Highs and Lows!

[oceanscape]

Thought I'd join in with some key highs and lows from our recent trip. We returned at the end of July and it already seems like years ago

HIGHS

My Disney Experience/Fastpass Plus
Love it, love it, love it! Seems like guests either love or loathe it but we found it really great. It was so nice to be able to plan our days in advance. We are not early risers and never make rope drop so it was brilliant to get good FP+ times for rides like TSM without having the mad dash to the machine on entering the park. The app occasionally froze and had to be re-started but overall it worked great. Wi-Fi in the parks was fantastic. Can't wait until they let you book your 4th and subsequent FPs using the app - according to a CM we spoke to this functionality will be coming very soon.

Saratoga Springs
Loved the space of the 2 bedroom villa and the proximity to DTD. Great to be able to park right outside the room.

Hollywood and Vine
Not usually a fan of buffets but this one was awesome! Did it as part of the Fantasmic! package which was well worth it - rocked up just 20 mins before the show and had fantastic seats right in the middle, despite stadium being at capacity by time show started. Read some bad reviews in previous years but noticed that recently the reviews have been glowing. I absolutely loved it. Fresh, regularly replenished food. A nice break from the typical fried theme park foods - gorgeous salmon, make-your-own pasta bar, beautiful fresh salads, great vegetable selection. Wonderful. And brilliant service - CM even gave us some drinks in take-out cups to take to Fantasmic! and wrapped up some dessert goodies for us to take!

Be our Guest
Wow, wow, wow. What a beautifully themed restaurant. We were sad to not be in the main dining hall (we were in the West Wing) but the food was fantastic. Beautiful steak. Only disappointment were the cheap ready-made desserts. "grey stuff" was delicious but not really a table service experience.

Yachtsman Steakhouse
Never had a bad meal here. The steaks are world class, the service is always perfect and the desserts are just mouth watering. Well worth the 2 credits. Love the calm atmosphere too.

Alamo
Did OLCI before leaving UK - went straight to the garage, straight in the car, and straight to the exit! Took 5 minutes! Had a fantastic brand new Chevy Tahoe with built-in SatNav.

LOWS

Beach Club
Room was looking tired and desperately in need of a refurb!

Sci-Fi Dine In
Wow this place has gone downhill! We used to love the burgers but this time they were really nasty - tasted like some cheap meat and really poorly presented: just slopped on to the plate with the fillings falling out. Chips were cold and undercooked. Also, maybe it's just me, but I wish they'd show Disney cartoons or Disney-related movies on the screen. Does anyone actually enjoy those awful shows they play? I know it's "Sci-Fi" Dine In but I think it'd be really neat to change it to a Disney themed dine in restaurant.

Tony's Town Square
We are big Italian food fans and I loved the menu of this place. Turned out to be our worst ever Disney meal experience and actually bordering on worst ever restaurant meal. Absolutely disgusting. The spaghetti is worse than that from a can and the sauces were full of water and sugar, with no taste. None of us enjoyed our meals. Chicken parmigiana was a cheap frozen chicken escalope thrown over re-heated spaghetti with a watered down canned tomato sauce; literally worse than the tomato sauce you get in a can of Heinz spaghetti. Service was also slow and unfriendly. Will never go back.

Seven Dwarf's Mine Train
Can't believe the hype this gets. It's so short! And I kept reading reviews from people saying that the inside is really great with the dwarfs etc. - well I must have missed something the two times we went on it because it was nothing special or out-of-the-ordinary and when Universal are building rides like Harry Potter's Gringotts I am so disappointed in Disney for bringing this poor attempt at a ride to the table. Thank god we didn't queue the 80 minutes+ this ride was permanently stuck on.

Downtown Disney
Everyone is talking about this lately but really, don't even bother trying to get NEAR DTD by car in the evenings, especially at the weekend. Over half the audience was late to our CDS show as there is nowhere near enough parking and it can take an hour just to get into the parking lot in the first place. I know Disney are doing works to improve and expand DTD but they planned this out so badly.

ADR Wait Times
We always ended up waiting at least 15-30+ minutes after our ADR time before we were seated. Never experienced this in the many times we have visited in the past and thought, if anything, ADR wait times would be going down because of the new credit card policy.

