Trip Report Captain Hooks Trip Report with a short and well thought out, snappy title

CAPTAIN HOOK · Aug 27, 2015

Day 2 - AK We had breakfast booked at 10:10 this morning. Time for a pre breakfast ride or two for the energetic ones, or, a nice lie in and leisurely stroll to breakfast. The lie in won.
Tusker House was surprisingly empty. This was August - school holidays across the globe ?? Yet where was the madness ? We were seated promptly, had no issues with the lines for food (which is standard Disney buffet fare) and we found it to be hot.
After Tusker were FP for Kilimanjaro, Kali and Everest. By mid morning the stand by lines for KS were approaching 45 mins, Kali was shortened by the threat of a heavy rain fall (as was keeping the ride open). We rode it and were drenched. That's the name of the game, but previous rides in previous years there was a long winding raft ride with a story about the destruction of the forest. You took your chance, sometimes you got wet. The ride is so short its ridiculous and you have more chance of winning the State Lottery than you have of remaining dry. Its a deluge.
By the time we got to Everest at after 1pm the stand by was enormous at well over 60 mins. The ride was as good as I remembered it.
A quick snack at Flame Tree and we left soon afterwards to change for dinner

Raglan Road We have been to this, our favourite DTD restaurant, one per trip and thoroughly enjoyed it. Oh dear, how things change. Check staff were pleasant and efficient and we were seated by an equally pleasant member of staff. Our table was close to the dance platform and the music was loud - you couldn't hold a conversation. The waiter arrived and was pleasant until he found we were on the DDP. It was like he'd scraped us off the bottom of his shoe (presumably an entree and dessert don't give a good tip).
My steak was nicely cooked, but the mash and veg were cold which when I asked for it to go back didn't go down well either.
We were happy to leave.

DTD The area is virtually surrounded with hoardings hiding building work - I'm looking forward to revisiting in coming years to check out the completion of Disney Springs. A disappointing note (yes, another one) Starbucks and World Of Disney. Enough said.

Coming next - A day at EPCOT and the start of the rain encounters

CAPTAIN HOOK · Aug 28, 2015

Day 3 EPCOT (and some rain) Well today started like the previous day, hot and sunny. We had breakfast reservations at Cafe Cape May which was a new destination for us. We took the Disney bus to EPCOT and then walked through Canada and UK and onto The Beach Club. We were early, by almost 20 minutes but they were able to seat us. We had a lovely breakfast and a quick wander around before returning to EPCOT.
Todays FP selection were Spaceship Earth (an old favourite) and we had previously experienced the new commentary. Figment which is getting a bit tired now but what else do you use a FP on ? Finally, we had a Soarin' FP.
In-between all these we did Test Track (stand by). Oh dear, what a boring line. No TT dummies, no clanging, no interaction. I was glad when we eventually got to something new to do and design our test vehicle. Then the ride itself - newer, better, but the same. FP is definitely the way to go with this old favourite.
Lunch was at Seasons in The Land. A great selection of healthier options and right next door to Soarin' which was our final FP of the day. After lunch we walked around World Showcase and a bit of a worry. Thunder. This was soon followed by a bit of a wind blowing through the place and then lightning, visible flashes appearing to be over SE. Of course, they weren't and despite my best efforts and patience I couldn't capture one on my camera.
As we continued beyond The American Pavillion the skies darkened. Our pace quickened as we headed around the final half of the Showcase. As we approached France the heavens opened and rain came down in biblical proportions. We ran into the perfume gift shops and sheltered from the rain. We remained there for over an hour, watching the brave and the foolish running around, presumably heading for dining reservations or back to their resorts to dry off.
Luckily for us, the rain eased and stopped about an hour before our Rose and Crown dining reservation. We walked to the UK and into the gift shops where we killed time until going to check in at R&C. There was a delay. Diners were prolonging their meals to avoid going out in the heavy rain, this had a knock on effect with all subsequent reservations. We had a drink in the pub and were eventually seated for our meal. Unfortunately, we could only get an inside table (it was warm out and suitable to eat outside - but we would have to go to the back of the line to wait for a table out there). The noise from inside the pub - those on a stag or hen party, or those just drinking beyond their capabilities spoilt it for everyone. We finished our meal and were shown to the R&C viewing area in time for Illuminations.
We all agreed that ROE was still special although it did somehow seem shorter than we remembered it. With that it was off to the buses and back to AKL, we had an early start on Saturday and so didn't take advantage of EPCOTs EMH.

