Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT Nick's Two-Car Detached Vdub Garage

[Bakafish]

If you look back on some of my early advice for Ender's, using their borosilicate glass bed is highly recommended. They are flatter and more thermally stable than the thin aluminum beds, and have good PLA adhesion when pre-wiped with alcohol and release easily when the part has cooled. That said, a half a millimeter is so out of whack it seems like that bed is damaged or misassembled. I'd try to get a replacement after investigating the adjustment screw and magnetic layer on that corner. A bubble or foreign object between the plate and magnet may be causing that.

 

[loganb]

Number one is self-explanatory, and thanks to @loganb 's encouragement I made a trip on my toboggan to Microcenter to get some new PLA filament, and a USB C cable to get Octoprint going.

Was really hoping to find some sort of Google Imagery of a toboggan with a pull behind toboggan loaded down with groceries or something....no luck in my limited search but glad you were able to make it out! fortunately filament and the cable weighed around 1.2 kg so didn't slow your return journey down too much!

Number two I've tried to dial in based off of @MadeByMiller 's guide, but I think numbers three and four are playing into that, too.

Personally I don't love the idea of doing a bed probe every single print (I may come around on that),

The difference with how Club Prusa gets level and Ender is interesting....I have 7 x 7 mesh with (5) leveling touches turned on...so it's taking (5) height probes at each of the (49) points to generate the mesh on every print, it's boring to watch it but it's around 2 minutes or so to complete(don't recall timing it but I could) so in the scheme of what's normally at least a couple hour print...I run with it. With more confidence in my bed level I could probably go back to the 3 x 3 leveling mesh but just haven't cared enough yet

@MadeByMiller With your flatter than a pancake bed...you still using the 7 x 7 mesh?

And holy $h!t



I seem to have a high spot right where that corner of the print is oriented.



It's 0.47mm above the zero point, which seems like a TON to me?! This is my first time doing this, but it seems odd it's so pronounced and localized to that one area, when the rest of the plate seems fairly good.

Yikes! That definitely seems like something is mechanically wrong there....

2/ clip my glass Carborundum plate from the 3v2 on top of it, and either see how much it conforms to the base plate or possibly shim it withe some pieces of paper if necessary, hoping this is flatter overall (it was quite flat for my 3v2)

I'd start here, you have the glass plate, it's easy to slip on and see if this helps fix things or not

4/ Chuck this POS in the trash and buy a Prusa!

Available now shipping from the US from PrintedSolid(which is now owned by Prusa):

Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ 3D printer

The future-ready S5 is fully optimized to fit seamlessly into existing workflows and delivers more reliable results than ever before. With its larger-than-ever build volume, the Ultimaker S5 is the ultimate professional solution for printing functional prototypes, manufacturing tools, and...

www.printedsolid.com

 

[Bakafish]

Yeah, I run a 7x7 matrix as well. I suspect the default they use may be only 3x3 or 5x5, so increasing the number of points (using the Marlin g-code commands) can help. I only use a single sample per point, I think the hall effect sensors are pretty consistent, but it's probably not going to add a ton of time to multi-sample. Obviously do the calibration with the bed at temperature as the bed will usually move from thermal expansion. Level compensation isn't really made to deal with the kind of discrepancies your bed seems to have. I have a vast collection of straight edges I want to put on that thing to figure out what is wrong with it.

 

[nicholam77]

If you look back on some of my early advice for Ender's, using their borosilicate glass bed is highly recommended. They are flatter and more thermally stable than the thin aluminum beds, and have good PLA adhesion when pre-wiped with alcohol and release easily when the part has cooled.

Agreed, I had good adhesion, good removal, and what seemed to be good flatness with the glass plate on my 3v2.

The S1 bed has a magnetic layer on top of the aluminum, so it is much thicker. I would need to use some generic binder clips and it would add a good amount to the overall build plate thickness but I guess since it's using the probe as the Z-limit stop that shouldn't be an issue.

Yikes! That definitely seems like something is mechanically wrong there....

I have a vast collection of straight edges I want to put on that thing to figure out what is wrong with it.

No straight edges needed! I took a look this morning and it's very obvious. There is an acute bubble / bulge / de-lamination right in the problem area (magnetic layer is lifted from the aluminum). The magnetic layer doesn't seem to come off, it must be glued or something?




I should have inspected this sooner, but since it's so localized I didn't think to until seeing the Octoprint Bed Visualizer results since my smaller prints were turning out fine.

