We just got back late last night from an 8 night stay. We had a wonderful trip! We hadn't been in 6 years, so a lot was new to us.
The good:
- YC exceeded our expectations. The Epcot resort area is beautiful and having such easy access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios just cannot be beat. I would never pay rack rate for those resorts, but we got a big discount which made us decide to splurge. I'm sure with the event of SWGE those discounts are probably a thing of the past.
- We had 2 TS meals most days, and
loved all our dining experiences! Standouts were Hoop de Doo Revue (just love, love, love that whole experience), Yachtsman (YUM - delicious!), and Yak and Yeti (those eggrolls and potstickers...I'm still thinking about them.) The variety and quality of TS dining options is one of the things that makes WDW really stand out to us, and sets it apart from DLR since DLR just doesn't have nearly as much.
- We loved the DAH events at HS and AK! Low crowds, night time at the parks (our favorite), fun atmosphere, and included snacks!
- Toy Story Land! We are both big fans of the franchise and oh my we loved this land. We got to experience it at the end of a Friday night and during DAH. We didn't go back during our day time HS visit because I didn't want to spoil that great experience with crowds and heat. Loved Slinky, loved the queue for TSM (we'd never done it at WDW because DLR has it...minus the incredible queue), loved AS2. Developed a new appreciation for the aliens, who I already loved.
- FOP. Just wow. We got to ride it 3 times - twice at DAH and once with a FP. It absolutely lived up to the hype.
- 7DMT! Pleasantly surprised! This opened not long after our last trip, so it was new to us. The standby waits are ridiculous of course, but I'd gotten 3 FPs for it in case we liked it, and we used them all.
- HEA. I am a sucker for castle projections because sleeping beauty castle at DLR is too small for them. Loved that show. Glad we splurged for the fireworks dessert party.
- The weather - we were actually pleasantly surprised! Of course it was hot, but we went in expecting that and we had planned for it. It was in the 70s multiple evenings; I couldn't believe how cool it got! The strategy of morning, resort break (nap), evening really worked for us. We only had rain issues one day - it rained (light rain, mostly) the entire time we were at Typhoon Lagoon. That actually made it really fun and kept the crowds way down! We didn't experience any ride closures due to lightning - a combination of being in the right place at the right time during thunderstorms. (Usually in our room, napping.)
The...ok:
- We are adept at crowds; we can handle them. DLR is usually crowded when we go because I'm a teacher and off season isn't a thing for us. We're used to navigating crowds. That said, we were unpleasantly surprised by the crowds, especially at MK. Oh my gosh. The standby wait times are ridiculous everywhere. WDW's main difference from DLR is FP+ and having FP for everything, which leads to insanity like 45 min for Pooh, 60 for Buzz (seriously?!), 120 for BTMRR, 135 for Space....these are just not wait times DLR sees. At DLR, Space on a crowded day would be 60,
really crowded would be 90 (like, Christmas time), and normal busy times 45. That said...
-FP+. I have a love hate relationship with this concept. On the one hand, we planned well (thanks to these boards!) and never waited more than 25 min for anything. On the other hand, there is
zero spontaneity, except at DAH events. I'm so glad we threw those in there, because I don't think I could have handled the FP+ system otherwise. DLR still has the rolling FPs you can't make until the day of, and I am grateful for that.
- Villains AH. I wish this hadn't been marketed as an after hours event, because it was nothing like the ones at HS and AK. It was
far more crowded. I also discovered I don't like the entire villains theme at all. I clearly wasn't the target audience. I don't regret going, but it was definitely something I'd never do again.
To sum up
Overall, we had a wonderful time. We are different from a lot of people on these boards because our WDW visits are few and far between, and we go to DLR regularly. Since we live in CA and WDW trips are time consuming and expensive, I'm happy with that balance. I also learned this trip that though I love WDW and enjoy our trips there every few years, DLR is really my first love. I think that happens for all of us - we all end up with a "home" park. We have plans for DLR in October and probably again next summer, so I'll be mostly over on the
Disneyland board now.
Hope everyone had fantastic trips, and hope those who are still enjoying theirs have a magical time!
Edit: p.s. Sorry this is so long...oops. LOL