"Best Trip of My Life!" - January 2015 Disney World Trip Report (1/23 - 1/31)

[dwheaton]

I just returned for a great trip to the world from January 23-31. As part of coping with being back in the real world, I'm doing this trip report to remind me of all the fun. I'll add new messages for eachpark day since I'm going to give a lot of details in each one.

To summarize, I've been to Disney World many times as both a kid and adult. We had our second daughter in early 2013, so I haven't been there since January 2012. Three years later, we made the drive from St. Louis with me, my wife, and my daughters Elise and Etta (5 1/2 and 22 months). We spent six glorious and exhausting days at the parks. I finally experienced Fastpass Plus (more on that later), many of the character greetings, and even a character breakfast. Elise also showed quite the knack for thrill rides.

This first post will be about our drive and first evening at Downtown Disney.

Day 1 - The Drive
I'll keep this part very short since it isn't about Disney World directly. We left St. Louis and made the first leg of our journey, stopping in McDonough, Georgia at a very good Holiday Inn Express. We've stayed there on our last three trips. We drove on a Friday and hit some awful traffic in Nashville but got through Atlanta easily. Elise's nose started running profusely on our drive, which made me nervous for how the rest of the trip would go. There's always an unexpected challenge when traveling with young kids. Elise was crazy at Disney World when she was around Etta's age, but Etta is more laid-back and handled everything differently (in a good way).

Day 2 - The Drive, Pushy Timeshare Employees, and Downtown Disney (Raglan Road)
Our second day was pretty easy in terms of the drive, and Elise's cold was already going away (thankfully). We stayed at the Grand Beach as a guest through a timeshare exchange from my wife (Erin)'s parents. We loved it in 2012, but this time my reaction was more mixed. We had a giant three-bedroom unit, which was so nice after days at the parks. The location on I-535 near I-536 was great. You could get to EPCOT in like seven minutes! The state of the resort and our unit wasn't so hot, however. There was an ant problem, the dishwasher was partially broken, and everything just looked a little worn down after three years.

When we arrived at the resort, I hoped the check-in process would be easy because we had a reservation at Raglan Road at 5:15. We got there at 3:35, and the woman at the check-in desk was very nice. I thought it was going to flow smoothly without any sales pitch, but then she sent me to the concierge desk. They immediately started pushing the "open house", which I politely declined. The people at the desk than got condescending and talked to me like I was a kid who didn't understand how great it was. I calmly explained that my kids were in the car with my wife, and we weren't interested. They eventually conceded, but it was really awkward. I guess it comes with the territory when staying at a resort that is connected to timeshares. I thought that Diamond Resorts might be better than Westgate given how they were last time, but that wasn't the case. They also called our unit frequently during our stay and left cryptic messages about our account to get me to call back. It wasn't as bad as Westgate, but I did consider just unplugging the phone.

Downtown Disney
I'd spent a lot of time before the trip fretting on if we should just avoid Downtown Disney and eat dinner at a resort. I decided to take a chance and try to get to DTD early and just mosey over to Raglan Road. Our reservation was at 5:15, so we pulled into the parking lot about 4:25. We turned at the first light and parked in the West Side lot. I'm unsure if the garage would have been a better move. We were far away but got a space after a few cycles. It was a long walk, but we made it to Raglan Road around 4:45. It was a Saturday so there were a lot of people. but it was January at least.

The fun began when Etta needed a diaper change and we realized that we'd left the diapers in the car. We were already outside Raglan Road at that point. I took off back to the car and rushed through the crowd. Then i couldn't find the car. After finally locating it, I rushed back and got there about 5:10. It was a lot of walking, but I was on the high of being at Disney after three years. After checking in, we stood in another line for 10 minutes and finally were seated. I'm not sure that's the best way to do things, but it wasn't so bad. We were seated in a side room to the left of the main one by the big stage. It was a little quieter, but we didn't have the fun of the dancers on the big stage. I do wonder if people expect to sit in full view of the dancers and then are disappointed. I'd been to Raglan Road before and understood it might not happen. We did have some dancers in the smaller spot in our room, and Elise even got picked to dance. She was thrilled by it and got a certificate for her efforts. That was a nice touch. The employees at the parks and outside were super nice to our girls throughout the trip, and that was one of the best parts of the whole thing.

I like pubs and relaxing bars, and Raglan Road has that look. It's at Disney, so it isn't so relaxing. Still, it's my kind of place. They have a good beer selection, and I really enjoyed the Hopsecutioner by the Terrapin Beer Company. I ordered fish and chips, which were good but not a huge portion of fish. Erin had the special pot pie (Chicken) and liked it but was stuffed. The Irish soda bread was also very good. Elise enjoyed the macaroni and cheese, which was different than your typical M&C at Disney. We also had the bread pudding for dessert, which was awesome.

I find that Raglan Road is a bit pricey for what you get. You're paying for the atmosphere as much as the food, and while it's in the middle by Disney standards, we dropped over $100 with Etta not wanting to eat very much and Elise having a child's meal. Erin also just had a soda, and I had two beers. I can't imagine what you'd spend with four adults all drinking beer and eating entrees. Still, we had a good time.

Before I finish this first post, a quick note about Downtown Disney. It really is a mess with all the walls and the parking closures. That said, it's still probably fine to visit on most days. When we left around 7:30 after doing a little shopping, there were tons of open spaces in the parking lot. I think all the warnings are keeping some people away from going there. I know that Disney is e-mailing hotel guests and recommending they don't drive there. That probably helped our cause. I will say that we typically eat multiple times at Earl of Sandwich during our trips, but we only went there on our departure day. Even that wasn't really worth the effort given the walking. It takes quite a bit of walking to get the Marketplace area. We are in good shape and don't mind the walking, but doing it with young kids is a real challenge. Luckily, we didn't have to rush to make our reservation (beyond me having to go back to the car).

