Originally Posted By exp_627 <<I used to love the viking/jungle cruise style ride, but when I saw they made it a Mack water battle attraction, I lost interest. If I want to get wet, I'll go to a waterpark.>> Actually, as far as I know, this isn't a regular splash battle and it is not about getting others wet. It is supposed to be more like a "Buzz Lightyear" with water pistols.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo And here is a lovely taster of Eftling. While they build their new show, they have put in a taster (like Disney used to). <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOgvu7uB2P0&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...embedded</a> Be sure to watch the whole thing closely.
Originally Posted By WDWdreamin Thank you so much for all the info. This has been really helpful. I don't know when I'll next be going, and where we're going to go, but it's been since June 2009 so I'm due soon. I should say, I am planning to try Screamin again next time. DH's parents are in the Frankfurt area. We have friends in Aachen and Kaiserslautern and Kassel and Hannover.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Well Phastasialand is not that far from Aachen, and is just a few hours from Frankfurt. Eftling is doable from Hannover, and by ferry, so is Tivoli Gardens. Europa Park is about 240 miles south west of Frankfurt.
Originally Posted By u k fan Interesting reading Dave. Of the parks I've visited I pretty much agree with everything you said. I really enjoyed Parc Asterix, but it was very busy. The Zeus coaster was fab. I visited Phantasialand in my early teens (pre DLP I think) and I wasn't overly impressed, but then my love of Theme Parks was only just beginning then. I remember a very cool BTM rip off! I also visited Port Aventura during the Universal days (staying in the hotel that overlooked the park) and thought it was excellent. It was during Hallowe'en and the festivities were a lot of fun. Though it was weird hearing musin from NBC in a Uni. park! I really want to visit Futuroscope, but haven't got round to it yet, maybe when my DLP AP expires. I also really enjoy Legoland and the whole family (nieces and nephews too) hold APs so we'll be visiting this park a lot in the coming year. We missed last year's fireworks as we were there on powercut day! We haven't visited Alton Towers in over 10 years as some of us aren't coaster lovers and there's really not much else there for adults. Also there's no hiding that it's not Disney quality and as we visited Disney parks more and more Alton Towers lost it's shine which is a shame as we were regular visitors in the 90's and stayed at the onsite hotel several times, including my 18th birthday. I cannot agree with you about Hex though. I was so upset at the wasted opportunity that the actual ride type was that I almost complained! After the fantastic ad campaign and the awesome pre-show (far better than anything else they offered at the time) to finally be ushered onto a "Haunting" clone was so disappointing. I don't think I've forgiven them for it yet. I went to Blackpool many years ago, but the Big One was not working so didn't ride. I'm not keen to go back after they filmed the Manager basically saying that larger people weren't welcome in a documentary about companies that were fattist. Tivoli Gardens has been on my to do list for years!!!
Originally Posted By WDWdreamin My parents just told me that they are going to Copenhagen (and Edinburgh) in May. If only I could get time off...
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Cool, if you need tips on either, let me know (I adore Edinburgh, as do the kids). Interesting though, that is like someone going to Washington DC and Orlando in the same trip (ish)
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 What's weird about that? My first US trip(seven weeks)was LA San Francisco Las Vegas Orlando Side weekend trip to Cleveland Back to Orlando Tokyo, Japan Singapore Second(seven weeks)was LA San Francisco Colorando Springs Kansas Missouri Arkansas Cleveland LA I am always surprised when I hear of Americans going on holiday and they only go to one place. Even our '09 holiday to New Zealand was spent touring from the northerm Bay of Islands(Waitangi)all the way down to Queenstown and Dunedin. Likeiwse Tasmania involved landing in Hobart and then travelling completely around the island seeing everything from Port Arthur to the Gordon River and Cardle Mountain. I guess I just always feel that I want to see AS MUCH as possible when on holiday. One of my worst fears is getting home and hearing "Did you see such and such?" and doing a Homer "D'OH!!!!" Laying by a pool is complete anathema to me when there are things to see!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>> I am always surprised when I hear of Americans going on holiday and they only go to one place.<<< They only get a little bit of leave each year compared to Europe and Australia. although personally I don't feel like you get to know a place if you really hop around bid distances (road trips are different). I also think that it can take the specialness away. each to their own, though Copenhagen and Edinburgh feels quite random.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>Laying by a pool is complete anathema to me when there are things to see!<<< Me too, but when I travel for 2500-3000 miles a month, then I also like a little relaxation, it is about balance (though when one has kids, travelling completely changes). Your first US trip sounds too crazy for me. I can easily spend four weeks in California and 2-3 weeks in Florida. Vegas is worth nearly a week. My upcoming Japan trip I am trying to angle for 3 weeks, though Singapore could be brief (though still a week would be good).
