ª"˜˜ª¤.¸Official Team August 2013 Thread!¸.¤ª˜˜"ª&#9733

[Mrs. M. Mouse]

It's funny because I am on another thread now very vocally complaining about the website/app issues we have in Canada that have been going on at least a year. And I am not hesitant to comment when I think something is unacceptable. However I LOVE going to Disney and what they do they do first class in their parks. It's what keeps me coming back. There are some things that need fixing, but I still think it's the best vacation value out there for us

I agree... For what you get its totally worth the price for us too!

 

[jdd]

So, my friend asked if they could join us for dinner at Ohana . Dinner for 8 at 70-something days out at a prime time so we can finish and view fireworks at a restaurant that fills up at around day 179. No problem...let me see what I can do! Yes, you all know the answer to this one. Well, in fairness there's a table at 9:45, but no thanks.

What day do you need? I currently have a ressie booked at OHana on 8/17 for 8:40pm that I'm planning to cancel - not much earlier, but better than 9:45. It's only for 5, so I don't know if it would work for a table for 8 or not. But if you want to try it, let me know and we can coordinate!!

 

[jdd]

I was reading an article on easywdw the other day where he did a review of Universal Studios and I have to say, just by reading the article I wish my kids were a bit older and we could take a side trip over there. I haven't been to Universal since 2000 so a lot has changed between then and now. It looks like they've made an honest effort to put in new things to draw new guests. The next time we drive to Orlando for a vacation (maybe next summer) we'll definitely have to think about venturing over there in addition to our time with Mickey & Friends.

Not trying to be negative, and everyone definitely will have their own opinion on this, but we went to IOA last year and didn't think it could hold a candle to WDW. WW of Harry Potter was cool, but I kept thinking "Disney would have done this so much better!". Even my oldest, at 15, strongly prefers Disney - when walking into DHS as our first park after IOA, he said "This is the worst Disney park and it's still SO MUCH BETTER than Universal!" (not meaning to offend any DHS fans, it's just our least favorite park )

I'm definitely glad we did IOA, and we had a nice time, but none of us feels the need to return. Just my opinion!

 

[momto3gr8boys]

What day do you need? I currently have a ressie booked at OHana on 8/17 for 8:40pm that I'm planning to cancel - not much earlier, but better than 9:45. It's only for 5, so I don't know if it would work for a table for 8 or not. But if you want to try it, let me know and we can coordinate!!

Thank you for the offer, but we need the following Saturday, the 24th.

I still haven't decided what to do. Maybe I'll hold off a little longer and see what happens around the 45 day mark.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Ohana breakfast is good but nothing special (unless you go for the characters).

Breakfast at Ohana is our must-do breakfast each trip. We have had fantastic experiences there, from food quality to character interaction. DH always says he would eat there each vacation, even if there were no characters (silly boy ... that's half the fun!). Love that its served family style.....so relaxing! And a view of the castle is a happy bonus .

 

[CerysG]

It's funny because I am on another thread now very vocally complaining about the website/app issues we have in Canada that have been going on at least a year. And I am not hesitant to comment when I think something is unacceptable. However I LOVE going to Disney and what they do they do first class in their parks. It's what keeps me coming back. There are some things that need fixing, but I still think it's the best vacation value out there for us

The Disney site is a huge issue for Canadians and has been for a few years. The first time we went I couldn't register on the site as it would not take my postal code no matter how I entered it...really this is so not an issue at 99% of web sites. Any how I had to phone them and I was on the phone for ages because the poor lady on the other end couldn't get it to work either. Finally she managed to get me registered but had to pay for a very long long distance call...mind you it's not that expensive but had it worked right it would have been more or less free! This time I couldn't make my 180+10 ADR's on the website as it would only take the frist day...so another long phone call...mostly waiting on hold...twice because when I did get to talk to someone she put me on hold and I got disconected! Any how did mange to get all my ADR's excet BOG (which I'm still trying to get 3 1/2 months later...might have to do lunch there but I'm going to keep trying to the bitter end). If they can't make the webstie work one wonders about Fast Pass +....Not sure it will matter for us as I don't know that it will be up and running by the time we are there but you never know.

