Tag Archives: Disneyworld

Holidays at Disney (Scary – and I’m not talking Halloween!)

Disney Planning, In the Parks, Special Events May 29, 2013 Comments: 2

When I first heard about the Monstrous Summer All Nighter, I had a little itch to go.  I’m always looking for a reason to go to Disneyworld and what better reason than 24 straight hours of fun! Sadly, I didn’t attend the all nighter – I was probably home in bed by 10pm when the fun was just gearing up (okay – I was watching the live stream online!!)  But that’s not the point.  Why didn’t I make the trip?  It wasn’t because I couldn’t get there – I actually found a really good deal on flights.  It wasn’t because of ticket prices – I have an annual pass.  So with a cheap flight and a free ticket, what would keep me from going?? A holiday weekend!!  The all nighter was scheduled for Memorial Day weekend.  Deal breaker.

I’ve been to Disney on two separate holidays over the past 6 months:

  1. Disneyland in California for New Year’s Eve 2012 – of course a crowd is to be expected
  2. Disneyworld on Presidents Day 2013 – crowd was NOT expected, at least not by me

With the experiences of back to back holiday trips fresh in my mind, I decided it’s just not worth it to go during any holiday where a large part of the general population is off work! In case you’re not convinced, let me enlighten you with a few details.

Let’s start with New Year’s Eve. Of course the parks will be crowded. Everyone knows this.  I guess my idea of crowded was longer-than-usual lines and a little more weaving through the crowd – but it would be worth it to celebrate the new year with Disney fireworks in the background as I joyfully kissed my husband at the stroke of midnight, right?!  I rarely admit something like this, but I was WRONG! It was not nearly as romantic or magical as I had imagined.  I should have known on Day 1 of our trip when we went to Disneyland and were not let in because the park was at capacity.  We were told to return around 5pm and there ‘might’ be room after the parades when people exit the park. Lines for the most popular rides, normally a 60 or 90 minute wait were upwards of 340 minutes!!!! 5 hours? Really?

The next sign that something was different was when people starting laying in the streets – it felt like I was at a concert with people getting their spot for the show.

Disneyland NY Eve 2012

Disneyland NY Eve 2012

New Year's Eve

Camping in front of Aurora’s Castle – New Year’s Eve 2012

As it got later, the crowd got thicker and it felt like there wasn’t enough air for everyone! (Maybe that’s my claustrophobia talking or just the fact that I’m shorter than everyone and couldn’t see anything but bodies!)  It got to the point where strangers around me were touching me on all sides, my legs and feet getting hit with stroller wheels and we were literally moving like a herd of cattle. I felt some minor panic until I got to an opening.  I’ll say it wasn’t too magical for me.  This picture looks like the crowd is watching something but we’re not – that’s how we were walking. MOOOOOO!

Crowd at Disneyland

Crowd at Disneyland

We ended up leaving before midnight and I was glad when we finally made it to the exit (I know, blasphemy!)

Camping out on Main Street at Disneyland- NY Eve 2012

Camping out on Main Street at Disneyland- NY Eve 2012

For my father in law, who was in a motorized scooter, things were frustrating to say the least. He really couldn’t move anywhere because of the crowd so he remained parked along the side a lot of the time.  Not how I envisioned starting the new year!

The following day, New Year’s Day, was much less crowded and we got to enjoy California Adventure.  I was still a little traumatized from the night before, but I loved seeing Mickey’s Fun Wheel and things started to feel a little more relaxed.

Mickey's Fun Wheel & California Screamin'

Mickey’s Fun Wheel & California Screamin’

That was an extreme example of a holiday at Disney.  But even for a much less notable holiday, things were still pretty crowded.  For President’s Day, the lines weren’t quite as long but they were longer than I’m used to and since we were only there for a long weekend it felt magnified because we wanted to fit everything in. The mistake we made for that weekend was thinking that we would be able to come in and wing it and get on all the rides we wanted – we should have known better! So we ended up walking around but not riding a lot which was disappointing.  Factor in that it was only about 40 degrees and it was even more of a bummer – uh, oh, discontent in the bubble – how could this be? This was a first.  On both of these trips the care-free, relaxed vibe that is the essence of why I love going to Disney was diminished.

