Trip Report ANOTHER LIVE TR: Your favorite lesbians are going back...for a day trip??

jjbuster2 · Aug 24, 2015

[LIST said:
[*]Any advice on crowd levels and general craziness on the day after Thanksgiving v. the Saturday after? In 2013 we were in both MK and Epcot the day after; MK was miserably crowded and Epcot was nearly empty. We've never been the Saturday after.
[/LIST]

Thanksgiving 2014: Thanksgiving Day in Hollywood Studios=crowded but doable, Friday after MK (should have known better but had an ADR) OMG crowded! We had lowered expectations and were planning on doing some high volume attractions and were on a pretty crowded Liberty Belle looking back at a sea of people trying to flow through Adventureland. After lunch we hopped to EPCOT and it was much better. These were the last 2 days of a week long trip so no advice on the Saturday after except it wasn't too bad the weekend before and the crowds had been building each day so I imagine it is very similar to Friday. Sorry I don't have a real answer, just speculation...maybe it helps...

PhilharMagician · Aug 24, 2015

Good luck with WDW on Black Friday. Busy day for the parks. Get your plans straight ASAP and make any ressies NOW! expect crowds to be a 10 out of 10.
Saturday will not be much better, but crowds could drop slightly. Things clear up Sunday into Monday

It has been about 7 years now since we have done a Thanksgiving week, but we have done that week 4 times and it just got worse year after year. Great time to kick it into low gear and people watch.

HolleBolleGijs · Aug 24, 2015

b33b33 said:
People who have experience traveling between Philly and NYC: I know this isn't specifically Disney related, but do you prefer NJ Transit, Megabus, Amtrak, or something else to get between the two? Any info on fares (Megabus seems to be the cheapest option), travel time, reliability, comfort, etc., would be appreciated.

(warning, I went a little crazy, but I'm a Philly girl so I felt obligated to help out!)

No matter what you'll do, you'll probably end up taking Septa. All of your options will dump you at 30th Street Station at some point, and from there you'll want to catch the Airport line to PHL. I'm honestly not sure about the easiest way to get to your hotel from the airport, so I would call them and ask (their website doesn't show public transportation options).

If you need more Septa help, let me know. Delays on Septa are frequent, but they are usually only a few minutes.

Anyway, here are your three main options, with some comments about each, and fare info!

Amtrak:
Definitely the most comfortable and fastest option, but also the most expensive. From my experience it's very reliable, but if there is a delay, it's usually much longer than NJT or Septa (I've seen a few hours whereas NJT/Septa tend to be only a few minutes). It's also rather pricey, which is why I've only taken it a handful of times when my employer paid for it. But those few times were exquisite.
*there are also luggage restrictions on Amtrak, but they might not check*

1. Penn Station to 30th Street Station (Amtrak) - $54 - $92pp depending on time of day; 1 - 1.5 hours
2. 30th Street Station to Philadelphia International Airport (Septa) - $6.50 if purchased at Septa counter at 30th Street Station, $8 if purchased-board; 15 minutes
Total: $60 - $100pp; 1.25-1.75 hours

NJ Transit:
Complicated only because there are 3 different legs. NJ transit isn't as comfortable as Amtrak, but it's only for an hour and a half so I've never seen that as a sole reason to upgrade. By taking NJT, you're adding another hour to your trip, though. NJT trains only go to Trenton, and then from there you'll have to take Septa to 30th Street Station, and then switch to a train that goes to the airport.
1. Penn Station to Trenton (NJT) - $16.75pp; ~1.5 hours
2. Trenton to 30th Street Station (Septa) - $9 if purchased at station, $10 if purchased on board; ~1 hour
3. 30th Street Station to Philadelphia International Airport (Septa) - $6.50 if purchased at Septa counter at 30th Street Station, $8 if purchased-board; 15 minutes
Total: $32 - $35pp, 2.75 hours

Megabus:
This is by far the least reliable option. Also least comfortable. I've personally never taken it, but I've heard less-than-stellar experiences from my friends (long delays, not-so-fun seat neighbors, etc.). Basically, no one takes Megabus for the experience, they take it because it's cheap. It'll drop you off 2-3 minutes walk from 30th Street Station. Also, prices can vary considerably for Megabus. They advertise trips from $1, but I would be willing to bet that they will be a lot more Thanksgiving week (schedule isn't available for that week yet). Looking at the current schedule, it doesn't seem to be more than $11pp, but I'd expect it to be a bit more for Thanksgiving.

1. NY to Philly - ???; 2 - 2.25 hours
2. 30th Street Station to Philadelphia International Airport - $6.50 if purchased at Septa counter at 30th Street Station, $8 if purchased-board; 15 minutes
Total: $??? ; 2.25 - 2.5 hours

Bottom Line: If you want reliability and low cost, I think NJT is the way to go, although takes a little longer. Megabus isn't an awful option, but I think it really depends on how much it will cost that week. The good thing about NJT/Septa is that their fares stay the same for the most part

bee · Aug 24, 2015

jjbuster2 said:
Thanksgiving 2014: Thanksgiving Day in Hollywood Studios=crowded but doable, Friday after MK (should have known better but had an ADR) OMG crowded! We had lowered expectations and were planning on doing some high volume attractions and were on a pretty crowded Liberty Belle looking back at a sea of people trying to flow through Adventureland. After lunch we hopped to EPCOT and it was much better. These were the last 2 days of a week long trip so no advice on the Saturday after except it wasn't too bad the weekend before and the crowds had been building each day so I imagine it is very similar to Friday. Sorry I don't have a real answer, just speculation...maybe it helps...

