Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation
THE DISNEY NEWS
February 01, 2006
Copyright © 1999 - 2006 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
=================================================
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Hi Everyone!
In this blog...
* Deals and specials - including a special offer from our
ticket agent
* The latest news from around the "World" - including the
scrapping of Disney's work on Toy Story 3 and handing it
over to Pixar
* Beth, our travel agent, continues her report on her recent
visit to Universal
* Michael writes about recent changes to the Disney Dining
Experience
=================================================
We continuously update our information and you can find
these current specials in our Addenda:
A Special Offer from our ticket agent! Members receive a 5th
Day FREE when they purchase a Walt Disney World Magic Your
Way 4-Day Base or Hopper ticket with 14 day Expiration!
--------------------------------
A new Walt Disney World vacation Sweepstakes!
--------------------------------
Update on Adventures by Disney
Beth, our travel agent writes: "A little bit more
information has come out now about this. There are some new
destinations added for this year, and some new activities
added to last year's Hawaii and Wyoming trips.
Summer 2007 Destinations:
London/Paris
Italy
Hawaii (two options - Oahu and Hawaii, or Oahu and Kauai)
Costa Rica
Wyoming
Canadian Rockies
Details are still sketchy, but last year the itineraries
included stays at top-notch hotels and resorts, included
MANY activities in the price, and also included many meals.
I often hear people say that they'd like to go to
(wherever), but they don't think they'd be comfortable in a
foreign country. Well, with these trips, you're not only
pampered, but you've got escorts that care for you in true
Disney style. If you've ever hesitated to do any of things,
knowing you've got a Disney-trained escort with you should
eliminate most of your worries.
These trips are scheduled to be available starting today,
February 1. I expect them to be expensive compared to some
other tour options, but a good deal for everything that is
included."
Affordable Disney members who would like Beth to have space
put on a courtesy hold for them should log in for Beth's
contact information and the list of personal details she
needs to put them on the list.
--------------------------------
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Disney Cruise Line Special for Florida Residents for 3-, 4-,
and 7-night sailings!
--------------------------------
VEGAS
Stay at this Resort & Casino and experience AAA five diamond
award winning luxury February 5, 6 and 7, 2006 in a DELUXE
ROOM at $149/Night!
--------------------------------
If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here.
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
"Betty Boop is being booted. Fred Flintstone is getting
fired. Popeye is being popped... Universal is ending the
roles of 10 of the 120 or so costumed characters and some
show hosts at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios...
But Popeye's and Olive Oyl's losses are Zorro's and Elena's
gains, while Fred and Wilma Flintstone are being replaced
full time by Lucy and Ricky Ricardo... the penguins and
other characters from the movie Madagascar... will become
full time." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 02/01/06)
--------------------------------
"Celebration was just three years old in 1999, the stuff
planners talk about and journalists write about, but still
more idea than reality: a town center hugging a lake, about
400 houses, and a school that went only to fourth grade...
For some, the Disney name was a big draw, but... most people
who bought in Celebration thinking it was an extension of
the theme park quickly left." (Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, 01/29/06)
--------------------------------
"The Walt Disney Co. will scrap production of the latest
'Toy Story' sequel and hand the project over to Pixar
Animation Studios Inc. as part of its deal to acquire Pixar,
sources familiar with the situation said on Thursday."
(Source: Reuters, 01/26/06)
--------------------------------
"Disney doesn't build rides by slapping some track down and
plopping a roller coaster on it. Disney creates stories that
surround its rides. This is the story behind Expedition
Everest." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/26/06)
--------------------------------
Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
TOKYO DISNEYLAND
"The Oriental Land Co. today announced a new ride-style
attraction opening [in Tomorrowland] at Tokyo Disneyland in
2009. The ride is based on Monsters, Inc., a movie from
Pixar Animation Studios... guests will be able to
participate in a game of hide-and-seek at the Monsters, Inc.
building with Boo, Mike, Sulley and other characters from
the movie." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/30/06)
--------------------------------
Disneyland Resort Calendar
=================================================
NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without
notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message,
search the newspaper's archives for the story. Certain
newspapers require a free registration to view their
articles online. If web addresses are broken into more than
one line, copy and paste all lines.
