Here is your warning: this trip report does not contain much pixie dust

[lizandjason]

Just back yesterday after five much-anticipated days at CSR. Here's the rundown...

CSR
The Good: Nice grounds, nice new room, great pool and hot tub
The Bad: The 'magic' is lacking here, no doubt about it. Between extremely rude staff (with the exception of our bellhop who was lovely), tons of conventioneers and a horrible food court, we will not be back. The Pepper Market is a joke-what genius thought this up? The 'waitresses' don't speak English, and a simple request for Ranch dressing turned into an ordeal. When I say RUDE staff, I mean, very grumpy and indifferent. 'What do you want' I heard when I dared to wander into back of the market for a cookie, and then the worker grabs the cookie with his bare hand...the same hand that he had just used to wipe the counter. Food was extremely greasy and just tasted bad. There were literally 25 conventioneers waiting at one station for their food. The Pepper Market is the sole reason we won't ever stay here again.

Crowds
The Good: Nothing good to report about crowds. Free dining and Epcot Food and Wine Festival brought everyone out. HOWEVER-ride waits weren't horrible. The worst ride times we saw were 90 minutes for Splash Mountain and 80 for Test Track, but with those exceptions, everything was 15-30 minutes.
The Bad: Holy moly, what a cluster, considering the time of year. With a couple of rare exceptions, it didn't matter what day, what park, what time...parks were crowded. It's quite obvious that parents don't care much if their kids miss a week of school.

Food
The Great: Biergarten (WOW)
The Very Good: Surprisingly, Tony's. We walked in at 5 pm and split a salad and one order of Chicken Parmesan..and it was all PLENTY of food, only one TS credit, and then the plan was to split a TS credit on the Big Kahuna breakfast at Kona...but we overslept! I also enjoyed the Shwarma platter at Tangiere Cafe (more meat than I could possibly eat in one sitting, and I can put some food away!)

I woke up with a very sore throat Wednesday which lasted all day and then turned into a fever (did I wear myself out, or did I touch too many places where countless germy hands had been?) We left a day early and we were both looking forward to coming home. We planned incessantly for this trip...spent countless hours on the DIS boards and All Ears, and dreamed of what it would be. While we had some great moments, we definitely had more fun planning than doing.

We are in our early 30's, no kids yet, and this was our third trip in 16 months. The trip was just exhaustive and-to be honest-we didn't have many 'new' experiences, it was kind of like...'oh, Pirates of the Caribbean, been there done that.' I kept looking at young couples with small kids and wondering if we were missing out on the true 'meaning' of Disney. Every day was an exhaustive struggle to hurry up and stand in line. We were lured in by a deal but it turns out that this just wasn't the best time for us to go; hopefully in the future we'll have a different perspective and we can try it again, but it will be awhile.

 

[vicb]

Whoa, sorry to hear your trip was not as nice as you had hoped for. I'm sure that was disappointing for you.

This is just a thought off the top of my head please don't take it the wrong way... maybe you should take a disney break and do a few non-wdw vacations. I know there are tons of folks on these boards who love to go mulitiple times each year but to be honest I am not one of them.

My family has been 4 times over the last 11 years. In between we have done beach vacations in Florida, been to San Diego, San Antonio, Phoenix and Sedona, Maine etc...

We are returning this Feb. to WDW after a 4 year absence, we are so excited but in our case I think it has been good to not go so often, we don't feel jaded or have the feeling you described of "been there done that".

Again, sorry it wasn't all you'd hoped for.

 

[lizandjason]

Whoa, sorry to hear your trip was not as nice as you had hoped for. I'm sure that was disappointing for you.

This is just a thought off the top of my head please don't take it the wrong way... maybe you should take a disney break and do a few non-wdw vacations. I know there are tons of folks on these boards who love to go mulitiple times each year but to be honest I am not one of them.

My family has been 4 times over the last 11 years. In between we have done beach vacations in Florida, been to San Diego, San Antonio, Phoenix and Sedona, Maine etc...

We are returning this Feb. to WDW after a 4 year absence, we are so excited but in our case I think it has been good to not go so often, we don't feel jaded or have the feeling you described of "been there done that".

Again, sorry it wasn't all you'd hoped for.

Great advice, that's exactly what we were thinking! I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we are both very sensitive to heat and we were miserable in the 95 degree high humidity. Maybe in 4 or 5 years (hopefully with a little one!) we'll try it again.

 

[iluveeyore]

Sorry to hear about your experience - maybe you should do Disney differently - maybe visit at Christmas when there's lots of new stuff to see - or do like DH and I sometimes do - we just go to our DVC villa for a few days and just enjoy everything outside of the parks - visit other resorts, eat at DTD or another resort, go mini-putting, pool hop, catch a movie, shop, or just laze around. We never rent a car, just take in all things Disney without the parks - we even enjoyed a romantic evening at the Poly beach when we weren't even staying there, watching Wishes across the lake.
Hope you give it another chance someday! Kids do make it different, enjoying it through their eyes, but ours are older now, so it's back to the two of us most trips and we really enjoy the slower pace we take each time.