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and thoughts! We were thinking about doing a MK morning and hopping to Epcot but it might be more trouble than it's worth.

bee · Aug 24, 2015

PhilharMagician said:
Good luck with WDW on Black Friday. Busy day for the parks. Get your plans straight ASAP and make any ressies NOW! expect crowds to be a 10 out of 10.
Saturday will not be much better, but crowds could drop slightly. Things clear up Sunday into Monday

It has been about 7 years now since we have done a Thanksgiving week, but we have done that week 4 times and it just got worse year after year. Great time to kick it into low gear and people watch.

Thank you so much! It's interesting to know about the patterns of increasing crowds. I wonder if they have continued in the past seven years. Probably haha!

bee · Aug 24, 2015

HolleBolleGijs said:
(warning, I went a little crazy, but I'm a Philly girl so I felt obligated to help out!)

No matter what you'll do, you'll probably end up taking Septa. All of your options will dump you at 30th Street Station at some point, and from there you'll want to catch the Airport line to PHL. I'm honestly not sure about the easiest way to get to your hotel from the airport, so I would call them and ask (their website doesn't show public transportation options).

If you need more Septa help, let me know. Delays on Septa are frequent, but they are usually only a few minutes.

Anyway, here are your three main options, with some comments about each, and fare info!

Amtrak:
Definitely the most comfortable and fastest option, but also the most expensive. From my experience it's very reliable, but if there is a delay, it's usually much longer than NJT or Septa (I've seen a few hours whereas NJT/Septa tend to be only a few minutes). It's also rather pricey, which is why I've only taken it a handful of times when my employer paid for it. But those few times were exquisite.
*there are also luggage restrictions on Amtrak, but they might not check*

1. Penn Station to 30th Street Station (Amtrak) - $54 - $92pp depending on time of day; 1 - 1.5 hours
2. 30th Street Station to Philadelphia International Airport (Septa) - $6.50 if purchased at Septa counter at 30th Street Station, $8 if purchased-board; 15 minutes
Total: $60 - $100pp; 1.25-1.75 hours

NJ Transit:
Complicated only because there are 3 different legs. NJ transit isn't as comfortable as Amtrak, but it's only for an hour and a half so I've never seen that as a sole reason to upgrade. By taking NJT, you're adding another hour to your trip, though. NJT trains only go to Trenton, and then from there you'll have to take Septa to 30th Street Station, and then switch to a train that goes to the airport.
1. Penn Station to Trenton (NJT) - $16.75pp; ~1.5 hours
2. Trenton to 30th Street Station (Septa) - $9 if purchased at station, $10 if purchased on board; ~1 hour
3. 30th Street Station to Philadelphia International Airport (Septa) - $6.50 if purchased at Septa counter at 30th Street Station, $8 if purchased-board; 15 minutes
Total: $32 - $35pp, 2.75 hours

Megabus:
This is by far the least reliable option. Also least comfortable. I've personally never taken it, but I've heard less-than-stellar experiences from my friends (long delays, not-so-fun seat neighbors, etc.). Basically, no one takes Megabus for the experience, they take it because it's cheap. It'll drop you off 2-3 minutes walk from 30th Street Station. Also, prices can vary considerably for Megabus. They advertise trips from $1, but I would be willing to bet that they will be a lot more Thanksgiving week (schedule isn't available for that week yet). Looking at the current schedule, it doesn't seem to be more than $11pp, but I'd expect it to be a bit more for Thanksgiving.

1. NY to Philly - ???; 2 - 2.25 hours
2. 30th Street Station to Philadelphia International Airport - $6.50 if purchased at Septa counter at 30th Street Station, $8 if purchased-board; 15 minutes
Total: $??? ; 2.25 - 2.5 hours

Bottom Line: If you want reliability and low cost, I think NJT is the way to go, although takes a little longer. Megabus isn't an awful option, but I think it really depends on how much it will cost that week. The good thing about NJT/Septa is that their fares stay the same for the most part

You are seriously the best. Thank you for the detailed comparison between the three options! I was already leaning toward NJT (I live in NJ and don't have a car so I take some form of NJT pretty much every day so I am more familiar with it) and your advice has pretty much settled it. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

PhilharMagician · Aug 24, 2015

b33b33 said:
Thank you so much! It's interesting to know about the patterns of increasing crowds. I wonder if they have continued in the past seven years. Probably haha!

Um, yes they have. The crowds used to not really build until the day before Thanksgiving when we first started traveling that week and now WDW is packed for the entire week.

Still any day in WDW is a good day! Get there early.

FlaggNL · Aug 25, 2015

Great title and great plans

Have a great trip!