I do think that Disney Springs is going to be cool. Just walking through and seeing the construction made me realize what it could be when it's finished. It's still sad to see The Adventurer's Club peeking over the walls and knowing it won't come back. I expect that Disney Springs will be mostly open by the time we get there again.

Coming Up - Day 3 (The Magic Kingdom!)

 

[dwheaton]

Day 3 - The Magic Kingdom

Now let's get to the parks! I knew that Sunday would be a bit more crowded at the Magic Kingdom, but this was the day where I'd secured a valuable Fastpass for Anna and Elsa. That's quite a feat for an off-site guest and took a lot of diligent checking. The issue was that the time wasn't until 7:40, and taking a mid-day break at the Magic Kingdom isn't worth it for an off-site guest. So we resolved to take it easy and pace ourselves. It was a challenge with lots of South American tour groups and just less friendly guests in general. I think the crowds made people a less more stressed.

Before continuing, here's a summary of the day:

Highlights: Anna and Elsa, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, child swap, personalized mickey ears, It's a Small World, Enchanted Tales with Belle
Lowlights: Crowds, surprisingly long lines at mid-tier attractions, some animatronics at Under the Sea, Pirates needs a refurb

Given that our girls our young, we didn't push to make rope drop. Also, my wife isn't an early riser, so I've found it's wise not to try a commando style with her. I discovered in our trips before having kids that while she enjoys the parks, I'll tolerate being tired just to be there. We arrived at the TTC around 9:30 and hopped on the ferry to the MK. It was cold! That boat ride was windy and chilly, but there was a long line at the monorail. It's also easier to navigate the boat with a stroller. We got into the park a little after 10 and strolled down Main Street. We had a FP+ for Peter Pan at 10:20 and timed it just right to grab a ride over London. Elise loved Peter Pan and kept asking to ride it again. Unfortunately, the line was over an hour all day.

Our next stop was It's a Small World, which is a surprise favorite for our whole family. While I love thrill rides and the more advanced AA classics, I've really grown to like IASW over the years. Erin and Elise love it, and Etta was mesmerized on her first ride. It also helps that it rarely has a line, though we did wait about 15 minutes or so this time. That's even rare in January. Elise and I then rode the Carousel, which she'd spotted and was dead set on riding. She was able to ride her own horse, so it was fun to ride side by side. Next up was Under the Sea, which has an amazing queue. This was my first time riding it. There are good parts of the ride, especially the Ursula AA. On the other hand, some parts just seem cheaply made. It's also too bright in the ride, which makes it less convincing. It was worth doing and the girls liked it, but it wasn't that great for me.

It was time for a break, so we headed for lunch at our favorite MK spot Columbia Harbour House. We went upstairs and were surprised to see a lot of people up there. I think the secret's out about that area. This is where I learned that a five-year-old does not want to stop at Disney World. We were able to recover from a near-meltdown, but that moment ensured we did a better job of setting her expectations down the road in terms of meal breaks. You can only go so fast with a toddler along. After lunch, we headed over to Pirates since the app said it had a 15-minute wait. That was incorrect, and 30 was posted. We'd experienced shorter waits than what was posted up until this point, but this was the full 30 (if not more). Still, everyone had fun on it as usual. I will say that Pirates was one of the few rides on this trip that was really showing its age. The mist effect wasn't working at the start, and everything just looked like it needed some help. The audio also wasn't great in spots either. I'm glad to hear that a refurb is coming soon; it needs the TLC.

After Pirates, we slowed down in the mid-afternoon to ensure the girls would be awake at 7:40. First off, we got silhouettes made of them on Main Street. I didn't even realize this was an option, and the pricing wasn't outlandish. We also got frames for them, and this will be a fun souvenir. Next up was getting mickey ears for both with their names on the backs. We went to the shop on Main Street, and this was surprisingly easy. It also wasn't crowded in there at all. It was pleasant, and Elise wore her ears for most of the trip. Etta was less excited about it. Walking back towards Liberty Square, Etta decided it was time for a nap. I took Elise on Haunted Mansion, and she handled it like a champ despite the 35-minute wait.

After a break for a snack, we headed over to Dumbo. I'd read a lot about the new queue set-up, and Elise loved the playground inside. We again waited a good 40 minutes before riding despite the cast member telling us it would be 5-10 minutes in the playground. It was more like 30. This experience also showed a real downside of Fastpass Plus. Erin told me that many rides were going without being filled, and I noticed that Cast Members were leaving some in case FP+ riders arrived in each cycle. Erin said that even an entire ride happened with no one on it. I think there were some issues aligning the buzzers and lines with the rides. Still, it was frustrating considering the limited number of guests at this spot.

Etta'd woken up by this point, so we enjoyed the short wait to go meet Daisy and Minnie at Pete's Silly Sideshow. This is a great hidden spot for shorter waits to meet characters. I really like all the theming in this part of New Fantasyland. It was finally time for our FP+ at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at 4:55. Elise was really excited to ride it, and the waits all day were in the 80-100 minute range. This is where we finally learned about the glories of child swap. Elise was thrilled to ride twice, and both Erin and I got to ride SDMT with her. We used this again later in the trip and on a few other rides like Soarin' and Test Track.

