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tAll Encompassing Disney Thread


Baboontyme

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I would prefer a day per park but if I only had one day, I would just do Disneyland and skip California Adventure. Or if you get a park hopper, just worry about Cars Land and Guardians so you can see how that differs from Tower of Terror. If you get Genie+, it's a breeze to blow through both parks. Just get there at rope drop so you can hit up rides with low waits. If you only want to worry about differences, get a park hopper and only hit up the exclusives and maybe must do favorites and then park hop to CA. You can always go back to DLR in the evenings/when done. I think you won't get to do Haunted Mansion as that's down until the fall. The Splash Mountain changeover may be done by then. I think they were angling for late summer. Definitely get there early in the morning and be amazed at how much you can get done before 11am. Genie+ is superior at DLR and CA because less people use it. You can work it so you don't have to use Genie+ till around 11am. Makes it nice to have those for later so you can ride again if you want. 

Guy on a different site made this list which I agree with:

DL Exclusive Attractions:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (uses same ride system as DINOSAUR at AK)
Snow White's Enchanted Wish
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Mister Toad's Wild Ride
Casey Jr. Circus Train
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Alice in Wonderland
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin
Chip & Dale's Gadget Coaster
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
The Matterhorn (note this uses the same ride system as Space Mountain at MK)
Space Mountain (same theme but completely different ride)

DL Similar but not exactly the same:
Enchanted Tiki Room - longer show
Pirates of the Caribbean - longer with more show scenes
Haunted Mansion - even without the Nightmare overlay it is slightly different
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Big Thunder Mountain - some additional effects and scenery
Autopia - much longer than the Tomorrowland Speedway, but basically the same
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - removable laser blasters make it a little better

DL Exactly (or basically) the same:
Peter Pan's Flight - technically some minor differences
Dumbo
King Aruthur Carousel
Milennium Falcon: Smugglers Run - all of Galaxy's Edge is practically identical
Rise of the Resistance
Mad Tea Party
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway - The queue is very different and cool - may be new to you and is worth it if so.
Star Tours
Astro Orbitor - though at ground level

CA Exclusive Attractions:
Monsters Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue
Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout - based on Tower of Terror, though the DL version works a little differently
WEB Slingers
Radiator Springs Racers - this is like a massively bigger Test Track
Luigi's Rollicking Roadsters
Incredicoaster
Inside-Out Emotional Whirlwind
Silly Symphony Swings - though this is an off-the shelf "wave swinger" ride
Jumpin' Jellyfish
Golden Zephyr
Goofy's Sky School

CA Similar but not exactly the same:
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree - the same as Alien Swirling Saucers
Grizzly River Run - longer version of Kali River Rapids - definitely a wet ride!

CA Exactly (or basically) the same:
Mickey's Philharmagic! - smaller screen though
Turtle Talk with Crush
Ariel's Undersea Adventure - same as Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
Jessie's Critter Carousel
Soarin' - though note sometimes they run it with the original Sorain' over California, in which case it is a must do!

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7 minutes ago, Baboontyme said:

Amazing feedback. Thanks so much! I'm super bummed to hear that about Haunted Mansion. That was the one ride I really wanted to see as I know it's different and I like the other version so much. Damn.

It's possible they could open it up by July but they're redoing the entire queue and putting in an ADA elevator. I've seen they wanted to have it done by September since that would allow for the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay to be used. That's one crappy thing about DLR. You only have January to early September to get the original Haunted Mansion. The Nightmare overlay is September to just after New Year's. The WDW version is superior though in most ways. The Hatbox Ghost is in the correct spot in the DLR version but the queue and everything else is better at WDW. Pirates is a lot better at DLR. New Orleans Square is really great and the Tiana ride should add to it. Get the beignets from the Mint Julep Bar. 

If I were in your shoes, I would hit up Tomorrowland first at rope drop. Ride Space Mountain first and then head to the Matterhorn since it's close by. Then make your way over to Big Thunder and Indiana Jones. Most of these will be walk ons or under a 20 minute wait. If the wait exceeds 40 minutes, book a Genie+ for it. You can accomplish all 4 before 9:30, assuming they don't go down. Then fill in the other rides like Pirates and Fantasyland since those don't have Genie+ options. You then have 4 Genie+ selections of those first 4 rides to use later if you wish to re-ride them. The park starts to get crowded with regulars around 11am. Locals don't really use Genie+ so you'll have pretty good luck with it the rest of the day. I think you can park hop at 1pm now. You can book Genie+ for the other park if you have the park hopper ticket loaded on your app. Definitely ride the train for diorama and do the Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough. 

