AllTheWorldsAStage
Just Can't Wait To Be King
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2003
- Messages
- 33
This trip report is written by a virtual first timer. Why virtual? I havent been to Disney in 19 years, so I felt as if I was experiencing the World for the first time all over again. My wife hasnt been there in 12 years, so she had a lot of new to look forward to as well. It was also the first trip for my 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son.
We stayed for 7 nights in August (Wednesday to Wednesday) at the Wilderness Lodge with park tickets for 7 days (park hopper but no plus options), and we were on the dining plan.
My targeted audience for this trip report is other first timers (and virtual first timers) with small children. Of course, anyone can read it, but you will notice that I am purposely avoiding all of the abbreviations that are found everywhere on this message board. I now know about 95% of those abbreviations, but I remember when I first started reading these postings, I was extremely annoyed trying to figure out crazy sentences like We got a 7:15 ADR for HDD so we would have time to get back to ASMo after visiting TL in the afternoon so DW and DD could shower in time to board a 5:45 bus to the TTC so we could catch the express monorail to MK and transfer to a boat to FW and sign in with the CM at HDD, then catch a boat afterwards to CR to watch Wishes from the beach before hopping on the resort monorail to the TTC and transfer monorails to Epcot for EMH before taking the bus back to ASMo. You either read that with no problem, or you are fairly new to these message boards. For you new people this report is for you!
Without further ado, I bring you three postings about our trip: first is the good, second is the bad, and third is the ugly as well as closing thoughts and advice. I know there are a few Disney apologists out there that can never find anything bad with Disney, so you probably shouldnt read the bad and ugly parts. This is just one mans honest opinion, and I dont think any of your sugar coating will change it.
PART I - THE GOOD
Wilderness Lodge We booked a standard view and got upgraded to a courtyard view at check-in. Our room was ready at 2:00 when we arrived. Bell services got our bags to our room very quickly. We also got the bunk bed room we requested. Mousekeeping was great. Clean rooms, clean towels, no guessing on whether or not our room was clean when we returned around 1:00 P.M. from our morning trips to one of the parks. Our weekday mousekeeper left a different towel animal each day. The weekend person did not, but the room was just as clean and we always had plenty of clean towels. The weekday mousekeeper even tracked us down on our last day just to thank us for the tips we left her each day. I could tell by the look in her face that the money we left for her made a difference, as Im sure that they dont get paid very much. It made me feel good that I wasnt just lining the pockets of Walts heirs during my visit. Also, my tip for anyone staying at the Wilderness Lodge You can get a GREAT view of the Wishes fireworks at the Magic Kingdom from the hallway on the sixth floor, just to the left of Room 6034. Open up the wooden shutters to improve the view (but dont forget to shut them when you leave!) This allows you to watch the fireworks without having to deal with the Stroller Derby trying to leave the Magic Kingdom when the fireworks are over.
Refillable Mugs At $11.99 plus tax per mug, I thought it was a bargain (compared to the Disney prices I would have paid for coffee and soft drinks all week). I never found the lines at Roaring Forks obnoxiously long. I did find a few other guests in the line to be obnoxious, but that is a different issue.
The Dining Plan Wow. What a deal! Including tax, it cost us just over $100 per day for our family of 4. Since our kids dont eat much, my wife and I had a field day with all of those extra counter service meals that we didnt have to order for the kids. In fact, we ended up with 4 left over at the end of the week. Oh well. In other words, the meals arent tied to an individual. They are pooled together for whoever is in your party. We werent forced to order half of our counter service meals from the childrens menu just because we had 2 kids. We used about half of the snacks to buy water in the parks to replenish the fluids we were sweating out at a record pace in that heat! Some of our table service meals would have cost over $100 when tax and tip were added in. It was as if all of the counter service meals and snacks used on those days were free! Be prepared for the servers at table service restaurants to suggest anything to jack up your bill as high as possible. Everything they offer is included in the plan, so it wont cost you more. However, their tip is based on a percentage of the total bill if you were paying cash. The higher your check is (if you were paying for it traditionally) the higher the servers tip. We had no problem padding the bill with an appetizer, a smoothie, and dessert! It was a win-win situation (except for our waistlines, and no, we never did finish an entire meal too much food!)
1900 Park Fare We went for dinner. My daughter is a big Cinderella fan, so she really enjoyed getting her picture taken with the Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, and Cinderella. Prince Charming even got down on one knee and kissed her hand. She really loved that! Be warned that there is a table rotation for the characters. It may seem like they are ignoring you, but there is a method to their madness. You may have to wait an hour or so for each character to make it around the entire restaurant -- and fit in a quick break. We just missed Cinderella when we got seated, but the hour wait was definitely worth it. Neither of the kids ate much, since they were star struck with all of the characters present in the restaurant. My wife and I enjoyed the food. The prime rib was delicious, and the strawberry soup (cold) was interesting too! Since we were on the dining plan, we didnt care that the kids barely ate. The experience of meeting the characters was priceless.
Boma This buffet at the Animal Kingdom Lodge was really good. It was probably my favorite restaurant of the week (although there were a lot of other restaurants I would have preferred going to -- but my kids never let me actually enjoy a meal, so we stuck mainly with buffets and family style dining for our table service meals). I highly recommend dining there. I just wish my kids behaved better when we were there! Afterwards, take a walk out behind the pool and check out the savannah view.
Lamb Sandwich and Baklava at the Tangierine Café in Morocco Our favorite country in the World Showcase at Epcot was Morocco. The outdoor shops were really neat and the people at the KidCot Fun Stop were very nice to our children. The baklava was the best dessert we got with a counter service meal on the Dining Plan (the apple strudel at Sommerfest in Germany was a close second). The lamb sandwich helped ease my craving for a gyro which I could not find anywhere at Disney. The sauce on the sandwich was especially good.
Disney Cast Members The staff at Disney everywhere was top notch. The hotel employees, the security staff, the store clerks, the restaurant staff, the characters, the performers, the ride operators, the park staff everybody was great (except for one restaurant server, but that story will come up in the ugly section). Special thanks go to the guy who helped out after my son puked all over the walkway leading up to Spaceship Earth at Epcot. Also of note, we had no problem getting a special access pass from guest relations (both of my kids are autistic) with a short letter from the kids doctor. No ride operator ever gave us a problem accommodating our needs, when necessary. They dont give you a skunk eye just because our kids appear to look normal. They leave the scrutiny to the person issuing the pass. They never questioned why we had it.
AAA Diamond Parking Pass We booked our trip through AAA. One of the perks is a special parking pass that reserves the closest parking spots to the entrance of each park (after handicap, of course) to AAA members. Just show the pass to the parking lot attendants and follow the green line! The best (closest) parking is at Epcot. The worst is at MGM Studios. We still had to take a tram at MGM Studios to get to and from the entrance. We rented a car, and found driving to the parks the quickest and best option for us (especially since we had a double stroller to cart around). The only park that I recommend taking Disney transportation to is the Magic Kingdom. The busses to the Magic Kingdom are the best bet. They pretty much drop you off at the entrance. Dont waste time going to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and riding the monorail or boat. It is a pain to walk from the parking lot of the TTC to either the monorail or boat launch. Plus, you really dont know how long you will have to wait to actually get on a monorail or boat. For the best overall service to the Magic Kingdom, stick with the busses.
Roads around Disney The highways and byways around Disney World are in fantastic shape and the signage is very helpful. We never dealt with traffic jams and the only turns we missed were our own fault (usually because we were belting out I just cant wait to be king! for the hundredth time with our kids). We were never lost while driving between Disney properties.
St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport (PIE) We flew into this airport because of the cheap airfare we got on USA3000 airlines (which just began serving Orlando too). It is a VERY small airport and very convenient. Our car rental counter was steps from the baggage claim, and the rental car lot is less than 100 yards from the counter. If you are traveling with small children, it is a much more convenient airport than Orlando (MCO). It only took a little more than an hour to drive to Disney from the airport.
Soarin at Epcot By far my favorite ride/attraction in all of Disney. The whole family loved it. My wife, who avoids anything that might cause motion sickness, had no problems. My kids were not scared at all (ages 5 and 3), but Im guessing other kids might be.
Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom This was our favorite show. We got to sit in the front row, and I was chosen as the leader of the warthog section. My kids got to participate in the show as well. If you need a break from the heat, this is a fantastic option. The show is great, and the facility is fully air conditioned!
Playhouse Disney Live on Stage at MGM Studios Another great show if you have kids who watch the shows on Playhouse Disney. Be advised that everyone sits on the carpet. There are no chairs or benches. They let the kids get right next to the stage and dance with the characters. It is a riot watching all of those kid dance moves!
Mickeys Philharmagic at the Magic Kingdom Another good break from the heat. The 3-D effects are indeed special. The whole family enjoyed it. It was one of the few attractions in the Magic Kingdom that my wife and I found unique and enjoyable. More on that later.
Thats about it for The Good. Part II will discuss The Bad while Part III will feature The Ugly and some advice. You will notice that I am copying the first 4 paragraphs to start the other parts as well. That is for the benefit of any readers who read my posts out of order.
We stayed for 7 nights in August (Wednesday to Wednesday) at the Wilderness Lodge with park tickets for 7 days (park hopper but no plus options), and we were on the dining plan.
My targeted audience for this trip report is other first timers (and virtual first timers) with small children. Of course, anyone can read it, but you will notice that I am purposely avoiding all of the abbreviations that are found everywhere on this message board. I now know about 95% of those abbreviations, but I remember when I first started reading these postings, I was extremely annoyed trying to figure out crazy sentences like We got a 7:15 ADR for HDD so we would have time to get back to ASMo after visiting TL in the afternoon so DW and DD could shower in time to board a 5:45 bus to the TTC so we could catch the express monorail to MK and transfer to a boat to FW and sign in with the CM at HDD, then catch a boat afterwards to CR to watch Wishes from the beach before hopping on the resort monorail to the TTC and transfer monorails to Epcot for EMH before taking the bus back to ASMo. You either read that with no problem, or you are fairly new to these message boards. For you new people this report is for you!
Without further ado, I bring you three postings about our trip: first is the good, second is the bad, and third is the ugly as well as closing thoughts and advice. I know there are a few Disney apologists out there that can never find anything bad with Disney, so you probably shouldnt read the bad and ugly parts. This is just one mans honest opinion, and I dont think any of your sugar coating will change it.
PART I - THE GOOD
Wilderness Lodge We booked a standard view and got upgraded to a courtyard view at check-in. Our room was ready at 2:00 when we arrived. Bell services got our bags to our room very quickly. We also got the bunk bed room we requested. Mousekeeping was great. Clean rooms, clean towels, no guessing on whether or not our room was clean when we returned around 1:00 P.M. from our morning trips to one of the parks. Our weekday mousekeeper left a different towel animal each day. The weekend person did not, but the room was just as clean and we always had plenty of clean towels. The weekday mousekeeper even tracked us down on our last day just to thank us for the tips we left her each day. I could tell by the look in her face that the money we left for her made a difference, as Im sure that they dont get paid very much. It made me feel good that I wasnt just lining the pockets of Walts heirs during my visit. Also, my tip for anyone staying at the Wilderness Lodge You can get a GREAT view of the Wishes fireworks at the Magic Kingdom from the hallway on the sixth floor, just to the left of Room 6034. Open up the wooden shutters to improve the view (but dont forget to shut them when you leave!) This allows you to watch the fireworks without having to deal with the Stroller Derby trying to leave the Magic Kingdom when the fireworks are over.
Refillable Mugs At $11.99 plus tax per mug, I thought it was a bargain (compared to the Disney prices I would have paid for coffee and soft drinks all week). I never found the lines at Roaring Forks obnoxiously long. I did find a few other guests in the line to be obnoxious, but that is a different issue.
The Dining Plan Wow. What a deal! Including tax, it cost us just over $100 per day for our family of 4. Since our kids dont eat much, my wife and I had a field day with all of those extra counter service meals that we didnt have to order for the kids. In fact, we ended up with 4 left over at the end of the week. Oh well. In other words, the meals arent tied to an individual. They are pooled together for whoever is in your party. We werent forced to order half of our counter service meals from the childrens menu just because we had 2 kids. We used about half of the snacks to buy water in the parks to replenish the fluids we were sweating out at a record pace in that heat! Some of our table service meals would have cost over $100 when tax and tip were added in. It was as if all of the counter service meals and snacks used on those days were free! Be prepared for the servers at table service restaurants to suggest anything to jack up your bill as high as possible. Everything they offer is included in the plan, so it wont cost you more. However, their tip is based on a percentage of the total bill if you were paying cash. The higher your check is (if you were paying for it traditionally) the higher the servers tip. We had no problem padding the bill with an appetizer, a smoothie, and dessert! It was a win-win situation (except for our waistlines, and no, we never did finish an entire meal too much food!)
1900 Park Fare We went for dinner. My daughter is a big Cinderella fan, so she really enjoyed getting her picture taken with the Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, and Cinderella. Prince Charming even got down on one knee and kissed her hand. She really loved that! Be warned that there is a table rotation for the characters. It may seem like they are ignoring you, but there is a method to their madness. You may have to wait an hour or so for each character to make it around the entire restaurant -- and fit in a quick break. We just missed Cinderella when we got seated, but the hour wait was definitely worth it. Neither of the kids ate much, since they were star struck with all of the characters present in the restaurant. My wife and I enjoyed the food. The prime rib was delicious, and the strawberry soup (cold) was interesting too! Since we were on the dining plan, we didnt care that the kids barely ate. The experience of meeting the characters was priceless.
Boma This buffet at the Animal Kingdom Lodge was really good. It was probably my favorite restaurant of the week (although there were a lot of other restaurants I would have preferred going to -- but my kids never let me actually enjoy a meal, so we stuck mainly with buffets and family style dining for our table service meals). I highly recommend dining there. I just wish my kids behaved better when we were there! Afterwards, take a walk out behind the pool and check out the savannah view.
Lamb Sandwich and Baklava at the Tangierine Café in Morocco Our favorite country in the World Showcase at Epcot was Morocco. The outdoor shops were really neat and the people at the KidCot Fun Stop were very nice to our children. The baklava was the best dessert we got with a counter service meal on the Dining Plan (the apple strudel at Sommerfest in Germany was a close second). The lamb sandwich helped ease my craving for a gyro which I could not find anywhere at Disney. The sauce on the sandwich was especially good.
Disney Cast Members The staff at Disney everywhere was top notch. The hotel employees, the security staff, the store clerks, the restaurant staff, the characters, the performers, the ride operators, the park staff everybody was great (except for one restaurant server, but that story will come up in the ugly section). Special thanks go to the guy who helped out after my son puked all over the walkway leading up to Spaceship Earth at Epcot. Also of note, we had no problem getting a special access pass from guest relations (both of my kids are autistic) with a short letter from the kids doctor. No ride operator ever gave us a problem accommodating our needs, when necessary. They dont give you a skunk eye just because our kids appear to look normal. They leave the scrutiny to the person issuing the pass. They never questioned why we had it.
AAA Diamond Parking Pass We booked our trip through AAA. One of the perks is a special parking pass that reserves the closest parking spots to the entrance of each park (after handicap, of course) to AAA members. Just show the pass to the parking lot attendants and follow the green line! The best (closest) parking is at Epcot. The worst is at MGM Studios. We still had to take a tram at MGM Studios to get to and from the entrance. We rented a car, and found driving to the parks the quickest and best option for us (especially since we had a double stroller to cart around). The only park that I recommend taking Disney transportation to is the Magic Kingdom. The busses to the Magic Kingdom are the best bet. They pretty much drop you off at the entrance. Dont waste time going to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and riding the monorail or boat. It is a pain to walk from the parking lot of the TTC to either the monorail or boat launch. Plus, you really dont know how long you will have to wait to actually get on a monorail or boat. For the best overall service to the Magic Kingdom, stick with the busses.
Roads around Disney The highways and byways around Disney World are in fantastic shape and the signage is very helpful. We never dealt with traffic jams and the only turns we missed were our own fault (usually because we were belting out I just cant wait to be king! for the hundredth time with our kids). We were never lost while driving between Disney properties.
St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport (PIE) We flew into this airport because of the cheap airfare we got on USA3000 airlines (which just began serving Orlando too). It is a VERY small airport and very convenient. Our car rental counter was steps from the baggage claim, and the rental car lot is less than 100 yards from the counter. If you are traveling with small children, it is a much more convenient airport than Orlando (MCO). It only took a little more than an hour to drive to Disney from the airport.
Soarin at Epcot By far my favorite ride/attraction in all of Disney. The whole family loved it. My wife, who avoids anything that might cause motion sickness, had no problems. My kids were not scared at all (ages 5 and 3), but Im guessing other kids might be.
Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom This was our favorite show. We got to sit in the front row, and I was chosen as the leader of the warthog section. My kids got to participate in the show as well. If you need a break from the heat, this is a fantastic option. The show is great, and the facility is fully air conditioned!
Playhouse Disney Live on Stage at MGM Studios Another great show if you have kids who watch the shows on Playhouse Disney. Be advised that everyone sits on the carpet. There are no chairs or benches. They let the kids get right next to the stage and dance with the characters. It is a riot watching all of those kid dance moves!
Mickeys Philharmagic at the Magic Kingdom Another good break from the heat. The 3-D effects are indeed special. The whole family enjoyed it. It was one of the few attractions in the Magic Kingdom that my wife and I found unique and enjoyable. More on that later.
Thats about it for The Good. Part II will discuss The Bad while Part III will feature The Ugly and some advice. You will notice that I am copying the first 4 paragraphs to start the other parts as well. That is for the benefit of any readers who read my posts out of order.