These won't really cause issues but there are also a few small punctures elsewhere:



Creality printers have a 1 yr warranty so needless to say I've already fired off a warranty claim email to my friends in China. Give them a chance to rectify the defect and quality control. It took a bit but they did send me the replacement motherboard last time, so I'm hoping they will be responsive again.

At least this is such an obvious problem and everything else seems to be working pretty well that I am confident once I get a decent build plate, it will be solved. And it's given me confidence that the CR Touch and the Bed Visualizer are working as they should.

The difference with how Club Prusa gets level and Ender is interesting....I have 7 x 7 mesh with (5) leveling touches turned on...so it's taking (5) height probes at each of the (49) points to generate the mesh on every print, it's boring to watch it but it's around 2 minutes or so to complete(don't recall timing it but I could) so in the scheme of what's normally at least a couple hour print...I run with it.

Is it that different? I wasn't watching super close but I think the default G29 is a 4 x 4 mesh on my machine. Pretty sure I could change that to add more points with some additional gcode like @Bakafish said. Mine does 3 leveling touches for each point. I could easily run the ABL process before every print, it just depends on what I put in the starting gcode in the slicer. I am starting to agree that taking the 2 minutes to probe every time is not that big of a deal on a 1+ hr print.

Thanks for chiming in guys, I feel like a lot of 3D printing issues can have many different causes, so even for "obvious" ones like this your input has helped me get to the source on more than one occasion.

For now I'm going to print on the right half of the bed , and see if Creality gets back to me!

 

[MadeByMiller]

Number two I've tried to dial in based off of @MadeByMiller 's guide, but I think numbers three and four are playing into that, too.



The difference with how Club Prusa gets level and Ender is interesting....I have 7 x 7 mesh with (5) leveling touches turned on...so it's taking (5) height probes at each of the (49) points to generate the mesh on every print, it's boring to watch it but it's around 2 minutes or so to complete(don't recall timing it but I could) so in the scheme of what's normally at least a couple hour print...I run with it. With more confidence in my bed level I could probably go back to the 3 x 3 leveling mesh but just haven't cared enough yet

@MadeByMiller With your flatter than a pancake bed...you still using the 7 x 7 mesh?

Indeed I am, on both of my printers (both are dialed in with nylock mod). The time added for the 7x7 mesh is negligible in the overall print time, so why not?

Agreed, I had good adhesion, good removal, and what seemed to be good flatness with the glass plate on my 3v2.

The S1 bed has a magnetic layer on top of the aluminum, so it is much thicker. I would need to use some generic binder clips and it would add a good amount to the overall build plate thickness but I guess since it's using the probe as the Z-limit stop that shouldn't be an issue.




No straight edges needed! I took a look this morning and it's very obvious. There is an acute bubble / bulge / de-lamination right in the problem area (magnetic layer is lifted from the aluminum). The magnetic layer doesn't seem to come off, it must be glued or something?




I should have inspected this sooner, but since it's so localized I didn't think to until seeing the Octoprint Bed Visualizer results since my smaller prints were turning out fine.

These won't really cause issues but there are also a few small punctures elsewhere:



Creality printers have a 1 yr warranty so needless to say I've already fired off a warranty claim email to my friends in China. Give them a chance to rectify the defect and quality control. It took a bit but they did send me the replacement motherboard last time, so I'm hoping they will be responsive again.

At least this is such an obvious problem and everything else seems to be working pretty well that I am confident once I get a decent build plate, it will be solved. And it's given me confidence that the CR Touch and the Bed Visualizer are working as they should.



Is it that different? I wasn't watching super close but I think the default G29 is a 4 x 4 mesh on my machine. Pretty sure I could change that to add more points with some additional gcode like @Bakafish said. Mine does 3 leveling touches for each point. I could easily run the ABL process before every print, it just depends on what I put in the starting gcode in the slicer. I am starting to agree that taking the 2 minutes to probe every time is not that big of a deal on a 1+ hr print.

Thanks for chiming in guys, I feel like a lot of 3D printing issues can have many different causes, so even for "obvious" ones like this your input has helped me get to the source on more than one occasion.

For now I'm going to print on the right half of the bed , and see if Creality gets back to me!

Uh, wow. Well mystery solved there I guess!

 

[mikev12345]

Generally you want your ABL mesh to be odd numbers(3x3,5x5,7x7,etc...) so you end up with a probe point in the center of your bed. I think I have mine at 5x5. At some point I will most likely go up to 9x9. More points allows the ABL to adjust better to the in accuracies of your bed. If I go that high I'll most likely just run the meshing once a month.

