A Lurker's Trip Report, 4/13 - 4/21, Trying to Turn a "2" into a "10"

[Jane]

Hi, my name is Jane and I’m a lurker. I’ve been visiting easywdw daily since I booked our trip to Disney World last October. I’m a reader, not a commenter, until today. My family just returned from our second trip together to the World on Saturday and since I learned so much from Josh and everyone here about what to expect and how to plan this trip, I thought I’d share our experience for anyone who wants to hear it.
So my family consists of me, Jane (no, not a Tarzan reference there, I’m the planner), my husband who rated our last trip to WDW 5 years ago as a “2 out of 10,” and two sons, ages 10 and 14. My challenge is keeping the kids happy with plenty of rides and pool time AND keeping my husband happy by not running him ragged and making sure there’s enough down time so he can enjoy a nice nap in the hotel every afternoon (followed by a couple of adult beverages).

Here we go....

Friday, April 13^{th –} Arrival and Epcot
Our flight lands at MCO at 2:30 pm, we are on the Magical Express bus headed to the Beach Club at 3 pm and are at the resort at 3:35 pm. There is no line at check-in and we are walking to Epcot by 4 pm. After reading other experiences, I know we got extremely lucky and made excellent time, so I am psyched.

The plan is to have a leisurely evening at Epcot, visiting attractions with short waits and try to last until Illuminations. We hit Journey Into Imagination first, with no wait of course. The family agrees that it was boring and they want to do something “more fun.” Sorry kids, no Test Track or Soarin’ tonight because FPs are gone and there is no way we are waiting in those lines.

I suggest we head over to Sum of Thrills to check out the wait and we’re pleasantly surprised that it is 10 – 15 minutes. Well worth the wait and everyone is happy to do something “fun.” Next up, Mission Space green with a 10 minute posted wait. We walked right into the pre-show area. After Mission Space we walk onto Spaceship Earth and head to Sunshine Seasons in the Land for dinner. After dinner, it’s time for Living with the Land, with you guessed it, no wait. This is my younger son’s favorite ride for some reason, and we visit again on two more days.
At 7 pm, we head to the Seas and ride Nemo with no wait, and wait for about 10 minutes for the next Turtle Talk with Crush show. The rest of the family is now losing steam and want to head back to the room. I try to keep everyone excited for Illuminations with promises of treats in the World Showcase, beer for my husband in England and chocolate croissants and chocolate mousse for the boys and myself in France, but that just delays the inevitable. We enjoy our snacks and exit by the International Gateway at 8:15 pm.

I’m glad we had the chance to experience so much on our first late afternoon/evening. It will make our big day at Epcot tomorrow much more relaxed. We’re planning to ride Test Track as many times as possible tomorrow morning before it closes on Monday for refurbishment.

[Claire]

I'm in.

[jilly7896]

Welcome! Glad you started posting. I'm looking forward to hearing more :)

[Pampered Mom]

I'm glad your husband has his priorities straight My DH would have those priorities, too, if I would let him. But not at WDW.

[hinkey]

Sounds like your trip had a great start! More please!

[nolarookie]

I'm in!

[Ferg]

Can't wait for the rest!

[Rogue 35]

I feel like I need to stand up for my fellow testosterone rich individuals (i.e. the 'Fella's), there seems to be an unhealthy amount of napping going on. You see, what you ladies don't understand is that we aren't really napping, we are just planning world domination........with our eyes closed.

Yeah that's sounds much better.

[aclassofherown]

Great so far!

[freakygeek]

My hubby to be has those priorities as well, which is why I leave him at home and go to WDW with my BFF and parents.

[jillyb]

Glad you came out of lurkdom! Looking forward to hearing how the rest of the trip went!

[jillyb]

My hubby to be has those priorities as well, which is why I leave him at home and go to WDW with my BFF and parents.

[jillyb]

I feel like I need to stand up for my fellow testosterone rich individuals (i.e. the 'Fella's), there seems to be an unhealthy amount of napping going on. You see, what you ladies don't understand is that we aren't really napping, we are just planning world domination........with our eyes closed.

Yeah that's sounds much better.

[Jane]

Hi again everyone, thanks for joining me! I just have to mention that the funny thing about my husband napping on vacation is that he never naps at home. He's mister go-go-go, except when he's on vacation. Any vacation. Camping, a cruise, Las Vegas. Napping is always part of the agenda. Go figure.
Okay, back to the trip....

