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Dec 8, 2013 18:03
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I never skip Carousel of Progress when I go. It's really creaky, but I enjoy it up until the final scene where we learn what the world will be like 10 years ago. They could spend the time and money to update the final scene and I think that'd justify its existence for the next several years. Or better yet, place it in the late 70s/early 80s at the dawn of the age of information so it never becomes outdated. Also, if something need to be razed to make room for a Tomorrowland expansion, I can't imagine a better sacrifice than Tomorrowland Speedway.
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Dec 9, 2013 19:14
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Here's an Avatarland update. Well...from D23, anyway. October. At the 2013 Japan D23 Expo, Disney revealed two major attractions: • A flying E ticket simulator attraction, where guests will learn to fly with a mountain Banshee. • A Jungle Cruise-like water attraction showcasing the native fauna and flora of Pandora. Avatar Land will be built in the current location of Camp Minnie-Mickey, which was originally earmarked for the Beastly Kingdom, a never-built themed land which would have been based around mythological creatures. My opinion from the OP stands: lovely idea.
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Dec 12, 2013 05:55
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 I posted something similar back on the 4th of July. I still don't understand why people flock to the parks on days like this. We specifically avoid holidays like the plague.
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Dec 25, 2013 20:27
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Got a kick out of this: "Soarin' was all out of FASTPASS by 9:35am and had already reached a standby wait time of 3 hours. Similarly, Test Track FASTPASS distribution was cleared out by 10am, and standby wait times have hovered around the 220 minute mark ever since. Even the high capacity and less popular Mission: SPACE has been running a 3 hour standby line for most of the day. Attractions such as Spaceship Earth, Journey into Imagination and Maelstrom currently have waits over an hour. "The longest wait time we have seen so far today is at Epcot, with Soarin' peaking at over 4 hours standby. "Despite all the crowds, the park has not yet reached any phase of a capacity closing, although the Magic Kingdom did close just a few hours into the day." The kicker is that Epcot didn't even come close to reaching capacity. I think I read somewhere else ITT that Epcot has never even sniffed capacity crowds before. What in the world could that number be? Four-hour waits, and nowhere near capacity crowds?
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Jan 4, 2014 19:11
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Anybody have any pics to post?
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Jan 5, 2014 02:13
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From our last visit...these are the crowds my wife & I have grown accustomed to over the years: 
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Jan 7, 2014 00:35
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TheBigBudgetSequel posted:when the hell do you go? We flew in on January 21 (our anniversary, which is why I remember the exact date), and stayed for 5 or 6 nights. Granted, that shot of Liberty Square/Frontierland is pretty early in the morning, but I took another pic that same week at least a couple hours after opening...it's looking back the other way, so you can see all the way down Frontierland. There's exactly two humans in the photo. Crazy.
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Jan 7, 2014 01:03
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kloa posted:This is how our trip to Disney World looked like when we stayed for a week around the 2nd/3rd week of January 2012. That's exactly when we went, so it sounds like we were there at the same time! It was our tenth anniversary. We ate dinner at V&A's the night we arrived, and the restaurant was very reluctant to book our reservations, because if for some reason our flight was late and we missed dinner, were still out the $200 per person. We ordered the wine pairings, which we'll never do again. The wine was good, but there was so much of it. Every course they gave us another drink, and I remember there were seven courses. We were pretty toasted by the time they brought out the coffee. SPEAKING OF WHICH, here's how they make your coffee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39aGBQjOxyQ And this is us later that night, ripped to the tits, headed for the Magic Kingdom: 
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Jan 9, 2014 01:17
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Paul Allen posted:Gotten any special treatment with the hats? Are they a worthy investment? Depends. In our case, yes, absolutely, because we actually got married at WDW. Once a cast member finds that out (and doesn't think you're making up a story) you can get pretty special treatment. I think I told this story in the OP, but the morning after we were married at the Poly, we were making a dining reservation at Epcot. Wearing our bride-and-groom ears. The guy said congratulations and when he found out we got hitched on-property the day before, he asked us if we wanted our own waterfront table during Illuminations that night. So that evening it was just the two of us at a little bistro table with nothing between us and the show except a little wrought-iron fence. But that sort of thing is getting less common, I think. When we first started going in the late '90s, you could get a big button if it was your birthday or anniversary or something, and the cast members would always congratulate you or wish you a happy birthday. Then you could get one if it was your first visit. Then they added an "I'm special" button or whatever. So now everyone gets a drat button and the cast members spend all drat day jack-hammering the crowd with nonstop, "Happy birthday Lincoln!"s. "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs Lincoln!" "You're special, Lincoln!" Still, I think the honeymoon ears carry a lot more weight, because people aren't too willing to shell out the $40 or whatever just to game the system. And they're fun to wear. I'm one of those idiot adults who has no problem walking around the park with Goofy ears. I think I wore one of those cone-shaped princess hats one day.
