If i could sum up my trip in one word it would be packed! We stayed at wilderness lodge in the Villas.
After our flight Wednesday, we started off at MGM since it was an Extra Magic Hour. We played Who wants to be a millionaire at 5:30. We sat in the first row and i managed to get onto the top score list as well as the camera. I was hoping to get seats for the Indiana Jones stunt show later on, but it was full. Then we had 9:50pm reservations to the sci fi dine in, but didnt get seated until 10:20pm..it was pretty neat but i couldnt even see the food in front of me. Everything was a walk on for the EMH, everything except for Tower of Terror and RocknRollercoaster with waits between 50 and 90 minutes.
Thursday was Epcot. Again, PACKED..During the whole day (after 2:00 since we never woke up early), waits for Soarin and Test Track had waits over 70 minutes. Mission Space was somewhere close to that for the Orange Team line. I decided to try the Green team, just to see what it was like. Its kind of cool but i definetly prefer the spinning which i did later that evening. It was funny because it was the very last cycle (during EMH) and i almost had the entire whole ride to myself but i ended up being with maybe 9 others (orange team). After the flight all the cast members were lined up and claping for us. Also work was being done in Living Seas like usual, but i swear i omnimovers on the track.
Friday we went to Magic Kingdom. They had their EMH and again, it was packed! It was that day i began to realize there was a ton of Brazil groups. They were a bundle of joy, but annoying when theyd get in line with a group of over 20 people. The EMH's werent as bad since the groups didnt stay on disney property. In line for Space Mountain, all of a sudden we hear the "remain seated spiel". Next thing i know some lights come on. A few minutes later all the lights were on and everyone was amazed and started taking pictures like crazy. After a cycle 10 minutes later, it broke again and they dumped everyone out of the building. It was an hour wait, just to get a fastpass in the jammed exit. TTA was next for sure and we got plenty of pictures and video. There were cast members all over the track and maint. in the control booth. It reopened around 1:30am. You can also notice on TTA that the Tomorrowland Skyway building has had the door open for awhile and you can see atleast 8 buckets inside. I would also like to add that the TTA CM's need to watch their cameras better and watch people leaving the station on the ride. I saw a ton of kids standing up or leaning way over the side of the vehicles.
Saturday me and my g/f went to MGM to ride Tower of Terror for its birthday. We wanted to make signs and get a pic of us on the ride with them, but we had no paper or markers..Nobody seemed to even know about ToT's bday, even its own crew. I told the GR guy at the time wait sign and he put "Happy 12th Birthday Tower Of Terror July 22, 1994" on the sign. We got stuck for a few minutes in the tower, along with every other time we rode it. I also noticed one shaft on the left side wasnt running at all. After ToT, RnRc broke down when we were in line for a good half hour atleast. That night we saw Cirque De Soleit. We sat in the 5th row on the side. It was weird but a very good performance. At 10:30pm we went into Disneyquest and finished everything by 12am. We made a coaster and it was rated at a 5 with 75mph loops and jumps over and over, but it didnt seem that crazy after riding it. We then ate at House of Blues and watched a good band there playing.
Sunday we rented boats on bay lake for an hour. I took plenty of pix of River Country and Discovery Island. The old dock is destroyed to prevent unwanted visitors. You can also see alot of the exhibits and walkways still. That night we went to MGM and Magic Kingdom. After 7 attempts so far, we were able to get into the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. It was the same as many years ago, but it was fun to see again. Lines were also beginning to die down. I think we went to Epcot that night too.
On Monday we went to Animal Kingdom. We got there around 2:00 and it was very crowded. We got on Everest with a 80 minute wait, saw the safari twice in 30 minutes, did Dinosaur, and Primevil Whirl. Kali River Rapids was closed because of lightning. That night we went to Magic Kingdom for EMH and the lines were non existent. Big Thunder Mtn was a walk on and Space Mtn was under 30 minuteswait. It seemed everyone was inline for that and nothing else.
Tuesday we went to Typhoon Lagoon, with the earlyEMH. It was kind of crowded but not too bad until 1030 am. We left at 3 and went to epcot later on. Test Track broke down before getting in line. Once it reopened we got in line with less than 300 people in front of us. The line was TERRIBBLE. We waited 100 minutes. The CM at the briefing room area was sending 85 fastpass guests to 15 stand by guests. I counted it out over and over and thats pretty close on the numbers..Me and about 50 other guests later went to GR and complained about it and they contacted the TT Manager. Inside figment i noticed work possibly being done in the area of the old track. In the last scene before you exit you can see the old track on your right. It was somewhat lit up, more that before and you could see some of the old theming. It was really cool to see (for the brief 3 seconds)..I noticed a ladder inside and lights on as far as i could see.
Overall it was a very fun trip. All the busses we were on were packed and the monorail to epcot had some difficulties and long waits. We got stuck either in line or on Spaceship Earth, RnRc, Tower of Terror, Figment(stopped and no sound later on), Soarin, Test Track, and Great Movie Ride.
Next Trip: Possibly Christmas 2006
Pix to come.
Oh yeah, Rock n Rollercoaster broke one night and we decided to wait outside in the mob of people. I dont even know if we were actually in a line..people were scrambled everywhere.
