Disney World

[jellyfish10]

What the actual F! I can't think of a worse place to be over the holidays. My kids had some fun mixed in along with periods of exasperation. Admittedly I would rather be camping by myself, but it is mind boggling how people flock to that place as if it's the Mecca of happiness. No thanks. Gonna be pretty hard to get me back to the place unless it's to sit by a pool, enjoy drinks, and take it all in. More room for the rest of you, I guess.

 

[Greenway4Prez]

Did you do multiple days at Magic Kingdom, or did you get to the other Disney parks too?

What did you think of Universal? I'm a roller coaster/thrill ride junkie, so Universal is my scene. I was disappointed that The Hulk coaster was being re-done though.

 

[IowaHawkIT]

We went in mid-October, the least crowded time to go according to Disney. I cannot imagine what it's like in peak times like Summer and Christmas. I wanted to go nuts on people at that time with the amount of crowding.

 

[Tenacious E]

What the actual F! I can't think of a worse place to be over the holidays. My kids had some fun mixed in along with periods of exasperation. Admittedly I would rather be camping by myself, but it is mind boggling how people flock to that place as if it's the Mecca of happiness. No thanks. Gonna be pretty hard to get me back to the place unless it's to sit by a pool, enjoy drinks, and take it all in. More room for the rest of you, I guess.

We did Christmas there in 2014. It sure was busy and crowded, but I'm glad we did it once. Did all of the Disney parks. I was surprised I enjoyed Animal Kingdom so much. Magic Kingdom was way overrated from a rides perspective except for Space Mountain. The lighting of the castle at night was really great and the general atmosphere. Epcot was a bit of a let down, but then again my daughter was sick and I basically had to carry her around the whole day/night. I also wasn't really into all of the fake countries. Hollywood Studios park was by far the worst. Would never go back to that.

We are headed down to Florida for Spring Break and are hitting Universal/Potter. Would be great if anyone had any recommendations on that. We'll be there 2 days before moving on down to the Gulf coast.

 

[Funky Bunch]

Disney is for kids and old people

 

[jellyfish10]

Did you do multiple days at Magic Kingdom, or did you get to the other Disney parks too?

What did you think of Universal? I'm a roller coaster/thrill ride junkie, so Universal is my scene. I was disappointed that The Hulk coaster was being re-done though.

We did Magic Kingdom x2, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Disney Springs. The rides were ok I guess and I like roller coasters too but frankly I was expecting more. Everest was a good time and we drank beer all day. Same with Epcot. Hollywood was NYE and asses to elbows AND they gave out free kazoos. I was losing my mind in that place. And Magic Kingdom can GFI. I hope the last person out of Mexico, Japan, and the Iraq shut the lights off because they were all at MK. Our daughter cheering at the Citrus Bowl was my highlight. Michigan fans were cool to us as we were decked out in our Hawkeye gear. Did meet some d-bag Alabama fans that compared their program to Star Wars which I didn't get. I'm ready for some open space.

 

[Greenway4Prez]

We did Christmas there in 2014. It sure was busy and crowded, but I'm glad we did it once. Did all of the Disney parks. I was surprised I enjoyed Animal Kingdom so much. Magic Kingdom was way overrated from a rides perspective except for Space Mountain. The lighting of the castle at night was really great and the general atmosphere. Epcot was a bit of a let down, but then again my daughter was sick and I basically had to carry her around the whole day/night. I also wasn't really into all of the fake countries. Universal was by far the worst. Would never go back to that.

We are headed down to Florida for Spring Break and are hitting Universal/Potter. Would be great if anyone had any recommendations on that. We'll be there 2 days before moving on down to the Gulf coast.

We did 3 days between the 2 Universal parks in early December (you could easily do them in 2 days, but we went back to the hotel in early afternoon so the boys could swim). The Harry Potter rides at both parks are top notch IMO, especially at Islands of Adventure. The way they set up Diagon Alley at Universal was really cool. The entrance to it is very inconspicuous, but then it's like you're transported to a different world so it mirrors the movies in that regard.

Unfortunately, The Hulk coaster at Islands is being re-done, and that was a great coaster. Disney has a great thing going with the whole Magic Band thing, and it would be nice if Universal could do something similar. Theme park food usually isn't very good to begin with, but the stuff at Universal is bad. HOWEVER, there is a place at Islands called "Mythos". It's an actual sit-down restaurant, and it is outstanding. It's close to Harry Potter world, so it works if you're going to be spending a lot of time in that area.

