Off Season visit blues

[RevRay]

Hi there,

My name is Ray, and I am new to these boards. I am a youth pastor near Cape Cod MA, and am looking for some info on our visit coming up.

My family and I are going down from Ocotber 30 until November 9th, 22 days and counting.

We had a whole intinerary planned out, HOWEVER there have been huge changes that are kind of frustrating, and has left us wondering on the vaildity of the rumours we have been reading and hearing about the World.

1. We do know for a fact that Carribean Beach is closed, they bumped us up to Animal Kingdom Lodge for a fee, we are pretty happy about this change!

2. Typhoon Lagoon, are they closing this during the time we are there? My father and I were REALLY looking forward to paying the extra money to free swim in the shark tank.

3. Magic Kingdom: why the early hours? Does anyone know where I can find a schedule of what days there will be fireworks, and what days there will be parades, and what days there will be this rumoured huge character greet on Main Street?

4. Phantasmic: What time does this start?

5. Using Disney transportation, how does one get from animal Kingdom Lodge to the Boardwalk? We have PS for the Cape May Cafe but are not renting a vehicle.

6. Where are church services at Disney, if any? Protestant or non-denom is preferred.

7. Will my 19 month old daughter enjoy Animal Kindom Lodge as much as she would have Carribean Beach?

8. Do buses run better at the Deluxe resorts than they do at the All Stars? This was a big concern for my dad as well. (he is a bit impatient 0

9. What is the weather typically like during early November?

10. Are the rides in MK open during the Not So Scary Halloween Party? What other things are available for us to do during this time?

11. This is a completly newbie question, but I am noticing that some WDW cast members are also working at Universal, does Disney own Universal as well? No flames please :hammer:

12. And finally, what would be the best romantic dinner and evening for my wife and I alone? Please reccomend!!


I apologize in advance for some of the questions on this list, I am SURE that they have been answered in other threads, I just cannot seem to find them. Since it seems that there are some VERY knowledgable people on this forum, I thought I would go tothe experts, if you must flame for some of my questions, flame gently please :slurp: !

Also thank you in advance for any time you spend answering any of my questions!

RevRay

 

[figmentbaby]

1) The Animal Kingdom Lodge is BEAUTIFUL -totally surpasses the Carribean Beach

2)I think Typhoon Lagoon only closes around Dec-Feb, but they most definitely ahve a schedule on the disney.com website. I always wanted to do that too!!! I'm never there on Tuesdays =*(

3) The schedules are definitely posted on the disney website-I've looked them up before. www.disney.com

4) Fantasmic starts usually at 8 but it might depend on what time MGM closes.

5)You can take a bus to the ticket and transportation center and then transfer there or you can just go to a theme park and then catch another bus.

6)I have nooo idea!! Sorry :veryconfu

7)She'll love it even more- you can see animals from your room (if you have a really nice view) or around the resort.

8)I have never stayed at the all stars or anything but I would imagine the buses would run on the same schedules around the resorts.

9)A little breezy-around 70's (which is cold for Disneyworld)

10)I'm not sure on that one

11):brick: I don't think anny WDW cast member works in Universal and theyre definitely in competition. Don't let some people on this forum read this question!!! hee hee

12) Ok it depends on the price range. Victoria and Alberts and the Grand Floridian is by far the most romantic place to eat, that is at the wrong price. It's about 80 dollars a plate. There's also The California Grill at the top of the Contemporary where you can have a panoramic view of the fireworks of the Magic Kingdom. Those are my two favorite romantic places.

I hope I have helped you and good luck. You'll have so much fun and I'm so jealous

 

[tybroid59]

Typhoon lagoon closes on the 27th of oct

 

[Maria]

Originally posted by RevRay

3. Magic Kingdom: why the early hours? Does anyone know where I can find a schedule of what days there will be fireworks, and what days there will be parades, and what days there will be this rumoured huge character greet on Main Street?

4. Phantasmic: What time does this start?

5. Using Disney transportation, how does one get from animal Kingdom Lodge to the Boardwalk? We have PS for the Cape May Cafe but are not renting a vehicle.

7. Will my 19 month old daughter enjoy Animal Kindom Lodge as much as she would have Carribean Beach?

9. What is the weather typically like during early November?

10. Are the rides in MK open during the Not So Scary Halloween Party? What other things are available for us to do during this time?

11. This is a completly newbie question, but I am noticing that some WDW cast members are also working at Universal, does Disney own Universal as well? No flames please :hammer:

12. And finally, what would be the best romantic dinner and evening for my wife and I alone? Please reccomend!!

Hi and welcome to the family!

