WDW 2014 Report, detailed, pictures

[MinnieMallons]

I thought I would take the time to write a detailed report of our trip to WDW in May 2014. To give people an insight into what we enjoyed and also to let me run back through all the amazing memories. I'll include pictures and it might take me a few days/weeks to write the full review. I had so much helpful information from this forum I thought I'd give something back.

I visited WDW and DL once each when I was a child. My wife had not and has always wanted to go to WDW and stay on site.

We chose to go to WDW for two weeks starting 1st May 2014, as after reading as much info as I could I find this seemed a quiet period with good weather.

We chose a studio at Saratoga Springs, which was on offer at the time. We were looking at Moderate resorts prior to the SSR offer appearing. As SSR is a Deluxe resort it meant that our free Disney Dining Plan was included a table service meal.

Our plan was to have a lot of table service meals so the included dining plan upgrade made a high difference to our outlay.

We flew with Virgin airlines from Manchester and used the Magic Express to reach WDW. Our outgoing flight was delayed, but apart from that the flight was good. The return journey was a different matter as our seats were moved and we were sat in the centre row with a very large couple, one of whom spilled over into half of my wife seat, making the journey very unpleasant.

We arrived at SSR late evening. On checking in I heard it said that our room was a 1 bed villa. I asked if I heard correctly, fearing that I would be given a large upgrade bill at the end of our stay. I was told that for some reason we had been upgraded from the Studio but that there was not charge.

I had used the Garden Grocer service, which was waiting for us at the entrance and was taken to our room by hotel staff. We were so tired, we just unpacked and went to bed.

The 1 bed villa was huge for two people and we loved staying there. But for us as a couple I don't think I'd pay the extra for it above a Studio. But complementary, it was amazing. We stayed in the Paddock building at the North end of the lake. This was great for the bus services as it was right next to the Carousel bus stop, meaning the buses are never full and if you saw that you'd just missed the bus and were quick you could walk round to the Springs stop to catch it after it looped round the complex.

I put a great deal of time and thought into planning what we would do and the order in which we would do it. My wife didn't want to see photographs of WDW or know too much about what was there, so that it was all an amazing surprise. The only thing we chose together were the restaurants, from the descriptions in a Disney Dining book and what I'd found online.

I took advice and decided to visit the parks in a certain order. Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and then Magic Kingdom. I would highly recommend this approach.

In the preparation for our visit we became fans of the DisneyBound blog. You might notice that the majority of the outfits we wore were related to characters or the theme of the restaurant or park we were visiting.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 1 - Epcot

We eat our first of many bounty platters at the Artists Pallet in SSR. We arrived at Epcot around 1pm.

Unfortunately it rained heavily, but we made the most of the day as it was quiet at Epcot. We bought ponchos and a hooded Minnie jumper and were able to walk onto most rides in World Showcase and used FastPass bookings for Soarin.

I had booked rides for each of our days in the parks and although this took a lot of planning prior to out trip I was really impressed with the Magic Bands and App which I had installed on my mobile phone. It was very simple to change fast pass times if you changed your mind.

We only found out part way through our trip that once you've used your allocated Fast Passes you can make another at a kiosk in the park. Once this has expired you can then make another. This worked really well for extra rides later in the day.

We had booked to eat at Coral Reef, this being one of my fondest memories from my visit as a child.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 2 - Outlet Village

It had been our intention to visit Animal Kingdom on our second day. However, due to continued bad weather we opted to rearrange our days (rides and restaurants) and visit the Premium Outlet.

We caught the buses to Animal Kingdom Lodge for the Breakfast Buffet at Boma. I cannot recommend this highly enough. It costs one table service credit but I like a lion king, as the photographs of my portions show. The African inspired menu is amazing, but there are still classic american breakfast items as well.

We took a cab to the outlet and then back to SSR. I wouldn't recommend the outlet unless you want something specific, such as Levis. As the prices are similar to those in the UK and the taxi fare exceeds any savings you might make. Maybe if you're a high fashion brand buyer you might pick up some bargains.

We changed at the hotel and then set out for Epcot for a booking at Restaurant Marakesh. The food was excellent and there was live music and belly-dancing.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 3 - Hollywood Studios

We began our Sunday with the Gospel Brunch at House of Blues. The buffet selection was amazing (I still dream of that bacon) and the music was great. From there we caught the bus to HWS.

May 4th Be With You. Had to visit HWS on this day and it didn't disappoint, with loads of Star Wars activities going on. Used fast pass on Toy Story, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. We ate at the Sci-Fi Diner, which is a really unique experience and I'd definitely return. We then ran and just made it in time for Fantasia. I cannot express enough how good this show was, mainly because you are seated and all the action goes on right in front of you.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 4 - Animal Kingdom

Arrived at the park for opening and our reservation at Donalds Safari Breakfast at Tusker House. The buffet selection was similar to Boma, which means it was amazing. The service was excellent and as we were a couple alone, the staff had no problems in taking pictures of us with the characters. Daisy was a big fan of my wife's safari dress.

