10 days camped at Disney World!
Why we came…
To be kids at Disney World and Universal Studios. And to tour the Kennedy Space Center and Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge…
The campground…
Fort Wilderness Resort was nice, but like everything at Disney World, quite expensive. Rates fluctuate based on seasonal demand. We intentionally chose the lull between between Thanksgiving and Christmas because there are fewer people and the campground is a bit cheaper. We were surprised at the high turnover. During our 10 day stay, we had new neighbors about every other day. Speaking of cost, we were fortunate to get military discounted 4-day tickets for Disney World and 3-day tickets for Universal Studios.
We were also surprised at the passion some campers showed for Disney and Christmas! There were many campsites adorned with lights and giant blow-up characters. We wondered where they stored it all, but some of the huge motorhomes towed storage trailers for the purpose. They also had golf carts decorated with a variety of Disney characters and Christmas stuff. It was easy to get caught up in the joyous spirit!
The campsites varied in size and were priced accordingly. We chose a lower end priced site and didn’t fit too well. Due to trees and a narrow road, we struggled to back into our site. It was paved and level, a couple feet wider than our trailer, and about 50 feet long. Peace and quiet varied considerably based on neighbors and rambunctious children. Disney’s nightly fireworks show kept us from going to bed until roughly 10pm (late for us) each night. Cell phone signal was reliable 4G. Our loop did not have wi-fi, but we were given cable and a modem that was fairly easy to set up and provided good internet service. Satellite was nearly impossible from our site, and likely most sites, due to tall mature trees. Every loop had well-maintained comfort stations with clean bathrooms and laundry facilities. Doing laundry was expensive: $6 a load! There were a couple of small supply stores and places to eat within the huge campground plus horse stables, pools, dog parks, athletic fields, and walking trails.
Getting around the campground and throughout Disney World was easy. Depending where you are and where you want to go, just hop on a bus, train, or boat. This results in the entire Park being accessible for meals, shows, shopping, or even going back to your room/campsite for a midday break. A long day at Disney requires some stamina! Expect to walk a bunch…we averaged 5-6 miles each day, and our days were short.
We enjoyed our time at Disney, but aren’t sure about a return trip. We’d like to return to experience the many things we missed, but it was very costly and we struggled with the huge crowds and lines.
This motorhome was completely encircled with Disney & Christmas stuff. (Where do they store it all?!?)
Many campsites were decorated like this
Adventures…
Disney World…
Magic Kingdom…
We caught the first ferry boat from the campground to the Magic Kingdom. Only a couple of people were on it and it was an enjoyable ride across the lake with our first peak of the castle. We docked at Magic Kingdom and immediately joined hordes of people headed into the Park.
We headed to Frontierland on the opposite side of the Park and jumped on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It was a fun roller coaster that wound around Utah-like hoodoo formations. We only did a few more rides and caught a couple of shows…Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor was our favorite.
One of many shows done throughout the day / Are we in Utah or Florida?
Monsters Inc Laugh Floor was our favorite / The Magic Kingdom’s Main Street during the holidays
Animal Kingdom…
On our second day we caught the bus to Animal Kingdom. Like other Disney Parks, Animal Kingdom is divided into sections. We spent most of our time in “Africa” and it was really well done. The stores, restaurants, workers’ attire, vegetation, and animals are authentic and gave us a feeling of being in another country. We enjoyed “Kilimanjaro Safaris”, a ride around the African savannah. We saw cheetahs, lions, hyenas, giraffes, and lots of other critters roaming around freely in their own large, authentic looking environments. It was much more enjoyable than an ordinary zoo! We also enjoyed the very extravagant “Festival of the Lion King” musical. The performers, costumes, and elaborate props were impressive and entertaining. Our favorite attraction was the 4D “It’s Tough to be a Bug!” show. It was so entertaining and fun, we wished it would go and on.
About 15 parrots flew freely around the “Tree of Life”…it was cool!
