DVDizzy Forum

It's mainly operating costs. Disney knows two things: (a) Where people go in the parks at what time of day, and (b) How much it costs to operate each attraction.

In the case of Epcot, they know the World Showcase is almost like a different park, because of the way its positioned. Not enough people will head straight back to the WS when the park opens to justify paying all the CMs and operating the various attractions back there. Disney can save a lot of money by focusing on the majority of attendees, who will make their way around FutureWorld (which is expansive enough to accomodate even very large crowds) in the first 2 hours or so. By then, there are enough people ready to venture into WS to make it worth opening. Plus, it usually opens just a little before lunch time, and they want people dining at those $$ WS restaurants.

By the same logic, since FW is open for awhile w/o WS, most people wrap up with FW early, and the majority of the visitors would already be in WS by the time it closes. Sure, there's that group that would rather stay in FW all day, but it just doesn't justify the operating costs (with the exception of the few headliners which do remain open for all of Epcot's park hours).

The same goes for The Timekeeper. It's very expensive to operate, from what I've read- one of the pricier attractions in the Magic Kingdom. Most people head to Tomorrowland when the park opens (though a sizeable crowd heads for Frontierland, too). Let's face it, Timekeeper is popular, but it's not gonna be your first activity in the Magic Kingdom. Therefore, why not wait until everyone has had a go on the really popular stuff in TL, and then open it when they're ready. And over in Frontierland, people are finishing up the two mountains just in time for Adventureland next door to open one hour after the park.

Of course, during days of high attendance, everything is crowded all the time, so they open everything all the time. Overall, I think it's wise on Disney's part, but they occasionally give things unnecessary delayed openings/early closings.

Make sense?

-Aaron

awallaceunc wrote:Make sense?

-Aaron

Wow. You really thought this one out . It's crystal clear now. It wouldn't make sense to have all of Epcot open at the same time since everyone would be too interested in FW and then go to WS later (unless you're a fan of World Showcase and would rather head straight there). I always thought Timekeeper was easy to run since basically it was an animatronic and a movie. Then again it's circle-rama or circle-vision, whatever the heck its called, so it's like running a dozen movies? I dunno, but I haven't seen the Timekeeper in years and unfortunately, we'll probably still be driving on I-95 on the last day it's open . Anyhow, thanx for the explanation Aaron!

Is Epcot worth the money? I've heard that its boring compared to Magik Kingdom.

Anyone at any age can get some enjoyment out of it. I always thought it was "ok" when I was younger, and even when I was in middle school. When I returned in 2003 (and again in 2004), though, I found that it was on par with the others, and I enjoyed myself there as much as I did at the other parks. There's a LOT to do at Epcot. While you can do a decent hit-and-miss job in a day or less, it could take 3 full days in the park to fully experience it.

The emphasis at Epcot is definitely more educational than, say, Magic Kingdom, which does bore some. However, Disney knows what they are doing, and they aren't out to bore people. It's all done in an entertaining way. Everything there excites me (well, I haven't done everything- just most things). Simply seeing the sites is worth admission alone.

But if you're looking for thrills, Epcot has them. Test Track is awesome, and is the fastest and longest ride in Disney history. I haven't done (and don't plan to, lol) Mission:Space, but it's supposed to rival Tower of Terror in intensity, though it runs a high risk of motion sickness. Maelstrom could be considered a minor thrill, as its a log ride- sort of a mini-Splash Mountain. And then there's a spectactular 3D movie: "Honey, I Shrunk The Audience." There's LOTS in addition to that, but I won't list it all now. If you'd like some must-see suggestions for Epcot, just let me know.

But to answer your question, it's definitely worth the price of admission! But keep in mind how much time you have and what your interests are and then prioritize.

Kram- glad it made sense, I wasn't sure if it came out right. I'm an avid WDW fan, so I do think these things out, lol. I think you're right about why Timekeeper is so costly to run, just sheer energy. It is a 20 minute movie on lots of screens, I suppose.

-Aaron

Sofaking, it looks like you're back, so I'm wondering how your trip went.

-Aaron

Maybe Sofaking is taking a vacation from his vacation. Lol. Come back to UD, Sofaking and tell us about all the fun you experienced!

awallaceunc wrote:I haven't done (and don't plan to, lol) Mission:Space, but it's supposed to rival Tower of Terror in intensity, though it runs a high risk of motion sickness.