Coming next - A day at MK and even more rain

RiceCrispyMickey · Aug 28, 2015

Great report so far, will be following along!

CAPTAIN HOOK · Aug 29, 2015

Day 4 MK (and a whole load of rain) Today was a very early start. We had an 8:05 breakfast booking at Crystal Palace and so to be safe I checked with the AKL concierge staff about the bus timings the previous night. They recommended that we were at the bus stops between 0645 and 0700. The bus arrived and we were on our way before 7am. We arrived at MK and having done the bag search, found the breakfast and tours entrance across on the far left hand side (closest to the monorail stations). There was already a few people in line and there were also a lot of people lining up for the regular entrance time which was posted for 9am.
By the time they let us into the park at just before 07:40 we were the second family into the park and had great photos of the castle and an empty Main Street. Photos done, we checked in at CP and were admitted at around 8am, into an almost empty restaurant.
By the time we'd had our breakfast, the other guests had been admitted into the park. We strolled over towards Big Thunder and Splash which were our first two FP of the day. Seven Dwarves has had a serious effect on the stand by lines for these two old favourites, which are usually well over an hour.
We used our third FP on Seven Dwarves early afternoon. The stand by line was at over 100 minutes (as it was at most times during our trip). Its a great ride, smoother than BTMRR and interesting with the mining scene half way round. We also loved the attention to detail with the cottage scene at the end with the witch stood at the door.
We stood for the 3pm parade and after this I returned to the resort, leaving the family to do the Main Street shops to death. On my return to meet with them for dinner at The Plaza Restaurant, the rain was torrential. I was meeting them at the end of Main Street by the ice cream shop and despite having a water proof jacket, in the relatively short distance from the MK bus stands to Main Street I got drenched, which made for an unpleasant dinner sat in the air con with wet shorts, socks and shoes. Here was another example of staff becoming totally uninterested once she discovered that we were on the DDP. The Plaza will not be on our list of places to eat at again.
The first run of Main Street Electrical was cancelled due to "inclement weather" and for the safety of the performers. We decided not to wait around on the off chance it would run and returned to the resort after a long and slightly damp day.

Coming next - A day at DHS and yet more rain

CAPTAIN HOOK · Aug 30, 2015

Day 5 DHS (and yet more rain) I must admit that I wasn't really looking forward to today. The park being affected by ride closures, no where for TS breakfasts, FP restrictions, the "Hat" disappearing and Frozen appearing everywhere. Still, you can't visit WDW and not visit it.
Breakfast was an easy decision, a buffet at Boma in AKL. After a great breakfast we got the bus and arrived soon after park opening and headed straight for RnR Coaster (which was already posting a 40 minute wait before 10am). Our time spent in the line turned out to be over an hour, but the ride is still worth the wait. Next was TOT which we were now late for our FP return times (by about 10 minutes) but were let in without any issues. Another great ride but this was spoilt by an adult male (late teens/early twenties) screaming before we'd even begun. It turned out that he'd ridden it previously, been scared to death and yet decided to ride again with family / friends.
From here we met up with the none RnR / TOT riders and proceeded to the next FP - Toy Story Mania. This is (not surprisingly) still drawing in the main DHS crowds and the stand by was at almost 2 hours by midday. Such a simple concept yet such a great ride.
We found lunch next before enjoying our third FP on Star Tours. Wow, how they've improved that ride with the new story lines since our last WDW visit. We thoroughly enjoyed it and there appeared to be a vast improvement in the gift shop selection as well. Muppet Vision 3D was next which we walked straight into the pre show area. Same show, same old corny jokes but still very entertaining. This was followed by Indiana Jones which was again a walk in - the arena was 75% full with about 10 minutes before show time.
Then the rain came. Time to hit the shops, along with half the park.
As the rain eased we joined the line for The Great Movie Ride. About an hour later when we emerged from TGMR it was still raining as we walked for our dinner at Mama Melrose. Again, there was a delay as earlier diners prolonged their meals to avoid going out into the heavy rain. We waited about 20-30 minutes
Unfortunately, the rain was still coming down after our dinner, so we decided to hit the bus back to the resort rather than sit in the rain on the off chance that Fantastic would go ahead.