 

[squirrel4569]

Not trying to be negative, and everyone definitely will have their own opinion on this, but we went to IOA last year and didn't think it could hold a candle to WDW. WW of Harry Potter was cool, but I kept thinking "Disney would have done this so much better!". Even my oldest, at 15, strongly prefers Disney - when walking into DHS as our first park after IOA, he said "This is the worst Disney park and it's still SO MUCH BETTER than Universal!" (not meaning to offend any DHS fans, it's just our least favorite park )

I'm definitely glad we did IOA, and we had a nice time, but none of us feels the need to return. Just my opinion!

For certain Disney is the gold standard that other places aspire to for the vacation experience. One of the appeals of Disney is that it's great for any age. From the very young to the very old there is something there for everyone. The broad reach of the audience does mean that some will say it's not for them, but the majority will, and does, enjoy it.

Universal has a different target audience. They are looking more for that standard family, with tween/teenage kids. The older crowd typically isn't into thrill rides and such very much and a lot of the attractions aren't appropriate for younger guests because of size/safety and/or content.

Disney is something you can do when you're young and keep coming back throughout your life. Universal is more of something you would typically do once or twice depending on how often new things got added. I went in 1994 and then again in 2000 and not much had changed excepting adding IOA. A lot has been added or changed and now it may be kind of fun to spend a day at. Again though, I have to take the ages of my kids into account.

SeaWorld is something I might take my kids to as well, but I also don't have to go to Orlando for it since we have one here in Texas too.

 

[Nurse_Mommy4]

Breakfast at Ohana is our must-do breakfast each trip. We have had fantastic experiences there, from food quality to character interaction. DH always says he would eat there each vacation, even if there were no characters (silly boy ... that's half the fun!). Love that its served family style.....so relaxing! And a view of the castle is a happy bonus .

I agree it was fun (we enjoyed the characters), but I think my hang up was I enjoy more of a variety at breakfast (ala carte is more my breakfast style).

Wonderful thing about Disney.....there is something for us all!

 

[CerysG]

It is somewhat underwhelming. I remember when it was announced and I thought that it was going to be a pretty interesting concept. They've had some pretty good annual promotions over the years but this one does seem to have fallen a bit flat. Like you said though, we'll be at Disney and anything extra that we may get will be gravy.

I was reading an article on easywdw the other day where he did a review of Universal Studios and I have to say, just by reading the article I wish my kids were a bit older and we could take a side trip over there. I haven't been to Universal since 2000 so a lot has changed between then and now. It looks like they've made an honest effort to put in new things to draw new guests. The next time we drive to Orlando for a vacation (maybe next summer) we'll definitely have to think about venturing over there in addition to our time with Mickey & Friends.

It's funny that you mention the negativity that has been expressed in other threads about Disney on these boards. While I understand the need to have new rides/attractions/etc and innovate, there's a certain nostalgic component to Disney that we as adults have and want to share with our kids as well as friends and family that haven't been before. There's something special about seeing that Castle when you walk down Main Street USA and it doesn't matter if you are 4 or 104, meeting Mickey Mouse makes you feel like a kid again. For me, half of the enjoyment is just being there, not how many times I can ride Space Mountain or what stuff I can get. But the most enjoyment comes from seeing my kids really believing in and enjoying the magic. DD1 "knows" that there are people in those costumes but you'd never know it when she's running up to one for an autograph. There's an intangible thing that Disney provides that you can't really put a price on.

67 days to go!

I think in some ways comparing Universal and DW is like comparing apples and oranges as they are so very different. But there is certainly stuff each does that is better then the other. I have to say I'm really looking forward to staying on site at Universal so we have the express passes and don't have to stand in line for ages. I'm not sure that Disney's fast pass + is going to make anything faster there ...let's face it standing long line ups is not fun for anyone! I also think that if your a thrill ride person then Universal does that much better then Disney (and I know if my family could only do one park it would be Universal over Disney hands down). On the other hand Disney really does have very good customer service and I've never had any issue with them and they have always been very friendly and helpful. Disney is also a different feeling from Universal and it's more comfortable and more like Sunday evenings watching WW of D on tv when you were a kid (well for some of us older people) seeing Pooh Bear (even though you know its some poor person cooking in one of those suites) is just fun and makes your face light up....it's just different and for me no better or worse then Universal. The fact of the matter is we'll have fun at both places and that's the way it should be.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I agree it was fun (we enjoyed the characters), but I think my hang up was I enjoy more of a variety at breakfast (ala carte is more my breakfast style).