It does. The ride itself is so awesome and the experience is spin tingling, but you forget all that once you get off. For me it was less of feeling sick and more of having a bad headache. Still, any (frequent) guest of Epcot should definitely ride Mission:Space, but make sure you rest right after and definitely don't eat beforehand.

Hello All! I am back!!! It was so amazing! I ended up going to Magic Kingdom and Disney Quest! Disney Quest and the whole Downtown Disney section was amazing! I never evn knew Disney Quest existed!! It is so amazing! 5 stories of "free" games, and amazing rides! The Space Mountain simulator was awesome so much fun!!!!! and buzz lightyear's astroblaster is the most fun ive had in years!!! After that we headed to MAgic Kingdom and hit all the best rides. PHILLARMAGIC IS THE BEST ATTRACTION EVER!!! Make sure u see it first thing in the morning or else youll have a huge line. It was amazing all the effects and all the Apple Pie!!!(still smell it) I hit all the best still open rides! Of course we HAD to see Pirates and Haunted Mansion (Still awesome) and the new "Wishes" fireworks celebration was amazing so many colors and some amazing!!! We also managed to hit a really nice Titanic exhibit and Universal Studios!! Universal was the best!!! so many awesome rides. And to many peoples suprise Revenge of the Mummy is a rollar coaster (my dad and little sister found out the hard way) but still one of the best rides ever. We also managed to see the Shrek 4-D show (though it was an hour and 10 minute wait!!!!) it was still amazing. We had an arachaphobic person in the crowd and when the spiders came in the film and was screaming her head off. But besides that the effects and everything were amazing. I did not however go on the one ride I really wanted (Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast) but we still managed the Nickelodeon Studios tour!!! The trip has got to be one of the most amazing trips I have evr been on! I cant wait to go again. It is kinda expensive (even though we saved on Hotels by staying with family) and the drive there and back wasnt that bad. I can not wait to go again and yall should go too!!!

I love hearing of satisfied WDW guests. It sounds like you and your family had a fantastic time, which is great. Glad you enjoyed it, and welcome back!

-Aaron

Wow, SofaKing! That's so great that you had a good time! We're leaving later this week and now I'm more excited. My dad managed to get us some free tickets to a Universal park (We can only pick one) and after reading your post, I think we'll chose the original Universal Studios. We went to Islands of Adventure last year, but we haven't been to the first one in so long; it seems it has changed quite significantly! Anyhow, I'm glad you got to see all the things you did see and had a lot of fun! We will definitely try out DIsneyQuest as we never were quite sure what it offered during other trips. THanks for your post and I hope you get a chance to go again!

Thank you very much. I had a lot of fun. Have fun on your trip, and definently go to Disney Quest it is amazing. I do like Universal alot and it has changed alot. If the people at Revenge of the Mummy tell you its not a rollar coaster dont listen to them cause it is. But even if u dont like Roller Coastes definently go on it, it has lots of cool effects not just coasterness. Are you going to hit Disney World, or just Universal?

Hi again, SofaKing!
Yes, we are going to do both Universal and Walt Disney World! We're going to Universal first and then the rest of the trip we'll be at WDW and at the end we have to pick up my sister who is a cast member (Fantasyland Attractions) for the College Program and she finishes.

I love rollercoasters! But I love all that other stuff that you were talking about too. Is it kind of like a dark ride (e.g. Snow White, Peter Pan) then turns into a Roller Coaster? If so, that sounds soo COOL! The only sad thing about this Mummy Ride is that I heard it took the place of the King Kong ride. That was one of my favorites! But I guess it is kind of outdated. I heard that they got rid of the Jetson's/Flintstones/Hanna-Barbera characters ride too! So sad...But the upside is that theres new stuff we've never seen before! Oh, now this week is going to go by slowly in anticipation for the trip! Lol.

Yay! We're leaving tomorrow for Florida and Disney World !!!!! We had reservations at the Port Orleans Riverside, but my dad changed it to Contemporary Resort at the last minute. Though this means we can ride the monorail right from our hotel! Yay!

The only thing I'm dreading is missing all the posts at my favorite board! Try not to post too much here, folks, lol. J/k! I just wish I had a laptop with wireless so I can read the boards during the looooooooooooong road trip...I look forward to reading everyone's post when I return.

