wuzzy6
Mom to the Fab 4
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2009
- Messages
- 608
We just returned from a lovely extended weekend at the World, and with all of the discussions regarding FP+, the MDE App, MB, etc., I thought I would share my experiences with you. We are FL Resident Annual Passholders with many day trips under our belts. However, this trip was the first staying on-site in 12 years, and the first time utilizing FP+, MDE App and MB. The name of the game on this trip was RELAXATION!!! Please recognize that everyone's experiences and perceptions are different; this is mine. 
(A side note: I booked the FP+ during the glitch that allowed people to schedule everything un-tiered.) I apologize for how lengthy this is, but I wanted to be as detailed as I could be...
Friday 3/14/2014:
We left at 4 a.m. to make the drive to WDW - stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel - arrived at Coronado Springs Resort at 7:30 a.m. I had previously completed online check-in, and much to our surprise, the room was ready AND we got 2nd floor Cabanas in 8A - exactly what we'd requested and hoped for! We took all of our bags to the room and headed to DHS in time for rope drop.
We got through the entrance with ease - MBs worked perfectly. We rode RnRC and ToT first thing, and our wait was less than 10 minutes for each. We wandered around and did the Backlot Tour (WT< 10 min.), took pictures with Sully and Mike (WT < 5 min.), rode the Great Movie Ride (WT<5 min.), poked around in some of the shops, and ate lunch at the ABC Commissary. By the time we finished lunch, we were all feeling pretty worn-out (we'd been awake since 3 a.m.) and wanted to go back to the resort to rest for a bit. We had FP+ scheduled for RnRC at 2:15, ToT at 3:45, and TSMM at 5:00 - tried to use the App during lunch to move the FP+ times up, but there were no earlier times available, which was not unexpected. Unfortunately, we had to let them go, because we knew we weren't going to make it back to DHS after resting at the resort. So, on a positive note, we got to ride 2 of the 3 rides we wanted to ride without waiting very long in stand-by. The downside is that if I had known I'd be so tired by lunchtime, I would've scheduled our FP+ times much earlier in the day.
After relaxing by the pool for a couple of hours and a lovely nap in the room, we headed over to Epcot to see about finding something to eat. We couldn't decide on anything until DD suggested Asian cuisine for dinner - we all agreed that it sounded fabulous. I tried to use the MDE App to see if we could find a table somewhere in China or Japan, but it kept throwing an error - a "blip" as it was called. We got very lucky at Nine Dragons - they were accepting walk-ups - and we were told it would be about a 20-minute wait. Our buzzer went off in less than 5 minutes. Service was outstanding, and the food was hot, fresh, and flavorful.
We decided to head over to MK after dinner, because the crowds at Epcot were nuts. By the time we got to MK, we were so tired that we went directly to the resort bus. We called it a night by 10:30!
To recap, as this was consistently true throughout the stay: Rope Drop to ride the headliners without FP+. Disappointed to not be able to utilize our FP+ selections in the afternoon - would've scheduled them earlier in the day if I'd have been able to predict how tired we'd be! MDE App worked beautifully for checking wait times and reviewing FP+ times, but it did NOT work well for finding a table for dinner on-the-spot, due to the "blip." MBs were great!
Saturday 3/15/2014:
Woke up early and decided we wanted to find a table for breakfast - we were HUNGRY, and a QS wasn't going to cut it! I jumped on the MDE App to search for a table, but I ran into the same "blip" as the night before. Frustrating! Fortunately, we were in the room and used the laptop to log in to the account and book a reservation at Boma for 9:05 a.m. - SCORE! We had FP+ booked at AK for as early as 9:00, so you can see the potential problem here... fortunately, I was able to push back the earliest FP+ time using the MDE App with no problem at all! SCORE again!
We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Boma - the food was hot, fresh, and absolutely fantastic!!! We wrapped up and headed to AK. We used our FP+ for EE (WT < 5 min.), the Safari (WT <5 min.), and Primeval Whirl (WT <5 min.). We also rode Dinosaur via Stand-by (WT< 20 min.) We were ready to head back to the resort for some pool time and a nap.
