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This may come as a shocker but you can still get in line for the ride.. My problem with FP is that it is slowly turning all the rides in to reservation only events and as they add more FP into the mix the lines become unbearable as they let more and more FP get priority making the wait in line longer for those shitheads. More people go through FP per turn than the poor schmucks that have been standing there for hours at times and that is not right. When we went to the overnight event at MK they had no FP since it ran till 6AM and given the lines we never waiting more than 15-30 minutes and the park was packed. I am in the I hate fast pass camp and firm believer that it has made the lines worse than they were before.
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Oct 24, 2013 13:56
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demonR6 posted:I am in the I hate fast pass camp and firm believer that it has made the lines worse than they were before. I feel like that's kinda the unspoken point of fastpass though. Because if you're in line, you're standing there waiting to get on a ride for 30 minutes to however long the queue is on average. Whereas if you're in a "virtual" queue that fastpass creates, you're out spending money in the parks on food, beverage, or souvenirs. I've just always thought that fastpass was a way to make money first and foremost, and a way to improve some guest's experiences second.
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Oct 24, 2013 14:28
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demonR6 posted:This may come as a shocker but you can still get in line for the ride.. Oh, I know. I actually enjoy waiting in line most of the time. I just found it nice that some days if FP weren't flying off the shelf, I could book a few trips on my favorite ride, which isn't possible for a number of reasons with the new system.
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Oct 24, 2013 16:17
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Part of the reasons fastpasses were installed was to reduce the physical size of the line. Take Soarin' for example; the queue line is a quarter-mile long. Even with the FP line, that quarter-mile fills up pretty frequently. Since it's a dispatched attraction with a minimum, unchangable dispatch time, you literally cannot make the line move faster than a certain point.
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Oct 24, 2013 16:24
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The problem we were having with FP+ is that all the slots were filling up the night before because the parks were so crowded and so many people were using the FP+ system. We would go in the app and try to choose a ride to make a FP for and it would tell us there were none available. We did have better luck booking them for one person at a time, rather than choosing the whole party and trying to make the arrangements all together. Seriously, though, there were crazy heavy crowds last week. I'm not sure if the dry docking of the Disney Magic was part of the deal, or what, but it was so, so busy. It was my first time at Food & Wine and that was a blast. The chocolate creme brulee at France was delicious. My husband ate the escargot, but I took a pass on that one. Another thing to note, sometimes the Magic Band system wasn't working so we were waved through the FP line without actually having to prove we had FPs. I mean, we did, we're not assholes, but Disney had no way of knowing because the little machines weren't working. I'm sure there were people exploiting that as much as possible. Braksgirl fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Oct 27, 2013 |
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Oct 27, 2013 16:29
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Just got back last night after a week in Disney. An absolutely perfect vacation for both of us, but exhausting. I'm more than happy to go into as much detail as wanted about any aspects. We did MagicBands and FP+ all week, stayed on site at the Pop Century and hit every park a couple times, plus Universal one day. I had a few minor issues with Pop Century, but nothing too major. Mostly it's a case of you get what you pay for with the Disney resorts. Next time we'll save up more and go higher tier but for what we needed it was sufficient. We honestly didn't have a single issue with FP+ all week. The crowds I thought were decent but not heavy. We waited 45 minutes for Space Mountain on Friday but otherwise never sat in line longer than 25 all week long, and we rode everything. We didn't know until we got down which parks we wanted to do on which days, so we made FP+ reservations a day or two before while there. Never had an issue getting our top three rides for each day, although we almost never wound up changing those times once we set them, we just made sure to plan accordingly while at the park. On Friday we did bump one up for later because we were still eating lunch. Also on Fri Splash Mountain went down for about half the day. Since we had a FP+ for it that morning we got an email saying the FP reservation had been cancelled, and that we could instead choose any of a list of about 10 rides to use it on instead, at any point in the day, which was nice not having to hope for another slot on a ride to be open. Also Food & Wine was amazing. Tried just about everything at least once. Definitely going to do that again next time.
