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Bottom Liner posted:I have my little cousins here for the week. We're hitting Disney Springs tomorrow night for food and movies, Blizzard Beach Monday, AK/MK Tuesday, EP/HS Wednesday. Any suggestions for other off the beaten path things to do for kids? They've been a few times and hit all of the major attractions and all, looking for cool and unique things to do with them that we haven't thought of. Sorry to say we are about to get hosed hard by this tropical storm thing and your Monday and Tuesday plans are gonna get a poo poo load of rain on them so be prepared for that.
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Jun 5, 2016 12:05
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Bottom Liner posted:I have my little cousins here for the week. We're hitting Disney Springs tomorrow night for food and movies, Blizzard Beach Monday, AK/MK Tuesday, EP/HS Wednesday. Any suggestions for other off the beaten path things to do for kids? They've been a few times and hit all of the major attractions and all, looking for cool and unique things to do with them that we haven't thought of. Umm you are probably going to want to make plans for indoor activities tomorrow brother. Zero One posted:They are planning that 500' coaster in I-Drive. But it won't be as fast because it only drops in stages. Yeah there is that coaster which has really raised eyebrows from the community because up until the wheel was built good luck getting the FFA approval for anything tall in the i-Drive area now it's open season. With Universal buying that huge tract of land off I-Drive and 528 asking for the zoning variance to build a them park speculation is going wild whether it will be an all coaster affair or what. This will finally bring about the much needed commuter transit for the area and the other news of rail expansion along 528 from the airport down to the corridor which is a godsend. demonR6 fucked around with this message at 14:58 on Jun 5, 2016 |
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Jun 5, 2016 14:45
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Yeah, I'm getting worried about our flights in Wednesday morning.
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Jun 5, 2016 14:56
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mattfl posted:Sorry to say we are about to get hosed hard by this tropical storm thing and your Monday and Tuesday plans are gonna get a poo poo load of rain on them so be prepared for that. Yeah, we're shifting things a few days, drat weather. Still looking for some fun ideas. Might do Disney Quest on one of the rain days, we have some comp tickets and they'll love the arcade games.
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Jun 5, 2016 15:51
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By signing up for a notification service, I got a reservation for Be Our Guest and I'm so excited!  That's really the only reservations place I want to go to, so now that I know which day I'll be in Magic Kingdom I can plan the rest of my trip. We'd like to go to Universal Studios as well and we're only in town for a week, so we've chosen MK and Epcot as our two parks for this visit. I don't really feel like I'm interested in Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios - should I be considering one of those over Epcot? Also, the Disney website is great for planning but Universal's site sucks balls. I'm still trying to figure out where to used see what is in the drat parks! No, I don't want to plan a vacation package, I just want information!  Do we have a Universal parks thread? 
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Jun 6, 2016 19:59
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Did anybody else notice the Dining Plan shenanigans happening right now? Some restaurants have suddenly switched their credit requirements from 1 to 2. For example, I reserved Tusker House a few days ago for one credit but it's now showing as two. I did a little research and everybody is equally confused. Disney employees have been giving people different answers on the phone - some say the cost is 1 and others say 2. We just have to wait and see, I suppose.
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Jun 6, 2016 20:37
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I'm really hoping that's just a glitch.
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Jun 6, 2016 21:26
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Cheese Pain posted:By signing up for a notification service, I got a reservation for Be Our Guest and I'm so excited! What's the notification service? I used to use WDWTools but I think they got stomped out.
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Jun 6, 2016 21:58
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Has any one else noticed that they removed the wait times from the side bar for the My Disney Experience app? That was probably the most useful shortcut on there.
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Jun 6, 2016 21:59
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Tim Whatley posted:What's the notification service? I used to use WDWTools but I think they got stomped out. TouringPlans still does one
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Jun 6, 2016 22:32
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Tim Whatley posted:What's the notification service? I used to use WDWTools but I think they got stomped out. ^ Abu Dave is correct, I used Touring Plans. I signed up a few weeks ago, entered my search, and promptly forgot about it until today. I was lucky I happened to have my phone out on my desk when they notified me by email. Works like a charm and I'm really happy!
