First Visit to MK: Disneylander Documentation

[drizgirl]

If I wasn’t a Disneyland fan, I wouldn’t have known that WDW was celebrating its 50th anniversary. With the exception of the castle, I have seen nothing else in the park that signifies the anniversary yet. Stark contrast to DL’s 50th and 60th anniversaries.

It's absolutely maddening. I visited DLR for both the 50th and the 60th and it was done properly. A joy to participate in.

Just visited WDW in January. Such a disappointment.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It's absolutely maddening. I visited DLR for both the 50th and the 60th and it was done properly. A joy to participate in.

Just visited WDW in January. Such a disappointment.

It’s something that you have to see to believe. It’s one thing to hear about the disappointment from fans, but it’s different when you’re actually there and witness just how much they don’t seem to care about their own milestone anniversary. And 50 years is a big milestone. Not exactly sure what happened.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Well up until 2010/2011 this path wasn't here and instead there was a berm of mature trees hiding the Skyway Chalet.

The only way to get from here to Fantasyland was the walkway under the second story of Columbia Harbor House.

The Rapunzel area was a part of a larger redo of Fantasyland West to add more pedestrian space and replace the former Prince and Princess restrooms that were taken over by the expansion of Peter Pan's queue.

I think the final execution is lacking, but at least you know the backstory of why it looks like that today.

That is a newer pathway, and the Tangled toilets and accompanying walkway, while needed operationally, have definitely mucked up the original intent a bit and increased the clutter.

Until about 5-10 years ago the only connection between Fantasyland and Liberty Square was through that narrow covered archway next to the Haunted Mansion gift shop.

That's some inartful LL signage on the HM. I get it, but still feels like they could have found a better fix.

Thank you both for explaining! I actually don’t mind the abruptness, but it’s good to know how it became that way.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It used to be a quiet hillside with only the gravestones to look at and the howling dog to listen too...

I'm sorry, I don't mean to interject or talk over every point you make with "well it didn't USED to be like this..."

I do hope you and your friend are having a good time.

No, interject away! I appreciate the explanations I wasn’t there in the past, so I don’t know what I was there and what wasn’t. Thank you for providing that photo of the lagoon that was once in Fantasyland. It’s too bad it’s no longer there.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

MK and DL are very different in feel even if there are similar attractions. Each has its own strengths, weaknesses, and charms.

I’m glad you got to see it!

 

[mlayton144]

Good report and very interesting perspective from someone out west - I would agree with that if you are just a day visitor like the majority of DLR crowd which was built for a short visit. If you ever go back you should experience it like it was intended - week long stay to explore the world at your own pace , no cars , no parking lots , a nice resort to go back to each night and time reserved just to explore all of the things to do. I would never be satisfied making the effort required to go for a day - sounds exhausting

 

[el_super]

I like how you managed to somehow photograph the humidity.

Good report and very interesting perspective from someone out west - I would agree with that if you are just a day visitor like the majority of DLR crowd which was built for a short visit. If you ever go back you should experience it like it was intended - week long stay to explore the world at your own pace , no cars , no parking lots , a nice resort to go back to each night and time reserved just to explore all of the things to do. I would never be satisfied making the effort required to go for a day - sounds exhausting

This sounds weird to me. Almost as if the theme parks are secondary.... like just having something to do while you're staying in your hotel.

 

[mlayton144]

I like how you managed to somehow photograph the humidity.





This sounds weird to me. Almost as if the theme parks are secondary.... like just having something to do while you're staying in your hotel.

You almost got it , they are primary for some , secondary for many. It’s theme parks plus. For us , things like world showcase , all the available dining opportunities, Disney springs , resort relaxation and hopping , and of course 4 theme parks and water parks . It’s a world unto itself.

 

[el_super]

You almost got it , they are primary for some , secondary for many. It’s theme parks plus. For us , things like world showcase , all the available dining opportunities, Disney springs , resort relaxation and hopping , and of course 4 theme parks and water parks . It’s a world unto itself.

Oh I know. I've been many times myself, and some of the most relaxing time I have spent there was at the resorts. They're nice.

But I can stay at a resort almost anywhere in the world. I can have a quiet dip in the pool at home. The Disneyland Hotel is also really nice, has a fantastic (always busy) pool, and is within walking distance of a theme park.

All that to just say I think it's fair to compare theme park to theme park without going down the line of adding transportation or hotels or even the state it's located in to the list.