I took advice to book the African Safari towards the end of the day as the animals are more active when it cools down.

We started the day with the Jungle Trek and we were very lucky to see one of the Tiger's walk by the fountain, as they sleep for the majority of the day. The staff at the enclosures are very happy to talk to you about the animals and are very knowledgeable.
We then hopped on the train to Planet Watch, then back and rode 'it's tough to be a bug' (a fun ride and nice to cool down in the middle of the day). Then got really cooled down on the rapids (FastPass). We got absolutely soaked to the bone, but it's just pot luck which seat you are sat in Stopped for Mickey ices, watched Flights of Wonder, then on to all the rides in Dino Land before heading back to Asia to watch the Parade.
We left it quite late and the route was packed. We managed to get a spot near the cocktail stand outside Flights of Wonder. This was our first parade of the holiday and we loved every minute of it like a pair of little kids. The cast member who was keeping the walkways clear came over to us at the end to say that we had enjoyed it more than anyone he's ever seen.
We then went on Everest and the African Safari (both Fastpass), before a late stroll around the Pangani Forest Trail.

We reached Flame Tree Barbacue at 5:30pm, which was officially closing time. Got our meals and sat by the lakeside looking over towards Everest. The place was deserted and it was so amazing to be in the park as it quietened down.

Animal Kingdom has quiet a different feel to the other Disney Parks as you are quite enclosed and can never see very far into the distance. So you feel lost in the kingdom in a wonderful way.

We headed back to the hotel, relaxed and got an early night in preparation for the Magic Kingdom.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 5 - Magic Kingdom

The bounty platter got us going for an early start. We arrived at MK around 45 minutes before opening and enjoyed chatting with the other visitors gathering around the entrance. The train arrived and the gates opened

We entered the park and my idea of getting to some of the main attractions before they got busy faded as we just enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere on main street, walking through the castle and onto the carousel. We stayed around the left hand side of the park for the morning and then got the train back to the main entrance to leave the park around 15:00pm to go back to the hotel, shower/change and be back for our reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table at 17:45. We received many compliments on our attire from visitors and cast members. The food in the castle was amazing and we really enjoyed meeting the princesses.

After a lap on the Liberty Square River Boat at dusk we rode the Haunted Mansion before finding a bench to stand on near the river boat launch and watched the light parade. We then made our way over the bridge into the area in front of the castle (just in time as they closed the bridge to further visitors behind us). The projection show onto the front of the castle was the most impressive sight I saw the whole holiday. That followed by the firework show was the perfect end to the day.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 6 - Universal Studios

We arranged travel from WDW through Mears Taxis, who were very professional. We arrived close to park opening and collected our tickets and Express Passes. The park was really quiet for the first hour and a half. If you planned to do all the really popular rides within this time you could avoid the need for an Express Pass. We had them and didn't have to wait in line for anything all day.
We went on pretty much every ride in the park. It was strange to see part of London being built on the former Jaws site. It was wonderful going back to E.T. after remembering it from my childhood and strange riding the Simpsons ride, which was Back to Future last time I rode it. We stopped for a Lard Lad ice cream doughnut and then made the mistake of having a burger at Mels Diner, not recommended and meant that we were so full we had to cancel our table at Hard Rock that evening.

We rang and got an earlier Mears taxi bak to SSR, where we went for a swim and watched Lilo and Stich on the big screen.

 

[MrsForeverEeyore]

Wow, what a fantastic upgrade! We've dreamed of staying in a 1 bdrm!
Boma for breakfast sounds great, too. Enjoying your pics; can't wait to read more.

 

[awalker1015]

Really enjoying your trip report and photos!!

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 7 - Epcot

We donned our Flower Festival inspired outfits and headed for our first full day in Epcot. We ate at the hotel and arrived at opening. We concentrated on the rides in Future World using our fastpasses.

At midday we headed for lunch at Boulangerie Patisserie in France and then had a lazy walk round the world showcase looking at the shops and trying different food and drink, saw the spirit of America fife and drum corps. We then headed back for a go on Soarin and see the last few attractions in Innovations West and a drink at club cool before heading back out into the heat and over to Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club. We didn't want to overdo it so ordered one iceream between us and some pink lemonade. A party of brave souls were having the kitchen sink on the table next to us.

