WDW is nice to take the family when you are young and can really enjoy the rides. This year past trip was different . As an old man I was able to do all the rides but I ain’t going to lie… walking 7 miles per day in 95+ degree heat with a heat index of 112 degrees was a total bitch. It was worth it though just getting to see our grand daughter’s face walking down Main Street USA. Hawaii which we have missed since the 2020 pandemic started is a much , much better relaxing vacation. Long trip and as I saw yesterday the airlines will be cutting flights out of NY/ NJ airports this summer and with OPEC helping us get our gas prices up to snuff …lol… most will feel the pain . Hawaii is expensive and especially on Maui. Kauai is quiet , lush with great fishing and beautiful sites. Big Island toned down lifestyle , cheaper somewhat with coffee farms, an active volcano and more like being in the farm country especially the northern part. All said and done my family is already talking about a WDW redo in 2024. I’m ok with WDW but I would rather make it a Brady Bunch Hawaiian one for my all. Look into condo rentals on all the islands. Most are very nice, much cheaper, roomier and the fact is the weather is conducive to being outside not in a hotel room. To each his/ her own choice.
OT: Disney World
- Thread starter tom1944
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For parents and definitely grandparents, WDW is not a vacation. It's a wonderful experience that you need to physically survive! :)
Well, the new board members themselves claimed they will be doing that. And Desantis said the same.
Not surprising to hear political appointees use the same talking points as the politician that selected them.
Politicians say a lot of things. Worry about what they do. The main road we take from MCO to WDW is already a toll road (417). Most people take I-4.
Well I generally don't worry about what they do because I have the ability to mitigate most of the stuff that would impact me.
I am not worried about this nonsense, but I do feel it is something everyone should be against no matter what you think of Disney.
They actual made statements that they would use the power of the board to get Disney to bend to their wishes on content and programs. Even the governor said it.
How they do it is by holding approvals hostage.
You would have had a brain aneurism by now if it was a democrat pulling this. At least have some honesty about it.
And if a democrat pulled it they would be just as wrong as Desantis is.
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If things continue down the road in this country as I think they will with airfare prices, WDW continuing increases, and all the other nonsense I’ll book a two bedroom on Maui and say screw it. Planning retirement income 20 years ago I knew we would be at 90-95 % disposable income level of what I was bringing in. We’re at that point but I refuse to enable these pricks in DC.
Most resorts now check to ensure you have a reservation because of this trick. Getting very hard to do this anymore unless you have a reservation.
I mentioned this because teh relaxation.. announced by Disney.. was new as of about a month ago. We have tested this.. which means prior to this we would have assumed the opposite.. it was as you suggest. Probably best just to ignore teh suggestion anyway and not count on doing it. It is just a nice option but know you may get turned away.. so have a backup plan.
OH.. I should point out.. on a recent trip it was the drivers DVC membership that got us into.. I think it was Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom lodge lot without a reservation. We think if it were a lot nearer the parks.. where you can take a boat/monorail or walk into a park.. that it might have been a different story.
Sounds like it might be time for you to join the horde of scooters rampaging around the parks.
Scooters at Disney parks spawn accidents, lawsuits, glares
Just returned from Disneyland.
I buy all the Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes, figure its part of the ticket cost.
Noticed a lot of sad faces and miserable people waiting on the 2.5 hour line for Radiator Springs Racers at DCA while we walked in front of them after paying the $20/pp. Not sure if people can't afford the extra money, or not paying for it on principle, but its definitely pay to play at Disney for a lot of rides.
Surprised there havent been any dust ups between the Individual Lightning Lanes and Standby Riders, people hopping the dividers, etc.
They already took Disney? My trip is in late April. Can they wait a few more weeks?
Agreed. How is waiting in those lines enjoyable or satisfying? Would be better to go less days, but spend the required money to skip lines.
