Holiday of a lifetime- Florida 2011

[Sheepie]

Afternoon everyone!I got back from Florida last week, after literally the holiday of a lifetime. I'm feeling it now- I came crashing back down to reality so hard due to various reasons and circumstances at home and I'm finding it really hard. It'll be a little while before I'm back on the forums properly so please be patient with me whilst I work through things.With that said, I'd like to introduce you to my trip reports! I'm going to try and do things a little differently; I'm going to post summaries on here, so for people who want to just have a brief outline, they can read on here. For those that want to know every single detail about the trip, they can click on a link to my blog and can read it in full there. This is to prevent this topic from becoming a chore for me to write in and keep it interesting to read and write. I realise not everyone enjoys reading all the gory details.Here is a bit of background info, before I go into day-by-day reports.This is my auntie and uncle who I love very much. My auntie especially, is basically an extension of me and my character. I really do love her to bits. My uncle is brilliant. They both paid for the entire holiday, which was a joint Christmas and Birthday present for my 21st... (and 22nd, 23rd, 24th... you get the picture). I have a lot to be grateful for.For those that don't know. This is me. I'm just a few sandwiches short of a picnic. This trip has really made me realise even more what audiences want from an attraction/ show and demonstrated even further that this differs from each culture. It has also made me appreciate our UK and European theme parks with a level of respect and admiration.... I'll get to that at some point, it's just trying to find the right time.I'm already thinking about the next time I go, what I'd do differently and what I'd keep the same. I came to this conclusion- it depends on who you go with. It is only really theme park nuts like us on here who would be up for doing theme parks, day in, day out for a couple of weeks. We ended up doing that this time and by the end of it, I was finding it all very monotonous and I wanted to hit people over the head with a very large, blunt instrument.If I went again, I'd spread the theme park days out a little, that way, I can appreciate each park even more, without finding the whole thing contrived and to the point where all of the parks merge into one. This is not to say I felt like this all of the time. I really do love their theme parks over there and are some of the best in the World. However, they are not perfect, just like every other theme park in the world and have areas of improvement. I'll cover that in each individual trip report.I flooded the wet room. There was no drainage.... work that one out. This was in the hotel at Gatwick airport; I love how they gave me a disabled room. They clearly knew I was coming. ;)We stayed in a very cheap and cheerful suite in Orlando. Celebration Suites, Kissimmee.This was the main reception. Around this are various "blocks" of suites. I'll be honest, they are the equivalent of a council estate flat you'd find in London. Nothing wrong with that of course, but perhaps not if you're on holiday and wanting to spend a bit of relaxation time in your apartment. However, we knew we'd only be literally sleeping there and out and about the rest of the time. To put it in perspective, we'd be having breakfast by 8:30 most days. we'd get back after an evening, have a couple of drinks and then crash out. A crash pad is all we needed. It was also cheap, I believe it was £600 for three of us for 14 nights. You get what you pay for.Denny's- where we ate breakfast. My uncle loves it there. I would have settled for some cereal at the apartment some days and I'll admit it got a bit much towards the end, however we didn't have to have loads every morning, I spose! Beyond the Denny's sign is the "Fun Spot" in Old Town, Kissimmee. They boast the World's largest "Sky Coaster" and also a collection of other Fairground type attractions.Next time, I will do only one group of theme parks, either Universal or Disney and make an excursion to Busch or Sea World. I will without doubt, do Discovery Cove again though, which was arguably one of the most special things I have ever done. I'd stay in a Villa and in between theme park days, I'd lounge about in the villa for some relaxation time, which you desperately need.I feel like I'm doing this holiday a disservice. I had such a blast on holiday and I feel like I've got to know my auntie and uncle even more. That was one of the best perks about the holiday- spending lots of time with them. I miss them.I seem to have gotten ahead of myself though, back to England....MATE: I am ready! :PSo we arrive at the Hotel in Gatwick Airport (which was very nice and included a meal within the price). We're very excited and also relieved after a stressful couple of days doing the usual routine thing you do before going on holiday. At the dinner table, it was time for our first group picture of the holiday! Funny moment- I'm watching Come Dine with me in the room and my auntie asks.... "OHHHH, is this the menu for downstairs?" I let her watch it for a few seconds and then look over to her, she's looking at me as though to tell her what's on the menu. "Ohh, is that chicken?!" Haha, bless her.Fast- forward!Breakfast at the Airport and we have an awesome view of the planes.YEAH! BA! :DI'd fly with BA again. They were a lot cheaper than Virgin and we also received better service than I did with Virgin last time. You're able to book your seats 24 hours in advance without any extra charge, so this is what we did. We managed to get exit seats, so yay for unlimited leg-room!Very tired and nervous auntie. It feels as though we blinked and we were in Orlando, drinking in a bar in Old Town. We are exhausted but also excited for what's to come... one of my favourite parks... Magic Kingdom.Magic Kingdom tomorrow.