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Jan 9, 2014 13:45
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mearn posted:...Brazilian Tour Groups... A topic deserving of its own thread.
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Jan 21, 2014 05:41
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Roar posted:I doubt it will make you feel better but FP+ literally just went live (completely live, with no legacy FP available) within the last week or two; a bunch of my friends who work in the parks were talking about the live date as if it were the coming apocalypse. OK, so. Sounds like it's time to update the OP again. I didn't write a lot about FastPass because detail would have been confusing (remember, this is the "first-timers'" guide) and because everything as about to change when I wrote it. Here's what's in the OP: I originally posted:Once inside the park, a number of goofballs always make a dash for the “mountains,” which are Space, Splash and Big Thunder Mountain, three of the MK’s most popular rides. They’re hurrying to get their FastPasses for one of the mountains, then get in line for another. I haven't been to WDW in 2 years, and I'm not going back until this coming November. I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED FAST PASS PLUS. I'll need help updating. Can someone pen a quick overview of FP+? You will be given proper credit and five Disney Dollars not really about the Disney Dollars I don't have any left.
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Jan 23, 2014 05:12
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I just got this in the mail:  They're offering up to 35% off your room rate or a free Dining Plan. I notice the room rate deal runs off and on through late September, but the Dining Plan deal is only through early March.
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Jan 26, 2014 22:01
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Braksgirl posted:...Too bad they're not transferable... Actually, I didn't realize this was an invite-only deal. This is the first time I've noticed a PIN on Disney promo mats, and honestly, I thought it was just a marketing gimmick to make me think I'm special. I work in marketing, so that made perfect sense. Also, TheBigBudgetSequel, I'll add your FP+ stuff to the OP as soon as I can. Thanks for the assist. And I updated the Avatar-land info in the OP. On a totally unrelated note: wife & I had drinks with friends last night, and we're all now seriously considering a mutual trip to WDW the week after Thanksgiving this year. The other couple has never been, and their two boys will be 3 and 6. So I guess I finally get to put my money where my mouth is, with regard to giving advice to families with young kids. Yeesh.
