tAll Encompassing Disney Thread

[Michael Knight 13,256]

2 hours ago, mdmost said:

Wow. What a colossal waste of money and talent

 

Was way too expensive for their typical clientele. It was sold out in the beginning but most of those likely canceled

[mdmost 44,340]

I think Disney has vastly overestimated how much Star Wars fans will pay for experiences that don't involve the Original Trilogy characters. $6000 for a 2 night larping stay was a tall ask. Can't wait to see the Defunctland breakdown of this. This has to be Disney's costliest error. 

[Woland 755]

A friends daughter works at the Starcruiser. She always wanted to be a Jedi and loves her job.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,990]

Heading to Orlando with the fam for this in a couple of weeks. I'm more terrified of the crowds than excited about the experience.

Memorial Day + end of the school crowds?

You’ll be fine

[SimonBolivar 11,081]

15 hours ago, BHMCruiser said:

I despise Disney World with a passion. I cannot say enough bad things about it. I don't understand why anybody would want to go. It blows ass.

 

Look man, some of us got blow jobs from our girlfriends on Haunted Mansion when we were 16 on school trips 1000 miles from home with no parents around for a week.

 

To me it came down to the Epcot 82 attractions that pushed popular culture to meld with educational aspirations. Unfortunately for me, nobody else gave a shit about it.

[BHMCruiser 1,828]

I spoke with WDW this morning. This is just an epic screw job. They want to move us from the suite we've had reserved for nearly a year to some completely different building with the promise not to raise the cost if it's more. I sent the lady back to the well for a better offer. 

What a terrible company. Again I cannot believe people intentionally give these Nazis money.

[texashorne 1,219]

I haven't needed a flask since college, but Magic Kingdom has changed that. Never again will I experience that place sober. 

 

[Skipper 6,443]

54 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

I spoke with WDW this morning. This is just an epic screw job. They want to move us from the suite we've had reserved for nearly a year to some completely different building with the promise not to raise the cost if it's more. I sent the lady back to the well for a better offer. 

What a terrible company. Again I cannot believe people intentionally give these Nazis money.

What suite did you have reserved and what was the offer?  

[BHMCruiser 1,828]

The Newport Suite in the Beach Club. They want to move us to the Yacht Club. For whatever reason that is not acceptable to my wife. 

[mdmost 44,340]

1 hour ago, texashorne said:

I haven't needed a flask since college, but Magic Kingdom has changed that. Never again will I experience that place sober. 

 

There's a reason Epcot is very popular with adults. 

[BHMCruiser 1,828]

The offer is the Admiral Suite with first night free. I'm not going to beat Disney so I will do what I'm told. It just sucks because my wife spent a ton of time trying to get this right and to be told "oh well fuck you" a week before the trip is not pleasant. 

[mdmost 44,340]

Just now, BHMCruiser said:

The offer is the Admiral Suite with first night free. I'm not going to beat Disney so I will do what I'm told. It just sucks because my wife spent a ton of time trying to get this right and to be told "oh well fuck you" a week before the trip is not pleasant. 

Yeah, that's pretty shitty. That said, it's still a nice hotel. I believe the two are connected but it does blow that she did all that work well in advance to have the rug pulled out from under her. This is a bit of why I'm not as pro-WDW. It's just such an undertaking to plan. DLR is so much easier to just book something and not have to freak out. It's also not tons of vacationing families who may be angry that their high priced vacation isn't going 100% to plan. 

[BHMCruiser 1,828]

It's a jam because at this point there are obviously no other rooms to take. The new room would be more expensive and they eat the difference but as I explained to the drone who called me that was irrelevant to me because I didn't want it so who cares if it's more expensive? 

Also my wife really fucked up by looping me into this because now that I know how much she is spending I am going to murder her.

[Skipper 6,443]

14 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

 

Also my wife really fucked up by looping me into this because now that I know how much she is spending I am going to murder her.