Originally Posted By brotherdave Sadly, Bob, we here in the states are lucky to get two consecutive weeks, let alone seven! I'm entitled to four weeks vacation at my current employer, but am forbidden to take more than two weeks a time. And four weeks is the maximum at my company no matter how many years you have with the company. Sure, there are some lucky enough to get more paid leave, but in general, unless you are in education where you get the summers off, most people in the U.S. only get to take one to two weeks off from work for trips.
Originally Posted By WDWdreamin Yeah, it's hard for me to even get two weeks together. But since I might be moving, in between jobs (hopefully not too long) I'll have to take advantage and travel. My dad is speaking in both cities, and they pay, hence the randomness. I guess my travel style is pretty commando. We tend to see quite a bit in a short time. My first international trip included London, Bath, Rome, and Prague but I was in high school and both parents in education so then we could do longer. But I know we miss some special things that way. I've been back to London and Rome twice more though. In the above trips, where are NYC, DC, New Orleans? I mean, Arkansas?
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 "In the above trips, where are NYC, DC, New Orleans? I mean, Arkansas?" I had a LOT of friends scattered around the US. It was basically a Disney theme park/attractions holiday and that ruled out the NE corner of the US. Besides, for the first trip we landed three days before 9/11 so I am glad we didn't have a NY portion planned. As for DC, I am not a big politics person so that was not a big deal and I am not a party/bar/pub person so New Orleans was definitely out. Besides, I saw NOS at Disneyland! Sorry - just quoting some American podcaster I once heard who said he didn't need to travel to Europe now since he had done WS at Epcot. Epic FAIL.
Originally Posted By WDWdreamin I will freely admit that I know nothing to attract me to Colorando Springs, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, or Cleveland although I am sure there are some nice places, and friends are important to visit. I am certainly not into parties/bars. I have had people over to my apartment twice in the last 6mo, 7 people for a housewarming, and 4 people for a dinner. That is all the people. And I went to one Halloween Party and one Christmas Party. And I have about 4-5 alcoholic drinks a month on average. My husband and I went to New Orleans and loved the beauty of the French Quarter/Bourbon Street and the people watching and jazz music and window shopping. But, we went to Tulane University and Audubon Park and the Zoo which were all beautiful. We went on a bayou tour and saw alligators and many other animals. We went on a plantation tour and learned about history in an amazing setting. We took the old street car past stately historic homes (and Ann Rice’s) and Spanish moss covered trees. By the way, the beignets are to die for. Even if you don’t want to see the Lincoln or Washington Memorials or Vietnam or Korean War Memorials, Library of Congress, Ford’s Theater, Supreme Court, Capitol, or White House for political reasons… what about the amazing national museums? They’re gigantic and free. They have many different ones: Air and Space, Gallery of Art, National History, Portrait Gallery, Health and Medicine, Postal, or American History... This is leaving out the also famous: Newseum, JFK Center for Performing Arts, National Zoo, International Spy Museum, and National Botanic Gardens and Arboretum. Or, how about the Grand Canyon? Yosemite NP? Yellowstone NP? Niagara Falls? Great Smoky Mountains NP? If not NYC, then Boston? Philadelphia? Chicago? San Antonio?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I would never advise travelling half way around the globe for San Antonio. Nor Boston or Philidelphia unless you are interested in US history. I am, but then again, I am American. Though I would never bother with San Antonio again, having been there.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 WDWDreamin - I take your point but even with a SEVEN week holiday, I WILL NOT be able to see ALL of those things. Also, please remember this is a "Disney" board, NOT the "American historical sites" board. I would have thought somebody with the handle "WDWDreamin" would understand that I would want to spend the majority of a holiday that cost me $15,000 and fifteen months to save for at either Disney theme parks or parks in general. Yes, there are hundreds of other things I would want to see in the US(N.O. not really being one of them)but, since unlike many of you, I do not live three blocks from or even two hours drive from a Disney park, I was going to be spending a lot of time at them, since I did not know when I would be back. As it happened, I had a friend working at Skywalker Ranch and was fortunate enough to be invited to the AOTC premiere the following year so I COULD NOT pass that up, thus getting the chance to visit even MORE friends in different parts of the US. As it happened, another acquaintance was friends with Tony Baxter and we were invited one Saturday evening to visit him at his home. I can tell you now, I WOULD NOT have swapped that with some museum in a distant easter seaboard city! I took that opportunity on the second trip to see friends in even more states and thus got to "live", so to speak in states like Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas that, trust me, are as exotic as places like Bali and Indonesia are to you Yanks! When I got home to Perth, people were FASCINATED with these places and wanted to know if there were paddle steamers going up the Mississippi and called upon all kinds of stereotypes from 150 years ago - Australians LOVE the IDEA of these very "folksy" places, and *I* have been to them! Anyway, I wouldn't swap my two trips for anything. Oh and also HAVE been to the Grand Canyon!
