weather is not too bad where you are--- everyone stay safe. Summer is almost here and hopefully the yucky storms will be gone.

Drats!! We don't have satellite TV any more when we did have it, it was DirectTV. VerizonFiOS has music channels but not like satellite did. Oh well.

Well shoot. It is a fun station to listen to, but honestly you have to be in the right frame of mind. Maybe you could download some on itunes??? You HAVE to be able to embarrass your kids somehow!

well, at least in your family Shelly, you can split up in pairs. Paige is usually the lone holdout on rides for us and we don't even do the big thrill rides!!! She doesn't like going on POTC! Too dark! But she loves BTMRR.

We did get her on TT last time at Epcot and she was thrilled. Of course after an hour in line hearing "I'm scaaaaared", it was a relief that she liked it or we would have never lived it down!

We're contemplating (all but Paige) RnR next time. I might have to check it out further. Can you see where you're going at all during the ride? We don't spend much time at DHS (didn't go at all in March) since we don't do ToT or RnR and have gotten a bit tired of the shows. We still like it, but our trips have been so short that we've had to skip a park. We've alternated between skipping DHS or AK. This time we went to AK.

Jo - YOU ARE TOOOOOO FUNNY!!!!!
Killing me!!!
Towels on the chairs - Yeah, I think you should try that at GF!!!

Are we going to hear about your favorite parks next Jo?


Oh yeah - double digits? CONGRATS!!

yay Double digits for me now!
I think instead of putting towels down overnight I'll just send my DH down to sleep in some chairs for us. He won't mind.... he's sweet that way. I mean, I'll take him coffee and junk the next morning so it won't be like he's deprived or anything.

Sexy polyester

Well maybe you could just oversee the building of the gingerbread house on your days off from driving the monorail.




Thanks Jo!

I never noticed that guy in the background waving before! What a dork!

I did however notice DH & DS9 in the TT pic! And that is a ride they actually like! Remember the RNRC pic???

I know, getting older really stinks. Especially when you are at WDW and you want to act like a little kid!!

OOh if I remember correctly the gingerbread bakers and builders get killer hats to wear! Okay, I'm down. You know how I love me a hat!!!

That RnRC pic was priceless.....
Speaking of that ride and Aerosmith...
did everyone see Steven Tyler singing last night on AI?
That man is awesome.

Jo- So what are your fav parks and why?

I love all the parks for their own reasons.

Mk - For the nostalgia of it. Walking down main street and seeing the mickey head balloons and looking down and seeing the castle. THen not to mention one of my most memorable rides the Jungle one. I can't remember the name right now. It was my dad's fav's so now when ever i go i make it a point to go on it.

Epcot - I just Love everything about it. I like that there are thriller rides and then they have stuff for Marissa (DD) to learn likt innovations.

DHS - TSM, Little Mermaid, I feel this park is small but i just love everything they have in it.

My DD fav park is MK... i guess because they have fantasyland there and she can ride all the rides there. LOL ....

You have the same feelings as me about MK!! I feel the way I did when I was a child going there. It's my happy place.

Jo - I have no idea what my Mom was playing I just know I was beyound embarrassed

I'll remember to turn OFF the Hawaiian music before the kids friends come over!!

Jo - how are you doing in this crazy weather? It looked like you might be in the line of some storms. Stay safe!!

Thanks so much--- we have had a crazy ride these last few days but hopefully it is going to be better now.

 

[sjs314]

Yes and now when he disagrees with me I can always say -- Remember when I told you that you would love TOT and you did???

Yeah, I think DS and I might just get up early one morning and go over to AK and be back long before lunch!




Positive reinforcement. Love it!

The boys can't wait to ride the new Star Tours!!

I was just reading about the new Star Tours ride since DH is so interested in it and it seems it changes each time. The review I read said you should ride it more than once, this person rode it 5x and had a different expierence each time.
Might need more time at DHS considering what the lines for Star Tours might be like.

