angey77
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2001
- Messages
- 2,420
OK, first let me start off saying I love WDW, have always loved WDW and will continue to love WDW. But like any good love, you have to accept it for all it is ... and that is all I keep thinking after this trip!!!
First, the good. Stayed two nights at POR and the service and CMs were phenominal. Room was very clean, transportation right on par and all seemed to come together.
Then, Sunday hit .... and it kept going through yesterday, Dec. 21.
Long story short ... it became the Griswald family Christmas.
1. Going to WDW the week before Christmas is no longer the best kept secret. Crowds were crazy! Two years ago at the exact time, walked on just about everything. Never in all my 19 journeys did I actually have to wait almost 20 minutes for IASW. HM was constantly out past the walkway to Fantasyland. Living Seas was winding outside. What's up with that?
2. Got stuck on Pirates for almost two hours and had to listen to Johnny Depp sing that song over and over while swaying in his chair. We got stuck on the loading ramp and had to wait for the entire place to be evacuated, power down, then get us off. Managers were talking to us from the treasure scene while we just sat and sat and sat. Missed our lunch seating at Biergarten and had to pay $8 more per person for dinner (four of us). We did get five front of the line passes each for sitting on the ride though, which came in handy with those freakishly large lines.
3. Got to the front of Test Track and it broke .... got one FP each. By this time, by FIL, who has not been to WDW since my wedding three years ago, has pretty much had it. I don't think I will get him back any time soon, even if I did try to bribe him with another Richard Petty Driving Experience.
4. Many carts were having problems where we could not room charge ... or charge at all for that matter. No drinks for us by Dinosaur and no hot nuts our last day there in Adventureland. LeCellier's computers went down in time for our bill to come for the processional. My in-laws were late coming into the ceremony because of that. BOO!
5. Both Carousel of Progress and TTA stopped while we were on it ... had to watch that last scene of the carousel twice.
6. Other things to break as we were about to get on ... Space Mtn, Rock n Roller Coaster and a car on the monorail. Splash was totally dry at late night EMH. One lady told us at a MVMCP, people were hoisted off Space Mtn. via ladders! No thanks!
7. Oh yeah, and my group was next to load on Everest after that unfortunate incident and saw the victim on the ground. Not Disney's fault, but that wasn't a fun way to start a day.
8. Mousekeeping was knocking on our two-br villa door at 8:30 a.m. wanting to know when we were leaving. We had this problem at BCV last year when the woman let herself in at 8 a.m. while my husband slept and then came back 30 minutes later to ask me "Umm, when will you be leaving?" GO AWAY! Anyway, this VWL episode, I immediately called the front desk to inform them we have the room until 11 a.m. and pay good money for it, that we did not appreciate someone pushing us out the door more than two hours early. They apologized, but I told them they might want to send someone to the villas before there were less agreeable people being kicked out by the staff as they walked down the hall.
9. Realized on the Magical Express bus on the way to the airport from Wilderness Lodge that we forgot our keys ... at Port Orleans LAST weekend. Have yet to get a real person on the phone for their Lost & Found.
10. The Christmas decorations are suffering ... no more gingerbread Poly at the Poly, just a bunch of chinky looking gingerbread houses; and for the second year in a row, no Christmas village at Boma (you think they would pull that Food Network special by now).
I do have to say though ... everything we seemed to have major problems with were electronic. Guest service was still right on par for the most part. Food at Boma, California Grill, Biergarten, LeCellier and all the CSs were still great. Oh wait, one last complaint ... when did they get rid of the mushrooms at Pecos Bill???? I skipped lunch at our villa at VWL with the family just to go have a mushroom burger and was denied at the fixin's line. ARGH!
Anyway, LOVE the new Spaceship Earth. The end is obviously dark because they are still working on things and trying to distract guests by playing that on-screen game. The new animatronics and audio are wonderful.
The new HM ... all I have to say is this is the first time ever I could not get enough of HM. Since I was little, I would get freaked out by those heads popping up in the attic and graveyard. Less of those and no more screams in the Doombuggy. The stretching room's audio is crazy wonderful and the new scenes on the ride are great!