Wonderful thing about Disney.....there is something for us all!

lol, that's probably why I enjoy the meal at Ohana so much.....I don't have to think that early in the morning . Just bring me my Mickey waffles and I'm a happy girl .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I think in some ways comparing Universal and DW is like comparing apples and oranges as they are so very different. But there is certainly stuff each does that is better then the other. I have to say I'm really looking forward to staying on site at Universal so we have the express passes and don't have to stand in line for ages. I'm not sure that Disney's fast pass + is going to make anything faster there ...let's face it standing long line ups is not fun for anyone! I also think that if your a thrill ride person then Universal does that much better then Disney (and I know if my family could only do one park it would be Universal over Disney hands down). On the other hand Disney really does have very good customer service and I've never had any issue with them and they have always been very friendly and helpful. Disney is also a different feeling from Universal and it's more comfortable and more like Sunday evenings watching WW of D on tv when you were a kid (well for some of us older people) seeing Pooh Bear (even though you know its some poor person cooking in one of those suites) is just fun and makes your face light up....it's just different and for me no better or worse then Universal. The fact of the matter is we'll have fun at both places and that's the way it should be.

Totally agree!

And the Express Pass at Universal is incredible . Being able to walk on all the rides past the lines of people is the best feeling EVER. Couple that with the fact that the onsite resorts are beautiful and feel very high-end, and I think you'll really enjoy your Universal experience.

Don't miss out on the early entry to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as an onsite guest. Nothing like having the place all to yourself before the general masses hit:

 

[jdd]

Universal has a different target audience. They are looking more for that standard family, with tween/teenage kids. The older crowd typically isn't into thrill rides and such very much and a lot of the attractions aren't appropriate for younger guests because of size/safety and/or content.

SeaWorld is something I might take my kids to as well, but I also don't have to go to Orlando for it since we have one here in Texas too.

Yes, I definitely agree. Our problem was that our tween and teenager didn't even really like it . One of the issues was that none of my boys have ever been into superheros. A lot of the IOA thrill rides were Spiderman, Hulk, Dr Doom, etc. That theming just didn't appeal to them. We all loved WWoHP for what it was, but I think I was just expecting too much from it -it was very small compared to my expectations. It was definitely worth seeing though! And we had a very special moment there when my middle son was picked at the show in Ollivander's! (unfortunately it was too dark in there to get a good picture )

I would love to do Sea World sometime. I'd also like to do Discovery Cove, but I know it's pricey, so I'm not sure when we'll get to do it...

 

[pigletto]

We love both for very different reasons. Disney gets more of our money but we LOVE the Universal parks. My husband and maybe my teen dd probably prefer Universal slightly. We have a good time at both. I do have to disagree about Potter. I don't think Disney has anything that holds a candle to that. But we were huge huge huge Potter fans for a decade and we were blown away by the details. I am so excited for the expansion. It's just not an either/or scenario for us. We prefer some things at Disney, and other over on the dark side

 

[rebeccaariel]

We love both for very different reasons. Disney gets more of our money but we LOVE the Universal parks. My husband and maybe my teen dd probably prefer Universal slightly. We have a good time at both. I do have to disagree about Potter. I don't think Disney has anything that holds a candle to that. But we were huge huge huge Potter fans for a decade and we were blown away by the details. I am so excited for the expansion. It's just not an either/or scenario for us. We prefer some things at Disney, and other over on the dark side

I agree about the Wizarding World! I've been a huge Potter fan my whole life and I was blown away by it. When the expansion is completed, I'll definitely be going again, but not before. After my mom and I finished touring the WW on our last trip, we found the rest of the park a bit lacklustre. I'm also a big Jurassic Park fan so I hope that section of the park gets an update soon, it really needs it, and there are so many amazing things they could do there.

 

[momto3gr8boys]

Yes, I definitely agree. Our problem was that our tween and teenager didn't even really like it . One of the issues was that none of my boys have ever been into superheros. A lot of the IOA thrill rides were Spiderman, Hulk, Dr Doom, etc. That theming just didn't appeal to them. We all loved WWoHP for what it was, but I think I was just expecting too much from it -it was very small compared to my expectations. It was definitely worth seeing though! And we had a very special moment there when my middle son was picked at the show in Ollivander's! (unfortunately it was too dark in there to get a good picture )

I would love to do Sea World sometime. I'd also like to do Discovery Cove, but I know it's pricey, so I'm not sure when we'll get to do it...