 

[Stevek]

Florida’s drinking water tastes terrible. Disneylanders, ask for bottled water and soda here.

We probably drank 40 bottles of Smart Water during our November/December trip.

 

[Stevek]

Weird side note… People don’t put as much effort into their outfits/appearances here.

Shorts and tank tops/sleeveless t-shirts abound in WDW. That and giant thigh tattoos.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Final thoughts: This will likely be broken into multiple posts, as I’m doing this from my phone and will be heading home today. It would be easier on a laptop, but my thoughts are still fresh, so it’s best if I get them out now. Please bear with me. Also, I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes in advance.

I want to preface by saying that my friend and I are both previous Disneyland attractions CMs. She worked in Tomorrowland and I worked in Fantasyland. We were roommates during our Disney College Program semester in 2011. Something we discussed on the way to MK is our change in perspective after being CMs. Going to any Disney park has never been the same since being CMs. We look at things much differently and are quick to notice things that regular guests don’t think about. Some of the things we liked and disliked about the park have a lot to do with the previous CM perspective.

Weather: It was UNBEARABLY hot when we went. I was concerned about arriving in the evening, but I’m so glad we did. I wouldn’t have lasted long had we gone earlier. The humidity is unpleasant and I was concerned about rain. Thankfully, it didn’t rain. Florida and weather in general is something else.

Parking: The entrance parking lot CM was amazing. I told her we were from California and I think she heard my friend and I compare the parking fees to Disneyland’s (general parking at MK is $25, preferred is $50 (!) and Disneyland’s is $35). I asked for general parking and not only did she give us preferred, but I checked my bank account after we left and realized she didn’t charge me at all. Amazing service! I wish I had gotten her name, as I would have given her a compliment at City Hall.

Parking can be very confusing here. There are no big signs telling you where you’re parked. We parked and weren’t even sure if we were in preferred parking. My friend and I looked around and couldn’t tell what character we were parked with and had to ask a CM where we were. We noticed this on the way out as well. There weren’t enough signs directing people where to go and we had to get off two trams because they weren’t going where we assumed/guessed they were going. There were also very few exits signs. We had to ask a security guard how to get out and she kindly got in her car and guided us out. We saw two small exits signs on the way out. We would have been lost had it not been for her. Other than those things, parking in general was fine. Speaking of security, the process is MUCH better and quicker at WDW.

From parking to entrance: Wow. It takes a long time to get inside the park. We parked, nearly took a tram, walked, took a Monorail, walked a bit more, then finally walked through the park entrance. As someone who’s used to Disneyland, this was tiring. I took for granted just how easy it is to get around Disneyland. The parks sit right across from each other, street entrance is super easy and convenient, and parking isn’t as far away. It took us 27 minutes to get to our car once we left MK. That’s enough time to watch an episode of Seinfeld lol.

To be continued…

 

[Stevek]

It’s something that you have to see to believe. It’s one thing to hear about the disappointment from fans, but it’s different when you’re actually there and witness just how much they don’t seem to care about their own milestone anniversary. And 50 years is a big milestone. Not exactly sure what happened.

It's completely been a merchandising anniversary, we had the same letdown feeling. Quite honestly, they did a better job celebrating Disneyland's 50th at WDW than they have their own 50th.

 

[brb1006]

It's completely been a merchandising anniversary, we had the same letdown feeling. Quite honestly, they did a better job celebrating Disneyland's 50th at WDW than they have their own 50th.

The most effort WDW put effort into their 50th Anniversary was the anniversary tag for The Electrical Water Pageant.


And the Beacons of Magic at all four parks.

 

[brb1006]

Final thoughts: This will likely be broken into multiple posts, as I’m doing this from my phone and will be heading home today. It would be easier on a laptop, but my thoughts are still fresh, so it’s best if I get them out now. Please bear with me. Also, I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes in advance.

I want to preface by saying that my friend and I are both previous Disneyland attractions CMs. She worked in Tomorrowland and I worked in Fantasyland. We were roommates during our Disney College Program semester in 2011. Something we discussed on the way to MK is our change in perspective after being CMs. Going to any Disney park has never been the same since being CMs. We look at things much differently and are quick to notice things that regular guests don’t think about. Some of the things we liked and disliked about the park have a lot to do with the previous CM perspective.

