tAll Encompassing Disney Thread

[CooterBrown 18002]

At Disneyland Paris. The Premiere Access Ultimate Pass is worth it. For 4, it was an extra $360. We walked on to every ride and are about done at 3pm.

Hyperspace Mountain and Crush’s Coaster are awesome. HM is the best Space Mountain of the 3 I’ve ridden. It has loops and corkscrews. Ratatouille is severely overrated. You just slowly pull up to a half dozen screens and watch a 20 second 3D animation. Boring AF. I don’t get how this ranks as one of the best Disney attractions.

I’d rank DL Paris well below the OG. It’s just not as nice and all the smoking in the park is obnoxious.

[Wade 464]

Went to DL yesterday with family.  Although the park did not seem overly crowded, the ride wait times were atrocious.  Even mediocre rides were an hour or more wait.

Kids and wife wanted to go on Splash Mtn, so while they waited in that 80 minute line, I mosied on over to Rise of the Resistance.  Figured I'd take that punishing two hour wait so we'd be close by the time they were done with Splash.  Got there and it was down, and they weren't letting people get in line.  Figured I'd just wait.  About a half-hour later it was back up and a crowd rush to the entrance.  By fortune I had planted myself by the chosen cattle chute and was near the front. 

Within minutes I was in the cave and the line was moving worryingly fast.  Got probalby 3/4s of the way there when the 1 pm of passholders arrived, and line slowed to a crawl.  Kids and wife eventually got to me and as we were literally steps away from getting on, the ride broke down again.  So, thought I was going to be the hero, but we ended up waiting another 40 minutes anyway.

As an aside, that ride sure does break down a lot.  At least one-third of the times we've been in line it was gone down.

But it is amazing.  There was a young couple in front of us, first timers.  The look on their faces was priceless.

[mdmost 42999]

10 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

At Disneyland Paris. The Premiere Access Ultimate Pass is worth it. For 4, it was an extra $360. We walked on to every ride and are about done at 3pm.

Hyperspace Mountain and Crush’s Coaster are awesome. HM is the best Space Mountain of the 3 I’ve ridden. It has loops and corkscrews. Ratatouille is severely overrated. You just slowly pull up to a half dozen screens and watch a 20 second 3D animation. Boring AF. I don’t get how this ranks as one of the best Disney attractions.

Loved DLP when we got in a quick day visit 6 years ago. We probably went on the slowest day of the year so most rides were walk on and only two restaurants were open. It snowed while we were there. Sadly, Big Thunder was being refurbished at the time. Phantom Manor is excellent there. Agree on Hyperspace Mountain but I don't like the addition of Star Wars to everything and it was the old non-SW version when we were there. I love Jules Verne so the whole Discoveryland was great to me. We rode Ratatouille twice because it broke down in the middle of our first ride. I think people enjoy it because it really immerses you in the ride by shrinking you down. I wonder if the Epcot version is any different or improves upon the original. Did you go under the castle and see the dragon?

Edited June 17, 2022 by mdmost

[CooterBrown 18002]

Loved DLP when we got in a quick day visit 6 years ago. We probably went on the slowest day of the year so most rides were walk on and only two restaurants were open. It snowed while we were there. Sadly, Big Thunder was being refurbished at the time. Phantom Manor is excellent there. Agree on Hyperspace Mountain but I don't like the addition of Star Wars to everything and it was the old non-SW version when we were there. I love Jules Verne so the whole Discoveryland was great to me. We rode Ratatouille twice because it broke down in the middle of our first ride. I think people enjoy it because it really immerses you in the ride by shrinking you down. I wonder if the Epcot version is any different or improves upon the original. Did you go under the castle and see the dragon?

The dragon was cool. Definitely the best castle by far.

My kid just figured out a flaw in the Premier Access system. You can only ride each ride once using the pass. However, if you scan a screenshot of the QR code, instead of the QR code in the DLP app, it does not record that you’ve ridden that ride. I guess it just marks it in your app directly and not in some central system that ties to your account.

[Knoxtnhorn 5971]

Never thought my son's "issues" would have positive ramifications.  

[McCroskey 1504]

At Disneyland Paris. The Premiere Access Ultimate Pass is worth it. For 4, it was an extra $360. We walked on to every ride and are about done at 3pm.

Hyperspace Mountain and Crush’s Coaster are awesome. HM is the best Space Mountain of the 3 I’ve ridden. It has loops and corkscrews. Ratatouille is severely overrated. You just slowly pull up to a half dozen screens and watch a 20 second 3D animation. Boring AF. I don’t get how this ranks as one of the best Disney attractions.

I’d rank DL Paris well below the OG. It’s just not as nice and all the smoking in the park is obnoxious.

Took mine there a couple months ago…same thing.

Damn right on Hyperspace Mountain. Big Thunder Mountain was fun for them too.

[Foosters 17822]

Driving to Disneyland hotel this afternoon for a day at Disneyland and a day at California adventure park. Got the genie+ app and plan on figuring shit out tonight when planning for our day tomorrow at Disneyland park. First time in 15 years.

 

[PorscheGuy 127]

Driving to Disneyland hotel this afternoon for a day at Disneyland and a day at California adventure park. Got the genie+ app and plan on figuring shit out tonight when planning for our day tomorrow at Disneyland park. First time in 15 years.
 

Broke away for a day to DLR last week. We were able to get everything done at both parks in one day. By 6:30 pm too.

Keys:

Get there 30 minutes before rope drop. You will get four rides in the first hour. Second it opens book a genie plus for hyper space mountain. Buy LL pass for rise. Once your get through the check point for HSM, book genie plus for one splash or Thunder. Which ever has the longer standby. Head to that side of the park and do stand by in the other. It will still be before 10:30-11. It does not start getting crowded until then. Finish there head to your LL at rise. Enjoy Star Wars land, do single rider for falcon. By now the park will be packed. Take a late lunch. Pick and choose rides based on ride times. Kids ages will factor in. If young, strollers are a must.