We felt the same way about US/IOA. In general there were a lot of great things about US. We LOVED the HRH - great place to stay - the room was big, the theming was fun, the pool was fantastic - kids watched HP in the pool while we sat at the restaurant/bar right next to it, breakfast was good. And the express pass is the best thing EVER! City Walk is great - different vibe from DTD but fun, great places to eat, etc. As for the parks themselves, IOA was better themed, and WWOHP was amazing....they truly outdid themselves and we loved every inch of it. But the rest of it was just ok. The big roller coasters are fun, but you can find those almost anywhere, many of the shows were just not our taste (but I suppose if you are into those characters/themes you would enjoy them), and I just wasn't blown away by anything other than WWOHP.

The real difference though is the attention to detail and the catering to guests. At one point my youngest DS wanted a churro. It was hot, we were tired, but there was a churro stand so we got in line. When I got up to the front, I could see in the churro holder thing (you know those heated things they have pretzels or curros in) that there were two left, and I thought I'm glad they still have one because I'm done after this. So I ask the girl for a churro. She looks at the holder thing and says I don't have any left but you can walk down around and over there (to a place significantly farther away from where we were) and see if they have any. I was like because I could see two sitting on the bottom rack. Did I mention it was 100 degrees and I was done? So I said, can I have that one. And she said, "That's in the back and I don't feel like moving the rack." Well, let's just say that that was the wrong thing to say to me. DW held me back (I'm usually very easy going), and suggested to the girl she should really consider doing whatever she needed to do to get that churro for me. She did, begrudgingly and I was like that's it, we're going back to Disney.

That kind of attitude just really soured things for me. I know it was isolated, but in general there was not that magical feeling you get at Disney.

Would I go back? Yes, I would, but I think I would stay for one night instead of two (and I would do that only for the express pass) and not expect too much. And I would wait until the HP expansion is finished.

Discovery Cove is on my list too - I think I would make a point of doing that before heading back to US.

 

[Koh1977]

Totally agree!

And the Express Pass at Universal is incredible . Being able to walk on all the rides past the lines of people is the best feeling EVER. Couple that with the fact that the onsite resorts are beautiful and feel very high-end, and I think you'll really enjoy your Universal experience.

Don't miss out on the early entry to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as an onsite guest. Nothing like having the place all to yourself before the general masses hit:

http://s362.photobucket.com/user/th...2012/2012_0104IslandsofAdventure0014.jpg.html

Love the pic!! Once the expansion is completed, maybe we can venture over there for a day or two as part of a future FL trip. The kids would be a bit older then too and able to go on more of the rides I'm sure. Would like to check out the new Transformers ride as well!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[momto3gr8boys]

Totally agree!

And the Express Pass at Universal is incredible . Being able to walk on all the rides past the lines of people is the best feeling EVER. Couple that with the fact that the onsite resorts are beautiful and feel very high-end, and I think you'll really enjoy your Universal experience.

Don't miss out on the early entry to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as an onsite guest. Nothing like having the place all to yourself before the general masses hit:

Mmmmm.....Butterbeer! I thought the Three Broomsticks was very good too...I've read on these boards people didn't like it, but I was very happy.

 

[rebeccaariel]

Mmmmm.....Butterbeer! I thought the Three Broomsticks was very good too...I've read on these boards people didn't like it, but I was very happy.

I liked it too! I had the roast chicken if I recall, it was tasty. I looooove the frozen Butterbeer (the regular is a bit too sweet for me) and the pumpkin juice. Yum! Also the peanut butter and strawberry ice cream was ridiculously good.

 

[CerysG]

I liked it too! I had the roast chicken if I recall, it was tasty. I looooove the frozen Butterbeer (the regular is a bit too sweet for me) and the pumpkin juice. Yum! Also the peanut butter and strawberry ice cream was ridiculously good.

Oh I have to say I hated the pumpkin juice but then I'm not a fan of anything pumpkin!!! But other then that there wasn't a think we didn't like about the Wizdering World. I think everyones face lit up when we walked in there as it was like being there and being huge fans of both the books and movies it was special. I almost put the trip off a year because of the expansion but as the oldest DD has to work next summer to save up for her gread 12 trip to Europe we just can't do it so the expansion might have to be something they do on their own with friends.
Not sure how I'm going to make the next two months (as of Sat.) until we are on our trip.

 

[squirrel4569]

Mmmmm.....Butterbeer! I thought the Three Broomsticks was very good too...I've read on these boards people didn't like it, but I was very happy.

How is Butterbeer vs LeFou's Brew?