Ive read the
Hidden Magic book, and as a matter of fact I was frustrated a time or two that it didn't have pictures of some stuff, but it never occurred to me to take the pics myself. Duh! Thanks so much for sharing the shot I most wanted!
My two younger girls met Merida and my two older girls met Phineas and Ferb -- there are photos and write ups in my trip report if you're interested, but basically they were all great. There was no line when we saw Phineas and Ferb, and I suspect they would have been happy to mess around with us longer, however my youngest doesn't like them so we decided it was time to move on. There was a line for Merida and she still chatted the girls up a bit, and then of course there's the opportunity to take bow and arrow in hand, which is fun.
I don't get why Animal Kingdom gets so little love, either. It's my youngest's favorite park, and I really like it, but everybody else likes Hollywood Studios better.
I most want to stay in Bay Lake Towers, but I know some of that is just because I've been dreaming about staying in the Contemporary literally since it opened, and AKL looks way cool, plus I owe my youngest, so it's at the top of our list for next time.
But, really, I'd be happy with Saratoga Springs. Overall, that's the resort we all like best. I don't think it's anyone's favorite, but everyone who has visited there likes it a lot. I just wish it had bigger units! *sigh* That's the only thing I have against it, and really we'd be fine there, but their two bedrooms are really small, IMHO. That's my main gripe with DVC. That and the fact that none of the dining room tables have enough chairs for my crew. And the ridiculous small balconies.
Okay, that's one of my main gripes about DVC.
Love, love, love the resorts -- the units, not so much, some of them. I need to tell my two oldest children to fend for themselves, then the 2 BRs would be a better size for us.