This is a pretty good resource for Disneyland. 

https://disneylanddaily.com/how-to-start-your-day-at-disneyland/#The_Disneyland_Strategy_for_Big_Kids_with_Genie

https://disneylanddaily.com/a-first-timers-guide-to-disneyland/

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Thank you again md, those links are great and I have already started down the rabbit hole. 

Did you (or anyone else) ever go to Universal Hollywood? I was thinking about that for a day, mostly because my kids would like to see Springfield. I don't think we'll be going back to Florida anytime soon. Some good material about Universal at those links, as well, just wondering if anyone has any personal experience. 

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2 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Thank you again md, those links are great and I have already started down the rabbit hole. 

Did you (or anyone else) ever go to Universal Hollywood? I was thinking about that for a day, mostly because my kids would like to see Springfield. I don't think we'll be going back to Florida anytime soon. Some good material about Universal at those links, as well, just wondering if anyone has any personal experience. 

Yeah, we did a separate trip on a long weekend in late April last year. We've been to the Orlando one as well. Orlando is better. The main draw and reason to go was Super Mario Land. We had a good time. We stayed at the Hilton right down the small hill from the gate. It was about a 10 minute walk. It's a park you could easily do in 1 day. We did 1.5 days and were going through the motions a bit on day 2. The other half day was doing Warner Bros Studio Tour which was great. My older kid is into Pretty Little Liars and Friends so she enjoyed seeing some of the sets.

I was disappointed with the Universal Studio tour. They were shooting something at the Back to the Future town square so we didn't get to go down there. The King Kong portion was also not working. You can pay to get early entry into Super Mario Land which was worth it. Got in and out of the land as it was getting super crowded. It's not a park I feel the need to repeat any time soon though especially with Epic Universe opening in 2025. Hogwarts is empty in the evening so we rode the Castle ride 3 times in a row as a walk-on. Disneyland and UH are so far apart that I wouldn't recommend trying to do both in one trip unless you're staying near Universal for a night. 

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Suggestions on transportation from MCO to Disney please. Mears is the official shuttle and it looks like it's around $33 per person if you book round trip. Who knows what uber/ lyft will be. If I was at the airport right now those are cheaper options, but I'm guessing a Saturday afternoon in May will be more expensive. There will be 4 of us with luggage and golf clubs. 

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Suggestions on transportation from MCO to Disney please. Mears is the official shuttle and it looks like it's around $33 per person if you book round trip. Who knows what uber/ lyft will be. If I was at the airport right now those are cheaper options, but I'm guessing a Saturday afternoon in May will be more expensive. There will be 4 of us with luggage and golf clubs. 

Look up Orlando Magic’s Rides on Facebook. Run by former cast members. They were fantastic. Highly recommend. Driver is waiting for you at baggage claim. They will run you by anywhere you want to go (target/public’s) on the way to the resort to get snacks/food etc on the way. Think it was around $125 each way. But so much more efficient. You will be checking into your hotel by the time the Mears bus would be leaving the airport.
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I don't know what your plans are, or for how many days, but I have taken to renting cars from Turo on trips. You can usually get a nice, late model roomy SUV for about 50/day including taxes and fees. Then you have the freedom to check out I Drive during your golfing downtime as a bonus. 

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  • 1 month later...

Just got back from a week with adult son and dil. They go all the time, and we haven't been since we took him and his brother 20+ years ago. Wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but we had a great time. DIL is a whiz at the whole genie+ and lightning lane thing. We did all the big stuff and rarely had to wait a long time. We did the dining plan and ate some great food. I don't know all the ins and outs like they do, but I'm happy to share any specifics if wanted. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
53 minutes ago, Incredulity said:

Explain it to me like I am five.  please.

I don't totally understand it myself, which is why we were happy to let our DIL manage it. I do know we got Disney gift cards that she would use every day to buy genie+. You have to buy it every day, and it is dynamic pricing depending on how busy the parks are going to be. You can use your credit card, but since we were each paying for our own, the gift cards made it easy for her to get everyone's. With that you can get lightning lanes, but there are all kinds of rules about how many and how often you can get. Have no idea what those rules are, but she did. Some lightning lanes you have to pay an additional fee... the most popular ones. Then there are virtual queues for some rides. It's all crazy and you have to understand the whole system. I know there are videos that explain it all. Or if you're lucky like us, you can have a son and DIL who are total Disney nerds who go regularly and know what to do. It's truly a science. 