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Oct 27, 2013 17:40
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I would highly recommend anyone taking a trip down here to try and schedule it so you can enjoy Food & Wine. It definitely adds value to the Epcot visit and you get to sample some things you may not otherwise venture out on for a full plate at a fancy restaurant plus the wine selection is really good. We went this weekend, I think it's our 10th visit for the festival so far this year.. I lost count. We've officially eaten at all the locations we set out to stop at and between now and the final weekend we will focus on visiting the "ooh gotta go to Argentina for the steak again!" stops. My personal must-do is the Hawaii location for the sliders. I cannot wait until summer is in full swing again or even the upcoming Christmas break to see if FP+ is in full swing and what chaos that brings.
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Oct 28, 2013 17:31
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demonR6 posted:I would highly recommend anyone taking a trip down here to try and schedule it so you can enjoy Food & Wine. It definitely adds value to the Epcot visit and you get to sample some things you may not otherwise venture out on for a full plate at a fancy restaurant plus the wine selection is really good. My first trip to Disney World since I was nine starts on the 8th! We'll be staying at the Yacht Club and I guess we'll have those MagicBand things, too. Fortunately my boyfriend and I will be in the company of a couple good friends of ours, who are seasoned Disney visitors. I'm largely putting the weekend in their hands, and it's pretty much my first big adult vacation. I was really excited to see that Food & Wine has a good amount of vegetarian cuisine, but wanted to ask - is anyone a vegetarian (or has traveled with one to the parks) that can recommend some restaurants with a decent variety of non-meat fare? I'm not entirely sure what our itinerary is, but I believe it's mostly going to be Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom.
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Oct 28, 2013 20:57
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I am actually headed to Yacht Club for dinner at Yachtsman now.. if you can get in there, great restaurant but it is on the high side of the wallet.
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Oct 28, 2013 21:21
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Actually... Turns out for our last night at Disney, my friend booked us all for dinner the Queen Victoria's Room, which I'm pretty sure is going to be the most expensive meal I've ever had and will ever have - for a long, long time at least. I'm really excited about this (they even have a vegetarian menu) even if my wallet is already shrieking in terror. 
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Oct 28, 2013 21:59
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morcant posted:I was really excited to see that Food & Wine has a good amount of vegetarian cuisine, but wanted to ask - is anyone a vegetarian (or has traveled with one to the parks) that can recommend some restaurants with a decent variety of non-meat fare? Disney Food Blog is a good resource: Vegetarian Dining in WDW, Tips From a Vegetarian Expert and Best WDW Restaurants for Vegetarians. And the Eating (and Drinking) Around the World Blog is a fun read if you like eating and drinking around the World.
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Oct 28, 2013 23:58
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My sister is a vegetarian and she adores O'hana's.
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Oct 29, 2013 01:38
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Vegetarian sandwiches have been creeping in to counter service restaurants, especially in Hollywood Studios. Also there apparently is a place where you can by Babycakes goods which happen to be vegan and gluten free.
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Oct 29, 2013 07:14
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I'm an Annual Passholder at Disneyland, and I was thinking of visiting Disney World soon. What are the subtle differences in the attractions in the Magic Kingdom compared to Disneyland, and how are the two parks compared to each other?
