Trip Report MILESTONE TRIP! First Orlando Visit, Final Disney Park!

THE TIME HAS COME!

In just about a week, I will be starting my very first ever trip to Orlando…and all therein that may be explored.

As the title suggests, among other milestones, this trip will see me visiting my 12th and final Disney Park – Magic Kingdom itself! I have traveled extensively, with all the other Disney Destinations worldwide under my belt, yet somehow I have so far resisted the allures of the Vacation Kingdom. In this week days leading up to my departure, I’ll be going over “why not yet,” “why now,” my itinerary, maybe even soliciting some travel advice.

But for now…Who’s going?

Me after a hike at Bryce Canyon (the real Big Thunder). My beard is much calmer now.​

Just me. Doug. Typically I’m a regular of the Imagineering forums, but I'm just a dilettante on these Trip Report boards. Traveling solo, as is my wont.

Where? Universal’s Endless Summer Resort for three nights, then the Walt Disney World Swan for like a week.

When? September 21st – October 1st.

The broadest plan is to see as much of Orlando as I can (both Disney and beyond) in the week+ prior to Magic Kingdom’s 50th. That means plans to see Walt Disney World, Universal, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, even the Fun Spots.

Over ambitious, perhaps? Sure it is, but I’ve done my research, and I know my travel style and what I'm capable of! Let’s do this!

 

[D Hulk]

@TheOriginalTiki, alpine coasters absolutely % count as roller coasters! I’m unfamiliar with these newer alpine models, like the flyer or the single rail, but they should count. Gravity-driven on a rail, that’s all you need to qualify.

I use the LogRide app to tally my count.

You have a shot at making Lightning Rod your #100. Go for it! (My #100 was Phantom’s Revenge at Kennywood.) Get within 7 using Pigeon Forge’s alpine coasters, then do Dollywood. Best of luck!

 

[Bullseye1967]

@D Hulk's error led me to redoing my credits list from the ground up to make sure everything was accounted for. At the moment, I'm at a round 90. Dollywood has eight credits I can get. Do alpine coasters count, because oh my god it'd be really frustrating to be so close yet so far to the #100 this trip haha. I was thinking about having the first day of the trip be just local Pigeon Forge stuff anyways since we'll probably be exhausted from the flight (we fly in at like 2AM or something stupid like that haha), so if I could crack out a couple credit outside of Dollywood that day I'd be golden. There's definitely a couple rather intriguing newer credits in the alpline/mountain department including the world's first single rail and "flying" mountain coasters, so they'd definitely be a first choice for me to pad out the list if they do indeed count towards credit count. Any clarification here, Hulk?