I´ll try to answer some:

3 and 4.- Early hours are for those staying in a disney resort, like you will, so if you get up early, you can get on some rides that are tipically crowded, with less people in them. Try checking www.disney.com as suggested above. There is a section called "trip planner" where you can check schedules for the days you will be there.
Another site for entertainment schedules is: http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/index.htm

5.- Try to be at Epcot that day, so it´s easier for you to take a boat or walk from there.

7.- I´m sure she will love it!

9.- The weather is chilly. Bring a jacket, specially for nights. The mornings are very nice, but nights get chilly and humid.

10.- Yes they are. There are lots of trick or treating with Nestle goodies, a free picture to be sent to your home, some fortune tellers and two special parades.

11.- Disney and Universal are totally different companies. Yes, some cast members work at both, but that´s only like if you had two jobs. The paychecks are two different ones.

12.- There are so many places!!

I would also suggest you to check here: http://reviews.wdwmagic.com/
There are reviews of everything here and you can get an idea of every attraction/show/restaurant, etc!

Have a great trip!

 

[BoyXE]

Hey RevRay!

How could anyone flame you for such polite questions??? I think we'd all be glad to help. First of all, this website and Deb's (wdwig.com) are the best places for plain old info. They have everything you could want except park hours usually, and those are easily obtainable via Disney.com. Always double check, as everything is subject to change and often does!

Here's my 2 cents...

1. You'll be thrilled with AK Lodge--it is my favorite resort and much nicer than any of the moderates (which Carribean Beach was). You will have a balcony, possibly with a savannah view depending on how you were upgraded, indoor access to your room (as opposed to "motel" style entrance), and a decor to die for. Don't miss the two restaurants in there, Jiko and Boma, they are both superb.

2. Unfortunately I think Typhoon Lagoon will be closed. They have to close each water park every year for maintenance, and the winter/fall months are usually the time to do that. You never know when things change though, so keep checking.

3. Many people often think these hours are a result of budget cuts, but I've been a regular at WDW for years now and in the off season the Magic Kingdom regularly closed before dark. Usually parades and fireworks are on weekends or holidays. Again, check Disney.com for hours and schedules. I believe that the huge character greet is every morning at park opening. Again that's a question for Deb's site or Disney directly.

4. Fantasmic is nightly. It will start at dusk, and since you will be attending just as daylight savings ends, this can be as early as 6:30. Once again, Disney.com is your source there.

5. This is where Disney will tell you to make a transfer at Downtown Disney. Don't do this. DD has spotty bus service and is too far away. If you are going directly from resort to resort, I recommend taking AK Lodge to MGM, then taking either the bus from there to Boardwalk/Beach Club (Cape May is at the Beach Club), or simply walking the trail from MGM to the Epcot Resort area (it goes under the bridge along the waterway and is a lovely walk for pedestrian traffic only). It's almost a mile walk, though, so if you don't have the energy simply take the bus instead. Really nice walk though if you're up to it, and it can actually be a bit faster than the bus if your bus timing is off.

6. I believe all services are in the Polynesian Resort, but I'm not sure. I know that Deb's wdwig.com site has this info, and Disney will definitely know if you call them. All of this information is also in your room information guide at your Disney resort, and since you know it will be on a Sunday you can probably easily wait until you arrive to make those plans. To get to the Poly from AK Lodge, I reccommend a bus to Epcot and then monorail to Ticket and Transportation Center. The Polynesian is directly next door to there, and there are no resort buses that go to the TTC (they instead take you directly to the Magic Kingdom.) You can also take the bus to the MK, then get on the monorail to the Poly. Either way, it's a transfer!

7. More so. There is more for her to see and the room will be bigger for her to get into mischief! ;-)

8. Technically the buses all run the same frequency. But when higher demand occurs, they will reroute buses to meet the needs. So you may see more buses departing for value resorts than deluxe, but that's because there are SO many more rooms at the values and thus have more people to shuttle. You will be OK, the max I've ever waited for a bus at a resort was 15 minutes, and that was when I had just missed the last one.

9. As a native Floridian, I can honestly say YOU NEVER KNOW! It can be boiling hot, or pretty cold. It all depends on the warm/cold fronts. Our weather in the winter can go from hot to cold literally overnight, so bring both types of clothing in case.