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Oct 29, 2013 09:36
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VeggieSmuggler posted:I'm an Annual Passholder at Disneyland, and I was thinking of visiting Disney World soon. What are the subtle differences in the attractions in the Magic Kingdom compared to Disneyland, and how are the two parks compared to each other? There are entire websites dedicated to answering that single question. The differences in the attractions are mostly superficial, and Disney's been working hard to close the gap as much as possible, mostly by retrofitting Disneyland one piece at a time. Thing is, DL was built by Walt Disney and some of his friends. WDW was built in large part by Corporate Disney, so they're built on two totally different operating models. Ever since, they've been tweaking DL to fit the WDW model, and that work continues to this day. Still, there are some things about DL that just can't change, mostly because of geography. The first thing you'll notice when you walk into WDW is that it's very broad and spread out. There's no need for a berm, since there's nothing outside the park boundaries to visually block out. I spent plenty of time at DL as a kid, since my family lived in Huntington Beach. Then we moved to Texas when I was young, and I grew up. My wife and I went to WDW several times starting when we were about 30. Then we went back to DL when I was almost 40, and it was my first visit since I was like 12 or so. Since I had become accustomed to WDW, and had only fuzzy memories of DL, I thought it felt really small and canyon-like. The biggest differences aren't in the attractions, but in the way the parks were built, and the way they feel. DL fans say it's more "intimate," and I get what they're saying. DL also tends to use more genuine materials like real wood and stone, where WDW uses a lot of fiberglass and other engineered materials (though I hear the new Storybook Circus breaks that trend, and uses a lot of genuine materials, and has a really nice visual texture). This is Disneyland's Fantasyland:  This is Walt Disney World's Fantasyland:  WDW's "New Fantasyland" will shake things up quite a bit, but the general rule still stands.
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Oct 29, 2013 13:01
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Awesome, thanks guys! I'll have to see if 'Ohana is on our list of places to visit, since that name seems to be popping up a lot, and not just here. I'm doubly thrilled to learn that I won't have much trouble eating on this trip, instead of, say, a weekend of salad. Though what I'm quickly learning about Disney is that I shouldn't be surprised at how accommodating the whole place is. 
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Oct 29, 2013 15:21
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Lincoln posted:There are entire websites dedicated to answering that single question. The differences in the attractions are mostly superficial, and Disney's been working hard to close the gap as much as possible, mostly by retrofitting Disneyland one piece at a time. Disneyland also often runs on the assumption that it is more of a "locals" park. WDW is a world wide tourist destination, and while Disneyland gets some of that, it's a lot of people who live in that area of California. This gives them the freedom to do things that Disney World can't, such as extensive holiday overlays to certain attractions. It also means they are less upset about shutting down a ride to refurbish it as Disney World is. Disney World execs liken ride refurbs to getting teeth pulled.
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Oct 29, 2013 16:59
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That "locals" park thing is what I feel like they mean when they say "intimate". WDW is a great resort, but it doesn't have the familiar, snuggly feel that Disneyland does. And that picture, in my opinion, puts it in perspective as to why. Disneyland's fantasyland is literally my favorite part of either California park. It's more like a cozy little village than the wildly overblown circus I remember from WDW. E: I still say the worst thing about Disneyland is the fairly low level food. Fluffy Bunnies fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Oct 29, 2013 |
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Oct 29, 2013 21:06
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:That "locals" park thing is what I feel like they mean when they say "intimate". WDW is a great resort, but it doesn't have the familiar, snuggly feel that Disneyland does. And that picture, in my opinion, puts it in perspective as to why. Disneyland's fantasyland is literally my favorite part of either California park. It's more like a cozy little village than the wildly overblown circus I remember from WDW. ooohhhh i dunno I can think of one good restaurant in Disneyland
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Oct 29, 2013 22:33
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BlueBayou posted:ooohhhh i dunno I can think of a couple. I guess my point's more: we can think of a couple, whereas people talking about WDW can usually spout at least 4-5 a park that are worth eating at.
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Oct 29, 2013 23:26
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Not to mention nearly every hotel has a marquee restaurant, Disney Marketplace restaurants..