CA is cool. Guardians is great. So is Incredicoaster. Buy the LL for the cars racer ride. They get priority over standby. And they sell a lot. If you don’t mind splitting up a little and don’t want to drop more $, Go single rider on that one. You will be in and out very quick.

Have fun. It gets hot. There is little shade. Where sunglasses. Most of the women there barely wear anything that resembles clothing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mdmost 42999]

45 minutes ago, Foosters said:

Driving to Disneyland hotel this afternoon for a day at Disneyland and a day at California adventure park. Got the genie+ app and plan on figuring shit out tonight when planning for our day tomorrow at Disneyland park. First time in 15 years.

 

What do you plan on riding as that's really the key? Rope Drop is a must as the first two hours at DLR are wonderful. It's a locals park so they don't come out till after 11am.

If you want to ride Space Mountain first, you can ride it and the entirety of Tomorrowland and the Matterhorn (assuming it's running) in the first hour without even using your Genie+. Then you can re-ride those later with Genie+ if you want to. The thing to remember about Genie+ is you can only use it one time per ride. 

If you want to rope drop Rise then you're going to be sitting in a 45 minute line unless you run like the rest of the morons when the rope drops. It's better to pay the $20 for it and take it at your leisure. Millenium Falcon Smuggler's Run can be a LL selection before or after you get on Rise. The pay ride LL and Genie+ LL can overlap. You need to be aware that Rise goes down often.

Indiana Jones, Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder are all easy to just walk on or get a Genie+ for before 10am. In most instances, you may not even need it. I would save Fantasyland for later as none of those rides let you use Genie+. Or you may want to hit those early so you take advantage of the lower waits in the morning. When you look at Genie+ in your app, if you notice the Genie+ return time is less than 5 to 30 minutes out, that means demand is still low. If it's over an hour, demand is high or a ride close by to that one has broken down and people are using Multipass selections to ride it. Multipass selections are what a LL is converted to if the ride you booked isn't running. You can actually use this to your advantage if you book something like Indiana Jones or the Matterhorn which constantly break down. You can then get a free ride on all but Peter Pan's Flight and Rise.

A tip for Indiana Jones, if you look at the standby sign and it says 30 minutes, take a look at the outside line area next to the Jungle Cruise river. If it is empty or just going up the ramp to the building, go ahead and do standby. If it is full, get a LL for it. The only thing the Genie+ saves you is not having to sit in the outside line and ramp. The Genie+ line meets up with standby before you go inside the actual ride building and then you're with everyone. 

California Adventure is a breeze. Buy the Lighting Lanes for Webslingers and Radiator Racers and head to Incredicoaster at rope drop. We rode it 3 straight times the morning we went to CA. We then went clockwise around Pixar Pier with a LL for Toy Story Midway Mania and Goofy Sky School. We then hit up Avengers Campus and did Guardians. You can also get a LL for Soarin a little later. 

Have fun, stay hydrated, bring a change of socks if you go on Splash Mountain or Grizzly River Run. 

[Foosters 17822]

20 minutes ago, mdmost said:

What do you plan on riding as that's really the key? Rope Drop is a must as the first two hours at DLR are wonderful. It's a locals park so they don't come out till after 11am.

If you want to ride Space Mountain first, you can ride it and the entirety of Tomorrowland and the Matterhorn (assuming it's running) in the first hour without even using your Genie+. Then you can re-ride those later with Genie+ if you want to. The thing to remember about Genie+ is you can only use it one time per ride. 

If you want to rope drop Rise then you're going to be sitting in a 45 minute line unless you run like the rest of the morons when the rope drops. It's better to pay the $20 for it and take it at your leisure. Millenium Falcon Smuggler's Run can be a LL selection before or after you get on Rise. The pay ride LL and Genie+ LL can overlap. You need to be aware that Rise goes down often.

Indiana Jones, Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder are all easy to just walk on or get a Genie+ for before 10am. In most instances, you may not even need it. I would save Fantasyland for later as none of those rides let you use Genie+. Or you may want to hit those early so you take advantage of the lower waits in the morning. When you look at Genie+ in your app, if you notice the Genie+ return time is less than 5 to 30 minutes out, that means demand is still low. If it's over an hour, demand is high or a ride close by to that one has broken down and people are using Multipass selections to ride it. Multipass selections are what a LL is converted to if the ride you booked isn't running. You can actually use this to your advantage if you book something like Indiana Jones or the Matterhorn which constantly break down. You can then get a free ride on all but Peter Pan's Flight and Rise.

A tip for Indiana Jones, if you look at the standby sign and it says 30 minutes, take a look at the outside line area next to the Jungle Cruise river. If it is empty or just going up the ramp to the building, go ahead and do standby. If it is full, get a LL for it. The only thing the Genie+ saves you is not having to sit in the outside line and ramp. The Genie+ line meets up with standby before you go inside the actual ride building and then you're with everyone. 

California Adventure is a breeze. Buy the Lighting Lanes for Webslingers and Radiator Racers and head to Incredicoaster at rope drop. We rode it 3 straight times the morning we went to CA. We then went clockwise around Pixar Pier with a LL for Toy Story Midway Mania and Goofy Sky School. We then hit up Avengers Campus and did Guardians. You can also get a LL for Soarin a little later. 

Have fun, stay hydrated, bring a change of socks if you go on Splash Mountain or Grizzly River Run. 

Thanks man. Very helpful stuff. My daughter is 6 and we'll probably only be on younger kids' stuff. Showed her a video of Rise and she noped out pretty quick due to laser gun battle. Likely will focus on fantasyland and try to do Peter pan early as that looks to have some wait times. Maybe focusing on little kids rides will mean we're not waiting in long lines as much?

