mrv3000 | (no subject)

Current Mood: discontent

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Dear Disney:

Your vacation DVD sucks. I don't think you're supposed to be boring me as I watch it. I do not care about your "Year of a Million Dreams" sweepstakes that you blather on endlessly about. I want vacation information, not to be shown a 1 in 50,000 chance to win a free hat. And I know that your idea of "adult entertainment" is mom already blissing out at the thought of ditching her kids for a spa, but I want RIDE info, dammit! I want information in general!

Okay, so there might have been a 2001 A Space Odyssey monkey moment at the DVD before figuring out that it was an actual DVD as opposed to an interactive program, but after that little hitch, I expected to actually get something from it.

I want lists! And rates! And park transportation schedules! And restaurant menus! And maps! And the ability to cross-reference things! And to make notes like, "This is the ride people keep dying on. Do not go on it." And I am NOT turning into my father, thank you!

P.S. Those people were way too happy to be hanging out in the middle of a cloud that had no visible exits.

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Ooh, thanks!

That and Bob Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide - although he may only do one for WDW and not the West Coast parks. If you want to know more, I can wax rhapsodic about how well the system works, if you don't mind a lot of walking.

I've never seen the video but I'm not surprised its boring. =P I agree on not caring about A Year of a Million Dreams. If I'm not winning anything then it's not terribly exciting. At least everyone could enjoy the 50th Anniversary!

Right! Show me things at the park that I'd like! I'm not going to be planning a vacation around some sweepstakes.

LMAO.

Which Disney is this?

'Cause I have been to Florida 3 times now XD

The one in Florida. I'd like to go there sometime in the next year. I've been to the California one more times than I can count, but I only spent half a day at the Florida MGM park once.

GO TO FLORIDA. It is awesome.

We stayed in a villa about 10 or 15 minutes from Disney World. and it was brilliant. We could get to Sea World and Discovery Cove and the town centre really easily, and we weren't just in Disney all the time. Magic Kindgom and Animal Kingdom are the best I think. The queues are horrendous during holidays, so go in the early spring or the autumn. If you know someone disabled, take them with you :P 'Cause you can get a special pass which means them and several helpers can skip the queues. Sea World is brilliant, and you'll probably want to do 2 or 3 days there. Discovery Cove is AMAZING - you get to swim with dolphins. It's £200 or something, but it's so worth it. Epcot is really interesting, but has fewer rides. It's a whole different experience, and I liked it. Definitely visit the Disney town - I can't remember what it's called. But it was Walt Disney's idea of a perfect town, and it's actually really lovely! They have a great little cafe/restaurant down by the water. It's adorable.

That's all I can remember XD IT IS AWESOME.

If you know someone disabled, take them with you :P 'Cause you can get a special pass which means them and several helpers can skip the queues.
Actually, that's not true anymore. Having been to D'World in recent years in a wheelchair, the biggest advantage is really only the handicapped-only restrooms, and special viewing area for the fireworks at Epcot. They aren't nearly as handicapped-friendly as they used to be.

Yes, for some rides there is a separate line, but you don't get to ride much if any faster- you just park and wait in one spot longer. The separate lines are because it's impossible to navigate a wheelchair around the narrow, winding queues. Mostly they encourage taking full advantage of the Fast Pass.
Should note that I only know about Epcot & Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom may be different.

I think I'd just be sticking to the Disney parks, as opposed to heading to Sea World. (I can always see Sea World over here if I want.)

I really would like to get there soon.

For guides to Disney World, you can't beat this one. Not with a stick. They also have a website.

Thanks!

As seen above, seconded thirded fourthed and trillionthed.

Seriously, this guy is a former traffic engineer and their pathing through the various parks will get you to everything you want to see within the first few hours with minimal to no lines. You'll end up doing a fair amount of 'extra' walking, but it's so worth it. Also very worth checking out is their listing of slower times of year to attend, if you want to maximize the chances you'll be sharing with as few folks as possible.

Oooh, that's the kind of thing I love!

One piece of advice--if you go to the Animal Kingdom, make sure you go on the Kilimanjaro Safari either in the early morning or late in the afternoon/evening. Lots more animals out and about then.

Thanks! That makes sense.

I'm not as interested in that park mainly because I've got the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park here, so I've seen the animal thing plenty of times. But it's got a few other things that look neat.

