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[dagobert]

Thanks for another nice update.

Do you have to use the car to get to the parks from the Marriott hotel or does it offer a bus? Did you stay in the NY Hotel during your time at DLRP?

[never2old]

Thanks for another nice update.

Do you have to use the car to get to the parks from the Marriott hotel or does it offer a bus? Did you stay in the NY Hotel during your time at DLRP?

Thanks  

The Marriott has a navette from the hotel to the parks (not a free one though), but we had our cars which is always easier. It's about 5-10 minutes drive to the park.

And yes, we stayed in the NYH during the Disney bit of our trip. The Marriott was just a little extra, to start off the holiday in style... But we are considering staying in the Marriott for our next Disney trip (sometime in November, for the Christmas season). We're going with my sister-in-law and her family, and with kids I have to say the Marriott is very convenient. You can cook what you want for dinner, put them to sleep, and still enjoy the evening in the living room... So we're considering it.

[15MagicalYears]

I'm really enjoying your TR N20! It's getting me so excited for my upcoming trip, your pictures are just gorgeous too!

[davewasbaloo]

Loving the trip report (and belated happy birthday).

Marriott is indeed fab. The buses used to be free, but as most owners tend to have a car, the owner board decided to charge for those that use it (rather than for those that do not). There is also a public bus to DLP every 10 minutes which is even cheaper and more convenient.

Given the choice between a Disney hotel and Marriott, Marriott wins most of the time for us. The Dream passes mean EMH is a non issue.

But we used to quite like the HNY too (before they opened the Empire State floor and reduced the service to the rest of the hotel).

[never2old]

Thanks davewasbaloo!!

I have to say, I really like the service in the HNY, I don't know how it was before because my first visit was last October. I love that they take your bags to your room (I really love it when you get to your room and the bags are already there, but that hasn't happened that often). The Manhattan Bar is really my favourite in any of the Disney hotels I've been to, and since so far we've always managed to get special offers when staying there, I find the NYH great value for money (unlike the Disneyland Hotel, which is ridicuslously expensive...)

But the Marriott is definitely a nicer, better hotel. No doubt about that. I'm sure that we'll end up getting annual passes some day (definitely if we ever have children), and we'll most likely stay in the Marriott a lot more then. Now, if it's just the 2 of us, I prefer the Disney hotels (and the Marriott is a bit pricy if it's just 2 adults), I love just walking to the parks, and of course the EMH, we're huge fans, even my husband (who I'll admit is more of a Disney victim than an fan   ) is always happy to make the most out of them...

So I don't know if I ever thank you, davewasbaloo, but it's because you recommended it so highly that we tried the Marriott for the first time last year, and it's been a real discovery! I always think of you when we book a stay there  

Anyway... I'll try to post the next part tomorrow, still sorting the many pictures!!

[toritinker]

omg that food looks STUNNING!!! yum yum!!!!!
Can you remember how much the ponchos cost? I'm glad they are no longer the yellow ones hehe!!
xx

[tubbsy]

D'you mean to say my yellow ponchos are collectors items ?? :lol: Your trip report is fab as always

[toritinker]

haha, my friends went last week and said they no longer do yellow ones?? yellow looks terrible on me, thats why i bought non-disney ones!!! xx

[never2old]

Thank you all  

Yep, no yellow ones, and I really liked these new more transparent ones... Although sorry, I can't remember the price at all!!

Apologies for the delay, as usual I'm taking way too long to update the TR, but there's so much going on, I keep starting and getting interrupted!!

Here's part 1 for Thursday, 10 June.

Unlike during other visits, we had had to choose a breakfast time when checking in (I think it's the first time I have to get a little breakfast card in the NYH). We'd gone for 7am of course, so just after 7 Cris and I were sitting for breakfast in the Manhattan restaurant. It was rather quiet, which was nice. Food was great as always (coffee as bad as I remembered it though). About 20 minutes  :roll:  later our friends came down and we finished our breakfast together. We agreed to meet up at 8 in the lobby to go down to the park, but my husband and I ended up waiting for a while. And to be honest, I was not happy  :evil: ... The only time I'm happy to get up early is in Disney for the EMH, and here we were, missing them!!! Plus it wasn't looking particularly sunny, and after the extremely wet we'd had the previous day I really wanted some sunshine... So, between you and me, I confess I was fuming  :evil:  :evil:  

But as soon as they came down, the kids all excited and happy, and we were on our way accross the Village, it all went away... The magic of Disney I guess    If only it could be so easy outside in the real world...