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Oct 30, 2013 04:34
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Just got home from 6 days at Disney. We had the Magic Bands, and thought they did a great job with them -- aside from a hiccup with my wife's band not working (mine worked fine), it was completely smooth. Room key/park tickets/shuttle ticket/credit card/fastpass in one is great -- so much less paper and poo poo to shuffle around. We thought the FastPass+ program worked just fine. I snagged the MyDisney Experience app, and did all our passes right from my phone. No issues whatsoever with making them or changing them around. The only (minor) complaint is that our fastpass for Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios didn't seem to mean a thing, as we got there in our slot to find the seats mostly full anyways. Never waited more than 15-20 minutes in any lines. FP'd the few necessary things (Space Mountain, both Toy Story interactive rides, Tower of Terror). Parks were crowded but not obnoxiously so. Stayed at Art of Animation. It was completely serviceable. I look at it like Vegas -- if you're spending a lot of time in your room, you're doing it wrong. Bit of a haul from the room to the shuttles/main building, but that's about it. We used the dining plan, and generally thought it worked well/was worth it. My only suggestion to them would be to allow choice of app or dessert plus entree/drink rather than just drink/entree/dessert -- I'm not a huge dessert person, and would rather have another savory course instead. Used double table services at Le Cellier and Fulton Street Crab House, both very good. Liberty Tree Tavern in MK wasn't great. Used most of our counter services at our hotel restaurant, and it was surprisingly decent. One nice thing about the plan -- everything at the carts at Epcot for Food and Wine could be gotten for a snack credit. We did the Party for the Senses Saturday night. It was loving ridiculous. We had the top tier tickets, and ended up with our table dead center against the stage where Cirque performed throughout the evening. Food was generally fantastic, and I am not a man to turn down unlimited Glenfiddich 12/15/18, as well as Graham's 20 year tawny port. It was a very uncomfortable walk back to the parking lot to catch the shuttle back to the hotel, compounded by the fact that the fireworks had just ended and everyone else was leaving. Wore our anniversary buttons, and it ended up getting us a couple special desserts and a ton of "happy anniversaries!" from the CM's. I will say, having been to other theme parks, Disney really, really has their poo poo together. The parks were *spotless* compared to other parks I've been to, and the CM's did a wonderful job of at least appearing cheery and happy. Also, pineapple dole whip floats are the poo poo.
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Oct 31, 2013 04:48
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Yea that's one good point I forgot to mention. The Fantasmic FP+ really appeared to mean jack poo poo for us as well. We arrived when it said to and the amphitheater was totally packed except the last section at the very far left, which is where we were all directed. I even asked a cast member just to be sure if there was a special fastpass section, and he said that entire half of the theater was which sort of seems to defeat the purpose to me. Would have much rather used that slot for Rock N Rollercoaster or another trip on Toy Story or something. Of course the seats were still fine, you can see just about everything in the show from anywhere. Only complain with sitting in the far end sections was at one point the three boats carrying a couple characters each go by, but are spotlighted one by one only as they pass the middle portion, so getting a clear picture was tough.
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Oct 31, 2013 05:29
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Okay you crazy sons-of-bitches, we've booked our trip! We'll be staying at the Port Orleans Riverside from April 27th to May 2nd. Any tips about the place? We flip flopped between Riverside and French Quarter but chose Riverside because the in-house food is apparently better. I've already gotten us dinner reservations for Jiko for our big anniversary dinner thanks to you goons. Also got a dinner res at Be Our Guest that Tuesday because she loves BatB and it's really the only restaurant she specifically wants to go to. Looking to make a couple of good reservations for somewhat inexpensive lunches, maybe Rose & Crown at Epcot, that kind of thing. Any suggestions on that front? Or are there more casual places we should definitely go? I'm a BIG planner, so reservation places would be preferable because I loving love the reservation system they have in place. I also booked us a reservation for the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party the last night we're there and I'm going to surprise her with it. $25 a piece seemed like a good price for a bunch of sweets and a good, casual view of the fireworks. Anyone else here done that? Thanks so much to all of you for your advice, it definitely helped a lot in choosing when to go and where to eat. Also, where exactly do we get those bride and groom hats? I think she really wants to wear them...
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Oct 31, 2013 19:24
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Paul Allen posted:I also booked us a reservation for the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party Whoa.. I didn't know this existed and I've just managed to get a reservation for March!  For a surprise trip for my girlfriend who loves fireworks, especially Disney fireworks (though she's only been to Disneyland Paris) I think she's gonna love this. Cheers!!
