Just returned from a Galaxy Far Far Away...

[MintJulepRoo]

Just got back from WDW. We had an amazing time!! Our trip coincided with the opening weekend of Star Tours at DHS. Thank goodness we were able to be part of a "test flight" on Wednesday night before the weekend opening. Just walked right on! Loved the changes. We were told by several people that there are 54 versions of the ride. We were only able to ride twice due to extreme crowds and heat. Each time was different from the other. I won't go into extreme detail but just remember, "There's always a bigger fish."

We stayed at The Wilderness Lodge. Loved it. (The Grand Californian is better though.) We were able to visit all 4 parks, Blizzard Beach, WinterSummerLand and spent a day at Universal. Wizarding World of Harry Potter is great! Just tasting frozen Butterbeer made it worth the trip. The best ride was the one in Hogwarts. I would describe it as part Soarin' part dark ride. The worst part of Universal is the locker requirement on almost all rides. No loose items whatsoever!!

To close, I must ruffle some feathers... I was extremely disappointed with the Magic Kingdom!! On a scale of 1 to 10, it's like a 4 compared to Disneyland. The only thing that rivals DLR is The Haunted Mansion. It just might be better. Love the queue and the overall New England theme. Liberty Square is my favorite part of the park. I also enjoyed Frontierland. Splash & Thunder are great! The rest of the MK is a bummer. Space Mountain has no music and gave me whiplash. Fantasyland feels like a creepy carnival. (Hopefully the expansion improves things) Main Street is odd. The merchandise is fine but not as good as DL. I saw a ton of the same items I did last time I was there in 2007. Pirates is like the "less intense" version of Disneyland's. "Wishes" is a lovely show, but can't hold a candle to "Remember Dreams Come True". This was my 3rd time in WDW and I come to this conclusion every time. The magic seems to be missing at the Magic Kingdom!! And what does Florida have against churros??

The trip was a blast tho. Animal Kingdom is definitely my favorite park. Epcot is amazing. DHS is awesome. But sorry, the MK loses the battle.

[Amy]

How long were you in Florida? Sounds like you packed a lot in!
I would have to agree with your observations on Space and Pirates. Space Mountain was very rough when I was there this past December. And Pirates was so short compared to DL's version I do enjoy WDW's Haunted Mansion better. I looooove the exterior
I thought I had seen churros in WDW? Did they not have any?
A question on Universal's requiring of lockers...do they provide them for free since they require them? Or do you have to shell out money at each attraction? That would get old fast!
Any photos to share?!

[MadEye]

Animal Kingdom is definitely my favorite park.

You are one in a very, very few...

[mindflipper]

I must admit, I have always enjoyed DLR MK far more than WDW's MK. It feels like in some ways WDW's is more dilapidated than DLR's, and DLR's is the older of the two. I love the HM in both, but POTC is better in DLR and DLR has the Blue Bayou.

MintjulepRoo: did you get to see Fantasmic at WDW DHS? If so, what was opinion of it compared to DLR's Fantasmic?

I gotta admit with MadEye, about the AK you're "one in a very, very few". Most people I know who have gone found it a bit disappointing...

[Amy]

Animal Kingdom is definitely my favorite park.

You are one in a very, very few...

We thoroughly enjoyed the AK this past trip!!!

[mindflipper]

You're part of that "very, very few" too, Amy...

[MadEye]

Animal Kingdom is definitely my favorite park.

You are one in a very, very few...

We thoroughly enjoyed the AK this past trip!!!

Indeed, guests like the park better than another (some like it better than Epcot others like it better than MGM). But there are few who would say it is their favorite of the 4 at WDW.

[Amy]

Indeed, guests like the park better than another (some like it better than Epcot others like it better than MGM). But there are few who would say it is their favorite of the 4 at WDW.