 

[sjs314]

Jo - Your list of favorite parks is exactly the same as mine, I could go to WDW and spend my entire time at Epcot and MK just like the first time we ever visited WDW and that is all there was.

86,000 in MK is a big deal , our first trip was Easter week and all my DS talked about were the lines, we did not pick the best time for a first visit either

Do you remember back when DHS was MGM and you walked it to the music from (I think) Chariots of Fire? It all seemed so Grand and I think it was smaller then too ?

DHS has lost some of its appeal to DH and I, it just seems less exciting and more crowded now. I am planning 2 mornings and one evening there this trip.

 

[sjs314]

Funny thing happened to me this morning I decided to make and ADR (late) for Raglan Road on our DTD night, then went to check my reservations on the Disney Site and on our last day I see lunch at Tokyo Dining

It is suppose to be Teppan Edo somehow when I changed our Teppan Edo last week from 1pm to 1:30 I clicked on the wrong restaurant and made the ADR for the wrong place.

Thank goodness I was able to get the one I really wanted.

 

[JoBird]

Jo - Your list of favorite parks is exactly the same as mine, I could go to WDW and spend my entire time at Epcot and MK just like the first time we ever visited WDW and that is all there was.

86,000 in MK is a big deal , our first trip was Easter week and all my DS talked about were the lines, we did not pick the best time for a first visit either

Do you remember back when DHS was MGM and you walked it to the music from (I think) Chariots of Fire? It all seemed so Grand and I think it was smaller then too ?

DHS has lost some of its appeal to DH and I, it just seems less exciting and more crowded now. I am planning 2 mornings and one evening there this trip.

Isn't it strange how you just come to love one park over another?? WDW to me is Epcot ---- and lots of it.
I do remember long ago going into MGM to The Chariots of Fire! How fun that was!
I have never been to WDW over Easter but if it's anything like Christmas was, I feel your pain. It was just awful. I'm happy to say that we did it, and now we never have to do it again.

Funny thing happened to me this morning I decided to make and ADR (late) for Raglan Road on our DTD night, then went to check my reservations on the Disney Site and on our last day I see lunch at Tokyo Dining

It is suppose to be Teppan Edo somehow when I changed our Teppan Edo last week from 1pm to 1:30 I clicked on the wrong restaurant and made the ADR for the wrong place.

Thank goodness I was able to get the one I really wanted.

That is my nightmare-- thinking that I am all straight, and arrive to check in at a restaurant and have them tell me I made a different ADR.
Glad you caught it early enough to change it out!

 

[jenjolt]

Another great park post!!! I have to agree MK and EPCOT are right there at the top!!

Loved your pictures!! So gorgeous!!

I too am finding that the more times I go the more the way I see Disney also changes and I love that...no two trips are ever the same!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Jo, I bet you were beyond upset that the kids said they hated WDW. That makes me feel sad. I'm so happy that they were able to go back and really experience the magic.

I wonder how many people actually do go at a crazy time and think WDW is that way, all the time? And then never return?

 

[Mndisneygirl]

It makes me sad when ANYONE says they hated WDW but if my kids said that I'd be heartbroken. I'm glad you have had many chances to rectify that!!

I agree - MK and Epcot for me. I like certain things about each park, but if I could only do two, these would be the ones!

Here's some double digit dancing for you too Jo!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

It just makes me sick to hear people say they didn't have a good time at WDW or they just hated it.... I want to say"Oh, well you didn't plan right", Or
"you went when it was too busy"...makes me want to plan them a redo!!! LOL.. Our fav parks...dang that's hard!! Def we do NOT like AK...not really-my middle one loves the dino stuff,..but that's about it. We didnt get to see many animals on our last safari, so that was a bummer! But we love all the other parks...I love MK...it's my favorite..then Epcot and WS and then DHS. I love them all in a diff way, so its really not right to pick a favorite! That's like asking a mom to pick a favorite child!!! You can't and shouldnt do it!!