I know this is getting long, so I'll pick this up here at the end. After picking up random items for dinner, we spotted a short wait at Enchanted Tales with Belle. I can't rave about this attraction enough. The small groups and intimate feeling of this character meeting made it one of my favorites. Elise really got a kick out of being in the show (she was a plate) and parading around the room. The woman who played Belle was also really good with everyone. After this experience, it was time for Anna and Elsa.

I'd tried to set Elise's expectations that we may not meet A&E since the lines would be too long for Etta to handle. I kept trying to see if anything opened up, and on a Sunday night a few weeks earlier I'd been able to grab this spot from 7:40 to 8:40. There were also a few other spots even later. This was also the same time (and only time) that I was able to move up our SDMT FP+ for later to an early afternoon time. You get lucky sometime, I guess. The girls are both fans of Frozen, and Anna and Elsa interacted with them really well. It was a great way to end the night.

I'd love to get some feedback on this report and my thoughts. Do you agree? Have you had a different experience?

 

[dwheaton]

Day 4 - Disney Hollywood Studios

After a very long day at the Magic Kingdom, we planned to take it easier in our second day. The perfect choice for that approach is DHS. My parents were also in Florida and were going to the parks for a few days, so we met up with them at DHS. The result was a fun day that was shorter on attractions but pretty low-key.

Highlights: Riding Tower of Terror with my dad, girls' reactions at the Disney Jr. show, One Man's Dream (of course)
Lowlights: Scares on the Great Movie Ride, this park needs help!

Just like yesterday, we didn't rush to get to the parks right at opening. I'll admit this is a benefit of Fastpass Plus; we knew that we had a ride on TSM and didn't need to push it. We headed over to the Animation Academy where my parents were taking a drawing class and met Sorcerer Mickey with a very short line. Woo! They joined us for the Disney Jr. show, which is painful for adults but loved by the kids. Etta was blown away by seeing all the familiar Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters. I felt bad for my 71-year-old dad, who sat on the floor, but they hung in there.

Afterwards, we headed to the Great Movie Ride since my girls love Mary Poppins. They mostly enjoyed it, but Elise (who stared down the Yeti at Everest) was freaked out by the shooting and Alien scene in the Great Movie Ride. It didn't impact her long-term, but that wasn't her favorite. "Let's never ride that again", she said. I'd forgotten how dark a lot of the middle parts are, and the shooting is a lot for a five-year-old.

Next up was our Fastpass for TSM, which still involved a decent wait. Many of the fastpasses on this trip were really "sorta fastpasses" or even a "wait pass" in the case of Test Track. It still saved us time from Standby of course. This was fun, and Elise got to ride with my mom. It's hard to beat that opportunity. I held Etta during the ride, and that really makes you realize how much it swings you around.

Next up was lunch at Fairfax Fare for BBQ and then a FP ride for me and my dad at Tower of Terror. Despite a 60-minute posted wait, I feel like we only saved 10 minutes at most by using FP. The Standby line was just a little shorter than the FP one, but we did pass them near the end. Riding Tower of Terror with my dad was a blast. He's the big Disney parks fan of my parents, and we were there a lot when I was a kid.

We then met up with everyone for the Muppets, and Elise had a blast with it. She hasn't seen the latest movie but loved the reboot with Jason Siegel and Amy Adams. Our plan was to ride Star Tours and then do the Frozen singalong, but everything took longer than expected. I will say that Elise loved Star Tours, and she hasn't seen the Star Wars films yet. We had a fun combo with the pod race (first time in many tries!) with a finish in Naboo. The lines for the next Frozen show were too long, and we couldn't get there after another slow FP line. So we figured meeting Anna and Elsa the day before was good enough. We headed over to One Man's Dream, which Elise enjoyed a lot more than I expected. She knows Walt Disney and some of the films, so there was enough to make it fun for her. She also loved the models at the end.

We headed out around 4:00 and called it a night. We ordered Giordano's from our car, and it was delivered to our resort about 45 minutes later. If you're stay off-site and have an eating area, I highly recommend using them. It isn't cheap by standards at home, but it's still a better deal than eating on Disney property. It's also super convenient.

Tomorrow - The beach and EPCOT at night!

 

[ichabody]

That is so awesome that Elise enjoyed One Man's Dream! My kids loved it, too. Knowing how hard Walt Disney worked to achieve his dream and how hard the imagineers work to build the parks really helps to enjoy the parks even more! Sounds like you might have a future imagineer on your hands since she enjoyed the models at the end! Do they still have the cut-away Abraham Lincoln audio-animatronic on display? I thought it was fascinating to see all the moving parts and how they have to cue the movement with the audio...all that technology back in the 60s!! Amazing!

 

[dwheaton]

That is so awesome that Elise enjoyed One Man's Dream! My kids loved it, too. Knowing how hard Walt Disney worked to achieve his dream and how hard the imagineers work to build the parks really helps to enjoy the parks even more! Sounds like you might have a future imagineer on your hands since she enjoyed the models at the end! Do they still have the cut-away Abraham Lincoln audio-animatronic on display? I thought it was fascinating to see all the moving parts and how they have to cue the movement with the audio...all that technology back in the 60s!! Amazing!

They do still have the Abraham Lincoln, and I agree that it's fascinating (and a little creepy). It's funny because we initially called One Man's Dream a "museum", and Elise scoffed at it. What changed her mind was Erin telling her that Abe Lincoln was in there (that also worked later in the trip with the Hall of Presidents). She's intrigued by Lincoln just through photos and other limited information that she has. I could spend hours inside One Man's Dream.

