peteykirch
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2012
Just got home from a long stay at WDW split up between three locations, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Pop Century, and Off Property at my Aunt's "Winter House"
First off, we lucked out in getting one of the new AKL refurbed rooms. Very nicely appointed, the downside, the absolute idiotic way you have to get to your room. It involved going from the lobby up to the 5th floor, following signs to another elevator, and then down to the floor your room resided on.
Overall, the parks were a little "busy" at the beginning of our trip with Veterans Day, but it was completely manageable. For the people who complain about the lack of FP+ options day of, unless you are a party of 8, you aren't trying hard enough refreshing the app to see what someone else might have cancelled. Was able to get multiple 7DMT, Slinky Dog, and Flight of Passage FP+ day of.
The weather was perfect, lows in the 50s highs barely in the 70s. Was comical seeing the locals act as if the Polar Vortex set up shop over Central Florida.
My biggest complaint honestly is that it seems CMs have absolutely no assertiveness. We were at the Contemporary waiting for the monorail, and the line was enormous, and each monorail that came by was stuffed to the gills with people. This is where CMs that are working the monorail need to step up and tell people they need to break down strollers. I know the monorail allows strollers to be pushed right in, but when space is at a premium, the rules should be subject to change. It was comical seeing parents take these enormous strollers, plop them in the middle of the cab, take the kids out of the strollers, have them sit on the bench or their parents lap, and not break down the stroller thus limiting the amount of people/space available in each cab. I get it that odds are most CMs want to avoid conflict, but they really need to use their voice and tell people it's not right to be a space hog.
The other issue we had was one day taking the boat from the Wilderness Lodge to MK, where we had to keep doing circles in the 7 Seas Lagoon because the "under construction" boat dock can't handle the amount of people getting dropped off and the security line can back up from the dock back onto the boat.
Didn't spend much time in Galaxy's Edge. We rode Smugglers Run once, it is absolutely garbage depending on who you get paired up with. When you get paired up with one family of 3 people, where one of them, the mother is a pilot and she does nothing but record her kid as the other pilot despite the fact the kid can't reach the mechanism to enter hyperspace or really reach the controls as all together it made for an awful experience.
Also, I giving Docking Bay 7 about 2 more months before they completely get rid of breakfast all together. If the park opens at 9, and you rope drop Smugglers Run, get off at 9:35 and go to Docking Bay 7 and they are already serving lunch, then you know there's an issue.
We did Disney After Hours at the MK on our last night, and it is 100% the best investment/extra upcharge event I ever experienced at WDW. Miniscule crowds where you can go from land to land without seeing another guest. Being to able to walk onto anything you want. It was the most relaxing touring I ever experienced.
First off, we lucked out in getting one of the new AKL refurbed rooms. Very nicely appointed, the downside, the absolute idiotic way you have to get to your room. It involved going from the lobby up to the 5th floor, following signs to another elevator, and then down to the floor your room resided on.
Overall, the parks were a little "busy" at the beginning of our trip with Veterans Day, but it was completely manageable. For the people who complain about the lack of FP+ options day of, unless you are a party of 8, you aren't trying hard enough refreshing the app to see what someone else might have cancelled. Was able to get multiple 7DMT, Slinky Dog, and Flight of Passage FP+ day of.
The weather was perfect, lows in the 50s highs barely in the 70s. Was comical seeing the locals act as if the Polar Vortex set up shop over Central Florida.
My biggest complaint honestly is that it seems CMs have absolutely no assertiveness. We were at the Contemporary waiting for the monorail, and the line was enormous, and each monorail that came by was stuffed to the gills with people. This is where CMs that are working the monorail need to step up and tell people they need to break down strollers. I know the monorail allows strollers to be pushed right in, but when space is at a premium, the rules should be subject to change. It was comical seeing parents take these enormous strollers, plop them in the middle of the cab, take the kids out of the strollers, have them sit on the bench or their parents lap, and not break down the stroller thus limiting the amount of people/space available in each cab. I get it that odds are most CMs want to avoid conflict, but they really need to use their voice and tell people it's not right to be a space hog.
The other issue we had was one day taking the boat from the Wilderness Lodge to MK, where we had to keep doing circles in the 7 Seas Lagoon because the "under construction" boat dock can't handle the amount of people getting dropped off and the security line can back up from the dock back onto the boat.
Didn't spend much time in Galaxy's Edge. We rode Smugglers Run once, it is absolutely garbage depending on who you get paired up with. When you get paired up with one family of 3 people, where one of them, the mother is a pilot and she does nothing but record her kid as the other pilot despite the fact the kid can't reach the mechanism to enter hyperspace or really reach the controls as all together it made for an awful experience.
Also, I giving Docking Bay 7 about 2 more months before they completely get rid of breakfast all together. If the park opens at 9, and you rope drop Smugglers Run, get off at 9:35 and go to Docking Bay 7 and they are already serving lunch, then you know there's an issue.
We did Disney After Hours at the MK on our last night, and it is 100% the best investment/extra upcharge event I ever experienced at WDW. Miniscule crowds where you can go from land to land without seeing another guest. Being to able to walk onto anything you want. It was the most relaxing touring I ever experienced.