tessio
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2013
Just got back from a week at Disney World. So much fun! A few thoughts…
Art of Animation: Pools closed at 8 pm which was a bummer, as my kids were looking forward to “night swimming.” It ended up not mattering as we generally returned from the parks exhausted. We managed to get a morning swim in so that was fun. The food there is awesome. Can’t say enough great things about Landscape of Flavors. Wish they would get new Rapid fill mug designs, though. Does anyone know when the last update was? Buses were great overall!
Epcot: Mission to Mars made me and my kids nauseous. I couldn’t believe how dated and…dare I say…boring…Journey into Imagination and Spaceship Earth was. Living with the Land was interesting but not overly compelling. We really enjoyed Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, Nemo, and the Three Caballeros ride. I hope they don’t get rid of that for the rumored Coco ride. And Test Track was a thrill for my son. Lunch at Sunshine Seasons was great, and dinner at Katsura Grill was just okay. Overall I feel like Disney needs to seriously update the rides in that park. Both my kids gave Epcot a thumbs down at the end of the day.
Animal Kingdom: Flight of Passage was amazing. My kids had mini-panic attacks just before the ride started and once the harness tightened. I’m’ glad they hung in there because they loved it instantly. Kilimanjaro Safari was great, Kali River Rapids was really fun, and Na’vi River Journey was pretty cool. Lunch at Pizzafari was good and the dinner at Tusker House was excellent. Great buffet and character interaction.
Disney Springs: It’s like an upscale outdoor mall. It was fun for a bit but we tired of it pretty quickly.
Magic Kingdom: Spent a few days here. Had fun interacting with the Citizens of Main Street, Met the newest member, Noah Lott, who is hysterical. Took the train ride around the park and really enjoyed it.
Adventureland: Our Skipper on the Jungle Cruise was hysterical. Best one I’ve seen. And the rhino is back “pointing” upwards at the guy climbing the pole. We saw Pirates on February 25, the last day of the auction scene. I know it’s a classic but it’s way passed time for this scene to be removed. I’m glad they are doing this. Dole whips were amazing and dinner at the Skipper Canteen was outstanding. Got my souvenir mug!
Frontierland: So proud of my kids who braved Splash Mountain. They were nervous but LOVED it! Big Thunder Mountain is a family favorite. We love riding it at night and seeing the “party scene.” I always look for Cousin Elrod but can never seem to see him on the ride. Is he only visible on the Railroad side? We went to Tom Sawyer Island but was bummed that they closed off Fort Langhorn for renovation. Had no idea that was happening. Pecos Bill was great for lunch.
Liberty Square: Haunted Mansion is such a classic, and the Hall of Presidents was wonderful. Hadn’t seen it in years but was impressed by how engaging it is.
Fantasyland: Carousel has tarp around it but we still rode it and had fun. Peter Pan, IASW, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Little Mermaid, and Winnie the Pooh were so much fun. Be Our Guest for dinner was really nice. The ambiance is what’s really great there.
Storybook Circus: Dumbo play area is great for the kids and for us parents to sit and relax for a bit. Barnstormer was fun, and Storybook Circus treats were great. Kids loved the candy apples.
Tomorrowland: Love the Speedway, and my kids got a Tomorrowland Speedway License after it. But be forewarned: They are $5 each and no magic bands are accepted, which is annoying. People Mover is a classic, and Astro Orbiter was really nice to ride at night. Buzz Lightyear ride is silly to me, but my kids love it. And Monsters Laugh Floor is really great. The comedians are truly quick witted and funny. Always love that show. Cosmic Ray’s is always a hit. Food is great (chicken) and watching Sonny Eclipse is our family’s “must do.”
Dinner at ‘Ohana was amazing. Loved the apps (chicken, dumplings, etc.) more than the meats as main course. Instead of taking monorail and bus back to our resort we Ubered it and got to our resort in no time. It was cheaper than the Minnie Van. We did lots of pin trading every day and came back with some really fun pins. Overall another phenomenal trip. We’ve been going annually for a while now and we might take a year off. We’ll see if the kids allow it. They are getting hooked on our annual visits (so am I!!!)
