Trip Report Our first WDW trip, not so scary in Disney but so scary in Universal

Hi all,

a day later than promised, but here is our TR from out October 2014 trip to WDW and Universal. It will be a long TR I guess, we have tons of pictures! So please be patient, it probably will take quit some time to finish this TR! This week we still have holidays so not that many time to work on this TR, but from next week I will post as many posts as possible during work time :)

If you are interested in the PTR: here it is

The overall thought of this trip is marvelous, wonderfull, magical, scary, beautifull! I guess a lot of you want to know the comparison with DLP. My first opinion is that although the parks in USA are older than DLP I am sure that the parks in USA are better!! The cast members are more gentle, easier to talk to! The look of the park is cleaner than in DLP, all the buildings are in a much better shape than in DLP. Off course we are in DLP 4/5 times a ytear, so everything feels 'normal' and WDW was a first timer (yeah I was there 25 years ago, but the only thing I remember from that trip are the pictures (sorry not digital). So when you visit WDW for the first time everything looks better than DLP.

The best thing about WDW in comparison to DLP is the magic band system in WDW. It really worked out very good! We also had the Memory Maker, so beside our tons of pictures we also have 100+ memory pics taken by cast members.

So in short words the days:
Friday October 17th: flight, was ok, not that much turbulence
Saturday October 18th: Magic Kingdom, was great, special, magical
Sunday October 19th (daytime): Universal, Island of Adventure, was also great, Harry Potter was marvelous
Sunday October 19th (nighttime): Universal, Universal Studios, Halloween Horror Night, absolute a thrill!
Monday October 20th: Epcot, not really our thing, Test Track was great, The Wine and Food thing was not our thing
Monday October 20th: Downtown Disney, hard to find a parking lot, and a lot of structure going on, some great shops, but overall not really our thing
Tuesday October 21th: Universal Studios, great day!
Wednesday October 22nd: Hollywood Studios, a more that great day, Fantasmic was a more that special end of the day
Wednesday October 22nd: Premium Outlets, not that great, much shops that were not our thing
Thursday October 23rd (daytime): Animal Kingdom, good, not great! Some great rides, for the rest nothing more than a zoo
Thursday October 23rd (nighttime): Magic Kingdom, Not So Scary Halloween, a more than great night!!
Friday October 24th: flight home, was ok, a lot of turbulence

So this was the trip in a nutshell!

Much, much, much more to come!!

p.s. It was the first time, but absolutely not the last!!!!
 
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FlaggNL

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After Beauty and the Beast it was time for Fantasmic! We don't have pictures from the show, only video!!

All that's left of our day in DHS are the Memory Maker pictures. So in this post (and the next) I will share some of them with you!

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FlaggNL

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The final post of the day :) Some mroe Memory Maker pics!

And I forgot two pictures from earlier that day. Off course we went to the Frozen sing-a-long! A great experience! How sweet to see little girls singing their hart out with the Frozen songs :)

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That's it for today! Off course much more to come! Next stop is Animal Kingdom!!

As always feel free to comment!!

To be continued.......
 

Longers

Well-Known Member
Before going on with this TR some tiney news with a major impact! We decided to cancel our trip for October 2015. The flight we wanted is fully booked. We could change the arrival city to Miami and ride to Orlando but that will increase the amount we need for the trip. The heart says let's go to USA and the mind says wait for a year and book for 2016. So that's what we are going to do. No WDW trip in 2015 for us. Off course sad news, but on the otherhand we have more time to enjoy the pre-feelings for a 2016 trip :)

Oh no, Sorry you are sad :( wow those flights have sold out quickly!
But like you say at least you can look forward to a trip in 2016.
In the meantime we can all enjoy your trip report!
 

disneypearl

Well-Known Member
Before going on with this TR some tiney news with a major impact! We decided to cancel our trip for October 2015. The flight we wanted is fully booked. We could change the arrival city to Miami and ride to Orlando but that will increase the amount we need for the trip. The heart says let's go to USA and the mind says wait for a year and book for 2016. So that's what we are going to do. No WDW trip in 2015 for us. Off course sad news, but on the otherhand we have more time to enjoy the pre-feelings for a 2016 trip :)

That's too bad. It is hard when things don't work out like you plan. Maybe you can keep checking on the plane and someone will end up cancelling? Anyway, if you do book for 2016 you can enjoy looking forward and planning even more.
 

coachwnh

Well-Known Member
Before going on with this TR some tiney news with a major impact! We decided to cancel our trip for October 2015. The flight we wanted is fully booked. We could change the arrival city to Miami and ride to Orlando but that will increase the amount we need for the trip. The heart says let's go to USA and the mind says wait for a year and book for 2016. So that's what we are going to do. No WDW trip in 2015 for us. Off course sad news, but on the otherhand we have more time to enjoy the pre-feelings for a 2016 trip :)
Sorry you won't be back in 2015. But, as you said, you have more time to plan that perfect trip in 2016! Im sure there will be side trips to DLP to hold you over.
 

PartOfYourWorld

Well-Known Member
Finally caught up again!

Great great pictures! Especially Universal Harry Potter! I haven't been to Diagon Alley in the Studios yet, but I love seeing everyone's pictures! Just beautiful!

Bummed you didn't like EPCOT as much, but everyone is different, and I get the feeling, it used to be my least favorite since there wasn't too many rides, but now I love going there just to walk around the different countries and try different foods, etc!

Still loving your comparisons to DLP. Haven't booked anything for that part of the journey yet, but it's coming quick so I will have to do some looking into soon.

Bummer you won't be back to WDW next year, but that's okay in 2016 it will be that much better! Hopefully all or most of the walls will be down!!!