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Jun 6, 2016 23:22
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nbakyfan posted:Has any one else noticed that they removed the wait times from the side bar for the My Disney Experience app? That was probably the most useful shortcut on there. It's moved to the attractions tabs. No more separate wait times section. I heard there was talk of changing credits for the dining plan around :/.
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Jun 7, 2016 00:30
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Cheese Pain posted:By signing up for a notification service, I got a reservation for Be Our Guest and I'm so excited! Animal Kingdom is my 2nd favorite (just above Epcot). The animals always make each visit different and the live shows are some of the best (Lion King/Flights of Wonder). The rides are good too (at least equal to Epcot). Of course it all depends in what YOU want to do. Most of a day at Epcot would be spent walking around the different countries. If drinks and shopping and a little culture aren't your thing it might not be worth it. On the other hand if you don't care about animals then avoid Animal Kingdom. I don't know if you have park hoppers but you could easily split your day between both Epcot and Animal Kingdom especially now that AK is open until 11. Braksgirl posted:I'm really hoping that's just a glitch. It's this. Like most things spread by WDWMagic users it was nothing. They turn non-stories into huge disasters every single day. Zero One fucked around with this message at 03:02 on Jun 7, 2016 |
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Jun 7, 2016 02:55
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Zero One posted:
When I started working for Disney I stopped reading forums, listening to podcasts, and avoid most blogs (I still read easyWDW and now kinda talk to the guy who runs it on the regular thanks to a mutual friend) and it has been a wonderful two years of less bitching, in-fighting, and rumor mongering. In other news, Kong at Universal sounds rad as gently caress. the queue features live actors playing natives of Skull Island, and the ride itself will feature a bunch of animatronics, making it a huge step up from the Kong segement of Universal Hollywood's tram ride (word is there is even a AA figure on the ride vehicle)
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Jun 7, 2016 03:42
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I've heard Your live actor guide gets pulled out of the ride vehicle by kong (they're harnessed up) for the big finale. . I look forward to experiencing the queue in its pure form before guest complaints ruin it and they stop doing it.
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Jun 7, 2016 06:33
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Cheese Pain posted:... we've chosen MK and Epcot as our two parks for this visit. I don't really feel like I'm interested in Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios - should I be considering one of those over Epcot? You're good. EPCOT's my favorite park, so I'm biased. It's definitely a full day-park. Animal Kingdom is, too, IF you really like to look at animals. Hollywood Studios was a half-day park even before it became a construction zone, and now it's like four rides and a bunch of eateries.
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Jun 7, 2016 17:18
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2017 Disney packages are available for booking on June 21. I know a couple of you goons have been on my waiting list for that.
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Jun 7, 2016 21:18
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Not booking 2017 until I hear when Avatarland opens up 
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Jun 7, 2016 22:34
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Might be awhile, then.
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Jun 7, 2016 22:42
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Don't worry, i'll book again either way, they got a hold on me 
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Jun 7, 2016 22:51
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Braksgirl posted:2017 Disney packages are available for booking on June 21. I know a couple of you goons have been on my waiting list for that. Excellent! Thank you!!!
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Jun 8, 2016 02:37
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Cheese Pain posted:By signing up for a notification service, I got a reservation for Be Our Guest and I'm so excited! I actually think AK is my favorite Disney park in FL. Lots of different themes, good food, and good rides. I felt like Epcot had those but the rides were all incredibly underwhelming. Have a ton of fun at universal, I've had nothing but fantastic times there. I don't even live in FL and bought an annual pass. I can answer any universal questions if it's not rule breaking in this thread.