You guys are right that to run you mesh before a print isn't a big deal but having it mesh every time can be a pain if you our doing some testing with the printer or maybe evaluating the accuracy of a new model. Also it can ***** if you like to monitor the first layer for proper adhesion a 3x3 mesh feels like forever.

 

[nicholam77]

You guys are right that to run you mesh before a print isn't a big deal but having it mesh every time can be a pain if you our doing some testing with the printer or maybe evaluating the accuracy of a new model. Also it can ***** if you like to monitor the first layer for proper adhesion a 3x3 mesh feels like forever.

That's kind of what I was getting at about not wanting to probe every time. Plus, unless the bed is moving a lot after every print, theoretically I don't think it should be needed that frequently. Once I get a replacement bed and things dialed in further, I may just do it every time I turn the printer on, or maybe even every print. When everything else is working it's less of a nuisance.

I'm pretty sure mine probed in the middle so it might have been 5x5. I haven't printed anything since, I'll pay attention better next time I run it.

 

[nicholam77]

Got a nice email from Creality a couple days ago

---

Dear Customer,

Good day!

Sorry for the inconvinience,

Your shipping information has been received.

The delivery of the replaced parts will probably take at least 7-15 days, please wait patiently.

Thank you for understanding.

We hope you have a lovely day.

Best Regards

CS/Customer Service

Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co., Ltd

---

They did not question my request for a new build plate at all... they must be sending parts out left and right lol. I hope they send me the correct item. Guess I'll find out in 7-15 days!

 

[nicholam77]

During the kids' nap / quiet time today I banged out another small socket tray for my 19mm wheel bolt sockets:


Sliced in the front left of the bed like @MadeByMiller suggested.




Overall it turned out nice. I did notice the first layer could have been slightly more squished in places. I ran this model from Octoprint, and one thing I noticed is I can't adjust the Z-offset on the fly.

I'm a huge Octoprint fan, but depending on how the new build plate works out, it may be a no-go if I have to adjust the first layer all the time. I feel like if the new bed is flat-ish and I run a mesh each time I shouldn't have to, but we'll see.

 

[MadeByMiller]

During the kids' nap / quiet time today I banged out another small socket tray for my 19mm wheel bolt sockets:


Sliced in the front left of the bed like @MadeByMiller suggested.




Overall it turned out nice. I did notice the first layer could have been slightly more squished in places. I ran this model from Octoprint, and one thing I noticed is I can't adjust the Z-offset on the fly.

I'm a huge Octoprint fan, but depending on how the new build plate works out, it may be a no-go if I have to adjust the first layer all the time. I feel like if the new bed is flat-ish and I run a mesh each time I shouldn't have to, but we'll see.

You mean front right, right? I'm wondering about the initial Z height just based on that front right corner of your skirt, it appears that it didn't stick well? Anyways, once you get the new build plate and dial in your initial Z once, you should be good. I only adjust my initial Z height for my various build sheets (and program them into the machine once set) or when I did the nylock mod. Just dial it in once and it will always be good, no need to adjust it on every print.

 

[nicholam77]

You mean front right, right?

Yes

I'm wondering about the initial Z height just based on that front right corner of your skirt, it appears that it didn't stick well?

Correct — overall the Z was too high and the skirt did not stick well in that area. Some of the 1st layer skin there was a slight spacing between some of the lines. Not all of them. I ran a new mesh before the print and that area of the bed should be pretty flat, but it wasn't completely consistent. I would have adjusted it on the fly, but that's why I mentioned Octoprint not letting me because the Print/Tune menu doesn't show on the printer when printing from the Octoprint server.

Anyways, once you get the new build plate and dial in your initial Z once, you should be good. I only adjust my initial Z height for my various build sheets (and program them into the machine once set) or when I did the nylock mod. Just dial it in once and it will always be good, no need to adjust it on every print.

That's what I figured and hoped. I'm hoping the new bed will be flat and I can get the initial Z height dialed in well, and by running a mesh before each print it will be consistent and I can use Octoprint. If any of those things aren't working reliably, I guess I'll keep printing from the SD card, watch the first layer, and adjust the Z on the fly.

---

I forgot to add that I watched the probe pattern and it was indeed a 4x4, so I need to figure out how to customize that.

