It's been 549 days but we are finally home! ~ an August '21 birthday celebration! New PTR link 01/02

[suse66]

Well your wish came true with the Genie+
I agree, I really dislike standby lines, we were masters of the FP and really miss it!
I hope you get a boarding group!
I love your dress!

As much as I don't love the idea of Genie+, I can't deal with the stand by lines. Thanks for the nice compliment on my dress. It's from Spades boutique. She has a ton of cute prints!

I was so hoping FP's would come back as they were. I don't like the idea of forking over more money to Disney Sorry your morning wasn't great but I feel like you'll turn it around!

I wish they were coming back as they were too as Disney is an expensive trip at the best of times. I think I will end up doing less park days per trip and only use Genie+ when I really need to.

Yikes! So glad ROTR boarding groups are a thing of the past now.

Me too!

I wouldn't mind that.

Being a gunner was so fun!

Careful what you wish for!

So it's your fault!!!!

I'm guilty! Seriously though I wish FPs were reinstated as before but I really need an option besides those stand by lines.

People just sitting taking up space?

Pretty much!

Love that dress! So cute!!!

Thank you so much!

 

[pkondz]

I'm guilty! Seriously though I wish FPs were reinstated as before but I really need an option besides those stand by lines.

Agree.
I know I'm in the minority, but, given a choice, I will pay more for FPs if that's what it takes.

Pretty much!

 

[kastoney]

e were on the first floor, by the community hall and quiet pool. If you know the resort, you know that is a long walk down endless hallways. If you ever seen "The Shining" that's exactly how I felt about the hallways at the Boardwalk.

We stayed on the Villas side once and I remember those crazy long hallways well. We are staying there in December and like you I'm stoked for the location but not the rooms so much. Though it is my favorite of the Boardwalk area hotels. I find Yacht and Beach a little too sterile and prefer the grandma chic of the Boardwalk.

Just as we got back from picking up the Instacart order, the heavens opened and it poured for about an hour and a half! Severe thunder, lightening and teeming rain.

I don't know if it was just me but the rain we had in June and just last week was really bad. I remember it used to just come in for an hour or so and then be gone but it definitely appears to linger a little too long these days.

Gorgeous!

Sadly despite our best efforts, all groups were gone within 3 seconds! We were so disappointed but thought we would head over to check out Galaxy's Edge and ride Smuggler's Run.

Oh no!!!! Fingers crossed you had some luck at 1.

I can't deal with the lack of FastPasses and was trying to be patient but may have said more than once " I don't care how FP comes back, I'd rather pay money for it than deal with this." I am sure I was not the only person to feel this way. Our 20 minute wait ended up being close to 45 minutes.

I certainly don't want to pay money but there has to be a better way. And MGM is the absolute worst. There just aren't enough rides or things to do to sustain the crowds. The other parks didn't both me as much without FP but MGM was a nighmare.

I had no idea they had a vegetarian option. Looks pretty good.

 

[suse66]

Agree.
I know I'm in the minority, but, given a choice, I will pay more for FPs if that's what it takes.

Same here...I am just done with lines.

We stayed on the Villas side once and I remember those crazy long hallways well. We are staying there in December and like you I'm stoked for the location but not the rooms so much. Though it is my favorite of the Boardwalk area hotels. I find Yacht and Beach a little too sterile and prefer the grandma chic of the Boardwalk.

I used to like Yacht Club but am not a fan of the new decor. Beach Club is too busy for me.

I don't know if it was just me but the rain we had in June and just last week was really bad. I remember it used to just come in for an hour or so and then be gone but it definitely appears to linger a little too long these days.

It sure does!

I certainly don't want to pay money but there has to be a better way. And MGM is the absolute worst. There just aren't enough rides or things to do to sustain the crowds. The other parks didn't both me as much without FP but MGM was a nighmare.

Absolutely! They need to fix the issues in that park.

I had no idea they had a vegetarian option. Looks pretty good.

It was decent....the chickpea topping was a bit too spicy for me though. nice to have a veg option .

 

[pkondz]

Same here...I am just done with lines.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Sorry HS was a bit of a bust. Really hoping you had some luck at 1pm getting a BG. I'm not a fan of lines and loved FP as we always got to do the things that we wanted most with minimal waits. One of the things we loved about Disney was that it had the feel that we weren't being ripped off even though it's an expensive trip. I like that the price for the hotel is the price quoted-no added on resort fee or taxes and I liked that park passes included fp and you didn't need to buy express pass to ride. Now I fear it is heading down the slippery slope of charging more for things that used to included and giving less for the premium price paid to stay onsite but I also know I hate lines enough to cough up my hard earned cash so as not to stand in line forever and I guess disney knows that too. We may not visit as often in future but I do long to get back sometime soon and now borders have opened so 2022 may actually happen fingers crossed!

