Originally Posted By dagobert Sunday afternoon we returned from our nearly three weeks honeymoon. We had a fantastic time at Universal, WDW and on the cruise, but I am not sure if I will return to WDW and Universal in the near future, or at least not that long like this year. We will definitely do another Disney cruise. It was fantastic and we enjoyed every minute of the cruise, especially at Castaway Cay. I wanted to do a trip report, but since I can't log in anymore, I'm on my mobilephone right now, I'm not sure if I will do one, because writing on the phone is stupid. If the problem with the log in will not be fixed, I guess I will stop posting here. I just prefer my PC over mobile devices to write posts and being part of a forum without being able to post in a proper way isn't a lot of fun. I hope it will get fixed.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Glad you enjoyed your trip! Hopefully the login issue gets fixed so you can write more Was there anything in particular that made you not want to return to WDW soon? I've been going fairly frequently for a few years now and have really noticed how stale everything has gotten, but I'm not sure if that would be as noticeable to an infrequent visitor. Hopefully they'll finally start work on the Studios and speed up work on the various other projects they've already started
Originally Posted By dagobert We had just too much time there and could do everything we wanted to do in half of the time. Although many complain about DLP, I realized that it's really not that bad. Honestly I prefer it over WDW. It is not so big, everything is in walking distance so that you don't have to rely on the bus. Going to the parks in the morning was terrible. So many strollers and scooters that once it took us 45 minutes from POR to DAK. These scooters are so annoying and I am glad that they are not availabale in Paris. I know that some people need them, but some of them should ealk instead of using them. I don't want to offend anyone, but I have never seen so many obese people in such a short period. As for the strollers, some children were big enough to walk. In addition WDW is getting old, especially the MK. We spent only one day there, and that was definitely enough. I am sorry to say that, but the park is our least favourite, even the new Fantasyland doesn't change that. The Mine Train is a nice addition, so is the Little Mermaid, but I still think the Fantasyland area lacks better theming. If you compare DLP to MK, it wins, despite its maintenace issues. I know that the MK is much older, but SM is really bad and can't be compared to DLP's version. POTC is very short and a bit strange. The story is a bit out of order, but Jack Sparrow adds something new to the ride. PM/HM are both good. HM has some great effects. In 2008 DHS was our favourite park besides EPCOT, but that changed. It is still a nice park, but it doesn't offer a lot. TOT and RnRC are both better in Paris. TGMR is cool, and so is Muppets, but that's basically everything the park has to offer. Star Tours is really great with all the new destinations, but the old version still has a lot of charme that STII can't deliver. However I hope that the new ride comes to DLP. We skipped Indy and the stage shows and Fantasmic. Fantasmic is a good show, we have already seen it in 2008, but it was too cold this time. We ate once at the Prime Time Cafe and that was wonderful. A lot of fun and good vegan food with delicious vegan shakes. EPCOT is fantastic. We love that park, especially WS. I think it is our favourite Disney park, even before DLP. Mission Space is very intense, but a cool ride and I like Test Track's new design. Looks a bit like Tron. The ride itself is one of the best at WDW. Soarin is another favourite and I wish it would come to Paris. Journey into Imagination was bad. SE is a nice ride, but I wouldn't line up it, we had a FP+. We skipped Universe of Energy since it was such a long ride and we had a lunch reservation at Via Napoli. This restaurant was nice, with good pizzas. We skipped all other rides at FW, because we didn't like them back in 2008. As for WS, we did all rides. Although they are already dated, I liked O Canada, Reflections of China and Gran Fiesta Tour. Of course all could use an update, but they were still enjoyable. Impressions of France should be replaced soon, because it is really old. Now it gets tricky, because the American Adventure is left in my report. I know Americans are very patriotic and so is this show, but that's the problem for non Americans. I hate to say that, but it was too much for me and so I didn't like it that much. However