The Walt Disney World Resort Thread: The Surface of the Sun…But with Rides and Expensive Stuff

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by CF3234, Feb 26, 2020.

  1. TLAU

    TLAU Dog Crew
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesAustin FC

    Got some Disney related christmas presents from my wife's side.

    Parents got us a $300 gift card to Capa at the Four Seasons. Gonna do that the 4th night.
    Brother in law and his fiance got us tickets to Cirque du Soleil Orlando for the 2nd day we're there.
     
    Dr. Mantis Toboggan likes this.
  2. CUgator

    CUgator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Colorado BuffaloesFlorida GatorsTampa Bay Lightning

    Doing Disney 3 weeks from today. 1 day each at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom. Is there a strategy on these lightning lane passes? Pulling the kids out of school (7, 6, 6) to avoid bigger crowds, but assuming they’ll still be needed?
     
  3. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    What days of the week are you going?

    you can get away without LL/Genie+/whatever they are calling it for Epcot and AK. MK is up to you. January after school starts is usually a dead period for lines. Outside of a few peak rides, everything should be 30 min or less.
     
    CUgator likes this.
  4. CUgator

    CUgator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Colorado BuffaloesFlorida GatorsTampa Bay Lightning

    Sunday the 26th to Tuesday the 28th.
     
    Dr. Mantis Toboggan and CF3234 like this.
  5. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    Yea. You shouldn’t need to pay if you don’t want to. It’s all up to you though and how much you want to be able to do. If you plan to return within a few years, I definitely wouldn’t pay for LL
     
    Dr. Mantis Toboggan likes this.
  6. Dr. Mantis Toboggan

    Dr. Mantis Toboggan Well-Known Member
    Florida State SeminolesBoston Red SoxOrlando MagicNew England PatriotsBoston Bruins

    Yeah That’s probably a pretty good time to go crowd wide
     
    CF3234 likes this.
  7. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    And weather wise. Unless you get a cold front, it should be 65-75 degrees and absolutely perfect park weather.
     
  8. MrOutlaw

    MrOutlaw Director corp medical
    Pittsburgh SteelersPenn State Nittany LionsPittsburgh Penguins

    I like LL for Magic kingdom because there’s enough rides/attractions to make a good ROI so to speak. The other parks it really isn’t worth it. Go early to the others and rope drop the one night ride you absolutely want to do and then maybe you stand in line for the one other ride worth it.

    edit for: rope drop flight of passage at AK for sure. Epcot rope drop either frozen, soarin or ratatoulle based on kids preference.
     
  9. Sub-Zero

    Sub-Zero ALL THE TOSTITOS!!!
    Donor
    UCF KnightsMiami MarlinsOrlando MagicMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersWWEOrlando CityTennisSneakersBig 12 Conference

    LL depends on your must have rides. For AK if you must ride flight of passage (you should) and you don’t have a rope drop family (raises hand) then maybe you might find it worth it for Everest and Dinosaur (dinosaur was 65 min yesterday since it’s closing soon).

    flight of passage has single LL only and if you can get it then itd probably save you a good 90 minutes.

    went to AK yesterday. Perfect weather. Everest was 70 minutes posted but only ended up being 50.
     
    CF3234 likes this.
  10. MrOutlaw

    MrOutlaw Director corp medical
    Pittsburgh SteelersPenn State Nittany LionsPittsburgh Penguins

    agreed that if you don’t go all out early, you’re kind of stuck spending more money. That’s how Disney gets you. Oh, you want to relax and sleep in on a vacation? Fine. “Fuck you, pay me.”
     
    am16401 and CF3234 like this.
  11. TLAU

    TLAU Dog Crew
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesAustin FC

    Agree on AK FoP. I tried to book that Saturday and it wasn’t available. Rope dropped FoP and it was 90min on the dot. When we got off the ride the line started on the rides side of the walkway instead of way back to the right on the wooden bridge that’s not really a “line” looking area.