 

[disneyholic family]

thanks for taking the time to share your highs and lows!!
sounds like a fab holiday all in all!!

i can't help but add my two cents to some of your lows

Sci-Fi Dine In
Wow this place has gone downhill! We used to love the burgers but this time they were really nasty - tasted like some cheap meat and really poorly presented: just slopped on to the plate with the fillings falling out. Chips were cold and undercooked. Also, maybe it's just me, but I wish they'd show Disney cartoons or Disney-related movies on the screen. Does anyone actually enjoy those awful shows they play? I know it's "Sci-Fi" Dine In but I think it'd be really neat to change it to a Disney themed dine in restaurant.

i'm sad to hear about the burgers - we always have enjoyed the burgers / veggie burgers here...
as for the movies - i think that disney wants it to be boring stuff to keep people from sitting around for too long and taking up the tables..

Tony's Town Square
We are big Italian food fans and I loved the menu of this place. Turned out to be our worst ever Disney meal experience and actually bordering on worst ever restaurant meal. Absolutely disgusting. The spaghetti is worse than that from a can and the sauces were full of water and sugar, with no taste. None of us enjoyed our meals. Chicken parmigiana was a cheap frozen chicken escalope thrown over re-heated spaghetti with a watered down canned tomato sauce; literally worse than the tomato sauce you get in a can of Heinz spaghetti. Service was also slow and unfriendly. Will never go back.

DD and her husband ate there two years ago and said it was the worst food they've ever had...ever...and that's saying a lot!!!

Seven Dwarf's Mine Train
Can't believe the hype this gets. It's so short! And I kept reading reviews from people saying that the inside is really great with the dwarfs etc. - well I must have missed something the two times we went on it because it was nothing special or out-of-the-ordinary and when Universal are building rides like Harry Potter's Gringotts I am so disappointed in Disney for bringing this poor attempt at a ride to the table. Thank god we didn't queue the 80 minutes+ this ride was permanently stuck on.

i'm no apologist for disney, but i think this was meant just as a kiddie ride in fantasyland....not an adult ride like gringotts...

 

[flortlebap]

Sorry to hear about your issues!

We are staying at YC in a couple of weeks and truth be told, after reading a lot of negative reviews about tired, outdated rooms in need of a refurb, I'm starting to wish we weren't. It's such a shame because I've always wanted to visit and it isn't cheap, if the rooms are as bad as people say!

Good to hear your review of the Yachtsman Steakhouse though - I'm very much looking forward to trying it!

 

[ChipnDaleRule]

Sorry to hear about your issues! We are staying at YC in a couple of weeks and truth be told, after reading a lot of negative reviews about tired, outdated rooms in need of a refurb, I'm starting to wish we weren't. It's such a shame because I've always wanted to visit and it isn't cheap, if the rooms are as bad as people say! Good to hear your review of the Yachtsman Steakhouse though - I'm very much looking forward to trying it!

I here now.Hope I can reassure you a little, I can't think of one negative thing to say about YC. Room is in excellent condition, Cast Members have been as attentive as ever. Have no desire to stay anywhere else
Just to add I've heard that BC is going through refurb at the moment in stages, as to not cause too much disruption

 

[flortlebap]

I here now.Hope I can reassure you a little, I can't think of one negative thing to say about YC. Room is in excellent condition, Cast Members have been as attentive as ever. Have no desire to stay anywhere else

Thank you for taking the time out to post this, I really appreciate it. I'm sure I'm just being paranoid and I don't usually listen to TA reviews, but it did worry me a tad.

I'm really glad you love it!

 

[Cyrano]

On the whole it sounds like you had a great time.

We had the reverse experience with Sc-Fi Dine In and Hollywood & Vine.

I was not looking forward to Sc-Fi, but the troops fancied it. Meal was quite nice and we had a great server.

Food at H&V was just so so. Frequently trays were empty.
Server at H&V was so bad i left a $1 dollar bill so she knew I had not forgotten.
Followed me as I headed out of the restaurant and demanded a proper tip. Said she would get a manager. I said please get a manager and I will explain precisely what you did and did not do to serve us. Needless to say she left with her tail between her legs

 

[wayneg]

I agree with 7DMT, so glad we didn't stand in line 80+ minutes. It was OK on a FP+.
As for it being a child ride, although our Goddaughter rode it once and had no interest in going on again, thankfully she is tall enough to go on BTM & Splash which she did multiple times.
It is OK for very young children but not much appeal to the over 5's.
IMO it has its place, I just think they could have done it better.

 

[disney_princess_85]

Glad you enjoyed H&V! It's one of our favourite buffets and we've never understood why it has such a bad reputation.

Sounds like you had a great trip overall.