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Oct 31, 2013 20:30
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Biggz posted:Whoa.. I didn't know this existed and I've just managed to get a reservation for March! Nice! Glad I could pass that along to someone. A lot of the websites I looked at mentioned that you could only book tickets 60 days out, but they must have changed that recently because I have a reservation for May 1st. EDIT: Don't see anything in this thread about it, so here's the official link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/tomorrowland-terrace-fireworks-dessert-party/ And a review on EasyWDW: http://www.easywdw.com/uncategorized/wishes-dessert-party-review-is-it-worth-it/ EasyWDW posted:So is it worth it? I’m inclined to say yes. It provides a comfortable place to sit and wait for Wishes to start. You have a great view of Celebrate the Magic and Wishes. Instead of jockeying for a viewing spot with 20,000 other people, only for dad to put his eight kids on his shoulders to create a totem pole blocking your view, you’ll have just 169 other people doing the same thing. On the downside, the desserts are pretty average and you won’t have much of a view of the Electrical Parade. Is the Dessert Party necessary? No, you could very easily spend that hour grabbing treats from Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, Storybook Treats, Main Street Confectionery, or somewhere else and simply wait for the show to begin. Pretty cool, I think! 
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Oct 31, 2013 21:04
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Paul Allen posted:Looking to make a couple of good reservations for somewhat inexpensive lunches, maybe Rose & Crown at Epcot, that kind of thing. Any suggestions on that front? Or are there more casual places we should definitely go? I'm a BIG planner, so reservation places would be preferable because I loving love the reservation system they have in place. Rose and Crown is nice-ish but with all the staggeringly good places to eat in the World Showcase, I'd feel guilty reserving a spot there. Of course, most of them aren't somewhat inexpensive. I would prefer to eat at Morocco, Mexico, Germany, possibly Japan for the teppanyaki grill place, or Italy. Most of these places have a "cafe" or something similar as well as the larger and fancier restaurants, which might serve your moderate budget lunch needs.
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Nov 1, 2013 00:41
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Paul Allen posted:Also, where exactly do we get those bride and groom hats? I think she really wants to wear them... Pretty sure we saw them at all the big merch stores with the rest of the ear choices.
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Nov 1, 2013 06:19
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Paul Allen posted:Okay you crazy sons-of-bitches, we've booked our trip! We'll be staying at the Port Orleans Riverside from April 27th to May 2nd. Any tips about the place? We flip flopped between Riverside and French Quarter but chose Riverside because the in-house food is apparently better. The lounge at Riverside has a really fun pianist named Bob Jackson. He's been there probably since the place opened, and does shows there four nights a week. It's a blast. Well worth checking out if you decide you need a break from the parks for an evening. I remember first seeing him perform when I was maybe 7 or 8. I met him after the show, got his autograph, all that fun stuff. I went back a few years ago to see if he was still around, and not only was he still there, he remembered me. 
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Nov 4, 2013 16:19
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Jay Dub posted:I remember first seeing him perform when I was maybe 7 or 8. I met him after the show, got his autograph, all that fun stuff. I went back a few years ago to see if he was still around, and not only was he still there, he remembered me. Of course I remember you! You were the little kid who jumped on my piano, leapt on me latching on to my nose and biting me so hard I needed stitches and plastic surgery. Yeah, I remember the restraining order too.. it expired, excuse me while I take my break now??
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Nov 4, 2013 18:57
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demonR6 posted:Of course I remember you! You were the little kid who jumped on my piano, leapt on me latching on to my nose and biting me so hard I needed stitches and plastic surgery. Yeah, I remember the restraining order too.. it expired, excuse me while I take my break now?? Man, that takes me back...