So on the heels of that visit, I decided to pass on the Monstrous All Nighter. For all the money that goes into a trip to Disney why waste it when you can’t get to go on your favorite rides!?

That’s not to say you can never go around holidays – we went the week after Thanksgiving and saw all the amazing Christmas lights, shows, and attractions and it was just about the closest it was like a ghost town in the parks! What a difference a few weeks can make!  From now on I’ll spend my holidays at home and plan to pick ‘ordinary days’ to stay in the bubble!

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Pros & cons of staying on Disney property (a.k.a. in the bubble)

Disney Infographics, Disney Planning, Resorts May 14, 2013 Leave a comment

A big part of vacation planning is deciding where to stay.  It’s also a big part of the cost in any vacation so it takes careful consideration to weigh the options when deciding whether to stay at a Disney resort or at a hotel in the surrounding area.

I’ll admit – I’m cheap.  I hate spending a lot of money on anything that has a cheaper option.  But I also believe that you get what you pay for – and it’s also the case with Disney.  Of course the biggest con to staying on the Disney property can be the price.  There are several levels of accommodations ranging from affordable at the Value Resorts to a mid-range option at the Moderate Resorts and a major splurge for most peoples’ budgets at the Deluxe Resorts. There are also options at the campground if you’re the outdoorsy type and deluxe villas for larger parties.  I’ll talk about my thoughts on the different resorts in another post, but if you can’t wait there’s plenty of info about the resort options on Disney’s website.

We recently stayed off the property for the first time ever. We went to Disney for a long weekend and we were trying to make the trip as cheaply as possible.  We have annual passes so we didn’t need to buy tickets, found a cheap flight and a hotel for $50/night in Orlando!  So even though we didn’t love the idea of staying outside of the bubble we thought we’d give it a shot.

We packed all of our stuff in carry-on bags so we didn’t have to pay baggage fees.  But this was the first inkling that something was different from our usual Disney vacations. Normally we just bring a backpack on the plane since you don’t have to worry about your bags when you’re staying on the property – you check them at the airport when you leave home and the next time you see them is in your Disney resort room later that day!

First stop after arriving at the airport was the car rental counter.  My husband does most of the driving on trips so he had to put up with the bulk of the driving, parking and traffic aggravation (which he is very prone to) – already a sign that some of the relaxation would be plucked away from our normally care-free vacation.

Next we were off to the hotel.  As we got close to our hotel, we passed the typical tourist-area stores with 99 cent t-shirts and gaudy signs luring people in to buy junk.  To be fair, the hotel was fine.  It was clean, quiet, and for the price it was exactly what we were looking for.  But it wasn’t Disney!

In the morning when we got up, instead of jumping the bus to Magic Kingdom, our travel went as follows:

  1. Got in the car
  2. Drove 15 minutes to Magic Kingdom parking lot
  3. Parked in ginormous lot
  4. Walked to the tram
  5. Waited for tram to fill up with passengers
  6. Rode tram to transportation center
  7. Got off tram and walked to boarding area for ferry or monorail
  8. Waited for ferry/monorail to arrive (we took the ferry)
  9. Sailed across the lake to Magic Kingdom

A little inconvenient, huh?

Once in the park we all breathed a sigh of relief – whew!  The sight of Cinderella’s Castle can make everything better, right!?  For the day we forgot that we had to venture back outside the bubble in the evening.  But when it came time to leave, we repeated the morning procedure…a little more slowly after walking all day in the park.  And instead of closing our eyes in the darkness and listening the bus engine roaring to get us back to our resort, we had to navigate the signs to point us onto the right highway back to our hotel.  Not fun.  Why did we decide to stay off property again?

From that trip, I really realized how much I love staying on the Disney property.  At the value resorts, we’ve always been able to find an affordable place to stay and while it may not be a luxury room, it’s in the bubble and that’s what matters to us.

