A few ice cold adult beverages will really top off all the victimizing your subjecting yourself too
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The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
A few ice cold adult beverages will really top off all the victimizing your subjecting yourself too
Mike S
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that tip about John Wayne airport, me and my family are actually thinking of taking our first trip to Disneyland next year.
Didn't Mark Hamil make a o? And did anybody catch 50 Cent on Jimmy Kimmel as "Malefiftycent" hilarious
flynnibus
Premium Member
Lookup to what main hubs John Wayne Airport flies.. and then figure out which has the best deals to Germany. Flying to say Denver or Chicago.. and then to SNA may be better for you overall than flying to LAX. SNA is close enough you can take an affordable cab or shuttle and the scale and age of the airport is much more agreeable than LAX.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
No ...I think that was Princess Layher
TP2000
Well-Known Member
LAX is consistently rated as the worst airport in the USA. Sometimes it's only rated second worst. It's decrepit, confusing, dirty, overcrowded, and at Midnight with no traffic it's 45 minutes from the Disneyland Hotel. Anytime between 7AM and 8PM with traffic, it can take well over an hour. Sometimes two. And they closed the Imagineering-designed restaurant in the fabulous Theme Building, LAX's sole redeeming quality. (Seriously, Walt Disney Imagineering designed and built a wild Jetsons restaurant in the LAX Theme Building back in the 1990's, but the Los Angeles Airport Authority closed it last year. Idiots.)
John Wayne Airport (airport code SNA) is the "local" airport for the 3.5 Million people that wisely live in Orange County instead of Los Angeles County. John Wayne is 15 minutes from Disneyland without traffic, 30 minutes with traffic. It's brand new, clean and safe, attractive, compact but served by all major airlines, and located literally at the end of the freeway offramp off the San Diego Freeway.
LAX is WalMart on a bad day. John Wayne Airport is Nordstrom. Remember that.
A good second choice if you live in a JetBlue city is Long Beach Airport (airport code LGB). Only slightly further from Disneyland than John Wayne, it's also a brand new terminal with direct freeway access and is vastly easier and cleaner and calmer than LAX. Delta/American/United/Alaska also fly to LGB, but it's JetBlue's West Coast hub with JetBlue non-stops to the East Coast.
LAX was last a relevant, modern airport sometime around 1974. Avoid LAX like the plague, and your SoCal vacation will be that much better.
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danlb_2000
Premium Member
Not really a valid analogy. It's not hard to believe that anything that draws more people to Orlando, will also add to the turnstile clicks at Disney.
spacemt354
Chili's
People don't need to justify their vacation decisions to others in order to be considered 'valid'
On the flip side, the question didn't force anyone to justify their reasoning. It was just a question which people could have chosen to ignore if they wanted to. The people who responded did so on their own accord.
To answer the question. We are going back this summer because we got a good rate and, despite some of the issues we had on our last trip, it's still our family's favorite place to visit. We will take a day this time to visit Diagon Alley, but almost all of the trip will be at WDW. Though I'm sure some will claim that money can be spent better elsewhere, nowhere we have ever gone brings our family together like Disney World. That's not really something we have to justify to others. The only people we have to justify it to is ourselves, and we've done it every time.
On the flip side, the question didn't force anyone to justify their reasoning. It was just a question which people could have chosen to ignore if they wanted to. The people who responded did so on their own accord.
To answer the question. We are going back this summer because we got a good rate and, despite some of the issues we had on our last trip, it's still our family's favorite place to visit. We will take a day this time to visit Diagon Alley, but almost all of the trip will be at WDW. Though I'm sure some will claim that money can be spent better elsewhere, nowhere we have ever gone brings our family together like Disney World. That's not really something we have to justify to others. The only people we have to justify it to is ourselves, and we've done it every time.
Mike S
Well-Known Member
Thanks again for all that. I remember reading about that restaurant on Disney and More, shame to hear they closed it.LAX is consistently rated as the worst airport in the USA. Sometimes it's only rated second worst. It's decrepit, confusing, dirty, overcrowded, and at Midnight with no traffic it's 45 minutes from the Disneyland Hotel. Anytime between 7AM and 8PM with traffic, it can take well over an hour. Sometimes two. And they closed the Imagineering-designed restaurant in the fabulous Theme Building, LAX's sole redeeming quality. (Seriously, Walt Disney Imagineering designed and built a wild Jetsons restaurant in the LAX Theme Building back in the 1990's, but the Los Angeles Airport Authority closed it last year. Idiots.)
John Wayne Airport (airport code SNA) is the "local" airport for the 3.5 Million people that wisely live in Orange County instead of Los Angeles County. John Wayne is 15 minutes from Disneyland without traffic, 30 minutes with traffic. It's brand new, clean and safe, attractive, compact but served by all major airlines, and located literally at the end of the the freeway offramp off the San Diego Freeway.
LAX is WalMart on a bad day. John Wayne Airport is Nordstrom. Remember that.
