You Get a Suite! You Get a Suite! Everybody Gets a Suite! December 2023 Trip Report! (RL Update 9/26!!)

[Wood Nymph]

The food was ok, but I don’t think we would come back unless it was for another dining package and it was the only thing we could get. It’s kinda a bummer, I remember absolutely loving this place in the 90s, but either my tastes have changed, or the quality of the food has gone down (or perhaps both).

We've dined here twice. The first time was about 20 years ago, and the food was very good. The second time was 8 years ago, and the food wasn't good at all. Coral Reef is on our "never again" list.

Also, random aside, would anyone be interested in a throwback TR? It would mostly be pictures, but my mom has been sending me old photos from past trips, and not only am I loving the old fashion (and omg the 90s angsty/grunge me ), but it’s also kind of fascinating to see how things have changed over the years.

I would love to see them. I am guessing that you are about the same age as one of our daughters, and it would be fun to go down memory lane.

 

[Woth2982]

I had considered getting the clam chowder, but being from just outside of Boston, I have little faith in non-New England places being able to make a good one

Also from Boston and have the same issues with Chowder. I made the mistake of getting it at the Cheesecake factory once, it was basically white soup. Chowder should be creamy! I always make sure to ask if it is thick or soupy, if they say thick I will give it a try. Yacht Club had a decent chowder years ago. I don't know if they still have it.

The food was ok, but I don’t think we would come back unless it was for another dining package and it was the only thing we could get. It’s kinda a bummer, I remember absolutely loving this place in the 90s, but either my tastes have changed, or the quality of the food has gone down (or perhaps both).

I don't love Coral Reef. I don't love sea food to start with, and the steak I got there was kinda rubbery. I have not been since 2012 when I had the cruddy steak. I definitely agree with your assessment. Dinner package for CP I could deal with it, but would not be my first choice.

hey all wanted to talk to each other and ended up yelling over us to have their conversations.

This is so rude. I get it and I don't at the same time. Like how about for dinner, just talk to the people you are with and if something is important to say get up and talk to the person.

Also, random aside, would anyone be interested in a throwback TR?

I LOVE throwback photos of Disney! This would be fun to follow.

 

[VAtink]

Yes!

Haha, this seems like the popular response! Guess it's time to start scanning in old pictures!

 

[VAtink]

Please do the throwback report and pictures. My family has been going every year since 1994 and I am not much of a picture taker. O would love to reminisce with your photos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha, will do! I'm excited to post these old photos, it's so cool seeing retro Disney!

 

[VAtink]

I'd love to see your retro pictures! Getting a candlelight package was really hard last year. I wound up at Spice Road Table because that was literally all that was available for John Stamos. Disney is so frustrating in that they basically force us into the early planning with park reservations, dining etc. but then don't follow their own rules and give all the info/tools needed in order to fully plan. For example, we're getting close to 60 days from the start of Food & Wine and know nothing.

Great! I'll start getting the pictures scanned in, it's fun to see how much has changed over the years.

Booking Candlelight last year was a pain, the only options that ever came up for me was Akershus and Coral Reef, and Akershus was only breakfast which didn't work with our plans. So frustrating!

And yes, how have they not released anything yet for F&W!?? I feel like pre-pandemic we knew about the special events and food by the end of June, it seems they are super late this year....

 

[VAtink]

We've dined here twice. The first time was about 20 years ago, and the food was very good. The second time was 8 years ago, and the food wasn't good at all. Coral Reef is on our "never again" list.

Yeah, we weren't impressed this time. I guess the quality has gone downhill over the years, it's unfortunate since it is such a cool place to eat!

I would love to see them. I am guessing that you are about the same age as one of our daughters, and it would be fun to go down memory lane.

Awesome! Just got started scanning them in, cannot wait to start posting them!

 

[VAtink]

Also from Boston and have the same issues with Chowder. I made the mistake of getting it at the Cheesecake factory once, it was basically white soup. Chowder should be creamy! I always make sure to ask if it is thick or soupy, if they say thick I will give it a try. Yacht Club had a decent chowder years ago. I don't know if they still have it.

Yes, so many places just don't know how to make it properly! I don't think I've ever tried the chowder at the YC, next time we eat there I'll have to try it if it's on the menu!

I don't love Coral Reef. I don't love sea food to start with, and the steak I got there was kinda rubbery. I have not been since 2012 when I had the cruddy steak. I definitely agree with your assessment. Dinner package for CP I could deal with it, but would not be my first choice.

It really wasn't great, it's unfortunate we really used to love it, but things definitely seemed to have changed over the years.

