Cast of characters:
Myself and my charming wife
Story:
Okay, everything on this trip has been great so far and the best day is today...the Magic Kingdom itself.
I should tell you our strategy for the theme parks. We never felt like carrying the Unofficial Guide around so we used to write out the attractions from it on a slip of paper in the order as they appeared in the guide....makes it easier I reckoned.
The previous night, we called to get PS at one of the restaurants. We ruled out the Crystal Palace as we would be having plenty of buffets on the cruises. After calling and finding out that Cinderella's palace was booked solid, we were content to book the Plaza for around 4:30 in the afternoon. We are not fussy people, but if on your trip, you just HAVE to go to Cinderella's castle, book it as soon as you can!!! This also made me suspect that this park could be a bit busy today (as I suspect a lot of people on the land/sea package left MK to be the last park as well)...
The park's official opening was 9:00 but we arrived early again (~ 7:45). The bus ride was okay...I showed my wife some of the nearby hotels during the drive (Contemporary, Polynesian). We also took some photos of the entrance and of the Grand Floridian across the lake (I have told my wife that the Grand Floridian is where we will stay on my retirement trip many years from now.
).
Of course, there were a few people around for the character breakfast at the castle. So we sat down on one of the benches and waited. We were content to stay there until a cast member yelled to us that we could go into the park!!! I wasn't expecting that...
If it is possible, go to the park early just to have a look around Main Street and get your pictures of the Castle while there is no one around!!! We both enjoyed that. We explored Main Street and around the castle (none of the attractions were open yet so there were ropes across the paths leading to the different lands) but there was a certain "peacefulness"...hard to explain...Disney Magic I guess
Around 8:40, we headed for the rope leading to Tomorrowland, we noticed a small film crew doing something in one of the gardens. It turns out that one of the young ladies was the captain of the Russian Olympic Women's Gymnastics team!!!! Pretty cool
. A sighting of a celebrity in the Magic Kingdom!
The setup with the Cast Members was the same for Disney MGM...castmembers encouraging people to go to their rides first. All I remember was one cast member from Costa Rica who could not be more than 3 feet tall who was giving all a good chuckle with her antics....the Cast Members can certainly keep people entertained.
After the welcoming broadcast all over the park, we were walked down to our first stop.....Space Mountain!!!! Have they changed the roller coasters in here anytime recently? The ride seems a lot longer than what I remember from back in '92...but it is still fun. My wife really liked it as well....but Rock n Roller Coaster is still the king at WDW!!
We then went next to Alien Encounter! I didn't find it too scary while my wife....well that's a different matter. I do agree with the majority that it is definately not an attraction for small kids so parents...DO heed the warnings posted! A cool attraction nevertheless.
The next stop was Winnie the Pooh. There was already a posted wait of 10 minutes for this ride but we got on in no time. We both really enjoyed this ride...very well done. I can see why it is popular. We then went to Peter Pan's flight for another 10 minute wait. This ride is pretty neat as well...captures the Disney magic for sure!
Haunted Mansion was next. My wife is not the biggest haunted house fan (she compares all haunted houses to the ones on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls) but I assured her she would like this one....and she did! I know that some of these attractions haven't changed much since the last time I was here, but I enjoy them just as much now as I did then!
We then headed over to Splash Mountain. To be honest, I was expecting to need FastPass as half the park goes to this ride on opening. However, surprisingly, the posted wait time was only 10 minutes ! I have to say that this ride is one of my favourites in the park. Very creative and well thought out. By the way, the drop is a lot better than it looks. Very enjoyable for the both of us!
The next stop was Big Thunder Mountain which had a bigger crowd but nothing too drastic. We had Mickey Ice Cream bars while waiting in line (I know that they are fattening but who cares...I'm on vacation!!!!!
). A tame roller coaster as far as roller coaster go but fun nevertheless.
We then went to the Jungle Cruise to grab a fastpass and then grabbed a bite to eat nearby. We then decided to go on Pirates of the Caribbean while we had time before the Jungle Cruise. My wife really liked this one (as did I). The Jungle Cruise was next (the lineup seemed really long for the FastPass line, but it is a straight line to the boats). This was OK..nothing spectacular.
We then took a trip to the Enchanted Tiki Birds. Pretty cute attraction. My wife really liked it. We then saw the Country Bear Jamboree. I liked it the last time I saw it and suggested it to my wife. She loved it!!! It is pretty cool to go to these parks with first-timers...you can see the magic in their eyes!