the singers in the entrance hall are fantastic. Our favourite country was the UK, because of the wonderful British Revolution band and because of the fantastic beer. That is another thing we love about EPCOT, you can walk around the park with a drink. We spent nearly every day some hours at WS. And had dinner there many times, because Sunshine Seasons offers vegan food. Now DAK is left. It is such a beautiful park, but unfortunately this time it was more of a fenceland. I didn't care about that, but my wife was very annoyed. The park has some great attractions, especially EE. We rode it ten times. KRR was cool, I loved the theming. Both stage shows, Nemo and Lion King are fantastic. Dinosaur was also nice, but the Dinorama is the ugliest area in any Disney park. ITTBAB is okay, it has some coll effects. We skipped KS, because of the long line and it wasn't high on our list. What we liked about DAK was that it offered BabyCakes donuts, my wife is vegan and these donuts are so delicious. But at DAK we had our our worst experience. We had a lunch reservation at Tusker House. It was horrible. What happened to table manners? I have never seen so many misbehaved kids. Touching the food at the buffet was one of the bad things. And eating with cutlery seems to be a big problem for some. We requested another table, because the family on the table next to us was so rude to each other and they were eating like pigs. By the way, I was surprised to see so many kids. Don't they have to go to school? Our hotel was the POR and we were quite happy with it. We got a wonderful room equipped with a fridge. The only thing I didn't like was the plastic cutlery at the food court. It feels like being a child that can't eat in a proper way.And it is so much waste. DLP's cheap hotels manage to use real cutlery, plates and mugs for the free breakfast buffet. They have to handle a lot of guests too. We ate at the food court three times and it amazes me that they got our order wrong twice. Of course we got a new one each time. The bar at the hotel was nice, but the entertaining was annoying. Bob is a nice guy, we talked to him, but his show isn't funny at all. The CMs are very friendly and helpful. All of them were very nice. We loved spending our time at WDW, it was great, but we stayed there too long. We had two days for each park and that was just too much. Next time we will skip the MK entirely if there isn't anything new and plan only one day for DAK and DHS. Only EPCOT is worth two or more days. As I said before, after visiting WDW we realized that DLP is a fantastic resort. I don't care anymore about the complaining on Disney sites. We prefer it, despite its issues. WDSP isn't as beautiful as DHS, but it has some cool rides and shows to offer. And DLP is the most beautiful MK style park with great restaurants. Since we will definitely do another Disney cruise in the coming years, we will go to WDW again, just for a shorter period of time. Ferret, I have a question regarding the marathon. Was that a real one? I am asking, because we saw many runners with beer and wine and the run did last for a long time. Over here it is over after six hours. Sorry for the typos. I am on the phone. Next is Universal.
Originally Posted By dagobert Universal Studios The Studios are getting a lot of buzz on many boards and so we had high expectations. Unfortunately it was underwhelming. There we had planned one day per park, but we could have done it in one day. I will start with HP. Wow, what a fantastic theming in both parks. Forbidden Journey is one of the best attractions I Have ever experienced. Gringotts on the other hand was disappointing. The train that connects both parks is also fantastic. Transformers gets also a lot of praise, but I didn't like it. Spiderman was better. Maybe it has something to do that I don't like the Transformer movies. The coasters in the parks are cool, especially Hulk. Mummy is also a great coaster, but I it is also a nice dark ride. In fact it was my favourite coaster at Universal. MIB and Simpsons were not very good. IoA has a beautifully themed entrance, but the rest of the park doesn't reach that kind of theming. JP was fun, although I got very wet. The AAs could use some attention.
Originally Posted By dagobert At WDW we also went to DTD and I have to say that DS might turn out beautifully. I like the style. We did minigolf, since we got a coupon for it. It was a lot of fun. I guess every guest gets that coupon. I think we got that coupon in 2008 too. MyMagic+ is a fantastic system. The Magic Bands worked fine and it was great to reserve all the rides and restaurants in advance.