Glad to see you liked Tower of Terror! It's my favorite ride! Still can't wait to read the rest!
 

FlaggNL

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Oh no, Sorry you are sad :( wow those flights have sold out quickly! But like you say at least you can look forward to a trip in 2016. In the meantime we can all enjoy your trip report!

Hej thanks! Yeah it is sad the flight we wanted is fully booked so soon! On the otherhand we have more time for a trip in 2016 and in summer 2015 it will be Spain :) And off course I am continue this TR! We're not there yet :)

That's too bad. It is hard when things don't work out like you plan. Maybe you can keep checking on the plane and someone will end up cancelling? Anyway, if you do book for 2016 you can enjoy looking forward and planning even more.

Thanks, we are satisfied now that it will be 2016. Off course we can check now and then if there are seats available now and then, but we decided to go to Spain in summer 2015 and 2016 will be the next Disney year :) And before October 2016 we will be in DLP a couple of time! And it will be like you said, we have more time for planning and enjoy the prefeelings!

Sorry you had to cancel your trip for next year :(, but your trip report is very good!

Thanks for the compliment! Will continue off course with more pictures and comments about the October 2014 trip!

great trip report :) I haven't flown with Thomson in years what are they like now? last time we flew with them it was a nightmare!

Thanks! We flown with Arkefly, it was an old Thomson plane. Everything was ok! No nightmare for us!

Sorry you won't be back in 2015. But, as you said, you have more time to plan that perfect trip in 2016! Im sure there will be side trips to DLP to hold you over.

Hej thanks! It will be like you said. Before we go in October 2016 there will be some trips to DLP and off course I will keep everybody informed with DLP TR's if people wanna read more about DLP, after all this is a WFD site!

Finally caught up again! Great great pictures! Especially Universal Harry Potter! I haven't been to Diagon Alley in the Studios yet, but I love seeing everyone's pictures! Just beautiful! Bummed you didn't like EPCOT as much, but everyone is different, and I get the feeling, it used to be my least favorite since there wasn't too many rides, but now I love going there just to walk around the different countries and try different foods, etc! Still loving your comparisons to DLP. Haven't booked anything for that part of the journey yet, but it's coming quick so I will have to do some looking into soon. Bummer you won't be back to WDW next year, but that's okay in 2016 it will be that much better! Hopefully all or most of the walls will be down!!! Glad to see you liked Tower of Terror! It's my favorite ride! Still can't wait to read the rest!

Hej thanks for the long comment! Thanks for the compliment! Diagon Alley is more than great! We were there more than 2,5 hrs! Everybody thinks different about the several parks! That's the great about WDW. For us Epcot didn't work, but for other people it's a great place to stay! Especially during Wine and Food festival. Great you will be in DLP some day! It will be worth the trip!! And about WDW, it's a bummer we won't be there in 2015, but it means that 2016 will be a more special year! Like you said by that time, a lot of walls have to be down! And the rest will come, I assure you! :)
 

melmel89

Well-Known Member
Thanks! We flown with Arkefly, it was an old Thomson plane. Everything was ok! No nightmare for us!
Glad to hear it :) last time we flew with them it was Sanford to Manchester, they stuck us on a short-hall plane they ran out of food and drinks, and there were no TV's :in pain: so nice to hear you had nothing like that!
 

mrdrift

Well-Known Member
That was a great day at Hollywood Studious with some really good pictures. Sad that you have to miss a trip due to airlines but you also have a budget that you need to stick to so I fully understand. At least 2016 is still in the plans. Following along.
 

FlaggNL

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Glad to hear it :) last time we flew with them it was Sanford to Manchester, they stuck us on a short-hall plane they ran out of food and drinks, and there were no TV's :in pain: so nice to hear you had nothing like that!

I hear more complains about 'cheaper' flight from and so Sandford. Sometimes I think the complaints are rubbish, but like described your fight... wow....like hell! But for us it was the latest flight from Arkefly of the season, the Belgium sister company took over the flight until March 2016. So maybe because of that the cabin crew was easier and so on.... for us just a great flight.

That was a great day at Hollywood Studious with some really good pictures. Sad that you have to miss a trip due to airlines but you also have a budget that you need to stick to so I fully understand. At least 2016 is still in the plans. Following along.

It was absolutely a great day in DHS. Fantasmic was a great closure of that day! Like I said no pics, just videos of that show. Yeah on one hand sad that we won't go in 2015, but great to have plans for 2016!

All caught up. So sorry to hear about 2015 - but hopefully you'll make some trips to DLP at least?

Of course we will make some trips to DLP and 2016 is great to be looking forward to!!

Very much enjoyed your TR. Hope your next trip is soon!

Thanks, the next Disney trip is probably soon, early 2015, but it will be DLP. WDW will have to wait until 2016 before we come back!
 

FlaggNL

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Here we go again with the TR. The final day in WDW. Next stop Animal Kingdom. We were there until around 17.00. Have to be honest that it was not really our day in that park. In my opnion it's a great park but a lot of building going on. And all the animals took our day to have a sleeping day. So no tigers nor gorilla's for us. Not many pictures from the animal part. The rest of the park is ok and more than ok. ME is a marvelous ride! Dinosaur is great. The walking and bus safaris were quite ok and Kali River rapids was more than great! Remember the sign when you walk in? You will be wet and might get soaked? Well the last one happened :) Ria was so amazing wet...... from bottom to top! Off couse no pictures during the ride... otherwise the camera was also soaked!

Here are our pictures of AK!

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mrdrift

Well-Known Member
Beautiful pictures at Animal Kingdom. You have to be at that park early to see all the animals, that is for sure. Love the pictures with the added items such a tinker bell, and the butter flies. Following along for the conclusion of this report.
 

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