The mummy ride did replace the King Kong ride and it is like a story and then suddenly..... WHOOSH its a roller coaster!! The new Jimmy Neutron ride replaced the Hannah Barbera ride. Have fun!!! You will love it!

Have fun, Kram and Escapay! Let us know all about it when you get back. I've never stayed at the Contemporary, though I probably will in one of my near-future trips. I was just at Port Orleans Riverside, one of several Disney resorts we hopped from on our most recent trip.

-Aaron

Hey itd be cool if anyone who is going to WDW were to talk here, and ask for advice and stuff.....it could be a sticky.......maybe?

Guess who's back!!!!!!!!!!!!? Lol, duh, it is kind of obvious.

Yeah, we got back at 2 a.m.ish this morning! We had so much fun and had a mini-family reunion. First we started driving on Thursday and didn't get to Florida until Friday evening. We could've gone all the way to Orlando/LBV but we HAD to stop at Daytona Beach otherwise we might've been blown off the face of the earth. We first met Hurrican Bonnie in VA. It wasn't that bad, just rain and wind. Then once in Florida past Jacksonville it got really bad with Charley there was so much rain and wind. It got really heavy at one point and all you could see were the headlights in front of you and you had to drive really slow or you'll go hydroplaning! Wheeee! So we stopped at Daytona Beach at a Hampton Inn and the electricty kept going in and out so we tried to sleep and there was this loud noise. My mom was like "Ahh! What's that!" so we got up and she was reviewing the fire escaple plan with us and there were a few people running down the hallway. A guy said the roof had come off of the hotel! We were on the second floor so we weren't in much danger at all, but my mom brought us down to the lobby where all the 8th floor ppl had to relocate since, lol, they had no roof. No one got hurt, but it was really...interesting. The next morning was really beautiful on the beach despite all the debris in the streets.

Moving on, with Charley behind us, okay rather north of us, we drove to Orlando and LBV and met up with our sister. It was a nice little reunion and we went to the Orlando Outlets which is next to the church which was next to the cast member apartments. We ate a lunch together, but she left early b/c she had to go back to work at Fantasyland. It was a somewhat boring weekend since we just went shopping and eating. The Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine was nice and they have a good mass service.

On Monday we went to check in at the Contemporary (we were at Wyndham in Orlando for the weekend) and me and Escapay and my sis went to play in Magic Kingdom! Yay! It was so cool b/c since she worked at Fantasyland all her friends and coworkers gave us fastpasses and priority entrance passes! And everywhere we ate and shopped we made sure my sister was with us so we could get the cast member discount! Then she had to go to work for the afternoon/night and we took the monorail to the Contemporary (how convenient!) to meet our parents. After dinner at the hotel we went back to watch Wishes! A totally awesome fireworks show! Oh and SofaKing is right: "PHILLARMAGIC IS THE BEST ATTRACTION EVER!!!" If the show is ever replaced, I hope they put it on DVD b/c it is so cool! I won't say much so as not to spoil it for future guests.

On Tuesday, we went to Magic Kingdom again with the parents then to Epcot! This was August 17th when Three Musketeers came out. I couldn't find any DVDs at the Epcot shops! We found some later at MK but it was 24.99 so we waited till we went to the mall. There was no special parade, Aaron, but they did have a meet and greet of MIckey, Donald, and Goofy in Musketeer costumes at France. My mom wouldn't let us take pictures since the line was long to meet them (lol and it would look a little weird for us to be among the little kiddies, but we did take pictures with other characters in Magic Kingdom) and since they wanted to go to Japan for lunch (yay, Yaki House!). We toured the showcase (there was a really funny show at Italy called "Kiss me Shrew" with cast members with fake Italian accents. Escapay said when he saw them on his senior trip they were in UK with english accents and a show "King Arthur.") and I chickened out of Mission:SPACE b/c I knew I was going to get sick. Then for dinner Sis took us to the Polynesian Resorts's Ohana's restaurant! It was a great all you could eat BBQ! Our "cousin" waiters brought us the food and it was so good!!! One of the best places for WDW dining! After that we took the monorail to watch Wishes again at MK.