We then took the railroad from Frontierland over to Mickey's Toontown Fair (my wife wanted to browse through Mickey and Minnie's houses). The park was a little crowded in this area but not too bad (would hate to see it in peak season). The houses were pretty cool I have to say...lots of attention to detail!
The next stop was "It's a small world" which my wife absolutely adored (see it may be dated but people still enjoy it). I don't mind this ride but I kept joking with my wife that it would be better if you had a few softballs .
We then walked back to Tomorrowland to ride Buzz Lightyear to find a 45 minute wait in the standby line (Use FastPass people!!!! Make your lives easier!!!) We got a FastPass for it and decided to ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority to kill some time. A very relaxing diversion. I could have ridden it again if nothing more than to get off my feet for a little while.
The next stop was the Carousel of Progress. My wife liked this one as well. Here we all were, singing along with the animatronics to the song...pretty neat.
Our window for Buzz was available to off to that ride we went. I can see why it is popular...it can be a bit addictive. Dana got around 150,000. I got around 300,000. Not bad scores for a first try at it. Lots of fun! My wife kept getting frustrated when she was lining up a target and, at the last second, I turned the vehicle around .
By the time this was all done, it was time for our PS at the Plaza. The place was a little cramped for space but the food was good. I had the cheesesteak while my wife had the chicken sandwich. My wife had ice cream for dessert while I had the Brownie Fudge sundae. Absolutely wonderful!!!
We finished the day off with some souvenir shopping along Main Street and the parade.
Our four days at the parks were absolutely fantastic! You have the tendency to notice the small things...the way complete strangers can get along like they are old friends. I say that because I overheard a couple of WDW veterans telling another couple to come with them to their viewing spot for the parade....and they just met at the restaurant!! It is things like that that makes WDW the best place on earth.
But our vacation was just beginning! We still have the cruise to look forward too! I'll be posting those reports soon in the cruise section.
Some advice for people coming to the parks:
1. If there are some places that you absolutely have to eat, make PS reservations early. We were flexible in this matter, but book early (even in off-season) to avoid disappointment.
2. Take the time to enjoy your resort.
3. Relax and enjoy the parks at your pace. We didn't see everything...which gives us reason to go back!
Hope you enjoyed the trip reports. Let me know your thoughts!
Myself and my charming wife
Story:
Okay, everything on this trip has been great so far and the best day is today...the Magic Kingdom itself.
I should tell you our strategy for the theme parks. We never felt like carrying the Unofficial Guide around so we used to write out the attractions from it on a slip of paper in the order as they appeared in the guide....makes it easier I reckoned.
The previous night, we called to get PS at one of the restaurants. We ruled out the Crystal Palace as we would be having plenty of buffets on the cruises. After calling and finding out that Cinderella's palace was booked solid, we were content to book the Plaza for around 4:30 in the afternoon. We are not fussy people, but if on your trip, you just HAVE to go to Cinderella's castle, book it as soon as you can!!! This also made me suspect that this park could be a bit busy today (as I suspect a lot of people on the land/sea package left MK to be the last park as well)...
The park's official opening was 9:00 but we arrived early again (~ 7:45). The bus ride was okay...I showed my wife some of the nearby hotels during the drive (Contemporary, Polynesian). We also took some photos of the entrance and of the Grand Floridian across the lake (I have told my wife that the Grand Floridian is where we will stay on my retirement trip many years from now.
).Of course, there were a few people around for the character breakfast at the castle. So we sat down on one of the benches and waited. We were content to stay there until a cast member yelled to us that we could go into the park!!! I wasn't expecting that...
If it is possible, go to the park early just to have a look around Main Street and get your pictures of the Castle while there is no one around!!! We both enjoyed that. We explored Main Street and around the castle (none of the attractions were open yet so there were ropes across the paths leading to the different lands) but there was a certain "peacefulness"...hard to explain...Disney Magic I guess
Around 8:40, we headed for the rope leading to Tomorrowland, we noticed a small film crew doing something in one of the gardens. It turns out that one of the young ladies was the captain of the Russian Olympic Women's Gymnastics team!!!! Pretty cool
. A sighting of a celebrity in the Magic Kingdom! The setup with the Cast Members was the same for Disney MGM...castmembers encouraging people to go to their rides first. All I remember was one cast member from Costa Rica who could not be more than 3 feet tall who was giving all a good chuckle with her antics....the Cast Members can certainly keep people entertained.