10. Only Toontown is closed for the Halloween party. There are tons of special things for that event (hence the extra money to attend) including special fireworks (they're great), a parade that you can only see at this event, a haunted Riverboat ride on the riverboat, a special Halloween show at the Diamond Horseshoe, trick or treating, nighttime showings of Cinderella's show, a ride of the headless horseman, fortune tellers, costume parades for the kids, a special character dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern...and then some. Deb's site has all the details.

11. Nope, Disney doesn't own Universal.

12. Now that's my favorite subject--dining! If money is no object, Victoria and Alberts, Chefs de France (upstairs of France in Epcot, not cafe below), Jiko at AK Lodge, and most of the other Grand Floridian spots are terrific. California Grill is great but not really romantic. More active and loud. If money is a slight issue, Spoodles at the Boardwalk is great (and you can share a dessert milkshake at Beaches & Cream soda shop across the lake at Beach Club followed by a swing on the two seated swings on the beach, nice), Le Cellier in Canada at Epcot, and Artist's Point in the Wilderness Lodge are superb as well. There are TONS of options, so pick one that you both fancy.

Hope this helps, I love helping plan trips! ;-) Let us know how it all goes.

BoyXE

 

[BoyXE]

How could I forget...

As for the romantic dining, how could I forget dinner inside Cinderella Castle? The ressies aren't too hard to come by for dinner, and it isn't too pricey and has great food too. How often can you eat in a princess' castle with your wife? The lighting is very dim and the atmosphere very subdued and romantic. Plus your waiter will call your wife "my lady." She ought to swoon.

 

[RobFL]

About religious services..

They are no longer held at the Luau Cove at the Polynesian.

For what you're looking for, Disney suggests:

Celebration Presbyterian Church
Location: 635 Celebration Avenue
Contact: 407-566-2200
Directions: Take I-4 West to exit 25A which will take you to 192 (heading towards Kissimmee). Two traffic lights down, make a right turn onto Celebration Avenue. Follow Celebration Avenue into town and the church is located one quarter mile down the road on the right hand side.


Romantic Dinner?

Victoria and Alberts is a very nice, but very formal restaurant. It has a formal dress code, and many suggest it is worth the splurge. It is the most expensive restaurant on Disney property.

Other really good restaurants:

Citricos at the Grand Floridian - French Cuisine
Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge - Gourmet African Cuisine
Coral Reef Cafe at Epcot - Sea food next to a massive coral reef panorama tank

Hours and Shows?

For your trip...

Fantasmic! at MGM @ 7pm until Nov. 9th, when it is at 8pm.

Spectromagic at Magic Kingdom @ 7pm on Nov. 2nd and 9th.

Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks at Magic Kingdom @ 8pm on Nov. 2nd and 9th.

Illuminations at Epcot @ 9pm, nightly.


-Rob

 

[Yellow Shoes]

I would suggest that you check out the menus of restaurants you are interested in.

There are so many choices, and you need to have some idea of what you want.

Every restaurant has a children's menu--macaroni and cheese, chicken fingers, hot dog, peanut butter & jelly, etc., so you will be OK with her. My family is somewhat picky, and I eliminated a few places after looking at the menus and realizing that there were no clear "winners" offered.

Both Boma (buffet) and Jiko at AKLodge are highly recommended, and convenient for you.

 

[RevRay]

Thank you so much ladies and gentleman, you all are so knowledgeable it's a little scary! :lol:

Seriously thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, I will let you know how our trip went and the whole nine. I have been once already this year, this makes twice for me and I am really excited. I went with a youth baseball team as thier "chaplain" over the fourth of July holiday, other than being HOT it was great. We stayed at the All Star Sports which I actually found to be much better than All Star music as far as setup and pool location.

Disney's wide world of sports is BEAUTIFUL, I have never seen facilities as well kept as the ones there, (we are from New England, and even Fenway is not as well kept, which is part of it's charm) The kids loved playing on the O-rays field.

The only thing that was disappointing about the trip was the other teams that we played. I have never seen an irate baseball parent or player until this tournament. One player from Puerto rico actually flipped off one of our pitchers. It was very unpleasant. But that had nothing to do with Disney obviously!

Thank you again, 21 days and counting!!!!

 

[Sherm00]

Have a great time on your trip. Most everybody summed up most of your questions, and I am not near as knowledgeable as some people on this board, however for the romance I suggest polineasian luau, Cinderellas royal table (make reservations an hour and a half before the fireworks and request a windows seat), Alfredos in itially is a really nice place and the food is out of this world. and I hear the resturant in france you can make reservations and get a balcony seat during the fireworks is really romantic, then take it easy after dinner stroll out of the park and walk accross the boardwalkat night , it's really fun and romantic.