I was recently down in Orlando for business and it just so happened that my mom, sister and her my sister's boyfriend were going to be down around the same time. I was able to extend my trip an extra day so that I could make room for one day at WDW.
We started our day off at Hollywood Studios and got there at rope drop. I made the mistake of even bothering to go to get a Toy Story Mania fast pass. The line for the fast pass was longer than the actual ride line and I decided to go meet my family at Star Tours instead of waiting for either line.
1. Star Tours - Wait Time: Less than 5 minutes
This was my first time on the updated attraction and this is most definitely a great upgrade. The 3D glasses are fantastic and we all really enjoyed this attraction. None of us are Star Wars fans, so it wouldn't rank among our top 10, but it is definitely a must ride. Afterwords, we picked up a fast pass to ride it later on.
2. Toy Story Mania - Wait Time: 25 minutes
We decided to wait it out and it was most definitely worth it. Now that wait time is a little unfair. My mom was in a wheelchair for this trip and because of that we were able to cut off about 15 minutes of wait time. I feel like the line moved faster than the last time I waited in standby.
3. One Man's Dream - Wait Time: No Wait
We didn't end up seeing the film this time, but we wanted to explore the new things that were added to the walk-through exhibit. It's always fun to look around, no matter how many times you see it.
4. The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror - Wait Time: 15 minutes
The line looked a lot longer, but as it did with Toy Story Mania, it moved very quickly. This was the first time in a long time that I waited as far out as we did here.
5. Star Tours - Wait Time: 5 minutes via fast pass
6. Muppet Vision 3D - Wait Time: 10 minutes
This is the first time probably since the early 90's that I have seen the entire theatre full to capacity. It was great to see as this is one of my all-time favorite attractions. I'm not sure why, but last year I didn't really notice the digital upgrade. After watching it again this year, it was as clear as day. It looks better than ever.
7. Rock N Roller Coaster - Wait Time: 5 minutes via fast pass
We took a little breather and grabbed a snack. I got a salt pretzel in honor of that being what I sold when I worked at the Magic Kingdom back in 2002. We also walked around the shops and checked out the merchandise. I have to say that Disney has really improved on their t-shirt designs. We then rode Rock N Roller Coaster and I still did not get the "Nine Lives" car. Has anyone ever gotten this? I'm starting to think it doesn't exist.
We then hopped on over to the Magic Kingdom to spend the rest of the day there. The first thing we did was go over to Splash Mountain to pick up some fast passes. Despite the rain, the standby wait was over an hour.
8. Pirates Of The Caribbean - Wait Time: 10 minutes
Being the nerd that I am, I had to check out the new Blackbeard projection. I love that effect and it was neat to see it updated.
9. Jungle Cruise - Wait Time: Less than 5 minutes
Our skipper was Kate and I thought she did a very solid job. We did get backed up quite a bit on this one, which seemed to be a bit of a theme for the day. We were backed up well before the headshrinker bit.
10. Haunted Mansion - Wait Time: 15 minutes
We took the scenic route and I have to say it was a lot of fun. The only downfall is that you feel rushed through it because the line moves so fast. The new effect at the end of the ride is awesome. This was a definite highlight of our day and is another must see.
11. Snow White's Scary Adventures - Wait Time: 15 minutes
I wanted to get one last ride in on this attraction before it closes to make way for what seems to be a superior attraction. Even with that being said, I will miss this one, even if it is the weakest of the dark rides in my opinion.
12. Splash Mountain - Wait Time: Less than 5 minutes via fast pass
I still stand by this being the best fast pass in all of WDW. The only one that is close to as good is Expedition Everest. This my favorite Disney attraction and I had to check out the new lap bars, even though I knew it was going to make no difference.
13. Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover - Wait Time: Less than 5 minutes
This is a personal favorite and one that we always ride. The new narration is definitely not as good, but it still is a nice change of pace.
14. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - Wait Time: 10 minutes
I actually scored my all-time best on this ride. It still is nowhere near what most would consider a good score, but it was better than I usually do.
15. Mickey's PhilharMagic - Wait Time: Less than 5 minutes
This is one of the more underappreciated attractions. Although it is very well-liked, it seems to be forgotten when it comes to naming favorites. The crowd reaction is always priceless in this one.
16. It's A Small World - Wait Time: 5 minutes
17. Dinner at Cinderella's Castle
We had a very eventful evening as my sister's boyfriend proposed to my sister at our dinner. It was an awesome moment and a perfect place for such a monumental event in their lives. The staff was awesome and the food was very good. I do have to say that I prefer the old menu, as I felt like you got more food for your money. Still, it was an excellent evening.
18. The Magic, The Memories And You
This was our first time seeing this in person and it was top notch. This really sets the whole evening show apart from the other two parks and with this and Wishes counted as one show, this may very well be my favorite of the night time offerings.
19. Space Mountain - Wait Time: 5 minutes via fast pass
We decided to cap off the night with one more thrill ride. I chose this over Winnie The Pooh, even though I wanted to see the queue to that attraction, I will have to wait until next time.
Overall, the parks were crowded, but not unbearably so. It was a very hot day (with the humidity it was 100 degrees), but there are so many places to cool off in, that it really never got to any of us. I must say that Disney handles people in wheelchairs wonderfully and makes the experience very easy.
On a side note, we stayed at the Pop Century Resort. This was my first time ever over there and everything is very nicely kept up. The rooms are small, but everything still feels new and the resort as a whole is nice. My biggest complaint would be the selection of food at the food court for dinner. I feel like they are lacking in a few areas, but at the same time understand that they are trying to make each one a little different. For breakfast, I highly recommend the french toast.
