tAll Encompassing Disney Thread

[iodeac 137]

Ran through Hollywood Studios this morning and it's the first time I've been since they added Galaxys Edge and Toy Story Land, but it looks really cool. Can't wait to go in a few hours after I get a nap in

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[MNLonghornFUKM 8789]

The closer this trip gets, the more I think I'm going to appreciate my wife's obsession with Disney.  I lose my shit driving to school in traffic.  I can't imagine how frustrated I'd be if I was responsible for tickets, lines, Genies, rope drops, etc... As it stands, my wife has done more research on this than she did in getting her Master's.  

You’ll probably be lightning laning with her. One will go for the premium ride while the other gets another high demand ride.

My wife’s the same. Reserved hotel, food, park tickets etc.

[PilotsError 2257]

None of this seems fun.  

[iodeac 137]

Did Lightning Lane with Millennium Falcon. No regrets. Not waiting 3 hours for Rise so that might be a no-go. Oga's Cantina was super fun

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[Woland 714]

The closer this trip gets, the more I think I'm going to appreciate my wife's obsession with Disney.  I lose my shit driving to school in traffic.  I can't imagine how frustrated I'd be if I was responsible for tickets, lines, Genies, rope drops, etc... As it stands, my wife has done more research on this than she did in getting her Master's.  

My wife is a super Disney nut and planner and even she used a Disney planner this last trip to help sort through the changes.

[mdmost 42460]

18 hours ago, iodeac said:

Did Lightning Lane with Millennium Falcon. No regrets. Not waiting 3 hours for Rise so that might be a no-go. Oga's Cantina was super fun

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We didn't do Oga's back on Labor Day due to Delta. Got a reservation this morning for it at DLR when we go in June. The Ronto Wrap at Ronto Roasters is a pretty good little breakfast item. 

[iodeac 137]

We really enjoyed the Toy Story ride and especially the nostalgia while you waited. I loved how the final room was supposed to be Andy's room and everything was supersized like you were the toys.

Had mixed feelings about getting rid of Great American Movie Ride but I think Disney did a really good job with the Mickey and Minnie ride. I can't believe this is the first ride for either character.

Glad we didn't wait in line for Resistance, it ended up breaking down a few times during the day. Still disappointed we didn't get to do it

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[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

17 minutes ago, Woland said:

My wife is a super Disney nut and planner and even she used a Disney planner this last trip to help sort through the changes.

We're doubly lucky.  Our friends are in the Disney Vacation Club (I think that's it).  They've gone every summer for years.  We get to join them every other summer.  Free condo for a week at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  Anyway, between them and my wife's obsession with All Ears or Big Ears or whatever it's called, I just have to follow.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8789]

We really enjoyed the Toy Story ride and especially the nostalgia while you waited. I loved how the final room was supposed to be Andy's room and everything was supersized like you were the toys.

Had mixed feelings about getting rid of Great American Movie Ride but I think Disney did a really good job with the Mickey and Minnie ride. I can't believe this is the first ride for either character.

Glad we didn't wait in line for Resistance, it ended up breaking down a few times during the day. Still disappointed we didn't get to do it

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Toy story mania might be my favorite overall ride.

Rise is cool. It’s a spectacle but I’ve been on it 4 times so after 2 or 3, it wears off. Sucks you didn’t get to see it. My kids love the railroad ride. It’s a fun family ride, but going into dad mode for toy story mania is one of my favorite parts of Hollywood studios.

[SimonBolivar 10686]

5 hours ago, mdmost said:

We didn't do Oga's back on Labor Day due to Delta. Got a reservation this morning for it at DLR when we go in June. The Ronto Wrap at Ronto Roasters is a pretty good little breakfast item. 

Oga's is worth it and the WDW bartenders are top notch. They even offered us a 3rd drink which it was supposed to be capped at two.

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3847]

Josh Humphrey of easywdw has passed. Josh's acerbic wit made easywdw the surly of park blogging.  

Fellow park blogger tributes-

https://touringplans.com/blog/s6-easywdw/

[mdmost 42460]

EasyWDW was what I used for our first family vacation to WDW back in 2015. RIP.

Edited April 11, 2022 by mdmost

[hornbri 1347]

On 4/2/2022 at 9:43 AM, mdmost said:

I love Star Wars but not enough to shell out that much for it. Also not a dress up/cosplay type. Not shaming those who do, just not my bag. It looks a lot better than the previews were making it look. I've read reviews that say it's everything that was promised with Galaxy's Edge and that's cool. Now put some of that in Galaxy's Edge. 

Have a great time!

Just completed our “voyage” this morning. 

It is a pretty amazing experience, it is basically being fully immersed in Galaxy’s edge for 2 days. But with a multiple story lines to follow along with. 

You can be as engaged as you want, or just watch and the story moves along for you.  Some people fully dressed up with character back story, most kids dressed up some, most adults were just in normal clothes following along.   

The coolest part is the use of technology, to keep track of what you have done, what you have seen, and who you have talked to (RFID, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi beacons are all being used).  It allows everyone in your group to experience a unique story. 