I don’t understand why anyone is on those line but if everyone got the express passes, it would be counter productive
Obviously, the express pass is limited and sells out, so everyone can't use it. However, you can still buy Genie+ and most Individual Lighting Lane reservations for a few hours each morning, so the choice is still reasonably accessible to all.
This to me is the ultimate advice. Less days but better days - either fast pass or picking different restaurants or having a car etc.
of course the pricing is such that extra days don't cost as much. getting every last penny out of people is something most businesses seem to pursue.
Do any of you have recommendations for table service lunches in the parks?
We have character meals picked out but we plan to have a late lunch at the parks on multiple days before we head back to the resort.
Since we are going in August, we figure we will make a reservation between 1 and 2 to get out of the heat. We will then head back to the resort until around 6.
We have a character breakfast at Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios so lunch will not be table service that day.
We will try Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom, but I am willing to consider any other suggestions because we will have 2 days at MK. One of the days I have been told we need to book Bibbidi bobbidi boutique which I am told takes 90 minutes.
Animal Kingdom we are considering Tiffin's or Yak and Yeti.
Epcot, we have Space 220, Teppan Edo or Coral Reef to consider.
We also plan to book Hoop Dee Doo Revue for 4pm followed up with the Chip and Dale Campfire
The other character meals we want to try are at Chef Mickey and either Ohana or 1900 Park Fare.
Everything is being centered around my 4 1/2-year-old granddaughter so suggest away.
We are staying at Bay Lake Tower.
We have character meals picked out but we plan to have a late lunch at the parks on multiple days before we head back to the resort.
Since we are going in August, we figure we will make a reservation between 1 and 2 to get out of the heat. We will then head back to the resort until around 6.
We have a character breakfast at Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios so lunch will not be table service that day.
We will try Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom, but I am willing to consider any other suggestions because we will have 2 days at MK. One of the days I have been told we need to book Bibbidi bobbidi boutique which I am told takes 90 minutes.
Animal Kingdom we are considering Tiffin's or Yak and Yeti.
Epcot, we have Space 220, Teppan Edo or Coral Reef to consider.
We also plan to book Hoop Dee Doo Revue for 4pm followed up with the Chip and Dale Campfire
The other character meals we want to try are at Chef Mickey and either Ohana or 1900 Park Fare.
Everything is being centered around my 4 1/2-year-old granddaughter so suggest away.
We are staying at Bay Lake Tower.
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Okay, since this is focused on your granddaughter, I will make some suggestions. We started going to WDW with my daughter when she was 3 years old.
If your daughter is into princesses, an outstanding experience (and pretty darn good food) is Cinderella's Royal Table. This is the restaurant in the castle. You have time with Cinderella and at least 4 other princesses. Tons of character time and a truly unique Disney experience. Our little one is now 11 years old and not a princess girl anymore, but this was still a must-go restaurant.
Other items:
Great choice on BLT. You can't beat the location, especially if you are going to prioritize the MK. Still recommend having a rental car to drive to the other theme parks and resorts (for dining). Time is money!
Be Our Guest is also a must do restaurant. We normally go for dinner so we can meet the Beast. Not sure if he walks around for lunch.
Our favorite character dining experience is Garden Grill at the Land Pavilion. You get a ton of character time with Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale (way more than other places due to less tables). Food is solid for family service.
Chef Mickey has mediocre food, but here you are paying for access. You get all the big characters. Also, since it is right next to BLT, the logistics are simple.
Love, love, love the Hoop-Dee-Doo. You can take a boat from the Contemporary right to Fort Wilderness, so that is fun as well. Unfortunately, the area is a bit of a construction zone due to a new DVC resort, but Pioneer Hall (the venue) is awesome. It's a corny show with super fun food and music. Uniquely Disney. It is about a 90-100 minute experience, so you need to gauge if your granddaughter is old enough to handle that.
Epcot - our favorite restaurant in all of WDW is Via Napoli in the Italy Pavilion. The pizza and food are fun and amazing (even for NJ standards). This is a super must go for us.