 

[nicholam77]

Eames LTR Table: Take 2

A year ago or so (I think?) I made a plywood top for a replica Eames LTR base I got on Etsy, which I documented here on Garage Journal:



I love it and we use it as a drink, snack, book, laptop, flex table in the living room. Ever since, I've thought about getting another base for a matching table. They are interesting to look at and just the right size that you can use them practically anywhere. It's the only replica base I've found, and I think it's a one-person metal shop so I don't know how long he'll produce them. I had it in my cart around the holidays, and after letting sit for a few months I got a 15% off coupon so I figured that was my sign to proceed.

So, time to make another top! This was a really easy and quick project, but got to use a surprising amount of tools and it scratched the woodworking itch!

The top is made of baltic birch, and I didn't have a large enough scrap piece so I had to order one. That hurt... $55 for a 20x30 sheet shipped. But I didn't want to compromise on the look, and wanted it to match the first one.

Making this top is really just template routing, and fortunately I had saved my template from last time, which is based on the actual Herman Miller dimensions.




I traced the template and cut it out with the track saw. It's been too long, friend!




Only two cuts, but did I hook up dust collection? Abso-TOOT-ly I did.



Lopped off the corners with the Japanese pull saw to make it a little easier on the router.




Being the middle of winter, my router table surface changed dimension, so I had to adjust the super fancy leveling system for the plate.



The first pass is a straight flush trim, to size the plywood to the template (they are attached with double-sided tape):



Next I swapped in this 15° chamfer bit to profile the edges. Yes, the real LTR tops specify a 20° under bevel, but this is the bit I have. I did this in multiple passes at a lower speed to prevent burning. Basically sneaking up on the cut until it just kisses the bottom of the template, leaving a knife edge on the plywood.




Some steps I forgot to document:

• The struggle separating the plywood and template
• Sanding
• Finishing

After finishing I marked out the holes for the base and drilled them on the drill press.




And done! Not including finishing this was only about an hour's worth of work.

For now I'm putting it in our bedroom.



I love the look of baltic birch. The compound corners (radiused and beveled) is a subtle detail, but really elevates it from 'just a rectangle'.





I can't say I read a ton of books, but I do enjoy having them in a space. I'm more of an architecture / coffee table book sorta guy. Might need to pick up a few more for this little table!

 

[nicholam77]

Waiting patiently for the storm like

 

[isonic]

I am pumped! Cannot wait It should be fun, we haven't had a big one like this in a long time. I am guessing you are not excited?

 

[Finallygotit]

Holy ****, that's a lot of snow!

I think the reason Nick is not excited is that he has to shovel that **** and with his back, that will be no fun.

 

[nicholam77]

I am pumped! Cannot wait It should be fun, we haven't had a big one like this in a long time. I am guessing you are not excited?

Lol! I guess that depends on your idea of fun, haha. I do think big snowstorms are kind of fun. Definitely exciting and will be fun to get the kids out there if it's not too cold. I guess it's just not great timing this week as I have a lot going on at work, I'm 99% sure they're going to close my kids' daycare tomorrow or Thursday, and we are leaving for vacation early Friday morning. I feel like I would have more fun if I had a proper driveway and easy sidewalks around my house. The alley setup, patio, grade of the backyard, fences etc make clearing my property (even though it's small) a chore.

Holy ****, that's a lot of snow!

I think the reason Nick is not excited is that he has to shovel that **** and with his back, that will be no fun.

Seriously! I do have a snowblower but yeah, there is inevitable shoveling plus roof raking, too. Any way you cut it, even with the blower, it's going to be a lot of work. Just pushing that thing is hard on my back (I really need to schedule physical therapy, just been a busy start to the year). And just when I've cleared it the alley plow will come through and make a 2ft wall boxing in my driveway.

 

[isonic]

Holy ****, that's a lot of snow!

I think the reason Nick is not excited is that he has to shovel that **** and with his back, that will be no fun.

Ahh yes, the back. I forgot about that. Well now I feel for ya! Hopefully you can take it in shifts and or get some help from neighbors!

 

[nicholam77]

We did get snow, but not the 25" I was promised. More like 14" over 2.5 days. Not too bad, really.

Well, we're off to Florida at 4am tomorrow (Disney World), so guess I get to leave this snow **** behind for a few days!



P.S. @isonic I did have fun snowblowing

 

[loganb]

Dang....Nick gets more snow in 1 storm then I've seen this year and last year combined....And I'm not sad! Nicely done on cleaning out...hope the departure and trip to the happiest place in the world goes great and you have an amazing time!

 

[Trapps]

That's still a lot of snow, Nick! Makes heading south all the more enjoyable.

Disney is expensive but worth it. We took the kids when they were 7&8. I simultaneously hated paying for it and didn't regret it a single iota. So clean, organized and stress free. Have a great time!