Spoiler

1. Mad Mouse (J's Amusement Park)​
2. Dragon Coaster (Various carnivals)​
3. Jet Star 2 (Various carnivals)​
4. Tiger Coaster (Oakland Zoo)​
5. Sea Serpent (Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk)​
6. Hurricane (Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk)​
7. Giant Dipper (Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk)​
8. Cobra (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
9. Kong (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
10. Medusa (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
11. Roar (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
12. Tony Hawk's Big Spin (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
13. Joker (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
14. V2 (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
15. Batman: The Ride (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
16. Boomerang (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
17. Physco Mouse (California Great America)​
18. Vortex (California Great America)​
19. Runaway Reptar (California Great America)​
20. Flight Deck (California Great America)​
21. Grizzly (California Great America)​
22. Gold Striker (California Great America)​
23. Railblazer (California Great America)​
24. Patriot (California Great America)​
25. Terminator Salvation: The Ride (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
26. Gold Rusher (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
27. Scream (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
28. Colossus (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
29. Batman: The Ride (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
30. Riddler's Revenge (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
31. Ninja (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
32. Tatsu (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
33. Viper (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
34. X2 (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
35. Superman: Escape from Krypton (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
36. Green Lantern: First Flight (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
37. Goliath (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
38. Revolution (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
39. Twisted Colossus (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
40. Full Throttle (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
41. Quicksilver Express (Gilroy Gardens)​
42. Timber Twister (Gilroy Gardens)​
43. Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Hollywood)​
44. Flight of the Hypogriff (Universal Hollywood)​
45. Ghostrider (Knott's Berry Farm)​
46. Pony Express (Knott's Berry Farm)​
47. Hangtime (Knott's Berry Farm)​
48. Coast Rider (Knott's Berry Farm)​
49. Xcellerator (Knott's Berry Farm)​
50. Jaguar (Knott's Berry Farm)​
51. Sierra Sidewinder (Knott's Berry Farm)​
52. Montezuma's Revenge (Knott's Berry Farm)​
53. Silver Bullet (Knotts Berry Farm)​
54. Matterhorn Fantasyland (Disneyland)​
55. Matterhorn Tomorrowland (Disneyland)​
56. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Disneyland)​
57. Space Mountain (Disneyland)​
58. Gadget's Go Coaster (Disneyland)​
59. California Screamin' (DCA)​
60. Goofy's Sky School (DCA)​
61. Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster (Universal Orlando)​
62. Hollywood Rip Ride Rock It (Universal Orlando)​
63. Escape From Gringotts (Universal Orlando)​
64. Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Orlando)​
65. The Incredible Hulk (Islands of Adventure)​
66. Hagrid's (Islands of Adventure)​
67. Flight of the Hypogriff (Islands of Adventure)​
68. White Lightning (Fun Spot Orlando)​
69. Freedom Flyer (Fun Spot Orlando)​
70. Mine Blower (Fun Spot Kissimmee)​
71. Galaxy Spin (Fun Spot Kissimmee)​
72. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom)​
73. Barnstormer (Magic Kingdom)​
74. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom)​
75. Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)​
76. Rock N' Roller Coaster (Magic Kingdom)​
77. Slinky Dog Dash (Magic Kingdom)​
78. Primeval Whirl (Animal Kingdom)​
79. Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)​
80. Manta (Seaworld Orlando)​
81. Journey to Atlantis (Seaworld Orlando)​
82. Kraken (Seaworld Orlando)​
83. Mako (Seaworld Orlando)​
84. Cheetah Hunt (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
85. Cobra's Curse (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
86. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
87. Shiekra (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
88. Scorpion (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
89. Sand Serpent (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
90. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa)​

Ober Gatlinburg has 2 of them.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Ober Gatlinburg has 2 of them.

Right now my priority is Anakeesta > Ober Gatlinburg just because Ober seems to be primarily built as a ski resort whereas Anakeesta seems to have a more modern "outdoor adventure park" vibe.

 

[meggo819]

Right now my priority is Anakeesta > Ober Gatlinburg just because Ober seems to be primarily built as a ski resort whereas Anakeesta seems to have a more modern "outdoor adventure park" vibe.

We really enjoyed this one in May: https://www.rockytopcoaster.com/ Bonus, it's right next to Dollywood.

I really wanted to go to Anakeesta, but the line to get up there was nuts.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

We really enjoyed this one in May: https://www.rockytopcoaster.com/ Bonus, it's right next to Dollywood.

I really wanted to go to Anakeesta, but the line to get up there was nuts.

There's an express pass you can get to skip the line. The only thing I'm wary about with that is the express line uses a chairlift and my grandma HATES those after an incident almost slipping getting off of the one at Blizzard Beach. I'm going to see if we can arrive early and maybe take the bus option up to the mountain instead as that might not be as in demand as the gondolas.

Right now besides the two at Anakeesta the one most on my radar is Goats on the Roof...pretty much exclusively for how ridiculously kitsch that entire operation sounds and the fact that my grandma can enjoy the goats while I do the coaster haha. Plus looking at videos it looks to be one of the better/longer ones.

Any shows you'd recommend? Right now the big one on my radar is the Comedy Barn but I'd like to get in a real "Country Musical Hall" type of experience while I'm down there as well.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

@D Hulk how goes LAX?

 

[Bullseye1967]

Right now my priority is Anakeesta > Ober Gatlinburg just because Ober seems to be primarily built as a ski resort whereas Anakeesta seems to have a more modern "outdoor adventure park" vibe.

It is a 70s vibe ski resort but you can drive to the top without having to wait in line for the tram. Just trying to help your count. Ober does have live entertainment and the sky bridge to see.

 

[Bullseye1967]

There's an express pass you can get to skip the line. The only thing I'm wary about with that is the express line uses a chairlift and my grandma HATES those after an incident almost slipping getting off of the one at Blizzard Beach. I'm going to see if we can arrive early and maybe take the bus option up to the mountain instead as that might not be as in demand as the gondolas.