We walked around the Boardwalk and back into Epcot. In the morning we hadn't ridden Mission Space so we went there on our way out of the park. The build-up was a bit intense, with all the warning making my wife worry. The final straw was the sight of a sick bag in front of her seat and she asked to leave the ride before it set off. I enjoyed it but maybe avoid if you get motion sickness or have just eaten an icream the size of your head as we had.

We left the park around 17:00 and headed back to the hotel to relax, change and then head via Animal Kingdom to the Lodge for our 20:00 booking at Jiko.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 7 Evening - Jiko

The food and wine at Jiko were amazing and the service was impeccable. We chose to eat the most African inspired items on the menu and drank a gorgeous bottle of African red wine.

The dining at Jiko was definitely the most upmarket which we encountered on our stay. We had drinks before the meal, breads, a full three courses, bottle of wine, coffee and a liqueur. It was expensive even when using two dining credits each, but I feel it was worth it for the experience.

Unfortunately, a very loud obnoxious family arrived in the part of the restaurant we were seated in just as we finished our entree. I discretely asked that we be moved before our desert arrived and this was not a problem for the staff. It enabled me to enjoy the rest of what for us was an incredibly expensive meal.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 8 - Magic Kingdom

Ear's on, bounty breakfast in the tummy and on our way to the Kindom arriving just after opening. We mainly spent the day in Fantasy Land and Tomorrow Land. They were filming an episode of Good Morning America in the park and we managed to get a wave out of Mickey as we stood in the background. The fully functioning characters with moving mouths, eyes and in the case of Donald his hat, were a great sight.

We went first to Enchanted Tales with Belle using fastpass. This was a really enjoyable and different experience, plus I got to play a knight I think we rode almost every ride in Fantasy and Tomorrow Lands during the day.

We ate lunch at Gastons. The Lamb Shank and Cinammon Roll were huge (as expected) and plenty for two.

We enjoyed a good look around the shops on Main Street before headed back to the hotel around 15:00, to get changed and then come back to MK for our 18:00 reservation at Be Our Guest.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 8 - Be Our Guest

The interior of the restaurant was very impressive and I particularly liked the dark wing of the castle which housed the rose and the fact that the Beast was there to meet guests. He even got down on one knee and proposed to my wife, the cheeky Beast!

We rode Under the Sea as we'd missed it earlier in the day and it's a small world (just because we love it) and then watched the fireworks from a different perspective in Fantasy Land before taking a spin in the dark on the Astro Orbiter.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 9 - Typhoon Lagoon and Downtown Disney

We had planned this day in the middle of the holiday to relax. We had a lie in and then breakfast at the hotel. We took the boat from the dock at Saratoga Springs over to Downtown Disney and from there caught the coach to Typhoon Lagoon, arriving around midday.

We had a great time on the rides and the lines were pretty quick considering is was a Saturday. We got quick service meals from Typhoon Tilly's and found sun loungers to lie on easily. The wave machine is as good as I remember from being a child. We stayed at the park till closing and then made our way back to DTD and on the boat to SSR.

We changed and made our way back on the boat for our evening meal at 20:00 in DTD. I have had a dinosaur obsession my whole life and could not go to WDW without making a visit to the Dinosaur restaurant. Downtown Disney was buzzing with people which gave it a really nice atmosphere compared to our morning visits when it was deserted.

We were still able to use our dining plan here. The food was nothing to write home about but the portions were huge. One meal between two would have been plenty, but we had our DDP points to use. I loved the restaurant and the experience itself.

Following the meal we strolled around DTD looking at the shops and then walked back to the hotel past the main bus terminal.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 10 - Grand Floridian

We had a late get up and then on the coach to MK and the monorail on to the Grand Floridian for 14:00.

We are huge fans of afternoon tea and couldn't miss the opportunity to enjoy the Grand Floridian Hotel. This is not part of the Dining Plan and has to be paid for separately.

The food was excellent as was the atmosphere, although the service was a slight disappointment considering the lavish surroundings. Although I am comparing to English hotels we've visited such as Claridge's.

We loved the hotel and stayed for a few hours listening to the band play in the main lobby. We also met Lynn, who is known is referred to as 'The Teddy Bear Lady' by some who do not know her. We initially thought that she was a cast member due to her amazing period outfit, wig and suitcase adorned with feather boas and teddy bears. It turns out that she visits the hotel almost every day to listen to the music and has done so for many years with her husband. Following his passing in 2007 she still visits the hotel to listen to the music. She was a lovely lady who clearly enjoyed Disney's magic everyday.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 10 - Epcot

We had intentionally left our afternoon free to see what we felt like doing in the evening and whether we wanted to spend the remainer of the day in our formal outfits and shoes. Not ideal for the heat or trekking around the parks.