 

[suse66]

Sorry HS was a bit of a bust. Really hoping you had some luck at 1pm getting a BG. I'm not a fan of lines and loved FP as we always got to do the things that we wanted most with minimal waits. One of the things we loved about Disney was that it had the feel that we weren't being ripped off even though it's an expensive trip. I like that the price for the hotel is the price quoted-no added on resort fee or taxes and I liked that park passes included fp and you didn't need to buy express pass to ride. Now I fear it is heading down the slippery slope of charging more for things that used to included and giving less for the premium price paid to stay onsite but I also know I hate lines enough to cough up my hard earned cash so as not to stand in line forever and I guess disney knows that too. We may not visit as often in future but I do long to get back sometime soon and now borders have opened so 2022 may actually happen fingers crossed!

Spoiler alert...our day does get better. I completely agree with you about how Disney has changed. I loved how it felt special staying on site with all the extras. Now there is precious little left. Sadly I will pay extra so I don't have to deal with lines. It's really not acceptable that this is happening and I wish I knew how to knew how to change it back.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

I wish I knew how to knew how to change it back.

Me too but such is life! Glad the day got better

 

[vamassey1]

Loving your Mother-Son trip. I was really behind due to our Labor Day Trip and trying to get back to life afterwards.

Your joy to be there is infectious. I hope your DHS day gets better when you returned to the park. You have some great time in MK and Epcot. Were you working on Emile's Fromage? You have already knocked out 2.

 

[suse66]

Loving your Mother-Son trip. I was really behind due to our Labor Day Trip and trying to get back to life afterwards.

Your joy to be there is infectious. I hope your DHS day gets better when you returned to the park. You have some great time in MK and Epcot. Were you working on Emile's Fromage? You have already knocked out 2.

Awww, thanks Vanessa! It was so great to be back! Hope you had an awesome trip on Labour Day weekend. We didn't go for Emile's Fromage as one of the items had pistachios which I am allergic to.

 

[suse66]

A triumphant return to the Studios!

After an underwhelming morning and intense heat, we were happy to be a quick 10 minute walk away from our resort room. A rest in the air conditioning and cold drinks did a lot to restore our spirits. At 12:55 we were setting up for our second attempt at securing our boarding group. As we had already tapped into Studios earlier in the morning, we were able to do this from the comfort of our hotel room. Imagine our excitement when we secured group 84! Yay! We were high fiving and hugging.....I may or may not have been jumping up and down. This put a whole new spin on our day!

We had at 2:10 reservation for Oga's that I had been on the fence about. It is so small and crowded in there and I was a bit freaked out about the high Covid rates. Jack really wanted to go though so I pushed through my worries and went. We were at a standing table for six right in front of DJ R3X.

After perusing the menu, we both went for the Fuzzy Tauntaun (Cîroc Peach Vodka, Bols Peach Schnapps, Simply® Orange with Tangerine, Pure Cane Sugar, and "Buzz Button Tingling" Foam) for $16.00. We both enjoyed our drinks and the fun atmosphere.

Our CM was brilliantly in character and really made the experience. Plus he gave Jack a whole stash of the coasters to take home which he really appreciated. See, there is pixie dust on Batuu!



One drink at those prices was enough for us, so we meandered across the way to Baseline Tap House. I love, love, love this spot! We waited about 15 minutes for a table and soon ordered up the Charcuterie board, the pretzel and some drinks. Jack went for the Hard Orange cider while I chose the North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner.


This was fabulous!



The freshest warm pretzel, perfectly complemented by the beer cheese sauce.



We both went for the 22 oz pour and drained every drop!


Here we are, happy and relaxed after our tasty snacks and bevvies! We staked out a spot close to the Rise entrance to wait for our boarding group. It was definitely worth waiting for and while we had a few hiccoughs with breakdowns, we made it through the whole experience and were blown away by the immersive technology.

We were so happy to have experienced this and were pleased to end our day here. We strolled back to the hotel and headed for a swim. After some pool time and a drink on the patio, we were getting a little peckish. Nothing really appealed to us in any of the Crescent Lake quick serves so we ended up ordering pizza from Flippers which was fresh, hot and delicious. Sometimes simple and easy just hits the spot!







​

 

[pkondz]

A rest in the air conditioning and cold drinks did a lot to restore our spirits.

That'll do it all right. Especially in Florida!

Imagine our excitement when we secured group 84! Yay!

Score!

We were high fiving and hugging.....I may or may not have been jumping up and down.

We had at 2:10 reservation for Oga's that I had been on the fence about. It is so small and crowded in there

It is pretty packed in there... but such a unique experience.

After perusing the menu, we both went for the Fuzzy Tauntaun (Cîroc Peach Vodka, Bols Peach Schnapps, Simply® Orange with Tangerine, Pure Cane Sugar, and "Buzz Button Tingling" Foam) for $16.00. We both enjoyed our drinks and the fun atmosphere.

And the numb lips that went with it.

Our CM was brilliantly in character and really made the experience.

Great!

Plus he gave Jack a whole stash of the coasters to take home which he really appreciated. See, there is pixie dust on Batuu!

Very nice of him.

Is this a before and after thing?
"Before drinking alcohol... After drinking alcohol!"

The freshest warm pretzel, perfectly complemented by the beer cheese sauce.

mmmm... I want that pretzel.

