Just back..A few observations

[WDW4us2006]

My trip was truly "magical". Honest. I know that sounds funny, but so many small things happened, all great, that I just couldn't believe how much fun we were having, and how well everything worked out for us. It was so much better than I had even hoped.
Just wanted to mention a few things, and see if anyone else agrees or totally diagress with me:

1. What is the deal with Stitch all over the place? He is on everything, even classic Disney souvenirs with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Stitch!!?? I don't get it. Hated the wake-up call.

2. I never, not one time, had an encounter with a CM that was not pleasant, efficient, and left me with a feeling of "now THAT's what I expect from Disney".

3. Why does Kali River Rapids have to get you so WET? I was unlucky enough to be the one to get drenched. Although it was greatly refreshing in the hot afternoon, I felt gross going home on the bus!

4. All of Walt Disney World was spotless. I was shocked at how well-kept it was. No overflowing trash or dirty bathrooms anywhere.

5. I love the monorail. I got chills riding around on it, through the resorts, listening to the "narrator" as we were "now approaching the Magic Kingdom". This is just sooooo Disney to me.

6. Beach Club is the BEST resort anywhere!!!

7. The menus in some of the restaurants need improvement. I was happy with the quality of the food for the most part, and I realize it's tough to keep so many menus "different", but it was very difficult for my 13 year old to find stuff she likes when she can't eat off of the kids menu.

8. I had forgotten how much I love World Showcase. The countries are truly authentic, and if you take your time, you really feel like you have "been" there. The shops are fantastic!! And the landscaping, lighting, EVERYTHING is done so unbelieveably well.

9. I could spend hours and hours shopping in every gift shop! I never got tired of it.

10. Walking in to the Magic Kingdom, coming around the corner to Main Street and seeing the Castle is one of the happiest moments ever. I know I sound like I am 5 years old, but really, don't some of you agree with me?

 

[reeeoga]

Sounds like you had a great time.

The question I have is: Do you have any money left after all that shopping?

 

[princessgirl2238]

7. The menus in some of the restaurants need improvement. I was happy with the quality of the food for the most part, and I realize it's tough to keep so many menus "different", but it was very difficult for my 13 year old to find stuff she likes when she can't eat off of the kids menu.

i actually eat all the time off the kid's menu- i don't eat big portions of food and am a picky eater, so on off days when my roommates and i eat at the park, i always ask for a kid's menu and they are usually very willing to give me one (cause they know that they've gotta keep the guests happy)

 

[Corryn]

1. What is the deal with Stitch all over the place? He is on everything, even classic Disney souvenirs with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Stitch!!?? I don't get it. Hated the wake-up call.

Hey! You sound like me during my past few visits, only everything was Pooh Bleeah!! Pooh this and Pooh that....Even when I was little, I used to think, man, that bear is stupid...This cartoon is wayyyy to slow for me...It just bored me to tears.
Sorry Stitch bothers you, but I'm just happy the whole Pooh thing is getting phased out!

4. All of Walt Disney World was spotless. I was shocked at how well-kept it was. No overflowing trash or dirty bathrooms anywhere.

Every single place I go I compare to Disney....Especially Cleanliness!!
Even in the bathrooms at work, when I'm washing my hands and I see liquid soap or splashed water all over the counters, I say...Not at Disney! *or* 285 more days (or in my case, 9 more days!) Until Disney!!!

7. The menus in some of the restaurants need improvement. I was happy with the quality of the food for the most part, and I realize it's tough to keep so many menus "different", but it was very difficult for my 13 year old to find stuff she likes when she can't eat off of the kids menu.

on our last visit last year, my DD's both ate off the kiddie menu.
My 12 yo will be eating off the kiddie menu until she's 18 because she eats like a bird. My 13 year old has been ordering off the adult menu for the past year - she's got her parents appetite. But last year, both girls looked to be in their teens and no one said anything..
I'm glad you had a great time, though

 

[ajleone]

You are so dead on about stich. My feeling is that at the time the movie did well so they started trying to get as much out of him as they could, and by the time they realized that the movie hype had died down it was too late. So now its become a matter of shoving him down everyones throat, kinda like "look at stitch isn't he great""everyone loves stitch" hoping that people will believe it!!
Oh and I think the difference between stich and some of the other characters (like pooh) is that they bring out Pooh, or Jiminy, or Tink etc... for a little while but then move on to someone else. With stich its almost like they want it him to be a permanant fixture like Mickey.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Thanks for the great observations. It sounds like you had a great time. I agree with you about Stich, lets get rid of him.

 

[WDW4us2006]

I am going to post our experiences with this very soon on the dining boards, but in regards to the comments about the kids menu, she wasn't allowed to when we asked at Spoodles and 50's prime time cafe. I was pretty surprised, but both waitresses told us that they "really aren't allowing us to do that anymore". I didn't want to argue, after all it IS posted it's for kids 3-9, but it definitely made it tough. The only place she was allowed to eat off the kids menu was at California Grill, and even though I could tell the waiter wasn't 100% fine with it, it wasn't a big deal there. However, the other places were pretty strict about it. We were on the dining plan, and I know she has an "adult" plan, so maybe that has somehting to do with it, I don't know....that's my problem with the menu. for those of you going soon, not sure if that's a "new" thing or not, I suppose it all depends on your server.


