Trip Reports

Introduction :

First off a big thank you goes out to everyone who has previously published reports. We planned our trip for over a year, and I have had immeasurable pleasure reading your reports. Because I am easily bored by details, my report will be written in a "summary " style. On the trip were my husband Dave (37 and a CPA) me, (36 and a nurse) and our 6 year old daughter Mackenzie. We live in Boise Idaho, although Dave and I grew up in Southern California. Dave and I had visited WDW for a 6 night trip in 1991, this was our daughter's first trip. However as a family we are Disneyland veterans. Dave and I having visited at least 35 times, and Mackenzie 5 times.

Trip Structure and Rationales:

We wanted to take advantage of the 25th anniversary celebration, but also wanted the lowest crowds possible. So we comprised by attending the last 3 days of the celebration, coupled with the first 4 days in February, which are typically the slowest of the year.

We also wanted to experience a "Premium Resort ", but couldn't afford it for the entire trip. So, we stayed at Wilderness lodge our first 3 days when the crowds made the quick 5 minute boat ride to the Magic Kingdom especially valuable, then switched to the Coronado Springs when a slower pace was okay.

I did a lot of research about which admission media to purchase, in the end there was such a little price difference between the 7 day passes and annual passes, that we bought annual passes with the idea that we will return to WDW next year for another 7 days. This makes the passes a real bargain.

Impressions and Opinions :

1. A comparison of Disneyland ( DL ) and Walt Disney World ( WDW )

Disneyland is a magical and intimate place which can be thoroughly enjoyed in a 2 day visit. It's full of quiet corners and quaint details. It's detractions are the garish and tacky surroundings of hotels, restaurants, and run down neighborhoods. Disney World is huge and worthy of a full 10 days to thoroughly enjoy all aspects. One of it's main advantages is the ability to stay on property and immerse yourself in the Disney magic.Comparing DL to the Magic Kingdom, the magic kingdom is much larger, takes a longer time to walk to the different lands, and just isn't quite as charming . The magic kingdom also does not have New Orleans square, which is my favorite place in DL. To compare the rides that they have in common, the rides that are better in Disneyland are : Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Disney rail road, and Space Mountain. I also like the outside themeing of the Haunted mansion better at DL. Rides that are better at WDW are : Big thunder mountain railroad, The jungle cruise, and the inside aspect of the Haunted Mansion. In summary they are both absolutely worth visiting in their own rights. However, a 2 day visit to DL leaves you time to do other things in the southern CA area, while WDW is a weeks vacation unto itself.

2. Resorts

The Wilderness Lodge was fabulously themed, and had an open and bright feel. Some of it's advantages are the boat that delivers you directly to the Magic Kingdom's front entrance, the on-site childcare, the all you can eat BBQ, every room having a balcony, and the private stretch of beach. We tried all of these personally and were very satisfied. The disadvantages are relatively small rooms, an uninspired playground which was located in a remote corner, and a noisy and crowed snack cafe which was unfortunately the only place on the grounds for a quick bite to eat or a cup of coffee in the morning.

The Coronado Springs was also very nicely themed with a use of color that made the spaces seem bright and open. It's advantages were large rooms ( they seemed larger than at Wilderness ), in-room coffee makers with coffee packets, a fabulous pool/waterside/playground areas that were well lit at night, and a large giftshop with a good selection of merchandise with the resort logo. The disadvantage was the food options. The pepper market food court is a horror of inefficiency and mediocre food. The sit down restaurant is expensive, but has no ambiance and few choices in food.

3. Theme Park Favorites

My favorite thing about all 3 parks is just being there ! It is a treat for all your senses....the smell of food vendors, the sound of music that is themed to each land, and most of all the lush landscaping and profuse flowers...even in February ! To me the rides are just an added bonus . My husband Dave's favorites are the 3 " Mountains ", Star Tours, and the Tower of Terror. My daughter's favorites are anything in Fantasyland, and Big Thunder Mountain RR. We also split on Favorite parks.

Tips and advice :

1. to prepare your children

My firmest recommendation is to begin watching videos about a month before the trip. This exposes them to the sights they will see, the size of the characters they will encounter, and is an opportunity to introduce the line that "none of this is scary because we know it isn't real". Or as an alternative "we won't be scared because we know Mickey would never let anyone get hurt at his special place". I have found this positive self talk while watching the videos is very effective. Call 1-800-859-8216, and request a free vacation planning video from Disney. Also good is the "Disneyland Fun" sing along video. Also reassure your children that the object is to have fun, and that they will not be forced to ride anything they don't want to. However, as parents we often know a ride would be enjoyed by our child and all they need is an incentive to take a risk.The system that works well with Mackenzie is that for every new ride she tries during the day, she earns a Disney dollar. With the money she is expected to purchase all of her souvenirs, so it is not as expensive as it sounds.

The "Carousel of Progress" is a great first ride for your kids to see the Audio-animatronics figures in action. Certainly do it before Pirates. For younger children think hard before you take them on "Snow White". It helps if they are familiar with the movie. Also we scream witty things at the witch like "you can't get us you ugly hag", or "You can't trick me!" This turns it into fun.

Mackenzie was also with me when I purchased snacks at Costco for our trip. We bought fruit roll-ups, cookies, and dried fruit. We then put it away for our trip without eating any. At the parks we carried a backpack with the snacks, and since she had been looking forward to eating them there were no complaints about eating food from home instead of buying stuff from the carts.

Another good idea is to let your kids know before you go that you will be leaving the parks every afternoon, to rest swim, or go to a different park. Assure them that you will return to their favorite rides at another time. This will prevent tears and fears.

2. Saving Money

There are really only two places to save much money, your lodging and food purchases.

Along with the snacks, I also brought a loaf of bread, jar of peanut butter, a couple of four packs of individual wine and champagnes, and lots of baggies. Needless to say it was convenient to just buy a milk and have lunch for Mackenzie for less than $1. And after a hard day it was wonderful to relax in the room with a glass of White Zinfandel. The 4 pack that I paid $4.99 for at my local Albertsons was for sale in the Coronado gift shop for $9.99.

My other tip is don't have an "all or nothing " mentality about lodging. It is very convenient to switch resorts. If you used a credit card, the express checkout option doesn't even require you to go to the front desk. With one call to "Bell Services", you can arrange for your luggage to be transferred. The only time drain is that you must check in at the front desk of the new resort sometime after 3 p.m.

This enables to stretch your budget by staying at a lower cost resort for the majority of your time, but allows a treat of upgrading for a night or two. A final thought is not to waste your first night in the higher priced resort unless you are arriving early enough to get your money's worth.

We do have a "Magic Kingdom Card" and used that to receive discounts on our annual passes, and our lodging. Also, since I spent over $100 dollars on souvenirs at the village market place, the 10% discount really came in handy.

Miscellaneous

stop to smell the flowers
don't miss Illuminations
don't wait longer than 20 minutes for Maelstrom
if a park get crowded, leave
don't wait at all for the "Magical Moments" parade
Cinderella's Royal Feast character breakfast was worth the price!
The point is to have fun
If an E-ticket Express is offered...put your children into the Neverland Club @ the Polynesian...and Go !
Thanks, and have a wonderfull trip !

Judy Bicknell Taylor

JBTMSN@aol.com

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