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Jan 27, 2014 00:55
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Tigntink posted:I feel like a broken record of dumb short questions but I've got another one: We've had mixed results, but it's always worth asking, especially during the "dead zone" when there ere empty rooms. Don't be shy about literally asking for a free room upgrade. My wife and I almost always book the least expensive room..."garden view," or whatever. Then four days before we leave, I call the desk of the specific hotel we're staying at and politely inquire. I generally always get a, "we'll see what we can do," but sometimes it's a flat no. Regardless, I do the exact same thing four days later at the front desk when I check in. It's very, very important that you're polite about it. Unless things have changed in the past few years, it's been at the discretion of whoever you're talking to at the front desk. That's why if you call a few days ahead, you need to call the hotel, not Disney Reservations. Reservations can't do anything for you. The reason I do it exactly four days out is because that's when your reservation becomes visible to the people at the front desk. Unless that's changed. Who knows. Best upgrade we ever got was to the concierge building at the Grand Floridian. It was our anniversary, and it was our first time back at the GF since the very first time we went, before we were even married. We'd been back a few times, but not at the Grand Flo. Anyway, I call four days out and give them the whole song-and-dance about the first time we ever went to WDW, blah blah, we got married there, blah blah, first time back at the GF so can we get the same room please. "I'll see what we can do." OK, so we arrive at the hotel and before I can even make my request, the lady says, "Oh, you've been upgraded." And I go, "Really?" And she looks again and says, "Oh, you've been upgraded to concierge." I barely even knew what concierge level was. Turns out we got a room --a bit larger than the standard room-- in one of the concierge buildings. Restricted entry to the building, with a concierge desk manned 24 hours a day so you can always get help with...well, whatever you need. Dinner reservations, directions, whatever. And there was a pretty impressive 24-hour food spread in the lobby. That was what I really loved, because we didn't have to make an extra stop anywhere for breakfast on the way to the parks each morning. Booyah. I will tell that story again and again until the day I die. Lincoln fucked around with this message at 01:42 on Feb 1, 2014 |
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Feb 1, 2014 01:32
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Tigntink posted:...but I'm not ready to throw that sort of dough around... Yeah, me neither. After experiencing concierge level for free, I know I'd never be willing to pay for it. It's about an extra $150-$200/night, and the only meaningful thing we got out of (in my view anyway) was the food. The concierge desk struck me as kind of superfluous, because as far as I could tell, they didn't do anything you couldn't accomplish by picking up your hotel room phone and calling Guest Services, even at one of the value resorts.
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Feb 1, 2014 17:12
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Here, TheBigBudgetSequel -- I found this in the GIF thread:
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Feb 17, 2014 13:23
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I notice they have a ton of accessories to buy for the bans, too. They probably would rather have you use a brand new band every time, as you're more likely to buy new accessories.
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Feb 20, 2014 22:17
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:I was always under the impression that if you cared enough to blog about Disney you're probably an AP holder to one of the parks. And it may not be to anyone's surprise, but I'm curious why MK is $7 more than a basic Disneyland ticket. MK and Disneyland are relatively close in size-ish. I wonder if overhead is that much more at MK comparatively? I imagine the prices are pretty much arbitrary. IIRC, the parks are more profitable than literally anything else that Disney does/sells, in both gross revenue and ROI. That's why I'm curious: now that a 1-day ticket has bumped up against the $100 ceiling, how quickly will they raise the price and top three figures? That's a very psychologically significant price point for the average consumer.
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Feb 23, 2014 19:51
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And - AND...I read recently that the entire Polynesian lobby is going under the knife soon as part of what has essentially become a Poly Resort-wide refurb. The rainforest-waterfall may be going away forever. Whether they replace it with a new, improved rainforest-waterfall is unknown, but the word on the street is that it's coming down. I've never really gotten too upset over any of the major changes WDW has undergone since we first started going in the late '90s. I happily accept that the park needs to change to keep things fresh and maintain my interest. But for whatever reason, the changes to the Poly have really gotten under my skin, especially if this one is true. My wife and I were married at Sunset Point at the Poly, and now it's gone, maybe forever. That probably has a lot to do with it.
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Feb 24, 2014 13:27
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Huh, this was posted by Disney late last month, but I just got to the party. Here's the first on-board video from the Seven Dwarfs (not Dwarves) Mine Train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX4REwQeDEY
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Mar 10, 2014 00:41
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Sair posted:with the power of magnets. 