    Drawn to Life was really cool. We had front row seats and my wife danced in HS/College so she was loving it. We also ate some edibles for enhancement. Honestly not sure if we would have gone had the tickets not been gifted to us. I’m glad we did though now.

    just wrapped 2 days of Universal. Got to do everything we wanted to with only doing 10a-2p today. Yesterday was a long one. Only express lane option was multi park for $180ea after tax and fees and shit $362 for 2 of them. We couldn’t justify that cost for one day. So yesterday had some decent lines. Single-rider line is the way to go and I’m glad my wife was encouraging that. Hagrids single rider line was “down” so that one took a full 2 hours.

    Potter Areas were very well done. On par with the immersion of the Star Wars area of HS. Big 3 potter rides were all great too. Of the 3D Rides - transformers was by far the best. Spidey was kinda weak by comparison. One of the better things we just happened to stumble into bc it was ab to rain yesterday and I saw it on the street - Bourne FX Show. That was badass.

    butter beers were real good.

    :windsy:

    IMG_2806.jpeg
     
  12. TLAU

    TLAU Dog Crew
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesAustin FC

    Got dinner tonight at Capa to fuel up for a big day at the Cot tomorrow. Booked a multi-pass LL combo (after yesterdays lines we don’t want any more 30min+ bc old and 6 days straight) for Ratatouille, Mission to Mars, and Soaring. Single Serve LL for Guardians at 2. Rest of them are scheduled to get the front park knocked out > start at Mexico and work clockwise and dinner at Chefs de France 7:15. Should get done eating just in time for lights. I’m kinda proud of my scheduling job tomorrow ngl.
     
    Sub-Zero and CoastalOrange like this.
  13. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    Only critique is chefs de france is a very long and slow meal. Also, you really got to be into that kind of cuisine. Don't know you or the wife's pallate at all but figured I'd drop that note just in case.
     
  14. snowfx2

    snowfx2 Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Los Angeles KingsLos Angeles LakersUCLA BruinsLos Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles Rams

    Bourne stunt show is cool as hell
     
  15. TLAU

    TLAU Dog Crew
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesAustin FC

    The menu looks great. Prix Fixe is definitely gonna be the play. Papa Lau said it was real real close quarters.
     
  16. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    If you looked at the menu and you are excited, you are good to go. Lot of horror stories of people showing up there blind, then immediately walking out after seeing the menu and realizing it is not for the typical american pallate.
     
    TLAU likes this.
  17. TLAU

    TLAU Dog Crew
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesAustin FC

    Capa was excellent. Had a private balcony on the 17th floor of the hotel with a view of the MK fireworks. Dry aged strip w/ wagyu reduction butter. Dessert platter on the house for our honeymoon was outstanding. Most complicated and hilarious drink menu I’ve ever seen.

    I went with the La Luna bc I needed some moon dust in my life

    IMG_4929.jpeg

    I’ve heard that “salt air” is great when it’s in season though
     
    CoastalOrange likes this.
  18. Sub-Zero

    Sub-Zero ALL THE TOSTITOS!!!
    Donor
    UCF KnightsMiami MarlinsOrlando MagicMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersWWEOrlando CityTennisSneakersBig 12 Conference

    Just funny that only Disney gets this stigma of high prices for access. Not that Disney doesn’t but I think people would be pretty shocked at prices at other parks including the fast pass at legoland
     
  19. afb

    afb Spoiler Alert: Pawnee, IN may not be on a map.
    Donor
    Florida State SeminolesBig Ten Conference

    Because it used to be free for everyone
     
  20. Sub-Zero

    Sub-Zero ALL THE TOSTITOS!!!
    Donor
    UCF KnightsMiami MarlinsOrlando MagicMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersWWEOrlando CityTennisSneakersBig 12 Conference

    I get that but it’s not just a Disney thing is more my point. Not defending the practice.
     
  21. afb

    afb Spoiler Alert: Pawnee, IN may not be on a map.
    Donor
    Florida State SeminolesBig Ten Conference

    If Disney always had it as a huge price point no one would talk about it. That’s the only reason people talk about Disney’s
     
    CF3234 likes this.
  22. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    Yup. Same reason why newspapers are dead/dying. At the birth of the internet they gave away their content for free online. So naturally people stopped subscribing and reading it for free which was also more convenient. Now they can’t even get people to pay $1 per month for an online subscription.
     
