We just returned from the best disney trip EVER. It was SO HARD to leave Animal Kingdom Lodge yesterday. I absolutely LOVED this resort. It was SO incredible. We were signed up for a standard room with a standard view (parking lot) but we got a MASSIVE upgrade to a deluxe room with a savanna view! I was on Zebra Trail with a view of Uzima Savanna--PERFECT LOCATION. We were about a minute from the pool and the restaurants. I LOVED this resort and we DEFINITELY plan to return! Now...the trip itself. There was a MAJOR problem with IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth this week. The fire barge did not function the entire week, but disney seemed to replace the areas where it was supposed to be with more fireworks. The big firework at the end of the drum roll didn't work the whole week, but all in all, I still LOVED the show. I was also immensily happy to see SpectroMagic return! I saw it five times! We did the e-ride night on Tuesday (not friday due to the pouring rain), and for the first time realized that they play Fantasy in the Sky again at the end of e-ride nights
Splash Mountain was closed that evening with Aladdin and the raceway in its place. Now for the actual parks. At Animal Kingdom, Primeval Whirl was nearing completion and is slated to open for soft opening on......March 17th! Upon seeing DinoRama in person, I actually thought it was a kewl area! They built a road out front w/ signs telling you it's a tourist trap, and they play kewl music. Anyway, I think everyone who walked by could get the theme, and I thought the coaster looked kewl as did a LOT of people. Disney has positioned this ride so you can see it from the road when you come in...I think they know it will be a hit. I thought the Jammin' Jungle Parade was the best parade on property...LOVE the music! Now...MGM. Here is where I noticed some changes about FastPass. It used to let you have a FastPass for like ten minutes after you got it if there were still tickets for that slot. Now, it is always at least 35 minutes away. I also noticed that disney was inflating their stand by time waits (like, for many of the rides, they would say 40 minutes and the wait would end up being like 20, but they never undershot the times. Perhaps a way to get more people to get FastPasses? Anyway, I enjoyed One Man's Dream and Who Wants to be a Millionaire--PLAY IT! immensely! I didn't get the opportunity to see the Stars and Cars parade though...heard its music....but didn't see it. Over at Epcot, we only got on Test Track twice due to the rain on Friday and Saturday, which, of course, closed this attraction. I didn't honestly mind Tapestry of Dreams as much as when I saw it on video...it still had the music I loved and the changes weren't that big. One thing though...how they have Walt quotes before all the parades and most of the firework shows...they should have had the statements directly from Walt...anyway...Mission: SPACE was looking VERY kewl. On to the Magic Kingdom! I noticed that they have new lines once the log starts moving, and they lowered the volume on Brer Frog's opening lines so you could hear the lines they added. As for the other changes, the new hydrolic gates to board fit in quite well (themed like logs). I noticed that for some reason I got much wetter this year...there also were some small changes, like putting fur back on Brer Fox's tail in the alligator's mouth at the end of the attraction, where I could see the metal of his tail last year. I liked the new Leota tombstone a LOT...very kewl. Hilarious how you will have some little kid see the eyes moving, which only happens once every minute or so, and he would tell his family. But, just as they would look, the effect would turn off and his family would think he was a lunatic. It was REALLY freaking people out with it's subtlety! I also learned of an effect they are looking to add to the hearse once the technology becomes available (you know...the black hearse out front). It's an effect that would make it so that if you took a picture of the hearse at night, there would be an effect making it so that a ghost that you couldn't see with your eyes would appear inside the hearse in your photo! That sounds AMAZING to me...not sure how they will do it. I also heard a cast member say that Jack Skelington will be having an extended holiday in our Haunted Mansion this year, with a store in Liberty Square being set aside for Nightmare before Christmas merchandise. I saw the last showing of Legend of the Lion King. This was Saturday, of course, and it was pouring outside! I was SO IMPRESSED with the disney