First, the good. Stayed two nights at POR and the service and CMs were phenominal. Room was very clean, transportation right on par and all seemed to come together.
Then, Sunday hit .... and it kept going through yesterday, Dec. 21.
Long story short ... it became the Griswald family Christmas.
1. Going to WDW the week before Christmas is no longer the best kept secret. Crowds were crazy! Two years ago at the exact time, walked on just about everything. Never in all my 19 journeys did I actually have to wait almost 20 minutes for IASW. HM was constantly out past the walkway to Fantasyland. Living Seas was winding outside. What's up with that?
2. Got stuck on Pirates for almost two hours and had to listen to Johnny Depp sing that song over and over while swaying in his chair. We got stuck on the loading ramp and had to wait for the entire place to be evacuated, power down, then get us off. Managers were talking to us from the treasure scene while we just sat and sat and sat. Missed our lunch seating at Biergarten and had to pay $8 more per person for dinner (four of us). We did get five front of the line passes each for sitting on the ride though, which came in handy with those freakishly large lines.
3. Got to the front of Test Track and it broke .... got one FP each. By this time, by FIL, who has not been to WDW since my wedding three years ago, has pretty much had it. I don't think I will get him back any time soon, even if I did try to bribe him with another Richard Petty Driving Experience.
4. Many carts were having problems where we could not room charge ... or charge at all for that matter. No drinks for us by Dinosaur and no hot nuts our last day there in Adventureland. LeCellier's computers went down in time for our bill to come for the processional. My in-laws were late coming into the ceremony because of that. BOO!
5. Both Carousel of Progress and TTA stopped while we were on it ... had to watch that last scene of the carousel twice.
6. Other things to break as we were about to get on ... Space Mtn, Rock n Roller Coaster and a car on the monorail. Splash was totally dry at late night EMH. One lady told us at a MVMCP, people were hoisted off Space Mtn. via ladders! No thanks!
7. Oh yeah, and my group was next to load on Everest after that unfortunate incident and saw the victim on the ground. Not Disney's fault, but that wasn't a fun way to start a day.
8. Mousekeeping was knocking on our two-br villa door at 8:30 a.m. wanting to know when we were leaving. We had this problem at BCV last year when the woman let herself in at 8 a.m. while my husband slept and then came back 30 minutes later to ask me "Umm, when will you be leaving?" GO AWAY! Anyway, this VWL episode, I immediately called the front desk to inform them we have the room until 11 a.m. and pay good money for it, that we did not appreciate someone pushing us out the door more than two hours early. They apologized, but I told them they might want to send someone to the villas before there were less agreeable people being kicked out by the staff as they walked down the hall.
9. Realized on the Magical Express bus on the way to the airport from Wilderness Lodge that we forgot our keys ... at Port Orleans LAST weekend. Have yet to get a real person on the phone for their Lost & Found.
10. The Christmas decorations are suffering ... no more gingerbread Poly at the Poly, just a bunch of chinky looking gingerbread houses; and for the second year in a row, no Christmas village at Boma (you think they would pull that Food Network special by now).
I do have to say though ... everything we seemed to have major problems with were electronic. Guest service was still right on par for the most part. Food at Boma, California Grill, Biergarten, LeCellier and all the CSs were still great. Oh wait, one last complaint ... when did they get rid of the mushrooms at Pecos Bill???? I skipped lunch at our villa at VWL with the family just to go have a mushroom burger and was denied at the fixin's line. ARGH!
Anyway, LOVE the new Spaceship Earth. The end is obviously dark because they are still working on things and trying to distract guests by playing that on-screen game. The new animatronics and audio are wonderful.
The new HM ... all I have to say is this is the first time ever I could not get enough of HM. Since I was little, I would get freaked out by those heads popping up in the attic and graveyard. Less of those and no more screams in the Doombuggy. The stretching room's audio is crazy wonderful and the new scenes on the ride are great!