***A little side note: We encountered our first experience with people trying to enter the FP queue before their scheduled time at the Safari. The CM was polite but firm, and in spite of the guests' best efforts to sway him through arguing, the CM would not let them through. Frankly, this made me very happy, because I'm so sick of people having an expectation that they are the exceptions to the rules.
Got back to the resort and went to the pool for a while. We were all still full from our huge breakfast at Boma, so there was no need for any lunch. We took a nap and headed to Epcot - rode Spaceship Earth (WT <10 min.) - then walked back to Italy for our ADR at Tutto Italia at 7:30 p.m.
Going to give a little extra detail here - skip it if you don't want a dining review:
We were seated immediately, which was nice... but that's where the good service ended. We waited 15 minutes for water, in spite of the olives and bread being served within 5 minutes of our being seated. We were finally greeted by our server after 20 minutes - no kidding. He took our drink and appetizer order - DH and I both got cocktails and an order of calamari. The drinks were meh - certainly not worth the price. The calamari was good. He took our dinner order, and our food was served very quickly - almost too quickly. (It was very obvious that the food had been pre-plated and kept hot, which was terribly disappointing.) DH's sole was firm, but the coating was soggy. The dish was flavorful, and had it been fresh, this would have been something to rave about. My risotto was slightly under-cooked, and the sauce had sat long enough for it to begin separating - the shrimp, however, were cooked nicely. Overall, the dish lacked flavor. Both kids ordered fettuccine, which was also meh - pasta was tough from sitting for too long, and the sauce had congealed and lacked flavor. Our waiter had mastered the disappearing act, but we were very lucky to have a fabulous young man who kept our water glasses full. We tipped him separately, because it was our opinion that he was the only one who actually earned a tip that evening. I've read a lot of really terrific reviews about this place, but honestly, we either had a bad night, or there are a lot of people who are clueless about what "good food" really is.
For a $200.00 dinner for 4 people, my expectation is that it will be at least "good," which this was NOT. It is doubtful we will ever try it again in the near future.
We wandered around Epcot for a little while after dinner - rode Maelstrom (WT < 15 min.) and watched bits and pieces of Illuminations while walking through World Showcase. The crowds were better than the night before, but nothing good comes from drunk people trying to navigate big crowds in the dark. (DH and I weren't drunk, but there were plenty who were - not sure why it surprised me, but it did.) We headed back to the room for a relatively early bedtime.
***Another little note: Based on our experiences Friday, we decided to change our FP+ times for the next day. Originally, we had FP+ times set for 1:10 pm, 3:00 pm, and 5:00 pm. We changed those times to 12:00, 1:10 and 2:10 - no problems moving those times around via the MDE App! MBs worked perfectly!
Sunday 3/16/2014:
We slept in a little bit and decided we wanted to have dinner at MK that night. Again, I was unable to book anything through the MDE App, but I was able to book a table for the Crystal Palace at 8:25 pm via the laptop. We got ready to go and went to Pepper Market for a QS breakfast - food was fresh, hot and flavorful. It was unpleasantly crowded, but we were able to find a table right away, which was good. We took our time and enjoyed a lazy breakfast.
We watched the Muppets, took pictures with Stitch, and saw the 11:00 Lights! Motors! Action! show. After the show, we used our 12:00 FP+ window to ride RnRC (WT <10 min.) We got a couple of drinks and found a bench over by Pixar Place - relaxed in the shade, took pictures with the green army man, and did some people-watching. At 1:10, we used our FP+ to ride TSMM (WT < 10 min.) - then headed over to Studio Catering Co. for a light lunch, which was surprisingly fresh and tasty! By the time we finished lunch, it was time to use our last FP+ of the day to ride ToT. DH and I were tired of walking around, so we gave the kids our MBs, and they were able to ride it back-to-back via the FP queue. They reported their WT to be less than 15 minutes each time, and they had no issues using our MBs. So, while they rode ToT, DH and I enjoyed a coffee and sweet treat from Starring Rolls. The kids ate their treats, and then we headed back to the resort for a little rest before dinner.
