ChimCher-ee
There's been a change of plans.
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2015
We just got back from 10 days at WDW and the first thing I noticed in the cab from the airport was... the real world doesn't have a sound track. I knew that, really I did, but we are just so lonely without Simba, Sebastian, and the rest!
Trip facts:
When: June 29 - July 9
Where: Little Mermaid room, AoA (first time there)
Who: My 11yo DD and I (DH, not a Disney fan, stayed home)
What: two days and an evening at each of our two favorite parks (MK and Epcot), one day each at DHS and AK, one day at TL, and a pool day at the resort
Why: because we like to
How: relaxed, thanks to a detailed but flexible plan, and QS DDP
1. Philosophy
I'll start with a little about our park-touring philosophy. This is our fourth trip to the World, and we wouldn't dream of missing a rope drop. Especially if the park has morning EMH. I have studied - - and respect - - the source of information that tells us to do the opposite. But. It's just not us.
We just loved being part of the tiny crowd "mosey-ing" through Frontierland. We were those guests that the CMs had to call ahead about at BTM--"Yes, we're sending the guests up, ok? [to my DD] OK, you can go right up." We love, love, LOVED staying seated once, twice, three times to just ride that train until WE were dizzy. And that man taking his morning bath while the boar and bobcat face off at the cactus - - they just cracked me up.
We walked from there right up to Splash Mountain - - and riding in the front row getting especially wet? Once, fine. Twice, not so much. But it was very funny, looking for our picture among all those shots of empty cars doing the drop!
This trip, we were also the first passengers over the Golden Gate Bridge. We had the top-designed car at Test Trac (a title held very briefly). We would have had our pick of Jedi Training times but DD changed her mind at the last minute; we veered off and hit Star Tours several times instead. She deeply regretted that decision, though, after Indiana Jones, when we watched the Jedi performances from our outdoor lunch table at Backlot Express. But hey, 11 is that tough age when you are afraid you're too old for stuff that you secretly hope you're not, and don't want your mother telling you what to do ("You know you want to wield the light saber! Just do it! We're right here!" "Mom! Stop!") And finally, on our fourth morning safari, we were lucky enough to see the cheetahs up and pacing instead of tucked away sleeping in the shadows. Very cool stuff.
So yes, we got to rope drop and saved our FPs for the wildly popular rides in the afternoon (we even did some of the same ones we hit in the morning, because you just can't get enough Soarin' or Splash Mountain). This year, I remembered how thunderstorms roll through just about every afternoon, so I selected FP times for right around 2, 3, and 4 pm. It worked, too - - the weather usually held until we were on the buses back. Oh, except for Rock n Roller Coaster, when it rained while we were FPing and stopped raining by the time we came out. So we went again, in the very-much-shortened single rider line!
So it works for us, it really does. Especially this time, because the crowds never really reached impossible numbers (even MK on the 3d).
Next time I'll write more about the frustration of morning EMH - - the buses. The famed AoA buses.
Trip facts:
When: June 29 - July 9
Where: Little Mermaid room, AoA (first time there)
Who: My 11yo DD and I (DH, not a Disney fan, stayed home)
What: two days and an evening at each of our two favorite parks (MK and Epcot), one day each at DHS and AK, one day at TL, and a pool day at the resort
Why: because we like to
How: relaxed, thanks to a detailed but flexible plan, and QS DDP
1. Philosophy
I'll start with a little about our park-touring philosophy. This is our fourth trip to the World, and we wouldn't dream of missing a rope drop. Especially if the park has morning EMH. I have studied - - and respect - - the source of information that tells us to do the opposite. But. It's just not us.
We just loved being part of the tiny crowd "mosey-ing" through Frontierland. We were those guests that the CMs had to call ahead about at BTM--"Yes, we're sending the guests up, ok? [to my DD] OK, you can go right up." We love, love, LOVED staying seated once, twice, three times to just ride that train until WE were dizzy. And that man taking his morning bath while the boar and bobcat face off at the cactus - - they just cracked me up.
We walked from there right up to Splash Mountain - - and riding in the front row getting especially wet? Once, fine. Twice, not so much. But it was very funny, looking for our picture among all those shots of empty cars doing the drop!
This trip, we were also the first passengers over the Golden Gate Bridge. We had the top-designed car at Test Trac (a title held very briefly). We would have had our pick of Jedi Training times but DD changed her mind at the last minute; we veered off and hit Star Tours several times instead. She deeply regretted that decision, though, after Indiana Jones, when we watched the Jedi performances from our outdoor lunch table at Backlot Express. But hey, 11 is that tough age when you are afraid you're too old for stuff that you secretly hope you're not, and don't want your mother telling you what to do ("You know you want to wield the light saber! Just do it! We're right here!" "Mom! Stop!") And finally, on our fourth morning safari, we were lucky enough to see the cheetahs up and pacing instead of tucked away sleeping in the shadows. Very cool stuff.
So yes, we got to rope drop and saved our FPs for the wildly popular rides in the afternoon (we even did some of the same ones we hit in the morning, because you just can't get enough Soarin' or Splash Mountain). This year, I remembered how thunderstorms roll through just about every afternoon, so I selected FP times for right around 2, 3, and 4 pm. It worked, too - - the weather usually held until we were on the buses back. Oh, except for Rock n Roller Coaster, when it rained while we were FPing and stopped raining by the time we came out. So we went again, in the very-much-shortened single rider line!
So it works for us, it really does. Especially this time, because the crowds never really reached impossible numbers (even MK on the 3d).
Next time I'll write more about the frustration of morning EMH - - the buses. The famed AoA buses.