First destination, Fantasyland. They all went ahed while I booked a restaurant in City Hall for lunch. Cafe Mickey they told me was full, so I booked for the Lucky Nugget instead. We really wanted to have a character meal with the children. The little boy (just under two) was proving a bit too young to enjoy most of the rides, but he really liked the characters. And the little girl... well, so far she had only met Minnie, and was asking for more!

The Castle in the morning. No rain yet and even a (small) hint of blue skies!! Heaven....


When I caught up with everyone, they had just got into the Carousel.


I found out later than Ella really wanted to go on a horse, but her dad, since they also had the little boy, had prefered everyone to sit in a carriage. So she was trying to put up a brave face!! Little angel, she didn't complain at all.

We continued the morning with Peter Pan and Buzz Lightyear, before heading towards the Studios.

In the entrance, we met Stitch!! I was really excited, I had never had my picture taken with him...


It was not 10am yet but some of the rides were already open (the queue outside Crush was already growing) and we walked straight into Cars. Not my favourite ride (it's just not very confortable if you have long legs) but the theming is brilliant.







We all enjoyed it






We ladies did the Flying Carpets next.




We had a bit of time before the first showing of Animagique at 11:00, so we tried the Studio Tram Tour. I knew that even after the long refurbishement not much had been done, but seriously, couldn't they at least fix this up a bit??


View from the Tram Tour queue of the RC Racer


A tram was just arriving when we got there, so we thought it would be quick. How wrong we were....

They started loading the tram by bits, letting small groups of people in and directing them to specific carriages in the tram. Not the fastest possible way, really  :roll: Finally they let us in into the first carriage. My husband, together with his friend and his daughter, were seated in the first row, next to the CM. I had to sit in the one before last row (they left the last one empty). A bit annoyed that we couldn't all be together, and also that I was in the far right on the row (so away from the Canyon), but anyway....

Once we were all aboard, the tram started moving... only to stop just a few meters later, just outside of the station. And there we stayed for quite some time!! Extremely annoying. The only interesting bit was that we were next to the TSPL site. Not that you could see much, there's a lot of bamboo and plants now that hide it from view, but still... It's OK for a few minutes, not for about 15 minutes.

Terrible picture (we were actually still moving here), but you can just about see the Pixar ball!!




It was a ridiculous long wait (without any explanation), and it made us miss the start of Animagique. So not happy about that.

Eventually we were moving again, they started playing the video (they've edited it a bit so that it fits better with the new route), and we finally made it to Catastrophe Canyon. Some good news at last, the truck was looking great!! It really IS red!!


The earthquake was great, I really love that scene. Particularly when all the water comes down... It was then that, suddendly, I felt the water hitting me from behind  :shock:  It took me a few moments to realise that the reason they'd left the last row empty is because the water comes straight through (so probably very wet and rather painful for anyone sitting there...) The water than then bounced off the wall behind, and hit us then... Should the water be doing that??  :shock:  :shock:

They have more then movie props in there... Isn't this the twin on the one in Fantasyland??








When we got out, Animagique had already started. So instead we went and joined the line to meet up with Mr Mouse



After that, since the children were tired (the little boy was already asleep), our friends went back to the hotel for a rest, while my husband and I stayed in the Studios for a bit longer.



Continues soon!