Yeah, considering what those costs, I would be jumping all over the 1 night free!  Glad you held out for that at least.

[mdmost 44,340]

1 hour ago, BHMCruiser said:

It's a jam because at this point there are obviously no other rooms to take. The new room would be more expensive and they eat the difference but as I explained to the drone who called me that was irrelevant to me because I didn't want it so who cares if it's more expensive? 

Also my wife really fucked up by looping me into this because now that I know how much she is spending I am going to murder her.

Protip, there's some great restaurants and bars in the Swan which is right next to where you're staying. Just walk across the bridge and you're there. 

[HenryJames 67,683]

2 hours ago, BHMCruiser said:

The Newport Suite in the Beach Club. They want to move us to the Yacht Club. For whatever reason that is not acceptable to my wife. 

I keep rereading this in the voice of Thurston Howell III.

[SimonBolivar 11,081]

1 hour ago, BHMCruiser said:

It's a jam because at this point there are obviously no other rooms to take. The new room would be more expensive and they eat the difference but as I explained to the drone who called me that was irrelevant to me because I didn't want it so who cares if it's more expensive? 

Also my wife really fucked up by looping me into this because now that I know how much she is spending I am going to murder her.

The side by side for a week in really nice digs in Europe (including travel) compared to WDW is hilarious.

Edited May 19, 2023 by SimonBolivar

[CooterBrown 18,306]

54 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Protip, there's some great restaurants and bars in the Swan which is right next to where you're staying. Just walk across the bridge and you're there. 

He should ask for some restaurant credit to be thrown in. 

[BHMCruiser 1,828]

1 hour ago, mdmost said:

Protip, there's some great restaurants and bars in the Swan which is right next to where you're staying. Just walk across the bridge and you're there. 

Thank you

[BHMCruiser 1,828]

33 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

The side by side for a week in really nice digs in Europe (including travel) compared to WDW is hilarious.

You sound like me. I tried to get ahead of everything and plan a trip to Italy but instead this bullshit.

[HamsterHookah 112]

1 hour ago, mdmost said:

Protip, there's some great restaurants and bars in the Swan which is right next to where you're staying. Just walk across the bridge and you're there. 

Dude what? There is a Shula's steakhouse and a sushi/fish restaurant that are impossible to get into usually. Everything else is hot garbage.

[mdmost 44,340]

All the lounges in both hotels there are pretty nice for getting drinks and if you need some away time from Disney. Il Mulino is pretty good. Todd English over in the Dolphin is supposed to be nice. There's a lot of options between those two. Swan is a pretty good choice to keep things more affordable for staying at WDW. 

Edited May 19, 2023 by mdmost

[SimonBolivar 11,081]

Crew’s Cup Lounge ain't bad in the Yacht Club

[SimonBolivar 11,081]

3 hours ago, BHMCruiser said:

You sound like me. I tried to get ahead of everything and plan a trip to Italy but instead this bullshit.

I really only go to WDW these days to show people around that haven't been before and make sure others have a good time. I'm picking elsewhere every time with prices the way they are now. 

[LonghornJones 838]

We are breaking the news to our girls (5&6) tonight that we are going to WDW on Sunday for the week. We are going with another family with slightly older kids than ours. We have the private guide for 1 day so that we can knock out all of the rides without all of the lines, and try to have a more stress-free time. I need to set up a ride schedule so we can be as efficient as possible. I also need to see how tall the 5yo is. She is NOT 48" tall, I know that much/.

Staying at the Contemporary. We are doing Cinderellas Breakfast on Day 1 at Magic Kingdom, and some other dinner/lunch reservations throughout the week. REALLY looking forward to my ungrateful kids melting down and saying how bored they are!

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,990]

Assuming the other family has kids taller than 48”, tron will be the only ride your kids won’t be able to ride. If you have to wait in the virtual queue line it could take up to an hour, so your family may want to break off and do some other things in tomorrowland. Or if you plan on doing rider swap with your wife, that too might take an hr or so, just a heads up. Probably best buying a individual lightning lane for it as it goes quicker. Not sure if the vip tour covers any of that.