 

[jellyfish10]

Disney is for kids and old people

And people that don't "Talk American".

 

[jellyfish10]

We did 3 days between the 2 Universal parks in early December (you could easily do them in 2 days, but we went back to the hotel in early afternoon so the boys could swim). The Harry Potter rides at both parks are top notch IMO, especially at Islands of Adventure. The way they set up Diagon Alley at Universal was really cool. The entrance to it is very inconspicuous, but then it's like you're transported to a different world so it mirrors the movies in that regard.

Unfortunately, The Hulk coaster at Islands is being re-done, and that was a great coaster. Disney has a great thing going with the whole Magic Band thing, and it would be nice if Universal could do something similar. Theme park food usually isn't very good to begin with, but the stuff at Universal is bad. HOWEVER, there is a place at Islands called "Mythos". It's an actual sit-down restaurant, and it is outstanding. It's close to Harry Potter world, so it works if you're going to be spending a lot of time in that area.

We are in the airport as we speak. We left during the blizzard a week ago. Our daughter's cheer schedule dictated some of our activity. And the athletes were put at the All Star Resorts so the food thing was disappointing. Oh well, it was a once in a lifetime experience for our daughter...until she is cheering at Kinnick on Saturdays.

 

[DrVenkman]

And people that don't "Talk American".

Rough spot to be Jelly- rough spot.

 

[Old_wrestling_fan]

We went in mid-October, the least crowded time to go according to Disney. I cannot imagine what it's like in peak times like Summer and Christmas. I wanted to go nuts on people at that time with the amount of crowding.

We also did the obligatory Disneyworld trip several years ago when the kids were young. We also deliberately went in October and the lines/waiting was tolerable...but I am sure it would have been much worse in other, busier times of the season.

On the other side of the spectrum, I had a friend that went there when the World Cup soccer tournament was in progress and they reported horrendous waiting and an overall terrible time...as they later found out that those days were the absolute busiest days that Disneyworld had ever had.

Do your homework and visit during the non-peak times.

 

[Greenway4Prez]

We did Magic Kingdom x2, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Disney Springs. The rides were ok I guess and I like roller coasters too but frankly I was expecting more. Everest was a good time and we drank beer all day. Same with Epcot. Hollywood was NYE and asses to elbows AND they gave out free kazoos. I was losing my mind in that place. And Magic Kingdom can GFI. I hope the last person out of Mexico, Japan, and the Iraq shut the lights off because they were all at MK. Our daughter cheering at the Citrus Bowl was my highlight. Michigan fans were cool to us as we were decked out in our Hawkeye gear. Did meet some d-bag Alabama fans that compared their program to Star Wars which I didn't get. I'm ready for some open space.

Haha, funny comment about the Bama fans. We were at Hollywood Studios the day of the BTCG, and I was amazed by how many positive comments I received from other fans. USC, Clemson, Florida, Oklahoma, etc., I was amazed by how many people wanted Iowa to win and "shut up the critics". The only toolbag I came across was some meth-mouthed Bama fan. Sadly, their team is a juggernaut so there isn't a whole lot you can say back to them.

IMO, Everest is the best ride out of all the Disney parks, but there definitely isn't enough "thrill" going on, which I suppose is understandable.

Very cool that your daughter got to perform at such a big event. Hopefully she was wearing the right shoes for that grass! (subtle jab at Iowa slipping all over the place)

 

[LuteHawk]

I have taken my family to both Disneyland in California
and Disneyworld in Florida. It seems like Disneyworld
may someday price itself out of the market for the average
family. Walt Disney wanted it to be a fun family experience
that was affordable. His heirs seem to have forgotten his
motto.

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

I dont know how people spend multiple days at Disney. We stay on the Gulf and usually drive over for a day and do one of the parks. Plan the fast passes, meal plans, etc........for the day. Talk to random people and theyre telling me this is their 3rd day at Magic Kingdom in the past week. WTF?!?! No thanks.

 

[Tenacious E]

I dont know how people spend multiple days at Disney. We stay on the Gulf and usually drive over for a day and do one of the parks. Plan the fast passes, meal plans, etc........for the day. Talk to random people and theyre telling me this is their 3rd day at Magic Kingdom in the past week. WTF?!?! No thanks.

My thinking was that this was our one time to do it, there are several parks, and you can't do more than one park in a day. We were definitely getting Disney fatigue a few days in though, and we'll probably never go back.

