Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Discussion Thread

[bigboy]

I know plenty of people that have visited during that time of the year and enjoyed it.  You have to govern your expectations and it sounds like you're already doing that.  If you're looking to save travel time and you're not worried about money, stay at the resorts closest to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, or Studios.  Same goes for the virtual queue options: spend the money if you have it.

[coasterbill]

2 hours ago, Redlegs said:

Being presented with an opportunity to take a trip to Disney World December 24-27th. The plan would be to probably just hit three of the parks on these days (likely excluding AK). Recalling what I have heard about this being the absolute busiest time/week of the year, is there any actual way to make this an enjoyable trip? I have concerns from what I have heard that crowd levels have the potential to make this miserable. I am hopeful the imminent roll out of the lightning lane would provide some relief.

I would look to stay on property to alleviate some of the travel (and gain some perks?), but unsure on where (also know some places are booked up now). Looking for suggestions/tips on how to best manage a trip during this time. Anyone been successful in being able to have an enjoyable trip during this time or is this a suicide mission that I should just not schedule at all in the first place?

The only thing working in your favor is that there are park reservations now but the cap seems to be very high. The days of this...

... may be over but it's going to be slammed.

Magic Kingdom is sold out on Halloween, I guess check the wait times that day to get an idea of what you can expect. That said, you may not want to wait that long to decide as Magic Kingdom is already sold out for Christmas day.

My other bit of advice for making the trip more enjoyable is to not skip Animal Kingdom since it's the best park at WDW resort. Sorry, not sorry.

[SharkTums]

Genie Plus service will also be available so you'll at least be able to enjoy some rides with little to no wait if you're willing to pay a bit. 

[KBrylczyk]

5 hours ago, coasterbill said:

My other bit of advice for making the trip more enjoyable is to not skip Animal Kingdom since it's the best park at WDW resort. Sorry, not sorry.

[coasterbill]

I said what I said  

I’m not trying to be different just to be edgy or anything, I just absolutely believe that. As far as theming goes, I don’t think the other parks even come close and I doubt that’s even really a hot take. In terms of attractions, we probably like it so much because we also love animals and animal exhibits. It’s a very chill park. It’s gorgeous. Flight of Passage *might* be my favorite ride at WDW, Everest is awesome, Safari is great, I love Dinosaur and River Journey. The shows are fun and we love the animals. They don’t have a ton of rides but the ones they do have are bangers.

Also, Yak and Yeti

… and naked mole rats

… and green beer

… and that delicious blue shit

… and the best bathroom on property that’s not Tangled per Brit’s official rankings

[SharkTums]

But I still have a soft spot for Epcot...

[anonymouscactus]

42 minutes ago, coasterbill said:

and that delicious blue shit

.... you mean this?

Yeah, my wife was not a fan lol

... but she also likes Olive Garden, so there's that....

PS: Oh, and flight of passage is just mediocre. That's something we both can agree upon. Then again that might be because we rode Rise of the Resistance the day before. I know, completely different, but still...

Edited October 19, 2021 by anonymouscactus
English no good. And more thoughts.

[coasterbill]

Does anyone know where the block button is on this new forum? I’m still learning my way around the new interface.

[Garet]

2 hours ago, coasterbill said:

I love Dinosaur.

I've never been on it, but don't most people usually crap on this ride for some reason? I've only seen povs so can't really fully judge until I've ridden it in person, but I'm not seeing where all the hate comes from.

[coasterbill]

People crap on it because it’s the same ride system as Indiana Jones and Indiana Jones is a better ride. That’s true, but it’s also like saying “I’ve been on Rise of the Resistance so now I refuse to enjoy any other trackless dark rides”. 
 

I’m not saying it’s the best ride in the park or anything but it’s good and I would argue very underrated.