My 4.5YO at about 44 inches rode everything besides space mountain when we were there Last month. Even rode the same rides at 3.5YO last year

Have fun. It’s the biggest, funnest shitshow ever. Planning our next trip already but we have about 10 grand in credit card bills to pay off first lulz. Watch ear scouts on YouTube…he has some good videos to help utilize your time the best. But he’s also not traveling with kids and goes solo so his days are much easier than what yours will be.

Strollers at kingdomstrollers.com. Your kids will need it.

[LonghornJones 838]

13 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

Strollers at kingdomstrollers.com. Your kids will need it.

Even for 6&7 yo's?? I got their ages wrong in the previous post.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,990]

I have a 7YO daughter also and she’d often take rides next to her 4YO brother. Their little legs have to move twice as fast as ours. And Disney is a shit ton of walking. It seems strange but you’re in the Disney bubble and nobody judge. I see Lots of kids in that age range sitting in them


Plus you get a mommy hook from Amazon and hang all of your shit on it. Backpacks, bags, coolers etc. saves your shoulders. I’d get a stroller just to store my shit lol

[CooterBrown 18,306]

3 hours ago, LonghornJones said:

We are breaking the news to our girls (5&6) tonight that we are going to WDW on Sunday for the week.

When we went the first time, we didn't tell the kids until we woke them up for an early flight.  You want a kid to jump out of bed at 5am? Tell them they're going to Disney. 

[LonghornJones 838]

13 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

When we went the first time, we didn't tell the kids until we woke them up for an early flight.  You want a kid to jump out of bed at 5am? Tell them they're going to Disney. 

That was our plan until this morning. We fly out at 7a Sunday, but we want to give them some time to catch up on Disney movies, etc.. Also, we can use it as a disciplinary tool for the rest of the week.

[Ghost of LL 15,740]

Did I decide I needed a cruise on the Galactic Starcruiser? Yep.

Is MrsLL all over it? Yep.

is she buying a slave-girl Leia outfit for alone time in the cabin? Hell fucking yeah she is.

[smoky 842]

8 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

Did I decide I needed a cruise on the Galactic Starcruiser? Yep.

Is MrsLL all over it? Yep.

is she buying a slave-girl Leia outfit for alone time in the cabin? Hell fucking yeah she is.

[hornbri 1,514]

On 5/28/2023 at 12:00 PM, Ghost of LL said:

Did I decide I needed a cruise on the Galactic Starcruiser? Yep.

Is MrsLL all over it? Yep.

is she buying a slave-girl Leia outfit for alone time in the cabin? Hell fucking yeah she is.

This is the way

[mdmost 44,340]

On 5/28/2023 at 12:00 PM, Ghost of LL said:

Did I decide I needed a cruise on the Galactic Starcruiser? Yep.

Is MrsLL all over it? Yep.

is she buying a slave-girl Leia outfit for alone time in the cabin? Hell fucking yeah she is.

[LonghornJones 838]

WDW was amazing. We had an absolute blast. Rode Guardians of the Galaxy twice as it was by far the groups favorite ride. It is really a next level roller coaster. We went to 5 parks in 5 days with a VIP day in the middle. We got a stroller on the last day for the kids and just cruised around Magic Kingdom eating and snacking and sweating. Such a great trip.

[Chips O'Toole 1,455]

We're going to WDW in July.  First time going as a parent, I've only been once in about '93 or something.  We have an 8 yo boy and 4 yo girl.

I'm trying to do this on the cheap after a rough financial year, so we're going to stay with family that lives just over an hour from the park.  We may stay in a hotel near the park for a night or two so we can do the fireworks and not drive home super late.  I haven't gone through this thread yet, but I'll be looking for must-do activities, a lower-end hotel that is not a dump, things we can skip or avoid for kids that are 8 and 4.

