Just Back- so many magical moments!

[walker0829]

This is my first chance getting to post from our 5/3-5/8 trip. After all the talk of budget cuts, we really had really low expectations but went with a positive attitude nonetheless. A few things that stood out for us:

1) Welcome bag filled with all kinds of stuff for DS4. It's one of those small ones with the adjustable strings that sits like a backpack. We used it to carry snacks and other items inside the park.

2) Given "we're celebrating" buttons during check in even though I said we weren't celebrating anything.

3) DS was given a free BB8 cupcake at Starring Rolls because he really wanted it but we didn't really want to share that one. Cast member saw and told the cashier to give it to us on the house. (We stopped by Guest Relations to recognize the two CM's who made this happen)

4) At HS, we walked up just a touch too late for the Character Palooza. Brer Fox was meeting the last guest but DS really wanted to go ask him why he was so mean to the rabbit. A CM saw and took him off to the side so he could get a personal greeting as Fox was leaving.

We didn't observe any issues with rides appearing to run at reduced capacity. The rides that always seem to go down on our trip(Figment/Space Mountain) did so again this time around but it didn't affect us.

 

[Magpie]

This is my first chance getting to post from our 5/3-5/8 trip. After all the talk of budget cuts, we really had really low expectations but went with a positive attitude nonetheless. A few things that stood out for us:

1) Welcome bag filled with all kinds of stuff for DS4. It's one of those small ones with the adjustable strings that sits like a backpack. We used it to carry snacks and other items inside the park.

2) Given "we're celebrating" buttons during check in even though I said we weren't celebrating anything.

3) DS was given a free BB8 cupcake at Starring Rolls because he really wanted it but we didn't really want to share that one. Cast member saw and told the cashier to give it to us on the house. (We stopped by Guest Relations to recognize the two CM's who made this happen)

4) At HS, we walked up just a touch too late for the Character Palooza. Brer Fox was meeting the last guest but DS really wanted to go ask him why he was so mean to the rabbit. A CM saw and took him off to the side so he could get a personal greeting as Fox was leaving.

We didn't observe any issues with rides appearing to run at reduced capacity. The rides that always seem to go down on our trip(Figment/Space Mountain) did so again this time around but it didn't affect us.

Sooo... why IS Brer Fox so mean to the rabbit, anyway?

I'm really glad you had a fantastic time. We had much the same experience last month, and it makes me wistful that we won't be back for over a year (but then I tell myself that there will be tons of new stuff to see, so it'll be that much more awesome).

 

[BrianL]

Sooo... why IS Brer Fox so mean to the rabbit, anyway?

My guess is that one's a rabbit and the other one is a fox. It's nature. The circle of life.

Plus, Brer Fox is a jerk.

 

[GillianP1301]

So glad to hear of a great vacation! Sometimes it really is the little things that make such a huge difference.

 

[walker0829]

Sooo... why IS Brer Fox so mean to the rabbit, anyway?

I'm really glad you had a fantastic time. We had much the same experience last month, and it makes me wistful that we won't be back for over a year (but then I tell myself that there will be tons of new stuff to see, so it'll be that much more awesome).

While we said last year was our last, and still ended up going again, I have a feeling this was our last year until 2018/2019. If there's anything I'm most disappointed in, it's that I let the doom and gloom talk steer us to spending 2 days at Universal Studios instead of a 7 at Disney. Barely spent any time at the parks, was not the relaxing serenity we remembered from past trips and it cost us over $1k more to swap it out with Disney. By the time we thought about staying at Disney, we would have been required to forfeit the rack rate for 1 night.

It may be 5-6 years before we have any desire to go back there again.

 

[momtotaryn]

So nice to hear such positive comments! I am glad you enjoyed your trip!

 

[Magpie]

My guess is that one's a rabbit and the other one is a fox. It's nature. The circle of life.

Plus, Brer Fox is a jerk.

Well, yes, but I was wondering if the OP's child actually asked, and what sort of answer Brer Fox was able to mime in response.

 

[Magpie]

While we said last year was our last, and still ended up going again, I have a feeling this was our last year until 2018/2019. If there's anything I'm most disappointed in, it's that I let the doom and gloom talk steer us to spending 2 days at Universal Studios instead of a 7 at Disney. Barely spent any time at the parks, was not the relaxing serenity we remembered from past trips and it cost us over $1k more to swap it out with Disney. By the time we thought about staying at Disney, we would have been required to forfeit the rack rate for 1 night.

