Jenn’s Trip Report – June 19th –June 26th

Jenn’s Trip Report – June 19th –June 26th


Hello everyone! Just got back from a great week at Disney World! This is my 11th or 12th trip, and my parents have been several times more. Pictures will be up later!

Day 1 – Travel Day

Left New Jersey and arrived at Lorton VA for the Auto Train around 12:30. Very smooth trip, hardly any traffic around Washington. Train left on time and we’re off to Sanford!

Day 2 – Arrival, Downtown Disney, and Hollywood Studios

The train arrived in Sanford on time (9:30 am). After picking up our car, we arrived at the Caribbean Beach around 11:30. Our room was ready at check in (!) and was in Building 26 in Martinique. Very convenient to Old Port Royal and the bus stop. Lunch at OPR, then headed over to Downtown Disney, where I bought many pins (and got some of the $1.00 completers!), also visited the World of Disney store and Art of Disney. Went to a couple souvenir stores on 535 to pick up stuff for our friends back home, then back to OPR for dinner. Waited about 15 minutes for a bus to the Studios, wait times for the rides were long, so we shopped, watched the Citizens of Hollywood, and got frozen mochas. Not more than a 5 minute wait for a bus around 8:30 and back to CB for the night (we were tired!) Pedometer count – walked 10 miles.

http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/maleficent20/?action=view&current=914a5b44.pbw


Day 3 - Magic Kingdom

After a 25 minute wait for the bus (probably our longest wait of the trip), we were off to the Magic Kingdom. At the rope drop, we rushed to Splash (walk on) and in all the years I have ridden, I have never been as soaked to the bone as this time. Our log managed to be in the exact position to get ALL the water from the next log coming down. Have they changed the water jets from last summer? Headed over to Big Thunder, Pirates (both walk on), Jungle Cruise (10 minutes), and Haunted Mansion (walk on). This was our first time on HM since the refurb and we were all very impressed. The bride scene is so well done, and the audio is amazing. Not a bit of feedback from other vehicles like you had for years. Cut through Fantasyland (where the wait times were already building up) and rode Buzz with a 10 minute wait. Got FP to come back after lunch, ate at Cosmic Rays, rode TTA while waiting for our FP time, and hopped back on Buzz. Caught Philharmagic with a 10 minute wait. It started pouring on our way out, so we left the park (around 1:00) and had no wait for a bus back to the CB.
Returned to MK around 5:45 (3 minute wait for bus). Rode Pirates with a 15 minute wait. I must say, I try not to pay attention to the bad behavior of guests or let it ruin my trip, but we got behind the most obnoxious family ever. The father was acting as bad as his two teenage sons, screaming and climbing on the chains hanging on the walls. We let another family get in front of us just because we couldn’t take it anymore. :brick: Thankfully when we got to load, the father of that family told the CM that they did not want to be in the same boat as that party and neither did the party behind them (us). CM didn’t miss a beat, and let us on the next boat. So to the father ahead of us with the two pre-teen girls, if you are reading this, thank you for saving our ride. =) Headed over to HM (walk on) and staked out a spot in Frontierland for Spectromagic. Less than 5 min. wait for a bus to CB. Pedometer Count – walked almost 16 miles.

http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/maleficent20/?action=view&current=f65494d7.pbw

Days 4-8 Coming Soon!

 

[PoohBear119]

Awesome report so far. I am getting geared up for my anniversary trip with my husband in about 5 weeks, so this helps get me in the mood. It is always nice when people on vacation think about others.

 

[xsupaxmanxsfnex]

Sounds great so far. You got really lucky with all of those short wait times. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Nice start - looking forward to reading the rest

 

[jlanj4]

Day 4 – Epcot and Gatorland

Got up early to take advantage of morning EMH. We decided to drive over, so we could head right over to Gatorland. We arrived at the parking lot around 7:20am, but were not allowed in until 7:30. Ran right over to Soarin’ (walk on), got Fastpasses for 9:48, had breakfast, shopped Mouseworks (got my vintage Epcot logo tee) , Art of Disney, and the pin station, then used FP with a 5 minute wait. Left Epcot.
Gatorland was about a 15 minute drive down the Osceola Parkway. (Note the toll has gone up to $1.50 each way). We hadn’t been to Gatorland in about 20 years, and thought we’d give it a try again. Saw the feeding show, petted a baby gator, walked around a little, but it was unbearably hot, and we only stayed about 2 hours. Back to the CB to rest.
Back to Epcot at 6 (5 min. bus wait) Rode the boat in Mexico, got churros and walked around WS, stopped to hear The British Invasion (and bought a Sgt. Pepper shirt) and Off Kilter. Left before Illuminations and had a bus waiting to take us back to the CB. (I know the wait at Epcot at night can be terrible, we’ve done it before). Pedometer Count – Walked 18.6 miles.

Day 5 – Hollywood Studios

We also took advantage of EMH for the Studios. After a 5 minute wait for a bus, we arrived and joined the herd running down to Toy Story Mania. We got in the standby line, but the CM announced the ride start would be delayed. Decided to grab FP (the times were going up so FAST!) and try TOT. Had a 20 minute wait for that (very cool, intense drop sequence – we really thought we were done, then all the way back up!) Rode Star Tours with a 5 minute wait, then back to Toy Story with a 10 min. FP wait.
I enjoyed the ride, but I guess, for me, it was too much like a video game. I think I like Buzz so much because it’s not on a screen.
Headed over to the first showing of Indy 10 minutes early, but it was already standing room only. I can see how much more popular it is now that the new movie is out! Ate breakfast/early lunch at the ABC Commissary, and rode the GMR with a 20 min wait. Tried Indy again and got seats with a 20 min stand by wait (We had forgotten we could have got Fastpasses). Show was good, and I noticed a few changes since we had last seen it about 10 years ago. After some much needed frozen Cokes, we headed out front for the 3:00 parade (kind of a disappointment, but good for the kiddies). Waited 20 minutes for a bus back to the CB.
Returned to the Studios around 6pm with a 10 minute bus wait. Great story from the bus. 3 guys in their early-mid 30’s get on. You can tell just by looking at them they’re bored and out for beer. As we’re pulling into the Studios their conversation with the bus driver goes a little like this:

Clueless Guy #1 – How do we get to the Boardwalk from here? We’re trying to get to the ESPN Club.

