Walt Disney World Trip Reports
Topic: My week in WDW (longer version)

#	Author	Message
31	Mr X Mon 1/28/2008 9:34a	The two shows certainly are very similar, despite the desire for us fans to nit-pick certain details that wouldn't even be noticed by most (it definitely takes a few viewings at least, for most, to even notice the differences in which characters occur where). I do like the fact that the DL one is much closer up (assuming you can snag a seat...THANKS Dave from LP!), giving it an intimate feel I don't find in Florida. I also like the way it "magically" appears, but on the other hand seeing crowds of people waiting around for hours makes it pretty obvious "a show is coming!". And I really dislike the Pocahontas scene for some reason, so Cali is better in that regard for me. Other than that, very very similar and, as Jon said, a lot easier to view and enjoy...plus BEER! :D
32	danyoung Mon 1/28/2008 10:52a	Hey jon, thanks for posting an interesting read. While it's no suprise to you that we have some points of disagreement (Really? You like WDW's Pirates better? And we'll never see eye to eye on which version of Fantasmic! is better!), it was still fun to see the park through your eyes. Thanks.
33	jonvn Mon 1/28/2008 10:59a	I think the beer makes Fantasmic much better, somehow. That and walking in, sitting down, seeing the show, no hassle involved also enhanced it. Also, the storyline, such as it is, is more clearly understandable in Florida. The one in Anaheim is just a bit tedious for me. Thanks, Dan. I do like WDW pirates better because the line for the ride is much more interesting. That tips it in its favor. It's ALMOST the same ride otherwise, just slightly chopped where you go through the cave under the train tracks in Anaheim. IT's also a little disconcerting in the Haunted Mansion when you don't walk through the area with the changing portraits. It was like "Oh! here's the ride." But the ride itself and the overall experience is better in Florida.
34	Tiggirl Mon 1/28/2008 11:02a	I find myself agreeing with TDLFAN here (Hi TDLFAN!!). I am not a fan of WDW's Fantasmic! I think they rely too much on the water screens, I think the Peter Pan scene blows Pocahontas out of the water and the steam boat at the end of Florida's version looks like its made of cardboard. I too love the Illuminations music but find the middle of the show slow and it doesn't keep my attention. Maybe I need glasses but I also find the images on the globe hard to make out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your trip Jonvn. ~Beth
35	danyoung Mon 1/28/2008 11:22a	> I do like WDW pirates better because the line for the ride is much more interesting. That tips it in its favor.< I agree that the queue in WDW is far superior. But I really like the slowness of the start of DL's ride, floating past the Blue Bayou and the old guy on the porch of his shack. And then the 2 slides down really take you far away from where you were a moment ago. I was just disappointed when Florida's Pirates sorta ended with little warning - I couldn't belive I was supposed to get out of the boat already! >I think the beer makes Fantasmic much better, somehow. That and walking in, sitting down, seeing the show, no hassle involved also enhanced it.< Well, alcohol is almost always involved when I see F! on either coast! I've got the trick down pat of standing behind the central light tower in DL, so I never have to wair more than 20 minutes. If I had to do the 2 or 3 hour blanket spread thing I'd go crazy go nuts! I think they tried to do some differently in Florida, and not neccessarily for the better. The cartoon sections are too long, they go back & forth between cartoons and live too much during Pocahontas, and the anti-climax of the little boat instead of the mighty Mark Twain just puts a nail in it. My opinion, of course.
36	jonvn Mon 1/28/2008 11:27a	I like the little boat because it's more evocative of the boat in Steamboat Willie. It's supposed to look like that. There might be too much cartoon segments in the one in Florida. But I don't think the non-cartoon stuff in DL is any better. The flower dance in particular just should get cut.
37	ploeb909 Mon 1/28/2008 10:40p	jonvn!! You are bumming me out! LOL!! Im from S.Calif, and have convinced my husband that we should take our kids to WDW, we have a family of 5. While we are really well acquainted with DLR, we know Nothing about WDW. Total I think our trip with flight will cost about $7000. Is that to low of an expectation??
38	davewasbaloo Mon 1/28/2008 11:24p	Depends how you are doing it ploeb909. We went Dec 2006, 3 adults, 1 child and a baby. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge Deluxe Savannah view for 10 nights, including the dining plan. That was $8500 in the low season. We then spent about $1500, but that did include Christmas shopping. If on a budget however, you can often get a room for as low as $120 a night, and eat at counter service (though the unique table service options are part of what makes WDW cool). To help with budget planning, I recommend mousesavers.com and Deb Will's site allearsnet.com has the menus for most WDW eateries inc. prices. Souvenirs are in line with Dl prices. Have fun, but as a DL regular, be sure to prioritise Epcot and DAK.