  23. bruce bowen

    bruce bowen Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Going to Legoland next Friday, fast past necessary there?
     
  24. Sub-Zero

    Sub-Zero ALL THE TOSTITOS!!!
    Donor
    UCF KnightsMiami MarlinsOrlando MagicMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersWWEOrlando CityTennisSneakersBig 12 Conference

    Absolutely not. But that’s also relative to being used to Disney lines. The longest legoland line I’ve seen is maybe 45 minutes for the Lego movie ride (which is really good). So relative to Disney you’ll feel like lines aren’t a thing.

    I like legoland a lot though. Especially for preschool kids-early elem grades because there are tons of just open play spaces there. So kids have a lot of fun even outside the rides themselves. Most things we walked right onto.
     
    snowfx2 and bruce bowen like this.
  25. bruce bowen

    bruce bowen Well-Known Member
    Donor

    :thumb: we almost pivoted to Universal but my youngest is 3.5 and LL looks perfect for him. Also my 7 year old isn't the biggest thrill seeker (yet hopefully) so figure better to wait a bit on that.
     
  26. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Clemson TigersTennessee VolunteersBarcelonaUnited States Men's National Soccer TeamLiverpool

    If I want to try and Trader Sam's Grotto and it opens at 3pm, what time do I need to be there to get in line or put my name on the list?
     
  27. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    What is your general plan? Drink for an entire afternoon? Get one drink and move on etc?

    are you staying at poly or on monorail route?
     
  28. killrbee7

    killrbee7 EMAGin' and Swaggin'
    Donor TMB OG
    South Carolina GamecocksAtlanta BravesCarolina PanthersJacksonville JaguarsLiverpoolWrexham AFC

    Usually around 1-1:30 they will have someone there to put your name on the list. That will get you in there between 3-5. If you aren’t able to go around then, they will close the list but eventually reopen it later usually around 7ish. May not be able to get in until closer to 9 with that plan, but it just depends on what you are doing. We stayed at the Poly two weeks ago and were able to go any day we wanted which was 3 times over the week.
     
  29. Hank Scorpio

    Hank Scorpio Globex Corporation, Philanthropist, Supervillain
    Donor
    Florida GatorsTampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Lightning

    LL is perfect for that age. I wouldn't take kids to Universal until they're around 8-9 or at least tall enough to ride most/all of the rides if they're thrill seekers.
     
  30. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Clemson TigersTennessee VolunteersBarcelonaUnited States Men's National Soccer TeamLiverpool

    AK in the morning until around lunch time then head that way. Have some drinks then head into MK for a bit then we have tickets for the dessert and fireworks show at MK.
     
  31. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    killrbee7 plan is prob best.
     
    CoastalOrange likes this.
  32. killrbee7

    killrbee7 EMAGin' and Swaggin'
    Donor TMB OG
    South Carolina GamecocksAtlanta BravesCarolina PanthersJacksonville JaguarsLiverpoolWrexham AFC

    If you find yourself in AK after 11:00, I highly recommend drinks and snacks at Nomad Lounge.
     
    CoastalOrange likes this.
  33. comrade static

    comrade static i love french fries
    Donor
    Oklahoma City ThunderPhiladelphia EaglesTampa Bay BuccaneersOklahoma SoonersBarAndGrillBig 8 Conference

    Looking at going to Disneyland in October for daughter’s 11th birthday. Son will be 8 at the time. We’ve been to world twice but never land.

    Thinking about booking through Davesdvc or one of those vacation points sites for the grand Californian. Never booked through those before. Any help/tips would be appreciated.

    Also, does land have a similar setup with fast pass or whatever it is called?