This is so rude. I get it and I don't at the same time. Like how about for dinner, just talk to the people you are with and if something is important to say get up and talk to the person.

Right?!? I feel like some people are just so clueless these days and don't realize they're being rude.

I LOVE throwback photos of Disney! This would be fun to follow.

Ok awesome, just started scanning in the pictures so will get started on that soon!

 

[Stacybaeasm]

First - yes to the throwback report. I can't WAIT to see you all angsty and 90's.
Second - yum to your dad's drink. I do LOVE a pina colava. In fact, as I saw the picture and before you said what it was, I was just like - I NEED that drink.
Third - while I am sorry about your mediocre experience at Coral Reef, I'm glad to hear about it. I have put this on and off my list to try many times. I don't eat seafood (so that's always been a drawback) but I thought I should experience this restaurant at least once. Now, I've put it on my nope never list.

 

[VAtink]

Alright everyone, I started a throwback trip report! Please bear with me while I get this set up, I just started scanning in photos so it'll take a little while, but I'm so excited to share all these retro Disney memories!

You can find the TR here: The 90s weren't that long ago, right?...Throwback Trip Reports!

 

[VAtink]

First - yes to the throwback report. I can't WAIT to see you all angsty and 90's.

Oh yay! I just started the report! I'm so excited to share all these old photos, it's way too much fun going through all of them.

Second - yum to your dad's drink. I do LOVE a pina colava. In fact, as I saw the picture and before you said what it was, I was just like - I NEED that drink.

Haha, this actually was a really good drink, and my dad loved it!

Third - while I am sorry about your mediocre experience at Coral Reef, I'm glad to hear about it. I have put this on and off my list to try many times. I don't eat seafood (so that's always been a drawback) but I thought I should experience this restaurant at least once. Now, I've put it on my nope never list.

Thanks, yeah it was a disappointment. It's too bad since we really did used to love it, but sadly things just went downhill.

 

[VAtink]

Hello everyone! So I have some kind of bad news. Today I came home from work, tried to turn on my laptop, and nothing. It's completely dead. UGHHHH. And bad news for this TR because all my pictures and the next few updates were on there!

Yes, I panicked, not just because of this TR, but because I'm an idiot and haven't backed up that laptop in like two months, so there is so much on it I need and can't get to at the moment. The good news is there is a computer repair place just down the street from me, so hopefully they have time to take my laptop tomorrow and see if they can fix it, and if not, they should be able to at least get all my files off.

So not the end of the world, but it will mean a delay in updating this TR and my throwback report as well (and I'm so annoyed, I spent last week scanning SO many pictures that are now trapped on that laptop!).

I'm honestly not all that surprised it finally died. It actually lasted a lot longer than I expected. I got it in 2020, and about 2-3 days after getting it, I stupidly placed a glass of wine on the table next to it and left for a second to get something, meanwhile my dog walked by, and not knowing that he has a tail or a nose, ended up knocking over the glass RIGHT onto the laptops keyboard. So the fact it lasted for four years after that is pretty impressive to me!

It also was starting to show signs of problems (another reason I'm SO mad at myself for not backing up recently). Lately the battery would drain in 5-10 minutes from a full charge, so I think the battery finally just went. So maybe I can get that replaced and get a bit more life out of it, but if it's thousands to replace, I might as well just buy a new laptop (and spoiler alert my mom is buying me a new one for my birthday after my panicked call this afternoon, so guess it doesn't matter at this point!)

So yeah, not the happiest update, but at least I have a plan, and a new birthday present! Hopefully I can get my files rescued in the next day or two so I can get back to updating this trip report! ​

 

[mickey916]

Hello everyone! So I have some kind of bad news. Today I came home from work, tried to turn on my laptop, and nothing. It's completely dead. UGHHHH. And bad news for this TR because all my pictures and the next few updates were on there!

Yes, I panicked, not just because of this TR, but because I'm an idiot and haven't backed up that laptop in like two months, so there is so much on it I need and can't get to at the moment. The good news is there is a computer repair place just down the street from me, so hopefully they have time to take my laptop tomorrow and see if they can fix it, and if not, they should be able to at least get all my files off.

So not the end of the world, but it will mean a delay in updating this TR and my throwback report as well (and I'm so annoyed, I spent last week scanning SO many pictures that are now trapped on that laptop!).

I'm honestly not all that surprised it finally died. It actually lasted a lot longer than I expected. I got it in 2020, and about 2-3 days after getting it, I stupidly placed a glass of wine on the table next to it and left for a second to get something, meanwhile my dog walked by, and not knowing that he has a tail or a nose, ended up knocking over the glass RIGHT onto the laptops keyboard. So the fact it lasted for four years after that is pretty impressive to me!

