Mousejunkies! The Conclusion

I finished reading Mousejunkies! by Bill Burke. (Click here to read about whether or not I am a Mousejunkie.)




The book is a quick read and for anyone in need of a Disney fix, this book would do the trick. It did it for me, as our trip is still about 150 days away. When the author and his fellow Mousejunkies described their favorites, I could easily picture them in my head, which took me to my happy place; the most magical place on earth.



There were parts of the book that I readily agreed with, like using Fastpass—click here to read more—and the emotional power of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth at EPCOT. I enjoyed their take on crowd levels at the park and how 2 of the Mousejunkies contributors favor New Year’s Eve at EPCOT and 4th of July at the Magic Kingdom, even though the crowd levels are insane.



I appreciated their take on favorite restaurants as we have some of the same favorites. Crystal Palace and ‘OHANA’s made the list. But Chef Mickey’s had mixed reviews and the ABC Commissary at Hollywood Studios, according the authors, is to be avoided at all costs. We have actually eaten dinner there, and found it no worse or better than other counter service restaurants.

Which leads me to the parts where I disagreed. The authors gave a thumbs down to waiting in line for anything, but especially waiting in line to meet and greet characters. Our opinions differ here, as we enjoy meeting the characters and will continue to wait patiently to see them. Our longest waits have been for headliner characters at the Magic of Disney Animation. Characters from Bolt, UP, Lotso from Toy Story 3, and Sorcerer Mickey have elicited the longest waits. The Fairies, when at Toontown Hall of Fame, have had killer wait times. The Princess line seemed to move quickly and the meet and greet was very efficient, but the Fairies. . .not so much (click here to read more.) There seemed to be lines crossing over where guests got confused, and Fairies traipsing from one side of the room to the other to greet guests, etc. Yet, we’re still going to wait in line.

The authors gave the advice of not waiting in line for anything, including rides and attractions. They said to just keep walking. . . that there would be an attraction without a line. They also put down commando type touring where the day is planned and guests try to get as much out of the day as possible. They also admitted to doing this kind of touring early in their Disney days—before becoming Disney Vacation Club Members.



Hence, that now they can walk by attractions and decide to not wait in line. Once guests have experienced Disney multiple times, they can then pick and choose which attractions to take in, but a first time Disney guest, may not have that luxury. First time guests may not know that will be returning and want to get as much out of their vacation as possible. We have skipped rides and attractions, now that we have been there 7 times and have tried it before. We don’t expect to hit everything, as we know it is highly likely that we will be returning. But other guests may not be in that same boat.



Speaking of boats, the author and contributors of Mousejunkies! tried a Disney Cruise and didn’t like it. Huh? It had something to do with being ill with a stomach virus, rough seas, being confined to a state room with Patch Adams playing continuously on a loop on one of the TV channels, and Hurricane Irene, but they didn’t give it another try!



An entire section of the book was dedicated to bathrooms at Disney. Smallest, cleanest, dirtiest, most obscure, etc. This part of the book made me smile, but I was confused when the cleanest bathroom at the Magic Kingdom was described as being near Guest Services—just turn right when you enter the park near the hub. OK, that description didn’t make sense. Guest Services are on the left in Town Square. And, yes, there is a lovely bathroom nearby and it’s HUGE! I’ve used it myself numerous times. One of the bathrooms that they said is too small for the area it serves if the bathroom near ‘OHANA’s. I agree! It is for guests at the bar, Kona Café, and ‘OHANA’s and it is a three seater. On top of that, ‘OHANA’s gets lots of families and therefore, a mom and tot, have a difficult time fitting into a stall. Been there, done that! But I think they left off 2 other small bathrooms that could have made the list. The bathroom at the Crystal Palace and the bathroom at Tony’s in Town Square. The bathroom at the exit to Lights, Motors, Action! was heralded as huge and clean—as it only gets used when the 2-3 times show daily exits, not the regular guest use that other bathrooms get.



I’m glad I read the book. I wouldn’t recommend it for a first time or new Disney guest. It is not a guide book and some of the information in the book is obsolete or has changed significantly. It’s more like eavesdropping on a lengthy conversation about Disney amongst several Mousejunkies with lots of Disney experience between them. There’s a new Mousejunkies! book due out later this spring. I’m curious if the new book shows any changes in opinions about all things Disney.