    Are the parks at land big enough to plan a full day for?

    daughter is also really into Harry Potter so the wife said we need to plan a day at universal which apparently isn’t close to land at all.
     
    stangd and DirtBall like this.
  34. DirtBall

    DirtBall Who Cares?
    Donor
    Kansas City RoyalsChicago BearsSporting Kansas CityPortland Trail Blazers altNebraska Cornhuskers alt

    Went last spring break. Land is like a bigger Magic Kingdom fused with HS. It has the LL just like DW. If you stay at the Grand Californian you get early access one of the two parks each day. When we did DL we were able to do the early rope drop and walked right onto: big thunder mountain, pirates, Matterhorn, runaway railroad, and smugglers run. Get a park hopper for DCA (if you even need it, I can’t remember). DCA isn’t very big and there’s not many great rides. If you do the early entrance and knock out Cars, Incredicoaster, and Soarin’ you can do that whole park in 1/2 day. Those were the only rides that had any big lines when we went. Cool thing about the Californian is its back door literally opens into DCA. At times it’s quicker/easier to go back to your room for food/drinks than waiting at one of the stands.

    I think our Uber from DL to universal was a little over an hour drive. You can do all of Universal in a day. If you can swing it the VIP tour is great. They walk you right onto each ride (Mario kart you have to wait like 15 minutes in loading room), food/drinks are included, and the studio tour lets you get off the tram and walk around the sound stages and stuff. Once it’s over (or if you leave the tour early) you still get to use your badge to use the line skip lines the rest of the day. I thought we were going to have to take the giant escalators back to MarioWorld but my kid just wanted to ride the Harry Potter broom stick ride a few more times. I can’t remember the name but there’s a nice hotel just on the other side of the parking lot that we stayed at.

    snowfx2 or one of the LA guys will have better info.
     
    comrade static and CoastalOrange like this.
  35. Sam Elliott

    Sam Elliott Job title: Assistant Bouncer at the Double Deuce
    Florida State SeminolesChicago BullsGreen Bay PackersTampa Bay LightningManchester United

    Anyone purchased the Florida resident Discover pass in prior years? I see it's back for $250/person for four days. Anything I'm missing as a drawback?

    I usually avoid Disney like the plague as a local but want my 5 year old to experience it this year.
     
  36. am16401

    am16401 Praise God
    Donor

    in future if you're going to do multiple days at USO and want express pass options just stay at one of the Signature Hotels. You could do a night a Royal Pacific and you get the free unlimited express pass for check in day and check out day.
     
    Russellin4885 likes this.
  37. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    No drawback at all outside of some
    Blackout dates. Just a good discount
     
  38. afb

    afb Spoiler Alert: Pawnee, IN may not be on a map.
    Donor
    Florida State SeminolesBig Ten Conference

    I have no insider info, but with Epic opening soon I think they might get rid of that signature hotel express pass deal
     
  39. am16401

    am16401 Praise God
    Donor

    I don't see why they would do that since they didnt when volcano bay opened and staying at those hotels didn't get you VB EP. I assume they'll just do it the same way. you just have to buy your Epic EP separately if you stay at the Signature hotels like you have to do for VB.
     
  40. afb

    afb Spoiler Alert: Pawnee, IN may not be on a map.
    Donor
    Florida State SeminolesBig Ten Conference

    I don't think comparing VB and Epic is equal
     
    am16401 likes this.
  41. FrankReynolds

    FrankReynolds Go Blue
    Donor TMB OG
    Penn State Nittany LionsLiverpool

    We're planning a mini trip to universal in the spring, piggy backing off another event. Pretty sure we're going to stay on property, looking at Cabana Bay. Any thoughts, tips or tricks for a universal stay?
     
  42. Sub-Zero

    Sub-Zero ALL THE TOSTITOS!!!
    Donor
    UCF KnightsMiami MarlinsOrlando MagicMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersWWEOrlando CityTennisSneakersBig 12 Conference

    I swear I never really heard people talking about universal property stays until they opened evermore. But the new places look like a lot of fun for a staycation
     
  43. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    Evermore looks nice as hell for a weekend with the kids where I don’t want to be dealing with the ocean.
     
    Sub-Zero likes this.
  44. Sub-Zero

    Sub-Zero ALL THE TOSTITOS!!!
    Donor
    UCF KnightsMiami MarlinsOrlando MagicMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersWWEOrlando CityTennisSneakersBig 12 Conference

    Pretty much our future plan. Beach weekend without the ocean.

