My only three disappointments from recent trip

[starjazz]

I have to say that after a week with 10 of us in two cabins including 3 under 5 yo, I am thoroughly impressed by Disney. The customer service we experienced was second to none. They really do make it feel magical and we had an AWESOME trip.

My only three complaints were as follows from least important to most significant:

1. We found it tough to find much for kids other than chicken nuggets, and generally the food options werent very good. Maybe we needed to look harder.

2. What happened to Illuminations? I remembered this being a great show with tons of cool laser light effects and dancing lights on each country's building, projections on water sprays, etc. It was mot worth waiting for 9:30 to see in my opinion.

3. Worst off all...whats with the horrible poo water coming out of the tap down there? Blech!

Caveat=minor complaints on an overall fantastic time 2/5-2/12.

 

[minnie mum]

Shouldn't that be Pooh water? You mean it was even worse than the usual stench and taste?

 

[RocketEAR99]

I don't know what to say about your first grievance, but as for IllumiNations, I noticed that they cut out parts of the show at certain times of year. I guess for maintenance? All I know is one time I went down there, the inferno barge wasn't spewing any fire at all, but the rest of the effects were going strong.

As to the tap water, yeah, I never drink it.

 

[momto3gr8boys]

Illuminations was changed in 2000, and I swear I could tolerate tap water in Orlando before that date as well, but not anymore! Is it safe to assume you haven't been in a decade or so?

 

[worm761]

My only three complaints were as follows from least important to most significant:

1. We found it tough to find much for kids other than chicken nuggets, and generally the food options werent very good. Maybe we needed to look harder.

Just out of curiosity, did you look at menus before you went? There is plenty of variety but your kid has to like the food offered and you have to know where to go. Where did you eat?

 

[MHSweb79]

What happened to Illuminations? I remembered this being a great show with tons of cool laser light effects and dancing lights on each country's building, projections on water sprays, etc. It was not worth waiting for 9:30 to see in my opinion.

My DH and I could not agree more. The newfangled show with the giant expanding earth does nothing for us.

 

[maxiesmom]

You can find variety for kid's meals, but you do have to look for it. If you go back, check the menus before you go. You can find things like steak and salmon and salads.

Illuminations changed to the globe version many years ago. I do think the globe part goes on for too long, but I love the music and the fireworks at the end are awesome!

Florida water always has that sulfur smell and taste. Drink packets work wonders on it. Or just stick with bottled water.

 

[World Showcaser]

Just out of curiosity, did you look at menus before you went? There is plenty of variety but your kid has to like the food offered and you have to know where to go. Where did you eat?

I have to agree with the OP on this one. We've been planning our trip and have been having a hard time finding restaurants that offer a decent kid's menu. Most of them are pretty terrible, offering things like chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and PB&J. And if that`s what the kids are eating at lunch as well, why expect them to eat this at dinner? Even at the restaurants where you can get one more interesting kid's option, each just one. So basically they can choose it or chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and PB&J.

Are there families that actually eat this small variety at home? Our kids eat for dinner what we cook for the whole family and it would never be these things.

Anyway, we went with The Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, Be Our Guest, 50s Prime Time Cafe, Tony's Town Square, San Angel Inn, and Tusker House. However, I don`t think you should have to choose a restaurant based on the options it offers on the kid`s menu. I think each restaurant should have a couple of options that are more sophisticated.

 

[dadddio]

I have to agree with the OP on this one. We've been planning our trip and have been having a hard time finding restaurants that offer a decent kid's menu. Most of them are pretty terrible, offering things like chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and PB&J. And if that`s what the kids are eating at lunch as well, why expect them to eat this at dinner? Even at the restaurants where you can get one more interesting kid's option, each just one. So basically they can choose it or chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and PB&J.

Are there families that actually eat this small variety at home? Our kids eat for dinner what we cook for the whole family and it would never be these things.

The same goes for our kids. Generally how we deal with it is we order an adult meal and split it between our two preschoolers.

That being said, I think that it does pay to know what the restaurants serve when deciding where you want to eat. Some restaurants have pretty good kids menus; some don't.