 

[ichabody]

I could spend hours in there, too! Have you been to the Walt Disney family museum in San Francsico? Now that's a museum!! Curious why the fast pass lines had long wait times. That worries me...our first trip using my magic + is this June.

 

[dwheaton]

I could spend hours in there, too! Have you been to the Walt Disney family museum in San Francsico? Now that's a museum!! Curious why the fast pass lines had long wait times. That worries me...our first trip using my magic + is this June.

I haven't been to the Walt Disney Family Museum yet, but it's high up my list of places to see. I'm just not sure when we'll get to San Francisco. This trip to Florida was our first with Etta. It went well, but it may be a little while before we do another one. I really want to get back to Disneyland too, but airfare can get very pricey.

I think part of the issue were the limited FP options in the non-MK parks for rides that really need it. There were times where the SB line was about the same because of lower crowds, but people used FPs because they had reserved them. It's sort of a strange consequence of having FP+ cover so many attractions now. I think you'll be fine and have softened a bit on FP+ after this trip, but it does change the way that touring works and has some unfortunate side effects.

 

[dwheaton]

Day 5 - Beach and EPCOT
I knew that the drive and first few days would wear out the girls, so I decided this was a good time for a beach day. We probably should have just skipped the parks, but I figured a short stop at EPCOT would be fun. That night ended up working out really well. Plus, the beach was chilly so not a place to stay at for a whole day given the temperatures. Still, it was a great time.

Highlights: Nearly private beach at Canaveral National Seashore, taking Elise on Soarin' and Spaceship Earth, Sunshine Seasons, Living with the Land
Lowlights: EPCOT Character spot and its non-moving Fastpass line

I'll quickly cover our trip to the beach. We'd had a great experience back in 2012 visiting the Canaveral National Seashore. It was quiet and nearly empty, and I spent a good amount of time in the ocean because temps were in the high 70s that day. We didn't have the same luck with the weather, but it was still sunny and not bad. The major thing was arriving to an empty beach. A few fisherman arrived later, and we saw one other family. That was it, however. It's hard to beat that type of peace. We picked up food at Publix and had a nice lunch on the beach while Elise grabbed shells. Etta stepped in the frigid water and had enough, while Elise was more daring with it. The tide was really high that day, but none of us made if further than our legs. It was a nice break from theme park crowds. The drive took about an hour and 15 minutes or so from Orlando, which wasn't bad at all. It gave the girls a chance to rest in the car.

We headed back to the room and took a break there and then went to EPCOT around 4:30. We didn't even need the Spaceship Earth Fastpass and walked right onto it. I'd only gotten the FP because there were few options in Tier 2. Despite the weak descent and more simplistic narration, I still love Spaceship Earth. The AAs looked great, and Elise was a big fan. She requested to ride it again later in the week. Etta just kept trying to press the screen once she realized it did something.

Afterwards, we headed to the Land and rode Living with the Land. No attractions remind me of old EPCOT Center more than this ride. Later on, I took Etta on it again while Erin and Elise rode Soarin'. The technology may not be so new, but it's just a relaxing ride. Etta also was a lot calmer on it than Spaceship Earth. I wish there more on this scale in Future World. Next up was dinner at Sunshine Seasons, and I found the Mongolian Beef to be really good. I'd planned to order another dish, but the Cast Member advised me to try a sample because it might be too spicy. He was right, and it was nice to get that kind of helpful interaction. It was the most relaxed meal we had in the parks.

Next up was our FP for Soarin', and the child swap again worked out great. Elise had an awesome time and was amazed by it. She didn't know that much about it beforehand, so there were a lot of fun surprises. Getting to ride it twice was a nice bonus given how much she liked it. The downside with doing it twice was the amount of time it takes to get through, even with FP. It was getting pretty late already at this point. We took a quick ride on Nemo, which was uncomfortably hot. The girls liked it, but it didn't stand out for either as a favorite. We hung out for a bit and looked at exhibits, but I could tell they were tired.

We had one more stop with our FP for the Character Spot. The Standby Line said 25 minutes, so we figured it was worth using. Unfortunately, we walked into the FP line and didn't move for 20 minutes without explanation. The girls liked meeting Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie, so that was cool. On the other hand, it felt different than it was three years ago. I remember them having all five characters in a more open setting. This one felt claustrophobic. We did have a great moment where Goofy photo bombed our Minnie picture. The look on Elise's face (captured in a photo) was priceless.

It was tempting to stay for Illuminations, but we had a busy day ahead. It was about 7:30, and they were done. We were going to get Ice Cream but then remembered the Edy's location at Fountain View was now a Starbucks. I like their coffee and don't mind having it in the parks, but this was a little disappointing.

Still, it was another great day. I'd forgotten how amazing EPCOT is at night. It's been my favorite park since I was a kid, and the lack of attraction upgrades has gotten frustrating. Even so, I still may put it at the top just due to the atmosphere.

Tomorrow - celebrating my birthday in the Magic Kingdom!

 

[dwheaton]

Day 6 - The Magic Kingdom (Birthday!)

We typically visit Disney World in late January, so we've been there several times on my birthday (1/28). We aren't scheduling the trips around it, but it's a fun part of going during this time period. Thankfully, the crowds were much easier on this day than on Sunday. Despite the beach day yesterday, we were all still a little tired. Still, it was a great full day at the Magic Kingdom.