Oh ~ well...I wouldn't say it is my favorite I guess...but I really do enjoy it

[MintJulepRoo]

We were there for 6 nights. Haha AK is great to me! It & Epcot are close in rank for me. I just had a lot of fun In AK as well as the previous times I'd been there. I'm from the dry, brown desert so perhaps all the lush greenery is also what makes it so great for me. Just beautiful!! It also is a park rich in detail.

The lockers at Universal are free for 30 minutes. If you go over, you can't get your stuff until you pay 5.00 or more! What!? We argued against this a lot. didn't pay but one time. However the lockers are not in the best working condition. Lots of malfunctions! You have to open them with a finger print. Lots of "Not recognized" entries.

We had churros once in DHS & they were soggy And they are few and far between. In Disneyland there is a churro cart every 20 feet!! And they are crispy, cinnamon works of art!! The Disneyland churros are like a million times tastier than normal churros. It's hard to explain just how yummy they are!

Saw Fantasmic at DHS. It was great but still not as good. Less pyrotechnics? And Why can't they make a better boat for the finally?? It looked very odd to be part of the show. The Mark Twain with all the characters just cant be beat! And the choreography is not as grand. But I loved the seating arrangement. You have to get a seat hours ahead at DLR to get a good view of the show.

[mindflipper]

We had churros once in DHS & they were soggy And they are few and far between. In Disneyland there is a churro cart every 20 feet!! And they are crispy, cinnamon works of art!! The Disneyland churros are like a million times tastier than normal churros. It's hard to explain just how yummy they are!

I always thought there was a great difference in food between both! DLR MK was better for food than WDW MK, but I still love EPCOT over those two!

Oh yeh, I agree that boat at DHS Fantasmic finale is just sad. Looks like a glorified tugboat compared to the MK's Mark Twain.

[MadEye]

You have to open them with a finger print. Lots of "Not recognized" entries.

Interesting. I've never had a problem with them. You weren't mashing your finger on the scanner, were you?

[Amy]

...The lockers at Universal are free for 30 minutes. If you go over, you can't get your stuff until you pay 5.00 or more! What!? We argued against this a lot. didn't pay but one time. However the lockers are not in the best working condition. Lots of malfunctions! You have to open them with a finger print. Lots of "Not recognized" entries. ....
Saw Fantasmic at DHS. It was great but still not as good. Less pyrotechnics? And Why can't they make a better boat for the finally?? It looked very odd to be part of the show. The Mark Twain with all the characters just cant be beat! And the choreography is not as grand. But I loved the seating arrangement. You have to get a seat hours ahead at DLR to get a good view of the show.

If you only get 30 minutes you must put your stuff in right before you ride? Otherwise the wait could easily be over 30 minutes.
The beauty of WDW's Fantasmic is the stadium seating! And I really didn't notice the poor excuse for a steamship until it was mentioned here and I looked back at my photos ~ I must just focus on the characters!

[Len90]

Wow kind of surprising to see the order of the parks. I understand your disappointment with MK in WDW since you are comparing it to DLR. I am a bit surprised how you liked Animal Kingdom so much. You definitely are in a minority on that one. I really wonder if you will have a different feeling towards MK in Florida once the Fantasyland expansion opens up.

[mindflipper]

If you're used to DLR MK, then WDW MK just seems a lesser version. I think Fantasyland Expansion will help, but even with that, DLR's still comes out ahead: pretty much the same thing as WDW MK but at DLR's you get a longer POTC, the Blue Bayou restaurant, Star Tours (not at WDW MK), IJ-TOFE (not at WDW anywhere), and the Matterhorn. What do you get at WDW MK you don't get at DLR? CBJ and Stitch's Great Escape. Wow.

[kcarts]

I disagree with MK comparison. I like WDW MK much better. DLR just seemed a little cramped. Like it was shoe horned in. Which is understandable considering where it was built. Don't get me wrong, I liked it quite a bit. Just like the WDW version better.

And I'm not sure how the merchandise is better in Anaheim. Unless you're referring to selection. The merchandise is the same. The t shirts say Disneyland rather than Disney World but other than that it's made the same.