We arrived at The Crystal Palace about 20 minutes before our ADR time and waited about 15 minutes before being seated. It was insanely busy, and they were turning away walk-ups. The food was surprisingly VERY tasty and fresh! We had great service, in spite of how busy it was, and the character interaction was fantastic! We watched Wishes while waiting in line for BTMRR (WT <30 min.) - rode PoTC (WT<5 min.) - rode the Peoplemover (WT <15 min.) - kids rode Astro Orbiter (WT >30 min., which was definitely way longer than the posted 10 minutes.) - rode Buzz's SRS (WT <20 min.) We made it until midnight - MK was open until 2:00 am. Headed back to the room and feel right to sleep.
Monday 3/17/2014:
Woke up and packed up the room for check-out. We were expecting lousy weather to move in around lunchtime, so we planned to hit Epcot early and leave early. We tried to bump up our FP+ times, but there weren't any times available. Bummer.
We put our bags in the car and drove around to El Centro. We had breakfast again at the Pepper Market - food was equally good, and it was far less crowded! We then drove around to Bus Stop #2 and parked. DH encountered an issue with his MB, as it would not open the gate to allow us to drive into the restricted guest-only area. We had to use my MB, which was fine. He didn't have any other issues with the MB - was able to get into the park and use FP with no problem... just seemed to glitch with the gate.
Headed to Epcot, where DH and the kids rode Mission: Space (WT <10 min.) - no thank you for me.
We headed over to Soarin' - had a FP+ for 9:55 am and waited for less than 10 minutes. By the time we finished, we could tell that it wasn't going to be long before the nasty weather moved in. We headed out to the resort bus stop - waited for almost 30 minutes for the bus. This was the first, and only, time we waited for more than 10 minutes for a bus the entire trip. No biggie, really, just an annoyance. We jumped into the car and headed home.
In Summary:
Magic Bands: Aside from the last-day glitch with DH's MB and the resort gate, the MBs were PERFECT!!! The MB allowed us to go to the park with nothing more than what we wore on our wrist, which was very convenient! Even the kids were able to make purchases with their MB, which was very handy. There was a slight learning curve with the bands with figuring out how to "make contact" properly. We also discovered that wearing the band a little loose was much more comfortable. We did not have any issues with our bands popping off or coming undone. We wore them in the pool and spa with no problems. Definitely a thumbs-up on the MB! Love them!!! (Worth mentioning - be sure you pay attention to what you're spending, because you may be surprised when you check out. LOL)
MDE App: The App is fantastic for checking on wait times, park hours, and other information, and we used it every single day. The App was also very handy when it came to rescheduling FP+ times - super easy. (See below for more info re: FP+) The App was NOT good for making dining reservations - we tried to use it multiple times to book a seating, but it had a "blip" every time. If they can get that bug worked-out, it will be an excellent tool to use! As with ANY App that uses location and real-time, you want to be sure you close it after using it, because it WILL drain your battery if left open. I will give the MDE App a thumbs-up, as well, but with the caveat that it is still a work in progress with plenty of room for improvement!
Fast Pass +: I have mixed feelings about FP+, but if I had to assign a "good" or "bad" label to it, I would definitely say it's GOOD! I really liked having the FP+ scheduled ahead of time, because the lines at the kiosks in the parks were effing LONG - no other way to put it. The FP+ wait times were all very short, which was great! I think it's really important for me to point out that there were ALWAYS big groups of people waiting outside the FP+ queue, because people were waiting for their windows to open up. It is my opinion that this is what's giving people the impression that the FP+ lines are HUGE. The actual FP+ line itself was very short, and the wait was minimal. The biggest downside to FP+ is the inability to predict certain touring factors when selecting your time windows. As described in our first touring day, we left the park and were unable to use our selected FP+ - couldn't move the times up because there was nothing available for the earlier times. Instead of it being a huge negative for us, we used what we learned from this experience to make better decisions. I will also give FP+ a thumbs-up, but again with a little bigger caveat... there is a significant human factor that can't be predicted ahead of time when planning your selections. This is fine for someone (like me) who travels to WDW regularly and can take the time to learn how to make the system work favorably for a personalized touring plan. BUT, I can also appreciate how this can be a huge negative for someone who might only be able to make the trip once a year (or less frequently). I also feel for the people who have to use the kiosks in the park to get FP+ - those lines were ridiculous. Hopefully, they will continue to try to improve the system to allow a little more flexibility and efficiency for every touring style.