Highlights: Carousel of Progress, Elise hitting over 100,000 on Buzz Lightyear, taking Elise on Big Thunder and Space Mountain, Dole whips!
Lowlights: Frequent breakdowns of attractions, missing the Festival of Fantasy parade

There were some highs and lows on this day, including a near-meltdown from all of us around 2:00 that was saved by Dole Whips. Even so, we saw a lot considering we're traveling with two young girls. We began by heading over to Tomorrowland since I had a later FP+ for Space Mountain. We hadn't set foot in TL on Sunday since we decided to attack the park in sections. We started with Buzz Lightyear and rode it twice with no wait. We'd arrived a bit earlier this day (around 9:45) but were hardly rope dropping. Elise won the first ride by hitting a target that gave her a crazy amount of points. All of a sudden she was over 100,000. That was enough to beat my feeble 95,000. The second time, she put up only 300. She really enjoyed beating mom and dad, and I think Buzz is more her speed than Toy Story Mania at this age. Our next stop was Carousel of Progress, and I'm always glad that it's still operating. One of the songs that I've used to get Etta and Elise to sleep when they were babies was Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. It's well-known around the house, but neither had seen the show!

We were ready for Space Mountain, but we walked up to find out it was closed. This could have been handled better. There were no cast members when we arrived and just a rope in front of the FP line. There was a lot of confusion, but it was quickly cleared up. What I found really cool was that if your FP was during that time, they changed it to an all-day FP that you could use for Space Mountain or a bunch of other attractions. It showed up on the app pretty quickly. This was really convenient, and I found that FP+ worked well on this day. We hoped to catch up with SM later in the day.

Our next stop was the tea cups, but they closed off the line and said they "weren't serving any more tea" right before we got there. That was a weird one. So we decided to do Autopia despite a 20-minute posted wait. That may seem short for that attraction, but it was one of the longest at the time. It also moves really slowly, so we wondered if it would take longer. I timed it, and it was only 23 minutes. Elise had a blast doing it, though. She basically just drove the car side to side while I controlled the speed. The people behind us may not have been a fan of our slow pace. We then did our early afternoon FP at SDMT. Elise loved riding it twice again. It was also the right speed for Erin, and it was Elise's favorite coaster from the trip. I may have wanted something more detailed and longer in that spot, but I can't argue with the fun we all had on it.

Our plan for this day was to avoid any significant stops for meals because of issues the first day. We did take frequent breaks as the day went along, but they weren't as lengthy. This gave us the opportunity to check out the waffle sandwiches at Sleepy Hollow. I was blown away by the Sweet and Spicy Chicken, though Erin had mixed feelings. After lunch, we headed to Main Street to see Mary Poppins since the girls love the movie. They both went as Mary Poppins last Halloween. After a short line, they were excited to meet her. We saw MP three times on the trip, and the best version was yet to come. Our next stop was to take some photos around the castle (Erin brought a few different cameras). This is where everyone got a bit testy due to the sun and weariness. Thankfully, our day was saved by the Dole Whip! After eating those and relaxing a bit, we all were ready for more. Next up was the Tiki Room; the audio also plays frequently at home. I really wish they'd allow us to eat the Dole Whips in there like Disneyland.

It was getting closer to parade time, but Elise really wanted to do Pirates again. The wait was listed as 15 minutes, and we rolled through and had the boats in sight. That's when a breakdown happened. They kept us in line, but no one moved for another 15-20 minutes. This did cause us to miss all of the Festival of Fantasy parade. I wasn't dead set on seeing it but figured we'd catch part of it. Erin and Etta did get to see it and grabbed a great photo of the dragon. I also noticed while in line that we were going to miss our Big Thunder FP time. At first, the times available were much later. Once we were well into our hour (while still waiting inside Pirates), I was able to push it back about a half hour. That was really convenient! The app worked great, especially when you turned off the sketchy Disney wi-fi. Our next stop was Big Thunder, and Elise loved it. I do appreciate that coasters aren't super crazy at the Magic Kingdom. Elise loved both of them and would have enjoyed Splash if it wasn't closed (more on that later).

We hadn't planned to do the Hall of Presidents, but we walked by and saw that the show as starting in five minutes. It also felt like a good time to let everyone sit for a while. Elise wasn't that interested until we told her about Abe Lincoln and Barack Obama being in there. Erin and I hadn't visited the Hall since our first trip together in 2005, so we hadn't seen the Obama AA. I will say that it looked a bit strange. Still, it was interesting to see how they re-organized the show and even had Lincoln speak in the middle. It nicely incorporated the feel of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, which I love. Our next ride was the Liberty Belle, which is always closed when we visit in the winter. It re-opened on Tuesday, so we had to ride. It was a little boring, but we did note that Big Thunder was now down. Was something in the air? I barely noticed any closures except on this day. The whole family then stepped into the Haunted Mansion since the wait was just 15 minutes. Both girls handled it easily.

After another eating break, it was starting to get dark. I'm tired just writing this recap. We did a walk-on of It's a Small World and then headed over to Tomorrowland to do our Space Mountain FP. It seemed especially dark in there, more than usual. I think that maybe I just notice things more riding with Elise. I was a bit nervous to not sit next to her, but she enjoyed it. She also really liked the post show almost as much. It was time to head out, so we sauntered down Main Street around 7 and left after a really good day. I couldn't ask for more on my birthday.

Tomorrow - a quick trip to the Animal Kingdom, and a solo jaunt to EPCOT!

 

[jchurch0409]

Following along! Enjoying reading about your trip! I will be traveling in May with a 6, 4, and 23 month old, so it is nice to read about your daughter's reactions!

 

[dwheaton]

Following along! Enjoying reading about your trip! I will be traveling in May with a 6, 4, and 23 month old, so it is nice to read about your daughter's reactions!