Weather: It was UNBEARABLY hot when we went. I was concerned about arriving in the evening, but I’m so glad we did. I wouldn’t have lasted long had we gone earlier. The humidity is unpleasant and I was concerned about rain. Thankfully, it didn’t rain. Florida and weather in general is something else.

Parking: The entrance parking lot CM was amazing. I told her we were from California and I think she heard my friend and I compare the parking fees to Disneyland’s (general parking at MK is $25, preferred is $50 (!) and Disneyland’s is $35). I asked for general parking and not only did she give us preferred, but I checked my bank account after we left and realized she didn’t charge me at all. Amazing service! I wish I had gotten her name, as I would have given her a compliment at City Hall.

Parking can be very confusing here. There are no big signs telling you where you’re parked. We parked and weren’t even sure if we were in preferred parking. My friend and I looked around and couldn’t tell what character we were parked with and had to ask a CM where we were. We noticed this on the way out as well. There weren’t enough signs directing people where to go and we had to get off two trams because they weren’t going where we assumed/guessed they were going. There were also very few exits signs. We had to ask a security guard how to get out and she kindly got in her car and guided us out. We saw two small exits signs on the way out. We would have been lost had it not been for her. Other than those things, parking in general was fine. Speaking of security, the process is MUCH better and quicker at WDW.

From parking to entrance: Wow. It takes a long time to get inside the park. We parked, nearly took a tram, walked, took a Monorail, walked a bit more, then finally walked through the park entrance. As someone who’s used to Disneyland, this was tiring. I took for granted just how easy it is to get around Disneyland. The parks sit right across from each other, street entrance is super easy and convenient, and parking isn’t as far away. It took us 27 minutes to get to our car once we left MK. That’s enough time to watch an episode of Seinfeld lol.

To be continued…

I remember during our second trip to WDW in 2006, my parents decided to visit the resort in late September/early October since it was notably cooler and less humid during that period. Making the experience much better at the time.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Good report and very interesting perspective from someone out west - I would agree with that if you are just a day visitor like the majority of DLR crowd which was built for a short visit. If you ever go back you should experience it like it was intended - week long stay to explore the world at your own pace , no cars , no parking lots , a nice resort to go back to each night and time reserved just to explore all of the things to do. I would never be satisfied making the effort required to go for a day - sounds exhausting

Thank you!

I actually don’t think I would ever do a WDW vacation. I’ll expand more on this later.

 

[Californian Elitist]

We probably drank 40 bottles of Smart Water during our November/December trip.

This was us. And it’s not just WDW. We went to a Mexican restaurant in Cocoa Beach and our water was terrible there, too. I googled it and Florida has some of the worst drinking water. And because the ice is made from the same water, my friend’s soda from Cosmic Ray’s taste funny. We bought water bottles instead.

Shorts and tank tops/sleeveless t-shirts abound in WDW. That and giant thigh tattoos.

I hate to use this analogy because I don’t want to sound shallow or uppity, but it reminded me of the “Wal-Mart shopper” look. My friend and I put on a full face of makeup, for example. Others didn’t, which was totally fine. Just different.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

This sounds weird to me. Almost as if the theme parks are secondary.... like just having something to do while you're staying in your hotel.

I wouldn’t say secondary but I think a DL experience is 95% theme parks / 5% other versus a WDW experience being 75% theme parks / 25% other.

We spend far more time outside the theme parks in world than we ever would at land, whether it’s enjoying our hotel, visiting Disney Springs, resort hopping, renting a sea raycer (please bring these back Disney), playing mini golf, etc there’s just more non-theme park stuff to see and do at World. Our time inside the parks is very different also, at world we spend hours eating and drinking every day, at land it’s very rare for us to get anything but quick service.

We love both resorts but they are very different experiences for us.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

We love both resorts but they are very different experiences for us.

Same. At WDW I spend lots of time exploring resorts, wandering world showcase, etc. Disneyland I spend more time in the parks.

The Disneyland Parks seem to have more places to relax as well. Like I’m thinking of how Jolly Holiday and Refreshment Corner have so many tables where you can get a snack and listen to the piano player and watch the Main Street vehicles go by.

There used to be places like that at WDW but they are disappearing. Fountain Cafe at Epcot for example, Starring Rolls at Studios...

 

[Californian Elitist]

I like how you managed to somehow photograph the humidity.

Did I? Lol.