Just back from 2 weeks at WDW...some observations

[MJ6987]

2 weeks at Port Orleans French Quarter, covering all the Disney Parks at least twice! Here are my thoughts...feel free to chip in!

Cast Members

Forget attractions, this is the reason why people keep going back to Disney and again they were fantastic almost every time we came into contact. So professional and eager to please - they are a delight to deal with. Well done.

Guest Assistance Card

With two ASD kids, this was a real lifesaver for us at times, it really is a benefit, particularly being able to use alternative entrances for most of the rides / shows. This was particularly valuable for some of the busier rides with FastPass where we were able to use the FastPass line with little or no wait - our youngest, in particular, has sensory issues and finds it difficult to stand in crowds for long. I hope that the rumour I heard (from a CM) that they are considering removing this benefit to free up FastPass capacity for a new Fastpass+ programme aimed at guests staying at Deluxe Resorts is unfounded!

Towel Animals

Now I know that this is a "pixie dust" thing that is not and should not be expected. But try telling this to my kids who saw other people displaying them in their room windows and asking what they were (mainly on lower floors than ours)! Also, try telling my wife who had, apparently read review after review on Trip Advisor on POFQ with people saying how they had had these creations!! Day after day we returned from the Parks, the kids anticipation building as we passed the "display windows" followed by disappointment when we had no animal! With the internet as it is now, it is getting more difficult for Disney to spring these "surprises" and there is a danger that they could be causing as much disappointment as delight - perhaps they need to find some more consistency in this sort of thing? E.g. as they do, I understand, on the Cruise Line?

American Idol

I think that this attraction, like the TV Show, is reaching the end of its natural life. We went to the finale show. It had only 3 contenstants - at least one of the heats had been cancelled that day, presumably because of lack of auditionees and I recall there used to be 6 or 7 in the finale shows. In that huge theatre, only 5 rows were needed for the audience, and not even the whole rows! I guess this is the problem with jumping on "of the moment" themes - one which was arguably on the wane even when it was launched. i hope they do not make the same mistake with Avatar!

Country Bear Jamboree

We only went to see it for some air conditioning and a sit down but I must admit the changes have made this a much better paced show for modern attention spans!

Any thoughts on the above?

 

[SSR]

Thanks for the review. How were the crowds/wait times?

Interesting point re: towel animals. I've learned to help my son to expect the minimum, and everything else is gravy or a surprise. Easier on everyone that way.

 

[ttintagel]

Now I know that this is a "pixie dust" thing that is not and should not be expected. But try telling this to my kids who saw other people displaying them in their room windows and asking what they were (mainly on lower floors than ours)! Also, try telling my wife who had, apparently read review after review on Trip Advisor on POFQ with people saying how they had had these creations!! Day after day we returned from the Parks, the kids anticipation building as we passed the "display windows" followed by disappointment when we had no animal!

I'm curious about how much you told them when they saw them and asked.

I think I probably would just say, "They're animals made out of towels," and leave it at that. That way, they could see and admire them without having any expectation of receiving them.

 

[MJ6987]

Thanks for the review. How were the crowds/wait times?

Interesting point re: towel animals. I've learned to help my son to expect the minimum, and everything else is gravy or a surprise. Easier on everyone that way.

Reply to both above - yes I maybe said too much about them (I am too honest) - although my daughters are both very persistent with their questionning! Reminds me that our youngest (ASD as I said) kept watching which hand the characters signed their autograph and pulled Mickey up over using the "wrong hand" than the previous one - busted!! His "handler" explained that he is ambidextrous!!!

On the other question, the crowds were very manageable apart from one quite busy day at the MK.

 

[SSR]

Reply to both above - yes I maybe said too much about them (I am too honest) - although my daughters are both very persistent with their questionning!

That's completely understandable. We've run into (and fallen into) the same temptation when discussing rides, attractions, characters, etc. It's so hard to avoid it because you want your kids to be as excited as you are.

 

[TheNotSoGreatGonzo]

All it takes to get a couple towel animals is a tip for MouseKeeping (from my experience). We were there last Sept and saw the same towel animals in the windows (there's a reason they put them in the windows ). The first day at the parks, we had forgot to leave a tip out in our excitement...no towel animals. The next day, we remembered, and there were towl animals.

 

[MJ6987]

All it takes to get a couple towel animals is a tip for MouseKeeping (from my experience). We were there last Sept and saw the same towel animals in the windows (there's a reason they put them in the windows ). The first day at the parks, we had forgot to leave a tip out in our excitement...no towel animals. The next day, we remembered, and there were towl animals.

We tipped Mousekeeping $5 per day everyday! (and didn't leave our room in a mess!) so I don't think that was the issue. I didn't really see any in the rooms around ours so I suspect that our Mousekeeper just didn't know how to do them.

 

[Peachkins]

We ran into the same issue with the towel animals and window displays at our last visit. On a previous trip the Mousekeeper was fantastic and left some nice surprises over the course of a week for my then 5-year-old niece. On her next trip, which I went on also, she was really looking forward to this. Unfortunately the Mousekeeper this trip just didn't deliver. After a couple days of this my sister-in-law ended up going into the room when my niece was occupied with something else at the hotel, and made a window decoration herself.

 

[donaldlovesdaisy]

2
Towel Animals

Now I know that this is a "pixie dust" thing that is not and should not be expected. But try telling this to my kids who saw other people displaying them in their room windows and asking what they were (mainly on lower floors than ours)! Also, try telling my wife who had, apparently read review after review on Trip Advisor on POFQ with people saying how they had had these creations!! Day after day we returned from the Parks, the kids anticipation building as we passed the "display windows" followed by disappointment when we had no animal! With the internet as it is now, it is getting more difficult for Disney to spring these "surprises" and there is a danger that they could be causing as much disappointment as delight - perhaps they need to find some more consistency in this sort of thing? E.g. as they do, I understand, on the Cruise Line?

Not everyone wins a trophy everytime! You are in Disney for goodness sakes that should be delightful enough. I am pretty sure my husband would have packed up and left if our children would have showed obvious disappointment everyday over a towel animal. People expect way to much from Disney!

 

[danny1649]

Due to an increase in the number of Live Report and Just Back threads, the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies Moderator Team has decided to start moving these over to our trip report forum. The purpose of the theme parks attractions and strategies board is to help people find valuable information to plan their trips, discuss the attractions, and changes that are happening at Disney World.

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We know that everyone loves to talk about their trips, and we do love to hear about everyone's trips. So, please share your trip stories, and read about other trip stories over on our trip report forum. Danny

 

[Tltorrez]

We ran into the same issue with the towel animals and window displays at our last visit. On a previous trip the Mousekeeper was fantastic and left some nice surprises over the course of a week for my then 5-year-old niece. On her next trip, which I went on also, she was really looking forward to this. Unfortunately the Mousekeeper this trip just didn't deliver. After a couple days of this my sister-in-law ended up going into the room when my niece was occupied with something else at the hotel, and made a window decoration herself.

Great idea! We have set the expectation that pixie dust is extra and so DS values every one down to the last bus trading card. But we do a lot of this sort of thing - I.e., making our own pixie dust.