 

[Tony Bush]

Thought I'd join in with some key highs and lows from our recent trip. We returned at the end of July and it already seems like years ago


Alamo
Did OLCI before leaving UK - went straight to the garage, straight in the car, and straight to the exit! Took 5 minutes! Had a fantastic brand new Chevy Tahoe with built-in SatNav.


I'm going to do OLCI for Alamo as well. When you get there (MCO) is the garage signposted ? Or is Alamo Save Time signposted ? How do you know which line of cars is yours to pick from ? Are the keys in them all ? Is it really that simple ? walk out, get in car and drive to exit? When is your paperwork checked ?

Sorry for all the questions, don't want to be aimlessly wandering around MCO lol

Tony

 

[oceanscape]

Thought I'd join in with some key highs and lows from our recent trip. We returned at the end of July and it already seems like years ago


Alamo
Did OLCI before leaving UK - went straight to the garage, straight in the car, and straight to the exit! Took 5 minutes! Had a fantastic brand new Chevy Tahoe with built-in SatNav.


I'm going to do OLCI for Alamo as well. When you get there (MCO) is the garage signposted ? Or is Alamo Save Time signposted ? How do you know which line of cars is yours to pick from ? Are the keys in them all ? Is it really that simple ? walk out, get in car and drive to exit? When is your paperwork checked ?

Sorry for all the questions, don't want to be aimlessly wandering around MCO lol

Tony

I got it wrong, I think we actually did "Save Time" and not Online Check-In. Needless to say, the Save Time confirmation email said we should go the desk on arrival but - as per people's advice on the DIBB - as long as you have a barcode you can ignore that and head straight to the garage.

Yes, the Alamo section of the garage is signposted. When you get there tell an employee (there are loads walking around) that you've done Save Time and what category car you've got. He will tell you which row and which cars to pick from. Keys are in the ignition.

Then, you jump in and drive to the barrier: at the barrier they scan your barcode, ask if you want to return empty or refuelled, get you to sign the contract and swipe your credit card - you're then you're on your way. It literally takes all of 5 minutes.

 

[oceanscape]

thanks for taking the time to share your highs and lows!!
sounds like a fab holiday all in all!!

i can't help but add my two cents to some of your lows



i'm sad to hear about the burgers - we always have enjoyed the burgers / veggie burgers here...
as for the movies - i think that disney wants it to be boring stuff to keep people from sitting around for too long and taking up the tables..



DD and her husband ate there two years ago and said it was the worst food they've ever had...ever...and that's saying a lot!!!



i'm no apologist for disney, but i think this was meant just as a kiddie ride in fantasyland....not an adult ride like gringotts...

Very good point about Sci-Fi Dine In. Didn't consider that!

As for 7DMT, I know its a kiddie ride. But so is Peter Pan's Flight, for example, and that was beautifully done. 7DMT is just a scaled down, slower, shorter and more boring version of BTMR. There's nothing clever or interesting and the scenery with the dwarfs etc. is very underwhelming. Disney could have done such an amazing job by combining dark ride with kiddie coaster.

 

[wayneg]

I'm going to do OLCI for Alamo as well. When you get there (MCO) is the garage signposted ? Or is Alamo Save Time signposted ? How do you know which line of cars is yours to pick from ? Are the keys in them all ? Is it really that simple ? walk out, get in car and drive to exit? When is your paperwork checked ?

Sorry for all the questions, don't want to be aimlessly wandering around MCO lol

Tony

I did both OLCI & Savetime. I don't remember which had the barcode on but I used that one.
Goto the rental desks then straight opposite is the parking garage. Find Alamo and the cat of car you have booked, as said if you need help there will be someone around.
Its very easy and quick.

 

[disneyholic family]

Very good point about Sci-Fi Dine In. Didn't consider that!

As for 7DMT, I know its a kiddie ride. But so is Peter Pan's Flight, for example, and that was beautifully done. 7DMT is just a scaled down, slower, shorter and more boring version of BTMR. There's nothing clever or interesting and the scenery with the dwarfs etc. is very underwhelming. Disney could have done such an amazing job by combining dark ride with kiddie coaster.

i see your point about 7DMT!!

 

[zavandor]

Tony's Town Square
We are big Italian food fans and I loved the menu of this place. Turned

Tony's is not an Italian restaurant, but an american-italian restaurant. Two very different things

 

[oceanscape]

Tony's is not an Italian restaurant, but an american-italian restaurant. Two very different things

I learnt the hard way!