=================================================
Beth, our travel agent, continues her report on her recent
visit to Universal:
"So with a good night's sleep behind us, we popped out of
bed, did a quick check of the weather on TV, and then
showered and dressed appropriately, munching granola bars as
we did so. At 8:15 we were ready to roll, just 45 minutes
before the parks officially opened. With my Disney
background, I was concerned that with two parks opening at
9AM the hotel's transportation system would be overrun and
we'd have to walk. Down the elevator and out the doors of
the West Wing we flew, straight to the water taxi dock right
out front. There was no one there. A quick check of the sign
revealed that the water taxis didn't start until 30 minutes
prior to park opening! Afraid that perhaps the shuttle bus
schedule would cut it equally close, we went with walking.
The hotel does, after all, advertise that it is within
walking distance of the parks. And that's true - if you like
to walk. Although Portofino Bay Resort is the most expensive
of the three onsite hotels, it's also the furthest from the
two parks and the City Walk entertainment area.
The resort map from our room indicated that we needed to
walk around the lake and cross over the bridge. We later
figured out that it's actually much faster to go to the
right (past the West Wing and the water taxi dock) and go
under the bridge. Oh, well. The path led us across the
street and into the Hard Rock hotel. The lobby was beautiful
and we didn't have to go far before spying some of the
hotel's "famous rockers" clothing displays, but there was no
time to lose. We followed an employee's directions and went
across the lobby to the left, through the door marked POOL -
and then stopped.
A complete lack of signage greeted us. We opted to go left,
and were quickly met with yet another choice of paths and no
directional signage. The path ahead led to a gate with pool
hours posted on it, so we went right. Bad move. After
trudging uphill for several minutes, we found ourselves at
the top of the water slide. Drats! So back down the path we
went, unable to enjoy the pretty landscaping. At the bottom,
we realized that there WAS signage, but it was now facing
us. We'd approached it from the side before and hadn't
noticed it. Through the gate with the pool hours, and around
some more lovely walkways and we finally emerged at the
gates to Universal Studios Florida. Elapsed time: 28
minutes, moving at a good pace.
I pulled out the credit card used to buy [our tickets] as
well as my confirmation sheets and proceeded to the
electronic ticket stations. We were the ONLY people doing
this - and it was already 8:45! The screen led us through
the process, and in a matter of minutes I was holding our
tickets. We quickly found the Guest Services window to the
right of the ticket stations, and again there was no one
else waiting. We asked for our two coupon booklets - one for
each ticket order - and they were handed over with a
reminder that each coupon was good for up to 6 people.
It was now minutes before opening, and unlike Disney, they
don't let people in early. I had stopped worrying, though,
because there weren't even 100 people waiting to get in! It
was at this point that we realized our tickets were not
marked ADULT or CHILD. I took the one with the largest
serial number and packed it away, thinking it was probably
the free child ticket we'd be holding on to for a visit
later this year. The other three tickets got us through, so
I must have guessed right.
We also realized that the coupons we'd been given all
expired at the end of last year. Either no one had noticed,
or they were trying to use them up before printing new ones.
Not sure which, but we didn't have need for ANY of them.
Most are BOGO coupons or small discounts on merchandise. If
you don't do the meal plan they might be useful to you. I
won't bother to list them here, though, unless someone can
confirm that the vendors are still honoring them.
Our first stop inside the gate was to pick up our wristbands
for the dining plan, which I'll write about more in the next
installment. I'll also write up my review of the different
attractions separately.