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Jun 8, 2016 17:58
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Apparently the new Kong ride at IOA will have unique animatronic drivers: * Becky Callahan: The loose-cannon cowgirl who isn’t fazed by the dangers awaiting her on Skull Island. * Will Denham: The fresh-faced, adventure-seeking younger cousin of famed movie director Carl Denham. * Jinks Costanza: A hardened New York City ex-con who is wary of the island’s mysteries. * Kalana: A mystical descendant of the natives who first settled on the island. * Charles “Doc” Jordan: A PhD student in paleontology who took time off from his studies to explore the world. The ride vehicles are trackless and self-guided, probably through a LIDAR system. It's pretty epic even just on the technological innovation side.
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Jun 8, 2016 18:54
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BBS, sorry, my youngest sibling threw up in the standby queue for Haunted Mansion.
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Jun 8, 2016 22:21
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BBS, were you at HM last night?
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Jun 8, 2016 22:40
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chitoryu12 posted:Apparently the new Kong ride at IOA will have unique animatronic drivers: This sounds amazing especailly since all the early trip reports i've read treated the guide as a real person and not a AA
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Jun 8, 2016 23:18
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I really appreciate the input, everyone. Thank you!Zero One posted:Animal Kingdom is my 2nd favorite (just above Epcot). The animals always make each visit different and the live shows are some of the best (Lion King/Flights of Wonder). The rides are good too (at least equal to Epcot). We haven't purchased passes yet, but we're probably going to just stick with one park per day passes. My husband and I really like animals, but we decided we'd rather see all the countries for now. He didn't get to see Epcot when he was younger and really wants to, and I'm so thrilled to be going to Disney World that I'm happy to spend any time there. Also, he let me choose Magic Kingdom and is cool with being dragged to eat dinner in a magical ballroom. I think I would probably say yes to park hoppers just so we could look around AK if we wanted to, but we agreed that we didn't want to cram so much theme park into our visit that we become exhausted and don't enjoy ourselves. It'll also give us the opportunity to come back again someday, I hope! Lincoln posted:You're good. EPCOT's my favorite park, so I'm biased. It's definitely a full day-park. Animal Kingdom is, too, IF you really like to look at animals. Hollywood Studios was a half-day park even before it became a construction zone, and now it's like four rides and a bunch of eateries. Yeah, I think I read in this thread that Hollywood Studios was a whole lot of nothing as of late. Also, it would probably be wasted on me because I'm not really into Star Wars, please don't hurt me  . I would have liked to check out the 1950s style diner because I love that kind of thing, but it's not worth going with that being the only draw. I'm really grateful for the Disney website, because looking over all the attractions in each park really helped solidify our decision to go with MK and Epcot.Old Man Pants posted:I actually think AK is my favorite Disney park in FL. Lots of different themes, good food, and good rides. I felt like Epcot had those but the rides were all incredibly underwhelming. Have a ton of fun at universal, I've had nothing but fantastic times there. I don't even live in FL and bought an annual pass. I can answer any universal questions if it's not rule breaking in this thread. Rides aren't really an issue because my husband hates heights and I get dizzy easily (despite the fact that I never get motion sickness in cars or any other vehicle), so they'll be more of a back burner thing in comparison to seeing the sights, shopping, and dining. I really do want to do the major, non-spinny things like Pirates and Haunted Mansion. I've been told that Big Thunder Mountain is amazing too, even if you normally don't like roller coaster style rides. I'm okay with milder roller coasters, although it's been years and years since I last went on any carnival rides besides giant ferris wheels. Space Mountain, on the other hand... my height-hating husband survived it as a kid and said it was fine, but I am a little terrified of trying that. Just to stay on the safe side regarding Universal, would PMs be okay if you have them? I really just want to know what the "must see" stuff is there. Unfortunately, we aren't in Florida long enough to dedicate two full days to the Universal parks, so I'm kind of not sure how to approach that. We're currently thinking about park hopper passes and just kind of checking out a little bit of everything, but not sure if it's possible to do in a day.