[AdamY]

Been looking forward to this Sheeps, part of the reason I didn't do another one I'm glad it already sounds like you had a wonderful time.

[Sheepie]

Hehe thanks Adam. Please don't feel as though you can't post a report either. I love reading them!

[britcitchris]

What an intriguing start to the report I hope you get through the jet lag and I'm really interested in your future reports :)Chris.

[Sheepie]

Magic Kingdom Trip Report! Summary:This is one of my favourite theme parks. Haunted Mansion is possibly the most complete dark ride out there.It's a bit rough around the edges in places.The Winnie The Pooh characters have some interesting connotations.Character dining is awesome.Which statue relates to which Mania Hub member? Trip Report Excerpt:

After a rough night sleep of waking up every 20 minutes, it was time to get ready for the Magic Kingdom- one of my all time favourite theme parks. Standing, waiting for the ferry, I am overwhelmed; the music, the thought of how lucky I am and the thought of the people back home who were going through a less than lovely time made me feel extremely emotional.

Please feel free to discuss anything on here that's in the report, ask questions, do what you want. To read the full report, click the link at the top of the page.

What an intriguing start to the report I hope you get through the jet lag and I'm really interested in your future reports :)Chris.

Cheers Chris. I hope you enjoy reading. I'll get round to reading everyone's trip reports eventually, including yours. I do love reading them!

[Mark9]

When I went to Florida and posted my trip report Sheeps, you said something about the way I posted, that I was overwhelmed and it was coming across in my posts. When I read your first trip report thats the same impression I'm getting from how you are describing some of the attractions. despite this not being your first trip.I agree with so many of your sentiments such as how wonderful Philarmagic, Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion are and how everything about the Magic Kingdom is close to perfection, from the rides to the running to how many toilets are dotted around in each area. Can't wait to read the rest of your reports. I've already begun re-evaulating how I felt about my trip (Can't wait to read your Harry Potter and the Forbidden Shed report) and I feel that we have similar views on how parks are and how they are run. Cannot wait for your next part dude.

[AdamY]

That was a great report Sheepie I'm happy that I wasn't the only one to absolutely adore the new Pooh queue, it's just fantastic. The whole experience feels so much more complete with it. I didn't get to try the new Mansion queue this year but it does look wonderful too. Also, yay for Philarmagic love! It's one of my all-time favourites too - I love the blend of classic Disney characters and songs with the new overall story and modern visuals.I can relate with the magic of character dining... On my first Florida trip back in 2001, we went as a whole family of my sister and both my parents. It was a truly magical trip in every sense - it was such a massive thing to be able to go at a time when we didn't have all that much money, and it really had the Disney effect on us all... Despite some less than savoury relations at home at the time, the entire length of the trip all four of us got along so amazingly, and I can only attribute it to the World. Two of the moments that I remember the most clearly about it were character breakfast in Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary and dinner at the Crystal Palace which, funnily enough, was brought on by need to shelter from a rainstorm! In another classic 'Disney touch', they brought the whole group of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto ect ect as well as the scheduled characters who were the Pooh ones at the time as well I think, because everyone was stranded in there (the storm came much later than usual). We spent about 2 1/2 hours in there, just relaxing, slowly eating and soaking up this amazing experience as all the characters came to our table and played with my sister and I, and took photos. It's moments like these that really make a holiday, and I'd go so far as to say that it was my favourite trip I've had to Orlando for the sheer magic of it all. When you reduce it to the level of individual rides and their pros and cons like we have a tendency to do, something is lost I think. So yeah, amazing memories that will always be with me. I still carry the picture of the four of us at Chef Mickey's in my wallet to this day...And now I'm crying. Cheers