Other ideas:
O'hana is a blast, character for breakfast, but not dinner. The dinner food and experience is excellent. Convenient since you can monorail to the Poly.
Quick service lunch - Pecos Bill at MK is really good. They have Tex-Mex offerings. We actually did this as a super late dinner one night and loved it.
California Grill - only for dinner, restaurant at the top of the Contemporary. Outstanding food and view of the MK! If you do an early dinner, you can return to view the fireworks from the roof top deck.
Final item - BLT guests can place online takeout orders from Steakhouse 71 in the Contemporary. Excellent food, easy to get a quick breakfast or lunch and eat in the villa. Very convenient and flexible.
Not sure if I missed anything! :)
Forgot to mention, for Hollywood Studios, not a character dining experience but still a fun themed option:
Dining at the 50's Prime Time Cafe - Disney Dining
Enjoy retro classics in a blast from the past at this table service restaurant in the heart of Disney's Hollywood Studios.
As many times as my beautiful granddaughter wants her pop pop to go on.
By the way I booked BLT strictly because of your recommendation from the beginning of this thread.
I figured you are wrong on so many other things you must be right at least once.
If possible, you should have a meal at Cinderella's Royal Table after your granddaughter's visit to the Bibbidi boutique. She will be dressed as a princess, eating in the castle, and meeting other princesses. I guarantee you that it will be the best day of her life. (If I am wrong, KYK will pay you $10,000.)
If you can't reserve Cinderella's, Be Our Guest is a good alternative, but the only princess greeting is Belle.
How many rides do you normally ride in a day? I haven't been to WDW since they instituted the Genie+ system. I get that is extremely valuable if you are trying to get on a many rides as possible. But I wonder if there is a breakeven point, where it doesn't pay if you don't do enough popular rides?
BLT is a non-union establishment! It’s not the most themed resort on property, but the location is second to none. Also it has a great pool area, especially for little children. Mickey shaped splash pad, little slide, and then a big slide. If you bought points and are officially a DVC member, you can use the Top of the World lounge on the top floor of BLT. Concierge food and firework viewings.
I will do my best to unionize all the BLT employees so they can receive all the great new benefits the Disney union just negotiated
Tough question to answer, but we are not theme park warriors. Nor are we morning people. However, we hate lines. Absolutely hate them. I would gladly pay $15-20 per person to skip a 90-120 min line for a headline ride.
A typical Magic Kingdom day is to wake up late, breakfast in the villa, go over to the theme park at 10:30-11:00am'ish. Hit 2-3 rides and another attraction or experience like Tom Sawyer's Island. Have a late lunch and head back to the resort. Swim, shop, chill, mini-golf. Head back to the MK around dinnertime and stay until 10:00-10:30pm'ish. Factor out dinner and we probably have 4 hours for rides. Using the Genie+/Lighting Lane system we would be able to hit 10-12 rides during the evening with very minimal wait. This includes all the big rides that I booked throughout the day for evening reservations times.
There is no set rule for using or not using the paid system. It depends on many things, including what park you are visiting. I don't think Hollywood Studios is functional without Genie+ and ILLs. There are not many attractions and the park gets swamped. The day we were there Rise of the Resistance was 180 min wait. Millenium Falcon 90 mins. Slinky Dog 120 min. Mickey Runaway Train 90 min. Toy Story Mania 60 min. We hit these 5 rides (plus the Muppet show and a quick lunch) in about 3 hours. Genie+ was $25 per person, ILL for Rise was another $25 per person. So we spent an extra $150 that day but avoided 6-8 hours of lines! Well worth it for us.
Just depends on your goals and priorities!
Magic Kingdom crowded as heck today.. Easter Sunday.. as expected.
I come away with one overriding thought...
Give Me Liberty Tree Tavern or Give Me Death!
Great meal at a great price.... family style American fare.
I come away with one overriding thought...
Give Me Liberty Tree Tavern or Give Me Death!