 

[jellyfish10]

I dont know how people spend multiple days at Disney. We stay on the Gulf and usually drive over for a day and do one of the parks. Plan the fast passes, meal plans, etc........for the day. Talk to random people and theyre telling me this is their 3rd day at Magic Kingdom in the past week. WTF?!?! No thanks.

By drinking man. By drinking. Jai Alai is great and all but I was ready for something else. ESPN and AK actually had decent beer selections.

ESPN outside of that was not great. I should have know to turn around when the host was completely inept (being VERY kind), the tv feed was bad and ultimately led them to switch to standard def, and there were fruit flies in my first beer. Shoulda just simpson.gif'd that place...it was a sign of things to come! And no...my daughter had no problem with traction on the field G'way. Man, that stadium is in a nice part of town! Nice planning Orlando!

 

[OILCHECKER]

We are in the airport as we speak. We left during the blizzard a week ago. Our daughter's cheer schedule dictated some of our activity. And the athletes were put at the All Star Resorts so the food thing was disappointing. Oh well, it was a once in a lifetime experience for our daughter...until she is cheering at Kinnick on Saturdays.

Curious how old your daughter is and what team/program she cheers for. We will be down there in March for a Cheer competition.

 

[Desmond King]

We are in the airport as we speak. We left during the blizzard a week ago. Our daughter's cheer schedule dictated some of our activity. And the athletes were put at the All Star Resorts so the food thing was disappointing. Oh well, it was a once in a lifetime experience for our daughter...until she is cheering at Kinnick on Saturdays.

Pic of daughter?

 

[jellyfish10]

Curious how old your daughter is and what team/program she cheers for. We will be down there in March for a Cheer competition.

18. She does all of her competitive cheer thru a club in the Cedar Valley. She cheers for HS as well but the comp thing is her passion. She has one group where she cheers with UNI cheerleaders. Another group she does with HS kids.

No pic...there was on on the pic thread years ago but things have, um, changed.

 

[artradley]

What the actual F! I can't think of a worse place to be over the holidays. My kids had some fun mixed in along with periods of exasperation. Admittedly I would rather be camping by myself, but it is mind boggling how people flock to that place as if it's the Mecca of happiness. No thanks. Gonna be pretty hard to get me back to the place unless it's to sit by a pool, enjoy drinks, and take it all in. More room for the rest of you, I guess.

First, you have to understand that all of the Disney properties are pretty outdated when it comes to their attractions. They're clean, well-kept, well-organized, but the rides are pretty much the same as they were 40 years ago.

Second, you have to be strategic when going to Orlando. Going during peak times is the first mistake. But even then it can be bearable if you a)show up an hour before opening, b)eat meals off hours, and c)plan your day meticulously, strategically timing attractions during their least busy times and using the FastPass feature to its best advantage. We went multiple times when our kids were little, and never had any problems with lines. It was always a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Also, we made sure we didn't wear the kids out. We only went to theme parks every other day, with off days spent playing in the pool. And on days we went to the theme park we ended our day by 3 or 4pm. I think the last time we went our kids were 9 and 12; and we stayed until just after dinner.

But we always watch with pity at the families who are having an absolutely miserable time. The parks are not worth it if you're not able to avoid the crowds.

 

[artradley]

What the actual F! I can't think of a worse place to be over the holidays. My kids had some fun mixed in along with periods of exasperation. Admittedly I would rather be camping by myself, but it is mind boggling how people flock to that place as if it's the Mecca of happiness. No thanks. Gonna be pretty hard to get me back to the place unless it's to sit by a pool, enjoy drinks, and take it all in. More room for the rest of you, I guess.

Btw, the best parks in my opinion are Sea World, Discovery Cove, and Busch Gardens (which requires a long drive to Tampa but is worth it). Animal Kingdom is not bad if you don't already live in an area with a nice zoo within driving distance.

 

[cubsMDdmb]

Artradley had pretty good information. You can enjoy Disney at busy times. It just takes a ton of research and planning to make it work. The best possible advice is to go during slow times. I've been there during the summer (hot and very busy) and I've been there twice the week after thanksgiving. The week after Thanksgiving is great because it surprisingly slow and it's in full blown Christmas mode.

We stay on property at a resort that's 5 minutes from Epcot (Yacht Club) and get the park hopper so we can go to one park during the day but eat wherever we want that night. We plan our sit down meals out 5 or 6 months ahead of time. Same with fast passes. To be honest, the park hopper wouldn't be worth it other than that we go to a lot of Epcot restaurants and we love walking around the world there and letting our kids trade pins and do whatever they want.

