GenerationX's Top Ten WDW Insights (Again!)

I had some business in Tampa this week, and my wife was kind enough to let me fly to Florida a couple of days early to feed my WDW addiction. It was great! I stayed at the Pop Century resort and managed to hit all four theme parks and DisneyQuest. My mission was to evaluate attractions that I had previously thought might be "too scary" for my kids to see if they might be acceptable for our trip in August.

Anyway, on with the list of Insights:

10. The Scariness Factors in the Unofficial Guide to WDW are pretty much right on target.
9. I was surprised at how plentiful the characters were during the "off season". Refreshing.
8. I was surprised at how plentiful the crowds were during the "off season". Bummer.
7. Disney resort TV now has a 30 minute countdown of the 7 best attractions, which runs continuously throughout the day. It's a fun watch, primarily due to the vivacious and charismatic hostess.
6. As a single rider amongst groups, I appeared in many a family's thrill ride picture.

5. In the AK parking lot, a CM pointed out the green line which runs from the lot to the entrance. Apparently, there's one in each theme park's lot.
4. It’s painfully unfair to come in first in the audience on the second game of a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Play It! session. As in, we’re out of time, but here are the top scorers in the audience were we to have enough time to actually play another game. You there in Seat 130 at the top of the list? You get nothing (and because you're here alone, no one to acknowledge your "victory" either, na-na-na).
3. The Tower of Terror is still the greatest. attraction. ever. (even after experiencing it four times in a two-hour period).
2. While I was ostensibly in Florida on business, I refused to bring work with me into the parks ... unlike a guy talking business on his cellphone between the HM stretch room and the Doom Buggy entrance! Yeesh.
1. It's Pop Century, not Soda Century. Debate over.

I've added a bunch more reviews if you want to see my opinions on WDW:
GenerationX Reviews

 

[vizaezuul]

Originally posted by GenerationX

9. I was surprised at how plentiful the characters were during the "off season". Refreshing.
8. I was surprised at how plentiful the crowds were during the "off season". Bummer.

4. It’s painfully unfair to come in first in the audience on the second game of a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Play It! session. As in, we’re out of time, but here are the top scorers in the audience were we to have enough time to actually play another game. You there in Seat 130 at the top of the list? You get nothing (and because you're here alone, no one to acknowledge your "victory" either, na-na-na).

1. It's Pop Century, not Soda Century. Debate over.

In regards to off-season... The last two times I've been there was early February, 1998 and late September/early October 2003. In October, I couldn't believe how many characters were out, especially during Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween. My GF and I got pics with Snow White and all 7 dwarves at the same time! And I'm surprised the crowds were that large. In October, aside from the first day we were there, I don't think we waited in line more than 5 minutes for ANY ride. It was really cool to have practically NO LINES at all, but it was also somewhat depressing because the parks, EPCOT in particular, seemed like ghost towns.

For Who Wants to be a Millionaire, I'm with ya. I placed in the top ten the first two times, and was second the last time... Like Maxwell Smart, I missed it by that much!

And finally, I agree... it's POP man, POP. Soda is just fizzy water!

 

[marypopmom]

Sounds like you had fun. I would never let my dh go to disney without me. What bldg. did you stay at at Pop. Did you get your one little guy any pressed pennies to make up for the ones that got stolen? Where did you eat? Tell us more. THanks.

 

[GenerationX]

I stayed in the 50's wing of the Pop Century, room 3126. It was on the end overlooking Hourglass Lake. With only me, it was more room than I needed and had a great view.

I forgot to bring shiny pennies for pressing, but I got a couple of good ones in change and promptly smooshed 'em. Thanks for asking about this - as you know, my son was heartbroken back in August when his collection was taken. We're building it back up now.

As for the food situation, it was food court and counter-service all the way! I ate at bizarre hours to avoid lines. I'd say my best meal was the stir fry chicken at the Chakarandi restaurant in the AK. For the record, I spent most of my meal time writing attraction reviews for wdwmagic. So, if anyone was at the Pop Century earlier this week and saw a 30-something guy in a black Chicago White Sox baseball cap with a Refill Mug in one hand and a Pocket PC in the other, that would have been me.