Coming next - A day at TL + MK and yet more wetting

CAPTAIN HOOK · Aug 30, 2015

Day 6 TL + MK Today was a Rest Day, a take it easy from the hustle of the previous park days. So, first thing to do on a rest day is have a lie in. We met up at 9am and had a QS in The Mara at AKL, a lighter meal being the better option before going into TL.
We picked up towels from the AKL pool area, stuffed them into our rucksacks before getting the bus. OK, so we had to carry them a few yards but it saved us $10, which is better in our pockets than Disney's, especially as it costs up to $15 to rent a locker ($5 refunded with return of the key).
All sorted, and off into the park to the slides. This was the kind of getting wet that we expected and wanted on our holiday. Like all the days before today, the sun was out early and it was hot. Having enjoyed the bigger slides we found some tubes and floated around the park on the Lazy River.
We then separated. My wife and I returned to AKL and did some laundry leaving the girls in TL for a while longer.
Next was MK. We had an early dinner (16:50) at Crystal Palace, this was booked deliberately early but only I knew why. We normally dine around 7pm when in WDW. After CP (we always feel that breakfast here is better than dinner, but that doesn't make dinner bad, it just means breakfast is brilliant) we went off to our FP selections. First was Splash, followed by Big Thunder.
Then back to Main Street to find a spot for our first ever viewing of Main Street Electrical Parade. The Magic Kingdom has always previously run SpectroMagic on our visits over the last 20 years, so it was nice to finally get a chance to see it. Fortunately, the rain had held off today and so the parade went ahead as scheduled.
It was now time for my surprise and the explanation behind the earlier than usual dinner. We had reservations for the Tomorrowland Dessert Party. A chocoholics paradise (or a dieters nightmare) with a welcome glass of sparkling wine, a table reserved for your party, a selection of desserts with unlimited chances to help yourself and a decent choice of soft drinks, coupled with a prime viewing location for Celebrate The Magic and Wishes. It's not cheap, but as Disney experiences go we all thought it was value for money (mainly as it didn't cost them anything !!!). It was a great way to round off our evening, and to celebrate only our second rain free day.
Before exiting the park we walked to Space Mountain and our final FP of the day.

Coming next - A day to make a decision and an evening at EPCOT

smk · Aug 30, 2015

OMG, the rain seemed to be relentless! However, it sounds like most of your day (half anyway) was spent riding some great rides. We have never been on the dining plan but you assessment of it seems accurate. The servers get a tip either way, I don't know what their problem could be.

CAPTAIN HOOK · Aug 30, 2015

smk said:
OMG, the rain seemed to be relentless! However, it sounds like most of your day (half anyway) was spent riding some great rides.

It was certainly looking that way. The weather seemed to forecast clear mornings and then rain from early afternoon until mid evening. After the first few days we were really getting quite disillusioned......

CAPTAIN HOOK · Aug 30, 2015

Day 7 A day to make a decision + EPCOT Today was going to be our day to visit SeaWorld, according to the schedules I'd planned before leaving home anyway. After numerous visits to the SeaWorld website (and several others) we hadn't purchased our tickets prior to leaving the UK. This was mainly due to SeaWorld only offering significant discounts on ticket prices to US, Canadian and Puerto Rican residents and all other websites coming in at around the same price as SeaWorlds UK site. So we decided that we'd just pay the gate price when we arrived.
Our experience of the previous days Florida weather was worrying. Each day had started off hot and sunny, this was then followed by thunder and varying degrees of heavy rain from early afternoon onwards.
The weather followed the predictions of the apps on our phones. Was yesterday rain free day an exception ? Rain had been forecast but it never materialised. Would today be the same or would the weather apps be correct ?
$100+ per person is a lot of money to throw away if the day is going to be ruined by rain, especially as 95% of SeaWorld is either on or at the side of water, and most things close if heavy rain / lightning is imminent. So, eventually (and with much reluctance) we decided that we'd give SeaWorld a miss today and hope for better weather tomorrow.
Instead we had a morning at the AKL pool. It turned out to be quite therapeutic and allowed us to recharge some quite weary batteries. Mid afternoon we showered and changed and headed to EPCOT.
As SeaWorlds website didn't offer any evening entertainment we"d planned to leave there late afternoon and head to EPCOT for the evening anyway. Dinner was booked at Tutto Italia with FP at Spaceship Earth and Test Track first. I found TT much more enjoyable by missing out the (pointless / unexciting) stand by line.
We had never eaten at Tutto Italia previously and had booked it on the reviews of others and its menu choices. We found it to be an excellent venue, with great service and a lovely atmosphere. We'd definitely choose to eat here again.
After our meal we strolled out to the World Showcase lagoon and easily found a good viewing spot for Illuminations with little over 15 minutes before it was due to start. This is opposed to areas around the UK where we've nearly always watched the show, where its usually quite crowded.
After the conclusion of Illuminations we strolled back to the front of the park and the Disney buses.
Today was a day of mixed emotions, we'd given SeaWorld a miss due to the forecast of rain, but thankfully this never arrived. So we'd missed SeaWorld but instead we'd had a great day relaxing by the pool and enjoying EPCOT in the hot Florida sunshine. Was the weather changing for the better at last ?