 

[Kay1]

Some Disney trips are more magical than other, that's for sure. I don't like the Pepper Market either, though I like CSR. Glad to hear you liked Tony's as we'll be having lunch there during our Christmas trip.

I hope your sore throat clears up.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

I am sooo sorry to hear you had a less than magical trip. Bummer. Disney is a completely different through a child's eyes no doubt! Don't get me wrong going as an adult is fun too, but going with your child for the first time can be a pretty special experience.

Thanks for posting, folks need to hear the good and the bad. Just sorry you had such a disappointing trip!

 

[dbk1029]

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience.

CSR:
The CSR is a convention resort, many many people stay there due to business conventions of one sort or another. This is why I don't stay there. Since I don't stay there I can't effectively evaluate their food court or staff.

Crowds:
I know the Birnbaum guide states this time of year is quite busy due to the EpCot F&W. Add to that the Free Dining and I would expect a high volume of guests. The comment about people taking their children out of school appears like a snide personal attack and really is mostly irrelevant (sp?) to the crowd levels. Not all schools follow the same schedule and foriegn guests don't neccesarily have the same rules to follow regarding children and missing school.

Food:
Glad you enjoyed the food you had. I would have asked the server who grabbed you a cookie with their bare hand for another one and to please use a glove or wax paper. You can't be too careful these days.

Illness:
Sorry you got sick. I can say from personal experience that I sometimes get the sore throat not long after arriving in WDW. Typically I go to WDW when the climate at home (PA) is much cooler than in WDW (FL). So I attribute it to the change in climates.

Going 3 times in 16 months would be fun for me but then again I wouldn't appraoch every trip with the mentality of needing to do everything each trip. I think I would get bored riding the rides and seeing the shows so close together. I would probably choose other activities to fill in some of those trips. WDW has more to offer than just the 4 theme parks.

 

[connie1042]

Sorry you had a rough time. (We, Husband and I) Late 50's were there at CBR from 19-17th. I can tell you, the heat just about did us in. We only went to the parks in the morning and evening. BUT, There were NO lines at all for anything, except TSM, got a fastpass for that. I all so will admit, planning is half the fun. We just went to the parks to do really what we had not been on or really wanted to go on. We went to Cocoa Beach for a day.Got a little burned! I am going back in July for the 4th, just because some friends from Scotland want to see Disney on the 4th of July. I do not plan on riding much of anything. I know the heat will be brutel. I am going for the company. I think a lot of people think everything should be perfect at Disney and it is far from it. I think we all put to much pressure on ourselves to get our moneys worth and to have the perfect vacation. I learned a few things this trip. Gift Baskets, were very nice, but not worth the money. Cake for special occasion. All though very pretty, taste wise I can do better at home for a lot cheaper. When you have kids, it will be a whole different experience. We have been there with both sets of grandkids and both trips were totally different. I would suggest that you go somewhere where you would not want ot take your kids. Do those things now , while you still can. Disney is not going anywhere!

 

[pumpkinfish]

To break up our "must-do-everything" trips to WDW we like to take tours or just people watch. I know it's harder to do when the heat & humidity is killer, but it's fun . Not feeling like we have to do everything is an easier approach. We also look for hidden mickey's.

I think those that take trips often have all experienced a trip like this. Last June could have gone better but, meh, it is what it is . thanks for the feedback though, it's appreciated.

 

[Pakey]

I'm also sorry you did not enjoy your vacation. We've been to WDW at least 20 times in the past 10 years, no children (our kids are grown) so I believe there is Disney magic for adults but it's not always as magical as other times.

We have found that the crowds do not bother us but the high humidity combined with temps in the 90's definitely takes all of the magic out of a vacation. We also find that spending more time outside of the parks makes it more of a vacation rather than a park marathon.

We also take one vacation every year that is non-Disney. We have a rule that we cannot take that vacation to the same place twice. That gives us something every year that is new and exciting while WDW has become the place that is comfortable and easy.

There is a lot of world to see so hopefully this is your last bad vacation.

 

[RMulieri]

While I am sorry your trip seemed less than magical.I , as a parent really thought the comment about parents Obviously not caring about their child missing school was really unneccessary and a tad snarky...those of us who take our kids out of school for family trips have our reasons.Perhaps when you have kids you will understand better.

 

[Rainkiss]

Thanks for the report, hubby and I will be at CSR in a few weeks, good to know to avoid the food. We did our first trip the beginning of this year, we've planned a few more days this trip, and plan to take things a bit slower (and hit the water parks if things heat up). Hope you're feeling better soon, getting sick on vacation is miserable.

 

[secretpantssam]

I just came back earlier this week and I also was shocked with the crowd size. Also the first day of the Food and Wine Festival almost made the World Showcase unbearable. There were so many drunk people around, it made me feel like I was back in college on a Thursday night. It's a shame because I was really excited about trying all the food from different countries but I found walking around to be kind of unpleasant.