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Mar 27, 2014 01:37
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Crazy Horse posted:...Most of the weekend will be taken up with the wedding itself but I will have some free time... Well let's hope you're not the bride or groom. You can rent a canoe or kayak, and it's actually really cheap, which is shocking considering where you are. You can rent motorboats and sailboats, too, but that's considerably more expensive. If you don't want to get wet, they have bike rentals, and plenty of scenic places to ride. If you fish (or even if you don't I suppose), you can take a bass-fishing excursion or just sit on the dock with a rod & reel. WDW's rod and reel, specifically -- it's a rental, too. You can go para-sailing or water skiing, and they have horseback riding. If you already know what hotel you're staying at, call guest services and ask what's near your resort. That might make your decision easier.
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Mar 27, 2014 23:48
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Got this in the mail a couple of weeks ago. Took pictures and forgot to post them until now! Front:  Inside:  Gatefold:  Back:  You can't tell from the awful photos (my big-boy camera was charging, so I used my phone), but it really is a nice piece. Very expensive stock, foil-stamping, spot-lacquer, the whole enchilada. This arrived about a week after we put a November vacation in our shopping cart at WDW's website but didn't actually book it. Not sure if that's coincidence or not. BTW, didn't somebody from this thread say they were going to post pics from a recent trip?
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Mar 30, 2014 19:54
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Pththya-lyi posted:I have mentioned my desire to go back to Disney World to my boyfriend, but he is skeptical. He can't imagine how the parks would be enjoyable to an average childless adult. He dislikes crowds and long lines, and while he does enjoy watching the animated movies with me, his tastes are generally cynical. What can Disney offer to someone like him? I hate crowds and lines just as much as he does, and my wife and I really don't have to deal with either, since we travel in mid- to late-fall, or January-February. The low crowd densities make it really easy for the two of us (we're 43, no kids) to enjoy all the parks at a leisurely pace. Even someone who hates roller coasters or kiddie rides finds a lot of stuff to like.
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Apr 7, 2014 16:32
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My wife and I will probably be booking a 6-night stay for late November-early December. Any travel agents out there have a scoop on what deals will be offered then? We've gotten the 30%-off room rate special the last 2 or 3 times we've gone. How far ahead of time are those types of deals made available? I know I can apply it retroactively if it's announced after I book, but I don't want to miss an arrival window by a day or something like that.
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Apr 14, 2014 00:09
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Yeah and I don't know what it costs to buy an 8x10 in the park, but it's like a buck fifty to have one printed at your local photomat. So, I don't know how many pictures you'd have to buy to make it worth your money. It's $149, IIRC. The digital pictures you get are hi-res, right?
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Apr 17, 2014 12:00
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Wow. A sign that Epcot is about to get a major redux: wdwmagic.com: Tom Fitzgerald Takes Epcot I know this is a planning thread and not a general info thread, but I figure everyone here would be interested in this. I'm curious about the "original intent" of World Showcase. Isn't it pretty much unchanged since opening day (aside from the new pavilions, of course)?
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Apr 27, 2014 18:57
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Future World used to be a lot more fleshed out than it it now. The Wonders of Life pavilion is no more, and the Imagination pavilion might as well be vacant. Universe of Energy sure needs an update, and I can't remember the last time I walked into Innoventions. Maybe they plan on a major Fantasyland-scale update to that half of the park. Who knows. World Showcase is just inherently evergreen. I mean, some of the attractions need updating, but it's mostly restaurants and shops. I'd love a new pavilion or two. Australia? Russia? Brazil? Oh God, I don't want to attract even more Brazilians. As I understand it, any plans for a future Africa pavilion at Epcot were shelved when Animal Kingdom opened up, as half the park is pretty much "Africa."
