I highly recommend taking the day trip to Universal! Sure, they won't have those cool events going on, but Diagon Alley will be open and it sounds fantastic. It might even be the most immersive theme park area in Orlando! Good luck convincing Rob.Mr. DDW you are KILLING me with the Universal pics! I want to go back so badly! And you got to see Jimmy Fallon and Pitbull play beer pong, and you saw Fun perform?!? I am too jealous for words. I am desperately trying to talk Rob into a day trip there in September. Thanks for all the great updates!
Glad you enjoyed the food truck update! It was a fun event, and I hope some of them can return to DTD/Disney Springs.Great reviews and pics of the food trucks!
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Thanks so much! We already made our first reservation using points: a split stay between a BLT studio and a GF 1-bedroom. I'm so excited...but seriously hoping I can get the vacation time for a week!Congrats on the DVC purchase! I really want to stay at the new villas soon. I love that fountain! Looks like a beautiful resort.
The Verdens Beste sounds amazing! I think that's going on my must-do list for September.
Thanks so much! We already made our first reservation using points: a split stay between a BLT studio and a GF 1-bedroom. I'm so excited...but seriously hoping I can get the vacation time for a week!
I'm so excited...but seriously hoping I can get the vacation time for a week!
The villas at GF seriously looked great! And I'm glad to hear good things about BLT's studios.What a dreamy plan! Loved our BLT studio stay! I'm sure the GFVs are wonderful!
I'll miss Kouzzina breakfast! The options are just a bit different~
My DS' all time favorite is the Marinated Beef Flatbread from the Contemporary. No matter what resort we stay at, he always has to make a trip there for one.
Love your photos and food comments/reviews as always~
Nope, I'm still looking. My problem is that I've been too indecisive to focus on one path - I keep changing what (and where) I'm looking for. Moving to California or Orlando would be nice, but there are so many complications and expenses that go along with moving. So even if I stay in NY for a while, at least it's easy to visit Orlando from here. And if getting time off becomes a problem, then I'll have to start planning weekend getaways.Wow, you covered a lot of ground on your last few days as a WDW passholder!
- First, your photo of the Artist Point cobbler makes me sad that I missed out on the full-blown cobbler topped with raspberry ice cream during my dinner there in April. Next time around I will not schedule dinner at AP on the night that I am staying CL.
Sounds like a plan - the cobbler still absolutely worth it!
- Although I will miss Kouzzina for breakfast, I'm anxious to see what the replacement will be. Hopefully it won't be another Starbucks.
Don't worry, I'm sure you're safe from another Starbucks. I'd expect another 'moderately priced, 1-credit' restaurant ending up in that location, possibly still with a Mediterranean/Italian/Greek influence (much like Spoodles before). Although, a brand new concept could also be interesting.
- Nice photo of the view from the ToT elevator. I can never take my hands off the handles for long enough to take a photo.
The ride is definitely more thrilling when I'm paying attention to my camera instead of the drop cycle...but that picture was worth it!
- Your photo of the Polynesian is another one that makes me a little sad. It will seem very weird to walk into the lobby and not see the waterfall.
Honestly, the lobby right now is depressing, and those character cutouts don't do much to help. I never felt that the waterfall needed to stay (since it reminded me of mid-century shopping malls), but the concept art for the new lobby looks rather bland and uninspired. I hope I'm wrong, but it seems many Poly fans feel the same way.
- I have never been to the Contempo Cafe but hopefully I'll finally get to check it out in October.
Definitely give Contempo a try! It's been one of my WDW favorites since it opened, with some really decent sandwiches, salads, and flatbreads. Plus, the location is super convenient for a break from MK.
- Not a big fan of the Ooey, Gooey? I have to admit that the first time I tried it the cake part was stone-cold so was neither ooey nor gooey. It took about three years, but luckily I finally gave it another try.
Admittedly, my cake wasn't piping hot (although it was warm enough), but the flavors themselves were somewhat standard. It tasted exactly like cookies, heath bar, and vanilla ice cream - not bad at all, it just didn't exceed any expectations.
- I love the photo from L'Artisan des Glaces!! I need to remember to go there sometime when they first open to hopefully see this in person. I assume they open at 11:00?
Actually, L'Artisan des Glaces opened at 12! I would know, since I arrived in France around 11:30 and was disappointed that they weren't open yet.
- OMG...that Verdens Beste looks awesome!! I haven't been there for a few years but I think it's time to pay Kringla a visit!
Kringla is definitely worth a stop - I haven't been impressed with I've tried there, but it's home to a few of my favorites (with the Verdens Beste being one of them now).
- I haven't had a Dole Whip in nearly five years...something else I'd like to change during my next trip. I was actually interested in maybe trying the Orange Swirl Dole Whip, as I have never tried that flavor. Have you ever had the orange? I'm thinking it might be similar in taste to a Dreamsicle, which I used to love when I was little.
Honestly, I hated the orange dole whip - it tasted extremely artificial to me, more like medicine than a dessert. That said, the pineapple also tastes artificial to me on its own (albeit way better than the orange), but I still seriously enjoy it swirled with vanilla. So maybe orange-vanilla swirl is worth a try?
- And finally, the Grand Floridian villas look beautiful...on the inside. Congrats on becoming a DVC owner there!