[Foosters 17638]

Going to be doing first trip to Disneyland as a family and first trip for me in like 15 years. Planning on doing one night at a hotel on sight, with two full days at the parks. In June. Willing to spend more for fast-pass or whatever tf it's called. I assume there's tons of good info on this this thread but is there just like a jumping off point for beginners?

I'm not looking to overcomplicate things as at the end of the day it's a fucking amusement park, but probably need to have some idea as to what I'm walking into.

[Baboontyme 2754]

We've got a cosplay zoom at 10:30 tonight. You're welcome to join. 

[mdmost 42460]

1 hour ago, Foosters said:

Going to be doing first trip to Disneyland as a family and first trip for me in like 15 years. Planning on doing one night at a hotel on sight, with two full days at the parks. In June. Willing to spend more for fast-pass or whatever tf it's called. I assume there's tons of good info on this this thread but is there just like a jumping off point for beginners?

I'm not looking to overcomplicate things as at the end of the day it's a fucking amusement park, but probably need to have some idea as to what I'm walking into.

Disneylanddaily.com is a good site to start out at. She has tips for first timers. 

[Ghost of LL 15255]

On 4/12/2022 at 3:21 PM, Foosters said:

Going to be doing first trip to Disneyland as a family and first trip for me in like 15 years. Planning on doing one night at a hotel on sight, with two full days at the parks. In June. Willing to spend more for fast-pass or whatever tf it's called. I assume there's tons of good info on this this thread but is there just like a jumping off point for beginners?

I'm not looking to overcomplicate things as at the end of the day it's a fucking amusement park, but probably need to have some idea as to what I'm walking into.

I'm doing Disneyland in July for the first time in a very, very long time.  

It seems like it is much more common to stay off-property than it is in Florida.  Unlike in Florida, there are a ton of off-property sites that are walking distance to the parks.  And if I'm reading correctly, Disneyland doesn't do things like Extra Magic Hours and some of the other stuff that makes it attractive to stay on-site.

I think we might do the Westin or the JW Marriott.  Both have what look to be pretty cool rooftop bars to watch the fireworks.  And given how much I hate crowds, that might be the way to go for us.

[texanbychoice 353]

My first time here as well as my kids. We are day one into five more but had a blast today.

The beer tastes much better after a day chasing these two around.

[Vegas64 640]

Cute pics. That last pic was our favorite restaurant (Belle's castle) last we went back before Covid.

[Wade 463]

Agree, cute pics.  Family has an annual pass at Disneyland and we've must have been close to 20 times the past few months.  I have never experienced a crowd remotely as sparse as reflected in those pics.  All of those areas would be wall to wall people.  Hell, if the crowd was like that I'd actually enjoy going.

Good on ya, hope the rest of the trip is the same!

[mdmost 42460]

On 4/27/2022 at 5:42 PM, Ghost of LL said:

I'm doing Disneyland in July for the first time in a very, very long time.  

It seems like it is much more common to stay off-property than it is in Florida.  Unlike in Florida, there are a ton of off-property sites that are walking distance to the parks.  And if I'm reading correctly, Disneyland doesn't do things like Extra Magic Hours and some of the other stuff that makes it attractive to stay on-site.

I think we might do the Westin or the JW Marriott.  Both have what look to be pretty cool rooftop bars to watch the fireworks.  And given how much I hate crowds, that might be the way to go for us.

They've talked about bringing back Extra Magic Hours but in the nebulous "this summer" time frame which could be when you're there to August. I have never felt the need to stay onsite at Disneyland when there are cheaper, more spacious options across the street. We stay at the Courtyard Theme Park Entrance and it's great. Two queen beds, a bunk bed, 2 separate showers. 

But my friend, you don't like crowds and are going to Disneyland in the summer. You might need to get over your issues with crowds because it will be crowded. My advice is to get there early, take a break around 1pm, and return in the evening. The upside is parades, fireworks, and nighttime shows have returned and those suck away a lot of crowds each night.

On 5/9/2022 at 11:26 PM, Wade said:

Agree, cute pics.  Family has an annual pass at Disneyland and we've must have been close to 20 times the past few months.  I have never experienced a crowd remotely as sparse as reflected in those pics.  All of those areas would be wall to wall people.  Hell, if the crowd was like that I'd actually enjoy going.

Good on ya, hope the rest of the trip is the same!

Early in the morning is like that at Disneyland for us as most rides are walk ons. 

Our trip to San Diego and then on to Anaheim is in 16 sleeps. 

Edited May 12, 2022 by mdmost

[Ghost of LL 15255]

9 minutes ago, mdmost said:

They've talked about bringing back Extra Magic Hours but in the nebulous "this summer" time frame which could be when you're there to August. I have never felt the need to stay onsite at Disneyland when there are cheaper, more spacious options across the street. We stay at the Courtyard Theme Park Entrance and it's great. Two queen beds, a bunk bed, 2 separate showers. 

But my friend, you don't like crowds and are going to Disneyland in the summer. You might need to get over your issues with crowds because it will be crowded. My advice is to get there early, take a break around 1pm, and return in the evening. The upside is parades, fireworks, and nighttime shows have returned and those suck away a lot of crowds each night.

Oh, I know.  There's an aspect of it that's going to be absolutely dreadful.  

