We're headed to WDW!!! Aug 16th-30th!!!

boundlessrealm · Commander in Chief #1 Joined: Jun 24, 2005 Posts: 647

Super stoked wife booked our trip this morning. We haven't been since our honeymoon in 2003 and only spent 3 days then!. This time we are taking the kids!!! So I'm super stoked to have as many day in our trip as we do. Spending 2 days at Universal (gotta see Wizarding World).

brendafitz24 · Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2015 8:05 am Post subject:

So Jealous!!!! Have a great time!!

ocmsma · Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2015 11:16 am Post subject:

Sounds great - wish I were going ...

Smile

daveypoo · Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 7:38 am Post subject:

Have a great time Joe! And try and steal away an evening for you and Inga for some grownup fun!
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WDWFan · Pilot Joined: Mar 01, 2006 Posts: 10863

Have a wonderful time!

ocmsma · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 6:59 am Post subject:

Trip report please ... was it all you envisioned and wanted - bet your kids were super excited - post some pictures - take us all there ... Smile

boundlessrealm · Commander in Chief #1 Joined: Jun 24, 2005 Posts: 647

Boy what a doof... I never posted a trip report did I? In short it was amazing,. Best trip ever. Maybe i'll get a around to posting a full detailed trip report but here's some quick hits:

It was hot, humid and rainy. But I've been to Florida many a time and it didn't bother me. Sometimes the wife was frustrated and done with it. Kids loved the thunderstorms and got a kick out of what real weather looks like.

Disney sure knows how to make it so you don't have to do or worry about anything while on vacation. Everything they do from the time you get off the plane until you get back to the airport is amazing. Magical Express, Magic Bands, & Shuttle buses to get around all the parks and everything is absolutely genius.

Magic bands and the My Magic + app are the bees knees. From Magical Express, park entry, fastpass +, meal plan etc... they are amazing tech. Unfortunate they can't be used here in CA like they are in FL. There just isn't the need for the full blown functionality of them here. But they rock.

Quick service meal plan is also awesome. With 4 people it's almost too much food. We started only ordering 2 or 3 meals to share between the 4 of us. Helpful hint, they don't care if you are ordering a kids meal or regular adult meal so get the most you can by ordering adult meals and share. So rad Starbucks is considered as a "snack". Integration with the magic bands make it really easy and convenient.

OK... now let's talk about the parks:

What were the wife and I thinking just quickly going through EPCOT (less than half a day) when we honeymooned there in 2003? Such an amazing park. Spaceship earth is everyone's favorite. Followed by Test Track and Mission Space. Universe of Energy was awesome to go on at the time as there was a huge storm blowing through at the time.

World showcase is amazing. Favorites were Mexico ( I ate tacos from there everyday and even became Mayor on Swarm/Foursquare). The kids loved the Three Caballeros and we sing it all the time. Germany was close second for me... well... because Beer. I Love it. Kids loved Japan. Kaleb loved the American Adventure as he is a BIG fan of Great Moments with Lincoln. Illuminations blew the kids away.

Loved the Magic Kingdom. Last time we skipped a lot of things that we had here. Again, BIG MISTAKE. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is amazing. Loved Tomorrowland and getting to go in Carousel of Progress. Highlights were HM, Splash, Big Thunder and I loved showing the kids a favorites from my childhood in Country Bear Jamboree and the Peoplemover. Kaleb was blown away by the Hall of Presidents because as I stated before he LOVES Lincoln here. OH.. and all the interactive queues!!! So awesome.

Disney Hollywood studio was cool also. Their version of Tower of Terror is far superior. Kids favorite is Rockin Roller Coaster and for me it was all about Great Movie Ride. Star Tours Queue is amazing. Beauty and the Beast stage show and the Indiana Jones Stunt show are very good as well. Fantasmic in a stadium setting and the subtle differences in show was awesome. To bad we don't have room for that here. Although ours having the Mark Twain and Columbia in it make ours better. We also liked taking the boat from DHS to EPCOT as an alternative to the bus.

Animal Kingdom is absolutely gorgeous. Expedition Everest was insanely good and scary! The Nemo show is probably the best theater show Disney has ever had. And that's saying something because our Aladdin is quite amazing. But Nemo, WOW. Was not too impressed with the dinosaur area of park although the Dinosaur ride was good but its sister (Indiana Jones) ride here in CA blows it out of the water no comparison.
We all loved seeing all the animals too.

Hotels were great. 1st week at All Star Music the 2nd at Coronado Springs. Kids loved all the pools especially the one at Coronado Springs. Given the proximity of all the All Star Resorts, we went to each and swam in all their pools. Only gripe i had with regards to the hotels, is that when we switched hotels, they'll transfer your bags, but not you. So you have to get on a bus and go to a park (we went to the closest which was Blizzard beach) then get back on another bus going to your next resort. That was a waste of about an hour and a half in itself.

LIke i said all in all it was an amazing trip. Also given the fact that we were going for 2 weeks we upgraded our passes to the Premier to work on both coasts. They expire March 1st, so we are going back again next month!!! Going to be awesome.

That's it for now. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Figmentathm · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 6:50 am Post subject:

Great report. I can really sense your excitement. Glad you enjoyed it all.
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ocmsma · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 3:04 pm Post subject:

What an awesome report - perhaps someday I will get to WDW but for now just enjoy each and every visit to DL ...