OH, and about the shopping, I had a BLAST spending all of the Disney Visa Rewards points I have accumulated over the past three years!!!!!

 

[jess20k]

You sure made me get those "Disney feelings" mentioning a lot of the things you did! I'm glad you had a great time! I'm also glad to hear that the bath rooms are not dirty! When we were there this past Feb. 90% of the theme park bathrooms were filthy, especiall at MK! I have never ever seen them so bad! Hopefully that has been taken care of!

 

[Wazzo]

9. I could spend hours and hours shopping in every gift shop! I never got tired of it.

I agree! I wish DTD Marketplace was three times the size!

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

My trip was truly "magical". Honest. I know that sounds funny, but so many small things happened, all great, that I just couldn't believe how much fun we were having, and how well everything worked out for us. It was so much better than I had even hoped.
Just wanted to mention a few things, and see if anyone else agrees or totally diagress with me:

1. What is the deal with Stitch all over the place? He is on everything, even classic Disney souvenirs with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Stitch!!?? I don't get it. Hated the wake-up call.
I personally loved the wake up call, but then again I like Stitch. But I have to agree with you. Disney has gone a little overbaord with Stitch, and I too would like to see the classic characters alone for a change.

2. I never, not one time, had an encounter with a CM that was not pleasant, efficient, and left me with a feeling of "now THAT's what I expect from Disney".
I think Disney CM's are some of the most effienctly trained people in the world. It doesn't hurt that the vast majority of them also have great peronalities.

3. Why does Kali River Rapids have to get you so WET? I was unlucky enough to be the one to get drenched. Although it was greatly refreshing in the hot afternoon, I felt gross going home on the bus!
We always wear a poncho when we ride KRR.

4. All of Walt Disney World was spotless. I was shocked at how well-kept it was. No overflowing trash or dirty bathrooms anywhere.


5. I love the monorail. I got chills riding around on it, through the resorts, listening to the "narrator" as we were "now approaching the Magic Kingdom". This is just sooooo Disney to me.
What about Por favor.......I just love speaking spanish on the monorail.

6. Beach Club is the BEST resort anywhere!!!
It is great. It's in my top 3 resorts.

7. The menus in some of the restaurants need improvement. I was happy with the quality of the food for the most part, and I realize it's tough to keep so many menus "different", but it was very difficult for my 13 year old to find stuff she likes when she can't eat off of the kids menu.

8. I had forgotten how much I love World Showcase. The countries are truly authentic, and if you take your time, you really feel like you have "been" there. The shops are fantastic!! And the landscaping, lighting, EVERYTHING is done so unbelieveably well.

9. I could spend hours and hours shopping in every gift shop! I never got tired of it.
My wallet definately feels the crunch whenever I go to Disney.

10. Walking in to the Magic Kingdom, coming around the corner to Main Street and seeing the Castle is one of the happiest moments ever. I know I sound like I am 5 years old, but really, don't some of you agree with me?

Yes, I completely agree with you.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

1. awww i love Stitch! but i've noticed not too many people do. sorry that he was everywhere, i bet that can get annoying. i think it's because that was Disney's last "big" movie that came out and did really well, so that might be why he's all over the place.

2.that's so great that you had good experiences with the CM's! i love it when that happens! i had one .......it wasn't so much of a "bad" experience, but the guy was just really grumpy(and NO he didn't work at the Haunted Mansion or TOT lol) so it really DOES make a difference when you have a good experience with them.

3. i didn't really get wet when i went on Kali, but my Future MIL got SOAKED last time. she was a really good sport about it tho. it was so hot that day that she was dry by the time we had to get on the buses.

4. i love how spotless Disney is. i remember the one time at AK my feet were hurting so bad i took my flip-flops off and i was able to walk around the park barefoot and not worry about stepping on anything, and i didn't!

5. i love the monorail too! sometimes i just ride it around a few times because it's that "i know i'm in Disney" moment, you know?

6. the Beach Club is definatly a beautiful resort. but i love the Boardwalk.

7. i agree with the menus. espically at the 50's Prime Time Cafe. i didn't really like anything on their menu.

8. you know, i never really liked Epcot. i always thought it was so boring. but the last time i went we got Margaritas from Mexico and just walked around for hours at the World Showcase. it was really great! Epcot is my second favorite park now.

9. oh i LOVE the giftshops! i went last year with my fiance and his family and he and his mother went on Mission: Space(i have medical probelms so opted not to go on it) and i was just walking around the gift shops the whole time they were in line and on the ride. it was one of the best times i had and i was by myself it was great.

10. seeing the castle makes me feel like a kid again too, it's not just you! infact, just being at Disney makes me feel like a kid. i still think "OMG IT'S MICKEY!" lol.