Kilimanjaro Safaris / Waiting in line for “It’s Tough to be a Bug!”…our favorite at Animal Kingdom
“Festival of the Lion King” was impressive and entertaining
Disney’s Hollywood Studios…
We caught one of the first buses at 0815L to Hollywood Studios. We headed straight to Toy Story Mania in an effort to beat the notoriously long lines (often 90 minutes or more). It paid off…we only waited about 20 minutes! The interactive ride was awesome. We competed against each other to shoot carnival 3D targets for points. We had so much fun that the ride seemed way too short…we wished it would have gone on and on. We heard stories about kids that just do Toy Story Mania over and over all day long.
We also watched two shows: “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular” and “Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show”. Both were impressive and entertaining, especially the car stunts in Lights, Motors, Action…the drivers are crazy and very talented!
Toy Story Mania! was our favorite at Hollywood Studios / The “Star Wars Launch Bay” showed a short movie and displayed movie props and drawings. (Note the stroller parking…this was common around all Disney Parks.)
Lightning Macqueen chases Grem during the intense “Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show”
Indiana Jones swiping the stone from Raiders of the Lost Arc
Watch out Indy!
EPCOT…
Once again we grabbed an early bus and arrived 20 minutes before most of the Park opened and waited with many others for the gate to “Soarin’” to open. The popular ride often has lines in excess of 90 minutes long. The gate opened and the whole crowd raced forward, some younger people ran ahead, while most of us walked briskly. It worked…we only waited about 10 minutes. The ride was incredible! We dangled from a big hang glider and “flew” across beautiful regions of California. We banked right and left, tilted up and down, always with a gentle breeze across our faces…it seemed so realistic! And like the other great rides, it seemed too short. We could have soared for hours and wanted to hang glide or paraglide for real.
Our next stop was the “Seas with Nemo & Friends”. It’s one of the best aquariums we’ve seen. We spent over an hour checking out the exhibits and watching the numerous ocean critters. “Turtle Talk with Crush” was especially entertaining and cute. Crush interacts with the audience, tells jokes, and takes questions from the kids.
We stopped at the many interactive exhibits. Most were a letdown for us “big kids” and a few didn’t work. It appeared that the “small kids” were having fun.
We enjoyed walking through the 11 countries: Canada, United Kingdom, France, Morocco, Japan, America, Italy, Germany, China, Norway, and Mexico. Each one was quite authentic with people from those countries dressed traditionally and putting on street shows. China and Canada have excellent 360 degree films highlighting spectacular scenery and interesting aspects of their cultures. We had an outstanding lunch in Morocco…one of the tastiest meals we’ve had in awhile!
We really enjoyed EPCOT.
“Soarin” was our favorite at EPCOT / Bruce swallowed me!
Are we in Florida or Germany?!?
Universal Studios …
Where Disney has 3 or 4 thrill rides in each Park, Universal Studios is mostly thrill rides. I really looked forward to experiencing the innovative attractions, but wasn’t able to. Arleen did a few rides without me and really enjoyed the 4D “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem”. Diagon Alley was an outstanding replica of Harry Potter’s world. The back alleys and shops were fun to peruse. I also liked all the very accessible characters: Lucy, Betty Boop, Shaggy and Scooby, Transformers, the Blues Brothers, Minions, the Simpsons, etc. We watched one show: “Animal Actors on Location!”. Birds, pigs, dogs, and cats showcased their intelligence with various tricks. It was a cute show.
I’ve got the world in my hand! / One of the many street shows at Universal Studios
Beautiful morning. See the Christmas Grover?
Lucy was my friend! / The Mystery Van. Shaggy and Scooby are in the background.
Babe the pig will pick up the toy and put it in the box / Marley’s front right foot is placed perfectly on “the mark”
Diagon Alley
Unfortunately, I felt like poop most of our stay and we had to cancel the Kennedy Space Center and the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. We had 3-day tickets for Universal Studios and only went one day. My senses were severely thrown off on the rides and 3D shows. I was unable to do the more thrilling rides and often had to rest more than 30 minutes between rides to feel normal. I really struggled with the swarms of people and loud kids, especially while feeling “trapped” in lengthy lines. We missed a lot so this adventure might be a “do over”.
Next…
We spent 10 days exploring the southern Everglades and are now near Marathon in the middle Florida Keys.
Parting shots…
Yep, I’m the Grinch! / Santa’s sleigh or a golf cart?
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Another fine blog that you've gotten us into!
ReplyDeleteWere mad at you, now. You have sealed the deal. WE'RE GOING!