Coming next - A day for more decisions and an evening at DTD

DaisyDoesDisney · Aug 30, 2015

I'm enjoying reading your report so far @CAPTAIN HOOK, and I'm looking forward to more

Most of your restaurant choices are ones that we've never experienced so it's nice to gain your input and comments about your experiences. I especially appreciated your thoughts on how you were treated by servers while having free dining. My husband and I always say that we'll never do a dining plan because we've many times noted the sigh of relief that servers make when they ask if we have a dining plan and we say "no". I wouldn't feel good being on the other side of that response, even though I agree that it isn't a fair reaction. I'm sorry that you had to experience it.

MinnieM123 · Aug 30, 2015

You traveled a long distance to come to WDW, and I'm glad you enjoyed some fun rides!

The weather can be a bit of a challenge in the middle of summer in Florida--sometimes they have rain showers daily (but not all day). I was surprised to read about the few servers who seemed to have an issue with the DDP patrons. Although I've never used the DDP, I do know of many who have. I'm hoping that the wait staff, and the rest of your meals on the DDP, will be as pleasant as your experience at Tutto Italia.

Ziggie · Aug 30, 2015

Following your story CH

CAPTAIN HOOK · Aug 31, 2015

Day 8 A day for more decisions and an evening at DTD Todays decision was on the face of it really simple - do we go to SeaWorld, or do we stick with our original plans and visit MK this morning and have a pool afternoon ?
However, there were three important factors which would affect todays decision making -
1) If we stuck to our schedule, today was our last opportunity to visit SeaWorld on this trip,
2) If the weather apps were correct then we were due to have more heavy rain this afternoon (they'd been wrong for the last two days), and
3) We had a lunch reservation scheduled at Be Our Guest today, so if we went to SeaWorld we would also be charged $10 per person for not turning up or cancelling in time.
Eventually we decided that SeaWorld would have to be put on hold. The weather apps couldn't be wrong three days on the trot could they ?
So, breakfast was easy to find at Boma (again) and then it was off to MK. FP were at BTMRR and Splash (again) and also at The Haunted Mansion. When we arrived at Frontierland the FP line for BTMRR was snaking all the way back towards Splash. The stand by line was posted at 55 minutes. We joined the FP line and slowly wound our way through the line and down to the trains - a line that probably took 20 minutes to do. Meanwhile there was NOBODY in the stand by line, the odd few folk that did enter it were getting through to where the two lines merge with no wait at all. We learned that they'd had earlier issues with the ride that morning and turned everyone away, it looks like 99% of the stand by line had gone away and stayed away - FP users had returned for their allocated time slots.
Splash was next and FP was working correctly. Judging by the size of the stand by line, it appeared that most of BTMRRs stand by had decided to ride Splash while they waited for BTMRR to resume.
Two rides down and we were off to The Haunted Mansion, the stand by here was averaging a 40 minute wait. We were straight onto the ride which again is an amusing ride, but very enjoyable. I find that with each ride, I discover something new.
As we strolled towards Be Our Guest we decided to take in Mickeys Philharmagic which was only showing a 20 minute wait - we had time to kill so why not. Its something that we've done before and really enjoyed. The lines indicated the demise of this attraction as the theatre was at best only 60% full - this was disappointing but it didn't stop our enjoyment.
Lunch. We've never been to BOG, its been built since our last visit so we were looking forward to it immensely. We checked in and joined the line for the food ordering points. About 15 minutes later we'd ordered our food and went in search of a table, which for a QS meal / restaurant was relatively simple. We got our drinks and waited. After about 5 minutes our lunch found us - by Disney magic !! The order was correct and it was hot. We were impressed by the decor of the restaurant and its theming.
That afternoon we once again split up. The girls stayed in the park while the wife and I returned to the resort pool.
That evening we ate at Portabella Italian - another first time restaurant. As we walked from the buses at Market Place the afternoons rain decided to make an appearance, nothing heavy but enough to make us quicken our pace in anticipation. After a lovely meal it was pleasing to see that the rain had mainly stayed away. We did some shopping - Pin Traders for Rebecca, World of Disney for Nicola and Art of Disney for Carol and myself. As we returned to the buses there were huge rumblings of thunder in the skies and frequent flashes as the clouds lit up, still at least we remained dry.
Things were looking up - we'd seen a few rain spots this evening but we'd had three virtually rain free days. Would it last ?