It may be 5-6 years before we have any desire to go back there again.

5 - 6 years before you go back to Universal, you mean?

This is exactly why we don't mix-and-match our vacations. We either do a week at Universal OR a week at WDW. We like kicking back, relaxing, napping in the afternoon, taking in the street entertainment and never rushing anywhere. Both Universal and Disney have their unique charms, but we do tend to go longer between Universal trips, since it's only about half the size of WDW.

And I ignore everything the doomsayers say about WDW. In the nine years I've been on this board, Disney's always been terrible. Awful. Going to heck in a hand basket. Walt rolls so much in his grave, you'd suspect they're using him to power the Magic Kingdom. I think it's an interesting phenomenon how the folks who claim to be something's biggest fan, are always the ones wielding the sharpest knives when it comes to criticizing that same thing.

What I do instead is take note of any changes, take note of the advice on taking best advantage of whatever new procedures are in place, and continue forward with the expectation that I'll have just as wonderful a time on my next trip, as I had on my last.

If that ever changes, and if I stop enjoying my trips, then I'll know it's time to vacation elsewhere. No hard feelings, no gnashing of teeth, just warm happy memories.

 

[walker0829]

Well, yes, but I was wondering if the OP's child actually asked, and what sort of answer Brer Fox was able to mime in response.

Many times he got a bit nervous and didn't remember to ask the characters the questions he wanted. I don't think he did actually ask it. He did ask Mulan about her father and he claimed that the response was "sometimes he goes out behind the trees to drink beer".

5 - 6 years before you go back to Universal, you mean?

This is exactly why we don't mix-and-match our vacations. We either do a week at Universal OR a week at WDW. We like kicking back, relaxing, napping in the afternoon, taking in the street entertainment and never rushing anywhere. Both Universal and Disney have their unique charms, but we do tend to go longer between Universal trips, since it's only about half the size of WDW.

And I ignore everything the doomsayers say about WDW. In the nine years I've been on this board, Disney's always been terrible. Awful. Going to heck in a hand basket. Walt rolls so much in his grave, you'd suspect they're using him to power the Magic Kingdom. I think it's an interesting phenomenon how the folks who claim to be something's biggest fan, are always the ones wielding the sharpest knives when it comes to criticizing that same thing.

What I do instead is take note of any changes, take note of the advice on taking best advantage of whatever new procedures are in place, and continue forward with the expectation that I'll have just as wonderful a time on my next trip, as I had on my last.

If that ever changes, and if I stop enjoying my trips, then I'll know it's time to vacation elsewhere. No hard feelings, no gnashing of teeth, just warm happy memories.

Yes 5-6 years for Universal. We absolutely loved this trip. The hotel(French Quarter) was amazing(especially our room which was a minute from the bus stop and from the QS restaurant). There were greeters, CM's seemed happy.

If we can find a way to go back next year, we probably will. We've been the last 3 years and we still feel like there is so much to see/experience.

 

[amytong]

Yes 5-6 years for Universal. We absolutely loved this trip. The hotel(French Quarter) was amazing(especially our room which was a minute from the bus stop and from the QS restaurant). There were greeters, CM's seemed happy.

Your post makes me so happy! We will be staying at French Quarter in 27 days and it is our first time to stay at a Disney resort. I hope we have an equally magical experience! Thank you!

 

[Davey Jones II]

This is my first chance getting to post from our 5/3-5/8 trip. After all the talk of budget cuts, we really had really low expectations but went with a positive attitude nonetheless. A few things that stood out for us:

1) Welcome bag filled with all kinds of stuff for DS4. It's one of those small ones with the adjustable strings that sits like a backpack. We used it to carry snacks and other items inside the park.

2) Given "we're celebrating" buttons during check in even though I said we weren't celebrating anything.

3) DS was given a free BB8 cupcake at Starring Rolls because he really wanted it but we didn't really want to share that one. Cast member saw and told the cashier to give it to us on the house. (We stopped by Guest Relations to recognize the two CM's who made this happen)

4) At HS, we walked up just a touch too late for the Character Palooza. Brer Fox was meeting the last guest but DS really wanted to go ask him why he was so mean to the rabbit. A CM saw and took him off to the side so he could get a personal greeting as Fox was leaving.