 

[starjazz]

Its definiyely been kore than a decade for us being down there. I just didnt know why the Illuminations show would be so much worse when everything else semed so much better. I mean, Wishes and Fantasmic were WAY better, and after seeing those at 800 pm, I wont keep my little ones up to catch the snoozefest that was Illuminations.

As for food, yeah, we didnt shop around. We generally tried to eat somewhere near where we were when everyone got hungry. But, for example, even in CRT, for that money, kids should have more choices than pizza or nuggets.

Again, minor things, but just thought id share thoughts.

To balance that out, I'll share an experience of outstanding service. One day, we lost the key to our golf cart. We were told thatd run us $15 when we rented it. When we called the front desk to see about a replacement, they asked where we had parked the cart. Then, five mins later rolled up with our cart and the replacement key, handed it over and said "have a nice day!". Now thats what Im talking about!

 

[maxiesmom]

As for food, yeah, we didnt shop around. We generally tried to eat somewhere near where we were when everyone got hungry. But, for example, even in CRT, for that money, kids should have more choices than pizza or nuggets.

It is kind of funny that you comment about that food being boring. The new Be Our Guest restaurant has kids food that is NOT nuggets and pizza, and many posters are up in arms about that! Just shows that it really can pay off to look at menus ahead of time (and pray they don't change them on you!)

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

It is kind of funny that you comment about that food being boring. The new Be Our Guest restaurant has kids food that is NOT nuggets and pizza, and many posters are up in arms about that! Just shows that it really can pay off to look at menus ahead of time (and pray they don't change them on you!)

Haha! Guess you can't please everybody!!!

 

[starjazz]

Yeah, mine are the type that would have preferred the BOG menu. It was just impossible to get into when we were there. Well, not impossible, but really long waits.

 

[sharadoc]

I don't like to watch Illuminations any more either, having been through the "glory days".

For those who didn't see the old version, it was basically a show that spotlighted each country individually with large lights that would all point towards one building at a time. Get it - Illumi-Nations" LOL.

Then the lights outlining that country's building would pulse along to music from that country, like France had the "can can" - that type of thing. In between each country feature, there would be general music and some fireworks.

The most dramatic moment that still gives me chills was when the music would pause and you'd wonder where you're going next. Then you'd hear the high pitched oboe of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and all the spotlights suddenly all turned and lit up America while the song played. It was awesome.

Then they turned it into a "Save the Earth" show with all the fire effects and projections which is harder to watch unless you're in the front row, which makes lining up for Illuminations more of priority. The old show was up in the air, so it didn't matter where you watched it from.

As far as food goes, we always check every menu and print out all the restaurants we would like to eat at. We look them over the night before going to that park so by the time we're hungry, we know exactly what our options are depending on our location in a park. A little homework goes a long way when it comes to good food choices, we have found. Especially since we need some specific foods due to dietary reasons.

 

[Denise W]

Actually, it is a clarinet in Rhapsody in Blue, not an oboe! (I am an oboist)


Denise

 

[lady_hlh]

My DH and I could not agree more. The newfangled show with the giant expanding earth does nothing for us.

I wondered why I thought Illuminations was cool in my early 30s but thought it was lame when we took our DD to see it many years later. I never knew that they changed the show and it wasn't the same one I had loved all those years ago.

 

[HuskerFaninIL]

When we ate at CRT our DD's had the same steak dish we had. Did they change it?

 

[starjazz]

At kids prices, our kids were offered nuggets or pizza. My 2 yo was not offered anything.

 

[Jubilee]

I think your complaints are pretty well founded. Unfortunately, Illuminations has changed. As for kids meals, I agree that I don't normally feed my kids food like that on a regular basis, so we find ourselves needing to know where to go for other options....

 

[2binak]

Our DD eats a large variety of foods at WDW. She's not a big fan of chicken nuggets, pizza or PB&J and even if she was, we wouldn't want her eating that stuff all week long so I look over the menus on allearsnet before each trip to find places that serve a good variety of meals & snacks. Then when we're in a park & starting to get hungry, we can make our way to one of the places that offers something different instead of just walking into whichever place is closest and ending up with the same meals over & over.

As for the water, we've always found the taste really bad so we use a filtered water bottle while in the parks.