[bert425]

23 minutes ago, Garet said:

I've never been on it, but don't most people usually crap on this ride for some reason? I've only seen povs so can't really fully judge until I've ridden it in person, but I'm not seeing where all the hate comes from.

one of my favorite Disney Rides.

I absolutely prefer it to Indiana Jones. . . which is odd, as Bill says, it's the same ride system.

I think it gets crapped on because it's located in the "crappiest" area of Animal Kingdom:  the cheapie Dynotiopia area. . but now that Primeval Whirl is gone, maybe the area will get a refresh and not look like carnival rides in a Disney Park.

[PKI Jizzman]

18 hours ago, coasterbill said:

People crap on it because it’s the same ride system as Indiana Jones and Indiana Jones is a better ride. That’s true, but it’s also like saying “I’ve been on Rise of the Resistance so now I refuse to enjoy any other trackless dark rides”. 
 

I’m not saying it’s the best ride in the park or anything but it’s good and I would argue very underrated.

It'll probably end up being my favorite just because it seems like the last Disney ride that will strike terror into unsuspecting children and parents when they see the T Rex inhaling all of the other smaller dinosaurs. Or did I miss it already? Have they toned it down?

[Nrthwnd]

I actually think it was brilliant of Disney to take the same ride system AND 'track route' and overlay it with an entirely different story, theme, etc. etc. They did it with Tower of Terror in DCA. They're doing it with Rock'n'Roller Coaster in Disney Paris' Walt Disney Studios. Now whether the ch-ch-change is good. I'll have to eventually ride Dinosaur myself, as I haven't had the epic opportunity ....yet.

But I have ridden the Tokyo DisneySea version a number of times. The entry queue is changed. There are no (Um... Spoiler Alert?) three doors to "choose one" and ride through, etc. And they put in a Smoke Ring effect, I'll just mention here. And the exit is pretty quick, too.

And by the way... isn't there a thread somewhere in here, for Animal Kingdom, etc? Just asking. EDIT: Found it, and BUMPed it.

And Bert? ^^ I have Blue Sky hopes & dreams, for that actual wooden coaster (called "The Excavator," I remember?) they originally planned for that "Land." To take the place(s) of Primeval Whirl(s).

Here's the artwork I remember seeing - Boneyard w/"The Excavator" coaster in the back.

[KBrylczyk]

On 10/18/2021 at 4:40 PM, coasterbill said:

Flight of Passage *might* be my favorite ride at WDW

Full disclosure, I've not been to WDW since 2009 so I've not seen any of the updates or the entire Avatar area, but HUH?!  You're probably one of those wackadoos that thinks Soarin' is some pinnacle of entertainment, as well.  Just to clarify, I'm mostly kidding.  Soarin' sucks donkey doo, though.

20 hours ago, Nrthwnd said:

I actually think it was brilliant of Disney to take the same ride system AND 'track route' and overlay it with an entirely different story, theme, etc. etc. They did it with Tower of Terror in DCA. They're doing it with Rock'n'Roller Coaster in Disney Paris' Walt Disney Studios. Now whether the ch-ch-change is good. I'll have to eventually ride Dinosaur myself, as I haven't had the epic opportunity ....yet.

But I have ridden the Tokyo DisneySea version a number of times. The entry queue is changed. There are no (Um... Spoiler Alert?) three doors to "choose one" and ride through, etc. And they put in a Smoke Ring effect, I'll just mention here. And the exit is pretty quick, too.

The TDS Indy is wonderful.  They made juuuuust enough minor changes to make the ride flow better.  My only gripe is they removed any and all fire effects that Disneyland's version had though it's actually for the better because Disneyland can't keep those effects working for more than ten minutes at a time.

[SharkTums]

^You have to ride Flight of Passage. I get what you're thinking and how you're seeing it, I was the same way.  It's a simulator where I wear glasses and get sprayed in the face with water, what is this Universal!!? But it's just the most incredible ride and puts to shame every other simulator and most other rides! It's incredibly immersive and the movement of the simulator is incredible. 

