Nick6300
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 3, 2017
Just want to share some surprises we experienced last week:
It pays to check in to your hotel the old fashioned way. We rode the red eye the night before, just to nap at the airport and ride over ME at 4am ish to not miss RD the 1st day. I know, sort of extreme, but we tried it out. I had done the express check in, but given the extra time before the 1st bus would arrive, I decided to go to the check in - no waiting, as you'd expect
. We settled for our "Happily Ever After" pins in place of the anniversary pins. I was able to request a preferred 1st floor room near the pool at no extra charge and pick from a few shortest walking distance choices near the main bldg. Even though normal check in is at 3pm, our room was ready, and we were allowed to unpack and take a nap.
We were also offered 2 free FPs for our 1st park, AK! Never rec'd these before, but we've also taken a break from on site resorts. And when I waited a bit and didn't see the 2 FP's, I inquired about it, and got 3 more for our 2nd park. The initial 2 FPs appeared later in the day with the screwy MDE, and so we got 5.
I'm no longer altering my bounce back package. We had APs and wanted the 'free dining' offer from our last Aug. trip, did the min 2 day PHs and then decided to upgrade to 7 day PH a couple of months ago to use by 12/31/19 per CM (not renewing AP). We went to GR to get those 7 day tickets as a hard copy and prioritize our APs for this trip, expecting the 12/31/19 maturity like the CM we ordered it from had said. Instead they were expiring 1/14/19 and we had to spend about 2 hrs over 3 different trips to GR's at different parks to get it fixed. 8 different CMs at GR could not figure out what happened. It was because the first 2 days were based on 2017 prices and the remaining 5 were based on the current price, and 1/14/19 is really 12/31/18 + 14 days from 1st use. Ended up having to paying extra to make it 12/31/19, and was offered an extra 2 FPs to offset my gentle complaint that I was told 12/31/19, and wouldn't have bought them if I couldn't use them in time; and the amount of trouble I was having to get it sorted out. So even though there was some frustration attached, we ended up with 7 free FPs across 3 different parks (excluding FoP, 7DMT, Pan, FEA, assuming TSL tier 1s).
I'm surprisingly fond of Slinky Dog Dash. We RD'd 2x, was let through at 630 to be held at Starbucks/Sunset until about 645 I believe. As others have said, it's better to be on the far right at RD. We were about the 3rd & 4th people through queue both days without having to uber. Bus showed up just before 6. The temp. bus drop off took us about 4 min to walk through. We had tried Saucers once (it had several cars down and took nearly an hour to get through the queue at 11pm). Didn't care for it but wanted to try it once. SDD our 1st time at 1145pm-ish was posted at 45min (55-75 most of the day) but was only 33min. We wanted to wait until the non resort guests who entered at 1030pm before EMH were off after waiting an hr or so. Really enjoyed SDD, despite it not being a fast thrilling ride. The overlooking views that the ride provides (including Star Wars Land), the slinking, and the way they designed it was a change of pace. TSM, still my favorite, had a queue makeover. The queue is so much longer now. Mr. Potato Head was shut down most of the, oh, 15-20x we did TSM. Even by waiting until 930am to exit TSL to Sunset... RnR was a walk on several times in a row... we rode 3-4x until we got sick of it.
The QS dining plan is way too much food. Only our 2nd time w/ QSDP, but we had trouble not wasting meals, resorting to a pizza at Blaze and 2 meals at Polite Pig on the last day (non park day). We ordered margaritas whenever we could, and quickly learned to request no ice, as they fill it up to the very top full of ice. We began by getting those good value snacks such as the ice cream funnel cake at the Oasis and the large Starbucks Fraps that seem like they're 2000 calories. Just a total gut bomb that ruin your appetite to use up meals. When we got behind on meal use, we skipped snacks and instead used them at the Germany pav. for werther's, riesens, and carmel corn to take home.