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1 minute ago, Mo Horn said:

I don't totally understand it myself, which is why we were happy to let our DIL manage it. I do know we got Disney gift cards that she would use every day to buy genie+. You have to buy it every day, and it is dynamic pricing depending on how busy the parks are going to be. You can use your credit card, but since we were each paying for our own, the gift cards made it easy for her to get everyone's. With that you can get lightning lanes, but there are all kinds of rules about how many and how often you can get. Have no idea what those rules are, but she did. Some lightning lanes you have to pay an additional fee... the most popular ones. Then there are virtual queues for some rides. It's all crazy and you have to understand the whole system. I know there are videos that explain it all. Or if you're lucky like us, you can have a son and DIL who are total Disney nerds who go regularly and know what to do. It's truly a science. 

crap.  thanks anyway.

I REALLY don't want to put any time into this. 

 

Maybe I will give the task to my oldest.  Probably some life lessons can be extracted from whatever success or failure follows.

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crap.  thanks anyway.
I REALLY don't want to put any time into this. 
 
Maybe I will give the task to my oldest.  Probably some life lessons can be extracted from whatever success or failure follows.

Probably better off. Going to Disney is anything but a vacation, and not knowing wtf is going on or any of the lingo is going to leave you in no man’s land

I’m always perfecting my craft even tho I go once a year. Knowing where rides are to eliminate criss crossing,knowing park layouts, bathrooms, stroller parking, restaurants, knowing what rides sell out of lightning lanes first and what to go after next, transportation routes, how to walk from Epcot to Hollywood studios, where the skyliner goes, what characters take forever to meet and which ones are fast, do you use LL on character meets, where to sit for fireworks, nearest snack stand, what rides have best indoor queues for afternoons, what rides have best indoor AC for naps, where do I go for rope drop, what to bring through security to make it efficient as possible
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My next door neighbors (couple and two teenage kids) have always been massive Disney people.  So much so I know at least one year they bought season passes (you have to go ~28 days in a year to break even - they live in Nashville).

About a month ago, the husband (4 days older than me, TX native) died from cancer.  This week the rest of them are at Disney for their “rip the band-aid off” first trip without him.  I personally wouldn’t wish WDW in the Summer on my worst enemy, but I hope their trip is in some way magical.

Oh, and fuck cancer.

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We did a 4 day trip around Labor Day 2021. It was at the height of Covid Delta so the parks weren't as full. There was no Genie+ or Fastpass. It was great. The only portion you had to contend with was the DAS people who get accommodations so they can skip the line. You had to do mobile ordering on the app but that was kind of the thing everyone was doing anyway with social distancing. We basically mapped out what rides we wanted to do the most and hit those first. It honestly was a lot less nerve wracking than what you have to do now. Of course, now that Genie+ is in full use by pretty much everyone, it puts you severely behind the rest if you don't use it. But that is an option. Just know you'll be in a lot of very long lines. I used to watch Disney Food Blog on YouTube. They have some good guides on how to navigate the parks. Maybe hit those up. 

Honestly, the extreme level of asswhip that WDW has become is why we typically opt for Disneyland instead. It's just so much easier to navigate. Plus, California weather in the summer beats Florida any day. We may go back to WDW next summer but the planning for it is something I'm not really looking forward to. 

 

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We went over Christmas week in 2018 and had a blast. Just set your expectations appropriately because it will be pretty busy. The decorations are great. The Nightmare Before Christmas overlay of Haunted Mansion is pretty good. 

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POV of Tiana's Bayou Adventure that's replacing Splash Mountain was released by Disney.

It seems pretty neat minus the signs looking cheap and might be missing some filler theming. The story is non-existent, but Splash Mountain's story was probably non-existent for first time riders too.

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I've seen the reaction is mostly negative but that's not surprising. Disney is always going to have an uphill battle with people's nostalgia and Splash Mountain was fairly beloved. I'm pretty sure on Shaggy's Disney thread that I made mention in 2015 when we went to WDW for the first time that I thought it was pretty wild that Disney had a ride based on Song of the South. The entire lift sequence is based on that movie where Brer Rabbit tricks Brer Fox into throwing into the briar patch as worse way for him to die than being cooked and eaten. I didn't realize there was an entire beginning portion about Brer Rabbit leaving home until I listened to the music sequence afterwards. Both rides were in a bad way the past few times I had been to WDW and DL. I'm sure people will eventually warm up to this one and writing an entire ride off because of a POV video seems like an odd choice. It may not be as good as the Guardians makeover of Tower of Terror but it doesn't look awful. I feel not having Dr. Facilier in the long climb was a missed opportunity but Disney seems to be trying to remove scary parts from rides like the removal of scary elements of the Snow White dark ride in DL including removing "Snow White's Scary Adventure" as the title of the ride. 

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I thought it was pointless to retheme splash mountain in Frontierland with a bayou themed ride…

That said after watching the POV, looks decent. I’ve never seen princess and the frog but I’m pretty sure they could have a ride with a lot with white noise piped in the entire time and I’d be content on a basic log ride and sitting down in the dark for 15 min

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