Courtney6682 · Aug 25, 2015

LOVE the title...can't wait to hear about your trip!

HolleBolleGijs · Aug 25, 2015

b33b33 said:
You are seriously the best. Thank you for the detailed comparison between the three options! I was already leaning toward NJT (I live in NJ and don't have a car so I take some form of NJT pretty much every day so I am more familiar with it) and your advice has pretty much settled it. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

No problem at all

If you need any more help with Septa, feel free to ask (I regularly go to 30th Street Station for school, so I know it like the back of my hand)! It's also worth noting that you would also be able to get off at Suburban Station or Jefferson Station, if for some reason you miss 30th Street! Those are are the three "main" stations in the city, so every train line goes through them!

I wouldn't be able to handle just a one day trip to WDW - it's all or nothing for me! But I'm sure you'll have a blast

bee · Sep 3, 2015

Updates!!!

The in-laws are most likely on board for staying a night or two. M's parents have APs and they have friends with offsite timeshares so we will probably stay in an off-site villa. Depending on whether M's brother joins us (he's the odd one out who kind of hates WDW [?!?!?!?!]) there will be either 4 or 5 adults in the room so a villa will be the most comfortable and cost-effective option for all of us. I'm sure it's way late to rent DVC points for this Thanksgiving, or I would jump on it!

Today I made reservations for 5 at Biergarten for late lunch (the latest lunch time available so it's like an early dinner but is still the lunch price) for both Friday and Saturday. Obviously I will cancel the one we won't be using, but I feel better having both for now while we don't have solid plans. M and I LOVED our Biergarten lunch last time and we are excited to share it with the family! We'll be keeping an eye out for BOG reservations, even if we have to do individual 1-person lunch reservations and wait until the day before when people cancel!

bee · Sep 16, 2015

The plot thickens!

After conspiring with my MIL (possibly the only person I know who's more Disney-obsessed than we are!) we have decided we're not taking a day trip. And we're not staying offsite. We are all staying...at Pop Century!

ETA: Even M's reluctant younger brother, who did NOT catch the Disney bug from living with M's parents for 22 years, will be joining us! He can be grumpy about the walking (he's said something like "My feet bleed just thinking about Disney World!" before) and about spending money on anything in general, and he DOES NOT WANT to make a Disney account online and help with the planning. But suddenly he is very enthusiastic about the trip! He, M, and I will be in one room and the parents will be in another. I made the reservations (being the most tech-savvy and Disney-savvy of everyone in our group) and requested nearby rooms. Our online check-in and FP+ windows will open soon! Now to get everyone's Disney accounts connected so we can make FP+ selections together. M's mom is insistent that we do some things together (which is totally fine with me!), yet she is stuck in the 90s mindset that "we don't need to plan, we can just get FPs and decide where to eat when we get there." I have been trying to get her to understand that no, you cannot just walk up to any restaurant with a party of five any day, much less the weekend of Thanksgiving. We'll see how all this goes!

FlaggNL · Sep 17, 2015

Great change of the plot

bee · Nov 23, 2015

It's kind of crazy to think we're almost on our way back to WDW. I've decided to make this thread the headquarters for two more upcoming weekend trips because otherwise I'll have four short trip PTR/TRs floating around at once and that seems obnoxious.

Upcoming trips...
1: The Thanksgiving one already outlined in this thread
2: A New Year's Eve-ish trip for 2-3 nights that is barely planned out so far. We'll be staying with the in-laws in Jville for the last week of December so we'll need to figure out the logistics of spending some time with the Mouse. Still haven't decided if we're going to brave a park on NYE night itself.
3: A three-night trip in January that will serve a double purpose: I will compete in a major classical voice competition that happens to have a preliminary audition in Orlando, and if I win I will go on to compete in the next round and go to Disney the next day. If I don't win I still get to go to Disney the next day!! It's a win-win situation, really. We'll be staying at AoA for the first time ever.

bee · Nov 27, 2015

First meal at WDW! Vegetable sandwich from Everything Pop.

coachwnh · Nov 27, 2015

b33b33 said:
I will compete in a major classical voice competition that happens to have a preliminary audition in Orlando,

Good luck!

networkpro · Nov 27, 2015

Crowds are not here, it's busy but no where near capacity.

bee · Nov 27, 2015

coachwnh said:
Good luck!

Thank you!!! It's a lot of pressure to compete at these things but I have nine auditions between now and then so my repertoire should feel really solid by then.

networkpro said:
Crowds are not here, it's busy but no where near capacity.

We spent about three hours in Epcot this evening and it was quite pleasant. The crowds were nowhere NEAR the f&w crowds we experienced last month.

Weather_Lady · Nov 27, 2015

So jealous! Hope you're having a wonderful time!

Trip Report ANOTHER LIVE TR: Your favorite lesbians are going back...for a day trip??

jjbuster2

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PhilharMagician

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HolleBolleGijs

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bee

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bee

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bee

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PhilharMagician

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FlaggNL

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Courtney6682

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HolleBolleGijs

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bee

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bee

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FlaggNL

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bee

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bee

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coachwnh

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networkpro

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bee

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Weather_Lady

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