[Sheepie]

Oh bless you Adam! It's good to share happy memories though. I'm glad you did.

[Sheepie]

Sorry for the huge delay in posting reports. So many reasons why, I wish I could list them all but I'd look like a right sap. I gave up with doing a summary, though if you'd like to check out the blog, you're more than welcome to at http://cheekysheepski.wordpress.com/ :)No matter how much I re-write and analyse my thoughts when writing this review, I cannot really express what I want to say. I am truly out of my depth and at a complete crossroads in my own thoughts about the whole idea of a theme park. The truth is, Epcot is not a theme park, at least in the traditional sense. Sometimes this works in its favour, sometimes it leaves me in a complete contradiction to even my own thoughts. With that said, Epcot is a great park, literally in two halves. My favourite is the World Showcase. It would be so easy for me to sit here and review rides and attractions, but that is not what I feel is right for this park. As with every park, Epcot is home to some great experiences… and some not so great. One of the most special moments of the entire trip, in fact, was our Lunch in Mexico. After spending the morning trying out what Future World had to offer, we began our trip around the world in Mexico, with a very tasty lunch indeed. The pure magic inside the temple that represents this country is not something that can be captured on camera to do it justice. A beautiful, night-time backdrop; an erupting volcano, shooting stars and gorgeous atmosphere litter this romantic surrounding. This is where we received some of the best customer service at any of the parks. It's all theatre. Everything about how we were spoken to, how we received our food and how we were treated was all theatrical, which is no wonder how they managed to get so much money from us. They know their menu, they know their guests and they take advantage of this. This is one of the most orgasmic drinks I've ever had in my entire life. Margaritas- Mexico stylee! Served up in what can only be described as a fish bowl. We were pretty drunk by the time we emerged back into daylight. As the holiday continued, there were several points where I'd ask myself, "would this work in England?". It is very common amongst theme park enthusiasts and many Florida veterans alike, to criticise the UK for their efforts in the theme park business. Many criticisms I agree with, yet there are many which I'd like to challenge, especially after my own personal experience with British people in the States. On this occasion, with the Mexico pavilion, yet, it'd work. In fact we have many themed restaurants here in the UK, and to see this coupled with live entertainment, retail, and the whole theatricality, I could honestly see being a huge hit here in the UK. Sadly though, there are many things, due to cultural differences that would not work, as much as we'd like them to. Half-cut, we emerge back into the wet afternoon that we were treated to at Epcot. World Showcase is indeed awesome, but sadly, we were not given the weather to appreciate it as much as we would have liked. I touched on it earlier, but World Showcase truly is a romantic paradise in itself. It's so hard to describe in words, I wish I could take you with me virtually, in my mind to make you see what I'm seeing. The detail that goes into each country is phenomenal, even down to the staff; each country has staff that are of the same nationality. It's all a show. You could really spend a lot of time experiencing each country. Some have small rides, some have shows and all of them have dining and retail opportunities. Whilst that may sound boring, it is the detailed … argh… I dunno… I'll let the pictures do some of the talking… This is a couple's park. Bring them here on your honeymoon, take them for a romantic meal. Sit and chat and do the "in love" stuff in any of the countries around the gorgeous World Showcase. There are plenty of areas to explore away from the "mainstream" guest parts. Some absolute real hidden gems here. *Gushes* *Romantic music comes to a halt* Except if you have weather like this… A few final points then! I enjoyed Future World, even if some of the attractions were sub- standard, though it was just out-done by a certain other half of the park that I've been gushing about. Mission Space, I found a let-down. I found the story a bit weak which is where Disney are supposed to excel, I was disappointed. My guilty pleasure (and also favourite attraction) was Living With the Land- boat ride. I just found it so interesting and a great mix of dark ride and then out into the greenhouses. Brilliant. Universe of Energy and Captain EO? Burn them both. Shocking. Though I liked the Dinosaur dark ride bit in UOE and appreciated the technology behind it. Was nice to sit down for 45 minutes I suppose. Finally, don't go to China with a shirt, looking like this, or you'll discover you've been beaten to your desired look: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed!

