Associated parks:
None
I’ll give my usual random emotional responses with little attention to detailed sequencing. This will make it sound more negative than reality as negative emotions tend to linger.
As a side note…
I must confess that I had a blast on this trip…BUT noticed a general decline in customer service across the board. …simple stuff that may not mean much in the whole picture, but indeed are noticeable to veterans of the area who are used to “above and beyond.” We are by no means talking Six Flags circa 2005, but the decline is there. It appears that these days “convenience” is directed toward the parks and their employees at customer expense. I’ll enlighten as memory and time permit…
First up…the biggie…and still favorite for my two-year old…Magic Kingdom!
Extra Magic Days (or whatever they are called)
Veterans are aware to NEVER step foot in the Disney Park that opens early to hotel guests. Be a veteran…or be sorry! This is especially important at Magic Kingdom.
Transportation
If you are an AAA member get one of those Diamond parking passes. This will save you the tram ride which can be downright painful when hauling a stroller and toddler supplies. You’ll thank me for this advice when you later have to go by trains, boats, etc the rest of the way. Plan on arriving at least 45 minutes before you want to be inside the park.
Arrive Early
You still have to do it…but be forewarned that Disney does its best to make sure no good intention goes un-punished. For example, they now only run the resort monorail early in the day which assures you two useless stops to further delay your plans. Good luck finding food before 11:00 sans a few overly packed full-service joints. And for the first time I’ve ever seen…be prepared for ride testing to still take place, or even just start, AFTER the park is open for business. There is no predicting the pattern. You just have to grin and bear it.
New Pirates
Good stuff here. Not too much taken out of the original, but nice touches with Jack Sparrow and a cool fog effect for Davy Jones. The best part is the two live pirates who do the show in front at random times. They are a hoot. You Disney geeks will get a kick out of this. I know I did!
Space Mountain
This one sucks cheese compared to Cali! Yet I do it every time!
Tips for Touring with 2-year old…
Dumbo first…then Peter Pan, then Pooh, then Buzz! Knock these babies out and it is smooth sailing the rest of the way!
Milk
Any parent knows fresh milk is a necessity. Unfortunately, keeping milk fresh is not convenient for Disney. Be prepared to spend a good portion of your day waiting in line at full service restaurants to get the milk. Two people in front of you in line means roughly 20 minutes give or take…
The alternative is to stock up and feed the little one soured Florida summer milk…they don’t seem to notice.
Is green and runny poop a side effect of sour milk?
Fountain Drinks
See “Milk” above as ice is now a luxury in Orlando. It is much more convenient for the park to sell you the bottled stuff. Be prepared for the 2 and twenty rule should you covet fountain taste as I often do.
Fast Passes
These still work as advertised. They need to get some for the drink lines.
Character Lines:
Ride enthusiasts should think much harder than the average citizen when deciding whether to have children. Character lines at Disney parks will drastically reduce life expectancy and completely wreck havoc on the all-important quality of life! I’d rather wait for milk…but both seem to entertain the little ones equally!
Disneyland:
It is simply a better park than Magic Kingdom. This means that Magic Kingdom is only the 2nd greatest themed park in the country.
Overall:
I’m bored with the place…but there is no denying that this is the ONLY Park for the little guy! Nothing (in Orlando) comes close to offering the full spectrum of activities and details that Magic Kingdom does! We spent more time here than all the others…which says it all! I’ll bring him back soon as all parents love the look of their child holding a pirate sword while screwing up the Small World lyrics and simultaneously begging for “more singing bears!” God bless Disney!
*** Edited 7/14/2006 9:22:15 PM UTC by Jeffrey R Smith***
Love the Magic Kingdom, but it is in a bit of disrepair compared to DL. DL has never been better in the last year than as long as I've been around. Upkeep and operations are at a big time high. Sadly, like you said, the MK in florida seems to be slipping in many regards. Still beats most other parks for me though :)
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