[KBrylczyk]

^ So I've heard and I'm really excited to ride it eventually but it's still a simulator.  A (probably) great simulator, yes, but to be better than every other ride at WDW?  I'm finding that difficult to believe.

[Haymaker]

29 minutes ago, KBrylczyk said:

^ So I've heard and I'm really excited to ride it eventually but it's still a simulator.  A (probably) great simulator, yes, but to be better than every other ride at WDW?  I'm finding that difficult to believe.

Seeing is believing

[coasterbill]

I don't care about Soarin' at all. I probably wouldn't wait more than 15 minutes for it. The rides seriously aren't comparable at all. They're both simulators in the same way that El Toro and a Zamperla Volare are both roller coasters.

[tinaalsgirl]

I haven't been to WDW since 2012, so haven't gotten to experience any of the New Fantasyland stuff in MK nor any of Pandora at AK. My favorite ride at AK, though, is definitely Dinosaur. I've never been on the Indiana Jones ride (my last visit to DL was 1991); can't draw a comparison to a ride I've never been on, so Dinosaur was my first impression of that type of Disney ride and I loved it!

[teacherkim]

I can't wait to compare Indy to Dinosaur. Last went on Dinosaur about 7 years ago. Rode Indy for the first time at the end of August and going back to WDW in December. My eyes loved everything about Indy, of course it's one of my all time favorite movies since it's about the coolest history teacher in the world  my neck on the other hand was cranky for several weeks after the ride, so we will see how Dino goes. Sucks getting older.

[ArrowHater]

I just had a pretty wild idea: what if they took one side of space mountain out, kept one side as a classic/family side and the new side would become an RMC Raptor coaster in the dark (since the trains would closely resemble its predecessor) , a more aggressive high thrill side. Similar to mission space orange and green teams.

[Chiselphane]

God, don't give them any ideas.  Chapek would just close half of it and cite it as a cost saving measure.

[A.J.]

Disney has announced the return of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party for 2022!

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/04/mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party-returns-to-walt-disney-world-resort-this-fall/?CMP=SOC-DPFY22Q3wo0428220001A

Here at Walt Disney World Resort, we’re celebrating #HalfwaytoHalloween with all treats and no tricks! In honor of the #HalfwaytoHalloween festivities taking place across Disney Parks this week, we’ve teamed up with “Hocus Pocus 2” star Doug Jones to make a very exciting announcement.

There you have it! Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is returning to Magic Kingdom Park this fall during the resort’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Keep reading for details about this fall-favorite event and learn how you can get into the spirit early by taking part in the #HalfwaytoHalloween festivities.

This fall, ghosts and ghouls of all ages are invited to don their favorite costumes and celebrate all things haunted during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Taking place on 37 select nights Aug. 12 through Oct. 31, 2022, this special event haunts Magic Kingdom Park after normal park operating hours from 7 p.m. to midnight. 

Tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party may be purchased online or by calling 407-939-4240 beginning May 18. Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels can begin purchasing tickets as early as May 12. Ticket prices will range from $109 – $199. The event dates are:  

• August: 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30 
• September: 2, 5, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30 
• October: 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31 

 

Walt Disney World Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members may purchase specially priced tickets for select dates. 

[Zand]

Alright, Disney TR time from Friday 4/29. Just gonna put it in here as I spent the majority of my time at MK, but will include some notes on Epcot and AK as well. I bought Genie+ as it's a whopping $15 and it honestly made a big difference, especially in the afternoon when we got to MK.

Started the day at Epcot with an already booked time at Test Track for 10:15. Upon arrival, I hit Mission Space (5 min wait) for the first time which was pretty fun. Then went over to Test Track for the first time since they "updated" it. It's definitely not as fun as it used to be, but at least the outdoor section is still good. We were able to make a pick at 10:30 and decided on Soarin as Frozen didn't have anything until 5:30 when we would already be at MK.