We didn't observe any issues with rides appearing to run at reduced capacity. The rides that always seem to go down on our trip(Figment/Space Mountain) did so again this time around but it didn't affect us.

Thanks for the nice report. I just have one question: wait times were the same as usual for this time of year?

 

[BebopBaloo]

Thanks for sharing your wonderful experiences. It's always a great thing to hear that the magic remains and that most of the cms really do care enough to go above and beyond when they have the opportunity.

 

[lucky978]

And I ignore everything the doomsayers say about WDW. In the nine years I've been on this board, Disney's always been terrible. Awful. Going to heck in a hand basket. Walt rolls so much in his grave, you'd suspect they're using him to power the Magic Kingdom. I think it's an interesting phenomenon how the folks who claim to be something's biggest fan, are always the ones wielding the sharpest knives when it comes to criticizing that same thing.

Could not agree more. I hadn't been in 7 years and I had low expectations based on everything I was reading. About the rooms, the parks, staff, etc. But we couldn't have had a better time. Everything was great.

Your post makes me so happy! We will be staying at French Quarter in 27 days and it is our first time to stay at a Disney resort. I hope we have an equally magical experience! Thank you!

One of my favorite resorts! you will love it.

 

[disny_luvr]

This is great to read! After reading so many less-than-stellar reviews, this is encouraging. Thanks for sharing!

 

[walker0829]

Your post makes me so happy! We will be staying at French Quarter in 27 days and it is our first time to stay at a Disney resort. I hope we have an equally magical experience! Thank you!

It was our first non-deluxe stay and we fell in love. It's not the Polynesian but it was less than half the price also. It's small and quaint. The theming is wonderfully done. Even though it's small, for the most part we had a dedicated bus and were always the 1st unloading stop if not. We went during peak and off-peak and I only remember going to Riverside once.

The rooms are so much better than the pictures show(this was coming from DW who usually requires 4* hotels). The layout makes the available space seem like more than there really is.

Thanks for the nice report. I just have one question: wait times were the same as usual for this time of year?

So Tuesday/Wednesday, wait times were so awesome but we soon found out that the rain/storms likely caused that. Thursday at MK was pretty bad. 30+ minute waits for everything(for us that's just not doable with a 4 yr old unless he wants to wait). Friday wasn't crazy bad but we avoided MK again. The rain messed up our schedule and we ended up playing musical chairs with it. We meant to hit MK up in 5 half day chunks and ended up only going 3. Early hours at AK were awesome. Wait times were really good. When we left close to noon, the masses were pouring in.

Saturday at MK was not as bad as I expected. We got a near front row seat on the hub for the electrical parade/wishes around 8:15pm. It was right where the EP turns into Liberty Square. We made friends with a group in front of us and worked to block off anybody who would have tried to squeeze into our "area".

 

[Mikie]

Thanks for sharing your great review! I love all the little unexpected things that make a trip memorable. I don't know if you did a ton of planning, but your review feels a lot like I would have said about my last trip - not much said about FP, plans, crowd levels, (all worked out great) but more likely to mention the special unplanned things that stand out!

 

[tlmadden73]

This is great to read! After reading so many less-than-stellar reviews, this is encouraging. Thanks for sharing!

It is great to hear about the magic! Though, I don't think there are that many less-than-stellar reviews. I just think a lot of them are just a focal point of sites like these as it is a forum to complain.
Sure, a lot of people complain about crowds or a particular incident or complain about price increases, but I bet that the vacation as a whole was still great.

Now going to your local McDonald's? THAT would be a less-than-stellar review.

 

[AngieInOH]

2) Given "we're celebrating" buttons during check in even though I said we weren't celebrating anything.

And this somewhat irritates me. When we were there in January everybody had buttoms. I saw a cast member have a basket full of them passing them out to everyone. When everyone has a button it just doesn't make them that special to those that are really celebrating something.

Glad you had a great time!! Disney is Magical!!

 

[guilderlandmouse]

Sounds like a great trip and glad you posted about the good things. My family was there the week before you and we were also a little worried with ride closures, cutbacks, and not-so-nice CMs. We didnt experience any of that. 6 fantastic days of park hopping and it was as magical as ever.

 

[farrellbarrel]

I am so happy to hear you had a wonderful experience!!