Great meal at a great price.... family style American fare.
Liberty Tree Tavern has been rock solid for years. Great place for lunch or dinner!
I couldn't believe, it but for me, the hero of the meal was the salad! The dinner buns were bland.. no butter or other spread was offered.
Declaration Salad
Mixed Greens, Apples, Cranberries, and Cheese tossed with our House-made Dressing**Had little cheese in it (shredded) but did not miss it. The dressing.. don't know how to describe it.. bright maybe? A vinaigrette of sorts with maybe some apple cider in there? fantastic.
Patriot's Platter
Roasted Turkey, Pot Roast, and Oven-roasted Pork with Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, Herb Stuffing, and House-made Macaroni & Cheese (with house made gravies.. turkey gravy but we asked for beef gravy as well.. no problem).**the dark meat turkey was served like shredded pork.. was great, as was the pot roast. rest was good, not great. The green beans at all Disney restaurants seem to be undercooked but looked pretty.
Oooey Gooey Toffee Cake
Vanilla Toffee Cake, Chocolate Sauce, and Vanilla Ice Cream**very good vanilla ice cream.. nice desert dish.
Was in the "Paul Revere Room".. nice non-functional fireplace with a couple muskets mounted on the mantle.. wondered how long they will be there.
Yeah - I'd gladly pay that and more to avoid lines.
Had a Tron virtual queue boarding group time today and still it took an hour to get to actual riding. I suspect this is because we went later in our group time and there were a lot or groups able to check in at that time.
If this were a rare day at the Magic Kingdom and I wanted to get a lot done in terms of rides, Genie+ and paying per ride for the elite rides (which I think are Tron and 7 Dwarves in MK).. would definitely be worth it.
But if you do go virtual queue and get an early group time.. I'd suggest getting there very early and your time on line will be minimal. The later you go in in our boarding group time the more people might be checking in before you.
I recall Rise of the Resistance in Hollywood Studios was where they first implemented the virtual queue and there you really had to worry about the ride breaking down stranding you on line or pushing group times back and back and back. You got a group number and the app would keep you updated as to your projected boarding time... then announce an actual boarding time.
So, when that ride broke down so frequently, a boarding group might be projected for, say 11AM-12PM... but then get delayed and delayed and the actual boarding time might start 3PM.. when you figured you might have parked hopped someplace else.
Couple long shot suggestions for you guys. Tri Circle D Ranch. I believe it’s near Fort Wilderness. My wife found this. Not sure how. They have hokey pony rides, but that is where they house the horses for the parks. We were walking through the stables ALONE. My daughter is standing in awe of Cinderella’s actual horse from the Magic Kingdom parade. Rancher comes along and lets her in the stable to pet Cinderellas horse. It made the entire trip and it was free. There were a handful of people in the ranch. Very low key, again, free.
The second one, they do the Pledge of Allegiance every day at Magic Kingdom, maybe about 3:00 (verify, I’m sure the time is published on the inter webs) . Look for the flagpole in the square by the Walt Disney statue. Just mill around at the right time. They picked my daughter at random to do the pledge over the PA system. Looking around, there were not a lot of other kids they could have picked right there at the time. We were just in the right place at the right time. Great memory. Told another family about this. They followed what I told them and their kid was picked too. Edit: it’s called the flag retreat and it’s at 5:00 PM. Several examples on YouTube.
The second one, they do the Pledge of Allegiance every day at Magic Kingdom, maybe about 3:00 (verify, I’m sure the time is published on the inter webs) . Look for the flagpole in the square by the Walt Disney statue. Just mill around at the right time. They picked my daughter at random to do the pledge over the PA system. Looking around, there were not a lot of other kids they could have picked right there at the time. We were just in the right place at the right time. Great memory. Told another family about this. They followed what I told them and their kid was picked too. Edit: it’s called the flag retreat and it’s at 5:00 PM. Several examples on YouTube.
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