AK RD has changed since Dec 2017 on an 9am day, we were held about 50 feet in front of the taps (odd) until around 8am, then waited at the taps until 813, to be held at the bridge until 830 (used to be held until 15 min before park open). Being the very first guests in, we were able to be done quick enough to have to wait until the grace for our 9am FP. We were in the queue for our 2nd ride to FoP at 854am. On a 8am open, they held us in the same fashion but waited until 745 at the bridge. They also closed off allowing us to take the back way into Africa, making us go around through Discovery Is. I think they weren't opening that back entrance until 10ish. because we weren't allowed in towards Pandora from Africa for a 930 FP to FoP for our 2nd FoP on another day. And again, had to walk all the way around towards Tiffins.
Late EMH is not worth it. It took this trip to finally realize this, and I think paying the extra to stay on property sort of skewed my better judgement. Those 2 extra late hours for HS & MK (EP had very low crowds due to TSL, Pandora, party nights, and proximity before Food & Wine) were quickly lost with FPs being gone for any worthwhile attraction by around 11-12 and the elevated waits on just a couple big rides alone. Aladdin was 75min our 1st day at MK (Sat), ITSM was around 30 min when we finally relented to going on something that wasn't a FP. Plus we got rained out to where we left a little early a couple of times anyhow. Early EMH, which is only an hr... is bit more useful for me since I'm always going to RD and aim to be 1st at the taps anyhow (I don't notice an uptick, if any, early on, if I'm 1st in line). Also think people are less attracted to early EMH where they have to get up early, and it's only 1 hr. Think I'm going to schedule parks a day after late EMH going forward.
Persistence can payoff. I scored a same day SDD. Failed to get FoP, despite ea of the last 2 trips scoring FoP, and publicly doing a little dance. There were also FEA, 7DMT, TT available.
I didn't notice too many other changes from our Dec. visit: auction scene on Pirates is sort of a drag. Pooh changed the play area a bit, and the virtual puzzle in the 7DMT queue is gone.
The only place in the parks selling the baby groot that you can perch on your shoulder is inside the Walt Disney Presents near the entrance to the film. They were sold out of the magnets (12.99 w/out and 17.99 w/ magnet) so we bought it with our APs (20% off) then exchanged it for the magnet one at the Marvel Store at DS.
It pays to check in to your hotel the old fashioned way. We rode the red eye the night before, just to nap at the airport and ride over ME at 4am ish to not miss RD the 1st day. I know, sort of extreme, but we tried it out. I had done the express check in, but given the extra time before the 1st bus would arrive, I decided to go to the check in - no waiting, as you'd expect
. We settled for our "Happily Ever After" pins in place of the anniversary pins. I was able to request a preferred 1st floor room near the pool at no extra charge and pick from a few shortest walking distance choices near the main bldg. Even though normal check in is at 3pm, our room was ready, and we were allowed to unpack and take a nap.We were also offered 2 free FPs for our 1st park, AK! Never rec'd these before, but we've also taken a break from on site resorts. And when I waited a bit and didn't see the 2 FP's, I inquired about it, and got 3 more for our 2nd park. The initial 2 FPs appeared later in the day with the screwy MDE, and so we got 5.
I'm no longer altering my bounce back package. We had APs and wanted the 'free dining' offer from our last Aug. trip, did the min 2 day PHs and then decided to upgrade to 7 day PH a couple of months ago to use by 12/31/19 per CM (not renewing AP). We went to GR to get those 7 day tickets as a hard copy and prioritize our APs for this trip, expecting the 12/31/19 maturity like the CM we ordered it from had said. Instead they were expiring 1/14/19 and we had to spend about 2 hrs over 3 different trips to GR's at different parks to get it fixed. 8 different CMs at GR could not figure out what happened. It was because the first 2 days were based on 2017 prices and the remaining 5 were based on the current price, and 1/14/19 is really 12/31/18 + 14 days from 1st use. Ended up having to paying extra to make it 12/31/19, and was offered an extra 2 FPs to offset my gentle complaint that I was told 12/31/19, and wouldn't have bought them if I couldn't use them in time; and the amount of trouble I was having to get it sorted out. So even though there was some frustration attached, we ended up with 7 free FPs across 3 different parks (excluding FoP, 7DMT, Pan, FEA, assuming TSL tier 1s).