[Mark9]

Thanks for another part to your trip report Sheeps, hope things get better.As for Epcot, 100% agreed. One thing I love about your trip reports so far is how your thoughts completely echo my own feelings. Epcot isn't a conventional theme park and it doesn't have conventional rides. This works in its favour by being vastly different to the other Disney parks but also works against it if you go expecting a theme park experience.

As the holiday continued, there were several points where I'd ask myself, "would this work in England?". It is very common amongst theme park enthusiasts and many Florida veterans alike, to criticise the UK for their efforts in the theme park business. Many criticisms I agree with, yet there are many which I'd like to challenge, especially after my own personal experience with British people in the States.

Agreed about Livin' with the Land, great ride and thought provoking and same with Mission Space. I still don't know what I think of it.

This is a couple's park. Bring them here on your honeymoon, take them for a romantic meal. Sit and chat and do the "in love" stuff in any of the countries around the gorgeous World Showcase. There are plenty of areas to explore away from the "mainstream" guest parts. Some absolute real hidden gems here. *Gushes*

Yep, 100%. We ate at one of the restraunts in the France area and it felt very lovey dovey. I await your next reports with high eagerness

[Sheepie]

Remember four months ago when I got back from America and said I'd post trip reports? Well, I finally got done on uploading the third day. :PDecember 22, 2011 Tower of Terror & Hollywood StudiosBy cheekysheepskiWhen I came to writing my experience of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I decided to take on a different approach. Instead of doing a commentary of the whole park, I’m going to focus on one of my favourite attractions: Tower of Terror.Before I get to talking about arguably Disney’s best attraction, let’s take an overview of the Hollywood Studios.This is my least favourite Disney park; there is something quite awkward about it: it’s layout, the questionable positioning of certain features and the attractions that are on offer.Perhaps I’m being harsh on the park, it does have some fantastic attractions, such as the recently re-furbished Star Tours, Toy Story Midway Mania, Rock’ N ‘ Rollercoaster, a multitude of shows and of course, the Tower of Terror. Though, saying it is my least favourite Disney park is like saying you were disappointed with winning £1M on the lottery instead of the £5M estimate. The quality is there, just perhaps the experiences on offer did not resonate with me, personally.Actually, I have changed my mind whilst writing this.. the Studios are fantastic, yet those certain aspects that I listed above prevent the park from becoming one of my favourites.Attractions I enjoyed the most:Star ToursToy Story (though I would not wait in line for over an hour for it)The MuppetsTower of Terror.If you're interested in reading the full review then please check out the ol' blog- http://cheekysheepsk...udios/#more-307

[Mark9]

Quite honestly, I think this is Disney’s most intense ride and arguably, for me rivals Expedition Everest as WDW’s best attraction. The way the ride software randomises ride sequences. I experienced two entirely different sequences on three separate occasions.

Yup. My feelings exactly. Either of the rides is perfection. I cannot find a single fault with either ride.

[Sheepie]

I'm glad you're still reading them Mark. Hopefully people haven't lost interest because I've taken so long to get round to uploading them!