Again, sorry for the length. I hope the information I've provided, based on my perception and experience, has been helpful in some way.
(A side note: I booked the FP+ during the glitch that allowed people to schedule everything un-tiered.) I apologize for how lengthy this is, but I wanted to be as detailed as I could be...Friday 3/14/2014:
We left at 4 a.m. to make the drive to WDW - stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel - arrived at Coronado Springs Resort at 7:30 a.m. I had previously completed online check-in, and much to our surprise, the room was ready AND we got 2nd floor Cabanas in 8A - exactly what we'd requested and hoped for! We took all of our bags to the room and headed to DHS in time for rope drop.
We got through the entrance with ease - MBs worked perfectly. We rode RnRC and ToT first thing, and our wait was less than 10 minutes for each. We wandered around and did the Backlot Tour (WT< 10 min.), took pictures with Sully and Mike (WT < 5 min.), rode the Great Movie Ride (WT<5 min.), poked around in some of the shops, and ate lunch at the ABC Commissary. By the time we finished lunch, we were all feeling pretty worn-out (we'd been awake since 3 a.m.) and wanted to go back to the resort to rest for a bit. We had FP+ scheduled for RnRC at 2:15, ToT at 3:45, and TSMM at 5:00 - tried to use the App during lunch to move the FP+ times up, but there were no earlier times available, which was not unexpected. Unfortunately, we had to let them go, because we knew we weren't going to make it back to DHS after resting at the resort. So, on a positive note, we got to ride 2 of the 3 rides we wanted to ride without waiting very long in stand-by. The downside is that if I had known I'd be so tired by lunchtime, I would've scheduled our FP+ times much earlier in the day.
After relaxing by the pool for a couple of hours and a lovely nap in the room, we headed over to Epcot to see about finding something to eat. We couldn't decide on anything until DD suggested Asian cuisine for dinner - we all agreed that it sounded fabulous. I tried to use the MDE App to see if we could find a table somewhere in China or Japan, but it kept throwing an error - a "blip" as it was called. We got very lucky at Nine Dragons - they were accepting walk-ups - and we were told it would be about a 20-minute wait. Our buzzer went off in less than 5 minutes. Service was outstanding, and the food was hot, fresh, and flavorful.
We decided to head over to MK after dinner, because the crowds at Epcot were nuts. By the time we got to MK, we were so tired that we went directly to the resort bus. We called it a night by 10:30!
To recap, as this was consistently true throughout the stay: Rope Drop to ride the headliners without FP+. Disappointed to not be able to utilize our FP+ selections in the afternoon - would've scheduled them earlier in the day if I'd have been able to predict how tired we'd be! MDE App worked beautifully for checking wait times and reviewing FP+ times, but it did NOT work well for finding a table for dinner on-the-spot, due to the "blip." MBs were great!
Saturday 3/15/2014:
Woke up early and decided we wanted to find a table for breakfast - we were HUNGRY, and a QS wasn't going to cut it! I jumped on the MDE App to search for a table, but I ran into the same "blip" as the night before. Frustrating! Fortunately, we were in the room and used the laptop to log in to the account and book a reservation at Boma for 9:05 a.m. - SCORE! We had FP+ booked at AK for as early as 9:00, so you can see the potential problem here... fortunately, I was able to push back the earliest FP+ time using the MDE App with no problem at all! SCORE again!
We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Boma - the food was hot, fresh, and absolutely fantastic!!! We wrapped up and headed to AK. We used our FP+ for EE (WT < 5 min.), the Safari (WT <5 min.), and Primeval Whirl (WT <5 min.). We also rode Dinosaur via Stand-by (WT< 20 min.) We were ready to head back to the resort for some pool time and a nap.
***A little side note: We encountered our first experience with people trying to enter the FP queue before their scheduled time at the Safari. The CM was polite but firm, and in spite of the guests' best efforts to sway him through arguing, the CM would not let them through. Frankly, this made me very happy, because I'm so sick of people having an expectation that they are the exceptions to the rules.