We also take a couple days and don't go to a park or only go for a few hours. The rest of those days are generally spent at the pool (even in December). The Yacht Club has the coolest pool I've ever been to. It's not a cheap vacation but we've enjoyed it as a family. If on a tight budget then I would pick something else. That being said, we have other friends who go to Disney and their goal is to spend as little as possible and they seem to have a good time as well.

 

[jellyfish10]

First, you have to understand that all of the Disney properties are pretty outdated when it comes to their attractions. They're clean, well-kept, well-organized, but the rides are pretty much the same as they were 40 years ago.

Second, you have to be strategic when going to Orlando. Going during peak times is the first mistake. But even then it can be bearable if you a)show up an hour before opening, b)eat meals off hours, and c)plan your day meticulously, strategically timing attractions during their least busy times and using the FastPass feature to its best advantage. We went multiple times when our kids were little, and never had any problems with lines. It was always a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Also, we made sure we didn't wear the kids out. We only went to theme parks every other day, with off days spent playing in the pool. And on days we went to the theme park we ended our day by 3 or 4pm. I think the last time we went our kids were 9 and 12; and we stayed until just after dinner.

But we always watch with pity at the families who are having an absolutely miserable time. The parks are not worth it if you're not able to avoid the crowds.

Dunno if you read the thread or not, but the only reason we went over the holiday was for cheer. Everything was built by Varsity (cheer company) in conjunction with Disney. There is no way in hell I would choose to go at such a time. Not even I am that dumb.

 

[2bagger22]

We went in mid-October, the least crowded time to go according to Disney. I cannot imagine what it's like in peak times like Summer and Christmas. I wanted to go nuts on people at that time with the amount of crowding.

Went there twice as a kid, both in October thanks to MEA weekend in Minnesota. Never remember a line and the weather was more than adequate.

 

[UNIowaHawk]

We went for this first time this spring. We went after spring break, but before school got out so it was relatively slow. However Disney World must know this as they offered Florida residents steep discounts for those two or three weeks. There were some interesting people, but our three year old hasn't noticed and loved it.

 

[rchawk]

Disney World is a great place for your kids age ten and younger. I echo sentiments above, go in the off-season when it's not a crowded. You will still think it's plenty crowded.

We went over Thanksgiving week. Stayed in Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is pretty cool. Get up in the morning and see giraffes and wildebeast grazing out there. Also many variety of deer or antelope that would probably taste good when grilled over a fire.

The transportation system is excellent, the shuttle runs to your hotel numerous times a day. No driving. They do serve booze in many locations, make friends with your hotel bartender. But it's a kids thing, special for them. Take them once and you've done one more thing as a good Dad.

 

[UNIowaHawk]

The transportation system is excellent, the shuttle runs to your hotel numerous times a day. No driving. They do serve booze in many locations, make friends with your hotel bartender. But it's a kids thing, special for them. Take them once and you've done one more thing as a good Dad.

Agreed, Disney should be hired to put together mass transit systems for cities-- it is excellent.

Also agree that it's for the kids. I'm sure there are parts for adults around Disney (like Epcot) but Magic Kingdom was great for kids. Looking back there is no way in hell I would appreciate it if I went at it without kids. But seeing my three year old so excited and star struck when she saw Cinderella, Mickey, Minnie, Rapunzel, Belle, Anna & Elsa, etc it made our trip. Something she will never forget or us.

 

[Err.]

I went back for the first time since I was a kid about a year and a half ago. Spent 3 days drinking at Epcot, people watching, and riding the little rides there. The Magic Kingdom was a zoo so we only spent about 2-3 hours there and split back to Epcot (plus some of the rides I remembered as a kid were closed down for w/e reason.. I wish they still had Alien Encounter but that was replaced by some lame crap). Stayed at the Polynesian and went to the Luau there, decent food and entertainment.

 

[jellyfish10]

Agreed, Disney should be hired to put together mass transit systems for cities-- it is excellent.

Also agree that it's for the kids. I'm sure there are parts for adults around Disney (like Epcot) but Magic Kingdom was great for kids. Looking back there is no way in hell I would appreciate it if I went at it without kids. But seeing my three year old so excited and star struck when she saw Cinderella, Mickey, Minnie, Rapunzel, Belle, Anna & Elsa, etc it made our trip. Something she will never forget or us.

Age is a huge component as well. My 18 year old needed more thrill in the thrill rides and my 10 year old is past the magic kingdom chaos, outside of the rides anyway. I am happy we went as a family, but yeah, not again until/if I have grandkids.