What amazed me the most about this park was that we had the
place to ourselves for nearly an hour before we saw a
significant increase in attendance. It never did get truly
crowded. This was a VERY busy weekend at Disney with many
resorts being at or near capacity, and it was a 3-day
weekend to boot. The sky was blue, the temperatures were
cool (but not cold) - the perfect setup for a miserably
crowded day in a theme park, and that was not the case here
at all! Most attractions that involved water had the water
turned off. They apparently realize that drenching your
guests before it hits 50 degrees isn't a good idea. As the
day warmed, though, the water was turned back on.
Our room keys served as our Express Passes into nearly every
attraction. We blew right past whatever line there was and
quickly got into everything. That perk in itself is worth
paying to stay at an onsite resort (provided you can get one
for a good price). You CAN buy yourself an Express Pass if
you're not staying onsite, but it only gives you one line
bypass per attraction, so it's not as good as having the
room key.
I should mention that nearly every attraction has a WARNING
sign as you enter. My husband and I are complete wimps when
it comes to rides, so at every attraction I asked the
employee guarding the Express Pass lane if the attraction
did anything involving speed, spinning, or sudden drops.
They were very accurate in their descriptions and we only
avoided two things based on what we were told, so the park
is a good one for chickens.
I should also mention that there are a few attractions
requiring guests to put their loose items in lockers. This
includes water bottles, purses, etc. Again, the signage is a
little lacking, so here's how it works... You go to a
touchscreen and push it to get started. It will instruct you
to place one finger gently on the scanner. It will scan it
once and then instruct you to do it again. After it ensures
that the scans match, it will tell you what locker number is
yours and a light on that locker will flash. Open that
locker up and cram everything in. Careful, though... you are
only allowed in one time, and that's to remove the items. If
you forgot to put something in you'll have to start over.
After the ride, you come back and use that same finger for
the scan. Your locker number appears, its light flashes, and
the locker is unlocked so you can retrieve your items. There
IS a time limit on how long you can get in for free, though!
If you exceed your time limit you'll need a credit card to
get your things out, so don't be thinking you can stash
things in there for the day for free!
We left Universal Studios at about 6:30, a half hour prior
to closing. The wind was still blowing hard, so the water
taxis weren't running. We didn't want to walk in the dark
(and we hadn't yet figured out the secret of going UNDER the
bridge) so we thought we'd take the bus. There are no signs
to the buses. None. We asked several employees who were
clueless before finding an information booth in City Walk.
He sent us back toward the Studios entrance, but instructed
us to stay right and head for 'the circle.' Sure enough, we
found a traffic circle with sandwich board-type signs, one
for each hotel.
We found the sign for Portofino and waited along with about
30 other people. A few minutes later an 18-passenger minibus
arrived. The driver stopped the line at one point, and then
indicated that the two ladies in front of us would have to
wait for the next bus. There were still empty seats, and
parents onboard quickly grabbed their children and made them
into lap kids to allow for even more people to board, but
the driver refused to let anyone else on. He pulled away
with less than a full load and left the rest of us standing
there.
Twenty minutes went by and the same bus came back. Both
parks had just closed and it was the only bus running for
Portofino Bay Resort! We managed to get about 28 people
onto the bus using the lap seating method for kids.
Amazingly, there really wasn't much of a line left as we
pulled away. Apparently, word that the bus service isn't
great travels quickly!
Now, keep in mind that the driver had just picked us up next
to the Portofino Bay sign. You can imagine our confusion
when he passed up that resort and headed for Royal Pacific!
Someone called out that he'd missed the turn, but he
stubbornly insisted on going to Royal Pacific. There wasn't
room for anyone else onboard, and no one wanted to get off
there, but he went anyway. The door opened, we waited, the
door closed, and then we went back to Portofino. Insane!
Anyway, we got back to the West Wing, ate our dinners we'd
brought from the park (more on that later) and then settled
in for a movie and then bed. The room attendant had brought
ice, restocked the bathroom amenities, and one of the beds
was turned down with two pieces of chocolate laid out.
(Apparently, word that there were three of us didn't get to
him.)
