hismattjesty
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2005
- Messages
- 401
Well, wife and I just returned from 9 days at WDW, and it was a blast!!!!! Trip was from 8/23-9/1, and here is the skinny! Crowds were larger from last year at the same time, yet we did not have to wait longer than 15 minutes stand-by for ANY attraction in ANY park. Because of the rain on 8/30 (we were at MK that day), cast members had been telling us that at no time was there more than 7000-8000 people in the park, and by 10pm for Wishes!, there was less then 2500 people there. You were literally able to walk on to ANY attarction you wanted (Including Dumbo)!
We arrived at most parks between 9 and 10am, and had the parks finished in 4-5 hours. We found ourselves using Fast Pass very little, and quite frequently, most of the Fast Pass attractions had the kiosks covered and out of service. When they were open, the return time was always 30 minutes to 1 hour after you got the pass. Even Soarin' and Expedition Everest had return times within 90 minutes every day we rode them. (Heck, on Monday 8/27 we did EE 3 times in 40 minutes between 11am-12pm. 2 stand-by and 1 Fast Pass).
Dining was great as well. We changed 2 reservations during the course of our trip, and had absolutely no problem getting what we wanted. This included booking a character dinner as well. We ate at:
Chef's de France Dinner: 7/10 Food was ok, and lacked any real French flair. Menu looked more like a continental American restaurant. Service was outstanding!
O'Hana Dinner: 10/10 Food was superior as always. Service was top notch and attentive, and the atmosphere was great as expected.
Narcoosee Dinner: 10/10 Best meal we have ever had in WDW. This place rivals most gourmet restaurants wife and I have eaten at here in Las Vegas. Service was the best I have ever had on property, food was outstanding, atmosphere was quiet, cozy, and romantic for our 5th anniversary. The restaurant was 1/2 empty at all times, and we had a 2 hour dining experience.
Le' Cellier Dinner: 7/10 Food was excellent as usual, however the meal was VERY rushed. Last year our meal took 90 minutes. This year, we MIGHT have hit 40 minutes. Service was lacking BIG TIME as well. It appeared that each server had 8-10 tables they were responsible for, and there was no one available to refill drinks. You just had to wait until someone was available.
Liberty Tree Tavern Character Dinner: 10/10 Great "comfort" food, great colonial atmosphere, and great attention by the characters. We easily saw Chip, Dale, Goofy, and Minnie 2-3 times each during our dinner, and the place was packed. We also had no problems getting drink refills, or more food if needed.
Crystal Palace Character Lunch: 9/10 First buffet I have had in a long time on WDW property, and I was not disappointed. High quality food that was always fresh on the line, great service, and we saw all 4 Pooh characters 2 times each at our table. Place was packed as well. Would have gotten a 10/10 rating had they not sat us under a skylight, and there was no place to move us to.
Coral Reef Dinner: 9/10 Excellent seafood (although not Narcoosee caliber) with a great view. Service was attentive, drinks came quickly, and restaurant was about 3/4 full at all times.
All in all, a great trip. We stayed at All-Star Movies, used Magical Express, and relied solely on Disney transportation. Everything was pretty much flawless as usual. Oh and as for the parks, they were in great condition and immaculate! There were people CONSTANTLY sweeping and vacuuming, and every restroom I went in had an attendant stationed there. Other than a few attractions needing some TLC and painting, it was Disney as usual for my 14th time there. So everyone headed there this month, relax. I can only imagine it's getting easier than I had it once the children are all back in school.
John
We arrived at most parks between 9 and 10am, and had the parks finished in 4-5 hours. We found ourselves using Fast Pass very little, and quite frequently, most of the Fast Pass attractions had the kiosks covered and out of service. When they were open, the return time was always 30 minutes to 1 hour after you got the pass. Even Soarin' and Expedition Everest had return times within 90 minutes every day we rode them. (Heck, on Monday 8/27 we did EE 3 times in 40 minutes between 11am-12pm. 2 stand-by and 1 Fast Pass).
Dining was great as well. We changed 2 reservations during the course of our trip, and had absolutely no problem getting what we wanted. This included booking a character dinner as well. We ate at:
Chef's de France Dinner: 7/10 Food was ok, and lacked any real French flair. Menu looked more like a continental American restaurant. Service was outstanding!
O'Hana Dinner: 10/10 Food was superior as always. Service was top notch and attentive, and the atmosphere was great as expected.
Narcoosee Dinner: 10/10 Best meal we have ever had in WDW. This place rivals most gourmet restaurants wife and I have eaten at here in Las Vegas. Service was the best I have ever had on property, food was outstanding, atmosphere was quiet, cozy, and romantic for our 5th anniversary. The restaurant was 1/2 empty at all times, and we had a 2 hour dining experience.
Le' Cellier Dinner: 7/10 Food was excellent as usual, however the meal was VERY rushed. Last year our meal took 90 minutes. This year, we MIGHT have hit 40 minutes. Service was lacking BIG TIME as well. It appeared that each server had 8-10 tables they were responsible for, and there was no one available to refill drinks. You just had to wait until someone was available.
Liberty Tree Tavern Character Dinner: 10/10 Great "comfort" food, great colonial atmosphere, and great attention by the characters. We easily saw Chip, Dale, Goofy, and Minnie 2-3 times each during our dinner, and the place was packed. We also had no problems getting drink refills, or more food if needed.
Crystal Palace Character Lunch: 9/10 First buffet I have had in a long time on WDW property, and I was not disappointed. High quality food that was always fresh on the line, great service, and we saw all 4 Pooh characters 2 times each at our table. Place was packed as well. Would have gotten a 10/10 rating had they not sat us under a skylight, and there was no place to move us to.
Coral Reef Dinner: 9/10 Excellent seafood (although not Narcoosee caliber) with a great view. Service was attentive, drinks came quickly, and restaurant was about 3/4 full at all times.
All in all, a great trip. We stayed at All-Star Movies, used Magical Express, and relied solely on Disney transportation. Everything was pretty much flawless as usual. Oh and as for the parks, they were in great condition and immaculate! There were people CONSTANTLY sweeping and vacuuming, and every restroom I went in had an attendant stationed there. Other than a few attractions needing some TLC and painting, it was Disney as usual for my 14th time there. So everyone headed there this month, relax. I can only imagine it's getting easier than I had it once the children are all back in school.
John
So happy you had a great time.. I'm amazed at how little the line was for EE!
If anything it gives you time to chill out because you're not running around to get anywhere, and you can be happy and excited about the thing you're about to ride!