Coming next - A grand reunion and another day at MK

CAPTAIN HOOK · Aug 31, 2015

Day 9 A grand reunion and another day at MK Today was a very big day for our family. Nicola's boyfriend was flying in from California to join us for the remainder of our (and his) holiday. He should have been with us from day 1, flying with us from the UK but had flown to California to try and find investors for his new company.
Nicola had spoken to the concierge at AKL and they had made the arrangements for Chris to get Disney's ME from Orlando International to the resort. He would arrive shortly before midday.
That morning Rebecca had left for MK early, it was the morning EMH. The three of us set off later, taking the bus to MK and then picking up the resort monorail to The Grand Floridian for our breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. Rebecca joined us in the lobby just in time for our 10:35 reservation. Nothing had changed at GF since our stay there on New Years Eve 2008, it is still a grand place. Breakfast was as I remember it and the characters came round to visit us - all except Mary Poppins. She was there, appeared twice, but never made it to our table. Never mind.
After breakfast we all got the monorail back to MK. Nicola got the bus back to AKL, while the three of us went into MK. We used our initial three FP - 7 Dwarves, BTMRR and Splash before Carol and I returned to the resort to meet up with Nicola and Chris, leaving Rebecca to make the most of her day at MK.
That was the beauty of staying at a Disney resort - the girls are both adults and were able to come and go as they pleased, able to do their own thing if they chose not to stay as a family group. We were happy knowing that they were safe and that the Disney transportation system is extremely simple to navigate.
Carol and I met up with Nicola and Chris just before 6pm. Their room was two doors down the corridor (on the Zebra Trail) and so they knocked on our door as we headed out for dinner at BOG. This was only Chris' second visit to WDW, his first visit was nearly 20 years ago when he was 6 or 7 years old, so to all intents and purposes we had a first time visitor with us as he'd forgotten nearly everything about his visit and WDW had changed so much.
As we headed to the AKL bus stops the heavens opened, it rained like it had never rained before (well it had been dry for almost three days). It felt like nature was dumping the rain that it had saved up over those three days in one go. We had our waterproofs, but in this rain they were hardly going to make a difference. We arrived at the MK bus stops in good time, at least 30 minutes before our dinner reservation, so we stood and watched the rain. We waited for it to stop, or at least ease off a bit. We waited, and we waited, and we waited just a little bit longer. In the end it did ease, but it was still quite heavy, so we just went for it. Needless to say, by the time we got to BOG we were soaked. Rebecca had been enjoying the parks until the rain came down and was similarly wet through when we met up with her. We checked in and waited inside the hall until we were called for dinner. Clothes, shoes and bodies were wet, the air conditioning was on because, despite the rain it was still in the high 20's. We had a very nice meal and a hot drink to try and warm us.
After our meal the rain had eased, it had virtually stopped, but there were rivers of rainwater running across the walkways. We headed towards Main Street and a spot for the MSEP. As we approached we heard announcements that again, due to the weather and for the safety of the performers, the 9pm running was cancelled. We were still wet and cold and unanimously decided to return to the resort.
This was not the first day at WDW that we had in mind for Chris.