STAYING IN THE BUBBLE: PROS AND CONS

Pros:

  • You don’t have to leave the property! All Disney, all the time! Completely engrossed in the atmosphere – forget about the outside world!
  • No driving – buses can take you to the parks & Downtown Disney, dropoff at the front gates, dedicated buses by resort
  • Magical Express – no lugging suitcases (especially nice for those with strollers, car seats, etc.) and your vacation starts the minute you arrive at the airport
  • Send packages from the park shops to your hotel – no carrying around bags or waiting until the end of the day to buy souvenirs
  • Charge to the room – key, ticket, credit card all in one
  • My Magic+ – booking fast passes, shows (I don’t know all the details on the MagicBand yet but I’m sure it’s going to be awesome!)
  • Extra magic hours – early entry or late access to the parks
  • Activities at resorts like fire side stories, flamingo feedings at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, story time in just about every lobby, movies at the pool, etc.
  • Character wake up calls & birthday calls

Cons:

  • Value Resorts are crowded and Deluxe Resorts are unaffordable
  • You can’t run out for supplies if you want to (unless you rent a car)
  • If you have to leave you must take a pricy taxi – we took a taxi to church on Sunday ($50!)
  • Have to dine on the property all the time which can get costly

From my analysis, the pros definitely outweigh the cons for staying on the Disney property.  A big part of what I love most about Disneyworld is getting away from the outside world and living in a fantasy world for a few days where ‘a dream is a wish your heart makes.’  I’m dreaming of going back to the bubble soon!

Pros and Cons of Staying on Disney Property

Pros and Cons of Staying on Disney Property

A Typical Day at Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom, Disney Infographics May 5, 2013 Leave a comment

Anyone who has been on Pinterest lately has undoubtedly seen the infographics that are pinned on every subject imaginable.  In case you don’t know, an infographic is a way to give information in a more visually appealing way than traditional charts and graphs.  They are so fun to look at that I just had to create one myself.

I found a site that has free templates which are really easy to use called Piktochart. This was just as fun to create as it is to read – I think I’ve just discovered another way to spend hours thinking about the Disney bubble!  Let me know what you think!  Re-pin it here from my Pinterest board.

A Typical Day at Animal Kingdom

A Typical Day at Animal Kingdom

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Lines you WANT to wait in at Disney

Animal Kingdom, Disney Infographics, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, In the Parks, Magic Kingdom May 1, 2013 Comments: 4

They say patience is a virtue and I agree.  I just don’t happen to have that virtue.  I do things to try to practice patience – I meditate when I’m in the doctor’s waiting room, I play loud music and avoid looking at the clock when I’m in traffic and running late.   One place where most people (either patient or impatient) can get a little frazzled is in a long line – couple that with a few cranky kids, cranky husband, hunger, heat stroke, and fatigue – and you have a perfect storm for a meltdown.   This perfect storm is almost guaranteed at some point when you’re at Disneyworld.

However, there are some attractions where the lines are part of the fun – I’m disappointed if we happen to get right through with no wait!  Here are the best along with the worst lines – but luckily all of the worst have Fast Pass availability, so I’d highly recommend taking advantage unless you have a surplus of patience that day!

Here are the best and worst lines to wait in at Disneyworld:

Magic Kingdom

Best Line – Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid (New Fantasyland)

The path to this ride leads through a coral-like rock formation that looks like it was just pulled from the seas.  There is an animatronic show that sings every few minutes, keeping people entertained.  But the most captivating part is the interactive hologram in the fish tank windows.  Guests’ actions in front of the windows cause sea creatures to appear and react – it was pretty entertaining and made the line go by fast.

Worst Line – Big Thunder Mountain 

This line is pretty barren – just up and back, up and back until you zig zag your way to the front.  The worst part is the lack of fresh air, especially in the summer. There’s just a lot of humid air and unpleasant odors at times on a hot day.  Wrangle yourself up a Fast Past, partner!

Animal Kingdom

Best Line – Expedition Everest

This line is pretty cool from the get go.  The theme is a mountain expedition with detailed displays of the supplies, artifacts and anything else that the Sherpas have left behind from their journeys.  In the middle of the line there is a wishing well structure, except instead of water there is a monkey sculpture in the middle, representing the sacred status of monkeys in the area.  Once inside the last room before you get to the ride there are books, documents, masks, and even a giant Yeti footprint cast that makes you question if it’s really real…

100_4983

Yeti - Real or Make Believe? Yeti – Real or Make Believe?