 

[itchin2go]

Crowds:
I know the Birnbaum guide states this time of year is quite busy due to the EpCot F&W. Add to that the Free Dining and I would expect a high volume of guests. The comment about people taking their children out of school appears like a snide personal attack and really is mostly irrelevant (sp?) to the crowd levels. Not all schools follow the same schedule and foriegn guests don't neccesarily have the same rules to follow regarding children and missing school.

ITA. Crowds and kids would be expected, right? We always go in January (a supposedly low-crowd time and certainly during the school year) and there are always crowds and kids.... We have taken our daughter out of school for the past couple of years. Why is that anyone else's business?

 

[jworkkul]

I am so sorry you got ill while on your vacation. While for some going to WDW a lot seems to lose "some magic" to somec let me say from being a Floridian and living just 20 minutes away that Disney still holds the same "magic" as it did when I first went in 1983. I have been so many times that I lost count and sometimes even went every weekend. Not only that, I am a former cast member. I have only one daughter and now she is grown (she had a Disney wedding last year) and even though we don't go every weekend now---we still try to get to one of the parks at least once a month. I am a DVC member and we have been going to WDW in the middle of July since my daughter was born (1983). It must be the hottest time but we are accustomed to the climate here in Florida. It is nice to know that when we do go we do not have to do any rides or attractions in the parks if the lines are too long We always tell each other "well, it's not like we don't live here!!) and come back when the weather is cooler and the lines not as long. I think people have too much expectation sometimes and when things don't go just the right way, it spoils it for them. Yes, I've had not so great service, rude guests and CM's, terrible hotel service (that is why I love DVC so much) and bad weather. Still------------there is something that grips at my insides every time I go to WDW. I feel like a little kid again and can't wait until my grandchildren come (hopefully soon?) and I know I will see WDW through a different set of eyes. Don't get discouraged, take a deep breath and plan for your next trip.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that the comment was made because like so many the OP hoped that kids being back in school would decrease the crowds a bit. Obviously, that didn't happen. I didn't read it as snarky but just frustration. Personally I wish that everyone would take their kids out of school so that the crowds would decrease in the summer but no such luck yet.

OP, I think that it's a great idea to try other things for a while. WDW will always be there for when you're ready.

 

[cvjw]

Many schools have fall breaks, which contribute to the number of kids at the parks. Our schools do not, unfortunately, so we are one of the families who pull our kids out of school. We do not like Disney in the summer when it is too hot and crowded. I have pulled my kids out for countless years now, and they still make all A's.

 

[OB1]

WOW - sorry to hear about the down part of your trip.

My wife & I go twice a year, since 2000 (and I often get a third on a biz trip in SEP). We still find a lot to do that is new & different, or a revisit.

EX: Rides like Ellen's Energy Adventure, American Adventure, the movies in World Showcase, Hall of Presidents, Lights - Motor - Action, Indy, Animiation tour, Honey I shrunk the audience, and so on. We catch these every 2-5 visits, and especially when crowds are up on the premier rides. There is always something that feels fresh. Of course, we always try to catch Soarin', Splash, Space, Pirates, Toy Story, Tower, etc., but we are willing to miss because we know we will be back in 6-8 months.

We did Backstage Safari 2 trips ago, and will do another tour in the next visit or two. We also take a side trip to SeaWorld or US every 3-4 trips for 1 day. We have also added trying to tour a new resort each trip. Still have the Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, and Saratoga to tour.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I have to agree with the crowd here.

In the past, all but one or two vacations a year were at WDW - week long trips and quick long weekends. We live in Maryland and NYC (before we were married) not close by.

Now we do one or two trips to Disney a year. Especially now where there are so many GREAT travel discounts all over that beat even our castmember rates.


You also have to remember. A Disney intensive vacation is not for everyone. There are plenty of other things to do and see in the Central Florida area and basing in a hotel outside WDW will give you better accomodations for the same $$$$. Many hotels --- especially all-suite hotels - include full breakfasts and can sometimes be less than the Value Resorts. This way you can have your Disney fix for a few days......AND do other things.

There is a place for ALL the fun things in Florida - Disney, US, Kennedy Space Center is a GREAT tour - especially when there is a shuttle on the launch pad....don't forget you can move over to the Atlantic side or Gulf side and chill out on some lovely beaches....head over to Daytona for some little car race in February....these are off the top of my head.


I know how you feel when a vacation is not working.....we have had them. I admire you for sticking with it....we bail and do something else when it's not a good time.


I also agree with the Christmas Season suggestion....It's our favorite time of year at Disney....doing DL this year! There are many more things to do and see and the Christmas spirit is alive in the parks. Our favorite time...early in the month BEFORE the peak season rates kick in.

Everyone here will give you terrific advice about what to see and do that month.

Good luck on your next adventures!

 

[DB&KS]

While I am sorry your trip seemed less than magical.I , as a parent really thought the comment about parents Obviously not caring about their child missing school was really unneccessary and a tad snarky...those of us who take our kids out of school for family trips have our reasons.Perhaps when you have kids you will understand better.