Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey I just got back from WDW a few hours ago. I'm too tired (and too lazy) to write a complete trip report, but I did notice a few things: -The monorail interiors are worn and need to be cleaned. Walt would have a fit if he saw the torn, dirty carpet and seats I saw. -While we were at WDW for a week, I saw only ONE family with Dream Fastpasses and ONE family with Dream Ears. I didn't see any other winners of any type. -Our room at Pop Century was immaculate. Our Mousekeeper did a wonderful job. More later!
Originally Posted By CMDad <<I just got back from WDW a few hours ago. >> Me too ... I figured until (and if) I get around to writing a trip report ... I just posted my 300+ pix and videos.
Originally Posted By CMDad <<While we were at WDW for a week, I saw only ONE family with Dream Fastpasses and ONE family with Dream Ears. I didn't see any other winners of any type>> I saw a family who had just won a night in the Cinderella suite. In my MK photos you can see a picture of them having publicity pix taken.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros You seem to be pretty excited for being tired, so I will assume you had a good trip. Can't wait to hear about the details though!
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey I didn't take any pictures because I forgot my camera! We did have a fantastic trip, though. I'm not going to write a full trip report because, frankly, I can't remember everything. I will say that all of our meals were excellent - 'Ohana for breakfast, the Plaza for lunch, 50's Prime Time for dinner, Garden Grill for lunch and Sci-Fi for dinner (don't miss the chocolate tart for dessert - mmmmmmmm!). All four of the parks were very busy - even Epcot had more people in it than I've personally ever seen. We also spent a night time EMH at Animal Kingdom, which was fantastic. We didn't get a chance to check out Finding Nemo the Musical because the line was unbelieveably long. The Seas with Nemo was pretty cool - a definite improvement to the Living Seas. More later!
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey Thanks bobbelee. I realize there are problems with the parks and that they aren't maintained to Walt's high standards, but I still find much more right with the parks than I do wrong with them. Almost all of the cast members we encountered were excellent. We only had a small problem with the MK CM who refused to let my nephew take the wheelchair he'd just rented right outside the gate to the boat dock to get my mother, who experienced severe pain in her leg walking from the resort bus to the entrance. My nephew asked for a transport wheelchair, and the CM said he didn't know if they had any. Very unhelpful! It's not as though we were leaving with the chair (which every other CM I've ever encountered allowed us to do in order to get my mom to the bus area). My nephew was going to pick her up and bring her right back. The CM was very un-Disney, and we reported him.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey BTW, if you're a passholder or Florida resident and don't have the DDE card, you should definitely get one. We saved over $100 on meals and alcoholic beverages during our trip, and that's after we deducted the price of the card!
Originally Posted By gaston lives the line for Nemo was all the way back to Dinosaur when I was there in January, but in all honesty, even if you're back there, you'll get in the theater when they open the doors.
Originally Posted By Labuda First off, welcome back, Nikki! Secondly - dang, I'll send my buddy to get Everest FPs while I queue up for Nemo first thing in April, I guess. WOW!
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey Definitely queue up for Nemo early. We tried to jump in line after the safari, around 10:50 (the show starts at 11:30) and the line was all the way back to Dinosaur, just like gaston said. We could've gotten in the theater, but at the time it was standing room only and my nephew didn't feel like standing for 40 minutes, so we opted out this time. I was really upset to see two people cut in line (from New Orleans, no less - one was wearing a Saints hat) and continued to stay in line and ignore everyone who told them that the line ended farther back. Why are people so very stupid and rude over a theme park attraction? In the end, it's just silly that grown adults will act in such a way. A woman almost mowed me over to get in to the attraction because she overheard my nephew say he wasn't sure if he wanted to stand the whole time. It's just ridiculous.
Originally Posted By Rwethereyet Nik Sounds like I was at WDW the same time you were ...not only are the insides of the Monorails starting to show their age, but I was surprised to see how badly they were operating. There were problems each time we got on one. Doors wouldn't close, it would take ten or twelve times before it could pull out of the station, people not being let on while a staff member went into each car to check inside the emergency phone boxes for something. Makes me think the whole system needs to be overhauled, maybe even replaced. But with what, I don't know. Maybe it's time to finally build a bridge over that lake. I wonder if when they designed the park without direct access to it, that they envisioned the amount of people traffic that they would one day get. My boys, ages 10 and 12, actually told me this last trip " let's not go to MK anymore, it's just not worth the hassle to get there or back". I think I need to get new children.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey We didn't have any problems with the monorails, except for the lack of upkeep. They ran quite smoothly for us. <<My boys, ages 10 and 12, actually told me this last trip " let's not go to MK anymore, it's just not worth the hassle to get there or back". I think I need to get new children.>> I think so too!
Originally Posted By MPierce Don't you hate it when your kids turn on you at such an early age. I never had any problems with the monorails on any of my trips, but I know alot of people have. Don't even get TDLFAN started on the subject. I agree Nikki, they are starting to show their age.
Originally Posted By WolvesTwilight Surprised people complain about the Monorail. Its funny. I'd never been to WDW before working here, and I remember getting off the tram at the TTC and was like "Woah! There's no parking lot infront of MK?!" I'd been to Disneyland many, many, MANY times. I was there when Indiana Jones opened, que lines to Main Street. I love having the Seven Seas Lagoon here though. Walt was smart, and I explain it to guests who ask about it that Walt wanted guests to leave their old world behind. Its the same reason you can't see the castle from the turnstiles at the front of the park and you walk under the breezeways. When people learn they're being removed from the real world via Monorails and breezeways, they tend to like that bit of Disney magic. =)
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey <<When people learn they're being removed from the real world via Monorails and breezeways, they tend to like that bit of Disney magic. =)>> It's one of the things I love about WDW!
Originally Posted By Labuda "My boys, ages 10 and 12, actually told me this last trip " let's not go to MK anymore, it's just not worth the hassle to get there or back"." I can understand where your boys are coming from. It's a pain int he rear to get to the MK! BUT, once you're there.... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. HoP, CoP, Splash, HM, JC, just a super fun place to spend a little time!
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<It's one of the things I love about WDW!>> Me too. It is also the only drawback to staying at Disney Resorts. I really wish the Disney busses heading for the MK would add a stop at the TTC for people like me who would like to experience that little bit of magic again. On our first WDW visit we stayed off site. I'll never forget the feeling I had on the Ferry as we crossed the Seven Seas Lagoon heading for the Magic Kingdom.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo There's a simple answer Trippy. Take the bus to Epcot, hop the monorail to the TTC and then Monorail or Ferry over to the MK. That's what we often did. Or our first day at Epcot I wanted my MIL to see it for the first time via the monorail. So we took the bus to the MK 30 min before rope drop and then we were the only guests on the ferry from the MK to Epcot. It was very cool!