It was definitely worth waiting for and while we had a few hiccoughs with breakdowns, we made it through the whole experience and were blown away by the immersive technology.

I can't wait to try this ride. Hopefully before I'm too old to ride rides.

we ended up ordering pizza from Flippers which was fresh, hot and delicious. Sometimes simple and easy just hits the spot!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

So glad your day got better. Sounds like a great afternoon. Love the excitement at getting a boarding group and the way you choose to spend your time waiting for it! Haven’t been to Oga’s but love baseline.

 

[suse66]

So glad your day got better. Sounds like a great afternoon. Love the excitement at getting a boarding group and the way you choose to spend your time waiting for it! Haven’t been to Oga’s but love baseline.

Thanks Moira! We were so happy that things turned around. It was our first time at Baseline but it will definitely be a must do going forward!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

A triumphant return to the Studios!

So glad the day turned around!

As we had already tapped into Studios earlier in the morning, we were able to do this from the comfort of our hotel room. Imagine our excitement when we secured group 84! Yay! We were high fiving and hugging.....I may or may not have been jumping up and down. This put a whole new spin on our day!

I tell ya, that is what I hate about the boarding groups. It really sets the tone for the day. Even if you don't get a fp 2 months before the trip, you get over it in that time frame. you don't have that when you are trying that day. We will see how things shakes out with lightening lane....

 

[suse66]

So glad the day turned around!

We were too! Moody 21 year olds are not the most fun to hang out with so getting the boarding group really helped to make everyone happy!

I tell ya, that is what I hate about the boarding groups. It really sets the tone for the day. Even if you don't get a fp 2 months before the trip, you get over it in that time frame. you don't have that when you are trying that day. We will see how things shakes out with lightening lane....

Definitely! It will be very interesting to see what happens with Genie+ and Lightening Lane.

 

[amazingact21]

Sadly despite our best efforts, all groups were gone within 3 seconds!

Aw, what a bummer! The whole boarding group process seemed so stressful. I'm kind of relieved it will be a different beast by the time I get back to WDW.

We were both blown away by the immersive theming.

It looks amazing.

all I cared about at this point was shade!

That's a number 1 priority in WDW in the summer!

I don't care how FP comes back, I'd rather pay money for it than deal with this.

Ask and you shall receive.
While I do not like the new standard, not going to lie, I'll probably be willing to pay to ride something like RotR since my family hasn't done it before and I don't want to do the former alternative of being on my phone at 7 fighting the masses.

Would our luck change? Would this day turn around?

I hope so!

A rest in the air conditioning and cold drinks did a lot to restore our spirits.

Those two things are essential during the hot months at Disney. Glad you guys took the break and reset.

Imagine our excitement when we secured group 84! Yay!

Hooray! That's awesome!

Here we are, happy and relaxed after our tasty snacks and bevvies!

So glad the day turned around and you had a lovely afternoon.

 

[KathyM2]

Imagine our excitement when we secured group 84! Yay! We were high fiving and hugging.....I may or may not have been jumping up and down. This put a whole new spin on our day!

Yay!! That is the best feeling!! Also, even better that you got to do this in the comfort of your room. Even pre-covid I did not enjoy the morning crush and stress of trying to get a boarding group while everyone else in the crowd was doing the same.

It was definitely worth waiting for and while we had a few hiccoughs with breakdowns, we made it through the whole experience and were blown away by the immersive technology.

Agreed. Best ride ever. So glad you got to go on. also pretzel and bevvies sounds perfect!! Oga's is cool and glad you went in but...I think I would have wanted to get out of there too after been there done that lol

 

[disneyAndi14]

We ordered from Flippers a couple times and enjoyed this for a relaxing evening at the resort
We love baseline!

 

[suse66]

Aw, what a bummer! The whole boarding group process seemed so stressful. I'm kind of relieved it will be a different beast by the time I get back to WDW.

Same here! One time of dealing with that was enough for me.

While I do not like the new standard, not going to lie, I'll probably be willing to pay to ride something like RotR since my family hasn't done it before and I don't want to do the former alternative of being on my phone at 7 fighting the masses.

I will too. Not every time but when necessary.

So glad the day turned around and you had a lovely afternoon.

Thank you so much!

Th
Yay!! That is the best feeling!! Also, even better that you got to do this in the comfort of your room. Even pre-covid I did not enjoy the morning crush and stress of trying to get a boarding group while everyone else in the crowd was doing the same.

I was so happy that we could try for the second time from the room rather than the craziness of the parks!

Agreed. Best ride ever. So glad you got to go on. also pretzel and bevvies sounds perfect!! Oga's is cool and glad you went in but...I think I would have wanted to get out of there too after been there done that lol

We really loved it! While Ogas was fun I was ready to leave as soon as we finished our drinks. Baseline was much less crowded.

We ordered from Flippers a couple times and enjoyed this for a relaxing evening at the resort
We love baseline!

Baseline is definitely a new fave! We got the idea for ordering from Flippers from you mentioning it in past reports. It was really good.