employees. They had two Share a Dream Come True parades scheduled for that day, at 2 and 5 (I'll get to why later), and cancelled the 2 pm one. But, at 5 pm, in pouring rain, all the floats and characters came out and did a parade for us, and only half of the characters had umbrellas. Granted they did not stop along their path, I was EXTREMELY impressed that they would do that for us. I know we all would have understood if they hadn't, but they put guests first(probably knowing that it was the last day for many of us) Bravo Cast Members! Now...as for why they had two showings planned. They are planning this every saturday for the next few weeks, and they will try different times (11 and 2, 2 and 5 are the two I heard). Apparently the parade is so popular that they are considering adding a second performance daily, and want to know which time would be best. Anywho, I enjoyed this parade a lot. I also heard that disney really planned on putting an attraction in the 20K lagoon...themed on Atlantis, but it didn't do well enough so they scrapped that idea...In Tomorrowland, I got to see Carousel. It was only supposed to be open like 11 to 5, but for some reason, I came by at like 7:30 and they were still open...now...on to DisneyQuest. I found this building to be extremely boring this year and was NOT impressed. I went to FoodQuest and at each stand, they were OUT of what I wanted! I was appalled...very UN-Disney to be out of ANYTHING that costs money! Ugh...I did, however, see Cirque du Soleil, and LOVED it. We also went to a bunch of restaurants--Donald's Breakfastosaurus was great, as we had a hilarious server who kept playing tricks on us! He came in the first time with a tray with coffee cups on top and says "we have four hot chocolates and four cappucinos for you all and OH!" he tripped and dumped the cups on us. They were empty, of course, but he was just trying to wake us up! Very fun...he also had one of those cameras that sprays water...great guy! We also went to Mama Melrose's, which, in my opinion, is the best restaurant at MGM. They had FABULOUS food. Yesterday morning, we went to Boma, but I was sick from being in the rain two days so I didn't eat too much...what I HAD was great...I might add that we LOVED our Unlimited Park Hopper...we went to Animal Kingdom yesterday before leaving, and besides the fact that I cried like a baby on the way out...it was great. The cry-fest continued for me as we pulled out of Animal Kingdom Lodge in that nasty Mears Bus...and the driver was EVIL. He took us on the road in front of MGM, and I once again began crying as we went over the hill and I could see the front of the Tower of Terror with its elevator doors open...I HATED leaving this trip! It was our best disney trip EVER...As my new license plate cover says...Walt Disney World. Been there. Done that. GOING BACK!
Kyle
Splash Mountain was closed that evening with Aladdin and the raceway in its place. Now for the actual parks. At Animal Kingdom, Primeval Whirl was nearing completion and is slated to open for soft opening on......March 17th! Upon seeing DinoRama in person, I actually thought it was a kewl area! They built a road out front w/ signs telling you it's a tourist trap, and they play kewl music. Anyway, I think everyone who walked by could get the theme, and I thought the coaster looked kewl as did a LOT of people. Disney has positioned this ride so you can see it from the road when you come in...I think they know it will be a hit. I thought the Jammin' Jungle Parade was the best parade on property...LOVE the music! Now...MGM. Here is where I noticed some changes about FastPass. It used to let you have a FastPass for like ten minutes after you got it if there were still tickets for that slot. Now, it is always at least 35 minutes away. I also noticed that disney was inflating their stand by time waits (like, for many of the rides, they would say 40 minutes and the wait would end up being like 20, but they never undershot the times. Perhaps a way to get more people to get FastPasses? Anyway, I enjoyed One Man's Dream and Who Wants to be a Millionaire--PLAY IT! immensely! I didn't get the opportunity to see the Stars and Cars parade though...heard its music....but didn't see it. Over at Epcot, we only got on Test Track twice due to the rain on Friday and Saturday, which, of course, closed this attraction. I didn't honestly mind Tapestry of Dreams as much as when I saw it on video...it still had the music I loved and the changes weren't that big. One thing though...how they have Walt quotes before all the parades and most of the firework