I'm fucking around with the app right now and I see all these options to "reserve" certain rides at times in the future. So if I reserve a ride at that time, I show up and then I'm in a shorter line. How long can the wait time vary at that point?

If I go with the LL option, I pay extra per person, per ride and then I'm given a time to arrive? Or I just go right then and only have to wait a few minutes?

Any can't-miss dining experiences in the park that I need to reserve upon arriving?

[mdmost 42999]

39 minutes ago, Foosters said:

Thanks man. Very helpful stuff. My daughter is 6 and we'll probably only be on younger kids' stuff. Showed her a video of Rise and she noped out pretty quick due to laser gun battle. Likely will focus on fantasyland and try to do Peter pan early as that looks to have some wait times. Maybe focusing on little kids rides will mean we're not waiting in long lines as much?

I'm fucking around with the app right now and I see all these options to "reserve" certain rides at times in the future. So if I reserve a ride at that time, I show up and then I'm in a shorter line. How long can the wait time vary at that point?

If I go with the LL option, I pay extra per person, per ride and then I'm given a time to arrive? Or I just go right then and only have to wait a few minutes?

Any can't-miss dining experiences in the park that I need to reserve upon arriving?

Yeah if she's 6 and is not into it, I wouldn't push. You'll have a great time in Fantasyland. Peter Pan is always busy but if you rope drop it will be 20-30 minutes which is about the best it will be all day. One thing that she'll enjoy is if you're in the queue at the start of the building entrance, you can play an "I Spy" game on the Disney Play app. There are carvings in the wood of different objects from Peter Pan like the pirate ship. Check them off as you go along. When you get to the little lantern, if you found all the items (just check them all off), you can hold your phone up to the lantern and Tinkerbell will appear. She'll probably get a kick out of that. 

Most of Fantasyland is slow loaders like Casey Jr, the Storybook Canal Boats, and Alice so their wait times will be longer. I'd do those before it gets super crowded. The rest are pretty easy just to walk on like Mr. Toad, the Teacups, Pinocchio, and Snow White. When you do the Snow White ride, have her look up in the window above the ride as the Evil Queen looks out every couple of minutes. Make sure to take her through the Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough. It's on the right side next to the boutique shop. Takes you through the Sleeping Beauty story and most people aren't aware it's there.

Maybe see if she's up for Big Thunder Mountain. Haunted Mansion is also great. Splash Mountain is fun but you'll definitely get wet so either wear some open toe shoes or bring a change of socks. Winnie the Pooh nextdoor is an easy dark ride and they are sometimes characters in the little area right next to it that you can take pictures with. Try to ride the Millenium Falcon with her as she can be a pilot or gunner. In Tomorrowland, Buzz, Star Tours, Autopia are all ones she can do pretty easily. All have Genie+ options. Matterhorn could be iffy but maybe let her check it out and see what she thinks. Tiki room is great. Take her on the train that loops around the park. The Mark Twain Riverboat is also nice. You can take the boat over to the Tom Sawyer Island and let her roam around. Jungle Cruise would also be enjoyable for her. It's a shame Pirates of the Caribbean is still closed.

To your LL questions, you reserve the time to return to the Lightning Lane which is usually an hour window. The app will tell you what time is currently available. You either pick it or wait till later to book a different time. When you redeem your LL selection, you can book another one. If you get to where all the LL are out more than 2 hours, you can book them and then the system will tell you when you can book another one. We used that for evening rides when we went back to the hotel to swim when it got too hot. You can use Genie+ to jump from ride to ride. 

There are two LL options: Genie+ LL and Individual LL. The Genie+ one is what you get with your $20 per day per person. That's all the LL rides except Rise, Webslingers, and Radiator Racers. Those 3 are the Individual LL where you pay per ride in the $12-$20 range. Totally worth it IMO as you skip a huge wait. Webslingers is probably the least necessary but I saw it as we only come to DLR every 2 to 3 years so what's $48 more?

The Individual LL also have return times. If the ride goes down, like it will with Rise, they then convert to anytime LL. It significantly reduces the wait time as you bypass the massive standby queues. If you only have 1 day per park, I'd recommend them. 

For the Genie+ LL, you'll bypass most of the wait with the exception of Indiana Jones. That's why I recommend if you ride it to take a look at the outside queue first. If a ride goes down, the Genie+ LL line can back up as people convert their LL to multipass and then you have a ton of extra LL riders that makes the queue balloon. Genie+ also gives you free access to any ride photos or Photopass pictures you take that day. So if you're next to the Castle and want a picture, you can get that for free. 

For food, I'm usually a quick service person. Most of the good sit-down places are sold out 30-60 days in advance but you can try to do a walk up. We like Carnation Cafe if you can sit on the patio. If you want a Dole Whip to coincide with your Tiki room viewing, you need to mobile order that on the app before you decide to watch the show. If you miss out, you can go to Tropical Hideaway next door and get the same thing but you'll just wait a little longer. We also like Rancho Del Zocalo, Ronto Roasters in Galaxy's Edge, Jolly Holiday Cafe, and my two kids love the Frozen Apple Juice that you can get at the stand over by Casey Jr. In California Adventure, if she's seen Cars, grab a window spot at Flo's V8 Cafe. You can eat lunch while watching Radiator Racers go by out the window. There's also some good treats at the Cozy Cone Motel. Pym's Test Kitchen is decent and you can grab a beer at the outdoor bar next to it. 