Glad to hear that you're following along! It's been fun to revisit the trip in my mind while I write the posts. I think the biggest challenge for Erin and I was making sure we weren't pushing too hard. I tend to want to see everything, especially since we aren't a family that goes a bunch of times a year. Having two girls made it even more essential to try and slow down and take breaks. It was tiring at times abut also great fun! Their reactions were the best part.

 

[dwheaton]

Day 7 - Animal Kingdom and EPCOT
After a busy day at the Magic Kingdom, the perfect recipe was a more leisurely day at the Animal Kingdom. We'd planned to just stay for 2-3 hours, but we ended up having a great time with the Wilderness Explorers. This was one of the highlights of the trip for Elise and is a great way to make it more fun for kids.

Highlights - Wilderness Explorers, nature trails, Pizzafari (a real surprise), Illuminations, Impressions de France
Lowlights - Mistakenly taking Elise on Dinosaur

We didn't pack in the attractions on this day, and it might be my favorite. I have mixed feelings about the Animal Kingdom despite the great theming. We decided to skip the live shows because of the time commitment and the fact that Etta would get antsy. Elise has seen the Lion King and Nemo, but they aren't her most frequent movies to watch. Also, it allowed us to sleep in and recover. We didn't arrive until almost 11:00 and made it just in time for our Safari FP. For a Disney fanatic like me, it does require a change of mindset to be okay with arriving so late. We still had a lot of fun and ended up staying until about 4. The park was only open until 5, so it worked out fine.

We started with the Safari, and our driver was quite intimidating. He gave a long speech about kids not standing and the thorns in the vegetation. I have a feeling he was probably ex-military. We had some nice looks at animals, but it wasn't the best one that I've done. The rocky ride did put Etta to sleep, and she then slept in her stroller for a while on the Pangani trail and beyond. Walking into the park, Erin spotted the Wilderness Explorers activity. I'd heard about it but hadn't done much research, so this was a great find. Elise loved getting the badges and interacting with the Cast Members. They really did a great job with the entire thing. I can't recommend it highly enough. It brought more purpose to the two main trails. The one thing we didn't do was take the train to Conservation Station (a sacrifice due to time), but she got basically all the other badges. Erin and Elise spent a lot of time in the Boneyard finding that info, and we never go there. It took us to a lot of different areas of the park, and I appreciated a lot of it more while strolling with Etta sleeping in the stroller. I can definitely see the appeal of DAK even more than before.

After the Pangani Trail, we headed to Everest. I made sure Elise saw the ride and the hill, and she was still down. I again noticed the speed a lot more riding with her, and she was scared while on board but seemed to have fun. It was a great experience, and it's only a week later that Elise keeps talking about that hill and it being too much. What's odd is that I figured the reverse part would be the challenge. That always gets me. Since she'd handled Everest so well, we tried Dinosaur later. She won't admit it, but this was probably too much. The ride photo has her buried in my arms. What's interesting about having a stubborn child is that she doesn't get slowed down by the fear. I tried to explain what it was beforehand, but all she heard were "ride" and "dinosaur".

I'm jumping around, though. Dinosaur was actually our last ride of the day. After Everest, we went to Pizzafari for lunch. In the past, we've always gone to Flame Tree BBQ. This worked out really well, though. We avoided the crowds by eating later, and the pizza and salad combo was pretty good. Etta had pizza and Elise had her favorite Mac & Cheese. By this point in the trip, the eating had become a lot easier. We visited It's Tough to Be a Bug, and Elise had a blast with it. Etta sat calmly and spent a lot of time reaching out for the 3D characters. I always see the ads where kids are doing that, and I wasn't sure that I believed it. Apparently, they are true for a certain age. Both handled the darkness and scares in the theater really well. I should also mention the Maharaja Jungle Trek, which is definitely worth the time.

It's become customary since Erin and I took Elise first in 2011 for there to be a night late in the trip where Erin's ready for a break. I typically go to EPCOT for a few hours and hit some things on my own. EPCOT's been my favorite park forever (despite the downgrade of Future World's attractions), and the 9 p.m. closing time gives me a little more time. After getting dinner at Panera (1 mile from the Grand Beach), we got the girls in bed around 7:00 or so. I headed over to EPCOT and arrived around 7:30. I did Spaceship Earth and then was going to hit the single rider line of Test Track. The strange thing was that the single rider line was 30 minutes with only a 50-minute Standby wait. I noticed this at Test Track on Friday too. Apparently, it's not such a time saver as it used to be. I wanted to see Impressions de France and it was nearly 8:00, so I skipped TT and strolled to France. I stopped for a beer and giant pretzel in Germany, then ventured to France for my favorite theme park movie. It's just as amazing as ever. By this point, it was nearly time for Illuminations. I grabbed a 1664 beer at France and stepped out to watch the amazing nighttime show. We were skipping it with the family this trip because the late time would be too much for Etta. It was a real thrill to get to see it.

Tomorrow - Last Day! (Breakfast with Mary Poppins, plus EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom)

 

[dwheaton]

Day 8 - 1900 Park Fare, EPCOT, Magic Kingdom
This was our last day at the World, so I did what any obsessive Disney fan does - I tried to do way too much! My original plan was to just do breakfast and the Magic Kingdom, but Erin felt like we weren't seeing enough of EPCOT. She was right, but we still wanted to finish with the Electric Light Parade (which she'd never seen except maybe as a kid) and Wishes. So we did it all. It was great fun, and also tiring. Still, I love all the things we did, except for maybe the breakfast.