 

[jar944]

We did get snow, but not the 25" I was promised. More like 14" over 2.5 days.

It's crazy to see the extreem difference across the country yesterday.

It was 81 degrees here yesterday. Took the dogs outside and after about 20 minutes in the sun they were hot, panting and wanted back in to the cool house.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Nice job on the table! All things considered, $55 isn’t that bad for the wood shipped to your door. Came out great!

Have a blast at Disney. I’m dreading that trip when we do it with the kids someday…. I’m not much for crowds/people, waiting in lines, and heat/humidity… but it will be worth it for the memories with the kids!

 

[isonic]

Good to hear it wasn't too much trouble moving the white stuff around! Enjoy Disney!

 

[sawduststeve]

Nick, holy cow , that’s an awful lot of snow.
I’m really(REALLY) not envious of you with that.
Hopefully it’ll be gone by the time you return from Disney.
We’ve been twice to Disney, when our little one was about 5 and 10, we were all surprised by how much we loved it.
Have a wonderful time.
Steve

 

[sawduststeve]

Have a blast at Disney. I’m dreading that trip when we do it with the kids someday…. I’m not much for crowds/people, waiting in lines, and heat/humidity… but it will be worth it for the memories with the kids!

It might be better than you think.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

It might be better than you think.

I realize now how negative my post sounded lol…. I’m sure I’ll have a blast! Nothing better than time with family.

 

[loganb]

I realize now how negative my post sounded lol…. I’m sure I’ll have a blast! Nothing better than time with family.

Except time with family not fighting 100k of people at the same place! Lol

Interested to hear how the trip goes for them as my kids are the same age as his and I've wondered when we might consider the trip. I have never been, wife has been once I think

 

[Boostingaz]

Except time with family not fighting 100k of people at the same place! Lol

Interested to hear how the trip goes for them as my kids are the same age as his and I've wondered when we might consider the trip. I have never been, wife has been once I think

Little different story since it is a drivable distance for us but we did Knott's Berry Farms (Anaheim, CA) and that was great. Any time I can avoid flying especially with all the little ones I'm in. The kids loved it! The weather was great. It really wasn't that crowded. We stayed at a nice little hotel right there close. Nana and Pops (Gma and Gpa) went with us so we split a little suite that was 2bd with a kitchen. It gave us the opportunity to grocery shop and cook our meals instead of spending so much eating out every single meal. The kids had a blast and all considering it really wasn't that expensive of a trip.

If your not a crowd lover haha you might check out Knott's Berry.

 

[Bob Heine]

I have mixed emotions about Disney theme parks. My parents drove around Anaheim on July 17, 1955 -- the day Disneyland opened -- because of the traffic. Walt Disney hosted Disneyland, the TV show, starting in October 1954 and back then it was all about the park he was building so I was crushed that we didn't go. My adult self is happy we didn't because I understand that opening day was a nightmare.

The Disney World park in Florida has changed a lot since it opened in 1971. To me, all for the better. Easter week in 1973 we took our 10- and 11-year-olds to Disney World and it was a true nightmare. The only park was the Magic Kingdom and you bought a $5.75 ticket books for rides to save money. Everyone wanted to go on the E-ticket rides. We spent an entire morning waiting to go on one, bought more E-tickets and spent the afternoon waiting in line for a second ride. The second day we went on A- B- C- and D-rides with much shorter lines but the rides were pretty short and boring. Third day we rented a car and drove to Busch Gardens and had a wonderful time. Fourth day we went to Cypress Gardens and had another wonderful time (I even bought a giant slalom ski to bring back to New York on the plane). Fifth day we went back to Disney World and it was less crowded and actually went on lots of rides, using up more tickets from the first two days.

Fast forward to today and there are six theme parks. My opinion of Disney World changed for the better when they opened EPCOT, where I spent many memorable days.

There's no way to make a Disney World visit cheap but I recommend splurging even more to stay at a resort in the park. Saving money on a room near the park means spending time on a shuttle bus or driving a rental car to one of the giant parking lots and taking a tram to the park entrance. If you have children with you, the day ends with that same trip back to the off-site hotel. Staying in a park hotel gives you the ability to return to the park for night time parades and fireworks that most kids really love.

In case you've never seen a ticket book, here's one from 1973.

 

[zanyad]

My parents planned to take us to Disney for a week. Ended up going to Europe for 3 weeks instead. Cost was only slightly more for a family of six. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[nicholam77]

Wow, lots of opinions on Disney

We got back last night. It was mayhem and I tried to be off the internet for the trip so just getting back to GJ.