Since you're staying at the Disneyland Hotel, see if you can get a walk up reservation at Trader Sam's. Wife and I went for the first time and it was a lot of fun. The drinks are pretty strong. Good luck and have a great time. Our youngest was 6 when we went to DLR for the first time and she had a lot of fun. The characters mostly roam around there so be on the lookout for them. You'll see a bunch in Fantasyland. There's one place over by the Castle where a couple princesses are there if she's into that.  Sorry if I'm long winded.

Edited June 25, 2022 by mdmost

[Foosters 17822]

19 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Yeah if she's 6 and is not into it, I wouldn't push. You'll have a great time in Fantasyland. Peter Pan is always busy but if you rope drop it will be 20-30 minutes which is about the best it will be all day. One thing that she'll enjoy is if you're in the queue at the start of the building entrance, you can play an "I Spy" game on the Disney Play app. There are carvings in the wood of different objects from Peter Pan like the pirate ship. Check them off as you go along. When you get to the little lantern, if you found all the items (just check them all off), you can hold your phone up to the lantern and Tinkerbell will appear. She'll probably get a kick out of that. 

Most of Fantasyland is slow loaders like Casey Jr, the Storybook Canal Boats, and Alice so their wait times will be longer. I'd do those before it gets super crowded. The rest are pretty easy just to walk on like Mr. Toad, the Teacups, Pinocchio, and Snow White. When you do the Snow White ride, have her look up in the window above the ride as the Evil Queen looks out every couple of minutes. Make sure to take her through the Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough. It's on the right side next to the boutique shop. Takes you through the Sleeping Beauty story and most people aren't aware it's there.

Maybe see if she's up for Big Thunder Mountain. Haunted Mansion is also great. Splash Mountain is fun but you'll definitely get wet so either wear some open toe shoes or bring a change of socks. Winnie the Pooh nextdoor is an easy dark ride and they are sometimes characters in the little area right next to it that you can take pictures with. Try to ride the Millenium Falcon with her as she can be a pilot or gunner. In Tomorrowland, Buzz, Star Tours, Autopia are all ones she can do pretty easily. All have Genie+ options. Matterhorn could be iffy but maybe let her check it out and see what she thinks. Tiki room is great. Take her on the train that loops around the park. The Mark Twain Riverboat is also nice. You can take the boat over to the Tom Sawyer Island and let her roam around. Jungle Cruise would also be enjoyable for her. It's a shame Pirates of the Caribbean is still closed.

To your LL questions, you reserve the time to return to the Lightning Lane which is usually an hour window. The app will tell you what time is currently available. You either pick it or wait till later to book a different time. When you redeem your LL selection, you can book another one. If you get to where all the LL are out more than 2 hours, you can book them and then the system will tell you when you can book another one. We used that for evening rides when we went back to the hotel to swim when it got too hot. You can use Genie+ to jump from ride to ride. 

There are two LL options: Genie+ LL and Individual LL. The Genie+ one is what you get with your $20 per day per person. That's all the LL rides except Rise, Webslingers, and Radiator Racers. Those 3 are the Individual LL where you pay per ride in the $12-$20 range. Totally worth it IMO as you skip a huge wait. Webslingers is probably the least necessary but I saw it as we only come to DLR every 2 to 3 years so what's $48 more?

The Individual LL also have return times. If the ride goes down, like it will with Rise, they then convert to anytime LL. It significantly reduces the wait time as you bypass the massive standby queues. If you only have 1 day per park, I'd recommend them. 

For the Genie+ LL, you'll bypass most of the wait with the exception of Indiana Jones. That's why I recommend if you ride it to take a look at the outside queue first. If a ride goes down, the Genie+ LL line can back up as people convert their LL to multipass and then you have a ton of extra LL riders that makes the queue balloon. Genie+ also gives you free access to any ride photos or Photopass pictures you take that day. So if you're next to the Castle and want a picture, you can get that for free. 

For food, I'm usually a quick service person. Most of the good sit-down places are sold out 30-60 days in advance but you can try to do a walk up. We like Carnation Cafe if you can sit on the patio. If you want a Dole Whip to coincide with your Tiki room viewing, you need to mobile order that on the app before you decide to watch the show. If you miss out, you can go to Tropical Hideaway next door and get the same thing but you'll just wait a little longer. We also like Rancho Del Zocalo, Ronto Roasters in Galaxy's Edge, Jolly Holiday Cafe, and my two kids love the Frozen Apple Juice that you can get at the stand over by Casey Jr. In California Adventure, if she's seen Cars, grab a window spot at Flo's V8 Cafe. You can eat lunch while watching Radiator Racers go by out the window. There's also some good treats at the Cozy Cone Motel. Pym's Test Kitchen is decent and you can grab a beer at the outdoor bar next to it. 

Since you're staying at the Disneyland Hotel, see if you can get a walk up reservation at Trader Sam's. Wife and I went for the first time and it was a lot of fun. The drinks are pretty strong. Good luck and have a great time. Our youngest was 6 when we went to DLR for the first time and she had a lot of fun. The characters mostly roam around there so be on the lookout for them. You'll see a bunch in Fantasyland. There's one place over by the Castle where a couple princesses are there if she's into that.  Sorry if I'm long winded.

Super helpful. Shame you can only rep a post once 

[CooterBrown 18002]

Is Radiator Springs open again? It was closed a few weeks ago for repairs and there were rumors it would be closed a while for a full refurbishment.

[mdmost 42999]

Yeah, it's open today according to the app.

@Foosters, for California Adventure. Incredicoaster might be a bit much for your 6 year old. You could definitely do the rest of Pixar Pier as those are mostly for younger kids all the way over to Goofy's Sky School. Probably want to skip the swinging ferris wheel cars and get on the stationary ones. Other things she could do Little Mermaid dark ride, Monster Inc dark ride, Webslingers, all of Cars Land, and Soarin shouldn't be too much for her. Guardians you might want to show her in advance as that's definitely a thrill ride. You may find you'll run of things quickly to do there so maybe rope drop Toy Story Midway Mania and if she enjoys it, you can get a Genie+ for it later. You can rope drop Radiator Racers or Webslingers to avoid paying for the ILL selection but everyone is going there too. 