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Nov 4, 2013 19:37
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One thing that I would change about the OP (which is otherwise fantastic) is the recommendation about taking Disney transportation everywhere. Yes, the monorails are great, and if you're at a monorail resort, then by all means use them. But if you're at a Value or Moderate resort, and you have a car available to you, then you're probably better off, timewise, driving from your hotel to a theme park over taking the buses. Because you're a Disney Guest™, you don't have to pay the $10 parking fee at the theme park gate (they'll wave you right through when they see your resort parking pass in your front window), and you can catch a tram from wherever you end up parking to the front gate. Disney does a generally good job moving their buses around, but you can still end up waiting a good 15-20 minutes or more for the next bus to show up if you're unlucky. And there's nothing that makes you more irrationally angry than to see three consecutive buses show up going to a park you don't want to go to while you're waiting for the one that goes to yours.
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Nov 12, 2013 05:41
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Wylie posted:One thing that I would change about the OP (which is otherwise fantastic) is the recommendation about taking Disney transportation everywhere. I can understand that line of thought, but when you're tired and hot, and carrying around 3 kids, who wants to get them to a tram station to get all strapped into the car, buckle up and fight traffic, then drive around the hotel lot looking for a close spot? Gimme the bus system any day.
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Nov 12, 2013 05:47
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I've been to WDW quite a few times and have begun to plan another trip for what looks to be January 2015. It's for two adults and will be a 5 day trip with 4 days spent at the parks. What things would you guys would recommend for someone who has been a few times that you wouldn't recommend a first timer? Our trips always play out the same way and we love them, but I always wonder about smaller, more hidden things that I'm missing out on.
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Nov 12, 2013 08:28
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Headed back down to WDW for a quick business trip and they've put me up in the Polynesian resort. I'll only be there for two days but is there anything I must see / eat at that resort?
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Nov 12, 2013 13:21
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I agree about the busses for value resorts. They're absolutely awful late at night, and even if you're able to cram yourself into one there's going to be some altercation against the bus driver because Bill Bob's family of nine can't shove themselves in. It's awkward and upsetting and ruins my day; my wife and I swore never again, cars all the way.
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Nov 12, 2013 14:16
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So how crazy are the nights of joy?
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Nov 12, 2013 15:51
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Demons super-duper I am too cheap to pay ten bucks to park in a loving parking lot when I already paid you assholes an entire month's salary just to get into your loving park and now you want to hit me over the head for parking too method of parking for free at Magic Kingdom. Drive up to the Magic Kingdom gate, stay to the far right. That would be the last two lanes where you see the shitload of buses and cars headed to the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. Follow that road to the street light making a right turn at Seven Seas Drive. You will be passing the Transportation and Ticket Center to your right, the main parking on your left. At the next intersection make a left at Floridian Way. If you go straight you end up on their golf course so you know you went too far if that happens. If you turn right you did not listen to me and you will be driving around the back side of the park. Assuming you can follow directions and you made it to Floridian Way you see the gold course on your right and the main parking still on your left. This traffic will merge into guests exiting the main parking lot. The next part of the instructions are important, as soon as you merge you will weave your way between buses and idiot tourists from other parts unknown who have trouble paying attention to the road but you HAVE TO GET TO THE FAR LEFT AT ALL COSTS. The Hess gas station, car care center and car rental will be on your right. Your very next left is a loop that takes you back into the MK parking lot. Congratulations. If you followed my instructions you are on your way to the main parking lot without paying a cent. If you did not heed my instructions you are probably on your way out the same way you came in and will have to do this poo poo all over again. Otherwise enjoy your free parking at Magic Kingdom.
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Nov 12, 2013 15:56
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tomapot posted:Headed back down to WDW for a quick business trip and they've put me up in the Polynesian resort. I'll only be there for two days but is there anything I must see / eat at that resort? Tonga Toast and Kona coffee at Kona Cafe. Dole Whip at Capt Cook's. You can get Tonga Toast at Capt Cook's too, but not the Kona coffee.
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Nov 12, 2013 16:01
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Braksgirl posted:Tonga Toast and Kona coffee at Kona Cafe. Dole Whip at Capt Cook's. You can get Tonga Toast at Capt Cook's too, but not the Kona coffee. and now they have a full blown Starbucks in the park as an added bonus.
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Nov 12, 2013 16:15
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