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Jun 9, 2016 03:55
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Animal Kingdom and EPCOT are tops for sight-seeing and experiences. AK has some amazing shows with Nemo and Lion King, plus all the animal exhibits/Kilimanjaro. EPCOT has the great World's Showcase and one of the best low intensity rides in the world in Soarin. Also, you can easily do all of the highlights of both Universal parks in one day, especially if you're skipping the big coasters and such. Here's an itinerary in recommended order from morning to evening (basically what my wife and I do each time we go since she doesn't do big thrill rides): Islands of Adventure Spider-Man King Kong Skull Island Jurassic Park (one drop at the end like Splash Mtn) Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barge Dudley Do Right's Ripsaw Falls Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey Hogwarts Express which takes you over to: Universal Harry Potter & the Escape from Gringotts Men in Black Simpsons E.T. Transformers Despicable Me Nighttime tribute to movies fireworks Bottom Liner fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Jun 9, 2016 |
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Jun 9, 2016 04:04
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Cheese Pain posted:Rides aren't really an issue because my husband hates heights and I get dizzy easily (despite the fact that I never get motion sickness in cars or any other vehicle), so they'll be more of a back burner thing in comparison to seeing the sights, shopping, and dining. I really do want to do the major, non-spinny things like Pirates and Haunted Mansion. I've been told that Big Thunder Mountain is amazing too, even if you normally don't like roller coaster style rides. I'm okay with milder roller coasters, although it's been years and years since I last went on any carnival rides besides giant ferris wheels. Space Mountain, on the other hand... my height-hating husband survived it as a kid and said it was fine, but I am a little terrified of trying that. Space Mountain is probably the most extreme, just because it's in the dark and has a lot of sudden banks and drops. My biggest problem with it is that it's simply uncomfortable -- my neck gets sore after riding it once or twice because it jerks you around so much. Thunder Mountain is very mild for a "real" coaster, but it's still one of my favorite rides at Disney -- right behind Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest. Seven Dwarves Mine Train broke down both times we had fast passes, and the line was 2+ hours every other time we walked by, so gently caress that ride. I hear it's fun/mild though.
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Jun 9, 2016 05:37
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Seven Dwarves is only about as extreme as the Barnstormer, but it's extremely smooth and quiet and the cars gently rock side to side. It's plenty fast for its size but it doesn't do anything particularly extreme and a decent chunk of it is a dark ride section indoors.
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Jun 9, 2016 05:46
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It's so smooth they added fake coaster sounds via speakers facing the walkways near the ride. I still don't get why they would do that.
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Jun 9, 2016 06:17
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Bottom Liner posted:It's so smooth they added fake coaster sounds via speakers facing the walkways near the ride. I still don't get why they would do that. They may have thought the coaster sounded too un-coasterlike. I remember when it first opened, I was watching it go down the hill with the camera and it was dead silent except for the guests' screams.
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Jun 9, 2016 06:52
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Fun Fact: Imagineering installed that sound effect overnight and didn't tell the operations side of things, so when the ride went to open the next morning, the sound effect scared the cast members so bad they had a delayed opening until they figured out it was supposed to sound like that. the same sounds are also used (in a much more convincing way) at Everest
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Jun 9, 2016 14:45
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Anyone know if there's a reliable place to get annual passes for Florida residents cheaper than the Disney site itself? Any coupon codes or anything? I'm guessing no since it seems like the only place to get legit tickets is through Disney, but asking doesn't hurt.
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Jun 9, 2016 18:01
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AP's for FL residents are only sold by Disney. Also you have to provide proof of residency with a DL, at least we had to.
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Jun 9, 2016 18:24
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Cast members can get you a discount on them. 10% I believe.
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Jun 9, 2016 19:29
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On the FL resident for someone outside of fam though?
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Jun 9, 2016 20:34
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Cheese Pain posted:I really appreciate the input, everyone. I do, pm away!
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Jun 9, 2016 23:06
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demonR6 posted:On the FL resident for someone outside of fam though? Not sure about FL resident one, but my wife just picked up 6 for friends from out of state and saved them a bunch of money. I know she got mine discounted as well, so I wouldn't see why they couldn't buy them for FL residents as well.
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Jun 9, 2016 23:29
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Splash Mountain is the greatest ride in the world so don't let the drop scare you away from it
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Jun 10, 2016 00:54
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