Hi All.....it is your lil' purple buddy here to give my yearly review for those interested on my recent visit to Walt Disney World. Always a interesting and insightful experience, and although this years' venture was short and set at a relaxed pace, i still had some thoughts to share.
So let us begin....
This Trip Report is for this past week, Wednesday Sept 14th thru Monday Sept 19th. Read and enjoy...and i hope it provides some info those making a trip out will find valuable or helpful.
First off, i have to say that it was great to be in the Parks last week. All attractions were walk-on or very little waiting. I usually arrive for the opening ceremony/rope drop as it makes for a nice way to start the day. I highly recommend this to newbies, or even long time 'Worldphile's like myself. It really adds a additonal magical element.
Each Park has it's own different 'ceremony' for opening, with the one at The Magic Kingdom being probably the best. Animal Kingdom and EPCOT both used to have excellent openers, but they have been changed over the past 2 years and are now greatly simplified when compared to the original 'openers'. Both are still well worth experiencing though. Do it!
After staying at All-Star Music for the past ten years worth of multiple visits, i decided THIS trip to do something different. I stayed at All-Star Movies next door after having explored it on previous trips. As much as i enjoyed 'Music' all these years, i am glad to tried 'Movies' as it is a step up in some respects. The Food Court is better themed, but far less seating when compared to 'Music's absolutely huge indoor seating area. I tend to only have a meal or two at the hotel anyway, but wanted to note this for those coming in the future. Having breakfast in the Parks is always a plus for me, as it gets you in the gate and 'there' long before many Guests are even out of bed.
'Movies' was having many of it's rooms refurbed..currantly in the left-side 'Fantasia' building. Rugs were literally being rolled in on carts to be installed, and construction workers were very audioablly busy in them. The place looked great as a whole, and a lot of wildlife was openly about in the early mornings ( toads and bunnies for the most part).
And now...onto a trip overview.
Day One -
I decided to stop over at the Polynesian Resort to start things off, as i really like this place and the great tropical theming. Some day i would love to stay even just one night...but still cannot justify the expense for what is basically a bed to sleep in and a place to shower. Still....one day if i am able to would like to do it at least once.
Anyway...the reason for visiting was to try out breakfast at 'Kona Cafe'. I have read great things about this resturant over the past couple of years, and in my multiple visits i have yet to have stopped over to sample their famous fare and coffee. Well, this trip was to be one to 'experience new things' that i had yet to have tried , so 'Kona' was added to the list.
I did NOT sample the famous 'Tonga Toast' as i was warned previous to visit of the very sweet pastry-like flavour. Not a huge fan of having pure sugar for breakfast, so instead went for the 'Big Kahuna' which was a nice sampler plate of various items...eggs, potatoes, macadamia nuts and pineapple pancakes, plus meat of choice and a biscuit. Good stuff...and the pancakes were very yummy. The sizing was just right...not too huge nor not too small leaving you with a sense of wanting more. Perfect way to start a day.
After breakfast i toured the grounds as it is something i have wanted to do for some time, but previous trips did not really allow for it. Nice to finally get a layout of the land...so to speak. After getting a lei and a few 'Alohas' from the CMs, it was off to The Magic Kingdom. I arrived just as the gates were opened, which was pretty sweet.
The place was all done up for Halloween as is the norm for this time of year there, and looked great. I met up with Dean, a CM who i remember from a previous trip who had invited myself and a friend visiting for her 1st time into the afternoon parade. This was one of the most amazing experiences for both of us, and i was very happy to be able to thank him in person. I had previously written a very positive letter to Guest Relations after that experience, but it is always nice to be able to thank someone in person.
As noted earlier, the crowd levels were low. Almost all the main attractions were walk on up until later in the afternoon. Of course 'Peter Pan's Flight' had a long line no matter what time of day....but that is what Fast Pass is for! A lot a refurb walls were up...most noteable 'Swiss Family Treehouse' which i noted as it was one of the 'new experiences' i wanted to check out. Yes, outrageous as it sounds, after 25+ visits over many years i have yet to have gone up there! Well, i guess after the refurb it will be a perfect time to see it!