We went to board the monorail and I decided it might be nice to ride the monorail to Epcot and then take a coach back to the hotel. However; after getting of the monorail and arriving at Epcot we couldn't resist but to go into the park.

We strolled around the World Showcase and met with Alice, who was very impressed that we were 'Dressed for Tea'

We felt like staying in Epcot for our evening meal and managed to get an outdoor table at Via Napoli in Italy, it was hot and other guests were opting for indoor seating. We had a wonderful meal, sharing a huge pizza and bottle of Presecco before finishing up with ice cream.

I had read that a good spot to view the fireworks was from the bridge at the waters edge in Italy. So we headed there in good time and ended up having a great chat with some other park guests. IllumiNations was excellent and we had a great spot to see everything from the bridge. A great ending to an impromptu visit to Epcot.

 

[gacallaghan]

Loved reading your trip review. My boyfriend and I are thinking about going for afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian. He's never had afternoon tea. I've been to many places including the Ritz. We'll be staying at CBR so were going to head to GF during the afternoon of our MK day. Do you think its worth the effort? I'm thinking it would be nice to look around a deluxe resort nonetheless...

P.S. love your wife's pink polka dot dress!

 

[MinnieMallons]

Hi Amy,

We really enjoyed visiting the other hotels at WDW and seeing the detail has has gone into creating the deluxe resorts especially is amazing. I would definitely recommend visiting the Grand Floridian, especially as it is so close to MK and accessible via the monorail. Try to time your visit for when the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra are playing in the lobby. If you love afternoon tea I would recommend you go for it there. It would make a lovely relaxing break from MK park during the middle of the day.

Although it is much further out of the way, I would also highly recommend that you visit Animal Kingdom Lodge if you can. The lobby there is incredible and you can watch the animals in the resorts grounds. You could tie in a visit there with breakfast or an evening meal at Boma's buffet (we did both!). It would make for a lovely end to a long day at the Animal Kingdom Park as its easily accessible on the coaches.

When we went for our Boma breakfast we chose to pay for the meal, rather than use our dining credits as we were having more table service meals on our stay than we had credits and due to is relatively low cost, it was more effective to save our credits for other meals.

Glad you like my wife's pink dress. The white dots are actually small silhouettes of ladys dancing. The dress was from People Tree here in the UK.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 11 - Hollywood Studios

Our first visit to HS had been focussed on the Streets of America and Echo Lake areas on the left and back of the park.

On our second visit to HS we focussed on the Hollywood and Sunset boulevards and Animation sections of the park, including the big name rides using FastPass Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster, Great Movie Ride as well as the more slow paced One Mans Dream, Little Mermaid and beauty and the beast.

We ate lunch at Prime Time Cafe as we wanted to try some traditional American classics. It was a really different and fun experience with the cast members treating you like children at the kitchen table. It was great how much time they were able to have to interact with you. Anyone who doesn't fancy going for a meal there, I'd still recommend going into the bar area which is set out like retro lounges.

One regret I have is that I never could quite make room for one of the carrot cake cookies from The Writer's Stop, which I had been told to try. They did look amazing.

We spent a lot of the day just wandering through the park and soaking up the atmosphere. We had arrived at the park at opening (9am) and left around 5pm, back to the hotel to change and head out for our evening meal.

 

[MinnieMallons]

Day 11 - Ohana

We had decided to take the coach from SSR to MK and then catch a boat across the lake to the Polynesian for our 20:00 reservation at Ohana.

I wasn't expecting the treat which we were actually in for. As I boarded the boat complemented the captain on how beautifully it was maintained. He replied, I'll tell you a story about this boat when we are under way. The boat's name was 'Explorer' and it is only used on rare occasions. It was the boat which Walt Disney would have arrived on at the Magic Kingdom on its official opening day. Unfortunately Walt died before the park had been constructed. It was a real honour to be able to take a ride on this boat and it made you appreciate the view of the Magic Kingdom and Lake resorts even more.

We had timed our meal at Ohana to be able to enjoy the firework display at MK, as you can see it from across the lake. We were very lucky and were given a table at the far end of the restaurant with a view out of the windows across to MK. The fireworks look spectacular, even from this distance.

As with all of the buffet type meals we had at Disney, the amount of food available was incredible. It is served to your table in stages so you need to pace yourself The food was as good as ever and it was great to try some different dishes we'd never had before. The meat is cooked over an open fire and the bread pudding is to die for. If you ask the cast members they will even give you a flower necklace to get you in the mood! I was given a birthday cupcake as the cast member noticed that I had gone up when the entertainer had called out for anyone who had a birthday soon

The restaurant had a real family atmosphere, with an entertainer getting people up to dance and children trying to sweep a coconut around the restaurant floor. It was great fun, but might not be the best if you were hoping for a romantic meal for two.