I went ahead and got the Genie+.  And I'm going to buy every goddamned skip-the-line pass I can.  But I know it's going to kind of suck.

So yeah--I'm going to adhere to your suggestion.  Get there reasonably early.  Then depart for a late lunch to go back to the hotel and chill for a few hours.  And then go back late evening.  Fortunately, my kids aren't crazy about fireworks, and I don't have that GenX nostalgia about the Electric Light Parade.  So we can skip those and ride the rides while everyone else is at the goddamned parade.

Just so long as I get to ride the Haunted Mansion 10 times and get a few drinks in the Star Wars cantina, I'll be great.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8789]

Ha. Gaston! He’s been a hit at our house. Make sure to hit up the beauty and beast show at Hollywood studios. It’s awesome. I got a lot of compliments on my “winner of the No belle prize” gaston shirt

[SimonBolivar 10686]

Looks like GotG is getting good reviews. I'm 100% not a fan of the new Epcot, but at least it looks decent.

[SimonBolivar 10686]

Insiders are pointing to Genie+ causing the most guest complaints in living WDW memory. They're pointing to that being the major reason behind the announced shift to day of purchases only, as they're going to cut supply and make it more exclusive until a permanent solution is created.

 

This is what happens when you rip out high capacity and longer attractions (Universe of Energy, Great Movie Ride, etc..) and replace them with 3 minute attractions to get people back out in the park and spending more money on alcohol and merchandise. 

[mdmost 42460]

I thought they're shifting to day of so they can fluctuate the price based on demand. According to Paycheck, it's doing so well that they don't have to raise ticket prices. But there was no doubt they were going to raise the price. 

I thought the shift away from Great Movie Ride was due to not wanting to pay the royalties to the various studios the movies that were featured came from. That was the reason to move away from the Tower of Terror in California Adventure, I believe. 

[SimonBolivar 10686]

2 minutes ago, mdmost said:

I thought they're shifting to day of so they can fluctuate the price based on demand. According to Paycheck, it's doing so well that they don't have to raise ticket prices. But there was no doubt they were going to raise the price. 

I thought the shift away from Great Movie Ride was due to not wanting to pay the royalties to the various studios the movies that were featured came from. That was the reason to move away from the Tower of Terror in California Adventure, I believe. 

Part 1, they couldn't raise prices on the existing product as it has the lowest guest satisfaction ratings they've ever seen (rumors but good sources). Instead by cutting supply they'll have the ability to raise prices and I'm sure it'll fluctuate as it becomes a more premium product now. The issue is that with fewer people happily using Genie+ you'll see them waiting in lines more which is a money loser for Disney. That's why it's rumored that they need a replacement instead of just this temporary cut to supply.

 

Part 2, that's a good reason why the cut for The Great Movie Ride, but replacement attractions are short and have less capacity. GotG's estimated capacity is actually decent, but people eaters are disappearing and being replaced by non-people eaters in general. That combined with many shows and meet and greats still out of commission leads to bad wait times and lost profit.

 

[Skipper 5967]

We did a full week at Disney last week (3X Magic Kingdom (although 1 was travel day so just there a few hours at night) then 1X the other 3).  My kids are 3 and 5.  My first trip since I was a kid and my wife's first since college.  First time for kids obviously.   We had a blast.  It still felt pretty damn crowded and most parks were 'sold out' but also apparently one of the 'better' weeks this year (crowd levels around 6 all week per touring plans).   Here are some thoughts.

We did first 2 nights at Contemporary and it was great.  We were upgraded (without asking) to a Magic Kingdom view (booked Bay View) and kids were super excited to see the castle from our hotel.  We watched fireworks in park the first night.  Then did Epcot all the next Sunday getting back to hotel in time to get kids showered and fed before fireworks (with wine for parents) from balcony.  That was really cool.  Room was a little tight but worked great for 2 nights.  If you think you will watch fireworks from hotel Magic Kingdom View worth it.

We did 5 nights at Kidani Village at AKL in a 1BR Savanah View Suite.  Was pricey but well worth it (at least got $100 off per night with a promotion but still averaged out to about $1K per night with taxes/fees).  It was huge and so clutch to have a separate bedroom to relax and (and watch Mavs/Stars) once kids were down. Massive balcony with animals outside a huge hit.  And the pool/splash park setup was awesome.  Can't say enough good things about this hotel.  After long days at the park you really felt "away" from it all sitting on that balcony with a glass of wine in the evening.  I didn't think busses were a big deal (and especially if  you aren't breaking down a double bob stroller like I was, I still have bruises).  Also ate at Sanna here which was good and did a bunch of doordash otherwise which was fast and easy.  It's going to be hard to get my wife to ever stay anywhere else if/when we go back.

We did character breakfast meals at Chef Mickeys and Tusker House.  Food was average but big hits with the kids.  Highly recommend doing at least one with young kids.  Probably Chef Mickeys. 

I thought Genie + worked better than expected given all the criticism.  I read enough in advance to get a good feel for it.  For example, on our travel day, we got into the park a a little after 5PM and I had Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Carribean all locked in between 5:30 and 7:15.  Did those, grabbed some food, locked in Alladin on Genie+ and headed over for fireworks after that.  Worked well and left time for walking around and getting feel for the park.  The only part that sucked was the early morning alarm to make sure you got your first ride at 7AMET each day but was good to get a popular one locked in and plan your day from there.