[Fred]

It doesn't work like that sheepie - remember, we haven't visited with you, so never had the mega urge in first place .But I'm about to read it in a minute or two!

[Sheepie]

My favourite Disney Park, stunningly beautiful and just the absolute definition of escapism and adventure. That is at least, in the park's more "permanent looking" areas. This is definitely a park of two halves, one of which areas of the park have had the absolute heart and soul of design invested into it and the other in areas faced with destroying budget cuts and slapped together in a quick fix... a quick fix that has remained that way for 14 years!

This park has a long history with people who have followed the park since construction. A history of constantly being plagued with budget cuts, cuttings major attractions and areas from the park's line-up, resulting in disappointing attendance figures, resulting in drastic and rushed ideas of rectifying the problem. What is so evident though, is where the real money has been spent by chief Imagineer Joe Rhode.

I consider Joe a hero, his approach to theme park design ticks all the right boxes in terms of what I'm looking for: the ultimate in story-telling and an unprecedented amount of richness from every single angle. You can imagine his upset and discontent, then, when a large majority of the proposed attractions for Animal Kingdom were cut. Fourteen years after Animal Kingdom opened, areas such as Camp Minnie Mickey, Dinoland USA and Planet Watch remain substandard compared to the areas around them, often rushed and slapped together with minimal budget in an effort to offer extra to the park line-up.

If there was one positive that came out of the budget cuts, it has to be The Festival of the Lion King.

When the Entertainments Team at Disney took over the development of some of the park's areas, the idea of a show was brought to the table. The Festival of the Lion King is moving, elaborate and a fantastic experience for fans of Theatre and the Original Lion King Movie. I look around during the performance I saw and it is clear to see that the audience are so invested in this show; from the performers, to the story itself. Musically, it is a faithful tribute to the original film score, it had several audience members, including myself, getting teary- eyed at the beauty of it. This is a show not to be missed during a visit to the Animal Kingdom.

It is hot during our visit today, to be honest, it's absolutely unbearable. Yet that does not stop us from enjoying our visit around the park. There are vast amounts of shade and undercover areas at the Animal Kingdom, including queue areas and eateries. I'm not sure what it is about this park, but it seems to feel hotter than the others.

Not many theme parks would create fictional villages and places to host their attractions. At Animal Kingdom's two feature areas, they do just that. Africa- the village of Harambe features several details that give the impression of it being a community. Every facility, including toilets, food and beverage and retail units are presented to be an extension of the story for the area. The star attraction of Harambe and the one of which the local community is most proud of is Kilimanjaro Safari's a major source of tourism for the village!

Kilimanjaro Safaris is phenomenal as an attraction from every angle. From the experience to the guests... and then looking deeper behind the design and layout of the attraction.

You can invest hundreds of millions of pounds into technology for state-of-the-art attractions with special effects to blow your socks off, however, some of them just will not recreate the feeling of being able to see these animals up close in an environment such as this. I believe this was one of the most magical experiences of the entire Florida Trip. On our goes through the animals were moderately active; particularly the elephants. We got to see a baby elephant take a drink from the watering hole!

Outside of the Safari, there are several exploration trails which enable you to discover countless animals, ask questions and also experience several presentations regarding the animals. Of course, only Animal Kingdom can do this in a way that just throws you into this amazing environment.

One of my favourite theme park areas of all time, in fact, on par with the Wizarding World is Asia.

From the Exploration Trails, to the two stunningly themed rides in the area.. there are just no words to really describe it. I almost feel slightly spiritual in this area, which is a credit to the Imagineers behind it, who have captured the culture and the essence of this part of the world, perfectly, in their fictional village of Anandapur.

I'm just going to slip right to Expedition Everest. Mainly because I can't wait any longer. I love this ride. Although, it is not simply a ride, it is an entire experience that cannot be defined by the transit system which acts as the climax of the attraction. Indeed, take away Everest's queue and the entire attraction has lost meaning, put this in another area; again, the attraction loses meaning. This is what we just don't do very well here in the UK, though at times, I don't blame our parks, I shall explain later.

