Skyler1967
03-15-2011, 09:33 AM
This is my first posting on intercot, and hopefully someone planning their WDW vacation will find the info useful. Here are my thoughts in no certain order:
1.) If you're staying in a value resort, choose AS-Sports. Bus service was consistently fast (but crowded). Despite what I'd read, the rooms in the All-Stars were perfect for our family of 4.
2.) If there's a chance of rain, hit the water park. We went on 3/6, forecast was for rain & we had the park to ourselves. We had such a great time walking onto everything, swimming lazily with the sharks, and doing the wave pool. Obviously this wouldn't work out if the rain was steady & the temps were cold, but so much of our planning is a gamble anyway...
3.) Be aware of Mardi Gras! The parks were flooded with (friendly, nice) Louisiana people! I watched crowd rates on touringplans go up & up & up as our vacation dates arrived, and I think this was mostly due to the entire state emptying out in anticipation of all the craziness in New Orleans. Great folks, but just so MANY of them! We caught the tail-end of the Brazilian tour groups (saw all the flags) but found them to be easy to avoid, probably because there weren't too many of them.
4.) PhotoPass! I love carrying a photopass card around and handing it to 4 or 5 different photogs a day. Great shots and I'm actually IN the photos.
5.) Not all quick service meals are equal (though they all count as a punch). In Epcot, for example, the amount of food you receive from each country varies pretty wildly. In Italy, you can get a Sicilian slice of cheese with your punch, when walking to our new favorite country, Morocco, gives you a great, unusual meal that will really keep you filled up until dinner. Similar experience in AK, our Yak & Yeti quick-services were huge, and yet they only counted as one 'punch.' Shop around for your quick service rather than just going to the closest eatery.
6.) Combining a trip with another family is dicey. We arranged our trip around another family, and ended up spending a lot less time with them than we anticipated. Our vacation plan (see & do a LOT) was very different than theirs (relax, enjoy their resort). Talk this out beforehand.
7.) We didn't eat breakfast at our resort. Instead, one of us took the 2 refillable mugs (last trip we bought 4...too $$$$!) and got awful coffee, and a piece of fruit, and we packed a box of Nutri-Grain bars to take along. This held us until our 11:30-12:00 lunch & didn't "eat" a lot of time in an already rushed morning schedule of getting to the parks early.
8.) Speaking of getting to the parks early, do it! We went to HS on 3/8, arrived 10 minutes early, and there was already a mob, which headed to TSM with me, making a 2 block long FastPass line by 9:02! Fortunately, we walked on GreatMovie Ride, and got FP's for TofT & Rockin'Roller Coaster.
9.) For the semi-rookie like myself, I think I finally figured out FastPasses and here's what worked. Get them early and often. It made our vacation so much more enjoyable. Get one right away when you arrive. Arrive at the next attraction 1 minute after your FP's would allow you to return so you can get another round of fun. A cast member tipped me off on this.
10.) We really enjoyed our Hidden Mickey search. We bought the 3rd edition of the guide book on our last trip, but the 4th edition is in park stores. Cast members were always willing to help us, and even point out some that weren't in the guide book or very difficult to find. AKL had quite a few. Our favorite was in Swiss Family Robinson coming down from the top bedroom, in the "algae".
11.) Jungle Cruise @ night. Fun!
I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting. All in all a great trip, pretty good weather, polite though LARGE crowds, and Disney's magic was in full effect for our family.:cloud9:
Thanks for listening!
-Scott
1.) If you're staying in a value resort, choose AS-Sports. Bus service was consistently fast (but crowded). Despite what I'd read, the rooms in the All-Stars were perfect for our family of 4.
2.) If there's a chance of rain, hit the water park. We went on 3/6, forecast was for rain & we had the park to ourselves. We had such a great time walking onto everything, swimming lazily with the sharks, and doing the wave pool. Obviously this wouldn't work out if the rain was steady & the temps were cold, but so much of our planning is a gamble anyway...
3.) Be aware of Mardi Gras! The parks were flooded with (friendly, nice) Louisiana people! I watched crowd rates on touringplans go up & up & up as our vacation dates arrived, and I think this was mostly due to the entire state emptying out in anticipation of all the craziness in New Orleans. Great folks, but just so MANY of them! We caught the tail-end of the Brazilian tour groups (saw all the flags) but found them to be easy to avoid, probably because there weren't too many of them.
4.) PhotoPass! I love carrying a photopass card around and handing it to 4 or 5 different photogs a day. Great shots and I'm actually IN the photos.
5.) Not all quick service meals are equal (though they all count as a punch). In Epcot, for example, the amount of food you receive from each country varies pretty wildly. In Italy, you can get a Sicilian slice of cheese with your punch, when walking to our new favorite country, Morocco, gives you a great, unusual meal that will really keep you filled up until dinner. Similar experience in AK, our Yak & Yeti quick-services were huge, and yet they only counted as one 'punch.' Shop around for your quick service rather than just going to the closest eatery.
6.) Combining a trip with another family is dicey. We arranged our trip around another family, and ended up spending a lot less time with them than we anticipated. Our vacation plan (see & do a LOT) was very different than theirs (relax, enjoy their resort). Talk this out beforehand.
7.) We didn't eat breakfast at our resort. Instead, one of us took the 2 refillable mugs (last trip we bought 4...too $$$$!) and got awful coffee, and a piece of fruit, and we packed a box of Nutri-Grain bars to take along. This held us until our 11:30-12:00 lunch & didn't "eat" a lot of time in an already rushed morning schedule of getting to the parks early.
8.) Speaking of getting to the parks early, do it! We went to HS on 3/8, arrived 10 minutes early, and there was already a mob, which headed to TSM with me, making a 2 block long FastPass line by 9:02! Fortunately, we walked on GreatMovie Ride, and got FP's for TofT & Rockin'Roller Coaster.
9.) For the semi-rookie like myself, I think I finally figured out FastPasses and here's what worked. Get them early and often. It made our vacation so much more enjoyable. Get one right away when you arrive. Arrive at the next attraction 1 minute after your FP's would allow you to return so you can get another round of fun. A cast member tipped me off on this.
10.) We really enjoyed our Hidden Mickey search. We bought the 3rd edition of the guide book on our last trip, but the 4th edition is in park stores. Cast members were always willing to help us, and even point out some that weren't in the guide book or very difficult to find. AKL had quite a few. Our favorite was in Swiss Family Robinson coming down from the top bedroom, in the "algae".
11.) Jungle Cruise @ night. Fun!
I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting. All in all a great trip, pretty good weather, polite though LARGE crowds, and Disney's magic was in full effect for our family.:cloud9:
Thanks for listening!
-Scott