We purchased Remy ride at Epcot and Rise of the Resistance (for my son and I) at HS.  It is what it is and was well worth not waiting in the long lines at either.

Epcot was the parents favorite park (for obvious reasons), my son loved Star Wars area at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.  My 3 YO daughter obviously preferred Magic Kingdom and obviously it was the best park for all of us to spend a lot of time in.

Hollywood Studios is kind of a beat down. Felt the most hot and crowded and just not enough "filler" attractions.  That being said, the Star Wars rides are absolutely amazing (huge W on my part getting my son to watch the first Star Wars before the trip, he's obsessed now).  Also the shows (Frozen, Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones) were really good and big hits with the kids.  If they could just add a handful of filler rides it would help a lot. 

Finally, I somehow didn't appreciate beers are hard to come by at Magic Kingdom until our last day when I started looking for one.  Luckily, I (overpaid so I thought) for the pre-fireworks dessert party.  Expensive for what you get (dessert buffet + beer/wine for adults + party guest only fireworks viewing area) but it ended up working out great.  We checked in right at 7:15.  Told kids no dessert until parents had a least 1 drink in peace (and gave them some show to watch on the phone).  Most people started leaving to fireworks area around 8:30 but I happened to notice clouds getting dark and checked radar.   Sure enough, big T-storm moving in and started pouring about 8:50.  They weren't letting people that left back in.  So we ended up staying in covered area at Tomorrowland Terrace boozing until fireworks actually started at 9:45.  Kids made friends and handful of parent's left were all having fun.  All the dad's felt like we hit the lottery as we watched the miserable folks below soaked in panchos.  They cut alcohol off at 9 but pretty much everyone there was aware and had 3-4 extras at table.  Was a great time and then we closed down the park post fireworks (with daughter sleeping in stroller).  

So while I appreciate (from all the research pre-trip) that Disney isn't near the value it was pre-pandemic and a lot more nickle and diming, we had a great time.  I just didn't worry about the budget for a week and let the chips fall where they may. We were in Deluxe hotels on campus, had Genie+ every day and bought the lightning lanes as mentioned.  All of that saved a TON of time which is priceless with young impatient kids.   I can see it all being a very different experience if trying to do it on the cheap (which, we might try when kids are older).  But our experience is probably Disney's business model at this point.

Only real downside to the trip was we all brought back COVID (and my wife and I unknowingly fought through it last few days of trip as detailed on Covid thread in DT).  It was no surprise and honestly, if you somehow have managed to avoid it to date like we did and going soon, I think you just have to come to terms with the fact you probably can't avoid it.  Barely any masks and lots of tight, packed crowds.  I would bet money we picked it up in Haunted Mansion when it broke down while we were waiting to get on for 10 mins and we were packed in that loading room like sardines with dude next to me coughing.   It is what it is.  And luckily was not a big deal for us at all.  All recovered.

 

 

[SimonBolivar 10686]

48 minutes ago, Skipper said:

I just didn't worry about the budget for a week and let the chips fall where they may.

Boy you sure didn't looking at your resort choices and extras.

 

I love me some Sanaa. Bread service is top notch and the short ribs and rice combo was really good too. Did you get a chance to eat at the California Grill when you stayed at the Contemporary? I loved the service there. 

[Skipper 5967]

4 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

Boy you sure didn't looking at your resort choices and extras.

 

I love me some Sanaa. Bread service is top notch and the short ribs and rice combo was really good too. Did you get a chance to eat at the California Grill when you stayed at the Contemporary? I loved the service there. 

No.  Our kids are horrible at restaurants.  Obviously not a lot of experience during 2020-21 Covid but we've done a bad job since.  Getting them to learn to sit and semi-behave is a summer goal.  We survived Sanaa by going back to room to grab ipads so we could enjoy meal. Kids didn't eat anything there.  Bread Service was indeed great. I had the pork shank and wife did the butter chicken.  All really solid.  But yeah, we didn't try for any other sit down dinners this trip.  I tried to order late dinner takeout from Steakhouse 71 at Contemporary but they closed kitchen at 9.

[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

6 hours ago, SimonBolivar said:

Boy you sure didn't looking at your resort choices and extras.

 

I love me some Sanaa. Bread service is top notch and the short ribs and rice combo was really good too. Did you get a chance to eat at the California Grill when you stayed at the Contemporary? I loved the service there. 

Yes.  Sanaa!  We've got reservations there a month from Tuesday.  