Edited June 25, 2022 by mdmost

[Foosters 17822]

Well @mdmost, what do they say about best laid plans?

Daughter came down with something and is still in bed trying to sleep it off. We'll see if we even make it in the park today.

[Knoxtnhorn 5971]

First line, 45 mins in, and the ride breaks down.  Going to be a long week.

[mdmost 42999]

1 hour ago, Foosters said:

Well @mdmost, what do they say about best laid plans?

Daughter came down with something and is still in bed trying to sleep it off. We'll see if we even make it in the park today.

 

Damn. Sorry to hear that. Hope she shakes it off soon. If you can only do tomorrow, see if you can switch your reservation to DLR. If you're staying onsite, it shouldn't be that difficult. Ask the concierge.

[Foosters 17822]

3 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Damn. Sorry to hear that. Hope she shakes it off soon. If you can only do tomorrow, see if you can switch your reservation to DLR. If you're staying onsite, it shouldn't be that difficult. Ask the concierge.

Great tip. Thanks 

[mdmost 42999]

1 hour ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

First line, 45 mins in, and the ride breaks down.  Going to be a long week.

Seeing some of the lines on Twitter this summer, WDW is the last place I'd like to be at. That's one advantage to DLR being a locals park. Unlike WDW where everyone arrives early and is all using Genie+, you don't get that at DLR. The first 2 hours of the park opening are pretty great for getting a lot done. Plus it's not ball soup territory like Orlando is in the summertime. We chuckled about the differences in our WDW Labor Day first morning of sweating at rope drop to the cool morning at DLR doing rope drop. 

I took my kids and a friend to Six Flags on Wednesday. Holy Lord was it hot. We stayed hydrated but it was so hot, we all felt our shoes almost melting on the bottoms with that blazing hot asphalt. Saw them haul off a couple of teens who didn't hydrate. Six Flags has good coasters but man that is a trash park. Everything is so worn and the old coasters really feel their age when you ride them. The Giant is awesome but the younger one and I ran out of things to do while waiting for the older one and her friend to ride some of the throw up rides. I'm taking the older one up to Minnesota to see her best friend on Friday. We're going to a place called Valleyfair which looks like if Wet n Wild and Six Flags had a baby. The older one told me she's not as into DLR now because they don't have enough thrill rides. Teenagers. They always kill the golden goose with their attitude. 

Edited June 26, 2022 by mdmost

[Knoxtnhorn 5971]

Between the genie, resort perks, and the DAS Pass, it's not going to be too bad. I'm a teacher, so I'm in a good place mindset-wise.

[Knoxtnhorn 5971]

Also, we're staying in Animal Kingdom Lodge for free all week, so I can't be too much of a bitch about lines/crowds.

[Knoxtnhorn 5971]

Quick FYI.  The DAS Pass is absolutely worth the hassle to get it - if you have a kid with special needs.  My wife did have to get up early and do the interview; however, it's saved us in both time and money.  She said it's saved us $60 a day in not having to pay for something else (Genie?) AND we've been able to just about walk right on to most rides.  As soon as you check in at one ride, you can book the next.  We were in line for less than 10 mins for both Rise of the Resistance and the Millennium Falcon ride.

 

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Is your fatass S-I-L with you on these line waits?

I guess if you're gonna get arrested for murder, it could be worse than cops wearing Mickey Mouse ears.

[Baboontyme 2809]

Man Knox that is a pretty great way to do WDW. Stay in Animal Lodge for free and no lines. You'll never want to go back as a mere commonfolk. Enjoy! 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

Seeing some of the lines on Twitter this summer, WDW is the last place I'd like to be at. That's one advantage to DLR being a locals park. Unlike WDW where everyone arrives early and is all using Genie+, you don't get that at DLR. The first 2 hours of the park opening are pretty great for getting a lot done. Plus it's not ball soup territory like Orlando is in the summertime. We chuckled about the differences in our WDW Labor Day first morning of sweating at rope drop to the cool morning at DLR doing rope drop. 
I took my kids and a friend to Six Flags on Wednesday. Holy Lord was it hot. We stayed hydrated but it was so hot, we all felt our shoes almost melting on the bottoms with that blazing hot asphalt. Saw them haul off a couple of teens who didn't hydrate. Six Flags has good coasters but man that is a trash park. Everything is so worn and the old coasters really feel their age when you ride them. The Giant is awesome but the younger one and I ran out of things to do while waiting for the older one and her friend to ride some of the throw up rides. I'm taking the older one up to Minnesota to see her best friend on Friday. We're going to a place called Valleyfair which looks like if Wet n Wild and Six Flags had a baby. The older one told me she's not as into DLR now because they don't have enough thrill rides. Teenagers. They always kill the golden goose with their attitude. 

My wife and I talked about going to valley fair this weekend but those plans fizzled. I haven’t been there in 20+ years.

It should be a perfect week for VF. Wild thing is a bad ass roller coaster. With temps in the mid 80s their water park, specifically lazy river, is clutch.

A few weeks ago my dad was there and he said a heat lamp burger was $12, he walked to a nearby stand for homemade fries and a soda and that was $19. $31 is approaching Disney prices! Also apparently the milk shakes are awful. They allow you to leave the park to eat food you packed but I don’t think you can bring it in like you can at Disney parks

[Foosters 17822]

@mdmostThanks again for all the tips. Daughter ended up being OK, but for a cold and runny nose. Let her sleep in both days so hit the park right when it was getting crowded. But we were able to do most of what she wanted. She was too scared to do most of the young kids rides anyway (Mr. Toad, Snow White, Pinnochio, etc.) 