Thanks so much! The best part of staying in the villa building is that we won't have to look at it when we're in the lobby or our room. DVC has been something we've been considering for a long time now, and now that it's happened, it definitely feels right. The only downside is the advance planning necessary (at least 7-11 months), but I think I can adapt to that once I have a work schedule. Speaking of which...
How is the job search going? Or does this mean that you have found employment?
The Disney food trucks (Fantasy Fare, World Showcase of Flavors, Superstar Catering, and Namaste Cafe) all accept quick service credits, although I don't know if they have desserts available. The other visiting trucks don't accept the DDP, but they aren't usually around anyway.For the Food trucks at Downtown Disney, can you use Quick Service credits for some of the food or are they cash only?
Even worse, I actually saw a girl defecating on the ground in Frontierland - her parents were watching and didn't seem phased at all. In what culture is that acceptable?
Yeah, that was just...I feel the same way (no words!). It's ok - I'm still happy to have seen DLP with my own eyes, and I have a few more days at the end of the trip to see if things get better (with Space Mountain and Ratatouille open). But I still can't believe how lacking the entire resort is overall - nothing I'd read online could've prepared me for that, and I'd done a good amount of research.Ohmygod! I just...have no words. So sorry that the trip was, well, less than great.
Congrats on visiting Disneyland! While the resort might not be as immersive as WDW, I think the parks are fantastic and you're going to love it. And you're so right about Tokyo - as a Disney destination, I've heard it could actually be the strongest (setting aside Disneyland's history and WDW's scale).Hi all!
Sorry Donald Dole Whip that you didn't enjoy your time at Disneyland Paris. Definitely made me not want to visit there and go to Tokyo Disney instead!
Add another person to the list who will be seeing a new Disney park in 2 days: ME!
Yes, Corey and I are heading off to California Wednesday morning. We are soo excited! We both have never been to California and I can't WAIT to see Disneyland!
Our plans are to get to Disneyland Thursday afternoon and then we have a red eye back Sunday night. We have reservations for Carthay lunch, Cafe Orleans lunch, and Goofy's breakfast. Any thoughts on those?
Still trying to pick another restaurant, possibly Big Thunder. Any other suggestions?
Hopefully I can post some live updates. I don't think I can post everything but I can definitely get a few pictures up.
I'm not really sure what to say about DLP. It'll take a lot of money to fix the resort's problems, and I think that's something Euro Disney can't (or isn't willing to) provide. If you've visited every other Disney resort (how cool!), it would probably be fun to cross Paris off the list. Just be prepared for something that isn't really up to par - it seems like everything's been downhill since the original park (and maybe Space Mountain in 1995) opened.Donald, thanks for your interesting report on your day at DLP. DLP is the only Disney resort I haven't visited. It is on my bucket list. Perhaps by the time I get there, it will have been improved.
Have you been to Tokyo DisneySea? That one is spectacular. It is not operated by Disney itself, but it has a true magic all its own.
Hi Linda, and thanks for the reply and dissenting opinion. Seriously, since I've got a few more days at DLP coming up at the end of my trip (thanks to a multi-day ticket purchased in advance), it'll be helpful to reconsider the parks from a positive perspective and see the good things about them (especially since this will likely be my last visit to the Paris parks for a very long time).Thanks for the DLP review Mr. DDW
I've visited DLP many times over the years so feel I should stick up for it a little
Firstly the incident you witnessed with the young girl is not acceptable in any culture!
What you witnessed was appalling behavior and appalling behavior can, and does happen anywhere in the world
Totally agree with you about the Studios, visually it doesn't work at all but it does have a few good rides - did you ride Crush's Coaster or visit Toy Story Play Land?
There are some interesting shows at the Studios as well, did you see Cinemagique or Animagique?
The new Ratatouille dark ride and restaurant will be a welcome addition to the park for sure
I'm glad you enjoyed Disneyland Park. It's is beautiful park and wonderfully landscaped
What a shame that Space Mountain was closed when you were there, such an awesome ride and the launch is a real thrill
Did you manage to see the evening castle show 'Disney Dreams'? - such a great show!
Hope you are having fun in Paris, be sure to post some of your wonderful food pics
Yeah, it feels weird saying that about DLP - it's the first Disney destination that I actually looked forward to leaving (as well as the first that I'm not so enthused about returning to). We'll see how attempt #2 goes in about a week.Great to see some DLP information here, but how disappointing! I can't imagine ever wanting to leave a Disney park, but after that day I see why you'd want to, Mr DDW.
Not sure if anyone else watched the Diagon Alley special on tv last night, but I think I saw Mr. DDW for half a second!
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Well I see from your signature that you got a picture in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle (which you're right about - it's seriously beautiful!), and that's good enough - no need to return. I can absolutely understand your feelings about DLP, and I'm kind of sad that I'm locked myself into a few more days there. Would much rather be checking out Amsterdam (after my planned visit got cut due to a railway strike), but it's too late now.We went to DLP back in Sept 08. There were a lot of things we liked but overall it felt dirty compared to our US parks and Tokyo Disney. Paint peeling, cigarette smoke, rides not working. Was it worth the visit , of course I think their castle is the best one I have seen and love the dragon underneath. We did one day and visited both parks and that was more then enough.
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Even worse, I actually saw a girl defecating on the ground in Frontierland - her parents were watching and didn't seem phased at all. In what culture is that acceptable?[/IMG]