We plan to do a 4 day pass, (there is a deal right now for $100 per day).  My wife and I don't drink, and I remember Epcot being pretty meh, so we were just going to skip it and do Magic Kingdom twice, AK and Hollywood Studios one day each.    

It sounds like the Genie pass is worth it to reserve ride times.  The restaurants are so pricey, it's hard to justify it since neither of my kids like food beyond dino nuggets and fast food burgers or pizza.  I'm sure they would enjoy the experience, but restaurants are a drag because they barely touch the food 90% of the time.  We'll probably do it a time or two and regret it. 

I'll be packing up lunches and snacks which seems to be ok to bring into the park in a bag or something.

Once we get there, I'm sure it will be amazing, but I hate the build-up for a trip like this.  My wife and her sister are much better at planning this crap, but it's always good to have a surly POV so I know what's in store.

[mdmost 44,340]

Yeah, Genie+ is something you pretty much have to have now. Best advice I can give you is get there as early as you can because it's going to be hot and it will beat you down quickly. Figure out which ride you want to do first and head right there. In MK, 7 Dwarves or Space Mountain are the best to head straight to. Tron, I believe, is still a virtual queue ride so you'll need to have the app to get a spot for it. In AK, it's Pandora. In HS, it's either Star Wars Land or the Toy Story roller coaster.

There is a splash park in MK near Dumbo so you can have the kids cool off. Now that Splash Mountain is gone, you don't have a good way to cool off other than that. In Animal Kingdom, there's the Kali River ride which is good for that. I would definitely bring cooling towels and a refillable water bottle.

A good reminder for all the parks is you can go into any quick service restaurant and ask for a cup of water. I would refill our water bottles off the drink machines in there with their ice and water. I'd argue Epcot is actually a better park now with the rides they added but it's a lot of walking and if you're not interested in the lands and don't drink, it's less fun. I'd assume you have 1 day per park tickets and not park hoppers where you can go to two parks in one day. 

As far as food, I would try to get something fun for the kids like Sci-Fi Drive-in or the 50's Primetime Cafe in Hollywood Studios. Those are more unique experiences that everyone can enjoy. MK really doesn't have any truly great restaurants that aren't character based but get them a Dole Whip or a LeFou's Brew at Gaston's. AK has lots of great options like Satu'li Canteen in Pandora. 

Not sure of your budget but check the Dolphin and Swan resorts. They are not Disney hotels but are onsite and within walking distance to HS and have a boat that can get you back to the hotel in the evening. Usually they are under $300 a night. You also get access to early park hours if you stay there. There's also a lot of hotels around the area that are going to be cheaper than staying onsite. Just check if they have a shuttle to the parks.

Something to look into if you have a Costco or Sam's Club membership, you can get gift cards for Disney that are I think $94 for $100 worth. It's not that big of a deal but it's something. A good site I would look at is Disboards. They've got a budget board with some tips for how to save some money on your trip. https://www.disboards.com/forums/budget-board.22/

Just remember, it's hot, it's expensive, it will suck at times, but that it's not about you. It's about giving your kids memories that will last them a lifetime. 

Edited June 9, 2023 by mdmost

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,990]

Epcots pretty awesome now with guardians of the galaxy ride which is the best ride in the park. They’ve added Remys rattotuile(sp), frozen, soarin and guardians since you’ve recalled it as meh. Lol.

I’ve echoed this before but with a 4YO, they’re gonna get worked. I’d say rent a stroller but since you’re off site I’m not sure how it’d work since they drop off and pick up at whatever resort you’re at. Kingdomstrollers.com is what we’ve used. 8YO would probably sit in it too because it’s so much walking.

Bring a couple of portable battery chargers.

Watch ear scouts on YouTube for tips on genie plus at each park you’re going to. He’ll give you which rides to go for early since they’ll sell out quick. And he’ll teach you how to stack rides and how to use genie + most effectively. I recommend watching each one once or twice to really engrave it in your head on wtf is going on.

