Rumors of Light (ROL discussion thread)

[jlundeen]

Well Loungers, I'm all packed up and heading to the airport with my sister in a couple of hours! I can't believe I'm finally going to see ROL - one year later! I've checked the blog and packed my shirt and pin, just because I'm cheeky like that! We ended up going with the Tiffins dining package, because we wanted to try it anyway! Thanks for all the tips and suggestions!

Happy Easter to those that celebrate!

WOOO HOOO...I know you ladies will all have a spectacular vacation! I'll live vicariously through you as you watch ROL! Can't wait to hear your report!

 

[TheFloatingBear]

WOOO HOOO...I know you ladies will all have a spectacular vacation! I'll live vicariously through you as you watch ROL! Can't wait to hear your report!

Thanks, @jlundeen ! I think we're going to have such a blast! It's been so long since we've done anything like this! I'm looking forward to ROL and AK at night! I'll definitely be reporting back!

 

[robinb]

Has anyone done ROL standby? We'll be there for the Pandora preview on 5/13 and FP+ are gone as are all ROL dining for 3 people. We're in Pandora from 6-8 and then we plan to head over to ROL if we can.

 

[HopperFan]

Louisvillian here. Thunder is amazing and such a fun event in our city. You will have a BLAST!

I am so excited. She went last year and watched from high up in a building. When she sent video I was SO jealous ... but I also couldn't see me battling the masses. I like the idea of being in the stadium with nice bathrooms, concessions, she said some kind of room I am allowed in with her (aka A/C) and even though she is working the game I bought two seats (at triple the normal price because of Thunder) for the air space and reserved for her the rest of day. Gonna be a long day but I think worth it.

Well Loungers, I'm all packed up and heading to the airport with my sister in a couple of hours! I can't believe I'm finally going to see ROL - one year later! I've checked the blog and packed my shirt and pin, just because I'm cheeky like that! We ended up going with the Tiffins dining package, because we wanted to try it anyway! Thanks for all the tips and suggestions!

Happy Easter to those that celebrate!

You are going to have an amazing adult gal trip!!! So LOVE LOVE LOVE you are wearing your shirt/pin!

ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY and catch us up on all your adventures!!!

 

[HopperFan]

Has anyone done ROL standby? We'll be there for the Pandora preview on 5/13 and FP+ are gone as are all ROL dining for 3 people. We're in Pandora from 6-8 and then we plan to head over to ROL if we can.

No but when we went it was the second show and 1/3 of Standby was empty. We literally could have walked up and sat down. Now no idea if this happens often but it's an option to check.

 

[elle101me]

Well Loungers, I'm all packed up and heading to the airport with my sister in a couple of hours! I can't believe I'm finally going to see ROL - one year later! I've checked the blog and packed my shirt and pin, just because I'm cheeky like that! We ended up going with the Tiffins dining package, because we wanted to try it anyway! Thanks for all the tips and suggestions!

Happy Easter to those that celebrate!

Have fun! I can't wait to hear about your trip! Only 112 more days until I'll finally get to see ROL. But, who's counting.

 

[ArielSRL]

Well Loungers, I'm all packed up and heading to the airport with my sister in a couple of hours! I can't believe I'm finally going to see ROL - one year later! I've checked the blog and packed my shirt and pin, just because I'm cheeky like that! We ended up going with the Tiffins dining package, because we wanted to try it anyway! Thanks for all the tips and suggestions!

Happy Easter to those that celebrate!

Can't wait to read all about it! I hope you are having fun!!!

 

[TheFloatingBear]

Back from our girls trip - I want to be back in the bubble! I want a dole whip! DH has been wonderfully sympathetic to my whining - he understands how hard it is to leave the bubble!

We did our ROL Tiffins dining package. Tiffins was amazing - loved it! Loved Nomad Lounge too, although I'm sure it will be crazy there soon! The night we were there, we didn't really need the dining package. There were two shows and plenty of seats still available during the show. However, we were happy we did, as we felt like we got a good value for our dinner and we wanted to go there anyway.

 

[elle101me]

Back from our girls trip - I want to be back in the bubble! I want a dole whip! DH has been wonderfully sympathetic to my whining - he understands how hard it is to leave the bubble!

We did our ROL Tiffins dining package. Tiffins was amazing - loved it! Loved Nomad Lounge too, although I'm sure it will be crazy there soon! The night we were there, we didn't really need the dining package. There were two shows and plenty of seats still available during the show. However, we were happy we did, as we felt like we got a good value for our dinner and we wanted to go there anyway.