Highlights - Electric Light Parade, Wishes, Designing a car with Elise on Test Track, doing all the Kidcot stops in World Showcase
Lowlights - The chaos of a character meal, forgetting the diapers again, the line at Barnstormer

I'd set up our breakfast reservation at 1900 Park Fare for 9:05, not realizing that would be our earliest start of the week. Elise and Etta love Mary Poppins, and we didn't mention it until that morning. We'd never done a character meal before. Erin and I aren't the type that would visit characters before we had kids, and Elise was much smaller the last time we went. On the positive side, all the cast members did a great job, particularly our server. She was friendly and frequently swung by our table. The hosts also were quick to address the fact they'd run out of high chairs. By the time we'd gotten to our table, they found one and were all over it. I should also compliment the characters, particularly Alice and the Mad Hatter. It's interesting that the least convincing one was Mary Poppins, who seemed in a rush to leave our table. The girls also enjoyed meeting Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. We hadn't gone to see them in the parks (too many other good options). The food was also a little better than I expected and had lots of options.

What Erin and I didn't enjoy was just the feeling of chaos at the breakfasts. Characters are moving quickly from table to table, and Mary Poppins was only there for maybe 45 seconds. That's a lot of money to spend when you can meet her in the parks with a minimal wait. Elise is a picky eater, so she ate the basics. Etta was too distracted to eat much either. We also had to depart quickly because we forgot the diapers again, so that ended the breakfast quicker than I expected. Disney obviously has no blame for that part of it. The cost was around $70 before tip, which isn't outlandish by Disney standards but was high given what we got out of it. I can totally see why it can work for a lot of people, but I don't think we'll do a character meal again.

After breakfast, we headed over to EPCOT and were determined to take it easy. This is the easiest place to do that, though all the walking still wears you out. We started with Spaceship Earth because Elise really wanted to ride again (I wasn't complaining). The next stop was Test Track for our fastpass, and we used the child swap to great effect again. The downside was just how long it still takes to do the ride even with fastpass. It was also another case where there was still a decent wait even using FP. So Erin and just strolled around with Etta while the other rode with Elise. Having girls four years apart is a challenge for park touring. Plus, there wasn't an easy ride nearby to just do. Knowing the time, I probably should have just done Universe of Energy. This did give me time to swing by the empty Wonders of Life pavilion and take a lot of pictures. EPCOT is the nicest place to just walk around, unlike say a more hectic place like the Magic Kingdom.

Our next stop was a stroll to Mexico to ride the Three Caballeros, which is still a shell of its former self but was fun for the girls. I guess that's what really matters, right? Then we headed to Norway to stare an empty wall and feel sad about Maelstrom. Oh wait, that was just me. We decided to try out the Phineas and Ferb game there. Elise really likes that show. It was fun for her, but the videos on the phone are really long! I like that Disney is giving kids things that take a lot of time in EPCOT, but that took a really long time! I did like looking at parts of the pavilion that we barely check out, and the effects when you do the right thing were really cool.

Today was another day of many snacks, so we got giant pretzels in Germany for a break. The next few hours were mostly just strolling through countries and doing the KidCot stops. Most of the cast members were great and really nice to Elise and Etta. At some point, Etta grabbed a nap, so it was all Elise. We stopped at the French ice cream shop for some really good ice cream and grabbed a beer and chips in the U.K. This was our main goal of the day - meeting Mary Poppins again! It may seem redundant, but this was the best character meeting besides Anna and Elsa for the girls. It was a decent wait, but they loved it. This Mary was really personable and took her time, and pictures in front of the flowers at the UK turned out really well. It was also around 4:00 or so, and that was the perfect time for them too.

After completing the circle of World Showcase, Erin headed to Mouse Gear to grab a few gifts for the girls, so I took Elise on Imagination. It's still really dumb and makes me sad about the former ride. On the other hand, Elise loved it. The stinky smell and upside-down house are two things she references as favorites on the entire trip. Sigh. It's a perfect ride for five-year-olds (just not 38-year-olds). Sorry, make that 39. Yikes. I will say that it was nice to have no line, and Elise enjoyed some of the games outside the ride. I did notice that some didn't work. We tried to make a figment and send it to Erin as a joke, but the keyboard didn't work. Open up the upstairs!

It was time to venture on the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom, and that was a nice ride. Predictably, I accidentally took us up the wrong ramp going to the Magic Kingdom, and it really showed how tired we were. We resolved to not do too much at the Magic Kingdom. We let Elise pick one ride she wanted to do most at the Magic Kingdom. If I'd known at the time that Splash was open (unofficial), that would have been the choice. Instead, she picked the Barnstormer. I'd actually never ridden it in Toontown or Fantasyland. We took the WDW Railroad over to that side of the park, and the line said 20 minutes. No problem! We moved well and got within about six people of the meet-up with the FP line. Then the cast members just stopped us and let FP people go for like 15 minutes. Even when no one was coming, they just waited. This is unacceptable to me, and I was about to lose it. They need to do a better job with this side of FP. There's no reason with the amount of people in that line it should have taken that long. Elise enjoyed Barnstormer, but it was short and pretty forgettable (even for her). Etta did meet Goofy and Donald in Pete's tent while we rode, so that was fun for her.