I cannot believe that we managed to do everything we wanted,
moved at a leisurely pace all day, didn't wait more than
five minutes for any attraction, and still left the park
before it's 7PM closing. This is SO not Disney! Next
installment: Islands of Adventure."
=================================================
Michael writes:
"Hello,
We have a 4 year old Son and travel to WDW 3 times per
year. We are passholders to receive the specials (Not near as
Good as in the Past) and save on park admissions.
Our last trip was October 27 thru Nov 5 2005.
We try and have a character breakfast then pick up something
light for lunch then have a sit down dinner. Or have
breakfast on the go, have a Early lunch and then a sit down
dinner. We enjoy the time to relax and regroup from the days
activities.
All has gone well lately with our Dining until this trip.
We belong to the Disney Dining Experience to get the 20%
discount.
I have noticed that many of the restaurants have raised
prices quite considerably. While offering fewer choices in
the buffets, or shrinking the menu choices.
One of our dinner experience's at the Crystal Palace was
Much LESS than we have been accustomed to. Our service was
slow, drinks had to be asked to be refilled many times. The
choice on the buffet seemed limited. We noticed they have
moved the children's mac & cheese, chicken fingers and
cheese pizza into the main buffet.
This leaves less room for other choices and also means that
the children must stand in sometimes a slow line when they
want to pick out their own food.
We have always liked the Children's Low service table at the
child's height and the separate service area away from the
main crowd of persons waiting for the main buffet. We sure
would LOVE to see it come BACK! The old service area was
still being used, but now for peanut butter and jelly.
During dinner usually you have Pooh, Tigger, Eyeore and
Piglet come to your table to sign autograph books and
picture taking. The children look forward to EACH character
heading their way, and Their Own Moment with Each Character!
Our Son saw Piglet headed his way, then Piglet went in the
back and returned a few moments later to march in the
parade. After the parade Piglet went to the other side of
the restaurant. If you try to approach a character you are
told the character will come to your table. Well that is
supposed to be how things works!
A child no matter how many times they have been to Disney or
had autographs written or had pictures taken, ALWAYS enjoys
their SPECIAL Moment with their character!
Our Son was disappointed he did Not get to be with Piglet
for that dinner seating. To me that is the Sad part! I also
paid for a Complete Experience! Which our Son did Not have!
I hope this is Not a trend about to find home!
As always Our family LOVES Disney!
We have experienced the Disney magic before our Son was
born, But now as a Parent we are So Happy to be able to
Share and See the Disney Magic with our Son!
Our Son still mentions why Piglet did Not come see him?
We explain that Piglet had to go to the bathroom and then
join Pooh and the others, and that he will see him again.
We will be returning at Easter! Thank You!"
=================================================
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Don't Leave Home Without It!
Universal offers special deals to Universal Entertainment
MasterCard cardholders. Apply now and receive a movie ticket
with your first purchase! For more details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Disney Books
Disney and other new books 50-90% off the list price.
Hundreds of books under $1.00! Plus! Over 700 videos have
been marked down to $1.99! To check out the bargains, click
here.
--------------------------------
Got Coupons?
With the Orlando Entertainment Book, you can save big on
travel, groceries, shopping, movie tickets, and more!
Coupons in the 2006 book are valid through 11/01/06. Save at
hotels and restaurants near Walt Disney World, on car
rental, airfare, admission to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld
Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa! For details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Accommodations
Get the guaranteed lowest prices at the Downtown Disney
Resorts as well as at hotels, condos and vacation rentals
outside Disney property. Plus! Receive up to a $100.00 rebate! For hotels, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Car Rental
Just enter in your travel dates, select the kind of car you
want, and receive a list of car rental prices at over 12
companies starting with the cheapest price! Click here.
Cheryl writes: "I saved over $200.00 on my mini van rental!!!"
--------------------------------
Affordable Airfare
This service delivers as many as 230 flight options in a
single search - more options than any other travel site.