Saturday, April 14^th – Epcot

Left the Beach Club at 8:30 am to go to International Gateway entrance to Epcot and arrive about 5 minutes later and about 20^th in our line when the bag check starts at 8:47 ish. As the self-appointed fast pass volunteer, I take a brisk walk to Soarin’ for FPs while my husband and two sons head to Test Track for a first ride without me. (Soarin’ return time of 9:45 – 10:45 am). They are back out in front of Test Track at 9:10 am and we all ride together with a posted 10 minute wait that was more like 5 minutes. We all experience Sum of All Thrills again with a 5 minute wait, sign up for Kim Possible while we’re there, and I head over to Test Track to pick up a fastpass while the family slowly ambles towards the Land and Soarin.’ (This is a recurring theme, how much walking can I do to minimize the walking and wait times for the whole family? That is what happens when you’re the planner I guess.)

Get to Soarin’ and wait about 10 minutes in the FP line to ride. We now have some time to kill before our Test Track FP time of 10:45 am – 11:45 am, so decide to head to Ellen’s Energy Adventure. I know, I know, this is an anytime attraction that we should be saving for a time that we are exhausted, hot, and basically desperate to sit down for a while, but we just did several Future World attractions the night before and waiting in a long stand by line for another go around on Soarin’ just wasn’t appealing. So Ellen it is. We exit the building at 11:35 am and use our Test Track FPs with a 5 minute wait for the pre-show.

It’s now lunch time and everyone wants to eat NOW. I suggest we move onto the World Showcase. No go. Where is the closest place to eat everyone asks. Without thinking I tell them it’s the Electric Umbrella. So that is where they want to eat. Darn it. I could have lied, plead ignorance, told them that we HAD to go to the World Showcase, it really was the only option nearby. Oh well, burgers and fries for everyone then. One positive note, we were close to Club Cool so we did hit it up after lunch on the way to Mexico where I found out that I have the only two children in the world who actually enjoyed Beverly.

By now it’s about 12:45 pm, so we’re heading into the World Showcase with lots of other folks with the same idea. We wait about 10 minutes to ride Three Calleberos in Mexico, and much to my chagrin, about 20 minutes for Maelstrom in Norway. I tried to convince my family that we could get a fastpass and come back in 45 minutes with no wait, but they said they’d rather wait. We pick up our Kim Possible Kimmunicator in Norway and finish two missions in Mexico and Norway before we get exhausted and turn it back in. Although the missions and effects were fun, completing a mission takes patience and concentration, which by the time we started, were already in short supply. We walk slowly through Japan, listen to the drumming performance, check out Server Amusant in France and exit through the Gateway at 3:30 pm, with no plans for the rest of the day.

After pool time for some and nap time for others (guess who I’m talking about here…), we decide to try out the Big River Grille at the Boardwalk across the way from our hotel. The meal was better than expected. My husband really enjoyed the meatloaf and the beer, my son the kid’s mac and cheese and I enjoyed the hazelnut crusted chicken. Prices were slightly more reasonable than other Disney restaurants and since they don’t accept reservations, it’s a meal you don’t have to plan 180 days in advance. (We waited about 15 minutes for a table at 6:15 pm on a Saturday night.) We meant to go back for a second meal later during our trip but never made it back.
After our Illuminations bust the night before, I couldn’t stay away. I convinced my 14 year old son to walk over with me at 8:20 pm and we did get a spot on the bridge between England and France, which was perfect for a quick exit when it ended. You won’t believe this, but my husband and 10-year-old never made it to Illuminations during this trip. The closest they got was watching the fireworks from the beach in front of the resort. If it’s okay for them, it’s okay for me.

Up next, Hollywood Studios. Will I build up my nerve to ride Rock N Roll Rollercoaster or the Tower of Terror, my most feared rides? Doubtful, but you never know.

[JulieC]

I'm loving your report so far, I'm looking forward to the next installment!

[annie415]

Me too! Just love those trip report, built the excitement for next trip!!!

[pfalcioni]

Enjoying your trip report, and I'm totally curious to hear how your husband rates it at the end!

[catnapfan]

Great trip report so far, can't wait to hear(read) more!

[nolarookie]

i love you last sentence cliff-hangers

[Bernie2003]

I'm in! You will not see me on ToT again any time soon. Can't wait to see if you rode it!