Bus Driver – You can take one of the water taxis over there or walk.

Clueless Guy #2 – Are there any casinos there?

Bus Driver - ::kind of quiet:: (She then goes on to explain to the guy if they’re going to be after 11pm to take a bus to DTD and transfer back to the Caribbean)

Clueless Guy #3 as we’re pulling in the bus load area – Is this Disneyland?

Bus Driver – No this is the Hollywood Studios.

Clueless Guy #2 – Is that the castle? (Pointing to Tower of Terror)

Bus Driver – No that’s the Tower of Terror

My Dad whispering to me – Of course it’s the castle. Walt had this morbid sense of humor……:ROFLOL:

So I’m assuming these guys got over to ESPN and got their beer and were still just as clueless as ever. :hammer:

We walked back to Muppets 4D (walk on and the theater was less than half full) and rode GM with a 10 minute wait. We got one of those red tickets on the lanyards you’re supposed to give the CM when you load. Is this how they update the wait times? Less than 5 min bus wait on the way back to CB. Pedometer Count – walked 10.3 miles.

http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/maleficent20/?action=view&current=b8636665.pbw



Day 6 – Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney and Magic Kingdom

Only a 5 minute wait for a bus that morning. The Safari and ITTBAB were both walk on. The safari was great. The black rhino and giraffe were right by our vehicle, lots of elephants, and the lion was out and puffing around. Walked over to Dinosaur with a 10 minute wait (we had a scared little boy (maybe 7) in the car in front of us who forcefully announced “We are never going on that ride again!” when he got off.) Lunch at Flametree Barbecue and then waited 15 minutes for a bus back to CB. I had forgotten how long it takes to get back to CB with the stop at Blizzard Beach. We were on the bus for over 30 minutes. Drove over to DTD, visited the West Side stores, World of Disney, the Christmas store, and got frozen cappuccinos at Ghirdelli (MUCH better than the park’s frozen mochas – I highly recommend them).
Returned to the MK about 5:45 (15 minute bus wait). Grabbed FP for Buzz (which is turning into our favorite ride). Walked thought Fantasyland, where all the standby lines were 30-40 minutes. In Frontierland we rode the RR to Toontown (10 minute wait) and used our FP for Buzz (5 minute wait). Shopped Main Street and had a 5 min wait for the bus back to CB. Pedometer Count – walked 19.6 miles.

http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/maleficent20/?action=view&current=26702867.pbw


Day 7 – Last Day! Magic Kingdom and Train

Our Express Checkout envelope arrived at our door at 8am, just before we were leaving for MK. We had called the front desk and they said the runner was behind. (We were told the envelopes are usually there around 6-7am). Waited 10 minutes for a bus, at rope drop rode Buzz twice, got a FP for it, rode Peter Pan with a 3 minute wait, HM and POTC were both walk on, used our FP for Buzz one last time, then sadly headed out. Waited 8 minutes for a bus back to the CB. Drove to Sanford in great time, arrived at the station at 1:30, and departed early at 3:50pm. Unfortunately, it started to storm heavily as we approached Jacksonville, and we had to slow to a crawl (signals were out). We fell 2 hours behind, made up an hour overnight. Pedometer Count – walked 7 miles.

Day 8 – Arrival in Lorton and drive back to New Jersey

Even though we made up an hour on the train overnight, we hit a work zone in Virginia that caused us to fall another hour behind, so we arrived in Lorton 2 hours late at 11:30. If you can afford to take your SUV on the Autotrain, I would recommend it. I think that is what we will be doing next year. In Florida, all the SUVs are off within 20-30 minutes, and in Lorton, they are always some of the first ones off. We had to wait about 45 minutes for our car. Driving 95 went well, no traffic until we hit Delaware (approaching 295 is a huge work zone, be prepared to go SLOW.

http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/maleficent20/?action=view&current=e0327ff9.pbw


All in all a great trip! I am hoping to start getting some pictures up this afternoon! Thanks for reading!

 

[jlanj4]

Photos for Days 1-5!

Links lead to slideshows, to freeze any pic, click on it, or to go through stills, use the back or next links on the upper right.

Day 1-2 - Autotrain, Downtown Disney, Hollywood Studios
http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/maleficent20/?action=view&current=914a5b44.pbw


Day 3 Magic Kingdom
http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/maleficent20/?action=view&current=f65494d7.pbw

Day 4-5 Epcot Gatorland Hollywood Studios
http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/maleficent20/?action=view&current=b8636665.pbw

Jenn :wave:

 

[jlanj4]

Photos for Day 6-8!

Day 6 Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom

http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/maleficent20/?action=view&current=26702867.pbw

Day 7 & 8 Magic Kingdom & the Autotrain

http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/maleficent20/?action=view&current=e0327ff9.pbw


Jenn

 

[mouselvrmom]

I loved your slideshows, Jenn! Glad to hear you had a great trip! :sohappy:

 

[disneygirl1]

Great report!!! Glad to see that you had such a reat time.

I feel you with the work zone area on 295! I sat in traffic there a few weeks ago coming home from a business meeting in DC for hours!