The first attraction i wanted to see was 'The Enchanted Tiki Room'. After seeing the 'Under New Management' version many times and following its demise and refurb back into the mostly original state, i was very much looking forward to seeing this version. I loved it. Everything looked GREAT...and the new signage was very nice to see. The pre-show was interesting...very retro sounding. I am guessing this is the original pre-show..as it was cool to hear the birds actually talk about the 'Sunshine Pavillion'. Wow...yeah....i was geeking out.
Inside the Pavillion was even better. Not only was the show a very welcome return, but everything just LOOKED better visually without all the 'visual clutter' caused by all the added newer lighting fixures seen previously in the 'Under New Management' version. I was VERY pleased to see all of those now removed. It really makes for a far more appealing experience from a visual standpoint. I was really happy to see the return of the 'rainstorm' effects which were sadly underused in the previous version of the show. Those were MISSED! Overall, really happy at the currant state of this attraction.
The Dole Whips tasted better then ever. I think the word is starting to get out to the newbies about this 'must have' when visiting MK, as the lines for Dole Whips were LONGER then most of the attractions that day! :lol:
This brings up my next observation.....a LOT of '1st visit' pins this trip. A LOT of newbies...which i found interesting. I wonder if it is the multiple 'Free Dining' offers that have gotten these people to finally visit? Maybe people are just getting the button pins more easily now then previously...making it seem more newbies are around. Maybe a combo of both...but I think this trip was the highest concentration of '1st Visits' i have seen.
That is nothing compared to the huge influx of Cast Members i saw standing around anxious to help or serve Guests. There could be up to six standing around at the entrance to a attraction. I have not noticed this before on previous visits...such a high concentration. I know September is usually a time for the new hires to be trained pre-holiday season...and there were plenty of new CM's there 'earning their ears', but wow, there seemed to be a really high concentration of them about. Really cool for those in the Park though....they were everywhere in multiples and ready to do anything for you. It was fun watching them being trained too....not always able to experience that.
More to come in my next post...below!
So let us begin....
This Trip Report is for this past week, Wednesday Sept 14th thru Monday Sept 19th. Read and enjoy...and i hope it provides some info those making a trip out will find valuable or helpful.
First off, i have to say that it was great to be in the Parks last week. All attractions were walk-on or very little waiting. I usually arrive for the opening ceremony/rope drop as it makes for a nice way to start the day. I highly recommend this to newbies, or even long time 'Worldphile's like myself. It really adds a additonal magical element.
Each Park has it's own different 'ceremony' for opening, with the one at The Magic Kingdom being probably the best. Animal Kingdom and EPCOT both used to have excellent openers, but they have been changed over the past 2 years and are now greatly simplified when compared to the original 'openers'. Both are still well worth experiencing though. Do it!
After staying at All-Star Music for the past ten years worth of multiple visits, i decided THIS trip to do something different. I stayed at All-Star Movies next door after having explored it on previous trips. As much as i enjoyed 'Music' all these years, i am glad to tried 'Movies' as it is a step up in some respects. The Food Court is better themed, but far less seating when compared to 'Music's absolutely huge indoor seating area. I tend to only have a meal or two at the hotel anyway, but wanted to note this for those coming in the future. Having breakfast in the Parks is always a plus for me, as it gets you in the gate and 'there' long before many Guests are even out of bed.
'Movies' was having many of it's rooms refurbed..currantly in the left-side 'Fantasia' building. Rugs were literally being rolled in on carts to be installed, and construction workers were very audioablly busy in them. The place looked great as a whole, and a lot of wildlife was openly about in the early mornings ( toads and bunnies for the most part).
And now...onto a trip overview.
Day One -
I decided to stop over at the Polynesian Resort to start things off, as i really like this place and the great tropical theming. Some day i would love to stay even just one night...but still cannot justify the expense for what is basically a bed to sleep in and a place to shower. Still....one day if i am able to would like to do it at least once.