shows...they should have had the statements directly from Walt...anyway...Mission: SPACE was looking VERY kewl. On to the Magic Kingdom! I noticed that they have new lines once the log starts moving, and they lowered the volume on Brer Frog's opening lines so you could hear the lines they added. As for the other changes, the new hydrolic gates to board fit in quite well (themed like logs). I noticed that for some reason I got much wetter this year...there also were some small changes, like putting fur back on Brer Fox's tail in the alligator's mouth at the end of the attraction, where I could see the metal of his tail last year. I liked the new Leota tombstone a LOT...very kewl. Hilarious how you will have some little kid see the eyes moving, which only happens once every minute or so, and he would tell his family. But, just as they would look, the effect would turn off and his family would think he was a lunatic. It was REALLY freaking people out with it's subtlety! I also learned of an effect they are looking to add to the hearse once the technology becomes available (you know...the black hearse out front). It's an effect that would make it so that if you took a picture of the hearse at night, there would be an effect making it so that a ghost that you couldn't see with your eyes would appear inside the hearse in your photo! That sounds AMAZING to me...not sure how they will do it. I also heard a cast member say that Jack Skelington will be having an extended holiday in our Haunted Mansion this year, with a store in Liberty Square being set aside for Nightmare before Christmas merchandise. I saw the last showing of Legend of the Lion King. This was Saturday, of course, and it was pouring outside! I was SO IMPRESSED with the disney employees. They had two Share a Dream Come True parades scheduled for that day, at 2 and 5 (I'll get to why later), and cancelled the 2 pm one. But, at 5 pm, in pouring rain, all the floats and characters came out and did a parade for us, and only half of the characters had umbrellas. Granted they did not stop along their path, I was EXTREMELY impressed that they would do that for us. I know we all would have understood if they hadn't, but they put guests first(probably knowing that it was the last day for many of us) Bravo Cast Members! Now...as for why they had two showings planned. They are planning this every saturday for the next few weeks, and they will try different times (11 and 2, 2 and 5 are the two I heard). Apparently the parade is so popular that they are considering adding a second performance daily, and want to know which time would be best. Anywho, I enjoyed this parade a lot. I also heard that disney really planned on putting an attraction in the 20K lagoon...themed on Atlantis, but it didn't do well enough so they scrapped that idea...In Tomorrowland, I got to see Carousel. It was only supposed to be open like 11 to 5, but for some reason, I came by at like 7:30 and they were still open...now...on to DisneyQuest. I found this building to be extremely boring this year and was NOT impressed. I went to FoodQuest and at each stand, they were OUT of what I wanted! I was appalled...very UN-Disney to be out of ANYTHING that costs money! Ugh...I did, however, see Cirque du Soleil, and LOVED it. We also went to a bunch of restaurants--Donald's Breakfastosaurus was great, as we had a hilarious server who kept playing tricks on us! He came in the first time with a tray with coffee cups on top and says "we have four hot chocolates and four cappucinos for you all and OH!" he tripped and dumped the cups on us. They were empty, of course, but he was just trying to wake us up! Very fun...he also had one of those cameras that sprays water...great guy! We also went to Mama Melrose's, which, in my opinion, is the best restaurant at MGM. They had FABULOUS food. Yesterday morning, we went to Boma, but I was sick from being in the rain two days so I didn't eat too much...what I HAD was great...I might add that we LOVED our Unlimited Park Hopper...we went to Animal Kingdom yesterday before leaving, and besides the fact that I cried like a baby on the way out...it was great. The cry-fest continued for me as we pulled out of Animal Kingdom Lodge in that nasty Mears Bus...and the driver was EVIL. He took us on the road in front of MGM, and I once again began crying as we went over the hill and I could see the front of the Tower of Terror with its elevator doors open...I HATED leaving this trip! It was our best disney trip EVER...As my new license plate cover says...Walt Disney World. Been there. Done that. GOING BACK!Kyle