What was your impression of ROL? Was it worth the extra year wait? I grabbed an 8:05 Tusker House ROL breakfast package because I thought it might give us an advantage getting into Pandora before the rope drop crowd gets there.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

^^ Yes @TheFloatingBear, any opinions on ROL are conspicuously absent from your post.....

 

[TheFloatingBear]

What was your impression of ROL? Was it worth the extra year wait? I grabbed an 8:05 Tusker House ROL breakfast package because I thought it might give us an advantage getting into Pandora before the rope drop crowd gets there.

^^ Yes @TheFloatingBear, any opinions on ROL are conspicuously absent from your post.....

So, you noticed that, eh? lol! I didn't want to say much because I do think one should go in with an open mind and I don't want to give spoilers (feel free to pm me if you want spoilers or more details!). I mean, with the year wait, it kind of adds a bit of pressure, for lack of a better way to put it? I would say that that we had a wonderful night, I was thrilled to see it and experience AK after dark (my first time). I would also say it was visually stunning, I loved the music and I'm really glad I saw it - and I would definitely make it part of my rotation and try to plan it in as many trips as possible. I was glad given that it was new that we had the dining package, and like I said we thought it was a good value. If I did have critiques, I would say that they would fall in line with what others have said, generally speaking. But I still loved it, if that makes sense???

Oh, and it was bananas trying to get out of there! And dinner went a little late and I wanted to go on Expedition Everest (by myself) after dinner before the show (since we were late getting in during the afternoon), so it was poorly timed and was a nightmare swim upstream to EE since the first show had just let out!

@elle101me - I didn't need to worry about Pandora (wish we did!), so we had a less to plan for, but that makes sense to me - unless they change opening time! I haven't eaten at Tusker House but I've wanted to! It seems like it would be a pretty quick walk from TH to Pandora, but maybe tough if you miss a character rotation - I've had that happen at Crystal Palace!

 

[jlundeen]

What was your impression of ROL? Was it worth the extra year wait? I grabbed an 8:05 Tusker House ROL breakfast package because I thought it might give us an advantage getting into Pandora before the rope drop crowd gets there.

I'm wondering that myself, but looking on the map, it looks like the entrance to Pandora is a whole lot closer to the front gate that to Tuskar House, unless there is a second entrance by Tiffins... I would be nervous during the whole meal that the CMs would have a barrier up so you couldn't get back to the Pandora entrance quickly, or that the front gate was opened early, as has happened many times during my past Rope Drop plans...

 

[TheFloatingBear]

I'm wondering that myself, but looking on the map, it looks like the entrance to Pandora is a whole lot closer to the front gate that to Tuskar House, unless there is a second entrance by Tiffins... I would be nervous during the whole meal that the CMs would have a barrier up so you couldn't get back to the Pandora entrance quickly, or that the front gate was opened early, as has happened many times during my past Rope Drop plans...

I hadn't thought of that! We went from that area to Tiffins, so like I said it was a quick walk, but it was afternoon! If there was a barrier you'd still be really close, but you wouldn't know if the rope drop crowd coming from the other side was ahead of you, since things like that do not seem consistent...

 

[HopperFan]

Louisvillian here. Thunder is amazing and such a fun event in our city. You will have a BLAST!

WELL ............ the weather sure put a wrench in folks plans. Luckily I made out okay. I had cover early in day, and it held out past around 2 pm. I couldn't believe FIVE hours of airshow, that was fun to watch. I ended up with a decent location to watch the fireworks (building, close to water, roof) and ....

WOW .................... almost 30 minutes of non-stop and the ones on the bridge were so cool - such a variety off of it! Can't believe you could hear music over them and all over ......... massive speakers hanging from cranes. Incredible setup. Now that I know what an almost $1 million fireworks show looks like ........... MK looking a bit teeny tiny. I made myself put my phone down, I just watched .... I leaned it on the ledge with some rocks on the roof .... and hit record. Cut off at 18 minutes but DD let me tape rest with her phone, will have DS edit together. But with my old phone the colors just didn't come out well. After seeing my DD video last year and others from the taller buildings being high makes it really spectacular but it was still quite the site and worth the drive/all day wait.

These are a few stills from my video and then a video from the company that shoots them off ..... but it's only one set of barges and the bridge, there is another set of barges to the right of this that shoot about the same thing off. You can see two burst areas in my pictures.

 

[elle101me]

I'm wondering that myself, but looking on the map, it looks like the entrance to Pandora is a whole lot closer to the front gate that to Tuskar House, unless there is a second entrance by Tiffins... I would be nervous during the whole meal that the CMs would have a barrier up so you couldn't get back to the Pandora entrance quickly, or that the front gate was opened early, as has happened many times during my past Rope Drop plans...