Wednesday was kind of boring. Dad had a business seminar at the Contemporary convention center (which is why we got great hotel rates) so we stayed at the hotel. We watched tv, yay...and we took the monorail to Grand Floridian and took pictures and pretended we were staying there !

Thursday was our last day and we went to MGM Studios. We did Great Movie ride and we had to see the Animation Tour after your little story, Aaron. THankfully, they didn't take us into the boarded up hallway. They actually are renovating it with interactive station animation computer thingies (most likely copied from CA Adventure's Animation center). My sister says there will be a place where you can dub your voice into DIsney classic animated films! That actually sounds really cool! Anyhow, the animator at the Mushu movie knew this tour sucked and even told us to go to Universal Studios! Lol! The movie was actually pretty cool though. We did Sounds Dadngerous for the first time ever and it wasn't too bad. It was an interesting experience to be in total darkness but with sound. Lol, my mom neglected to turn off her cell phone and of all the times for someone to call her it was during that show! After the show was a little room with interactive sound kiosks and cool voice dubbing stations. YOu could dub your voice in short scenes from Flight of the Navigator, Tron, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Brave Little Tailor, and old Clark Gable movie, ALice in WOnderland, and Snow White. I guess this is what they will put in the animation tour (?). Then we went to Indiana Jones Show, BatB, TLM (I haven't seen this in years and it was so funny to see them cram the entire movie into a 20 minute show!), and other stuff. I made Escapay ride Tower of Terror and now he hates be and that ride eternally b/c of it. In other words, he didn't like it. We did lots of other stuff and went to sit at Fantasmic and hour before and we were lucky to at least get a seat! It was so full when we got there and we were seated all the way at the edge, but we still had a great view! I felt bad for the people who had to stand in the back. They game really early too, but not early enough. It was great to see it after not seeing it for so long!

Friday we had to pick up our sister from her apartment and scrunch everything in the car. I forget what we did after that. Most likely shopping, lol. Saturday my dad said, where should we go, Sea World or Holy Land Experience. Holy Land won since it was cheaper and would be more enriching. I was impressed with it b/c I thought it would be a cheesy tourist trap but it was a very nice place to visit. We just missed the new musical since we arrived at 12:00. THey had a great music show about religious music since the beginning of time to today's Christian Rock. Anyhow, it's a nice little attraction that is a good little getaway from the big theme parks Orlando is known for. Sunday we went to church then to Downtown DIsney for some last minute shopping (I got a great Silly Symphonies pin for there 75th anniversary that very day! Aug. 22, 2004) and the weirdest thing happened! We saw our relatives from California! We didn't know they would be there and they didn't know we would be there either! It was a mini surprise reunion! ANyhow, it turns out my younger cousing won a trip there for the Pokemon World Tournament (lol, i didn't know they still had those!).

Lol, sorry for rambling on for so long! Despite the rain and hurricane, it was another great DIsney trip. We got tickets for Universal Studios, but sadly we didn't go b/c we had to get home since my two older sibs had to move back to college soon. I'm glad to be back and I look forward to seeing what's been going on here while we were away!

Cool! Im glad you had alot of fun. It sounds very..... adventerous (cant spell) Im sorry you got stuck in Charley but at least everyone is OK! and you are right! Phillar Magic is the absoulte best!!! (im still waiting for that pie!!!) It stinks that u did not make it to Universal but there is always next time! Im glad you had fun!

Carosel of Progress wow I remember that when I was just a little tyke at Disneyland(that was a long time ago) Looks like I just might make it to DW for the first time early in 05. I have been to Disneyland well into double figures in visits. Not bad for a foreigner.

JimmyJackJunior wrote:Carosel of Progress wow I remember that when I was just a little tyke at Disneyland(that was a long time ago) Looks like I just might make it to DW for the first time early in 05. I have been to Disneyland well into double figures in visits. Not bad for a foreigner.

That's great JJJ that you are finally going to WDW in 05! If you want to beat the crowds and are going early early early 2005, than by all means go.

BUT...
5-5-05 will begin the big celebration for, oddly enough, Disneyland's 50th anniversary at WDW. THere will be some special stuff at DL, but to me I think the celebration at WDW might be more worth it! But since you seem to visit DL a lot, why not go to both?! ANyhow, I hope you do get to take the trip and see Carousel of Progress again!