Got back to the resort and went to the pool for a while. We were all still full from our huge breakfast at Boma, so there was no need for any lunch. We took a nap and headed to Epcot - rode Spaceship Earth (WT <10 min.) - then walked back to Italy for our ADR at Tutto Italia at 7:30 p.m.
Going to give a little extra detail here - skip it if you don't want a dining review:
We were seated immediately, which was nice... but that's where the good service ended. We waited 15 minutes for water, in spite of the olives and bread being served within 5 minutes of our being seated. We were finally greeted by our server after 20 minutes - no kidding. He took our drink and appetizer order - DH and I both got cocktails and an order of calamari. The drinks were meh - certainly not worth the price. The calamari was good. He took our dinner order, and our food was served very quickly - almost too quickly. (It was very obvious that the food had been pre-plated and kept hot, which was terribly disappointing.) DH's sole was firm, but the coating was soggy. The dish was flavorful, and had it been fresh, this would have been something to rave about. My risotto was slightly under-cooked, and the sauce had sat long enough for it to begin separating - the shrimp, however, were cooked nicely. Overall, the dish lacked flavor. Both kids ordered fettuccine, which was also meh - pasta was tough from sitting for too long, and the sauce had congealed and lacked flavor. Our waiter had mastered the disappearing act, but we were very lucky to have a fabulous young man who kept our water glasses full. We tipped him separately, because it was our opinion that he was the only one who actually earned a tip that evening. I've read a lot of really terrific reviews about this place, but honestly, we either had a bad night, or there are a lot of people who are clueless about what "good food" really is.
For a $200.00 dinner for 4 people, my expectation is that it will be at least "good," which this was NOT. It is doubtful we will ever try it again in the near future.We wandered around Epcot for a little while after dinner - rode Maelstrom (WT < 15 min.) and watched bits and pieces of Illuminations while walking through World Showcase. The crowds were better than the night before, but nothing good comes from drunk people trying to navigate big crowds in the dark. (DH and I weren't drunk, but there were plenty who were - not sure why it surprised me, but it did.) We headed back to the room for a relatively early bedtime.
***Another little note: Based on our experiences Friday, we decided to change our FP+ times for the next day. Originally, we had FP+ times set for 1:10 pm, 3:00 pm, and 5:00 pm. We changed those times to 12:00, 1:10 and 2:10 - no problems moving those times around via the MDE App! MBs worked perfectly!
Sunday 3/16/2014:
We slept in a little bit and decided we wanted to have dinner at MK that night. Again, I was unable to book anything through the MDE App, but I was able to book a table for the Crystal Palace at 8:25 pm via the laptop. We got ready to go and went to Pepper Market for a QS breakfast - food was fresh, hot and flavorful. It was unpleasantly crowded, but we were able to find a table right away, which was good. We took our time and enjoyed a lazy breakfast.
We watched the Muppets, took pictures with Stitch, and saw the 11:00 Lights! Motors! Action! show. After the show, we used our 12:00 FP+ window to ride RnRC (WT <10 min.) We got a couple of drinks and found a bench over by Pixar Place - relaxed in the shade, took pictures with the green army man, and did some people-watching. At 1:10, we used our FP+ to ride TSMM (WT < 10 min.) - then headed over to Studio Catering Co. for a light lunch, which was surprisingly fresh and tasty! By the time we finished lunch, it was time to use our last FP+ of the day to ride ToT. DH and I were tired of walking around, so we gave the kids our MBs, and they were able to ride it back-to-back via the FP queue. They reported their WT to be less than 15 minutes each time, and they had no issues using our MBs. So, while they rode ToT, DH and I enjoyed a coffee and sweet treat from Starring Rolls. The kids ate their treats, and then we headed back to the resort for a little rest before dinner.
We arrived at The Crystal Palace about 20 minutes before our ADR time and waited about 15 minutes before being seated. It was insanely busy, and they were turning away walk-ups. The food was surprisingly VERY tasty and fresh! We had great service, in spite of how busy it was, and the character interaction was fantastic! We watched Wishes while waiting in line for BTMRR (WT <30 min.) - rode PoTC (WT<5 min.) - rode the Peoplemover (WT <15 min.) - kids rode Astro Orbiter (WT >30 min., which was definitely way longer than the posted 10 minutes.) - rode Buzz's SRS (WT <20 min.) We made it until midnight - MK was open until 2:00 am. Headed back to the room and feel right to sleep.