It does, but if you think you're going to want to do AK, for the sake of your sanity you should plan to attend during one of the slower periods (like mid-December before schools down there let you), because the traffic flow planning in that park was piss-poor.

Imagine, if you will, a pawprint. That's approximately how the park is laid out. Now imagine that the toes have no connecting paths between them, so that in order to get to anything you always have to go back through the base of the paw. That's Animal Kingdom in a nutshell.

Even if you don't hit the park at all, the restaurants in the resort are well worth hitting - either/both the buffet and the sitdown restaurant.

That sounds like a nightmare. DCA's a bit like that, but not quite as bad.

And I was looking at different restaurants (among other things) last night. I'm kind of cranky that WDW's menus look 50x better than anything at Disneyland. It's always a challenge to find good non-heavy, greasy food when I'm there. (Okay, so a lot of times I break down and get a corn dog anyway - they're GOOD.)

They've been making a concerted effort to health-up the food at WDW over the past few years. I haven't been since the effort commenced, but even prior to that you could eat healthy if you knew where to look (e.g., the kosher foods line at Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrowland).

Wish that would translate here. So far there's bit a *bit* of effort. Mainly in the form of being able to get apples instead of fries with your meal.

And I am NOT turning into my father, thank you!

HAHA. I was about to say your dad would be so proud!

I'm sure he would be. :D

I want to go to Disneyworld :(

Do I have to wait till we have kids before I can go? :P

I'm thinking it'd be better without kids. :D

I am shocked that they don't give death rates for each ride on their promotional video. Shocked, I tell you. :P

You need to go in the fall, when Epcot has the International Food and Wine Festival. Eat and drink your way around the world! In addition to the great foods they already have at all the "countries" around the lake, they have booths set up from loads of other countries. Appetizer size servings, $3-$6 each. You can merrily graze all day and it's all good. Plus Epcot has Mission:Space, Soarin', and Test Track - all my faves. I could live at Epcot. Around the world in 8 Hours, combined with geeky future technology stuff = PURE WIN.

Animal Kingdom- Meh. Busch Gardens is better and only 1 1/2 hours away. (Side note- never attempt Busch in a wheelchair. The cobblestone streets will jar your brain beyond repair. Free beer only goes so far towards ~~making it worse~~ helping.

Magic Kingdom- targeted more at little kids. But we're all little kids at Disney, right?

Hollywood Studios, FKA MGM Studios - WHEE! Tower of Terror is still my fave.

I am shocked that they don't give death rates for each ride on their promotional video. Shocked, I tell you. :P

I know!

You need to go in the fall, when Epcot has the International Food and Wine Festival.

That sounds AMAZING.

WHEE! Tower of Terror is still my fave.

I've heard the Florida version is much better - you actually move places instead of just up and down. Ah, ToT. Where I groped a random stranger. (There isn't anything to hold on to in it!)

The festival is fantabulous. Plus, when you figure the cost of an actual round-the-world trip, suddenly the ticket prices don't seem nearly so horrible.

Ooh! And they have concerts some nights of the ~~Munchies and Booze~~ Food and Wine fest - I really want to go this year for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and Sister Hazel. And Epcot's fireworks are spectacular.

The other day I was informed that I was going to a conference in Orlando in October. The first thing I do? Check on Disneyworld tickets. :D I wish there was a half day price since I can only do nights.

Edited 2008-06-27 22:02 (UTC)

Disneyland used to have something like that - a discounted ticket after a certain time, although I forget what time. I think the point was to try to get people in late to shop or something.

Oh, hon, I used to have the most fabulous WDW travel guide that I read over and over. Pity it's at least 20 years out of date and still at my parents house (15 hours away by car). *sigh* I really want to get back to WDW at some point; I miss it.

Do they make an updated edition?

I don't even remember what the title was. I'll have to check.

Haha... I'm sorry you're unhappy with the lovely DVD. I've never had it. But if you want info, babe, I've got it. Ask me anything you want.

Especially ask me about the new Toy Story Mania ride. Because I rode it. THREE TIMES. Oh yeah. Within one week of it opening. Oh yeah it was that good.

And guess what else? I actually GOT one of those special "1 in 50,000 chances" hats. :D This was such a great trip. More fun details, with pictures to come!

Oooh, how was the ride? What was it like?

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