[**sandy**]

Reading along! We were there from the 12th to the 22nd so I can't wait to read more! We went to Epcot on the 13th, too!

[JDUB]

Will I build up my nerve to ride Rock N Roll Rollercoaster or the Tower of Terror, my most feared rides? Doubtful, but you never know.

Great TR! Let's see if you ride ToT.... My DS2 rode it twice last year.... He will probably grow up to hate thrill ride.

[annethomas]

I'm in

[Jane]

Hi again everyone! This trip report is turning into a short novel, sorry about that. Once I start writing, I can't stop.

Sunday, April 15^th – Hollywood Studios

After our relatively relaxing evening the night before and everyone in the room and going to sleep at 10 pm, I am optimistic that another rope drop day is possible…and it is. We are out the door and to the boat dock at 8:15 am and at Hollywood Studios at 8:35 am. I thought this was early enough to get us close to the turnstiles, but not so. We were about 25^th in line at a cast member turnstile to the far right. This is where I start to second -guess myself. Was I supposed to go to the right or left turnstiles? What would Josh say? I can’t remember! But I choose to look confident as I tell my family that this is where we are supposed to be. I still don’t know if I was right or wrong, but I can tell you that it seems like everyone in front of us had issues with their tickets. When they started letting everyone in at about 8:50 am, we were in the line that stood still. We finally made it through at about 9:05, and I thought were were doomed. (Yes, I was feeling so dramatic by that time that doom is my word of choice.)

I did the Toy Story Mania speed walk and the three boys went to ride Rock N Roll Rollercoaster once without me. (Secretly I was hoping that by the time I met them at the RRRC ride exit, the stand by line would be too long to wait, which would give me the perfect excuse to NOT ride.) I envisioned a long FP line at TSM, but was thrilled to find a single person in front of each FP machine with a cast member assisting at each one. It looked like everyone sprinting to that area was just getting in the stand-by line instead of getting FPs. Maybe our delay at the turnstiles meant that I missed all the FP die-hards? I’m not sure. All I know is that my return time is a reasonable 10:20 – 11:20 am.

I leisurely walk over to RRRC assuming that I may be waiting at the exit for a while. The standby sign says 20 minutes. That’s promising for my plan to avoid this ride. My family exits about 5 minutes later and insist that the standby sign is wrong, we’ll be able to walk right through….lucky me! I try not to think about what I’m about to do and instead blindly follow them through the queue focusing on the fact that no matter what, it will be over quickly. I want to throw up. I want to run away, far far away, but I don’t. It turns out the sign was wrong, we walked right into the pre-show area with Aerosmith and then on the ride. I obviously did survive, and that is thanks to someone from this website whose advice I heeded: close your eyes and brace your feet against the front of the vehicle during “take-off.” It seemed to help, and I was fine after we got moving, but the ride photo in the end sure sent my family into hysterics. It looked like I was being tortured. Or giving birth.

After my self-proclaimed victory, I decided that I had the right to bow out of the Tower of Terror next. So I did. I don’t like the feeling that my stomach gets in a regular fast elevator when it drops, there is no way I’m going to willing get into one that propels you faster than gravity would. I won’t live this down with my family for the rest of the trip, but that is a price I’m willing to pay. The standby time said 15 minutes, and that was right. After the boys exited the right at 10 am, we headed over to Star Tours. About a 5 minute wait to ride, just in time for our Toy Story Mania fp return. This was our first time riding TSM and I was curious if it would live up to the hype, especially with the 14-year-old. I’m happy to say that it was a lot of fun. Not “let’s wait in line for 120 minutes” kind of fun, but a good time. With the new fp rules, I can’t pick up another fp on our way out of the ride because the return time is during our afternoon break. Darn it.

Time to sit, relax, and move slowly through the Great Movie Ride right around the corner. Cheesy, yet a nice distraction that we could walk right on at 10:45 am. When we exit everyone is ready for lunch. My first thought: Wow, we’ll really miss the lunch crowds eating this early! I tried to direct the crowd to Starring Rolls, but once they found out they didn’t serve hot food or (gasp) anything fried, that was out. (I should have told the kids they could eat cupcakes for lunch. That would have sold them on the idea.)