[MNLonghornFUKM 8789]

We did a full week at Disney last week (3X Magic Kingdom (although 1 was travel day so just there a few hours at night) then 1X the other 3).  My kids are 3 and 5.  My first trip since I was a kid and my wife's first since college.  First time for kids obviously.   We had a blast.  It still felt pretty damn crowded and most parks were 'sold out' but also apparently one of the 'better' weeks this year (crowd levels around 6 all week per touring plans).   Here are some thoughts.
We did first 2 nights at Contemporary and it was great.  We were upgraded (without asking) to a Magic Kingdom view (booked Bay View) and kids were super excited to see the castle from our hotel.  We watched fireworks in park the first night.  Then did Epcot all the next Sunday getting back to hotel in time to get kids showered and fed before fireworks (with wine for parents) from balcony.  That was really cool.  Room was a little tight but worked great for 2 nights.  If you think you will watch fireworks from hotel Magic Kingdom View worth it.
We did 5 nights at Kidani Village at AKL in a 1BR Savanah View Suite.  Was pricey but well worth it (at least got $100 off per night with a promotion but still averaged out to about $1K per night with taxes/fees).  It was huge and so clutch to have a separate bedroom to relax and (and watch Mavs/Stars) once kids were down. Massive balcony with animals outside a huge hit.  And the pool/splash park setup was awesome.  Can't say enough good things about this hotel.  After long days at the park you really felt "away" from it all sitting on that balcony with a glass of wine in the evening.  I didn't think busses were a big deal (and especially if  you aren't breaking down a double bob stroller like I was, I still have bruises).  Also ate at Sanna here which was good and did a bunch of doordash otherwise which was fast and easy.  It's going to be hard to get my wife to ever stay anywhere else if/when we go back.
We did character breakfast meals at Chef Mickeys and Tusker House.  Food was average but big hits with the kids.  Highly recommend doing at least one with young kids.  Probably Chef Mickeys. 
I thought Genie + worked better than expected given all the criticism.  I read enough in advance to get a good feel for it.  For example, on our travel day, we got into the park a a little after 5PM and I had Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Carribean all locked in between 5:30 and 7:15.  Did those, grabbed some food, locked in Alladin on Genie+ and headed over for fireworks after that.  Worked well and left time for walking around and getting feel for the park.  The only part that sucked was the early morning alarm to make sure you got your first ride at 7AMET each day but was good to get a popular one locked in and plan your day from there.
We purchased Remy ride at Epcot and Rise of the Resistance (for my son and I) at HS.  It is what it is and was well worth not waiting in the long lines at either.
Epcot was the parents favorite park (for obvious reasons), my son loved Star Wars area at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.  My 3 YO daughter obviously preferred Magic Kingdom and obviously it was the best park for all of us to spend a lot of time in.
Hollywood Studios is kind of a beat down. Felt the most hot and crowded and just not enough "filler" attractions.  That being said, the Star Wars rides are absolutely amazing (huge W on my part getting my son to watch the first Star Wars before the trip, he's obsessed now).  Also the shows (Frozen, Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones) were really good and big hits with the kids.  If they could just add a handful of filler rides it would help a lot. 
Finally, I somehow didn't appreciate beers are hard to come by at Magic Kingdom until our last day when I started looking for one.  Luckily, I (overpaid so I thought) for the pre-fireworks dessert party.  Expensive for what you get (dessert buffet + beer/wine for adults + party guest only fireworks viewing area) but it ended up working out great.  We checked in right at 7:15.  Told kids no dessert until parents had a least 1 drink in peace (and gave them some show to watch on the phone).  Most people started leaving to fireworks area around 8:30 but I happened to notice clouds getting dark and checked radar.   Sure enough, big T-storm moving in and started pouring about 8:50.  They weren't letting people that left back in.  So we ended up staying in covered area at Tomorrowland Terrace boozing until fireworks actually started at 9:45.  Kids made friends and handful of parent's left were all having fun.  All the dad's felt like we hit the lottery as we watched the miserable folks below soaked in panchos.  They cut alcohol off at 9 but pretty much everyone there was aware and had 3-4 extras at table.  Was a great time and then we closed down the park post fireworks (with daughter sleeping in stroller).  
So while I appreciate (from all the research pre-trip) that Disney isn't near the value it was pre-pandemic and a lot more nickle and diming, we had a great time.  I just didn't worry about the budget for a week and let the chips fall where they may. We were in Deluxe hotels on campus, had Genie+ every day and bought the lightning lanes as mentioned.  All of that saved a TON of time which is priceless with young impatient kids.   I can see it all being a very different experience if trying to do it on the cheap (which, we might try when kids are older).  But our experience is probably Disney's business model at this point.
Only real downside to the trip was we all brought back COVID (and my wife and I unknowingly fought through it last few days of trip as detailed on Covid thread in DT).  It was no surprise and honestly, if you somehow have managed to avoid it to date like we did and going soon, I think you just have to come to terms with the fact you probably can't avoid it.  Barely any masks and lots of tight, packed crowds.  I would bet money we picked it up in Haunted Mansion when it broke down while we were waiting to get on for 10 mins and we were packed in that loading room like sardines with dude next to me coughing.   It is what it is.  And luckily was not a big deal for us at all.  All recovered.
 
 

Good recap.

HS is def a grind. I feel like it’s a place where we can rope drop rise at like 8AM and then do nothing except think about doing something until 11. It needs more kiosks so a fam can get a quick breakfast or something. I feel HS and MK are the big busy parks that is a grind no matter what but MK has more kiosks for snacks and drinks. HS you always have to walk to the plaza in the middle.

AKL sounds freaking awesome. We stayed at swan for a night after 6 nights at pud art of animation little mermaid, lol…couldn’t enjoy swan because the day we left my daughter caught a bug and puked all day. 1,000 a night? Oof lol

[ballrific 215]

Can anyone rec a "planner"? Did some research for disneyland and melted my brain. Disney World seems even more of a mind bend.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

18 hours ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

Good recap.