It also was starting to show signs of problems (another reason I'm SO mad at myself for not backing up recently). Lately the battery would drain in 5-10 minutes from a full charge, so I think the battery finally just went. So maybe I can get that replaced and get a bit more life out of it, but if it's thousands to replace, I might as well just buy a new laptop (and spoiler alert my mom is buying me a new one for my birthday after my panicked call this afternoon, so guess it doesn't matter at this point!)

So yeah, not the happiest update, but at least I have a plan, and a new birthday present! Hopefully I can get my files rescued in the next day or two so I can get back to updating this trip report! ​

Hope you get everything back soon!

 

[Wood Nymph]

It is everyone's nightmare.

I hope the computer people can get your info back again.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

Ugg...computer issues. My Facebook memories have been showing me that about 12 years ago, I was going through the same thing. I'm so sorry. I hope they can rescue your stuff. (And thanks for the back up reminder. I haven't copied to my backup drive since October. Doing that first thing Monday.)

 

[Keladry84]

Oh no! I’m sorry to hear about your laptop!

It does sound like it’s most likely a power issue (easily fixed) If it’s more severe, unless the failure specifically affected your harddrive, it should be fairly easy for the computer tech people to rescue your data. They could transfer the hard to a different laptop, and/or turn it into an external data drive. Crossing fingers it’s not an expensive fix for you!

 

[VAtink]

Popping in with some good news today! I was able to get the files off my computer!!!!

Phew, what a relief! And now I can continue with this TR, wahoo!

So as amazingly stressful as yesterday was, things turned around today. My computer is still dead, but I'm getting a new one, and I have my files, so I'm a happy camper.

Also, my mom reminded me that this exact thing happened to me back in college, and it was MUCH worse then. So much worse that I seem to have banished it from my memory. I was about two weeks from the end of the year, and about a week before my thesis was due, and similar to yesterday, my computer just would not turn on. And of course my entire thesis was on that computer.

Let me tell you, absolutely NO ONE needs that kind of stress in their life!

There was a lot of crying, screaming, and I'm pretty sure I passed out for a bit, before my roommate dragged me to the computer center on campus to see what they could do. Thankfully they were able to recover my thesis and most of my other files (refused to recover any music since they assumed it was all downloaded illegally). Similar to now, my computer was just dead, which was a bit frustrating since I had to use the computers in the computer lab to finish my thesis and the lab was loud, but I got it done and graduated! Funny enough, my friend who was a year below me told me the following year the professors used my thesis as a guiding example of what to do, so apparently even with that stress and less than ideal working conditions I did ok!

Anyways, I'll be updating this TR either later today or this weekend. Can't wait to get back into it!

 

[VAtink]

Alright, I totally failed at updating this TR this weekend. Ooops!

I have a good excuse though, other than that whole computer dying thing. We ended up spending a lot of time this weekend working through the next few years of Disney trips (like a LOT of time, pretty sure it was a 2.5 hour conversation on Sunday)! We're trying to get the most out of the APs, and we plan to keep them for two years, so lots of Disney trips are being planned!

So far we have the following trips planned:
2024 Sept/Oct trip
2025 FArts trip in January
2025 birthday trip in June (debating dates still)
2025 F&W Sept trip
2025 December trip (can't wait to book, come on Disney release December please!!!)
2026 April trip to bring my dad back
2026 summer trip, haven't decided on month yet.
2026 Sept F&W trip (which in theory will be our last AP trip ...unless we get sucked in and renew!)

In addition we're looking at a tentative short trip next April, but we're still debating that (might end up being a solo trip for me). I'm also trying to sneak a Disney cruise in there as well, but we'll see, those are expensive and we're running out of money with all these other trips planned!
I'm so excited, just think of all the new trip reports over the next few years!

Anyways, I'll try to get a new update to this TR posted this week!

 

[precious pixie]

Sounds like the perfect Sunday Funday! I’m so excited for all the trip reports I imagine all that planning on Sunday took the sting out of your laptop situation (at least for a bit).

 

[Wood Nymph]

We're trying to get the most out of the APs, and we plan to keep them for two years, so lots of Disney trips are being planned!

So far we have the following trips planned:
2024 Sept/Oct trip

AP's are very addictive because they are so easy to justify.

We have an upcoming trip Sept 29-Oct 3rd at the YC.

 

[KPeterso]

Those APs are addictive! You will want to just continue them. We will be there 9/13 - 9/26 at AKV this year.