We started our day off at Hollywood Studios and got there at rope drop. I made the mistake of even bothering to go to get a Toy Story Mania fast pass. The line for the fast pass was longer than the actual ride line and I decided to go meet my family at Star Tours instead of waiting for either line.
1. Star Tours - Wait Time: Less than 5 minutes
This was my first time on the updated attraction and this is most definitely a great upgrade. The 3D glasses are fantastic and we all really enjoyed this attraction. None of us are Star Wars fans, so it wouldn't rank among our top 10, but it is definitely a must ride. Afterwords, we picked up a fast pass to ride it later on.
2. Toy Story Mania - Wait Time: 25 minutes
We decided to wait it out and it was most definitely worth it. Now that wait time is a little unfair. My mom was in a wheelchair for this trip and because of that we were able to cut off about 15 minutes of wait time. I feel like the line moved faster than the last time I waited in standby.
3. One Man's Dream - Wait Time: No Wait
We didn't end up seeing the film this time, but we wanted to explore the new things that were added to the walk-through exhibit. It's always fun to look around, no matter how many times you see it.
4. The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror - Wait Time: 15 minutes
The line looked a lot longer, but as it did with Toy Story Mania, it moved very quickly. This was the first time in a long time that I waited as far out as we did here.
5. Star Tours - Wait Time: 5 minutes via fast pass
6. Muppet Vision 3D - Wait Time: 10 minutes
This is the first time probably since the early 90's that I have seen the entire theatre full to capacity. It was great to see as this is one of my all-time favorite attractions. I'm not sure why, but last year I didn't really notice the digital upgrade. After watching it again this year, it was as clear as day. It looks better than ever.
7. Rock N Roller Coaster - Wait Time: 5 minutes via fast pass
We took a little breather and grabbed a snack. I got a salt pretzel in honor of that being what I sold when I worked at the Magic Kingdom back in 2002. We also walked around the shops and checked out the merchandise. I have to say that Disney has really improved on their t-shirt designs. We then rode Rock N Roller Coaster and I still did not get the "Nine Lives" car. Has anyone ever gotten this? I'm starting to think it doesn't exist.
We then hopped on over to the Magic Kingdom to spend the rest of the day there. The first thing we did was go over to Splash Mountain to pick up some fast passes. Despite the rain, the standby wait was over an hour.
8. Pirates Of The Caribbean - Wait Time: 10 minutes
Being the nerd that I am, I had to check out the new Blackbeard projection. I love that effect and it was neat to see it updated.
9. Jungle Cruise - Wait Time: Less than 5 minutes
Our skipper was Kate and I thought she did a very solid job. We did get backed up quite a bit on this one, which seemed to be a bit of a theme for the day. We were backed up well before the headshrinker bit.
10. Haunted Mansion - Wait Time: 15 minutes
We took the scenic route and I have to say it was a lot of fun. The only downfall is that you feel rushed through it because the line moves so fast. The new effect at the end of the ride is awesome. This was a definite highlight of our day and is another must see.
11. Snow White's Scary Adventures - Wait Time: 15 minutes
I wanted to get one last ride in on this attraction before it closes to make way for what seems to be a superior attraction. Even with that being said, I will miss this one, even if it is the weakest of the dark rides in my opinion.
12. Splash Mountain - Wait Time: Less than 5 minutes via fast pass
I still stand by this being the best fast pass in all of WDW. The only one that is close to as good is Expedition Everest. This my favorite Disney attraction and I had to check out the new lap bars, even though I knew it was going to make no difference.
13. Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover - Wait Time: Less than 5 minutes
This is a personal favorite and one that we always ride. The new narration is definitely not as good, but it still is a nice change of pace.
14. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - Wait Time: 10 minutes
I actually scored my all-time best on this ride. It still is nowhere near what most would consider a good score, but it was better than I usually do.
15. Mickey's PhilharMagic - Wait Time: Less than 5 minutes
This is one of the more underappreciated attractions. Although it is very well-liked, it seems to be forgotten when it comes to naming favorites. The crowd reaction is always priceless in this one.
16. It's A Small World - Wait Time: 5 minutes
17. Dinner at Cinderella's Castle
We had a very eventful evening as my sister's boyfriend proposed to my sister at our dinner. It was an awesome moment and a perfect place for such a monumental event in their lives. The staff was awesome and the food was very good. I do have to say that I prefer the old menu, as I felt like you got more food for your money. Still, it was an excellent evening.
18. The Magic, The Memories And You
This was our first time seeing this in person and it was top notch. This really sets the whole evening show apart from the other two parks and with this and Wishes counted as one show, this may very well be my favorite of the night time offerings.
19. Space Mountain - Wait Time: 5 minutes via fast pass
We decided to cap off the night with one more thrill ride. I chose this over Winnie The Pooh, even though I wanted to see the queue to that attraction, I will have to wait until next time.
Overall, the parks were crowded, but not unbearably so. It was a very hot day (with the humidity it was 100 degrees), but there are so many places to cool off in, that it really never got to any of us. I must say that Disney handles people in wheelchairs wonderfully and makes the experience very easy.
On a side note, we stayed at the Pop Century Resort. This was my first time ever over there and everything is very nicely kept up. The rooms are small, but everything still feels new and the resort as a whole is nice. My biggest complaint would be the selection of food at the food court for dinner. I feel like they are lacking in a few areas, but at the same time understand that they are trying to make each one a little different. For breakfast, I highly recommend the french toast.