Disney is expensive but worth it. We took the kids when they were 7&8. I simultaneously hated paying for it and didn't regret it a single iota. So clean, organized and stress free. Have a great time!

The key is to not look at your bank account until after the trip is done. The whole Disney thing is more of my wife's doing (I never went as a kid, but her family did, and she probably has more nostalgia for it). I asked her a ballpark price on the plane ride home all-in (I really had no idea up until that point) and it definitely fits within the definition of 'expensive', I'll just leave it at that.

I do agree with you about it being clean and organized. Almost shockingly so for how many people come through.

It was 81 degrees here yesterday. Took the dogs outside and after about 20 minutes in the sun they were hot, panting and wanted back in to the cool house.

Wow, that's quite a temperature swing!

Nice job on the table! All things considered, $55 isn’t that bad for the wood shipped to your door. Came out great!

Have a blast at Disney. I’m dreading that trip when we do it with the kids someday…. I’m not much for crowds/people, waiting in lines, and heat/humidity… but it will be worth it for the memories with the kids!

Thanks!

Don't worry, I am the same as you. The crowds are no joke and crowds and lines are not my cup of tea, either. Some of the rides are pretty amazing, but are all only a few minutes long and the popular ones can be up to an hour-and-a-half wait time. They do have a "Lightning Lane" option where you pay extra money per day per person ($15-$30 I think?) that lets you skip the regular line. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it) our group qualified for that for free because of my mother-in-law's health. It would be worth paying for, though, I think our longest wait time was 5-10min which was the key to a good experience. It would have been hell without it.

Good to hear it wasn't too much trouble moving the white stuff around! Enjoy Disney!

Thanks! We had a good time!

Nick, holy cow , that’s an awful lot of snow.
I’m really(REALLY) not envious of you with that.
Hopefully it’ll be gone by the time you return from Disney.
We’ve been twice to Disney, when our little one was about 5 and 10, we were all surprised by how much we loved it.
Have a wonderful time.
Steve

Ha! I went for the first time in 2020 and was also surprised at the experience. I don't think I realized what a large scale operation it is.

Little different story since it is a drivable distance for us but we did Knott's Berry Farms (Anaheim, CA) and that was great.

That sounds fun. I went to Knott's (for Knott's Scary Farm Halloween) when I lived in California during college, but it was at night and dark so I don't remember it that well.

In case you've never seen a ticket book, here's one from 1973.

Thanks for the history lesson, Bob! Those ticket books are really cool! Sadly we missed the EPCOT fireworks this time since my kids are 1.5 and 4.5 years and were drop dead tired by 6pm.

My parents planned to take us to Disney for a week. Ended up going to Europe for 3 weeks instead. Cost was only slightly more for a family of six. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Yeah, you're not wrong! In my opinion Disney is much-better suited to young kids than Europe, though. I've been to Europe a number of times and personally would rather go to Europe, but not with my kids lol. The extended travel, transportation (car seats), food options, basically everything would be very difficult to the point it wouldn't be enjoyable.

Interested to hear how the trip goes for them as my kids are the same age as his and I've wondered when we might consider the trip. I have never been, wife has been once I think

See below

---

@loganb I don't know if you've been on an airplane with toddlers, but they don't enhance the experience. Apparently my wife and I are masochists because this was my son's 4th plane ride (well, 8th if you count return trips) and he's only 1.5 years. He was good on the way there but an absolute nightmare on the way home. We sort of have the process down to a science, but it's a hassle for sure.

As far as Disney World itself, like @Bob Heine said, there are 6 parks. We did 3 days, one park each day, at Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow). Each of the parks are massive. You can spend a whole day at each and still not do or see everything, not even close.

If you stop and think about it too hard, the sheer scale of the consumption is a bit grotesque. It almost feels like watching the humans in WALL-E pounding down cheese burgers and doing the consumeristic bidding of their capitalist overlords. For a moment I pondered how much trash this place generates in one day, nearly had an aneurysm, and then decided to leave such moral and ethical quandaries in the dark places of my brain.

What makes it tolerable is the parks are actually very clean, and for how many people are present, lines move fast for food etc. Speaking of food, there's a gazillion options and most of them are pretty good. Bathrooms are nice and well-equipped for kids.