Originally Posted By dagobert I know I ranted on a lot, but don't get me wrong, We had a fantastic time at WDW and Universal. I guess the expectations were just too high. now on to DCL. We didn't have any expectations about the cruise, because it was our first one. We booked the seven night eastern Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy with a Verandah. The ship was so beautiful ad so was our cabin. The CMs were amazing and so helpful and friendly. Sometimes I felt so sorry for them, because of rude guests. Some left their manners at home. We liked the international flair on board. The crew was from over 60 countries. The food was very good and they even prepared vegan meals when requested. our waiter did everything to make us happy. Disney is doing an amazing job with training the CMs on the ship. We stopped at St. Maarten and San Juan. Both ports of call had a lot to offer, however we went swiming at St. Maarten and did some sightseeing in San Juan. The highlight was definitely Serenity Bay at Castaway Cay. I loved the place. No kids. Honestly without the adult areas I wouldn't do another Disney cruise, but the adult areas were fantastic. I can recommend a Disney cruise to everyone. So now I did the reports despite being on the phone. I will do a pictorial trip report on my blog during the next days.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>I am sorry to say that, but the park is our least favourite, even the new Fantasyland doesn't change that.<< MK is also my least favorite park, but I feel like I'm almost obligated to visit it in order to have had a 'full' trip to WDW. Given that it has about half of WDW's attractions, it's tough to bypass completely, but I just don't like the park very much. The late 60's/early 70's design choices are showing their age, and the park just isn't especially pleasant or charming for the most part >>POTC is very short and a bit strange. The story is a bit out of order...<< I agree that it's a much shorter ride in WDW, but I think that it has the order right. DLP is the one where everything is all mixed up (even though it makes a lot more sense that way)! >>As for WS, we did all rides.<< So....1 ride, then? With Maelstrom closed, it became very evident on my trip that WS is in dire need of a new ride. I enjoy most of the films (Impressions de France is old, but it's just so well done that I would be very worried if they ever tried to update/replace it), but they really need some more rides back there to make it feel like a full experience. I visited the park in 2004 while The Land was closed for refurbishment (to add Soarin') and it didn't feel like it was missing nearly as much as when the short ride in Norway was gone. It's probably all about location and balance of attractions, but it just felt like they needed to add several attractions, and add them quickly >>I know Americans are very patriotic and so is this show, but that's the problem for non Americans.<< I think the technical aspects of that show are some of the most incredible things that Disney's ever done, and that certainly explains a huge part of the reason I like it so much. The song at the end (Golden Dreams) is a little over the top, but I think the rest of it does a nice job of hitting major historical events while still making it enjoyable and fairly balanced. It's just a strange addition to the mix to see a show about history, when all of the other pavilions showcase their respective country's culture and natural features. I guess most WDW visitors are probably familiar with American culture, but the attraction seems to be an outlier in World Showcase >>However the singers in the entrance hall are fantastic.<< I agree, they're great! They're one of my must-do's on every visit. I was really disappointed that I only got to see them once this trip; in the past, we've been able to catch 3-4 performances throughout the week (usually skipping the main show after they're done). It's a top-notch performance that could be done anywhere, yet has that distinctly old-school Disney feel to it. I'm glad that they haven't changed much through the years (many of the performers have been there for a long time too)
Originally Posted By dagobert @ Ferret Pirates at DLP and WDW I have done DLP's POTC so many times that it is the right version for me. American Adventure The technical aspect of the attraction is indeed very interesting. Is the show popular? There weren't many in the room, although there were a lot listening to the singers.
Originally Posted By dagobert Palo and Remy On the ship we ate at both fancy restaurants. We chose the brunch at Palo and the Champagne brunch at Remy. Both restaurants were fantastic and the meals were very delicious.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Dinosaur was also nice, but the Dinorama is the ugliest area in any Disney park.<< Aw, I kind of like it. It's ugly, but it embraces the ugliness and tackiness of it, and really goes all the way with it. Do you really think that it's uglier than the part of WDSP by Cinemagique, Rockin Rollercoaster, and LMA? I thought that area was a lot worse, because it wasn't trying to be ugly >>We skipped KS, because of the long line and it wasn't high on our list.<< That's a shame, since it's a really great attraction. It has a pretty long ride time (~25 minutes), so the wait has a good payoff, and it's always a little different every time. Even when we don't see anything particularly spectacular, it's always a good ride >>By the way, I was surprised to see so many kids. Don't they have to go to school?<< I was also surprised by the number of kids I saw. It was a lot more than I've seen that week in the last 3 years, so I don't know what was going on; maybe some schools hadn't started back up after winter break yet >>The only thing I didn't like was the plastic cutlery at the food court. It feels like being a child that can't eat in a proper way.And it is so much waste.