I'm surprisingly fond of Slinky Dog Dash. We RD'd 2x, was let through at 630 to be held at Starbucks/Sunset until about 645 I believe. As others have said, it's better to be on the far right at RD. We were about the 3rd & 4th people through queue both days without having to uber. Bus showed up just before 6. The temp. bus drop off took us about 4 min to walk through. We had tried Saucers once (it had several cars down and took nearly an hour to get through the queue at 11pm). Didn't care for it but wanted to try it once. SDD our 1st time at 1145pm-ish was posted at 45min (55-75 most of the day) but was only 33min. We wanted to wait until the non resort guests who entered at 1030pm before EMH were off after waiting an hr or so. Really enjoyed SDD, despite it not being a fast thrilling ride. The overlooking views that the ride provides (including Star Wars Land), the slinking, and the way they designed it was a change of pace. TSM, still my favorite, had a queue makeover. The queue is so much longer now. Mr. Potato Head was shut down most of the, oh, 15-20x we did TSM. Even by waiting until 930am to exit TSL to Sunset... RnR was a walk on several times in a row... we rode 3-4x until we got sick of it.
The QS dining plan is way too much food. Only our 2nd time w/ QSDP, but we had trouble not wasting meals, resorting to a pizza at Blaze and 2 meals at Polite Pig on the last day (non park day). We ordered margaritas whenever we could, and quickly learned to request no ice
, as they fill it up to the very top full of ice. We began by getting those good value snacks such as the ice cream funnel cake at the Oasis and the large Starbucks Fraps that seem like they're 2000 calories. Just a total gut bomb that ruin your appetite to use up meals. When we got behind on meal use, we skipped snacks and instead used them at the Germany pav. for werther's, riesens, and carmel corn to take home.AK RD has changed since Dec 2017 on an 9am day, we were held about 50 feet in front of the taps (odd) until around 8am, then waited at the taps until 813, to be held at the bridge until 830 (used to be held until 15 min before park open). Being the very first guests in, we were able to be done quick enough to have to wait until the grace for our 9am FP. We were in the queue for our 2nd ride to FoP at 854am. On a 8am open, they held us in the same fashion but waited until 745 at the bridge. They also closed off allowing us to take the back way into Africa, making us go around through Discovery Is. I think they weren't opening that back entrance until 10ish. because we weren't allowed in towards Pandora from Africa for a 930 FP to FoP for our 2nd FoP on another day. And again, had to walk all the way around towards Tiffins.
Late EMH is not worth it. It took this trip to finally realize this, and I think paying the extra to stay on property sort of skewed my better judgement. Those 2 extra late hours for HS & MK (EP had very low crowds due to TSL, Pandora, party nights, and proximity before Food & Wine) were quickly lost with FPs being gone for any worthwhile attraction by around 11-12 and the elevated waits on just a couple big rides alone. Aladdin was 75min our 1st day at MK (Sat), ITSM was around 30 min when we finally relented to going on something that wasn't a FP. Plus we got rained out to where we left a little early a couple of times anyhow. Early EMH, which is only an hr... is bit more useful for me since I'm always going to RD and aim to be 1st at the taps anyhow (I don't notice an uptick, if any, early on, if I'm 1st in line). Also think people are less attracted to early EMH where they have to get up early, and it's only 1 hr. Think I'm going to schedule parks a day after late EMH going forward.
Persistence can payoff. I scored a same day SDD. Failed to get FoP, despite ea of the last 2 trips scoring FoP, and publicly doing a little dance. There were also FEA, 7DMT, TT available.
I didn't notice too many other changes from our Dec. visit: auction scene on Pirates is sort of a drag. Pooh changed the play area a bit, and the virtual puzzle in the 7DMT queue is gone.
The only place in the parks selling the baby groot that you can perch on your shoulder is inside the Walt Disney Presents near the entrance to the film. They were sold out of the magnets (12.99 w/out and 17.99 w/ magnet) so we bought it with our APs (20% off) then exchanged it for the magnet one at the Marvel Store at DS.
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