AgentC
07-21-2012, 08:11 PM
Some random final thoughts on our trip.
Overall, I was pleased with our July trip. It was hot, but it was manageable. Does that mean I would pick that time of year again? Well, no but I have the luxury of being able to go whenever I want and I enjoy the parks better when it is a bit cooler.In Florida, we spend most of our summer indoors enjoying the air conditioner or in the pool. Outside activities are not high on the list. :fan: Other than the heat the biggest downside to visiting in the summer was the higher hotel rates and the premium charge on the buffet meals.
But if someone asked me to go in the summer again, I probably wouldn’t say no, it does have benefits. Even though the parks are crowded during the summer, the parks are open a long, long time. We were able to successfully do everything we wanted by going early in the morning, leaving and then going back at night. The only thing we did not manage to do was the Kali River Rapids but that was because we got a late start that morning. I think we actually had an easier time getting on some rides in July than we did in April.
Most cast members were very nice this trip. We had multiple experiences receiving a little extra magic. :magic: The sticker crowns, the free popcorn, the free soda and the replacement ‘Smore didn’t cost Disney very much but they made our experience easier and made my kids feel special. As Florida residents we do go to quite a few parks and other attractions and I can’t recall similar treatment anywhere else we have visited recently. This hasn’t happen on every trip we make, but it is much more likely to happen at WDW than anywhere else.
Dumbo :dumbo: queue is lots of fun with kids. Not sure about Casey Jr Splash Zone. My kids were much more interested in it before it opened. Fantasyland is coming along nicely. I can’t wait to see the first areas open this fall.
Caribbean Beach Resort is a lovely resort. Pirate :pirate: rooms are so cute but pretty remote from anything. Pool is nice and children’s area is fantastic but too little shade make this one of my least favorite pools. I would stay there again, but if I had a choice it would be below the Port Orleans resorts and Coronado Springs for me.
Traveling with friends who hadn’t been to WDW in 5 years was very interesting. We did a lot more running around than usual trying to get things done because they were here such a short time. When we go missing something isn’t such a big deal because we can just do it next time. It was nice to see WDW through their eyes. A trip to WDW is a big deal to them. They are probably a much more typical WDW visitor than my family. They don’t come often so they really don’t know what has changed and what hasn’t. They were just happy to be there. :cloud9:They enjoyed rides I gave up on a long time ago. (Sigh. Yes, Journey into Imagination. I am talking to you. I always compare it to my memory of my first ride. My friend’s son adored it. :figment:)
One thing I took away from being with them is too make sure we try to do something different each trip to help keep it fresh. When you visit as much as we do, it is easy to get jaded and miss the magic.
A few thoughts from my friends. They were here for 9 days and visited Kennedy Space Center, Sea World, Universal Islands of Adventure, Gatorland, a state park and Disney.
They thought Harry Potter was brilliant. One of the best attractions/lands that they visited, however they did not care of the rest of IOA. They were not into the Marvel area at all and didn’t ride Jurassic Park because they felt it was too dated. They would visit again for Harry Potter.They liked Sea World but thought it had horrible queue management and wouldn’t visit again soon. They loved the Space Center and would love to go back. WDW was their favorite. They felt it had the best queue management and overall experience. They did stay onsite at WDW which may have contributed to that feeling. They are hoping to come back early next year to have a leisurely trip and play Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. :smickey:
And my last thought when your husband says, “I won’t mind not coming to the parks.” Don’t believe him. I’ve been hearing, “I miss Disney” ever since we came home. Maybe I can squeeze in a fast trip before we return for ICOT15! :D
Overall, I was pleased with our July trip. It was hot, but it was manageable. Does that mean I would pick that time of year again? Well, no but I have the luxury of being able to go whenever I want and I enjoy the parks better when it is a bit cooler.In Florida, we spend most of our summer indoors enjoying the air conditioner or in the pool. Outside activities are not high on the list. :fan: Other than the heat the biggest downside to visiting in the summer was the higher hotel rates and the premium charge on the buffet meals.
But if someone asked me to go in the summer again, I probably wouldn’t say no, it does have benefits. Even though the parks are crowded during the summer, the parks are open a long, long time. We were able to successfully do everything we wanted by going early in the morning, leaving and then going back at night. The only thing we did not manage to do was the Kali River Rapids but that was because we got a late start that morning. I think we actually had an easier time getting on some rides in July than we did in April.
Most cast members were very nice this trip. We had multiple experiences receiving a little extra magic. :magic: The sticker crowns, the free popcorn, the free soda and the replacement ‘Smore didn’t cost Disney very much but they made our experience easier and made my kids feel special. As Florida residents we do go to quite a few parks and other attractions and I can’t recall similar treatment anywhere else we have visited recently. This hasn’t happen on every trip we make, but it is much more likely to happen at WDW than anywhere else.
Dumbo :dumbo: queue is lots of fun with kids. Not sure about Casey Jr Splash Zone. My kids were much more interested in it before it opened. Fantasyland is coming along nicely. I can’t wait to see the first areas open this fall.
Caribbean Beach Resort is a lovely resort. Pirate :pirate: rooms are so cute but pretty remote from anything. Pool is nice and children’s area is fantastic but too little shade make this one of my least favorite pools. I would stay there again, but if I had a choice it would be below the Port Orleans resorts and Coronado Springs for me.
Traveling with friends who hadn’t been to WDW in 5 years was very interesting. We did a lot more running around than usual trying to get things done because they were here such a short time. When we go missing something isn’t such a big deal because we can just do it next time. It was nice to see WDW through their eyes. A trip to WDW is a big deal to them. They are probably a much more typical WDW visitor than my family. They don’t come often so they really don’t know what has changed and what hasn’t. They were just happy to be there. :cloud9:They enjoyed rides I gave up on a long time ago. (Sigh. Yes, Journey into Imagination. I am talking to you. I always compare it to my memory of my first ride. My friend’s son adored it. :figment:)
One thing I took away from being with them is too make sure we try to do something different each trip to help keep it fresh. When you visit as much as we do, it is easy to get jaded and miss the magic.
A few thoughts from my friends. They were here for 9 days and visited Kennedy Space Center, Sea World, Universal Islands of Adventure, Gatorland, a state park and Disney.
They thought Harry Potter was brilliant. One of the best attractions/lands that they visited, however they did not care of the rest of IOA. They were not into the Marvel area at all and didn’t ride Jurassic Park because they felt it was too dated. They would visit again for Harry Potter.They liked Sea World but thought it had horrible queue management and wouldn’t visit again soon. They loved the Space Center and would love to go back. WDW was their favorite. They felt it had the best queue management and overall experience. They did stay onsite at WDW which may have contributed to that feeling. They are hoping to come back early next year to have a leisurely trip and play Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. :smickey:
And my last thought when your husband says, “I won’t mind not coming to the parks.” Don’t believe him. I’ve been hearing, “I miss Disney” ever since we came home. Maybe I can squeeze in a fast trip before we return for ICOT15! :D