In the coming weeks I will be asking all of you -- but especially men -- to participate on this blog, asking questions about your visits (or lack of visits) to Walt Disney World. It's for a project I'm working on, details to come. Later-ish.
In the meantime, I'd very much appreciate your spreading around that this blog exists.
Karma in it for you. Lots. And maybe ice cream.
In the meantime, lets ask some simple questions just to test the equipment.
1. What do you love the most and what do you hate the most about WDW?
And .... GO!
Wall Street Weekly?
ReplyDeleteWild Sexy Women?
White Sided Wheels?
Weasel Skin Wallet?
Gerard,
ReplyDeleteSo ... you've obviously been to Disney many times.
I've never been to Florida.
ReplyDeleteI think it's easy to pick on WDW. It's expensive and most of the year, it's crowded. But I'm hard pressed to come up with anything that I really hate about the place. If you go to WDW and hate it, I think you only have yourself to blame because that means you haven't prepared yourself for the realities of the experience.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like best is that it's a different experience every time you go. Whether you stay in a different hotel or visit different parks or go at a different time of the year, it's different every time. I love larger than life hotels. I love that your kids can meet nearly any character they want. I love that if you educate yourself, you can find times of the year when the park is half empty. I love that they really do cater to kids and I think that they genuinely try to make the experience memorable for families.
Oh, I get it now. Walt Disney World. I should have figured that out earlier.
ReplyDeleteMy bad, Gerard. I fixed a typo which probably thru you off.
ReplyDeleteJeff, I agree with you 99% but surprisingly there are a few things to hate. Got to stay tuned to this blog to find out what the are ... and if you agree.
My experience at Walt Disney World is limited, but being from California, I've spent way too much time at the happiest place on Earth. The last time I was there my daughter beat me over the head with one of those swirlly all day rainbow lollipops. (she was 2 and a half) because we weren't getting on a ride fast enough. I'm pretty sure the guy playing Goofy snickered at my pain and I wanted to punch him, except I'm pretty sure the daughter gave me a minor concussion, so violence was out of the question.
ReplyDeleteWe also met Laura Dern and Ben Harper. Dern wore way too much make up and seemed really, really stoned.
You are the sort of man we're here to help, Keith. This is a safe zone. You're among friends.
ReplyDeleteI've been to WDW once and what I love the most is Epcot. Once you walk into the park you're in another world. Completely. On the negative side, the crowds are a bitch and the food's expensive.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Michael! I'll hope you'll visit us here a lot as we delve into the deep, important issues of WDW. We'll be exploring such topis as "Why do those buses never go where I want?" and "Which World SHowcase beer is Best?"
ReplyDeleteWhat's not to love?
ReplyDeleteWhich World Showcase beer is the best? That depends, is it during Food and Wine Festival season or not? ;)
It's obvious you are a seasoned Disney-er, Little John. I'll look forward to your expertise in the coming weeks.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I always love about WDW is the happiness it brings my kids! I never went as a kid and always wanted to. But I have to say my first trip at 37 with my then 6 year old son was tremendously memorable. Then a few years ago when we were able to take our second son and see his amazement at all the rides and shows, it was another wonderful trip! We love to ride as many of the rides as possible, but like to ride our favorites over and over again. Rockin' Roller Coaster, Mission Space and Space Mountain are always our favorite rides. The Fast Pass is a good way to do this, but too often it's a long wait until the FP return time or when it's really busy, they FP run out early.
ReplyDeleteAs far as something I "hate"...I can't really point to anything other than the huge crowds and rude adults. I mean alot of stuff, including the food is expensive, but I know that going in, so I can't say I hate that.
What I like best about WDW is that in some senses, it it the happiest place on earth (as they say). Like jeffshelby said, I think Disney really does want kids (and adults, too) to have a good time....I also like that there are different ways to have fun, from the rides to shopping to hidden Mickeys to different dining options....I liked seeing my daughter (and wife) have the time of her life....Pin trading is fun....Last and most specifically, I love the boat from the Wilderness Lodge to the Magic Kingdom.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like least is the sheer volume of shops. If Disney can be the Happiest Place on Earth, it can also be the World's Largest Mall of Disney Products. As someone who has gone to WDW with two people who like the shops, it gets to be a bit much, especially since so many of the shops have so much of the same things.