Art of Animation: Pools closed at 8 pm which was a bummer, as my kids were looking forward to “night swimming.” It ended up not mattering as we generally returned from the parks exhausted. We managed to get a morning swim in so that was fun. The food there is awesome. Can’t say enough great things about Landscape of Flavors. Wish they would get new Rapid fill mug designs, though. Does anyone know when the last update was? Buses were great overall!
Epcot: Mission to Mars made me and my kids nauseous. I couldn’t believe how dated and…dare I say…boring…Journey into Imagination and Spaceship Earth was. Living with the Land was interesting but not overly compelling. We really enjoyed Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, Nemo, and the Three Caballeros ride. I hope they don’t get rid of that for the rumored Coco ride. And Test Track was a thrill for my son. Lunch at Sunshine Seasons was great, and dinner at Katsura Grill was just okay. Overall I feel like Disney needs to seriously update the rides in that park. Both my kids gave Epcot a thumbs down at the end of the day.
Animal Kingdom: Flight of Passage was amazing. My kids had mini-panic attacks just before the ride started and once the harness tightened. I’m’ glad they hung in there because they loved it instantly. Kilimanjaro Safari was great, Kali River Rapids was really fun, and Na’vi River Journey was pretty cool. Lunch at Pizzafari was good and the dinner at Tusker House was excellent. Great buffet and character interaction.
Disney Springs: It’s like an upscale outdoor mall. It was fun for a bit but we tired of it pretty quickly.
Magic Kingdom: Spent a few days here. Had fun interacting with the Citizens of Main Street, Met the newest member, Noah Lott, who is hysterical. Took the train ride around the park and really enjoyed it.
Adventureland: Our Skipper on the Jungle Cruise was hysterical. Best one I’ve seen. And the rhino is back “pointing” upwards at the guy climbing the pole. We saw Pirates on February 25, the last day of the auction scene. I know it’s a classic but it’s way passed time for this scene to be removed. I’m glad they are doing this. Dole whips were amazing and dinner at the Skipper Canteen was outstanding. Got my souvenir mug!
Frontierland: So proud of my kids who braved Splash Mountain. They were nervous but LOVED it! Big Thunder Mountain is a family favorite. We love riding it at night and seeing the “party scene.” I always look for Cousin Elrod but can never seem to see him on the ride. Is he only visible on the Railroad side? We went to Tom Sawyer Island but was bummed that they closed off Fort Langhorn for renovation. Had no idea that was happening. Pecos Bill was great for lunch.
Liberty Square: Haunted Mansion is such a classic, and the Hall of Presidents was wonderful. Hadn’t seen it in years but was impressed by how engaging it is.
Fantasyland: Carousel has tarp around it but we still rode it and had fun. Peter Pan, IASW, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Little Mermaid, and Winnie the Pooh were so much fun. Be Our Guest for dinner was really nice. The ambiance is what’s really great there.
Storybook Circus: Dumbo play area is great for the kids and for us parents to sit and relax for a bit. Barnstormer was fun, and Storybook Circus treats were great. Kids loved the candy apples.
Tomorrowland: Love the Speedway, and my kids got a Tomorrowland Speedway License after it. But be forewarned: They are $5 each and no magic bands are accepted, which is annoying. People Mover is a classic, and Astro Orbiter was really nice to ride at night. Buzz Lightyear ride is silly to me, but my kids love it. And Monsters Laugh Floor is really great. The comedians are truly quick witted and funny. Always love that show. Cosmic Ray’s is always a hit. Food is great (chicken) and watching Sonny Eclipse is our family’s “must do.”
Dinner at ‘Ohana was amazing. Loved the apps (chicken, dumplings, etc.) more than the meats as main course. Instead of taking monorail and bus back to our resort we Ubered it and got to our resort in no time. It was cheaper than the Minnie Van. We did lots of pin trading every day and came back with some really fun pins. Overall another phenomenal trip. We’ve been going annually for a while now and we might take a year off. We’ll see if the kids allow it. They are getting hooked on our annual visits (so am I!!!)
Last edited:
