OneTrackMind
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2015
- Messages
- 177
We had a great trip February 20 and 21 (and a very short time on February 19 because our plane was extremely late). This was our first trip ever without EE. We stayed at the Park View Inn (thanks to suggestions from this board) and it was great. The little convenience store steps from our room was also very helpful for water that was much cheaper than in the parks.
We did rope drop one day at each park. I’m not sure I’d rope drop DCA again. We went straight to Guardians and planned to get LL right away for a second ride. By the time I got on my phone for LL, the return time was already about three hours later so that plan didn’t work. The line was quick though and there seemed to be two gantry lifts running. We were also able to ride the other ones we wanted to (e.g., TSMM, Incredicoaster, Webslingers). We bought LL later for RSR at night because it’s so amazing in the dark. We made the most of the time there but compared to the 60-minute EE or even the 30-minute EE, it was so inferior. Even with the 30-minute EE, we would have had several more rides and a huge jump on the day. We’re still so disappointed with Disney’s decision on this.
Moving over to DL in the afternoon, we again got on the most important rides but I always felt like we were playing catch up all day trying to book and maximize LL. We bought ILL for RotR and it was incredible, of course! We had ILL for Thursday night but it broke down. We got a refund at City Hall. The cast member there said the refurb caused more problems than it fixed - but he was wrong about two other things so I don’t quite trust that comment either!
The others in my group went for a rest at the hotel but I was able to see some of the cavalcades and entertainment while they were resting. I don’t understand the concept of “rest” at DL, especially for such a short trip!
We had a great meal at Blue Bayou that afternoon then the desert party at WOC. I have gluten and dairy allergies, which both places accommodated very well. The dessert party is such an excellent experience and we thought the show was fun. I thought there would be more “70th” not just the “happy” theme of the 70th but that wasn’t a problem, just an observation.
We rope dropped DL the next day. Indy was down, which was our first plan. We got an MEP though. It was so much easier to get on rides and stack LL at DL than DCA in the morning. I don’t remember exactly what we did when but we got LL for Guardians and Soarin for later in the evening (which is important for the pixie dust part of the story). I did some more entertainment watching and went shopping while the guys rested again in the afternoon.
We had a River Belle Terrace dining package (the regular one, not the premium seating) for the first fantasmic. That started off as a disaster. They were about 45 minutes late seating us. I had notified them ahead of the gluten and dairy allergy. But they had recently changed the menu and had very few options. The server wasn’t very confident about them and the chef wouldn’t come out to talk to me! I’ve never experienced that before! Then our food didn’t come for over an hour. People who were seated after us finished their three course meals and left. We still had no food. We also would have to miss our Guardians and Soarin return times which we would have had lots of time to get to before fantasmic. I finally went to talk to the manager, who was awesome, outstanding and wonderful! She said there are problems now at RBT with allergy meals because the chef team wanted to go in a different direction. That was shocking! The way allergies are handled has always been one of the things that makes a Disney trip so easy. When we’re back home, I’ll be filing a complaint about that. Back to the manager - she gave us passes for both Fanstasmics in case we missed the first one, gave us a “late note” to show at Soarin and Guardians so they would honour our return times and offered us a table for viewing Fantasmic if we didn’t make it back in time for a spot on the ground! And they comped my meal. She and her pixie dust turned a stressful potential disaster into a fun evening! I’ll be sending in a very positive comment for her! We ended up getting to Soarin. We got to the Guardians location but the LL line was far into the street and we wouldn’t have been done in time so we had to skip that. We really wanted to see the fireworks and projections after Fantasmic so the early show was important. We got back in time, sat at the table they had indeed reserved for us. The shows were all wonderful! Then we rode Pirates and a few other last minute rides, and got on Buzz at 11:55 to close out the day.
Two days is just not enough for me but I’m very lucky we were able to go at all and so happy the last evening ended up as it did despite a bad start. Let me know if you have any questions.
We did rope drop one day at each park. I’m not sure I’d rope drop DCA again. We went straight to Guardians and planned to get LL right away for a second ride. By the time I got on my phone for LL, the return time was already about three hours later so that plan didn’t work. The line was quick though and there seemed to be two gantry lifts running. We were also able to ride the other ones we wanted to (e.g., TSMM, Incredicoaster, Webslingers). We bought LL later for RSR at night because it’s so amazing in the dark. We made the most of the time there but compared to the 60-minute EE or even the 30-minute EE, it was so inferior. Even with the 30-minute EE, we would have had several more rides and a huge jump on the day. We’re still so disappointed with Disney’s decision on this.
Moving over to DL in the afternoon, we again got on the most important rides but I always felt like we were playing catch up all day trying to book and maximize LL. We bought ILL for RotR and it was incredible, of course! We had ILL for Thursday night but it broke down. We got a refund at City Hall. The cast member there said the refurb caused more problems than it fixed - but he was wrong about two other things so I don’t quite trust that comment either!
The others in my group went for a rest at the hotel but I was able to see some of the cavalcades and entertainment while they were resting. I don’t understand the concept of “rest” at DL, especially for such a short trip!
We had a great meal at Blue Bayou that afternoon then the desert party at WOC. I have gluten and dairy allergies, which both places accommodated very well. The dessert party is such an excellent experience and we thought the show was fun. I thought there would be more “70th” not just the “happy” theme of the 70th but that wasn’t a problem, just an observation.
We rope dropped DL the next day. Indy was down, which was our first plan. We got an MEP though. It was so much easier to get on rides and stack LL at DL than DCA in the morning. I don’t remember exactly what we did when but we got LL for Guardians and Soarin for later in the evening (which is important for the pixie dust part of the story). I did some more entertainment watching and went shopping while the guys rested again in the afternoon.
We had a River Belle Terrace dining package (the regular one, not the premium seating) for the first fantasmic. That started off as a disaster. They were about 45 minutes late seating us. I had notified them ahead of the gluten and dairy allergy. But they had recently changed the menu and had very few options. The server wasn’t very confident about them and the chef wouldn’t come out to talk to me! I’ve never experienced that before! Then our food didn’t come for over an hour. People who were seated after us finished their three course meals and left. We still had no food. We also would have to miss our Guardians and Soarin return times which we would have had lots of time to get to before fantasmic. I finally went to talk to the manager, who was awesome, outstanding and wonderful! She said there are problems now at RBT with allergy meals because the chef team wanted to go in a different direction. That was shocking! The way allergies are handled has always been one of the things that makes a Disney trip so easy. When we’re back home, I’ll be filing a complaint about that. Back to the manager - she gave us passes for both Fanstasmics in case we missed the first one, gave us a “late note” to show at Soarin and Guardians so they would honour our return times and offered us a table for viewing Fantasmic if we didn’t make it back in time for a spot on the ground! And they comped my meal. She and her pixie dust turned a stressful potential disaster into a fun evening! I’ll be sending in a very positive comment for her! We ended up getting to Soarin. We got to the Guardians location but the LL line was far into the street and we wouldn’t have been done in time so we had to skip that. We really wanted to see the fireworks and projections after Fantasmic so the early show was important. We got back in time, sat at the table they had indeed reserved for us. The shows were all wonderful! Then we rode Pirates and a few other last minute rides, and got on Buzz at 11:55 to close out the day.
Two days is just not enough for me but I’m very lucky we were able to go at all and so happy the last evening ended up as it did despite a bad start. Let me know if you have any questions.
