ncbunnie
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2010
Just back from a week trip with my mom (62) and 7 yo dd- Girl's trip! 
A few musings that might benefit someone else (hopefully!) -
Resorts:
*All Star Music was very nice. Theming was cute and personally I prefer the Disney-esque touch at the All Stars to even the moderate, more "upscale" theming. Only troubles were that I had a package delivered to the resort that was not delivered to the room in a timely manner. Took a few calls to get it, but it still was delivered on the first day we arrived. Just could've been handled a little quicker - or at least handled in the way I was promised. Other thing was that we requested close to buses, jazz section, 3rd floor. We got Broadway, 1st floor, the furthest room from buses- so room requests obviously aren't always honored. Still a great resort and nothing much to complain about at all!
*Food court was amazing! So glad to see the reburb was open when we were there as we took advantage of it a couple of times. Food was all very good- our favorite was the make-your-own-salad with salmon, chicken or beef. My dd said the mac and cheese and pizza were also good, and there were plenty of healthy options as well.
*You can get sweet tea at the resorts! I know this was a question I saw on the boards before we go and being a Southern tea fan, sweet tea was a MUST. It wasn't bad tea, either, but the dispensers kind of hide so you have to look. Also my diabetic mom found that unsweet tea was not too tough to find (only a couple of places she asked didn't have it)- but if you are looking for the PINK sweetener, pick up a couple of packs if you find it. She went to a few restaurants that only had the blue stuff (sorry I don't know the names) and the blue kind gives my mom migraines.
*Sponges with dish soap dried and cut up before the trip were invaluable for washing resort mugs! I dropped my mug's lid accidentally in the food court to the floor and was grateful for a way to wash it with some soap.
*If you're there at Christmas, consider decorating your window! We took lights and some Dollar Store window clings and got many compliments from others who noticed the decor. It doesn't take up much space to really bring some holiday cheer into the resort- both for your family and for others!
Food:
*LOVE DDP, especially when FD is in effect. CRT was my mom's favorite and she was actually tearing up being overwhelmed that we got to be there. I love the freedom of being able to order what I want, when I want, without worrying.
*Make sure you understand the way the tickets work before having a TS meal. First day there, even after 4 trips, I had to have a server re-run a ticket so I could tip her by charging it back to the room. The first ticket they bring you is the TIP. You have to fill out and sign that one before they bring you the ticket that says how many TS credits you have left. At least that was the way it worked for me. That first meal took over TWO HOURS to get everything straightened out (slow server, busy time I hess?) so it might help you to know how things work before dining.
*Favorite meals were CRT for atmosphere, Ohana for characters and service, 50's in HS was great for my mom/retro style!
*It also helped me at the end of the week to know that at the resort, they counted 2 snacks as One QS meal credit. We ended up with way too many (and still had a lot of food) and they let me pick up snacks to take home to completely use up the credits.
*World showcase - snacking "around the world" was a great activity for us, along with the Perry stamps and the international showcase holiday passport (free in the promenade gift shops). The best thing we had through the week, bar none, was the goat cheese and spinach quiche in France. I asked the server what his favorite thing was and he told me this quiche but asked if I was okay with goat cheese. Having never had it before, we decided to be adventurous and didn't regret it! The eclairs were good also, as always, and the new gelato shop was packed so assume it was great also! Runners up for best things in international showcase were the nachos in Mexico, school bread in Norway (also they had a cute Olaf cookie/marshmallow treat that dd loved) and the American Adventure QS was all very good!
Stuff:
*Packing souvenirs from home was the way to go! If you have the space, you can make a magical trip out of items found at 5 Below, Target clearance racks, or even the Dollar Store. We told my 7yo dd that each night Mickey brings "surprises" to the room for kids who behave well in the park. Each night she would race back to the resort to see what Mickey had left her. I also wrote up little notes to go with each night's "surprises" before leaving home and added those so a special note from M.M. each night was a highlight for her! (Ex: "I hope you enjoyed Hollywood Studios today- Toy Story Mania's my favorite! Get to bed because you have another big day tomorrow! Love, M.M.") The stuff I bought from home was way cheaper and sometimes better quality than some of the park stuff you buy there. Plus it made a great way to convince her quickly it was time to hit the bus for "home" instead of riding "just one more thing!"