Space Mountain pictures...from my cell phone...not very good and i edited a few so the bright spots are gone..mostly..
Last edited by zjohn1988 on July 27th, 2006, 6:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
http://themeparkcritic.com/scripts/profile/ViewProfile.asp?ViewID=2909 A furious storm once roared `cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon!
^It's not just you, they don't work for me either.
"There should be a B.O. squad that patrols the city like a "Smell Gestapo". To sniff 'em out, strip 'em down, and wash them with a big, soapy brush..."
"Why is nice bad? What kind of a sick society are we living in when nice is bad?"
zjohn1988 wrote: Also work was being done in Living Seas like usual, but i swear i omnivores on the track.
You mean "OMNIMOVERS", right?
Omnivores are mammals that eat both plants and animals.
hahah yeah oops..
Director_Guy wrote:Is it just me, or do the pictures not work?
yeah im trying to get that worked out.
http://themeparkcritic.com/scripts/profile/ViewProfile.asp?ViewID=2909 A furious storm once roared `cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon!
The only resorts ive never stayed at now are Fort Wilderness, Grand Floridian, Yacht and Beach Club, All Star Sports, All Star Movies, and Pop Century..
http://themeparkcritic.com/scripts/profile/ViewProfile.asp?ViewID=2909 A furious storm once roared `cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon!
http://themeparkcritic.com/scripts/profile/ViewProfile.asp?ViewID=2909 A furious storm once roared `cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon!
It sounded like a bad time to go. Everything was really packed, and it was very hard to get on the Indiana Jones ride. Sorry, you had to experience the packed time of the year.
"I've been staring at the world, waiting. All the trouble and all the pain we're facing. Too much light to be livin' in the dark. Why waste time? We only got one life. Together we can be the CHANGE. So go and let your heart burn bright"
WDW Resorts are nice, but you are going to pay for it. They are far more expensive than off-property. But in my book its worth it.
I have stayed at All-Star Sports, Wilderness Lodge, Port Orleans-Riverside. I have visited just about every other one. Of the ones I have stayed at I would go to Port Orleans in a minute. It is like a Deluxe Resort but at a Moderate price. Its incredible.
If you go, try and take a day to visit a few resorts, and not just the ones on the monorail. Stop by Port Orleans (both of them) Carribean Beach, Coronado Springs, and the Boardwalk Resort. Fun stuff to do and see, and great places to eat.
We went to Boardwalk for awhile too, i like seeing the people doing acts outside.
The crowds sucked but it didnt ruin my fun, ive been there so much i dont really miss seeing anything.
http://themeparkcritic.com/scripts/profile/ViewProfile.asp?ViewID=2909 A furious storm once roared `cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon!
Extra Magic Hours on the weekday nights are empty! (except MGM on sunset blvd.)
http://themeparkcritic.com/scripts/profile/ViewProfile.asp?ViewID=2909 A furious storm once roared `cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon!
zjohn1988 wrote: Inside figment i noticed work possibly being done in the area of the old track. In the last scene before you exit you can see the old track on your right. It was somewhat lit up, more that before and you could see some of the old theming. It was really cool to see (for the brief 3 seconds)..I noticed a ladder inside and lights on as far as i could see.
WHAT?!! [gets excited] Are you telling me after all these years they still have the finale from the old ride in there, and they didn't do anything to it???? Oh my, I've got to see that myself! I dunno if that means they're bringing back the old ride. I miss it terribly.
I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience on TT. While I liked it, I preferred the old WOM. I can recall back then they were just gonna add on to that ride, not botch the whole shebang. Sigh!
While I don't miss Horizons as much it was still considered a classic from my childhood. I understand why they tore the pavilion down because Disney was concerned it may collapse under its own weight.
I was hoping Disney and Universal would get better as the years go by. Now I hear Back To The Future is closing permanently in September. Maybe they'll release the ride on DVD. We'll see.
R.I.P. Splashwater Falls and Space Shuttle America. Deja Vu, enjoy Idaho.
Hear ye, hear ye: "After 45 years, Six Flags has stopped smoking."
^Figment got the Green light last week to go ahead with a rehab for 2007. that however doesnt mean it will happen, but imagineers have permission to have fun with the pavilion.
http://themeparkcritic.com/scripts/profile/ViewProfile.asp?ViewID=2909 A furious storm once roared `cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon!
Oh yeah, I forgot about the old Image Works. That used to be a unique interactive exhibit which was state-of-the-art in the '80s. I loved that neon tunnel which was called some sort of a sensor. The lights would move as you walked through it. Now the 'What If?' labs is a bunch of commercialism and it never compared to the old Image Works. They say the second floor is used for office space, but I'm not sure.
R.I.P. Splashwater Falls and Space Shuttle America. Deja Vu, enjoy Idaho.
Hear ye, hear ye: "After 45 years, Six Flags has stopped smoking."
All the stuff is still up there. If you take the Epcot Undiscovered tour, they take you up there.
http://themeparkcritic.com/scripts/profile/ViewProfile.asp?ViewID=2909 A furious storm once roared `cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon!