Yes, you are right! Not sure what I was thinking. Hmmm. Maybe I'll just FP ROL on our first day since we won't get in until afternoon. That way I won't tie up a FP all day.

 

[HopperFan]

Oh, and it was bananas trying to get out of there! And dinner went a little late and I wanted to go on Expedition Everest (by myself) after dinner before the show (since we were late getting in during the afternoon), so it was poorly timed and was a nightmare swim upstream to EE since the first show had just let out!

@elle101me - I didn't need to worry about Pandora (wish we did!), so we had a less to plan for, but that makes sense to me - unless they change opening time! I haven't eaten at Tusker House but I've wanted to! It seems like it would be a pretty quick walk from TH to Pandora, but maybe tough if you miss a character rotation - I've had that happen at Crystal Palace!

YEAH, the whole people thing wasn't factored into this theater load/unload. Maybe they need more time between shows but I know night we were there it was frustrating to be held on side paths .... and then not use the theater scanners but hand scanners out on the path making it very easy for not FP+ holders to jump in FP+ line. Dining/SB side looked less congested but Asia was awful.

I'm wondering that myself, but looking on the map, it looks like the entrance to Pandora is a whole lot closer to the front gate that to Tuskar House, unless there is a second entrance by Tiffins... I would be nervous during the whole meal that the CMs would have a barrier up so you couldn't get back to the Pandora entrance quickly, or that the front gate was opened early, as has happened many times during my past Rope Drop plans...

Isn't the main entrance by Tiffins?

I think Pandora entrance (by Tiffins) will be about halfway between front entrance and Tusker House BUT ........... will the back entrance to Pandora .... located just past the FOTLK theater bathrooms be open that early? That is what you want to watch for in reports. I'm not sure where the "rope" drop is for AK. Is it at end of Oasis by bridge? If so that gives them advantage.

 

[Cluelyss]

What was your impression of ROL? Was it worth the extra year wait? I grabbed an 8:05 Tusker House ROL breakfast package because I thought it might give us an advantage getting into Pandora before the rope drop crowd gets there.

When are you going? AK regular park open is 8 am through July 5 (and I suspect that will be extended?) so you'll actually be behind the RD crowds.

 

[elle101me]

When are you going? AK regular park open is 8 am through July 5 (and I suspect that will be extended?) so you'll actually be behind the RD crowds.

Not until August, so I have lots of time to see how things work out.

 

[Kudmani]

WELL ............ the weather sure put a wrench in folks plans. Luckily I made out okay. I had cover early in day, and it held out past around 2 pm. I couldn't believe FIVE hours of airshow, that was fun to watch. I ended up with a decent location to watch the fireworks (building, close to water, roof) and ....

WOW .................... almost 30 minutes of non-stop and the ones on the bridge were so cool - such a variety off of it! Can't believe you could hear music over them and all over ......... massive speakers hanging from cranes. Incredible setup. Now that I know what an almost $1 million fireworks show looks like ........... MK looking a bit teeny tiny. I made myself put my phone down, I just watched .... I leaned it on the ledge with some rocks on the roof .... and hit record. Cut off at 18 minutes but DD let me tape rest with her phone, will have DS edit together. But with my old phone the colors just didn't come out well. After seeing my DD video last year and others from the taller buildings being high makes it really spectacular but it was still quite the site and worth the drive/all day wait.

These are a few stills from my video and then a video from the company that shoots them off ..... but it's only one set of barges and the bridge, there is another set of barges to the right of this that shoot about the same thing off. You can see two burst areas in my pictures.

Glad you enjoyed it despite the yucky weather. The planes are really cool! You'll definitely have to give it another go when it's sunny and warm. My kids didn't care much for the soundtrack this year, but thought the fireworks were spectacular as always. Now I guess we'll just sit back and see what Mother Nature has in store for Oaks & Derby.

 

[HopperFan]

Glad you enjoyed it despite the yucky weather. The planes are really cool! You'll definitely have to give it another go when it's sunny and warm. My kids didn't care much for the soundtrack this year, but thought the fireworks were spectacular as always. Now I guess we'll just sit back and see what Mother Nature has in store for Oaks & Derby.

We did Oaks last year, was fun, had my drinks, hung at paddocks, watched races, lost some money !!!

But it had been years since I had been to horse races (used to go often in NJ), and I came away bothered by what looked like so much stress by the horses in the paddocks. Not sure I'd make a good Kentuckyian, if that's a word.

Might shoot for Thunder again next year.