<< I agree that it would be a lot better to have real silverware and dishes, especially if you're there for a long trip. DLR manages to use real plates and silverware at a lot of its counter service locations, but at WDW it's all paper and plastic. Even when you get the big pork chop at Sunshine Seasons, you have to figure out how to eat it with a plastic knife I was pleasantly surprised at Coronado Springs to discover that the food court had real dishes and silverware. I had just assumed that all of the hotel food courts had disposable stuff. And with the number of meals they serve across WDW each day, it really makes you wonder about the waste it creates! >>As I said before, after visiting WDW we realized that DLP is a fantastic resort.<< It really is. It's got some of the best attractions and most beautiful architecture of any Disney resort. Even if the maintenance has slipped, it's no worse than WDW's, and WDW's plain design makes it much more obvious when things are lacking maintenance. DLP may not be living up to its full potential, but it's still very nice >>Ferret, I have a question regarding the marathon. Was that a real one? I am asking, because we saw many runners with beer and wine and the run did last for a long time. Over here it is over after six hours.<< Yes, it was a real marathon. Depending when and where you were, you may have seen runners who went back into the park right after finishing; I know that people staying at the Boardwalk area like to walk through Epcot instead of taking the bus, since it gives them a chance to loosen out their muscles The official time limit is 7 hours (16 minutes/mile), which is fairly standard in the US. The last checkpoint where they'll stop runners who are behind pace is at the Studios parking lot, around mile 23.5; once you're past that they'll let you finish as long as you can keep moving. Additionally, there are so many people participating that it takes about 45 minutes for everybody to start, so it's entirely possible to finish well past 7 hours, depending where you started in the pack. If I'm having a terrible race, my ultimate backup plan has always been to grab a margarita while passing Mexico, since the margarita stand is right on the course. Since WS doesn't open until 11am, that's 5.5 hours after the race starts, so I haven't had the opportunity to do that yet, but it's fun to think about. Before they changed the course a few years ago, people used to ride Expedition Everest mid-race (DAK is earlier in the race now, so it's not open while runners are in the park) >>Sorry for the typos. I am on the phone.<< Wow! You're much better at typing on a phone than I am! Doobie posted on Facebook that they're working on the login issue, so it should get fixed soon
Originally Posted By dagobert We saw the runners with beer and wine at WS. They were still running. I liked that some were dressed as Disney characters. By the way Disney did a good job handling the crowds at EPCOT. I checked with my father in law, he used to run marathons, and over here it is either six or seven hours. It depends on how many runners have signed up. WDSP I like the area at WDSP better, because I think a studio might look that way in some areas. Inhave never been to a real one. I liked Dinoland USA, but the coaster at the Dinorama looks terrible. We did KS in 2008 and liked it too. However my wife is not so happy about animals in captivity and since the queue was long, we skipped it. If the line would have been shorter, it was 40 minutes, we would have done it.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>The Studios are getting a lot of buzz on many boards and so we had high expectations. Unfortunately it was underwhelming. There we had planned one day per park, but we could have done it in one day.<< I agree that I've been underwhelmed by Universal recently. It's better than it was, but it's still not up to Disney level. It's strange, since it's significantly better than a regional park, but it's trying to compete with Disney and it just can't compare. We spent 1 day at IOA last year, and we struggled to make a full day out of it (we had about an hour to kill before we needed to leave for our dinner reservation outside the park, and ended up just watching people walk by for most of that time) >>JP was fun, although I got very wet.<< I went on JP on 2 different visits about 10-15 years ago (and once in CA about 5 years ago), and remembered it being fun and not-so-wet. When we went on it last year, I was shocked when we got to the bottom of the drop and got completely drenched. Luckily it was a fairly warm day, but I was not expecting that; I wouldn't have ridden if I had known that we were going to get completely soaked like that >>We did minigolf, since we got a coupon for it. It was a lot of fun. I guess every guest gets that coupon. I think we got that coupon in 2008 too.<< Did you go to Fantasia Gardens or Winter Summerland? I did FG for the first time in November, and had a lot of fun, though it was a lot more difficult than I expected. I don't think I've ever gotten a coupon, but maybe I'm just not paying attention. The CM did look at us like we were crazy when we told him that we didn't have any discounts for it >>Honestly without the adult areas I wouldn't do another Disney cruise, but the adult areas were fantastic.<< The number of kids has always scared me off. It seems like a lot of Disney things (especially in WDW) have become geared toward 4-year-olds, and I don't think I would want a lot of that. But at the same time, I wouldn't want to feel like I'm sneaking off into a sleazy speakeasy to get away from kids, so it's a tough balance. I just don't think that a cruise is my ideal vacation (I'd rather venture out and explore on my own), but I've heard nothing but good things about DCL >>Is the show popular? There weren't many in the room, although there were a lot listening to the singers.