A good second choice if you live in a JetBlue city is Long Beach Airport (airport code LGB). Only slightly further from Disneyland than John Wayne, it's also a brand new terminal with very easy freeway access and vastly easier and cleaner and calmer than LAX. Delta/American/United/Alaska also fly to LGB, but it's JetBlue's West Coast hub with JetBlue non-stops to the East Coast.
LAX was last a relevant, modern airport sometime around 1974. Avoid LAX like the plague, and your SoCal vacation will be that much better.
wogwog
Well-Known Member
Lost all Pixie dust decades ago but I will answer anyway. Answer is nothing. I will confess a trip to WDW is very inexpensive with living nearby and being able to get multiple free entries through cast friends I still only go when I have visitors, usually 2 or 3 visits a year. My entire spending per day in a park is usually one over priced meal. But I will continue to take multiple DCL cruises every year. 70 days on board in 2013 and I expect at least 50+ this year. Florida resident discounts and occasional sailings with cast members on their discount gives me so much more value than even free WDW park entries. Just in May we sailed the Dream and Fantasy. Last year I did visit the Anaheim parks twice while visiting family in So Cal. So I obviously still like select Disney experiences, but WDW is failing miserably in too many ways to list here.
Bork Bork
Active Member
I've only been visiting WDW since 2007 when I was "forced" to go for the sake of my kids. I really enjoyed myself by seeing my family so happy. We purchased DVC a year later and have taken 6 trips to WDW plus 1 to DLR. Great times. However, even in our short time visiting WDW, we don't feel the need to go even once a year any more. We've not been since New Year's of 2013 and since then we've rented points to more than cover trips to Williamsburg/Gettysburg and Michigan's UP and Mackinac Island. In two weeks we're going to HHI on points and plan to check out Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC.
In short, we'll eventually get back to WDW, but don't feel the compelling urge to do so like we did at first. I'll admit that some of that is financial justification is harder to make now that park passes and airfare for 4 can be $2500 to $3000.
In short, we'll eventually get back to WDW, but don't feel the compelling urge to do so like we did at first. I'll admit that some of that is financial justification is harder to make now that park passes and airfare for 4 can be $2500 to $3000.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Charleston is stunning architecturally, culturally, and historically; a true American gem. Take the kids on a horse-drawn surrey history ride around the Market and South of Broad neighborhood to bring the Civil War era to life. Great beaches on Isle of Palms, just north of town. Fantastic restaurants and friendly locals. Enjoy!
You are smart to get the kids out beyond theme parks every summer. This is such an amazing country with so many unique regional offerings, it pains me to see the "Disney families" who only ever take their kids to theme parks and pre-fabricated corporate experiences.
LithiumBill
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure if there is one thing that is pulling us to WDW (or Orlando Parks in general) this year, but we are excited to go again. We go every 2 years it seems, and 2 years builds up a lot of anticipation with us and the 3 kids (twins 7, and 9). As a family we love the parks, and in the 2 visits as a family we've had, there is still a lot more to do... But we do visit 3 WDW parks (skipping AK as that park is boring so says my twins) and we do 2 UNI days.
We are looking forward to the bigger rides with the oldest and twins. But in general we are looking forward to MAGICal times and memories, sappy as that is. WDW is the place that makes this soon to be 40 year old feel young again, and makes me think of the fond memories shared with my parents growing up.
I haven't been to WDW in 4 years and this will be my last time to visit for several years. It also may be the last time several family members can come so it's sort of a special vacation. If you read my posts, you'll see I'm just as critical and sad at the direction WDW seems to be taking as you are, but it doesn't mean I don't love the place (or what it used to represent). I hope that things turn for the better, and I used to be a multi-year visitor, so I'm speaking with my wallet like several other people. This trip is happening because it needs to happen for many personal reasons.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I LOVE American history, specifically the Civil War era, so seeing Gettysburg would be a real treat for me. I plan on seeing it someday.
dupac
Well-Known Member
My family took us to Williamsburg, Monticello and a few other notable plantations when I was in 4th grade. It was a memorable vacation! I was enchanted by how old everything was. I was a big American Girl fan so it really resonated with me.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Unfortunately that's where the west coast is so weak. Here, come to DC, see world class museums, then head north to Gettysburg, then head south through the sites like Fredericksburg... then hit Williamsburg and you are taken all the way back to colonial times. And there is some amusement parks along the way
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately that's where the west coast is so weak. Here, come to DC, see world class museums, then head north to Gettysburg, then head south through the sites like Fredericksburg... then hit Williamsburg and you are taken all the way back to colonial times. And there is some amusement parks along the way
There's history here, too. It's just different.
Anyways, I'd love to do all of that.
rael ramone
Well-Known Member
...that I have a AP so my admission is already paid for for my next trip?....
The positives still outweigh the negatives for me, but I do envision the day that the trip to the swamps will consist of just a long weekend at AKL (Arusha Savanna view of course) that contains no park time whatsoever.
doctornick
Well-Known Member
This. I think it is is easy to come up with reasons that WDW disappoints in some ways, but it's also very easy to come up with ways in which it is still an amazing place to visit. There's still some much to see and do in WDW that I have full expectations on making regular trips (we are typically about every other year folks and will likely continue that).