After the welcoming broadcast all over the park, we were walked down to our first stop.....Space Mountain!!!! Have they changed the roller coasters in here anytime recently? The ride seems a lot longer than what I remember from back in '92...but it is still fun. My wife really liked it as well....but Rock n Roller Coaster is still the king at WDW!!
We then went next to Alien Encounter! I didn't find it too scary while my wife....well that's a different matter. I do agree with the majority that it is definately not an attraction for small kids so parents...DO heed the warnings posted! A cool attraction nevertheless.
The next stop was Winnie the Pooh. There was already a posted wait of 10 minutes for this ride but we got on in no time. We both really enjoyed this ride...very well done. I can see why it is popular. We then went to Peter Pan's flight for another 10 minute wait. This ride is pretty neat as well...captures the Disney magic for sure!
Haunted Mansion was next. My wife is not the biggest haunted house fan (she compares all haunted houses to the ones on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls) but I assured her she would like this one....and she did! I know that some of these attractions haven't changed much since the last time I was here, but I enjoy them just as much now as I did then!
We then headed over to Splash Mountain. To be honest, I was expecting to need FastPass as half the park goes to this ride on opening. However, surprisingly, the posted wait time was only 10 minutes
! I have to say that this ride is one of my favourites in the park. Very creative and well thought out. By the way, the drop is a lot better than it looks. Very enjoyable for the both of us!The next stop was Big Thunder Mountain which had a bigger crowd but nothing too drastic. We had Mickey Ice Cream bars while waiting in line (I know that they are fattening but who cares...I'm on vacation!!!!!
). A tame roller coaster as far as roller coaster go but fun nevertheless.We then went to the Jungle Cruise to grab a fastpass and then grabbed a bite to eat nearby. We then decided to go on Pirates of the Caribbean while we had time before the Jungle Cruise. My wife really liked this one (as did I). The Jungle Cruise was next (the lineup seemed really long for the FastPass line, but it is a straight line to the boats). This was OK..nothing spectacular.
We then took a trip to the Enchanted Tiki Birds. Pretty cute attraction. My wife really liked it. We then saw the Country Bear Jamboree. I liked it the last time I saw it and suggested it to my wife. She loved it!!! It is pretty cool to go to these parks with first-timers...you can see the magic in their eyes!
We then took the railroad from Frontierland over to Mickey's Toontown Fair (my wife wanted to browse through Mickey and Minnie's houses). The park was a little crowded in this area but not too bad (would hate to see it in peak season). The houses were pretty cool I have to say...lots of attention to detail!
The next stop was "It's a small world" which my wife absolutely adored (see it may be dated but people still enjoy it). I don't mind this ride but I kept joking with my wife that it would be better if you had a few softballs
.We then walked back to Tomorrowland to ride Buzz Lightyear to find a 45 minute wait in the standby line (Use FastPass people!!!! Make your lives easier!!!) We got a FastPass for it and decided to ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority to kill some time. A very relaxing diversion. I could have ridden it again if nothing more than to get off my feet for a little while.
The next stop was the Carousel of Progress. My wife liked this one as well. Here we all were, singing along with the animatronics to the song...pretty neat.
Our window for Buzz was available to off to that ride we went. I can see why it is popular...it can be a bit addictive. Dana got around 150,000. I got around 300,000. Not bad scores for a first try at it. Lots of fun! My wife kept getting frustrated when she was lining up a target and, at the last second, I turned the vehicle around
. By the time this was all done, it was time for our PS at the Plaza. The place was a little cramped for space but the food was good. I had the cheesesteak while my wife had the chicken sandwich. My wife had ice cream for dessert while I had the Brownie Fudge sundae. Absolutely wonderful!!!
We finished the day off with some souvenir shopping along Main Street and the parade.
Our four days at the parks were absolutely fantastic! You have the tendency to notice the small things...the way complete strangers can get along like they are old friends. I say that because I overheard a couple of WDW veterans telling another couple to come with them to their viewing spot for the parade....and they just met at the restaurant!! It is things like that that makes WDW the best place on earth.
But our vacation was just beginning! We still have the cruise to look forward too! I'll be posting those reports soon in the cruise section.
Some advice for people coming to the parks:
1. If there are some places that you absolutely have to eat, make PS reservations early. We were flexible in this matter, but book early (even in off-season) to avoid disappointment.
2. Take the time to enjoy your resort.
3. Relax and enjoy the parks at your pace. We didn't see everything...which gives us reason to go back!
Hope you enjoyed the trip reports. Let me know your thoughts!