There are countless reviews and descriptions of Everest; none of which can do the attraction justice, including my comments. It is a masterpiece of theme park story telling which starts the moment you walk into Asia. It is overwhelming; yet so rewarding if you care to absorb all of the story.

The ride queue moves ridiculously quick; so much so that you barely have enough time to take in all of the props in the queue. Even at the entrance, we queued a maximum of 40 minutes. Such is the nature of this attraction which can easily process 2000 guests an hour. It is disheartening then, when you hear fellow British people complain that they have to queue. You know what? It's a difficult one, you could view it as to why theme parks bother spending millions of pounds investing in such rich detail when their guests just don't appreciate and want their next big thrill. Yes, you could perhaps see why our UK parks do not invest in such detail, which no doubt, will be destroyed by the public.

However, I believe there is another side to it. I believe the average UK theme park goer has lost what the term theme park is supposed to mean. It is really, genuinely an elaborate piece of promenade theatre. The park is a stage, the rides are areas in the audience can explore and even interact with "ride". Therefore, the queue becomes part of the performance. As a UK culture, we have forgotten the story aspect to it, we just want the next big ride, we want the thrill and we have lost the sophistication which overtones everything. Our theme parks (especially the Merlin company) have the power to be able to help change this culture. Marketing, more emphasis on an experience, more sophistication will make the attractions much more rewarding for their guests. It is no coincidence that Disney Parks have become notorious for being the best in the industry. Even if the majority of the public do not consciously know this, but it is due to the amount of care and attention to detail on the experience of their attractions, operations, marketing and the overall theme park packing. The quality speaks for itself. That is why they're the best. I hope our UK parks can continue to invest more money into these details and continue to play catch up in this respect.

The fruit bats on one of Asia Animal Exploration Trails.There's nothing quite like a gorgeous water fountain to quench your thirst on a hot, hot day at Disney's Animal Kingdom...."Wait a minute, it isn't working!" "Oh hang on, your's is stealing all of the water pressure! ". Haha!Notice even areas such as a water fountain are just themed down to the absolute finest detail.

I think it speaks volumes that on our last day, over every other park, we chose to revisit Animal Kingdom. Such a great, re-visitable park!Been looking forward to doing this one! If you're still interested, please catch the full article on my blog- it's a biggie though.http://cheekysheepsk...animal-kingdom/ :)Also, check out http://www.allears.net, who are fantastic at going into great detail with Disney attractions. Take a look at the blogs!

[Fred]

Stop posting not even a section on here, it's annoying - otherwise should totally be in site advertisements .Good article though, brill article.

[Sheepie]

Point taken Fred! My reasoning behind it was because people sometimes don't want to read the entire thing and get bored/ intimidated by the amount of content. Post edited just for you!

[Mark9]

Absolutely spot on the money Sheepie. I agree with every point you've made about Animal Kingdom actually. It is the only park after Magic Kingdom that we wanted to spend another full day at, testament to the power of its attractions andf its beautiful surroundings. Thinking about it, Everest was my favourite rollercoaster at the Disney parks and Dinosaur was by far my favourite dark ride. I have preferences for the Jammin' Jungle parade just because I was in it, but even so, everything you say is true.It's the park I look forward to the most when going back this year. Even though what you say about Dinosaurland USa and Camp Minnie Mickey is true, I didn't take the offence to it that others did. In a park that has some quite serious, true to life themes such as Africa and Asia, the park to me benefits from light hearted areas. I prefer well themed, thoughtful areas but if this is the next best thing, then I am not as bothered.As for Everest. Not a truer word said and I agree with you about the idea that the average British civillian wouldn't have the patience for an hour queue even if the queue is as beautiful and scenic as Everest is. I wanted to queue the whole thing, to take in the surroundings and appreciate escapism as its absolute pinnacle.