It's possible to save as much as 80%! To compare prices, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Luggage
Save up to 60% on Luggage, Backpacks, and more! Donna and I
bought a beautiful 5-piece set of Samsonite luggage for our
daughter for Christmas for $144! February 5: Super Sunday
Sale - 20% OFF Site-Wide! Click here.
--------------------------------
Own a piece of the Magic Kingdom
Disney framed stock certificates are works of art. They
feature Walt Disney and the Disney characters. Unlike stock
brokers that require you to purchase several shares of
stock, OneShare sells one share of stock and mails you the
certificate. You can frame the stock certificate yourself or
OneShare will frame if for you at a nominal cost. Click here.
=============================================
See You Real Soon!
John
AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
=============================================
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information
contained in THE DISNEY NEWS. Always check to be sure. The
views and opinions expressed by others in THE DISNEY NEWS do
not necessarily reflect the views of AffordableDisney.Com.
=============================================
February 01, 2006
Copyright © 1999 - 2006 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
=================================================
To subscribe to Affordable Disney's blog, click the following
icon:
Or copy and paste the following URL into your RSS Reader:
http://affordabledisney.blogspot.com/atom.xml
: My Yahoo! users can instantly add our blogcontent to My Yahoo! Add My Yahoo!
: You can also subscribe to our blog at MSN! Add to My MSN!
=================================================
Hi Everyone!
In this blog...
* Deals and specials - including a special offer from our
ticket agent
* The latest news from around the "World" - including the
scrapping of Disney's work on Toy Story 3 and handing it
over to Pixar
* Beth, our travel agent, continues her report on her recent
visit to Universal
* Michael writes about recent changes to the Disney Dining
Experience
=================================================
We continuously update our information and you can find
these current specials in our Addenda:
A Special Offer from our ticket agent! Members receive a 5th
Day FREE when they purchase a Walt Disney World Magic Your
Way 4-Day Base or Hopper ticket with 14 day Expiration!
--------------------------------
A new Walt Disney World vacation Sweepstakes!
--------------------------------
Update on Adventures by Disney
Beth, our travel agent writes: "A little bit more
information has come out now about this. There are some new
destinations added for this year, and some new activities
added to last year's Hawaii and Wyoming trips.
Summer 2007 Destinations:
London/Paris
Italy
Hawaii (two options - Oahu and Hawaii, or Oahu and Kauai)
Costa Rica
Wyoming
Canadian Rockies
Details are still sketchy, but last year the itineraries
included stays at top-notch hotels and resorts, included
MANY activities in the price, and also included many meals.
I often hear people say that they'd like to go to
(wherever), but they don't think they'd be comfortable in a
foreign country. Well, with these trips, you're not only
pampered, but you've got escorts that care for you in true
Disney style. If you've ever hesitated to do any of things,
knowing you've got a Disney-trained escort with you should
eliminate most of your worries.
These trips are scheduled to be available starting today,
February 1. I expect them to be expensive compared to some
other tour options, but a good deal for everything that is
included."
Affordable Disney members who would like Beth to have space
put on a courtesy hold for them should log in for Beth's
contact information and the list of personal details she
needs to put them on the list.
--------------------------------
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Disney Cruise Line Special for Florida Residents for 3-, 4-,
and 7-night sailings!
--------------------------------
VEGAS
Stay at this Resort & Casino and experience AAA five diamond
award winning luxury February 5, 6 and 7, 2006 in a DELUXE
ROOM at $149/Night!
--------------------------------
If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here.
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
"Betty Boop is being booted. Fred Flintstone is getting
fired. Popeye is being popped... Universal is ending the
roles of 10 of the 120 or so costumed characters and some
show hosts at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios...
But Popeye's and Olive Oyl's losses are Zorro's and Elena's
gains, while Fred and Wilma Flintstone are being replaced
full time by Lucy and Ricky Ricardo... the penguins and
other characters from the movie Madagascar... will become
full time." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 02/01/06)
--------------------------------
"Celebration was just three years old in 1999, the stuff
planners talk about and journalists write about, but still
more idea than reality: a town center hugging a lake, about
400 houses, and a school that went only to fourth grade...