*Stroller-free was much easier than I thought. This was our first trip sans stroller and I was afraid the complaining and whining (and blisters?) would make me want to rush for stroller rental. But honestly, the expectation was lived up to by reality. If the kid knows there's a lot of walking, they don't expect to be hauled around everywhere. I also noticed that sometimes stroller parking was seemingly a LONG way away from an attraction. Nothing like rushing right in without having to "park" anything! My 7 yo did great and did not complain ONCE about the walking, even after hiking all the way around World Showcase on the last day. Something we did notice- some 12 year olds have it made! Of course I realize there are always special circumstances, so I'm not being judgmental at all, but there were times my 7 yo would comment, "that kid in the stroller is way bigger than me, Mommy- do you think he/she is 10 yet?" Like I said, we would always comment that you never know someone's situation so maybe they had a special reason for needing it; but if you have a healthy kid, I recommend ditching the stroller and letting them be proud of themselves for being big kids. It makes getting to attractions easier and honestly, I was thankful I didn't have to navigate the crowds while being worried about taking out someone's ankles!
*Magic Bands are awesome. With very little exception, we loved the convenience and ease of use. The only time they bugged me was in MK when *EVERY* snack cart's scanner was down. We were told they were on the same wireless in the parks that guests use and that it cannot support the bandwidth of all the users at times. This made it seem like they were hoping we would pay cash for the stuff instead of using the DDP, but within 40 minutes all was rectified and we were able to get our snacks after an attraction. For FP+, room entry, charging privileges, etc, they were wonderful.
Rides:
*Prone to motion sickness people come in all shapes and sizes. I can get motion sick in the front seat of a car. However, I rode Star Tours twice and Soarin' without any troubles. I think the secret for me is that the rides that don't actually GO anywhere are okay for me. I can always close my eyes. DD has motion sickness issues also and was afraid on Soarin' but did fine. Enjoyed ST enough to want a second ride. Rode Test Track once, however, and it was nearly the apocalypse for my lunch. Never making that mistake again. LOL
*Lines- FP+ anything that is a must do. Even if you think rope drop lines won't be bad (they were not bad for us) sometimes they surprise you. There was a day we were in Epcot when Test Track had a 90 minute wait when we got there just a few minutes after RD. Also had to explain to DD that multiple rides meant taking time away from other things- but sometimes it was a must for her that we ride twice because she was afraid the first time. It never occurred to me until a couple of days in that in this scenario it made sense to standby the first time, then save the FP if she wanted a second ride. Who knows why this simple info didn't occur to my brain- I'm blaming it on the pre-Disney holiday preparation, but maybe you can save yourself some wait if you haven't thought of it either?
*The other thing about FP that I didn't understand - again, I'm probably just slow (haha)- ALL THREE FP have to expire before you can add another, and then you *CAN ONLY* add another from a kiosk, not the app. Seems simple; was kind of a tough concept for me- I was used to the old system of one being used up and being able to get another right away. Honestly I found that for our family the best bet was to just use the 3 I had already planned and then do standby for everything else. Getting to a kiosk and waiting in line only to find that anything "good" that you want is already given out for the day was kind of a bummer.
Christmas is my absolute favorite time to go to Disney and this was my mom's first trip on-property. As usual Disney DID NOT disappoint! Personally - I know you don't see people think this often- for me it is the VALUE of Disney that makes it a repeat vacation. I live in Central North Carolina. I have mountains and beaches. For less than I can spend per day to go to Myrtle Beach and do anything, I can do Disney and have my days filled with fun and activities that are paid for upfront so I don't have the worry of my ever-dwindling vacation fund. Our trip was right at $100 pp/per day for room, food, and park tickets. We spent a couple of hundred more than that total over the course of the week for "MUST HAVE" items, tips, etc- but honestly, I can't do any vacation for much less than that unless I'm willing to stay at the cheapest place in town with a free breakfast and not do much but lounge by the pool. Not saying that Disney isn't expensive, but for me, the value of what I get far outweighs the cost, especially when I budget carefully, take souvenirs from home, and use the off-season rates to my advantage.
I know there's a lot of negative stuff on here about Disney, but 24 hours post-trip, I can honestly say there is NO WAY I wouldn't go back to Disney again in a heartbeat!
Wow, that's already a lot of info- sorry to be overwhelming! Just hoping some of our experience will help others.