Anything trinkets outside of food (and that's expensive, too) are completely going to fleece you. I screwed up and forgot the go-bag for the kids one day. Instead of waste an hour shuttling back to the resort we decided to buy two souvenir water cups and a pack of diapers and wipes. $55 for the cups. $25 for the diapers.

The kids went in a rental stroller in between rides. This means constantly putting them in and getting them out. But I walked 11 miles on Friday, 8 miles on Saturday, and 10 miles on Monday, so at this age it's critical they conserve their energy. I've actually been walking 3 miles a day even through winter, but apparently I'm out of shape because by day 3 by legs and back were destroyed.

To me it's not a relaxing experience at all, but all that being said, both kids really enjoyed it. Especially my daughter who's watched pretty much every Disney movie at this point (her favorites are the old ones like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella), and is obsessed with princesses. It's fun to watch their faces light up, which is really the whole point!

Leaving Minnesnowta behind.




I'm a shorts and flip flops kinda guy and it felt awesome to be in warm weather again!





Riding on 'Bumpa' (Grandpa's) shoulders.



Naps in the stroller worked out well for my youngest.



EPCOT has a great aquarium. Lot's of sharks and rays, sea turtles, dolphins, etc.



In Magic Kingdom my daughter met 'Belle' from Beauty and the Beast and was entirely convinced it was the real Belle. She was smitten and her reaction was a highlight of the trip for the rest of us. She could not stop talking about it.



My personal favorite ride is the Na'Vi River Journey in the Pandora section of Animal Kingdom. Pandora is Avatar-themed and has these huge floating structures that appear largely unsupported, immersed with real plants, that makes the whole area feel like another planet. A feat of engineering, too.




In fact the attention to detail and creativity that goes into all the parks is astounding, but the Animal Kingdom in particular (the newest park) is pretty awesome throughout.

My daughter is finally old enough / good enough at swimming to really enjoy the hotel pool. Had a blast there, too.



Hopefully that gives some of you considering it a taste. Having been twice now I would say if you can stomach the cost and headaches of traveling with little kids, it can be a really great experience! We had a great time!

 

[loganb]

Love that you had a great time and thanks for the review! Gives this Disney newbie a better idea of what I'll be dealing with in the probably not that distant future. Hope you didn't have to shovel too much snow out just to get back into the house/garage on the return!

And I actually haven't been on a plane with toddlers...only singular toddler! We flew a lot when the oldest was an only child, especially when she was under a yr old....think her first flight was at like 6 weeks. Once you get used to the insane amount of stuff required...it wasn't bad! Since she became a big sister we haven't been brave enough to do a flight yet...likely going to give it a shot in not too long though

By the way....your pictures at the Star Wars side of it didn't load...might need to make sure they attached correctly.....cause you didn't go all the way there and miss the best Disney Princess in Princess Leia did ya?

 

[Bob Heine]

For a moment I pondered how much trash this place generates in one day, nearly had an aneurysm, and then decided to leave such moral and ethical quandaries in the dark places of my brain.

Nick, you may have noticed the Magic Kingdom is on a LARGE mound. There's another world under all the rides. Disney has a "Keys to the Kingdom Tour" of that world that is meant for adults (you must be 16 or older to take the tour).

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/magic-kingdom/keys-to-the-kingdom-tour/

In the early 1980s, when our daughter was pursuing a Masters in Mechanical Engineering degree at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), the engineering department arranged a tour of the operations at Disney World and she got two extra tickets, one for me and one for a close friend who is a mechanical engineer. The tour included the nursery where they grow all the trees, plants and flowers you see at the parks, including the fancy topiary. There's a water and sewage treatment facility that was state of the art back then. There's a maintenance facility where all the vehicles are serviced and repaired. There's a huge (big enough for 18-wheelers) tunnel (Utilidor) system under the Magic Kingdom. There's a huge wardrobe factory where they make all the costumes you see in the park. There's dozens of kitchens where they prepare the food that is dumbwaitered up to the restaurants. There's an amazing trash tube system that continuously empties every trash receptacle in the park.

Did you notice costumed cast members at The Magic Kingdom never appear at or near the wrong attraction? You'll never see a Country Bear Jamboree character passing through Tomorrowland. That's because they travel through the tunnels to the attraction.

I wish I had pictures but Disney has never allowed cameras (or phones) on the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. Actually, I think the tour we took was called the Backstage Tour way back in the '80s. Everything at Disney World has expanded exponentially but the stuff under the Magic Kingdom park is pretty much the same.