For some, the Disney name was a big draw, but... most people
who bought in Celebration thinking it was an extension of
the theme park quickly left." (Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, 01/29/06)
--------------------------------
"The Walt Disney Co. will scrap production of the latest
'Toy Story' sequel and hand the project over to Pixar
Animation Studios Inc. as part of its deal to acquire Pixar,
sources familiar with the situation said on Thursday."
(Source: Reuters, 01/26/06)
--------------------------------
"Disney doesn't build rides by slapping some track down and
plopping a roller coaster on it. Disney creates stories that
surround its rides. This is the story behind Expedition
Everest." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/26/06)
--------------------------------
Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
TOKYO DISNEYLAND
"The Oriental Land Co. today announced a new ride-style
attraction opening [in Tomorrowland] at Tokyo Disneyland in
2009. The ride is based on Monsters, Inc., a movie from
Pixar Animation Studios... guests will be able to
participate in a game of hide-and-seek at the Monsters, Inc.
building with Boo, Mike, Sulley and other characters from
the movie." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 01/30/06)
--------------------------------
Disneyland Resort Calendar
=================================================
NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without
notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message,
search the newspaper's archives for the story. Certain
newspapers require a free registration to view their
articles online. If web addresses are broken into more than
one line, copy and paste all lines.
=================================================
Beth, our travel agent, continues her report on her recent
visit to Universal:
"So with a good night's sleep behind us, we popped out of
bed, did a quick check of the weather on TV, and then
showered and dressed appropriately, munching granola bars as
we did so. At 8:15 we were ready to roll, just 45 minutes
before the parks officially opened. With my Disney
background, I was concerned that with two parks opening at
9AM the hotel's transportation system would be overrun and
we'd have to walk. Down the elevator and out the doors of
the West Wing we flew, straight to the water taxi dock right
out front. There was no one there. A quick check of the sign
revealed that the water taxis didn't start until 30 minutes
prior to park opening! Afraid that perhaps the shuttle bus
schedule would cut it equally close, we went with walking.
The hotel does, after all, advertise that it is within
walking distance of the parks. And that's true - if you like
to walk. Although Portofino Bay Resort is the most expensive
of the three onsite hotels, it's also the furthest from the
two parks and the City Walk entertainment area.
The resort map from our room indicated that we needed to
walk around the lake and cross over the bridge. We later
figured out that it's actually much faster to go to the
right (past the West Wing and the water taxi dock) and go
under the bridge. Oh, well. The path led us across the
street and into the Hard Rock hotel. The lobby was beautiful
and we didn't have to go far before spying some of the
hotel's "famous rockers" clothing displays, but there was no
time to lose. We followed an employee's directions and went
across the lobby to the left, through the door marked POOL -
and then stopped.
A complete lack of signage greeted us. We opted to go left,
and were quickly met with yet another choice of paths and no
directional signage. The path ahead led to a gate with pool
hours posted on it, so we went right. Bad move. After
trudging uphill for several minutes, we found ourselves at
the top of the water slide. Drats! So back down the path we
went, unable to enjoy the pretty landscaping. At the bottom,
we realized that there WAS signage, but it was now facing
us. We'd approached it from the side before and hadn't
noticed it. Through the gate with the pool hours, and around
some more lovely walkways and we finally emerged at the
gates to Universal Studios Florida. Elapsed time: 28
minutes, moving at a good pace.
I pulled out the credit card used to buy [our tickets] as
well as my confirmation sheets and proceeded to the
electronic ticket stations. We were the ONLY people doing
this - and it was already 8:45! The screen led us through
the process, and in a matter of minutes I was holding our
tickets. We quickly found the Guest Services window to the
right of the ticket stations, and again there was no one
else waiting. We asked for our two coupon booklets - one for
each ticket order - and they were handed over with a
reminder that each coupon was good for up to 6 people.