Overall, she had the time of her life which is really all that matters.

[Knoxtnhorn 5971]

On 6/27/2022 at 4:45 PM, ROFL BOX said:

Is your fatass S-I-L with you on these line waits?

I guess if you're gonna get arrested for murder, it could be worse than cops wearing Mickey Mouse ears.

She broke off from the group first thing this morning w/o telling anyone.  We found her 2 hours later at a table with 2 drinks and 2 plates of food.  Lol.

FYI.  I'm a coaster freak.  Been to many parks.  Guardians of the Galaxy absolutely blew my mind.  I - literally - had the Oprah, wow-faced guy look on my face the entire ride.

[mdmost 42999]

1 hour ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

She broke off from the group first thing this morning w/o telling anyone.  We found her 2 hours later at a table with 2 drinks and 2 plates of food.  Lol.

FYI.  I'm a coaster freak.  Been to many parks.  Guardians of the Galaxy absolutely blew my mind.  I - literally - had the Oprah, wow-faced guy look on my face the entire ride.

We plan on returning to WDW in a few years when Tron fully broken in so we can ride it and the new Guardians ride. 

[Knoxtnhorn 5971]

4 minutes ago, mdmost said:

We plan on returning to WDW in a few years when Tron fully broken in so we can ride it and the new Guardians ride. 

I actually didn't know much about Guardians other than that it was a newer ride and hard to get on.  We got to return to the park at 9PM as resort guests.  Line took 5 mins.  The first few seconds, I was all, "Um.  This ride is ok.", then it kicked into gear.  I actually felt like I was tripping at one point.  At least, what I think tripping would feel like coming from someone who's never done anything stronger than pot.

As already mentioned, I've been on just about every really hard-core roller coaster.  A couple of years ago, I got the idea to bring my Apple pods onto The Titan (Six Flags).  I thought it was a pretty cool and original idea.  After having ridden Guardians and (today) Rock n Roller Coaster, I see far more intelligent folks had beaten me to the punch.  It's really cool to be able to ride a coaster, indoors, with music blasting.  Apparently, the songs rotate on Guardians.  We got Everybody Wants to Rule the World which, is one of my favorite songs.  Pure awesomeness.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Knoxtnhorn

[mdmost 42999]

Awesome. The Guardians ride that replaced the Tower of Terror at California Adventure also rotates songs. The Tower of Terror is really creepy and the darkness aides that. The Guardians with the music changes the ride to be more fun and exciting as you going up and down with music blaring. Plus they have screens with the Guardians fighting to be free of the Collector's cases and fighting aliens. Both rides are great and very distinct. 

[LW Goatman 1117]

Hitting up disneyland next week with the tribe for a few days and not renting a car.

Its been 7/8 years since I've been there but last time I met my family and paid something like $125 for a 1 person cab ride from lax to the park.

What's the best transport to/from lax and the parks? Uber or does someone have a rec for a good car service?

[CooterBrown 18002]

Hitting up disneyland next week with the tribe for a few days and not renting a car.
Its been 7/8 years since I've been there but last time I met my family and paid something like $125 for a 1 person cab ride from lax to the park.
What's the best transport to/from lax and the parks? Uber or does someone have a rec for a good car service?

I’ve used Sunny’s Transportation many times going from John Wayne to the Hyatt Regency down the street from DLR. Car services are way cheaper than Uber right now. I neglected to do the car service last time from the airport and Uber was over $120 and took close to an hour to show up. On the way back I used Sunny and it was around $70.

If you’re staying out of walking distance to the park, Uber drops off about 200 yards from the gate. It’s really convenient and fast because dozens of drivers just circle the park all day long. Uber to the surrounding neighbors is cheap, unlike the airport, and cost us less than $10 a ride the one time we rented a house.

[Francisco 2.0 32386]

14 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

I actually didn't know much about Guardians other than that it was a newer ride and hard to get on.  We got to return to the park at 9PM as resort guests.  Line took 5 mins.  The first few seconds, I was all, "Um.  This ride is ok.", then it kicked into gear.  I actually felt like I was tripping at one point.  At least, what I think tripping would feel like coming from someone who's never done anything stronger than pot.

As already mentioned, I've been on just about every really hard-core roller coaster.  A couple of years ago, I got the idea to bring my Apple pods onto The Titan (Six Flags).  I thought it was a pretty cool and original idea.  After having ridden Guardians and (today) Rock n Roller Coaster, I see far more intelligent folks had beaten me to the punch.  It's really cool to be able to ride a coaster, indoors, with music blasting.  Apparently, the songs rotate on Guardians.  We got Everybody Wants to Rule the World which, is one of my favorite songs.  Pure awesomeness.

 

Guardians is, hands down, the greatest coaster I've ever been on, simply because it's the entire package.  Yes, there are more intimidating rides, but nothing like Guardian.

Oh, we got One Way or Another as the song.  As I play back the ride in my head, all I keep thinking of is that song, and how it just worked on the ride.

 

Here's a YouTube clip of the ride with this song.  For those who haven't ridden it yet, it's so hard to make out what the ride is like from the clip, because of the darkness (and the fact this is a handheld camera doesn't help matters).  But my God, from an A/V standpoint, it's otherworldly.

 

 

 

[LW Goatman 1117]

2 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

I’ve used Sunny’s Transportation many times going from John Wayne to the Hyatt Regency down the street from DLR. Car services are way cheaper than Uber right now. I neglected to do the car service last time from the airport and Uber was over $120 and took close to an hour to show up. On the way back I used Sunny and it was around $70.

If you’re staying out of walking distance to the park, Uber drops off about 200 yards from the gate. It’s really convenient and fast because dozens of drivers just circle the park all day long. Uber to the surrounding neighbors is cheap, unlike the airport, and cost us less than $10 a ride the one time we rented a house.