HS is def a grind. I feel like it’s a place where we can rope drop rise at like 8AM and then do nothing except think about doing something until 11. It needs more kiosks so a fam can get a quick breakfast or something. I feel HS and MK are the big busy parks that is a grind no matter what but MK has more kiosks for snacks and drinks. HS you always have to walk to the plaza in the middle.

AKL sounds freaking awesome. We stayed at swan for a night after 6 nights at pud art of animation little mermaid, lol…couldn’t enjoy swan because the day we left my daughter caught a bug and puked all day. 1,000 a night? Oof lol

AKL is pretty cool.  Nothing like waking up to a zebra or warthog just outside your window.  We lucked out because our friends are part of some Disney Club, so we get to stay at the AKL every other year for free.  Heading back that way in exactly one month.  Can't wait.

[CooterBrown 17735]

Can anyone rec a "planner"? Did some research for disneyland and melted my brain. Disney World seems even more of a mind bend.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Touringplans.com is all you need. Costs 15 bucks and it’ll spit out an itinerary that’s was extremely accurate on wait times the two times I used it years ago.

Or, just post how many days and ages of kids. At least mdmost and I have been to DLR 20+ times each in the past decade and can give you a decent enough plan of attack.

[mdmost 42460]

23 hours ago, ballrific said:

Can anyone rec a "planner"? Did some research for disneyland and melted my brain. Disney World seems even more of a mind bend.

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I always recommend Disneylanddaily.com. She's also on Facebook and Instagram. It's a pretty comprehensive website on Disneyland. She has plans you can follow that she's tested for doing DLR and CA with and without Genie+. But get Genie+. There's no reason to not get it if you're just there for a trip. Agree with Cooter, grab a Touringplans.com sub. It's cheap and can help you toss in all the rides, shows, and dining you want to do and give you an idea if it's realistic or not. Only downside is it doesn't take into account Genie+ but I don't think there's a great way for it do that yet. 

And yeah, toss out your days and kids ages. We can give you some advice. Disneyland is infinitely easier to navigate than WDW.

https://disneylanddaily.com/a-first-timers-guide-to-disneyland/

Overview:

https://disneylanddaily.com/how-to-start-your-day-at-the-disneyland-resort/

Plans:

https://disneylanddaily.com/how-to-start-your-day-at-disneyland/

https://disneylanddaily.com/how-to-start-your-day-at-california-adventure/

 

[A-Tex Devil 2414]

It may be upthread, so apologies, but how is the Skyliner working out at WDW?  We are going in January and will be booking through a planner in a few weeks when 2023 opens up.  We are getting a 1 BD Villa almost certainly.  We did the Bayview Tower a few years ago and it was perfect.  But if Skyliner can make some other resorts not on monorail more accessible, it is worth looking into to lower cost.

We want to take advantage of convenience of being on monorail (or some other easy access to parks) - i.e. not a 45 minute slog in and out like it might be at AKL  (where we stayed 6 years ago). or something similarly remote  But our kids have food allergies so we need a kitchenette to do some of our own food preparation for the day.  We had groceries delivered last time and it worked great.  

I imagine we'll end up at Bay Tower again unless GF or Polynesian has a screaming deal.  But the Boardwalk is intriguing to me.

[mdmost 42460]

I think the Boardwalk would be a great choice if you're looking to go to Hollywood Studios and Epcot a bunch. It's right next to the Swan which we stayed at back on Labor Day 2021. We used the shuttles at Boardwalk to easily get to MK and AK. Then it's a 20 minute walk to Hollywood Studios and even closer for Epcot. You can take the boats back in the afternoon or evening. Skyliner would be a long trip if you took it from HS back to Epcot. The boats would be faster. 

[ballrific 215]

On 5/21/2022 at 4:32 PM, mdmost said:

I always recommend Disneylanddaily.com. She's also on Facebook and Instagram. It's a pretty comprehensive website on Disneyland. She has plans you can follow that she's tested for doing DLR and CA with and without Genie+. But get Genie+. There's no reason to not get it if you're just there for a trip. Agree with Cooter, grab a Touringplans.com sub. It's cheap and can help you toss in all the rides, shows, and dining you want to do and give you an idea if it's realistic or not. Only downside is it doesn't take into account Genie+ but I don't think there's a great way for it do that yet. 

And yeah, toss out your days and kids ages. We can give you some advice. Disneyland is infinitely easier to navigate than WDW.

https://disneylanddaily.com/a-first-timers-guide-to-disneyland/

Overview:

https://disneylanddaily.com/how-to-start-your-day-at-the-disneyland-resort/

Plans:

https://disneylanddaily.com/how-to-start-your-day-at-disneyland/

https://disneylanddaily.com/how-to-start-your-day-at-california-adventure/

 

Kids are 13,12, 9 and 7.  They are big Star Wars and Marvel fans.  Have probably outgrown things like Cars, Mickey, etc..although they grew up watching MMC but it's been years.  Although I'm sure my 2 youngest would probably like anything cool.