Individual lightning lanes are for seven dwarves, tron, Pandora and rise of resistance for your 3 parks. ILL means you can buy a ride, usually 15$ a person.

WATCH for heigh requirements. If your 4YO is under 40 inches they won’t be able to ride almost all of these

If you don’t care about character meals then most places to eat will be somewhat affordable in terms of Disney prices. The food there isn’t head exploding


Don’t be afraid to keep asking us in this thread. It’s a ton to take in and until you are there and experiencing it, these are mostly just words haha. Study the park maps where the rides are at, try to keep the criss crossing across parks to a minimum ie riding tower of terror, then smugglers run then back to rock n roller coaster

Good bye and good luck

[Chips O'Toole 1,455]

1 hour ago, mdmost said:

Not sure of your budget but check the Dolphin and Swan resorts. They are not Disney hotels but are onsite and within walking distance to HS and have a boat that can get you back to the hotel in the evening. Usually they are under $300 a night. You also get access to early park hours if you stay there. There's also a lot of hotels around the area that are going to be cheaper than staying onsite. Just check if they have a shuttle to the parks.

Something to look into if you have a Costco or Sam's Club membership, you can get gift cards for Disney that are I think $94 for $100 worth. It's not that big of a deal but it's something. A good site I would look at is Disboards. They've got a budget board with some tips for how to save some money on your trip. https://www.disboards.com/forums/budget-board.22/

 

That's perfect, thanks.  Under 300 is fine, I am just now finding out the cost of all this shit.  

Damn, I didn't realize the Guardians ride was at Epcot. My son would love that, but my daughter isn't tall enough anyway.

[Baboontyme 2,893]

Definitely rent a stroller and in July consider leaving the park to go get lunch. Especially those where you don't have to traverse a lagoon to get to your car. Or Uber. You don't want to be wandering around the park in the middle of the day in July with an 8 and a 4 year old. The day you have the hotel utilize that for a midday nap/swim break. Go early, leave when it gets miserably hot, come back early evening and stay until close imo. Good luck, if you plan properly everyone will have a good time, adults included. 

[mdmost 44,340]

2 hours ago, Chips O'Toole said:

That's perfect, thanks.  Under 300 is fine, I am just now finding out the cost of all this shit.  

Damn, I didn't realize the Guardians ride was at Epcot. My son would love that, but my daughter isn't tall enough anyway.

So a pro-tip if the daughter isn't old enough or is too scared to ride any of the rides. Most rides have a rider swap option. The kid who is either not tall enough to ride or is not wanting to ride can go with a parent to an area near the exit of the ride. The other parent then rides with older kid. After the ride is over, the other parent then also gets to ride with the same kid. The older kid gets two rides out of it and each parent gets a turn. That's how my older daughter got to ride Space Mountain 7 times one year when her sister was too scared to ride it until the final time. 

[LonghornJones 838]

I took my bladder out of my CamelBack, filled it to the brim with ice only, and put it in my backpack to take in to the park. Refill with bottles of water you take in to the park throughout the day. Kids love to drink out of dads camelback, and you don't have to force them to hydrate. I still would have ice in it by the end of the day, so you are getting ice cold water at your finger tips the entire day.

We got in to the parks before gen pop every day, and grinded hard (except for our last day) and we (mom and dad included) were worn out by 3 or 4. It's a LOT. And yes, Epcot was worth it. Probably our favorite day...kids included. We did drink, though.

[BHMCruiser 1,828]

So we spent 6 days at WDW, did two days of VIP, stayed in the Yacht Club club level, and did multiple big ticket items like dinner in the castle. 

 

Here's my takeaway: this place fucking sucks. It is an unfun, overstuffed, cynical and exploitative money grab. I find it completely unappealing and have no idea why people go there intentionally. 

[SimonBolivar 11,081]

7 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

So we spent 6 days at WDW, did two days of VIP, stayed in the Yacht Club club level, and did multiple big ticket items like dinner in the castle. 