Sunny's just quoted me $235 one way from lax to my disney hotel. F it, I think i'll just do a one day car rental for $150. 

[CooterBrown 18002]

Sunny's just quoted me $235 one way from lax to my disney hotel. F it, I think i'll just do a one day car rental for $150. 

Wow. That’s crazy. It is a hike from LAX compared to John Wayne though.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

 
Guardians is, hands down, the greatest coaster I've ever been on, simply because it's the entire package.  Yes, there are more intimidating rides, but nothing like Guardian.
Oh, we got One Way or Another as the song.  As I play back the ride in my head, all I keep thinking of is that song, and how it just worked on the ride.
 
Here's a YouTube clip of the ride with this song.  For those who haven't ridden it yet, it's so hard to make out what the ride is like from the clip, because of the darkness (and the fact this is a handheld camera doesn't help matters).  But my God, from an A/V standpoint, it's otherworldly.
 
 
 

So what you’re saying is plan on 2 Epcot days on our next trip for this ride alone?

[Francisco 2.0 32386]

8 hours ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

So what you’re saying is plan on 2 Epcot days on our next trip for this ride alone?

Not knowing how much you like rides, sure.  I would have ridden it 2 or more times a day if I could have gotten the chance.  However, it may have been stated in this thread previously, but Disney has a virtual queue for this ride.  You can't walk up and just stand in a line and wait your turn.  Or, you can purchase a Lightning Lane pass for it.

If you have questions on what the virtual queue is, and how it works:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/virtual-queue/

Quote

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
A virtual queue is in place at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Guests will need to use the My Disney Experience app to enter the attraction. A standby queue will not be available. Each Guest can enter the virtual queue no more than once per day during regular park hours.

Guests must have valid admission and a theme park reservation to join the virtual queue. There will be 2 daily opportunities to request to join the virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind:

 

7:00 AM (Guests do not need to be in the park when they join, but must have a theme park reservation for EPCOT)

1:00 PM (Guests must be in EPCOT to join the virtual queue at this time)

 

 

 

Oh, and to add.  Back in 2019, Disney released a short video showing development of the cars on this coaster, and how they rotate.  It's not random rotation, it is with purpose.  And it's so damned smooth in person; you don't know you are rotating, and because it's so dark, you have no idea what direction the track is going.    

 

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Francisco 2.0

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

I’m a rides guy but after going to WDW twice in 12 months…some of their big attractions lost its appeal.

I’ll go back when tron opens so there’s 2 to look forward to

[mdmost 42999]

On 6/28/2022 at 7:00 AM, MNLonghornFUKM said:

My wife and I talked about going to valley fair this weekend but those plans fizzled. I haven’t been there in 20+ years.

It should be a perfect week for VF. Wild thing is a bad ass roller coaster. With temps in the mid 80s their water park, specifically lazy river, is clutch.

A few weeks ago my dad was there and he said a heat lamp burger was $12, he walked to a nearby stand for homemade fries and a soda and that was $19. $31 is approaching Disney prices! Also apparently the milk shakes are awful. They allow you to leave the park to eat food you packed but I don’t think you can bring it in like you can at Disney parks

Daughter's friend tested positive for Covid on Tuesday so we had to reschedule for mid-July. They're mainly going to hang out together and as I'm trying to give her more freedom, I'm just there to be the money guy and make sure things go fine. Is the VF version of a Fastpass worth it if we go on a Saturday? I'd only get it for them as I'm probably just going to only ride a few things. 

[SimonBolivar 10957]

Do yall remember in the 80s, 90s, and 00s when you could go to WDW in the off-season and wait 10 minutes for attractions? Man those were the days. I'm sure Disney doesn't miss them, but I sure do. I doubt we ever get that again in our lifetimes even with recessions and depressions. 

[SimonBolivar 10957]

On 7/1/2022 at 10:14 AM, MNLonghornFUKM said:

I’ll go back when tron opens so there’s 2 to look forward to

 

What is it about Tron? Looks like something you'd find at Six Flags to me.

[mdmost 42999]

13 hours ago, SimonBolivar said:

Do yall remember in the 80s, 90s, and 00s when you could go to WDW in the off-season and wait 10 minutes for attractions? Man those were the days. I'm sure Disney doesn't miss them, but I sure do. I doubt we ever get that again in our lifetimes even with recessions and depressions. 

I saw some footage of the early morning hotel perk at Disneyland and Fantasyland and Tomorrowland rides were all walk ons. It looked great. That's about as close as you're going to get and that's only 30 minutes. Or if you attend an after hours event and just go to the rides. That's how older daughter and I rode Space Mountain 9 times in a row with no wait at WDW on Labor Day Weekend last year. 

There's so much revenge travel right now that I'm not sure when slow times will reappear. WDW I'm sure will have some slow times again but they won't be a time when we could ever go due to school. At least with DLR, you can count on the early morning hours till about 10am being really nice for getting to most of the rides you want. WDW just doesn't have that since everyone has the same idea. 

[SimonBolivar 10957]

6 minutes ago, mdmost said:

I saw some footage of the early morning hotel perk at Disneyland and Fantasyland and Tomorrowland rides were all walk ons. It looked great. That's about as close as you're going to get and that's only 30 minutes. Or if you attend an after hours event and just go to the rides. That's how older daughter and I rode Space Mountain 9 times in a row with no wait at WDW on Labor Day Weekend last year. 

There's so much revenge travel right now that I'm not sure when slow times will reappear. WDW I'm sure will have some slow times again but they won't be a time when we could ever go due to school. At least with DLR, you can count on the early morning hours till about 10am being really nice for getting to most of the rides you want. WDW just doesn't have that since everyone has the same idea. 