Yes, yes, preach it people. You are all deputized. We must help those overwhelmed by shops. Help the haters to find the love.
ReplyDeleteRelease your inner mouse ....
As a veteran of over 30 trips to WDW in the past 35 years, I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience while staying on property. Off property is another story entirely.
ReplyDeleteI love the magic you feel when you step off that ferry boat or the monorail and pass through the turnstiles of the Magic Kingdom. You are in another world entirely and feel like a little kid again...it's like celebrating your birthday, Halloween, and Christmas on the same day. While I like the other parks, the MK is my favorite.
I really can't say I hate anything,but there are some inconveniences when dealing with the logistics of moving thousands of people around the property. The buses can be a nightmare, especially at park closing times. We usually use a car, either our own or a rental to get to the parks...it can save a lot of aggravation.
You know..I do have something I dislike about the Magic Kingdom and this may offend some out there, but I really dislike it when I get caught by those stupid parades! We're usually on one side of the park with Fast Passes to a ride on the other damn side of the park and have to wait or try to outrun the dang parade to get to our ride. It happens at least once every freaking trip!
ReplyDeleteI visited Disneyland in 1993 and had my picture taken with Don Karnage (http://bit.ly/fmy2Ef). That was a highlight. I wish I still had those photos.
ReplyDeletewell I'm not a dad, but an uncle and this past January I went to WDW with my sister and her 4 kids. I have to admit the last time I had been to the Mouses house was back around '82, so things were not like I remembered. For one, I was able to ride the rides this time around, because back in '82 I was just 4 y/o. Now the one thing that really stood out for me, the one thing I loved about WDW, was the surprisingly large amount of single women there with their kids. I tell ya it was MILF heaven out there. I recommend this place to any single guys that have nieces and nephews that can tag along with them, trust me you will look like the cool, sweet uncle and single moms love that kinda shite. The one thing I didnt like was probably the beer prices.
ReplyDeleteI've never been, never wanted to go, and thank the gods of all that is awesome that my kid never showed any interest in going.
ReplyDeleteI loathe Disney. They take great ancient, dark, stories and twist them around and ruin them. I hate the commercialism of it all. I hate pretty much all the characters. I could go on. And if anyone lays that, "Oh, you just say that because it's cool to bang on Disney!" line on me, I will track you down and fight you. I'm old, surly, and have earned the right to hate pretty much anything I want to.
Oddly enough, I watched the 1967 version of The Jungle Book tonight with my wife. It was okay. Best line of the night was when my wife said, shortly after Mowgli is given the heave-ho from the "family" who raised him, "It was sure nice of those wolves to make him a little pair of chonies." I don't know why that cracked me up so much, but it did.
I was pulling for the tiger, though. . . .
Dear Victor,
ReplyDeletei'm MB, from Italy. I think Quora could help you in this project.
This is an example:
http://www.quora.com/Walt-Disney-World/What-do-you-love-the-most-and-what-do-you-hate-the-most-about-Walt-Disney-World
You can find many other questions there on this topic and you can add all the questions you want.
all the best,
MB
Ah, Chris, you input is going to be vauluable here, for somebody you kid might want to go, and you're just the soprt of person we want to help here. Someday, you or others like might be in a "survive Disney" situation. This blog could save your life!
ReplyDeleteVG
I never went as a kid and didn't go until four years ago when my wife and I went for our honeymoon. She told me I'd love it, I didn't believe her and would have rather gone to Universal Studios, but man, she was right. We went three more times that year after we had Spenser. Then we went once again, two years ago, when Holly was old enough. I love it. I could give or take most of the secondary parks, but I love the Magic Kingdom. There's no real reason, it just makes me happy. And now with kids, it's even better.
ReplyDeleteMy next goal is to actually stay onsite. The other times we always stayed at the Embassy Suites in Lake Buena Vista which is a gorgeous hotel for a modest price, but I'd still like to get the whole Disney experience.