Coming next - EPCOT (for some)

CAPTAIN HOOK · Aug 31, 2015

Day 10 EPCOT (for some) I woke up the next morning feeling extremely rough. I was sneezing and had a rattling chesty cough, my limbs were aching and I put it all down to the drenching we got the night before and then sitting for an hour in air conditioning. I was going nowhere (for at least the morning). I made my apologies, turned the lights off and went back to bed.
The family and Chris (hereafter known as the family) went to breakfast and then off to EPCOT. They had FP to enjoy at Spaceship Earth, Test Track and Figment.
I was woken around 2pm by a text message enquiring about my health and informing me that the family had enjoyed the FP and had just eaten at Seasons. Carol was returning to the resort with Nicola and Chris, once again leaving Rebecca to do some more of EPCOTs attractions.
I got up and showered, and feeling loads better I dressed to head out for the evening. My nose was still running like a tap and I had a cough that could waken the dead, but the aching in my limbs had eased. I was greeted by a box of cold and flu tablets and instructed to take two. I obeyed and we headed out for dinner and would meet Rebecca at Biergarten.
It turns out that I wasn't the only one affected by the weather. Having checked in for dinner we sat outside in Germany, Our 7pm reservation time came, and it went, and the time continued to tick by. We went inside to make enquiries and found that the dining computer system had gone down - they had no idea about who had reservations, their party size and what time they were supposed to be eating. We re-registered our dining party and waited patiently.
We were shown in shortly afterwards right down to a table at the side of the small dance floor. There was a band and it was loud enough to make conversation difficult. Additionally, being right at the front we were furthest from the food tables at the top of the steps. I later learned that the tables at the front are the best tables in the house and are highly sought after. I should have been honoured to have sat there.
Meal over we had a quick look around the shops in Germany before finding a spot to watch Illuminations again. There is a small roped off area by the lagoon, virtually outside Germany - I don't know whether it was a FP area or for disabled guests as there were a few wheelchair users but it was mainly occupied by able bodied people (they could have been relatives of the wheelchair users. Anyway, I found a spot at the side with iron railings to lean against (to steady the camera) and waited for the show. Afterwards, while walking back to the buses, I learned that Nicola and Chris had intervened to assist an elderly couple in wheelchairs who had been verbally abused by some able bodied woman, the female in the wheelchair had been left in tears. What caused it, nobody knows, but there was a cast member (luckily his name isn't known) who stood by watching all this and did nothing to intervene

Coming next - DHS

CAPTAIN HOOK · Sep 1, 2015

Day 11 DHS Today was our second (and final planned) visit to DHS - the first visit we'd cut short due to the rain. We had dinner tonight booked at Hollywood & Vine (the Fantasmic package) so we really needed a dry night.
We had a breakfast reservation at Boma (yes - again). We love this place, its convenient as it's in our resort, it has a great selection of food and its a buffet offering. The only thing missing would be the appearance of either Jungle Book or Lion King characters.
Once in DHS we headed for RnR Coaster. Now Chris has always voiced a concern over roller coasters and thrill type rides, however, much to the delight of Nicola and myself, he didn't hold back and came on with us. That particular ride completed we went next door for our first FP of the day at TOT. Again Chris threw himself into the spirit of the park and enjoyed the ride. He was ready for more.
We wandered around DHS for a while, taking in The Muppets 3D before picking up a QS meal. It was then off to our second FP of the day - Toy Story Mania, the stand by line was over two hours. As we approached the entrance there was a few rain spots falling, yet the sun was shining brightly and still not a dark cloud in the sky. There was now a bit of a competitive atmosphere between the five of us. It was Chris's first ride on TSM, yet he outscored most of the family (except me