The first year I was a cast member (2009), I was entering Epcot the Monday after Labor Day week after starting in May. It was a huge shock to see the parks absolutely dead with a then newish Soarin having a 10 minute wait when the previous week it was 80 min+. Disney has done a great job of getting rid of offseasons with festivals/races/etc. 

 

I was watching a World of Motion video yesterday and it was amazing when they showed the path to WoM being completely empty in the middle of the day with one family walking on it. It was a walk-on with 4 or 5 empty cars between riders.

[Knoxtnhorn 5971]

On 6/29/2022 at 9:43 PM, Francisco 2.0 said:

Not knowing how much you like rides, sure.  I would have ridden it 2 or more times a day if I could have gotten the chance.  However, it may have been stated in this thread previously, but Disney has a virtual queue for this ride.  You can't walk up and just stand in a line and wait your turn.  Or, you can purchase a Lightning Lane pass for it.

If you have questions on what the virtual queue is, and how it works:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/virtual-queue/

 

 

Oh, and to add.  Back in 2019, Disney released a short video showing development of the cars on this coaster, and how they rotate.  It's not random rotation, it is with purpose.  And it's so damned smooth in person; you don't know you are rotating, and because it's so dark, you have no idea what direction the track is going.    

 

 

 

 

@Francisco 2.0 is correct in everything that he typed.  I'm a huge coaster freak.  The faster, taller, loopier, the better.  To this end, I had to keep telling myself that Disney is for the family and not me both times we went.  As stated above, I lucked onto GotG in June when we went.  One in our group won the "virtual line" lottery.  I had actually already gone back to the resort when I got a call to return to Epcot for our spot at 10-ish.  I actually almost passed.  What kind of ride would possibly impress a coaster enthusiast at Disney?  Holy F!  It really is one of the most amazing ride experiences I've ever ridden.  We got "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" which has not been played at least 1,000 times since June.  And, as Francisco said, the song has had new meaning since hearing it on the ride.  Additionally, as Francisco said, there is no way to replicate the experience via YouTube.  The music is much louder, and the ride truly does feel like you're in a different dimension.  Put it this way... I'd pay $100+ (for another ticket) and stand in line for 4 hours if Disney was local.

[mdmost 42999]

Disneyland is getting a new Avengers attraction based on the multiverse

 

[A-Tex Devil 2446]

Alright.  I am almost 60 days out from my trip (first in 4 years) and start making dining reservations on Monday morning.  Daughter and wife are both celiac which sucks, and we are working through where to eat, both on the go and reservations.  But this is for my son's 5th birthday.  Two questions:

1. Grandparents joining so we have a couple of date nights.  We've done the Safari dinner and the Epcot French restaurant.  What else is recommended?  Particularly on one of the days we aren't going to park (so something in Disney Springs or Boardwalk, etc.).  Prefer something more modern that is not a straight steakhouse type place, but open to ideas.

2. My son loves Elsa, Toy Story, and Bluey, and we have our plan for Star Wars area.  So we've got that planned.  Given last two trips have been daughter focused, though, curious what other hidden gems there are that are more boy focused that are worth checking out, both in and out of the parks.

We are kicking around a VIP day if we can convince some friends that are local to join us and defray the cost.  If we do that, will report back on whether it was worth it.  Seems like the one or two people above that have mentioned it thought it was.    

Edited November 11, 2022 by A-Tex Devil

[PorscheGuy 127]

Alright.  I am almost 60 days out from my trip (first in 4 years) and start making dining reservations on Monday morning.  Daughter and wife are both celiac which sucks, and we are working through where to eat, both on the go and reservations.  But this is for my son's 5th birthday.  Two questions:
1. Grandparents joining so we have a couple of date nights.  We've done the Safari dinner and the Epcot French restaurant.  What else is recommended?  Particularly on one of the days we aren't going to park (so something in Disney Springs or Boardwalk, etc.).  Prefer something more modern that is not a straight steakhouse type place, but open to ideas.
2. My son loves Elsa, Toy Story, and Bluey, and we have our plan for Star Wars area.  So we've got that planned.  Given last two trips have been daughter focused, though, curious what other hidden gems there are that are more boy focused that are worth checking out, both in and out of the parks.
We are kicking around a VIP day if we can convince some friends that are local to join us and defray the cost.  If we do that, will report back on whether it was worth it.  Seems like the one or two people above that have mentioned it thought it was.    

Morimotto in Disney Springs is one of our favorites. Fantastic food, beautiful restaurant. Probably best meal I have had in Disney in the 5 times I’ve been. Check out Gideons for dessert after too.

The yachtman’s steakhouse (Yacht Club) actually impressed me great food and service. It’s just too bright (need to dim lights) in there.

Heard god things about Todd English’s place in Swan/Dolphin as well as the sushi place there.

Have a blast, I’ll be there Thanksgiving week


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LW Goatman 1117]

I second Morimoto, wife and I really enjoy. One thing that can be a load of fun at Disney Springs is Raglan Road, we always have a good time there and the food is pretty good as well. Make sure to find a way to get a couple of Gideon's cookies, they also have excellent cold brews in unique variety. Good food, some drinks, walking around Disney Springs at night is a fun couples evening. The gaps for us are filled in by my wife buying a ton of shit we don't need in the Disney stores and me getting beers from the outdoor beer carts. 

[RexWilson 1346]

Just saw Iger is back in as CEO. Chapek sucked.

[mdmost 42999]

Yeah just came to post that. Bob Paycheck got the boot which is good. The parks are becoming a problem with lack of maintenance, not enough cast members, rising prices for what little you're getting, and pissing on existing passholders. The guy was asking for it.

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/bob-iger-replace-bob-chapek-disney-ceo-1235438423/