Off Season Trip Report (Actually Just A Bunch Of Thoughts And Pictures)

ehrawn

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Just got home from the Park. We were there 6, 9 and 10 Sep. Here are a few thoughts and photos:

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Off season is a horrible time to go. We normally are there during the height of summer. While it has the reputation for large crowds, the way Management handles the situation works to our advantage. Normally, we show up early before tourists want to wake up, ride as many attractions as we can until about lunch when the crowds pick up and then we head back to lodging for lunch and a break, returning to the Park for evening entertainment and hanging out in the atmosphere of the Park. Instead, the later opening meant the Park was crowded immediately, and many rides were operating at half-capacity (ex: CA Screamin' was only running one side). The shorter hours made it hard to want to leave at lunch, but the crowds drove us away. We did do one day opening to closing; DD8 & DS6 barely made it without a tantrum.

I rode TOT for the first time (yeah I'm late to the party). It was fun but I have decided that I'm ok with a GOTG re-theme; the Twilight Zone really doesn't fit in Disney Parks at all. Maybe Marvel will fare better.

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The Animation building (another first-time visit) is an oasis; a great place to kill some afternoon hours and maybe run into an artist or two doing their thing.

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There are some really bad queues, but the one in the Market House is the worst.

The Frozen Show... great, totally worth your time to see. Note that it's hard to get a bad seat so I question why anyone would show up early to wait in the queue. Also, please be courteous to other Guests and refrain from filming the entire show. It's terribly distracting to watch the performance through a sea of glowing iPhone screens. If you want to enjoy it at home, it's already on YouTube.

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I'm glad to be rid of the 60th's WOC show. It was bad and dragged on forever. Even though this one is a nothing but a Greatest Hits Album of Disney properties, at least it moves quickly. My advice if you feel you must see the show as part of your trip: hope for a Blue section FP and show up just before the show to sneak into the section just in front of the wheel chair section. It's farther away from the water so you don't get sprayed, but offers a mostly unobstructed view of the entire show. Plus, half of the section is reserved as a roped-off walk way until right before the show so there will almost always be room for you to sneak in at the very last minute, minimizing your wasted time.

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I love Naples Ristorante E Pizzeria. I'm not sure I could have found seating for a party of 12 with no wait anywhere else. Prices were reasonable for the amount of food and the quality was excellent.

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I live in a high tourist area. Since selfie sticks have become so prolific, the ancient custom of asking a stranger to take your photo has disappeared. Since they are banned in the Parks, we got to make a lot of new friends. Feeling a small connection to other Guests helps to brighten your day.

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I don't understand why people wait in the Peter Pan line. I'm of the "be where other people are not" philosophy. Waiting in a 45 min line first thing in the morning means that you miss out of 45 min of rides plus allow the Park to become 45 min fuller. I'm a little disappointed that I still haven't seen it post-update, but I love Alice, Dumbo, Mr. Toad's, Mad Tea Party and the Matterhorn too much to risk missing out on them.

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Speaking of the Matterhorn, hurray for the seat cushions, but it's time to admit that something is wrong with the track; it's more horrifying than Harold.

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It's been a few years since I've seen the Halloween Time theming. Overall, I'm happy with Disney's cute and mischievous take on the holiday; it's family friendly and fun. It is a little weird that there isn't a proper haunted house, but Jack and Sally totally make up for it. The one disappointment is Ghost Galaxy; it's poorly integrated and the soundtrack doesn't enhance the ride like the normal one does.

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Food prices are ridiculous in the Park. We saved a bunch of money by eating nearly every meal outside and bringing in snacks. For example, churros are $4.25 each. While it is impossible for me to skip on such a treat, I will only buy one for myself during the entire trip.

....more to follow...
 
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The Soarin' show is worth your time, but only with a FP. There are some really bad queues in DCA.

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The security presence was much more noticeable than during previous visits: enough to make me feel comfortable without being intrusive. However, the bag check process is in desperate need of improvement. The wait was longer than the M&F tram going or coming, as well as the gates. The crowding outside the security corridor creates an easy target for ne'er-do-wells. I will be glad for the improvements associated with the parking structure off Harbor.

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Hooray for the (temporary) end of F! I'm so glad to have New Orleans Square back at night.

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I love the lighting on Main Street.

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Cars Land is a close second.

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Speaking of Cars Land... attractions in order of best to worse: Mater and Lugi (tie), followed by RSR. It's not that RSR is bad. In fact, the immersive-ness and story is one of the best in the Parks, but I guess RSR is something like Peter Pan: the enjoyment factor is too low to justify the wait. The other two, in comparison, offer high enjoyment when I ride them with my kids and minimal lines.

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Paradise Pier has some awesome lights too. CA Screamin' right before WOC is my favorite experience in DCA.

That's all for now. Until next time...
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Awesome! We were there at the same time. I too agree with a lot of what you mentioned...the crowds and the reduced hours did not mix well. We found ourselves to be rushing everywhere and all the character appearances ended at 4pm. We saw the last of the Paint the Night parade which was awesome and the last Disneyland forever fireworks (packed). We are WDW veterans with only a few visits to DLR under our belts and we had a great time. Lovely pictures!
 



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