Worst Line – Kilimanjaro Safaris

The part I hate most about this line is that it’s very wide and there are several sections where the cast members direct you to ‘fill in all available space’ even if that means you’re coming up beside (what seems like cutting) the people in front of you.  I just don’t like doing that, and there’s not much interesting to look at in this line. Say ‘Jambo’ to a Fast Pass!

Hollywood Studios

Best Line – Toy Story Midway Mania

This line puts you right into the Toy Story movies.  There are giant crayons leaning against the walls, a game board on the ceiling, barrel o’monkeys strung from side to side.  But the best is the interactive Mr. Potato Head at the front of the line who talks to the guests.  This line has so much to look at and is so recognizable from the movies that it can keep you entertained for a while.  I guess with 240 minute wait times they had to come up with something to keep people occupied!

disney vacation 2012 127

Worst Line – Tower of Terror

Until you get up to the entrance of the Hollywood Tower Hotel there’s not much other than a cement path with walls that kids can’t help but want to climb all over, to parents’ dismay.  I’d suggest you take the Fast Pass!

Epcot

Best Line – Test Track

This line was pretty interesting under the old design but with the newly re-imagineered design it’s a look into the future.  The first section has prototype futuristic cars that lend themselves to conversations about what the future will be like, how these cars would work (the car below would run on tracks in big cities – no driving required!)   There’s a little lull in the line when you’re getting into the design room, but then you’re back in action designing your car.  The surprising part about this ride is that after the ride is over, we probably stayed for another 30 minutes in the exit rooms – driving the car we designed around a virtual racetrack, picking a soundtrack for our car, and getting our picture with some of the model Chevrolet cars (all of our car info was on a swipecard that we kept throughout the ride.)

Future car - no driver necessary!

Drive your virtual car after the ride

Drive your virtual car after the ride

Worst Line – Soarin’

This line reminds me of a long hallway corridor in a hospital.  It’s drab, there’s nothing on the walls and it seems to go on forever.  Disney attempted to make this interactive by having giant screens on the wall that you’re supposed to be able to wave at and make plants grow, fly birds around… but the only person who can reach high enough to activate it is my 6 foot 3 husband, not 5 foot 2 me and certainly not a kid!  Upgrade to first class and get a Fast Pass!

I guess we can all take comfort in knowing that in the bubble, even at the end of a bad line is a magical fun time!

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Celebrity Sighting in Norway

Disney reflections, Epcot April 28, 2013 Leave a comment

As I’ve mentioned before my favorite country in Epcot’s World Showcase is Norway.  As you get close there’s a smell – what I imagine all of Norway to smell like – that floats out of the Puffin’s Roost shop that I absolutely love.
There are certain smells that always bring back memories of good times past – the savory smell of grandma’s Thanksgiving feast, the piney smell of Christmas trees, the salty smell of the ocean on summer vacation – for me, the sweet smell of a certain perfume brings me right back to Disneyworld.

Puffin's Roost

Puffin’s Roost

Upon exiting Norway’s ride the Maelstrom, as with many Disney rides, the path leads through the gift shop.  There are 3 distinctly different sections of Norway’s gift shop – the first has parkas, boots and everything you need to get through a cold winter, much of the merchandise by Scandinavian brand Helly Hansen.

Section 2 has some of the less practical but more entertaining items for purchase – Viking hats with horns, mugs, hats, and all other souvenirs a Viking-lover would need. I love my sequined I <> Norge hat!!

Norge hat151

The last section is the source of that smell I love so much – a perfume shop.  I never miss a chance to douse myself in ‘Laila: The Essence of Norway,’ the women’s perfume – – but I’ve never pulled the trigger on buying because I just didn’t want to spend the money.

However, I got just the nudge I needed to make the purchase when I was there in August 2012.  We rode the Maelstrom as usual and I made my way to the store for my free spritz of perfume.  To my surprise we walked through and the creator of my favorite perfume was right there in the shop!

049 (2)Me and Gier

Gier Ness was on site to promote his perfume on his way to Hollywood for an awards show.  I was pretty impressed that he stopped to talk to us for about 10 minutes, and after he gave me a hand massage with the Laila hand lotion and told us the story behind the perfume (it’s named after his mom) how could I not buy it?!  (He even autographed the bottle!)

geir ness autograph

It was one of those unexpected ‘magical’ moments that can only happen in the bubble!