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Apr 27, 2014 22:09
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Ha well apparently our December vacation is still sitting in the shopping cart:  I have a feeling they wouldn't be sending me this stuff if the item in the shopping cart was a T-shirt. I notice there's not really a "deal" I can see...no %-off the room rate or anything, but there's still a "package code" they want me to enter at the website. And I could not figure out where to enter the code. FWIW, we're almost certainly going the first week of December, but I'm not going to book until I know when the theoretical 30%-off check-in dates are. For those who've never done this before: whether or not you get a seasonal room discount or free dining plan (assuming they ever bring that back) depends on your check-in date. For instance, they'll say, "Discount applies for arrivals on 11/21-12/01, 12/03-12/15." So in that case, you definitely don't want to arrive on 12/2, because you get zero discount even though all but one of your days are in the proper window. But if you arrive on 12/15 and it's a 5-night stay, you get the discount for all five nights. It's weird.
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Apr 28, 2014 12:54
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Ha the first time my wife (then girlfriend) and I went to Florida was for our first trip to WDW. I was a lot heavier then than I am now, and holy crap did I sweat buckets. We have several pictures where I look like I just got off Kali River Rapids. I mean I was literally drenched in sweat the whole time. Fortunately, I dropped the weight several years back, and now we drat near run though the parks together.
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May 19, 2014 12:52
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Quick non-sequitur: is Captain Eo still playing, and is Honey I Shrunk the Audience dead forever?
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May 25, 2014 00:23
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A4vjeYLcXw
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May 25, 2014 16:45
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Captain Apollo posted:Oh my god thank you for this thread. Literally printed out the OP and gave it to all 6 family members. This warms the cockles of my heart. Especially since me and the old lady are still vacillating about a post-Thansgivibng trip, which would be our first WDW visit in almost 3 years. So I will live vicariously through you. Normally we would've just pulled the freaking trigger weeks ago, but I just started my own business, so our schedule and budget are complete unknowns. BTW, I need some help from you goons: all of the My Magic+ and Magic Band info in the OP is pretty much stopgap info until I learn all the details. Is it pretty much up and running at 100% now? If so, can I get some details to update the OP?
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Jun 16, 2014 00:30
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Is there a general-purpose goon-meet thread? I'm sure you could find plenty of people in the Orlando area to hang with. You're still bound to get shanked, of course, but they're less likely to be on scooters.
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Jun 19, 2014 17:46
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Pththya-lyi posted:the Kitchen Sink The what now? Ah, thank you, GIS: 
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Jun 20, 2014 17:51
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:Tell them if it's so expensive, don't come. This will leave room in line for other families who want to pay to come. And hang up. This always works.
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Jun 28, 2014 21:12
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Fish Biscuit posted:I also highly recommend doing the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party. You get an unobstructed view of the fireworks show and a desert buffet to boot. At $25/adults $13/child a lot of people think it's too pricey for a sweets buffet but I think being able to relax and enjoy the fireworks comfortably instead of being packed into the street in front of the castle like sardines is worth it. Plus in usual Disney fashion the food was excellent. You absolutely need to make reservations for this though and they usually book up really quick. This is waaaaay back on page 1, but is Tomorrowland Terrace the semi-outdoor eatery that was recently enclosed? If so, is this party still available?
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Jul 3, 2014 00:39
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What's the price difference between the monorail resorts and the Yacht/Beach Club and Boardwalk? Because those are second only to the monorail hotels as far as convenience is concerned. You can walk right into Epcot. I didn't include the Swan & Dolphin because those aren't Disney owned, and so I don't think they qualify for the free dining plan promotion. Is that right?
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Jul 9, 2014 17:54
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| # ¿ May 12, 2024 08:17 |
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FYAD is an infection, and must be dealt with...harshly. On another note, me and the missus are still yapping about a post-Thanksgiving WDW trip, but we haven't yet pulled the trigger. I was laid off two days ago, but that was in large part because I started my own business last year (turns out employers hate that). So we're not going to miss any mortgage payments or anything. Still, it's weird for us to not have the whole thing planned out and paid for like six months in advance. Maybe we're getting more carefree in our old age.  Anybody know where we can expect to see the most construction walls in late November/early December? Will the MK hub be finished?
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Jul 23, 2014 13:03
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