It was now minutes before opening, and unlike Disney, they
don't let people in early. I had stopped worrying, though,
because there weren't even 100 people waiting to get in! It
was at this point that we realized our tickets were not
marked ADULT or CHILD. I took the one with the largest
serial number and packed it away, thinking it was probably
the free child ticket we'd be holding on to for a visit
later this year. The other three tickets got us through, so
I must have guessed right.
We also realized that the coupons we'd been given all
expired at the end of last year. Either no one had noticed,
or they were trying to use them up before printing new ones.
Not sure which, but we didn't have need for ANY of them.
Most are BOGO coupons or small discounts on merchandise. If
you don't do the meal plan they might be useful to you. I
won't bother to list them here, though, unless someone can
confirm that the vendors are still honoring them.
Our first stop inside the gate was to pick up our wristbands
for the dining plan, which I'll write about more in the next
installment. I'll also write up my review of the different
attractions separately.
What amazed me the most about this park was that we had the
place to ourselves for nearly an hour before we saw a
significant increase in attendance. It never did get truly
crowded. This was a VERY busy weekend at Disney with many
resorts being at or near capacity, and it was a 3-day
weekend to boot. The sky was blue, the temperatures were
cool (but not cold) - the perfect setup for a miserably
crowded day in a theme park, and that was not the case here
at all! Most attractions that involved water had the water
turned off. They apparently realize that drenching your
guests before it hits 50 degrees isn't a good idea. As the
day warmed, though, the water was turned back on.
Our room keys served as our Express Passes into nearly every
attraction. We blew right past whatever line there was and
quickly got into everything. That perk in itself is worth
paying to stay at an onsite resort (provided you can get one
for a good price). You CAN buy yourself an Express Pass if
you're not staying onsite, but it only gives you one line
bypass per attraction, so it's not as good as having the
room key.
I should mention that nearly every attraction has a WARNING
sign as you enter. My husband and I are complete wimps when
it comes to rides, so at every attraction I asked the
employee guarding the Express Pass lane if the attraction
did anything involving speed, spinning, or sudden drops.
They were very accurate in their descriptions and we only
avoided two things based on what we were told, so the park
is a good one for chickens.
I should also mention that there are a few attractions
requiring guests to put their loose items in lockers. This
includes water bottles, purses, etc. Again, the signage is a
little lacking, so here's how it works... You go to a
touchscreen and push it to get started. It will instruct you
to place one finger gently on the scanner. It will scan it
once and then instruct you to do it again. After it ensures
that the scans match, it will tell you what locker number is
yours and a light on that locker will flash. Open that
locker up and cram everything in. Careful, though... you are
only allowed in one time, and that's to remove the items. If
you forgot to put something in you'll have to start over.
After the ride, you come back and use that same finger for
the scan. Your locker number appears, its light flashes, and
the locker is unlocked so you can retrieve your items. There
IS a time limit on how long you can get in for free, though!
If you exceed your time limit you'll need a credit card to
get your things out, so don't be thinking you can stash
things in there for the day for free!
We left Universal Studios at about 6:30, a half hour prior
to closing. The wind was still blowing hard, so the water
taxis weren't running. We didn't want to walk in the dark
(and we hadn't yet figured out the secret of going UNDER the
bridge) so we thought we'd take the bus. There are no signs
to the buses. None. We asked several employees who were
clueless before finding an information booth in City Walk.
He sent us back toward the Studios entrance, but instructed
us to stay right and head for 'the circle.' Sure enough, we
found a traffic circle with sandwich board-type signs, one
for each hotel.
We found the sign for Portofino and waited along with about
30 other people. A few minutes later an 18-passenger minibus
arrived. The driver stopped the line at one point, and then
indicated that the two ladies in front of us would have to
wait for the next bus. There were still empty seats, and
parents onboard quickly grabbed their children and made them
into lap kids to allow for even more people to board, but
the driver refused to let anyone else on. He pulled away
with less than a full load and left the rest of us standing
there.