 

Here's my takeaway: this place fucking sucks. It is an unfun, overstuffed, cynical and exploitative money grab. I find it completely unappealing and have no idea why people go there intentionally. 

Ouch that's easily >$10,000 out of your bank account for less than a week of being miserable apparently. I like the place, but it ain't worth 5 figures.

[BHMCruiser 1,828]

7 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

Ouch that's easily >$10,000 out of your bank account for less than a week of being miserable apparently. I like the place, but it ain't worth 5 figures.

Oh yeah it was a fortune. My wife and kids love it but I completely do not get it. I will say that by the time I sat down for dinner in the castle and was given a list with alcohol on it they could have charged me $1000 for a glass of wine and I would pay it. I should have been on vicodin.

My wife works and rationalizes that it's her money. I can't really push back on that but it's frustrating as fuck. 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,990]

So we spent 6 days at WDW, did two days of VIP, stayed in the Yacht Club club level, and did multiple big ticket items like dinner in the castle. 
 
Here's my takeaway: this place fucking sucks. It is an unfun, overstuffed, cynical and exploitative money grab. I find it completely unappealing and have no idea why people go there intentionally. 

Because kids?


Idk i think it’s fun. Fun rides, the place isn’t dangerous, it’s pretty clean, the characters are spot on etc.

I probably wouldn’t go if it was me and my wife, no kids. Maybe once. Moments like my 4YO seeing 10 foot Sully from monsters inc at Hollywood studios is worth the buttfucking you take.

We go back and forth on what we want to do on our next Disney trip. My daughters turning 8 next month so she’s almost done with the cute princess stage of her life.

Last trip was expensive. My wife is over the top when it comes to character meals @ over 200 a pop. It’s doable if you eliminate those and staying at a resort that costs 800 a night. Places like pop and art of animation at 250/night for a bed, shower and some A/C is really all you need. Nice to have after hour perks with deluxe hotels but that’s only fun at Magic kingdom where there’s a ton of shit. At Epcot you’re mostly walking because it’s so damn huge.

I want to get creative and use park hopper next time . We never have used it and it’d be fun to utilize the day better riding a variety of rides at different parks Vs the strategy of its an epcot day and you’ll spend the next 14 hrs here

[BHMCruiser 1,828]

Yeah it's not for me. Maybe I just need to get divorced.

 

[CooterBrown 18,306]

The big key to enjoyment is doing it without breaking the bank.  It's one of the many reasons I prefer DLR to WDW.  It's so much easier to do things affordably with dozens of cheaper hotels and restaurants within a 10 minute walk of the gate.  Plus, the logistics are so much easier. 

 

[mdmost 44,340]

9 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

The big key to enjoyment is doing it without breaking the bank.  It's one of the many reasons I prefer DLR to WDW.  It's so much easier to do things affordably with dozens of cheaper hotels and restaurants within a 10 minute walk of the gate.  Plus, the logistics are so much easier. 

 

Este mucho

[Hornbeliever 757]

Just went to MK and epcot.  Tron is legit but short.  GoG ride is also great.  

It's hot and tiring experience but for kids, gotta do it.  I would never pay money to go myself but since you're doing it for family, you can choose to be angry or try to have fun and it's much better to just change mindset.  

Standby skipper is key.  It basically gave us VIP experience without the cost as we always had Lightning Lanes waiting for us so we didn't wait in line anywhere really....But did have to traverse park various times and luckily our 13 and 7 year old didn't care (30,000 daily steps).  Tron LL pass was additional $80 for our family of 4, fyi, but bypass virtual queue of an hour.

Food sucks at MK so be prepared to eat weak cafeteria food.  Epcot food (and alcohol) way better.

Can't believe number of fat people in electric scooters at parks.  

Can't believe number of families I saw arguing with each other.  Told my wife we are so lucky to not be paying a bunch of money to be miserable.