<< It's not especially busy, but I'm not sure if that's a reflection of its location/operations, or a lack of guest interest. Because it's a long show, it runs infrequently (~1 show per hour), and due to the WS layout, it's difficult to skip ahead a pavilion or two and then come back, without feeling like you're backtracking, so I think a lot of people just skip it Additionally, the theater is enormous because the set are stored under the floor. The theater was scaled for the show's technical needs, rather than the expected audience. Although I rarely visit during busy periods, I've never seen the main theater anywhere near half full, even if there's a healthy crowd gathering before the show. LP had a write-up about the crazy crowds at Epcot on New Years Eve (5 hour waits for Soarin', ~100,000 guests in the park, etc) and it mentioned that the theater was almost full that night, so I suspect it's very rare that a show actually fills up
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>We saw the runners with beer and wine at WS. They were still running.<< Nice! That's always been a 'dream' of mine. Part of me hopes that I never have the opportunity to do it, but it also seems like a great consolation prize. I'd really like to get the Gran Marnier Slush from France for the final lap, but they're tough to walk with, so I'm not sure about the logistics of it >>I liked that some were dressed as Disney characters.<< Yah, it's always fun to see the people in costumes. Marathon Weekend seems to attract more 'serious' runners than Disney's other races, so I saw far fewer costumes than usual, but there were still a lot of people doing it. It's always fun to see how people come up with things that can be translated into running-friendly outfits that are still recognizable. It also seems like there are a lot of Disney nerds out there, since there's a heavy emphasis on the more obscure characters >>By the way Disney did a good job handling the crowds at EPCOT.<< Did you go through one of the 'crosswalks'? Those are one of my favorite things ever! There used to only be one on the course (in front of the Hat in the Studios), but they've added them to several races to help people get across the course. It's annoying when they switch sides right in front of you and you end up on the longer path, but it works really well to get runners and guests where they need to go Did you have any impacts any of the other days? There were races Thursday-Sunday, but I think only Saturday and Sunday would cause any backups. They also do the races early enough that most of the issues are avoided, which also gives runners more time to enjoy the parks (if they can stay awake)
Originally Posted By dagobert Yes I meant the crosswalks with the crowd handling. Someone thought about that and it was a great idea. No we hadn't had any impacts. Sunday wasn't that bad either. Bus took us to the TTC and from there we took the monorail. By the way the monorail is so cool. I love it. The slushy in France is very delicious.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip The kids on DCL have never bothered us. We hang out on the "adults only" section of the pool deck and swim/sun at Serenity Bay on Castaway Cay. At dinner you are always seated with people who are close to you in age and people without children are never seated at a table that includes children. In the evening after dinner we enjoy visiting the primary club on the ship which is adults only after 9 PM. As for Dinorama being ugly... it is supposed to be. It is modeled after roadside entertainment places found during the 50's along highways like Route 66. Having traveled those roads as a child on trips with my parents and grandparents I can guarantee you that they absolutely NAILED the look!
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "I wouldn't want to feel like I'm sneaking off into a sleazy speakeasy to get away from kids," I would!
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>The kids on DCL have never bothered us. We hang out on the "adults only" section of the pool deck and swim/sun at Serenity Bay on Castaway Cay. At dinner you are always seated with people who are close to you in age and people without children are never seated at a table that includes children. In the evening after dinner we enjoy visiting the primary club on the ship which is adults only after 9 PM.<<< They didn't bother us neither. On the ships there is so much to do for adults. We spent most of the time on the adults only sundeck and in the Europa district. Only in the Buena Vista Theatre the children annoyed me, but that was partly our fault, since we went there in the afternoon and watched Big Hero 6. By the way it is a fantastic movie. It made me even cry.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>As for Dinorama being ugly... it is supposed to be. It is modeled after roadside entertainment places found during the 50's along highways like Route 66. Having traveled those roads as a child on trips with my parents and grandparents I can guarantee you that they absolutely NAILED the look!<<< That makes sense, but I still don't like that area. The park is so beautiful and they should have come up with something nicer. Something that matches the beauty of the park.
Originally Posted By dagobert Here's part one of my pictorial trip report on my blog. Flying to the USA: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://reisewarnung.blogspot.co.at/2015/01/honeymoon-part-1.html">http://reisewarnung.blogspot.c...t-1.html</a>
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<That makes sense, but I still don't like that area. The park is so beautiful and they should have come up with something nicer. Something that matches the beauty of the park.>> I agree. Not sure what they were thinking when they chose that for a theme. It is well done, but why would you want to do that in the first place?