 

[zanyad]

My parents planned to take us to Disney for a week. Ended up going to Europe for 3 weeks instead. Cost was only slightly more for a family of six. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Yeah, you're not wrong! In my opinion Disney is much-better suited to young kids than Europe, though. I've been to Europe a number of times and personally would rather go to Europe, but not with my kids lol. The extended travel, transportation (car seats), food options, basically everything would be very difficult to the point it wouldn't be enjoyable.

We were all older by then, my youngest sibling was nine. That made the flights a little more bearable. We were also going to the old country, where three of four grandparents are from, and only to the one.

Lost luggage on our way there was a pain, as ever. Thankfully Mom planned ahead and each suitcase had a mix of people's clothes so we were able to make do until the luggage arrived a little later.

 

[sawduststeve]

Nick, thanks for the Disney report, I think it’s gonna cost me, either this year or next.

I get that you’re a warm weather, shorts and flip flops sort of guy, but I had assumed you would be taller.
Steve

 

[nicholam77]

Love that you had a great time and thanks for the review! Gives this Disney newbie a better idea of what I'll be dealing with in the probably not that distant future. Hope you didn't have to shovel too much snow out just to get back into the house/garage on the return!

And I actually haven't been on a plane with toddlers...only singular toddler! We flew a lot when the oldest was an only child, especially when she was under a yr old....think her first flight was at like 6 weeks. Once you get used to the insane amount of stuff required...it wasn't bad! Since she became a big sister we haven't been brave enough to do a flight yet...likely going to give it a shot in not too long though

By the way....your pictures at the Star Wars side of it didn't load...might need to make sure they attached correctly.....cause you didn't go all the way there and miss the best Disney Princess in Princess Leia did ya?

Ah, well you've got the plane rides down then. Two is not that much worse than one.

Lol on Princess Leia. I think the Star Wars stuff is in the Hollywood Studios park which we did not do since they more more older kid rides. Someday that would be awesome, though!

Nick, you may have noticed the Magic Kingdom is on a LARGE mound. There's another world under all the rides. Disney has a "Keys to the Kingdom Tour" of that world that is meant for adults (you must be 16 or older to take the tour).

That is super interesting Bob and I had been wondering about this. I did assume there are tunnels but didn't know you could tour them. It's remarkable how hidden the inner workings are to the guests.

Nick, thanks for the Disney report, I think it’s gonna cost me, either this year or next.

I get that you’re a warm weather, shorts and flip flops sort of guy, but I had assumed you would be taller.

 

[nicholam77]

Ugg, been without internet for almost 24 hrs. 1st world problems but it’s crazy how much I rely on it.

Last summer a new fiber provider was digging their way to my suburb, and yesterday I finally got the email the new service was live. But when I switched over it wasn’t getting a signal, and I made the big mistake of unplugging my existing ISP’s fiber switch, and then none of it worked.

2 hrs of testing on my own and chatting with robots and remote chat rooms, but no dice without a tech coming out.




I’m excited to ditch the ISP Modem as the new service doesn’t require one, and I’m also upgrading from 100/100 mbps to a 1 gig connection.

I prefer to hardwire as much as possible so I’ll need a new 1 gig switch for the main connection hub.

With no music and no streaming for the evening, the house was very quiet and I decided to light a fire and sit there on the couch and watch it in silence. Can’t remember the last time I’ve done that!



Shout out to Hubitat’s local control… all my smart home lighting has continued to function without interruption!

 

[nicholam77]

Ope!



It was a used Prusa i3 MKS+ for $299!! Looked like it was in a pawn shop or something.

I replied only 1 hr after it was posted, and shortly after it had been removed. Someone must have snapped it up. Makes sense at that price but I got my hopes up.



On the plus side, internet is fixed and it’s smokin’ fast.

 

[patlun]

Bummer!

And you get me thinking hard about the no music thing or at least now I am feeling so old! My first thought was why not just listen to a CD or some vinyl. Then it hit me I am a old dinosaur. That said sometimes it is good to sit in silence, listen to the fire and let the thoughts wander.

I love the pictures from your Disney adventures.

 

[nicholam77]

And you get me thinking hard about the no music thing or at least now I am feeling so old! My first thought was why not just listen to a CD or some vinyl. Then it hit me I am a old dinosaur. That said sometimes it is good to sit in silence, listen to the fire and let the thoughts wander.

I know it's making a comeback but vinyl is before my time, I don't own any records. Do have a handful of CDs from my youth but no way to play them

For better or for worse, I've fully embraced the streaming subscription model with Spotify playing on Sonos speakers.

I love the pictures from your Disney adventures.

Thanks!