It’s Studio Catering instead thanks to it’s location next to the HISTK playground that my younger son loved when he was five. On the way we do pick up a TSM fastpass with a return time of 4:40 pm – 5:40 pm. Since we have dinner reservations at Sci-Fi Diner for 5:40 pm, we should be able to fit in TSM when we return from our afternoon break. It turns out, Studio Catering doesn’t open until 11:30 am and we’re about 15 minutes early. Okay, no problem. My playground lover and I head to HISTK and give our order to my husband and older son who are happy to sit and wait for the restaurant opening. I’m happy to say that at age 10, he enjoyed the playground as much as he did at 5. You should also know that is my easy-to-please/just-happy-to-be-here kid.

Lunch at Studio Catering was okay. Pressed/grilled sandwiches. Nothing to write home about, but we did finish them. Since we were right there and I have explained that minimizing walking was a priority for some of my crew, we went to the Backlot Tour, something we skipped on our last trip. Yes, I know this is considered skippable, but what the heck, it’s steps away. I am shocked to report that all three boys truly loved it – with the effects demo in the beginning and Catastrophe Canyon being their favorite parts of course. Gunfire, pyrotechnics, gushing water….what more could you ask for?

I was hoping that it would be time for the 1:20 pm Lights, Motors, Action show when we exited, but we had a little time to spare, so off to Muppetvision 3D first. We wait about eight minutes in the pleasantly cool and dark pre-show area before going in. We’re all fans of the Muppet movies and original show, so this is a must see. We exit at 1:10 pm and hoof it over to LMA, sitting down in the left upper section right before the show begins. We could have gotten better seats by being here earlier, but you can see the action perfectly fine from here, and if you haven’t guessed it already, I don’t like waiting around for anything longer than I absolutely have to.

This show is great and one of the things my husband loved the last time we visited and really wanted to do again. Once again, you have fire, guns, car chases, loud noises, testosterone city. We finally leave for what will be a short afternoon break at 2:30 pm. If LMA had an earlier show, we would have gone to that to give us a longer break, but no dice.

This is the shortest break of our trip, but we do manage over an hour of napping and pool time before we get ready to head back out at 4:30 pm. The luck of the boat gods is with us and we grab RRRC fastpasses (return time 6:15 – 7:15 pm) hit TSM with our earlier fastpass at 5:10 pm and we check in at Sci-Fi Diner at 5:35 pm. The crowd of folks waiting for tables scares me, but we are seated 15 minutes later. Another first, we all loved the atmosphere, eating in the car and watching movie trailers that reminded us of our of favorite shows, Mystery Science Theatre 3000. The food was fine to good. One son went for the Reuben, the other for the chicken wing appetizer and onion rings. Husband had the steak, and I had a salad right out of the 50s (in a boring way) and a buffalo chicken appetizer. My family proclaimed this the second-best meal of our whole trip, but that is based more on the atmosphere than the food itself. It was cool, quiet and gave us a reason to veg out during a meal. Not a bad combination.

We’re out of the restaurant at 6:45 pm and while the boys head to RRRC with fastpasses in hand, I use the “I’m too full to possibly ride that now” excuse and visit two attractions that I’ve been wanting to visit on my own: One Man’s Dream and the Art of Animation. Although I didn’t take the time to take the animation class or watch the movie in OMD, it was a great time to visit these quiet attractions and take the time to look at the displays without interruption.

Even though Fantasmic isn’t until 8:30 pm, we head into the theatre at 7:15 pm because the boys decide they’d rather sit and chill rather than walk one more step. I’m already breaking my “I don’t like to wait for anything” rule with this move, but sometimes majority does rule. Thanks to game apps on cell phones, we manage to make it to show time without incident. (My app of choice, Scrabble. You can lose an hour of time playing a full game with a partner. Perfect for Fantasmic.) We enjoy the show, of course it does have the aforementioned fire, water, special effects, and some evil undertones to boot. What’s not to love? We sit on the right side of the theatre, the section closest to the reserved seating for Fantasmic dinner folks so we’re able to make a hasty exit and the first boat back to the resort after the show. Bonus!

Up next, our “rest” day. Ha! Is spending the morning in Animal Kingdom considered resting? Even if we walk really slowly everywhere? Even if it’s a EMH morning with an 8 am opening and we don’t get into the park until 9:20 am?

[pfalcioni]

Another first, we all loved the atmosphere, eating in the car and watching movie trailers that reminded us of our of favorite shows, Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

We are MST3K fans also. I really miss that show, but I'm glad they're available on Netflix finally!