Monday 3/17/2014:
Woke up and packed up the room for check-out. We were expecting lousy weather to move in around lunchtime, so we planned to hit Epcot early and leave early. We tried to bump up our FP+ times, but there weren't any times available. Bummer.
We put our bags in the car and drove around to El Centro. We had breakfast again at the Pepper Market - food was equally good, and it was far less crowded! We then drove around to Bus Stop #2 and parked. DH encountered an issue with his MB, as it would not open the gate to allow us to drive into the restricted guest-only area. We had to use my MB, which was fine. He didn't have any other issues with the MB - was able to get into the park and use FP with no problem... just seemed to glitch with the gate.
Headed to Epcot, where DH and the kids rode Mission: Space (WT <10 min.) - no thank you for me.
We headed over to Soarin' - had a FP+ for 9:55 am and waited for less than 10 minutes. By the time we finished, we could tell that it wasn't going to be long before the nasty weather moved in. We headed out to the resort bus stop - waited for almost 30 minutes for the bus. This was the first, and only, time we waited for more than 10 minutes for a bus the entire trip. No biggie, really, just an annoyance. We jumped into the car and headed home. In Summary:
Magic Bands: Aside from the last-day glitch with DH's MB and the resort gate, the MBs were PERFECT!!! The MB allowed us to go to the park with nothing more than what we wore on our wrist, which was very convenient! Even the kids were able to make purchases with their MB, which was very handy. There was a slight learning curve with the bands with figuring out how to "make contact" properly. We also discovered that wearing the band a little loose was much more comfortable. We did not have any issues with our bands popping off or coming undone. We wore them in the pool and spa with no problems. Definitely a thumbs-up on the MB! Love them!!! (Worth mentioning - be sure you pay attention to what you're spending, because you may be surprised when you check out. LOL)
MDE App: The App is fantastic for checking on wait times, park hours, and other information, and we used it every single day. The App was also very handy when it came to rescheduling FP+ times - super easy. (See below for more info re: FP+) The App was NOT good for making dining reservations - we tried to use it multiple times to book a seating, but it had a "blip" every time. If they can get that bug worked-out, it will be an excellent tool to use! As with ANY App that uses location and real-time, you want to be sure you close it after using it, because it WILL drain your battery if left open. I will give the MDE App a thumbs-up, as well, but with the caveat that it is still a work in progress with plenty of room for improvement!
Fast Pass +: I have mixed feelings about FP+, but if I had to assign a "good" or "bad" label to it, I would definitely say it's GOOD! I really liked having the FP+ scheduled ahead of time, because the lines at the kiosks in the parks were effing LONG - no other way to put it. The FP+ wait times were all very short, which was great! I think it's really important for me to point out that there were ALWAYS big groups of people waiting outside the FP+ queue, because people were waiting for their windows to open up. It is my opinion that this is what's giving people the impression that the FP+ lines are HUGE. The actual FP+ line itself was very short, and the wait was minimal. The biggest downside to FP+ is the inability to predict certain touring factors when selecting your time windows. As described in our first touring day, we left the park and were unable to use our selected FP+ - couldn't move the times up because there was nothing available for the earlier times. Instead of it being a huge negative for us, we used what we learned from this experience to make better decisions. I will also give FP+ a thumbs-up, but again with a little bigger caveat... there is a significant human factor that can't be predicted ahead of time when planning your selections. This is fine for someone (like me) who travels to WDW regularly and can take the time to learn how to make the system work favorably for a personalized touring plan. BUT, I can also appreciate how this can be a huge negative for someone who might only be able to make the trip once a year (or less frequently). I also feel for the people who have to use the kiosks in the park to get FP+ - those lines were ridiculous. Hopefully, they will continue to try to improve the system to allow a little more flexibility and efficiency for every touring style.
Again, sorry for the length. I hope the information I've provided, based on my perception and experience, has been helpful in some way.
about our plans is that we have to catch an EARLY flight out. But at least it's a direct one...and we'll be packing and washing clothes as soon as we get back to Austin b/c my daughter leaves THE NEXT DAY for a church trip. 