A few musings that might benefit someone else (hopefully!) -
Resorts:
*All Star Music was very nice. Theming was cute and personally I prefer the Disney-esque touch at the All Stars to even the moderate, more "upscale" theming. Only troubles were that I had a package delivered to the resort that was not delivered to the room in a timely manner. Took a few calls to get it, but it still was delivered on the first day we arrived. Just could've been handled a little quicker - or at least handled in the way I was promised. Other thing was that we requested close to buses, jazz section, 3rd floor. We got Broadway, 1st floor, the furthest room from buses- so room requests obviously aren't always honored. Still a great resort and nothing much to complain about at all!
*Food court was amazing! So glad to see the reburb was open when we were there as we took advantage of it a couple of times. Food was all very good- our favorite was the make-your-own-salad with salmon, chicken or beef. My dd said the mac and cheese and pizza were also good, and there were plenty of healthy options as well.
*You can get sweet tea at the resorts! I know this was a question I saw on the boards before we go and being a Southern tea fan, sweet tea was a MUST. It wasn't bad tea, either, but the dispensers kind of hide so you have to look. Also my diabetic mom found that unsweet tea was not too tough to find (only a couple of places she asked didn't have it)- but if you are looking for the PINK sweetener, pick up a couple of packs if you find it. She went to a few restaurants that only had the blue stuff (sorry I don't know the names) and the blue kind gives my mom migraines.
*Sponges with dish soap dried and cut up before the trip were invaluable for washing resort mugs! I dropped my mug's lid accidentally in the food court to the floor and was grateful for a way to wash it with some soap.
*If you're there at Christmas, consider decorating your window! We took lights and some Dollar Store window clings and got many compliments from others who noticed the decor. It doesn't take up much space to really bring some holiday cheer into the resort- both for your family and for others!
Food:
*LOVE DDP, especially when FD is in effect. CRT was my mom's favorite and she was actually tearing up being overwhelmed that we got to be there. I love the freedom of being able to order what I want, when I want, without worrying.
*Make sure you understand the way the tickets work before having a TS meal. First day there, even after 4 trips, I had to have a server re-run a ticket so I could tip her by charging it back to the room. The first ticket they bring you is the TIP. You have to fill out and sign that one before they bring you the ticket that says how many TS credits you have left. At least that was the way it worked for me. That first meal took over TWO HOURS to get everything straightened out (slow server, busy time I hess?) so it might help you to know how things work before dining.
*Favorite meals were CRT for atmosphere, Ohana for characters and service, 50's in HS was great for my mom/retro style!
*It also helped me at the end of the week to know that at the resort, they counted 2 snacks as One QS meal credit. We ended up with way too many (and still had a lot of food) and they let me pick up snacks to take home to completely use up the credits.
*World showcase - snacking "around the world" was a great activity for us, along with the Perry stamps and the international showcase holiday passport (free in the promenade gift shops). The best thing we had through the week, bar none, was the goat cheese and spinach quiche in France. I asked the server what his favorite thing was and he told me this quiche but asked if I was okay with goat cheese. Having never had it before, we decided to be adventurous and didn't regret it! The eclairs were good also, as always, and the new gelato shop was packed so assume it was great also! Runners up for best things in international showcase were the nachos in Mexico, school bread in Norway (also they had a cute Olaf cookie/marshmallow treat that dd loved) and the American Adventure QS was all very good!
Stuff:
*Packing souvenirs from home was the way to go! If you have the space, you can make a magical trip out of items found at 5 Below, Target clearance racks, or even the Dollar Store. We told my 7yo dd that each night Mickey brings "surprises" to the room for kids who behave well in the park. Each night she would race back to the resort to see what Mickey had left her. I also wrote up little notes to go with each night's "surprises" before leaving home and added those so a special note from M.M. each night was a highlight for her! (Ex: "I hope you enjoyed Hollywood Studios today- Toy Story Mania's my favorite! Get to bed because you have another big day tomorrow! Love, M.M.") The stuff I bought from home was way cheaper and sometimes better quality than some of the park stuff you buy there. Plus it made a great way to convince her quickly it was time to hit the bus for "home" instead of riding "just one more thing!"