    I’ve also wanted to see the lagoon since back when it was supposed to be in lake Nona
     
    CF3234 likes this.
  45. Old Gold Knights

    Old Gold Knights Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Nebraska CornhuskersLos Angeles DodgersLos Angeles LakersLos Angeles RamsWashington Commanders

    We are local and season ticket holders (Magic Key) so maybe I can address some of this:

    Disneyland does, indeed, have Lightning Lane similar to WDW. Most days, it is $35/ticket. It is worth it, imo, for out of town people to maximize your time on rides vs standing in line. Bear in mind that these can sell out on crowded days like WDW.

    Each park is absolutely worth at least 1 day individually. But the best move, if you are willing to spend the extra $, is to get a park hopper. Disneyland park (the original castle park) and California Adventure are more or less, co-located with just a plaza separating the two. If you have a park hopper, if one park is too crowded or you want to change it up, you can just walk across the plaza for an entirely different experience. If you are staying at the GC, you might want to use your 1/2 hour right away at Disneyland park, then wander over to CA at 11 am. The versatility can’t be beat.

    Harry Potter at Universal City is well over an hour away assuming no traffic. It’s NW of downtown LA. Probably best to stay in the area
    so as to not have to stress about morning traffic. We haven’t been there since it was built, but it supposed to largely mimic the experience in Orlando..but perhaps at a smaller scale.

    Hope this helps
     
    Han Solo and comrade static like this.
  46. CF3234

    CF3234 Fan of: Bandwagons
    Donor TMB OG
    Miami HurricanesMiami MarlinsMiami DolphinsFlorida PanthersTiger WoodsInter Miami CFGame of ThronesMiami Heat

    Bingo. No ocean means no wake, undertow, sea lice, etc. all things that make a beach trip 100x more stressful with small kids.
     
  47. snowfx2

    snowfx2 Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Los Angeles KingsLos Angeles LakersUCLA BruinsLos Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles Rams

    Disneyland can be a day and a half depending on how busy it is and if you want to do everything.

    DCA just be there when it opens and knock out Radiator Springs Racers because that line can get huge and it's an individual Lightning Lane that you have to pay separately. They also have a single rider line.

    If your kids enjoy it, Guardians will be something you will want to do at least twice, especially since there's like 8 different slight variations of it depending on which song you get. Also since it's October they do the Halloween version after 3pm and also make sure which DCA date you choose in October because the park will close at 6pm for the Oogie Boogie Bash. It normally is on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

    Same will be for Universal in October with the insanely popular Horror Nights, but if you get to Universal when it opens, you can knock that park out well in time before 6pm.
     
  48. comrade static

    comrade static i love french fries
    Donor
    Oklahoma City ThunderPhiladelphia EaglesTampa Bay BuccaneersOklahoma SoonersBarAndGrillBig 8 Conference

    For Disneyland:

    Initially, I thought we would just stay at the grand Californian. However, I reckon I should ask y’all if the Disneyland Hotel is worth looking at too since it is a vacation club/official hotel. I see that the grand is closer to the park but the other one is basically across the street, so not much difference.

    difference in pool(s)?
    Better/more food options?
    anything else I’m missing? Roughly $1k less to stay at the Disneyland hotel vs grand.

    other than having an early 30 min access, which we prob won’t use, is there an advantage to staying at the Disneyland hotel or grand, compared to like a Hilton across the street?
     
  49. DirtBall

    DirtBall Who Cares?
    Donor
    Kansas City RoyalsChicago BearsSporting Kansas CityPortland Trail Blazers altNebraska Cornhuskers alt

    As far as distances GC is a little over 5 min walk to DL. DH is about 5 more minutes down the road. So about 10-15 minutes to DL and a little over 5 to DCA. The monorail also stops right near DH and takes you right into DL.
     
  50. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
    Donor
    Florida State SeminolesOrlando MagicBuffalo BillsTampa Bay LightningOrlando City

    Going to Disney this weekend, our annual passes will be done come February. We have had then for about 12 years now, kids are ready to take a break and get Universal annual passes....bitter sweet.