We had CA in mind b/c DLR seemed like it would be easier to navigate and we were assuming the weather is nicer if we went in Oct/Nov and it's, you know, not Florida.  I was looking online for huge differences, but first question is are we missing out on anything huge and exciting going DLR instead of WDW for the first time, based on my kids ages?

[mdmost 42460]

6 minutes ago, ballrific said:

Kids are 13,12, 9 and 7.  They are big Star Wars and Marvel fans.  Have probably outgrown things like Cars, Mickey, etc..although they grew up watching MMC but it's been years.  Although I'm sure my 2 youngest would probably like anything cool.

We had CA in mind b/c DLR seemed like it would be easier to navigate and we were assuming the weather is nicer if we went in Oct/Nov and it's, you know, not Florida.  I was looking online for huge differences, but first question is are we missing out on anything huge and exciting going DLR instead of WDW for the first time, based on my kids ages?

For first timers, WDW is normally the best. It's just more immersive. It's hard to beat the Disney bubble and just hang out in that. However, if your kids are big into Marvel and Star Wars, DLR wins that. WDW can only offer later Marvel IP because Universal Studios has the East Coast exclusive on Marvel characters created before Disney's takeover. That's why the only Marvel IP at WDW is the new Guardians ride at Epcot.

We're a DLR family. We would opt for DLR over WDW 9/10 times. More compact, you aren't forced to overpay for a Disney hotel, infinitely more walkable, and much more relaxed than WDW. And again, WDW is a great vacation. If you are wanting to go into the DIsney bubble and be immersed in that, it beats DLR easily. We only go to WDW every 4-6 years because it's so much more of an undertaking to get there and navigate around. I always feel rushed and that there's never enough time. DLR you can slow things down and take your time. If you want to park hop, you walk across the Esplanade. At WDW, you have to take shuttles, drive yourself, take an Uber, a Skyliner, a boat, or Monorail. You always have to bake in about an hour of travel time. DLR, you can walk from the Harbor Blvd hotels to the security in under 10 minutes. It's great for going early, getting a lot in, taking a break around 2pm to go swim at the hotel, and return around 5 to finish the day out. Yeah, the castle is smaller and it's very compact as a park but it just suits us better.

With a big family like yours, you could stay at the Courtyard Theme Park Entrance, like we do, and get a suite that has a bunk bed, 2 queens, 2 showers, and a view of the Matterhorn for a lot less than what you could get at WDW or staying onsite at DLR. There's very little benefit to staying onsite as opposed to staying onsite at WDW. But if you're wanting to splurge a bit, people rave about the Grand Californian. DLR is bringing back the early morning hours for hotel guests but that might only be 30 minute earlier than most guest now. The Genie+ system is supposedly easier at DLR than WDW and I'll see about that next week when we're there. The old Maxpass system was incredible. We would just hop from ride to ride, building in non-Maxpass rides along the way. We'll see if we can do that with Genie+.

I think DLR is a good mix of thrill rides for the older kids (Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Incredicoaster, Radiator Racers, Guardians, Rise of the Resistance, Big Thunder Mountain) and things your younger set will enjoy like Fantasyland and Pixar Pier. I know you said they've outgrown Cars but Carsland might be the single best themed land in the US parks, especially at night. They will also enjoy Avengers Campus even though it's small. Star Wars Land is the same in both parks. Though, at DLR you're not fighting the Florida muggy weather. DLR can get hot. It's a lot of concrete and inland CA is a lot hotter than the coast. Check the historical weather temps before you book as it's hotter at weird times like September. We typically take a break around 2-3pm and go back and swim for this reason. But man, early morning at DLR is so nice. 60s when you enter the park as opposed to sweating the moment you get into any of the WDW parks.

 

[CooterBrown 17735]

Just an FYI, buying Disneyland Paris tickets is a pain in the ass.  

The website declined two credit cards and debit card. Checked with each bank to see why it had been declined and none of them even had an attempted transaction.  Ended up paying via PayPal, which was an option.  However, even though I have my debit card and two credit cards in my PayPal wallet, the only option available was direct draw from my checking account which is fine. I had bought tickets for something else in Paris and had this same issue. IIRC, I had to view the webpage in French for the security question box to pop up. Maybe the same thing was an issue here but I didn't try that. 

[texanbychoice 353]

Can anyone rec a "planner"? Did some research for disneyland and melted my brain. Disney World seems even more of a mind bend.

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DM me. We have family who do this (we got back from 6 nights there planned by them and it was awesome).

[mdmost 42460]

Flew back last night from our 4 days in San Diego and 4 days at Disneyland. Finished the trip with a brunch at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in Anaheim before driving back to San Diego. I'll take that car ride over getting to LAX any day. Wife thinks we rode every ride in Disneyland except the Monorail and every ride in CA except the Grizzly River Run.

Genie+ was fantastic. Never had many issues with it. If a ride went down, we'd get the multipass. Bought all the individual lightning lane ones which helped us breeze through each ride. Radiator Racers was down for maintenance for the day we went to CA so we park hopped and rode it on one of our Disneyland days before heading back to the hotel for a swim and nap. Lots of rides went down left and right but we were able to navigate around them. We actually got stuck on the Matterhorn while almost near the bottom. They had to come up and take us off the ride through the bowels of the mountain which was kinda cool. They gave us 3 LLs each for our trouble which was great as the LL were mostly taken at that point (7pm). So we got to ride Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, and Hyperspace Mountain again after our dinner.