Made a lap around the world checking out the flower festival topiaries and food/drinks selections. Love this section of Epcot and the festival only added to the fun. Rode the Mexico Boat Ride which was air conditioned and otherwise fun to sit for a few minutes.

Once around the lake we hit Figment which was cute (wife wanted to ride it lol) then our time for Soarin came up and we rode that. Got an end seat unfortunately so got to look at a bunch of curvy landmarks such as the Bent Eiffel Tower and sideways Mt Everest. Made another selection at 12:30 and seeing as we had already completed Epcot and MK wasnt filling very fast, we took advantage of a 2:45 time for Expedition Everest and planned to pop into AK for a bit.

On the way out we of course stopped at Spaceship Earth for a walk on. Always fun to hit that after the masses move on. With our Hopper going going live at 2, we drove over to AK for a quick ride on Everest. Not my greatest idea as it was a lot of walking across the lot and back plus to the back of the park just to ride one coaster, but Everest is worth it. A bit shorter than I remember but the backwards section is fun and the theming is tremendous. Hope to return here soon to check out Pandora!

Took our time heading out from there and got to TTC right around 4:30 and after tramming and monorailing got into MK around 5. Our first Genie reservation wasn't until 6:30 at Splash Mountain and we had food pickup at Casey's at 5:40 so we shopped and the wife pin traded for a while. At 5:40 we headed to Casey's where we were directed into the longest line and it took at least 10 minutes to pick up the food. Kind of defeats the purpose of mobile ordering. Also not many tables left inside and what was open was not cleaned at all. Very unexpected to see this in a Disney park.

On the way to Splash Mountain we waited 30 mins for Pirates which was fun as always, although I don't remember having like 12 boats stack up near the end like they were yesterday. Continued over to Splash Mountain which broke down 3 times while we were on it and ended up spending 34 minutes on the ride. It looked like a scene out of RCT with a bunch of logs stacked up inside and stuck on lifts at random points. This caused the water in the inside part to get really choppy and at one point a wave went over the "door" and totally soaked the lower half of our bodies. It was kind of entertaining at first but honestly once we were soaked it got pretty miserable.

Managed to get a Thunder Mountain reservation aligned with the Splash Mountain one so we headed over there and thankfully got a normal ride in on it. Great theming and some good air pops as well. 

Started heading back across the park as we had Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain reservations, but as we got to Haunted Mansion the fireworks started and it was a walk on. Simply put, one of the best rides on Disney property and I always look forward to it when we go.

Went over to Seven Dwarfs as I still have never ridden it and hoped the line died down during the fireworks but unfortunately still 1:05 posted so the wife did more pin trading while we waited for 9:30 to come for Space Mountain. I don't know how a coaster with a 28 MPH top speed can be so insane and have so much airtime, but god do I love this thing. 

Hit the always entertaining Peoplemover before heading out. Love how it goes into Space Mountain and also had some cool views of Tron's construction. 

Headed out around 10:45 and the monorail got stuck at Grand Floridian for nearly 25 minutes while they "removed a monorail train ahead out of service" (right at park closing?!?!?). We were tired from the long day and still had wet underwear from Splash Mountain's malfunctions, and getting stuck in a crammed monorail car hammered home the feeling that we had just visited a Six Flags park instead of the flagship Disney park.

Looking forward to getting back to the resort soon to get to ride the Avatar stuff, Star Wars stuff, and Toy Story stuff for the first time. But yeah, MK was a disappointing night overall and if it weren't for Tron I wouldn't even go there next trip.

Currently 18 hours away from riding a certain purple RMC, can't wait for tomorrow!

[Sportsdude360]

I, along with a friend, will be spending four days at Disney World next weekend, during which time we hope to try out all the latest attractions. Needless to say, Rise Of The Resistance will be foremost on our minds. We're staying on site at Disney's Pop Century resort. I will be posting plenty of pics of our trip.