Twenty minutes went by and the same bus came back. Both
parks had just closed and it was the only bus running for
Portofino Bay Resort! We managed to get about 28 people
onto the bus using the lap seating method for kids.
Amazingly, there really wasn't much of a line left as we
pulled away. Apparently, word that the bus service isn't
great travels quickly!
Now, keep in mind that the driver had just picked us up next
to the Portofino Bay sign. You can imagine our confusion
when he passed up that resort and headed for Royal Pacific!
Someone called out that he'd missed the turn, but he
stubbornly insisted on going to Royal Pacific. There wasn't
room for anyone else onboard, and no one wanted to get off
there, but he went anyway. The door opened, we waited, the
door closed, and then we went back to Portofino. Insane!
Anyway, we got back to the West Wing, ate our dinners we'd
brought from the park (more on that later) and then settled
in for a movie and then bed. The room attendant had brought
ice, restocked the bathroom amenities, and one of the beds
was turned down with two pieces of chocolate laid out.
(Apparently, word that there were three of us didn't get to
him.)
I cannot believe that we managed to do everything we wanted,
moved at a leisurely pace all day, didn't wait more than
five minutes for any attraction, and still left the park
before it's 7PM closing. This is SO not Disney! Next
installment: Islands of Adventure."
=================================================
Michael writes:
"Hello,
We have a 4 year old Son and travel to WDW 3 times per
year. We are passholders to receive the specials (Not near as
Good as in the Past) and save on park admissions.
Our last trip was October 27 thru Nov 5 2005.
We try and have a character breakfast then pick up something
light for lunch then have a sit down dinner. Or have
breakfast on the go, have a Early lunch and then a sit down
dinner. We enjoy the time to relax and regroup from the days
activities.
All has gone well lately with our Dining until this trip.
We belong to the Disney Dining Experience to get the 20%
discount.
I have noticed that many of the restaurants have raised
prices quite considerably. While offering fewer choices in
the buffets, or shrinking the menu choices.
One of our dinner experience's at the Crystal Palace was
Much LESS than we have been accustomed to. Our service was
slow, drinks had to be asked to be refilled many times. The
choice on the buffet seemed limited. We noticed they have
moved the children's mac & cheese, chicken fingers and
cheese pizza into the main buffet.
This leaves less room for other choices and also means that
the children must stand in sometimes a slow line when they
want to pick out their own food.
We have always liked the Children's Low service table at the
child's height and the separate service area away from the
main crowd of persons waiting for the main buffet. We sure
would LOVE to see it come BACK! The old service area was
still being used, but now for peanut butter and jelly.
During dinner usually you have Pooh, Tigger, Eyeore and
Piglet come to your table to sign autograph books and
picture taking. The children look forward to EACH character
heading their way, and Their Own Moment with Each Character!
Our Son saw Piglet headed his way, then Piglet went in the
back and returned a few moments later to march in the
parade. After the parade Piglet went to the other side of
the restaurant. If you try to approach a character you are
told the character will come to your table. Well that is
supposed to be how things works!
A child no matter how many times they have been to Disney or
had autographs written or had pictures taken, ALWAYS enjoys
their SPECIAL Moment with their character!
Our Son was disappointed he did Not get to be with Piglet
for that dinner seating. To me that is the Sad part! I also
paid for a Complete Experience! Which our Son did Not have!
I hope this is Not a trend about to find home!
As always Our family LOVES Disney!
We have experienced the Disney magic before our Son was
born, But now as a Parent we are So Happy to be able to
Share and See the Disney Magic with our Son!
Our Son still mentions why Piglet did Not come see him?
We explain that Piglet had to go to the bathroom and then
join Pooh and the others, and that he will see him again.
We will be returning at Easter! Thank You!"
=================================================
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See You Real Soon!
John
AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
=============================================
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posted by AffordableDisney.Com at 6:36 AM
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