39	TDLFAN Tue 1/29/2008 5:18a	>>People who do get up at the point you describe have to be nuts. That's the best part of the show.<< I agree, but still, a good amount of guests do get up and walk out before the final act is over, so yes, they are nuts...as well as inconciderate idiots.
40	jonvn Tue 1/29/2008 8:52a	"While we are really well acquainted with DLR, we know Nothing about WDW" Frankly, be prepared to be amazed at the place. The scope and the breadth of offerings at WDW is just jaw dropping. Nothing else like it on earth. I suggest getting the free planning DVD from Disney, because there is so much to do there, you can stay for weeks and be fine. It takes a week just to hit the major things, like the theme parks and downtown disney. As far as what it costs? Well, as was said, it depends on what you do. You can stay at one of the low end motels just fine. They are ok. You don't have to spend money like we did. Don't buy anything but 1 souvenir for each person. We bought mugs, pins, balloons ($10 for one balloon!) clothes, and lord knows what else. Beer. Lots of beer. Beer costs like $7 or $8 a cup. You don't need it. God knows not like I did. Not after spending all that money on pins, anyway. Don't eat at fancy restaurants (askerhaus cost us like $100 for two adults, 1 kid). But some of these restaurants are really fun. There are dozens though. You can't eat at all of them anyway. I know, for on my previous trip we tried. It can't be done unless you stay for a month, or have a tapeworm. So pick one nice place to eat during the week. And that's your special meal. A lot of them require advance reservations, so don't just show up and expect to get in. I was able to do this on this trip because the place was relatively quiet, but still, it was a bit dicey at times. Just don't do one nicer end restaurant a night, or even two a day. That will end up killing you financially. Look at the websites that Dave pointed you to, they have a lot of tips. I am not really one to ask questions about how to save money. However, I am one to tell you how to spend like a drunken sailor on his first liberty in six months. That's a lot easier, and it's sort of how I live my life. I figure if you aren't totally in debt to banks and other corporations when you die, you've lost. Um, other tips...utilize magical extra hours, especially at night. Leave early in the day. And go to those parks that have the extra hours because you will need them. Each park is on a different schedule when it comes to which has extended hours for the evening. The water parks are good, but we ran out of time in the week we were there to go to one. Instead, we used the pool at the Wilderness Lodge that we were staying at, it was ok. As far as the parks go...Epcot and DAK are going to be the most different. Magic Kingdom is not quite as nicely laid out as Disneyland, but the rides are still very good to excellent. Many of the rides you see at Disneyland/CaliAdven are spread over different parks. For example, Soarin' from CA is in Epcot, Star Tours is in the Studio park. DAK is an amazing amazing park, with one little corner that someone thought it would be a good idea to trash, and it's bizarre. Other than this one small section, the place is really beyond belief. The everest attraction looks amazing, although I didn't get to ride. This Joe Rhode guy (whatever his name is) is in charge of the place, and it just is fantastic. See the parade there, it's fun. Epcot is huge. Just huge. It will take you two days to see it. It is broken into two halves. I suggest doing Future World one day, and World Showcase another day. The rides in Epcot are mostly in Future World. In World Showcase, there are a couple of rides, three or so films, and American Adventure. DO NOT MISS American Adventure. But the Studio, well, one park has to be the weakest, and this one is it. But many people love this place, too. It all comes down to taste. A couple of the best rides are there, if you like thrill rides. That would be Tower of Terror and Rock N Roll roller coaster. I rode TOT in CaliAdven and hated it, I don't like those sorts of rides. But it is supposedly better in Florida. I didn't ride the coaster, either. I'm not one for thrill rides at all. But I do know other people love the thing to pieces. The restaurants at the studios, though are all very fun. The Prime Time Cafe is my favorite now. We have eaten at that, Sci Fi Drive in, and the Brown Derby. Prime Time is the most fun, mostly due to my age, i think. It looks exactly like my parents house. You might be able to save some cash by using the Disney Dining Plan. It is rather popular, but when you get that, you need to make sure you use it to your best advantage. You become entitled to a certain number of meals and snacks a day. Regardless of cost. So you can expend your meal on a hot dog for $5, or you can use it at a nice restaurant for $50. It adds a bit of logistics and planning to your visit. Disney counts on people using it not to their full advantage to make profit off of it. You will have a great time. Get the FREE planning DVD, and look at all the things available to do. I don't know how much the trip will cost you, but $7000 seems like more than enough, I would think. But when you see that Epcot ball, as startlingly huge as it is, and you ride the ride inside it, you'll be really glad you went.

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