On the final day, the wife and I just wanted to relax and do things we don't normally do like ride the train, have a sit down breakfast, and just take in the fun parts of Disneyland we're normally rushing past. I set the kids up on our account and showed them how to do the Genie+ selections. They rode about 8 rides in the first hour of the park opening with minimal wait. Disneyland is infinitely more navigable with Genie+ if you rope drop. There's so many rides you don't need to bother with booking until after 10am. So the kids rode Hyperspace Mountain, Buzz, Big Thunder twice, Indy twice, Haunted Mansion and Matterhorn all before 9am. They then did the same at California Adventure. Wife and I went to Trader Sam's at 6pm which was great. I highly advise everyone to try it at least once. 

We had a great trip and this will probably be our last one for a few years. But it was a great time and we got most of what we wanted outside of Pirates not being open during our trip. 

[Francisco 2.0 32178]

Spent 7 days at Disney World; returned late Tuesday.  Not much to add, other than the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster is probably the best thrill ride I've ever been on in my life.  It doesn't go upside down, or have some insane vertical drop, but the entire package (track, music, audio-visual, etc) is on another level.  Recommended.

I liked Rise of the Resistance a whole lot more than the Millennium Falcon attraction; I did Rise first, then an hour or so later the Falcon.  There's no comparison to me.

As far as dining, Homecomin' in Disney Springs was probably the best meal I had.  Fried chicken, a moonshine flight and a piece of Shine Cake for the win:

http://www.homecominkitchen.com

 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2022 by Francisco 2.0

[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

 Homecomin' booked two weeks from tonight.  I can't recall exactly what my wife has booked/said about the schedule, but I'm pretty sure Falcon, Rise, and Guardians are on the list.  

FYI, my 4th grader is GT, ADHD, and on the spectrum.  Disney has a sort of "fast pass" for kids like this.  My wife had to call in and complete some sort of interview to apply.  I'll let y'all know how this goes as I know some on here are in similar situations.

[mdmost 42460]

It's called DAS. I think you have something on your WDW app that helps you book rides in advance. It's not like Genie+ with the exception of I believe you redeem your selections at the same Genie+ redemption stations. 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8789]

Spent 7 days at Disney World; returned late Tuesday.  Not much to add, other than the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster is probably the best thrill ride I've ever been on in my life.  It doesn't go upside down, or have some insane vertical drop, but the entire package (track, music, audio-visual, etc) is on another level.  Recommended.
I liked Rise of the Resistance a whole lot more than the Millennium Falcon attraction; I did Rise first, then an hour or so later the Falcon.  There's no comparison to me.
As far as dining, Homecomin' in Disney Springs was probably the best meal I had.  Fried chicken, a moonshine flight and a piece of Shine Cake for the win:
http://www.homecominkitchen.com
 
 
 

Awesome. I probably won’t begin thinking about booking our next WDW trip until tron is up and running at MK so we have a few new rides to look forward to. It sounds like late this year early 2023. Looks insane from what I could see from the construction site.

[A-Tex Devil 2414]

8 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

 Homecomin' booked two weeks from tonight.  I can't recall exactly what my wife has booked/said about the schedule, but I'm pretty sure Falcon, Rise, and Guardians are on the list.  

FYI, my 4th grader is GT, ADHD, and on the spectrum.  Disney has a sort of "fast pass" for kids like this.  My wife had to call in and complete some sort of interview to apply.  I'll let y'all know how this goes as I know some on here are in similar situations.

Wow.  One of mine is GT/ADHD and other on spectrum.  Would be interested to know how to apply for this.  

I’ll ask our planner too. 

We go in January and stay at Baylake Tower. Hope Tron and Play are open by then but not holding breath.  
 

 

[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

23 minutes ago, A-Tex Devil said:

Wow.  One of mine is GT/ADHD and other on spectrum.  Would be interested to know how to apply for this.  

I’ll ask our planner too. 

We go in January and stay at Baylake Tower. Hope Tron and Play are open by then but not holding breath.  
 

 

Wife said the easiest thing to do is type in "DAS" in the disneyworld.com search box.  DAS stands for Disability Access Service.  Instructions are there.

[PorscheGuy 127]

Wow.  One of mine is GT/ADHD and other on spectrum.  Would be interested to know how to apply for this.  
I’ll ask our planner too. 
We go in January and stay at Baylake Tower. Hope Tron and Play are open by then but not holding breath.  
 
 

I believe you sign up for DAS on line through Disney website. You will have a video interview w a cast member. It is painless. Just explain why waiting in long lines is a issue. Rarely heard of anyone not getting it unless they were clearly lying.

My son qualified for DAS. They will pre book two rides each day you are in the park when you finish your interview. This is in addition to using DAS and genie+.

Pro tip. Once the get through the second check point/gate that scans your DAS on a ride, you can book your next one immediately.

We had genie plus and DAS and NEVER waited for any ride over Five days. We called my son the Golden Ticket all week.


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