Anyway...the reason for visiting was to try out breakfast at 'Kona Cafe'. I have read great things about this resturant over the past couple of years, and in my multiple visits i have yet to have stopped over to sample their famous fare and coffee. Well, this trip was to be one to 'experience new things' that i had yet to have tried , so 'Kona' was added to the list.
I did NOT sample the famous 'Tonga Toast' as i was warned previous to visit of the very sweet pastry-like flavour. Not a huge fan of having pure sugar for breakfast, so instead went for the 'Big Kahuna' which was a nice sampler plate of various items...eggs, potatoes, macadamia nuts and pineapple pancakes, plus meat of choice and a biscuit. Good stuff...and the pancakes were very yummy. The sizing was just right...not too huge nor not too small leaving you with a sense of wanting more. Perfect way to start a day.
After breakfast i toured the grounds as it is something i have wanted to do for some time, but previous trips did not really allow for it. Nice to finally get a layout of the land...so to speak. After getting a lei and a few 'Alohas' from the CMs, it was off to The Magic Kingdom. I arrived just as the gates were opened, which was pretty sweet.
The place was all done up for Halloween as is the norm for this time of year there, and looked great. I met up with Dean, a CM who i remember from a previous trip who had invited myself and a friend visiting for her 1st time into the afternoon parade. This was one of the most amazing experiences for both of us, and i was very happy to be able to thank him in person. I had previously written a very positive letter to Guest Relations after that experience, but it is always nice to be able to thank someone in person.
As noted earlier, the crowd levels were low. Almost all the main attractions were walk on up until later in the afternoon. Of course 'Peter Pan's Flight' had a long line no matter what time of day....but that is what Fast Pass is for! A lot a refurb walls were up...most noteable 'Swiss Family Treehouse' which i noted as it was one of the 'new experiences' i wanted to check out. Yes, outrageous as it sounds, after 25+ visits over many years i have yet to have gone up there! Well, i guess after the refurb it will be a perfect time to see it!
The first attraction i wanted to see was 'The Enchanted Tiki Room'. After seeing the 'Under New Management' version many times and following its demise and refurb back into the mostly original state, i was very much looking forward to seeing this version. I loved it. Everything looked GREAT...and the new signage was very nice to see. The pre-show was interesting...very retro sounding. I am guessing this is the original pre-show..as it was cool to hear the birds actually talk about the 'Sunshine Pavillion'. Wow...yeah....i was geeking out.
Inside the Pavillion was even better. Not only was the show a very welcome return, but everything just LOOKED better visually without all the 'visual clutter' caused by all the added newer lighting fixures seen previously in the 'Under New Management' version. I was VERY pleased to see all of those now removed. It really makes for a far more appealing experience from a visual standpoint. I was really happy to see the return of the 'rainstorm' effects which were sadly underused in the previous version of the show. Those were MISSED! Overall, really happy at the currant state of this attraction.
The Dole Whips tasted better then ever. I think the word is starting to get out to the newbies about this 'must have' when visiting MK, as the lines for Dole Whips were LONGER then most of the attractions that day! :lol:
This brings up my next observation.....a LOT of '1st visit' pins this trip. A LOT of newbies...which i found interesting. I wonder if it is the multiple 'Free Dining' offers that have gotten these people to finally visit? Maybe people are just getting the button pins more easily now then previously...making it seem more newbies are around. Maybe a combo of both...but I think this trip was the highest concentration of '1st Visits' i have seen.
That is nothing compared to the huge influx of Cast Members i saw standing around anxious to help or serve Guests. There could be up to six standing around at the entrance to a attraction. I have not noticed this before on previous visits...such a high concentration. I know September is usually a time for the new hires to be trained pre-holiday season...and there were plenty of new CM's there 'earning their ears', but wow, there seemed to be a really high concentration of them about. Really cool for those in the Park though....they were everywhere in multiples and ready to do anything for you. It was fun watching them being trained too....not always able to experience that.
More to come in my next post...below!