Right now besides the two at Anakeesta the one most on my radar is Goats on the Roof...pretty much exclusively for how ridiculously kitsch that entire operation sounds and the fact that my grandma can enjoy the goats while I do the coaster haha. Plus looking at videos it looks to be one of the better/longer ones.

Any shows you'd recommend? Right now the big one on my radar is the Comedy Barn but I'd like to get in a real "Country Musical Hall" type of experience while I'm down there as well.

Comedy Barn is a must do! Another is breakfast at log cabin pancakes. Have fun!

 

[D Hulk]

@D Hulk how goes LAX?

In short, very empty. Also, I’m already at my gate, meaning that…

THIS TRIP IS OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY!

The flight isn’t until after midnight, nearly three hours away. I wound up making ludicrously good time both getting down here and getting through all the various airport hoops.

Everyone wants an excessive amount of photos, yes?​

Originally I’d planned on getting down to LAX by a combination of Uber, then Metro line to Union Station, then taking the FlyAway bus. I’ve done this before. It’s cheaper but much more time consuming, sometimes taking well over two or more hours to make the trip.

This plan fell apart at the very first step. There were no Uber drivers even within 20 minutes of my house (by LA standards I live in the boondocks, hence the occasional wildfire evacuations), and those drivers I tried to request all turned me down.

So, instead, I simply took an Uber all the way to the airport - I guess that airport carrot is far more enticing than an 8 minute drive to a metro station. And overall the cost wasn’t that much worse. There was absolutely no traffic the whole way through downtown, so it took only 35 minutes when sometimes that damn drive can take 90+ minutes. The only flight out of Terminal 7 tonight, other than the Houston red eye I’m on, is a flight to San Salvador. So there were few ahead in the security line. It was weird watching my usual carry on backpack get shoved into a plastic satchel and get checked, but that’s United’s dumb profit-raising policy

Lots of time to kill. Maybe I’ll buy a book. Maybe I’ll pass out.

 

[macefamily]

Hope the first leg of your journey went well. Looking forward to your report. We'll be arriving at MCO tomorrow night at midnight.

 

[amjt660]

Safe travels my friend


Max

 

[D Hulk]

Hope the first leg of your journey went well. Looking forward to your report. We'll be arriving at MCO tomorrow night at midnight.

Safe travels my friend


Max

Thank you both.

I just awoke from a furtive nap in the Houston airport. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t sleep very much on the red eye out of LAX. I had the worst seat on the plane, furthest back aisle, in full view of the stewardesses’ brightly lit work station and at the constant mercy of their frantic flittering about.

Houston International was a ghost town when we touched down in the 5 AM hour, but it’s bustling now. I used my Nalgene as a pillow for a while. It’s a remodeled terminal, it seems, with plentiful charging stations and tasteful LED lighting. A happy far cry from the 1970s dystopian nightmare of LAX.

Everyone is masked except for this one guy who’s also actively picking his nose for all to watch!

These flights out will be the worst part of this trip. Everything in Orlando will be better!

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

'Sup, guys!!!


The more I travel, the larger my bucket list becomes. There are always new places to explore. You've had some good experiences too, it sounds like. I envy your easy access to Europe, and your time spent in the Wyoming & Dakotas region. (That's the road trip leg I had to cancel last year due to wildfires at home.)


If I see you, I'll be sure to say "Hi!" That second pic must be the Valley of Fire. Such a striking landscape; you captured some amazingly vibrant colors.

---

FLORIDA ITINERARY​

So, here’s the general plan for my time in Orlando.

Tuesday the 21ST
Fly out from LAX to MCO on a midnight red eye flight, layover in Dallas
Check in at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort hotel
IOA & USF park hoppers (focus on #200 Velocicoaster!)
Dining reservations: Late 10:15 dinner at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium (not so late from my time zone perspective)

Wednesday the 22ND
IOA & USF
Dining reservations: Lunch at Mythos; Dinner at Cowfish

Thursday the 23RD
IOA & USF
Halloween Horror Nights
Dining reservations: Lunch at Lombard’s @ 1:30
Generally, I plan on using Universal’s Stay ‘n’ Scream to remain in USF for early HHN access