).
Our final FP of the day was Star Tours. The new format had really got to me last time and I was again looking forward to experiencing it and the chance of seeing another scenario. We weren't disappointed as Princess Leia played a role in the ride. The highlight of the ride this time was that Chris was identified as the rebel spy on board - it made his day.
We all went our separate ways after this. Carol and I chose to sit by the small lake with a rather large ice-cream and Rebecca, Nicola and Chris went about the park - Indiana Jones and Lights, Motors, Action to name a couple.
We met up outside H&V in time for dinner. There was a slight delay in being seated so we sat on the porch area and waited in the sunshine. We were soon seated and enjoyed a good buffet dinner. Most importantly, we got our tickets for the Fantasmic show at 20:30. Our server advised that we arrive at Fantasmic between 19:45 and 20:05. We arrived at just before 8pm and followed the crowds up towards the theatre, following the FP line. The reserved sections turned out to be the most central - brilliant. The sections before the reserved area appeared full, cast members were struggling to direct those without Dinner Package tickets beyond the central reserved area towards the lesser populated far side. I saw one lady turned away from the reserved section trying to gain entry with a magic Band, only to be told quite abruptly "that won't get you anywhere in here"
We selected seats about half way back and waited for the show to begin. It was nice to see that the traditional Mexican wave was still alive and well within the Fantasmic arena. Then, with one or two spots of rain in the air (or was it just the wind whipping up the water in front of us ?) the show began. Its years old now but its still a great show and its nice to see that the projected images have been updated to include some new characters.
After the show came the crush as we left the theatre - it appeared that at least half of those watching Fantasmic wanted to get near the stage area to watch the Frozen Firework Spectacular at 21:30. We managed to get quite a good spot to watch it and we enjoyed fireworks in DHS (other than those in Fantasmic) for the first time.
Fireworks done, and snow falling from the buildings as we left, we headed for the buses. Another day without Florida's heavy rains. Had we seen the last of it ?

Coming next - Another wetting and DownTown Disney

WDW_Jon · Sep 1, 2015

Good stuff!

CAPTAIN HOOK · Sep 1, 2015

Day 12 Another wetting and DownTown Disney Today was another planned rest day - and that meant another visit to the water parks. Having a rest in the sort of temperatures that we'd been experiencing was paramount otherwise we'd just melt. Before leaving the UK for Florida we'd hoped for temperatures somewhere in the high 20's but in the previous week we'd had an average of around 30 and a high of 34 which is seriously hot, especially for us northern Europeans. A bit of relaxation in the water was required.
First off, following a bit of a lie in there was a late, light breakfast at The Mara. We then collected some towels as we walked past the pool area and then off to the buses. We were off to Blizzard Beach. Chris was looking forward to the park and the chance to experience the slides and raft runs, but we had reservations whether Summit Plummet would be too much for him.
Lockers sorted and we headed towards the parks purple area - Summit Plummet, Slush Gusher and the Steamboat Springs. Naturally the chair lift was out of action so it was a long climb up those steps. Nicola, Chris and I did Summit Plummet. What a view from the top !!! I recall from our last visit that you can see Spaceship Earth, Tower Of Terror and Everest from up there, but we managed to spot the roof of AKL as well). While we tumbled to earth down SP, Carol and Rebecca found a shady spot at the top. Chris found SP exhilarating and was ready for the next gravity defying slide. The three of us then climbed the steps again and we all did the Steamboat Springs. Carol elected not to ride Slush Gusher so the four of us climbed the steps for a third time. We reached the bottom somewhat surprised that we'd been airborne on the way down, much to Rebecca's displeasure.
Next was time for some real relaxation and we did a complete circuit of the park in the tubes. After this Carol headed for the pool and Melt Away Bay while the four of us headed for Run Off Rapids.
After this we grabbed a spot of lunch before Carol and I returned to AKL to catch up with the laundry, leaving the three others in BB for another couple of hours.
We met up again around 6pm and got the DTD bus. We had dinner booked at Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe - another new venue for us. It didn't disappoint food wise. We were sat near the windows and had views of the water, in particular the boats coming in from POR and POFQ - this brought back happy memories of our stays at POFQ in 1999 and 2001. What did disappoint was the service - it was a little slower than we would have liked (better than being rushed I suppose), the fact that the restaurant had run out of spoons when it came to desserts - try eating ice cream with a fork !!! Finally, the server brought us the bill during the dessert stage - he didn't ask whether we were ready for it (I thought it was up to us to decide when we had finished and ready to leave) nor did he ask whether we wanted any coffee or drinks to finish off our meal first. These little things wouldn't stop us going back - but they do stick in your mind.
After our meal we wandered back towards the buses via almost every retail establishment that DTD has to offer. As we wandered, the thunder started and the sky lit up every now and again, but thankfully there was no rain.
We'd survived another full day without any of the Florida rain.

Coming next - A tale of two Kingdoms (for some)

FlaggNL · Sep 2, 2015

Wow 7 hours at home and already starting a TR

Thanks for sharing and off course following along!!

Trip Report Captain Hooks Trip Report with a short and well thought out, snappy title

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