*Stroller-free was much easier than I thought. This was our first trip sans stroller and I was afraid the complaining and whining (and blisters?) would make me want to rush for stroller rental. But honestly, the expectation was lived up to by reality. If the kid knows there's a lot of walking, they don't expect to be hauled around everywhere. I also noticed that sometimes stroller parking was seemingly a LONG way away from an attraction. Nothing like rushing right in without having to "park" anything! My 7 yo did great and did not complain ONCE about the walking, even after hiking all the way around World Showcase on the last day. Something we did notice- some 12 year olds have it made! Of course I realize there are always special circumstances, so I'm not being judgmental at all, but there were times my 7 yo would comment, "that kid in the stroller is way bigger than me, Mommy- do you think he/she is 10 yet?" Like I said, we would always comment that you never know someone's situation so maybe they had a special reason for needing it; but if you have a healthy kid, I recommend ditching the stroller and letting them be proud of themselves for being big kids. It makes getting to attractions easier and honestly, I was thankful I didn't have to navigate the crowds while being worried about taking out someone's ankles!
*Magic Bands are awesome. With very little exception, we loved the convenience and ease of use. The only time they bugged me was in MK when *EVERY* snack cart's scanner was down. We were told they were on the same wireless in the parks that guests use and that it cannot support the bandwidth of all the users at times. This made it seem like they were hoping we would pay cash for the stuff instead of using the DDP, but within 40 minutes all was rectified and we were able to get our snacks after an attraction. For FP+, room entry, charging privileges, etc, they were wonderful.
Rides:
*Prone to motion sickness people come in all shapes and sizes. I can get motion sick in the front seat of a car. However, I rode Star Tours twice and Soarin' without any troubles. I think the secret for me is that the rides that don't actually GO anywhere are okay for me. I can always close my eyes. DD has motion sickness issues also and was afraid on Soarin' but did fine. Enjoyed ST enough to want a second ride. Rode Test Track once, however, and it was nearly the apocalypse for my lunch. Never making that mistake again. LOL
*Lines- FP+ anything that is a must do. Even if you think rope drop lines won't be bad (they were not bad for us) sometimes they surprise you. There was a day we were in Epcot when Test Track had a 90 minute wait when we got there just a few minutes after RD. Also had to explain to DD that multiple rides meant taking time away from other things- but sometimes it was a must for her that we ride twice because she was afraid the first time. It never occurred to me until a couple of days in that in this scenario it made sense to standby the first time, then save the FP if she wanted a second ride. Who knows why this simple info didn't occur to my brain- I'm blaming it on the pre-Disney holiday preparation, but maybe you can save yourself some wait if you haven't thought of it either?
*The other thing about FP that I didn't understand - again, I'm probably just slow (haha)- ALL THREE FP have to expire before you can add another, and then you *CAN ONLY* add another from a kiosk, not the app. Seems simple; was kind of a tough concept for me- I was used to the old system of one being used up and being able to get another right away. Honestly I found that for our family the best bet was to just use the 3 I had already planned and then do standby for everything else. Getting to a kiosk and waiting in line only to find that anything "good" that you want is already given out for the day was kind of a bummer.
Christmas is my absolute favorite time to go to Disney and this was my mom's first trip on-property. As usual Disney DID NOT disappoint! Personally - I know you don't see people think this often- for me it is the VALUE of Disney that makes it a repeat vacation. I live in Central North Carolina. I have mountains and beaches. For less than I can spend per day to go to Myrtle Beach and do anything, I can do Disney and have my days filled with fun and activities that are paid for upfront so I don't have the worry of my ever-dwindling vacation fund. Our trip was right at $100 pp/per day for room, food, and park tickets. We spent a couple of hundred more than that total over the course of the week for "MUST HAVE" items, tips, etc- but honestly, I can't do any vacation for much less than that unless I'm willing to stay at the cheapest place in town with a free breakfast and not do much but lounge by the pool. Not saying that Disney isn't expensive, but for me, the value of what I get far outweighs the cost, especially when I budget carefully, take souvenirs from home, and use the off-season rates to my advantage.
I know there's a lot of negative stuff on here about Disney, but 24 hours post-trip, I can honestly say there is NO WAY I wouldn't go back to Disney again in a heartbeat!
Wow, that's already a lot of info- sorry to be overwhelming! Just hoping some of our experience will help others.
Interesting in that our survey post-trip didn't give us a question to detail this issue.