We grabbed more snacks and made our way to Liberty Square to grab a spot for the Electric Light Parade. We found a great one by the Christmas Shoppe and loved watching it. Elise had a blast, and Etta also loved it. This was worth doing despite how tired we were. Afterwards, we just hung out in the shop until the crowds dispersed. Then we headed to our favorite spot to see Wishes, in Fantasyland near the Carousel. The fireworks go off on both sides of you, and it's a cool way to see them. We ended the night watching the Fireworks, which was a great finish. Getting back to the car still had a lot of steps, but we got very lucky. The monorail line was nuts, so we headed for the ferry and just made the boat. This saved us time (and a headache), and we had a leisurely ride to the TTC. This time, we did the monorail right and got to our car before 9:00. Not bad! It was a tiring day, but also a great ending.

Next - Summarizing the trip, with thoughts on FP+ and how the parks are doing (mostly positive!)

 

[dwheaton]

Summarizing the Trip - Traveling with Young Kids, FastPass Plus, and Other New Insights

This will be my last post on this trip report. It's been enjoyable to gather up my thoughts and remember all the fun that my family had on this trip. I was hoping for a little more interaction, but I hope it's been helpful regardless. This is a quick summary on my thoughts that I only touched on briefly during the posts or didn't address.

First of all, this was our first trip to Disney World with two kids. We went twice when Elise was just shy of 2 (in 2011) and just shy of 3 (in 2012). On the second trip, we also went with Erin's parents, so we had four adults for one kid. I'll admit that it was more challenging than I expected with two kids, especially four years apart. Elise was looking to move at a much faster pace, while Etta was good with moving leisurely. It also became a challenge just to get everyone going in the same direction at times. We even skipped the Magic Kingdom tram a few times and walked because it was just too challenging to fold up the stroller and all our gear and then try to cram onto the tram. I will not miss traveling with a stroller when we get to that point.

On the other hand, it was also wonderful to see both girls' reactions to everything. Elise enjoyed the thrill rides a lot more than I expected, and both had so much fun meeting the characters. Anna and Elsa were worth all the refreshes and checks to finally get the Fastpass Plus. It was also worth doing the SDMT, which was arguably Elise's favorite ride (along with Peter Pan). The high moments on this trip were as good as it gets, and that makes up for any exhaustion or near-meltdowns.

One thing that I would have done differently is not even scheduled any special dinner on the first night. While we had fun at Raglan Road, rushing to get there made the second day less leisurely than it should have been. Despite the colder temperatures, it would have been better to just order in pizza and get settled into the room. Of course, it's easy to say that in hindsight. I tend to want to maximize the experience, and not having gone for three years really made that a need for me. On the other hand, even more rest periods beyond what we did would have made it even better and not diminished the trip much.

Fastpass Plus
To provide some background, I was very anti-FP Plus when the information started flowing out about it. I'll also say that I'm not someone who totally adores the original Fastpass. I grew up when the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT just had standby lines. I have memories of waiting in line at everything, including the EPCOT attractions in Future World from the '80s. That said, I don't remember it being particularly stressful, even on hot summer days. There's a very different feeling to the lines today. Because of the availability of FP and the way it impacts lines, it's frustrating to stand still and watch people go by you and ride. I recognize that we're spared waiting an hour for Space Mountain or other headliners with FP, but it also artificially inflates some lines.

Before I get into a long monologue about "it used to better back then", I'll just say that I found ways to use FP very well but still recognized it required some exertion to traverse the park. What bothered me about FP+ was how it felt a lot more restrictive. There was no way to get a FP for both Soarin' and Test Track just by pushing it. It also gave preference to resort guests and added FP at attractions where it wasn't needed.

After experiencing FP+ during our trip, I still share my concerns about it. However, I can see some benefits over the previous system. We never made it to the parks at rope drop, and a reason was I knew we had Fastpasses for rides like TSM, Soarin', and others. We didn't need to push to get those FPs. That is a nice benefit. What I didn't like was the way that FP+ impacted certain lines. I could really see the change on rides like Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and even It's a Small World. Spaceship Earth frequently had waits, which is crazy in January. Our ability to walk on most attractions in January beyond the headliners was gone. I also had several experiences (most notably at Barnstormer and Dumbo) where Cast Members gave extreme preference to FP riders even when that line was mostly empty. That is what creates the animosity and hurts the experience. Rides that are cycle loaders already have a longer wait time; adding in cycles with no Standby riders just makes it painful.

The other thing that I can't comment on as much is the option for additional Fastpasses. With young kids, I couldn't justify locating a kiosk and then waiting in line to save us 15-20 minutes at the most. The trade-off felt like a wash at best. I really think that FP+ has the potential to actually do well once the ability to add the 4th FP is on the app. I had good success (once I dropped off the Disney wi-fi) in changing FP times on the fly using the app. Having that at our fingertips might help FP+ to offer even more benefits than the original FP. It still bugs me that Disney invested so much time in a system that's mediocre at best, but there are parts of it that worked.

Next Steps
I love Disney World and have been waiting for this trip for so long, and it lived up to expectations. Even so, it was also exhausting at times and wasn't truly a vacation. When you have kids that young, it's fun but tiring to do the parks. I'm thinking that our next trip probably won't be to a Disney park. My wife has been amazing and allowed me to take us to Disney parks frequently on trips. She has fun there, but she isn't the diehard that I am. The expense is also an issue, and I don't want to take Elise out of school once she gets into grade school. We might consider it in 1st grade depending on how she's doing, but that would be it.

Right now, I may try to shoot for California for our next trip in May 2016 after Elise is done with school. It would be a lot more expensive since Etta would be 3 and we'd all have to pay for airfare. Given that fact, it may be better to save that trip for a few years later. It's only been a few weeks, and while I'd love to go again sooner, a family trip is quite an undertaking.

I hope that you've enjoyed these reports!