[tubbsy]

You were very good to keep your cool when your friends were late, but it is hard with little ones. I would have been the same as you tho'. When people have suggested we go as two families I have said I am happy to meet up but we have our own routine, they want to come with us, they have to keep up! :lol:-both hubby and I like to be everywhere early, so waiting on others would have driven me mad.
Ella was very good, I know lots of little girls who would have made their feelings elt at not being allowed to ride a horse!
So no explanation on the tram tours? very strange!
great photos as always

[bensmum]

I was laughing at how upset you got at being kept waiting.....I am exactly the same. Its worse when you can see everyone else going into the parks and you are still waiting. I need to remember that the trip is meant to be for my son, although everyone knows its really for me :lol:
Great pictures and thanks for posting. :thumbs:

[never2old]

I knew you would understand      

We should have agreed to go ahead, and they could give us a call when they were in the park and we could meet up. And I know that with the children it's very different, normally I think I would have been a bit more patient. I was just so impatient to get into the park!! I'm a real kid, I know... But now you know, 33 is not too old for little tantrums  :lol:  

But lesson learned, next time, we leave at our time, and the others can meet up with us later. That way everyone's happy! We did that last year with my brother in law (that time actually it was the grown ups who wanted more time, the kids were ready so we took them with us, and their parents joined us later!)

Working on the next set of pictures, hope to have an update soon!!

[never2old]

And small update!

After our friends left, we headed straight for RnRC. As I've mentioned, my back was not feeling great (my neck really), but I really wanted to go on RnRC... Maybe not the wisest thing, but since it's not a really shaky ride (unlike Space Mountain, I did stay away from SM during the whole trip, just in case), I hoped I would be OK (and I was, by the way).

Hidden Mickey


And it was BRILLIANT    :thumbs: . We were seated in the first row in the first train, nothing in front of us, it was incredible!! I thought I was going to loose my contact lenses, with all that wind in our face!! Brilliant. There was NO smoke whatsoever though (everything else was working great), but still, great great ride. Everyone should do it in the first row at least once...

And the only ride that can follow RnRC and not feel tame is, of course, the Tower of Terror...

He was still feeling the effects from RnRC....


And as with any great Disney ride, the best thing about the Tower is the theming... I love it.

Tea anyone?
















The ride was excellent, but this one really hurt  my neck    I came out really feeling it, and a bit dizzy even  :? . Fortunately I only felt it after we got out (so it didn't spoil the ride!!), but after that I needed a small break... We had a bit of time before we had agreed to meet up with our friends for lunch, so we decided to go back to the hotel, so that I could have a little rest.

By the time we got back to the room my neck was already feeling a lot better (also my dear husband was carrying my bag for me, which helped), and after lying down for a few minutes, I was impatient to get going again... Plus, the sun was coming out!  /

So out we went...



When we were walking past Cafe Mickey, we noticed it did not seem that busy... We were surprised, since they'd told us it was fully booked until 4pm (it was just after 1:30), so we went in and asked if they could get us a table. Which they did!!! So while I stayed taking some pictures around the lake, my husband went back to the hotel to try and find our friends (we were supposed to meet up with them 30 minutes later).

Too windy for Tink to fly today....




I didn't have long, because Karen and the kids were just coming out (Paul was still resting, he wasn't feeling too good that day), and in no time the 5 of us we were all seated in Cafe Mickey!

It was excellent! The kids loved it. We had jus gotten to our table and Chip was already there, Ella was hugging him (and showing him her Minnie doll). Her brother wasn't far behind, taking Chip by the hand... Oh, it was magical. We saw Chip and Dale, Goofy, Mickey, Friar Tuck, Pluto and King John (who pretented to drink from the children's drink when they offered it to him)











Yes, the characters are not here just for the kids...






We had a great time, personally one of my more memorable meals ever! The children were both so happy, and it was so much fun to see them playing and interacting with the characters. Loved it   Definitely one of the highlighs of the trip.

Next update coming soon!!

[kelly.dylan]

omg that food looks STUNNING!!! yum yum!!!!!
Can you remember how much the ponchos cost? I'm glad they are no longer the yellow ones hehe!!
xx

I'm sure when we went in january the ponchos were around 8 Euros each :thumbs:

[dagobert]

Thanks for another great update! It looks like that the kids enjoyed the meeting with the characters!