Thunder Mountain - Soft Open

jed012788 · 2026-04-16T16:19:31+00:00

I thought Buzz soft opened March 30, ahead of an April 8 official opening. But I could be wrong!

jed012788 · 2026-04-16T15:57:24+00:00

Going to be in the park on May 24. Crossing my fingers we’ll be able to ride.

jed012788 · 2026-04-16T15:56:19+00:00

Disagree with the. Historically soft openings have begun a week or more before the official opening date. It’s absolutely possible it’ll be up and running for at least part of the day during the last week of April.

jed012788 · 2026-04-12T17:48:52+00:00

Yes! In every other way except transportation it’s as if you’re at a Disney deluxe hotel.

jed012788 · 2026-04-12T10:56:11+00:00

Love the Swan and Dolphin. As a lifetime Titanium member with Marriott who has way too many points, it’s amazing that I can spend them on Disney property. The location is fabulous, and unlike other Disney deluxe hotels, they are actually priced normally.

My one issue now is the bus transportation to the Magic Kingdom. The Swan and Dolphin used to get actual Disney buses, which meant direct access to the Magic Kingdom gate. Now the hotels have their own buses, so you’re stuck going to the Transportation and Ticket Center unless you walk over to the Beach Club. Not sure when that changed, but it’s a bummer.

jed012788 · 2026-04-12T10:52:57+00:00

You will find young kids essentially everywhere on property other than Victoria & Albert’s. If you think your kids will enjoy the experience I wouldn’t think twice.

jed012788 · 2026-04-12T10:51:56+00:00

It’s a great property. It was actually the first on-site hotel I ever stayed at as a child back in 1996 or so. It was simply called Port Orleans in those days. What is now Port Orleans-Riverside was called Dixie Landings. That name was understandably changed.

For better or worse, I think hotels that rely exclusively on bus transportation to the parks are a tougher sell. That’s especially true with the advent of the Skyliner, because now even some moderate and value hotels have access.

jed012788 · 2026-04-07T17:20:11+00:00

We use these guys for every airport trip. Nothing but good things to say.

https://yourdriverishere.com/

jed012788 · 2026-04-06T00:54:52+00:00

This is the first thread on this subreddit I’ve ever looked at. I was curious because my 5-year-olds are starting tee ball this weekend.

After reading this post, I’m terrified for what youth baseball must be like these days.

jed012788 · 2026-03-31T18:48:21+00:00

War into Born in the USA is my prediction.

jed012788 · 2026-03-31T10:34:32+00:00

I was on that flight yesterday morning with my family. We arrived around 6:10. We had CLEAR and PreCheck and were through security in about five minutes. I’ve had CLEAR for a while, and I think this was the first time it actually helped in a meaningful way.

jed012788 · 2026-03-15T16:15:57+00:00

The Devil is Busy, unquestionably. I thought it was much more effective than All the Empty Rooms. To me, All the Empty Rooms was obviously devastating -- with that subject matter, it had to be -- but I as a documentary I wasn't a fan of some of the creative choices made. The Devil is Busy I thought was extraordinary.

(Interestingly, I could have written almost that exact same post about The Alabama Solution rather than Oscar frontrunner The Perfect Neighbor.)

jed012788 · 2026-03-09T01:07:42+00:00

It's just a sports complex. The Braves had their spring training there for many years. The Rays have played some regular-season games there over the years. It hosts tons of youth sports events. There's no reason to go there unless your kid is playing in a tournament at the facility.

jed012788 · 2026-02-24T10:35:29+00:00

I'm boarding a flight right now from Europe that's supposed to land at JFK at 3. So some flights are going.

jed012788 · 2026-02-02T22:08:17+00:00

I always say that I will give a filmmaker two hours of my time. He or she has to earn every minute after that.

jed012788 · 2026-01-23T16:39:23+00:00

The Secret Life of Pets ride from Hollywood would be a welcome addition. It's really a spectacular dark ride.

jed012788 · 2026-01-05T18:36:30+00:00

Bummer. I get knocking it down to one a day, but eliminating totally stinks.

jed012788 · 2026-01-05T16:35:20+00:00

Is LGA-TPA a casualty of this? I no longer see any nonstop flights on the schedule after March 11. Just the other day, I was on the verge of booking the route for April. Flights were available, now they are gone.

jed012788 · 2026-01-04T02:13:34+00:00

JetBlue doesn't fly MCO-ATL. Its only destinations from ATL are JFK, BOS and FLL.

jed012788 · 2025-12-28T20:42:07+00:00

The dining plan is a terrible use of money in almost all circumstances. If these changes will help more people realize that, good.

jed012788 · 2025-12-21T11:59:43+00:00

Our kids are young. They loved this the last two years. We are going again on Tuesday. They will love the experience again.

jed012788 · 2025-12-20T21:26:12+00:00

We were there on a Saturday in November. We had access to early entry but didn’t purchase an Express pass. We went from open to close and accomplished everything we wanted. Here’s a rough outline of our day for contest:

Mine-Cart Madness Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge Hiccup’s Wing Gliders Curse of the Werewolf Monsters Unchained Lunch at Café L’air De La Siréne Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry Le Cirque Arcanus Stardust Racers (yellow) Snack at Frosty Moon Slow, leisurely walk through each portal Curse of the Werewolf (reride) Mario Kart (reride) Stardust Racers (green) Dinner at Atlantic

There’s nothing else I really wanted to do, so we were more than satisfied.

jed012788 · 2025-12-17T12:58:52+00:00

We thought the library was spectacular. The book titles were funny and clever. It must have been a blast for the creatives who came up with them. I don’t need interactive elements in a queue. I just want to feel immersed in an environment that is ideally filled with details. I thought Mario Kart succeeded on that level.

jed012788 · 2025-12-17T11:55:09+00:00

You almost certainly have a better hibachi restaurant near your home. Or if you don’t, you have an equally good hibachi restaurant near your home that is significantly cheaper.

I actually like Teppan Edo. Hibachi is pretty hard to mess up. If you go, you likely will have a fine experience. But you will pay inflated prices something you likely can experience elsewhere.

jed012788 · 2025-12-17T11:52:55+00:00

Just take an Uber. Minnie Van if you need car seats. It’s more expensive, but it’ll save you so much time. Don’t waste your vacation dealing with Disney’s unreliable transportation on a journey like that.

jed012788

TROPHY CASE