Friday the 24TH
Check out of my Uni hotel and go straight to DAK,
DAK (with a planned friend meetup)
Dining reservations: Lunch at Tiffin’s
Check in at the Walt Disney World Swan (staying here for the rest of the trip)

Saturday the 25TH
A day off from parks to explore Disney Springs and resort area hotels such as Wilderness Lodge and the Poly, with a late evening Boardwalk area stroll
Dining reservations: Brunch at Raglan Road; Dinner at Cona Café

Sunday the 26TH
DHS
Dining reservations: Afternoon drinks at Oga’s Cantina; Dinner at Primetime Diner

Monday 27TH
Epcot
Dining reservations: Breakfast at Cape May Café (precedes Epcot’s 11 AM opening); Dinner at Tepan Edo
The 27th is the first day when Space 220 starts doing reservations. I’ll try getting a table here when reservations become available on the 20th.

Tuesday the 28TH
Magic Kingdom
Dining reservations: Dinner at the Skipper Canteen

Wednesday the 29TH
Go to MCO to grab a rental car, then drive to Tampa
Busch Gardens Tampa
Drive back to WDW

Thursday the 30TH
The Fun Spots
Plus possibly SeaWorld or Gatorland if things go quickly
Since I’ll still have the rental car by now, I might try driving out to Orlando’s local food scene for the evening

Friday the 1ST of October (50th Anniversary Day)
Check out of the Swan
SeaWorld Orlando
Fly home that evening

I have rough plans for where to grab quick service meals, and for which rides to attempt in which order. While the general idea is to hit rope drop as often as possible, this may not always happen since I’ll be transitioning from Pacific Standard Time.

Know you are going to have a killer time with this itinerary as we've discussed. Hopefully Toothsome, Mythos and Lombard's are as kind to you as they were to us on our first visit to Uni this summer. Dining is one area UO really struggles, but those were all great experiences for us. Can't wait to talk over your first impressions of the WDW parks on the other side!

 

[MickeyWaffleCo.]

Everyone wants an excessive amount of photos, yes?

It’s why I’m here!

 

[plaz10]

I’m happy to see your 100th coaster was Phantoms Revenge! I’m a Pittsburgh native so I was scouring the list to see if Kennywood made the cut. I don’t consider myself a coaster “enthusiast” as most of Cedar Point is too wild for my motion sickness but I love Phantom!

Have fun in Orlando!

 

[spacemt354]

This trip has been a long time coming - very excited for you - by the time you read this hopefully you'll be in Orlando! Safe travels!

 

[MickeyWaffleCo.]

How goes it, Hulk?

 

[D Hulk]

How goes it, Hulk?

HULK IS CHECKED IN AT UNIVERSAL!

Had a nice & easy flight from Houston to Orlando. Slept better than before, even got some REM. Had to talk away some shady guy at the ride app pickup spot at MCO who claimed to be with Uber but really showed all the signs of your classic tourist scam. Like he wanted to kidnap me and mail my ear to loved ones. So I found a different Uber driver instead, and I stand by that decision!

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort is a more modestly priced hotel than their others, meaning guests don’t get Express Lane but they do still get early entry to USF (& Volcano Bat Bay). It’s a perfectly comfortable, new, clean hotel. The check-in guy was extremely helpful, or maybe that’s just Orlando resort customer service overall. I tend to have low standards for lodging when traveling: must have a bed, a toilet, and WiFi is ideal. Clerks speaking English is a bonus, and so is extra space to walk around in inside the room.

Gonna get changed for the parks, restore my phone’s battery, then I’m off to Universal Studios! Since I betrayed Velocicoaster , I’ll just start at the other park they have an earlier closing time. I’ll be out late for a Toothsome dinner at 10:15. Whoohoo!

 

[Lizzy May Bee]

Had to talk away some shady guy at the ride app pickup spot at MCO who claimed to be with Uber but really showed all the signs of your classic tourist scam. Like he wanted to kidnap me and mail my ear to loved ones. So I found a different Uber driver instead, and I stand by that decision!

That’s Uber

Volcano Bat

I like how all the non-Imagineering people here will have no idea what you’re talking about

 

[MickeyCB]

Following along and enjoying this already!
@plaz10 another Yinzer here, and @D Hulk yeah for the Phantom's Revenge! (As long as you don't mind whiplash)!
And that scary part where you go under the Thunderbolt and are sure you are going to leave your brains on the track!