Just Back, Some Good Observations

lugnut33

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Messages
7,456
Just got back an hour or so ago from a quick trip down with my two daughters, ages 15 & 12. Flew in last Thursday night and got a rental car from Alamo for $175 (just a little over $40 per day, not bad) and had some immediate pixie dust. The Alamo worker said it was late and we could take any car we wanted from the Luxury aisle even though our resevation was for a Premium. We always rent a car and am always glad we did. Daughters forgot a couple of essentials so we could head off site to get them. Also ate off site a couple of times. Only issue was getting into Hollywood Studios due to a long line, but all other entries were easy.

Going to admit, had a hard time finding the All Stars resort, guess I should have looked in a map before flying down. Anyway, after getting lost for a while we got checked in with no problems at about 1 a.m.

First thing we had planned was to head over to the PGA golf tournement being held at the Palms and Magnolia coursed directly across from the Poly. We used the parking at the MK and took the shuttle bus. That worked great as they drop you off right at the entrance to the course. Since we were staying on site we got complementary entry. Spent about 4 hours there on Friday, and another 3 hours on Sunday. Good way to go spend some nice time outside in the sun and be amazed at how good the PGA players are. I have been to other golf tournements and didn't think it was very busy here.

Spent a lot of time at hte Magic Kingdom, so I'll make some obsevations about that park.

Love the new refurbed and shortened Country Bear Jamboree. I remember the show used to drag at points and the characters were in need of some TLC. Well, the refurb took care of both items. The shortened show is much better and moves from one song into the next. No more dialogue which ended up being a good thing. I wasn't sure if I'd like the new show, but yes it's a winner. And all the characters look fantastic and move a lot smoother.

The new Fantasyland expansion area is fantastic. Me and my daughters feel Disney has hit it out of the park with this area. The theming is so good that you will feel transported to Belle's little village.

Gaston's Tavern was really cool and the kids loved LeFou's Brew, however I was kind of meh over it. To each his own though. The little store across from Gaston's had a bunch of great mechandise in it. Ended up buying a Gaston shirt, an Enchanted Tales With Belle shirt, a wine glass, and a vase.

I can't say enough good things about Enchanted Tales With Belle. I really think kids of all ages can enjoy it. It's so cute and well done. I had no idea what to expect, and in the end I loved it. I was chosen to be a knight in Armor, which was a lot of fun. And Belle was so beautiful. Absolutely touching moment when a young boy got to dance with Belle and the look on his face was precious.

The Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid is the best dark ride at WDW now. So much fun and music. The queue is wonderful and there's a fun little game to play in the middle of it. Take the time to look at it. We were able to ride it 4 times and would ride it over and over and never get bored of it. Oh, and Ursula is the most amazing animatronic ever.

Lastly, got to eat dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant and thought it was really good. The theming of the place is incredible and it's worth it to eat there just to see the inside. I thought the service was also good and enjoyed having a glass of Lassiter wine with my meal. As for the food, it was OK, but honestly I think it could be better. It's not overly priced, so that's a good thing. For the 3 of us with tip we ended up banging out a $170 bill, but could have ate there for quite a bit less.

If you have any questions please ask.
 
Thanks for the input! We will be going to WDW in 1.5 weeks and look forward to seeing the new fantasyland. As with many topics on these boards, the reviews seem to be mixed on the new land. I'm glad that you guys had fun! What is this brew that they serve at Gaston's? I know they don't serve alcohol in MK......not to mention you mentioned your kids opinion on it.
 
Just got back an hour or so ago from a quick trip down with my two daughters, ages 15 & 12. Flew in last Thursday night and got a rental car from Alamo for $175 (just a little over $40 per day, not bad) and had some immediate pixie dust. The Alamo worker said it was late and we could take any car we wanted from the Luxury aisle even though our resevation was for a Premium. We always rent a car and am always glad we did. Daughters forgot a couple of essentials so we could head off site to get them. Also ate off site a couple of times. Only issue was getting into Hollywood Studios due to a long line, but all other entries were easy.

Going to admit, had a hard time finding the All Stars resort, guess I should have looked in a map before flying down. Anyway, after getting lost for a while we got checked in with no problems at about 1 a.m.

First thing we had planned was to head over to the PGA golf tournement being held at the Palms and Magnolia coursed directly across from the Poly. We used the parking at the MK and took the shuttle bus. That worked great as they drop you off right at the entrance to the course. Since we were staying on site we got complementary entry. Spent about 4 hours there on Friday, and another 3 hours on Sunday. Good way to go spend some nice time outside in the sun and be amazed at how good the PGA players are. I have been to other golf tournements and didn't think it was very busy here.

Spent a lot of time at hte Magic Kingdom, so I'll make some obsevations about that park.

Love the new refurbed and shortened Country Bear Jamboree. I remember the show used to drag at points and the characters were in need of some TLC. Well, the refurb took care of both items. The shortened show is much better and moves from one song into the next. No more dialogue which ended up being a good thing. I wasn't sure if I'd like the new show, but yes it's a winner. And all the characters look fantastic and move a lot smoother.

The new Fantasyland expansion area is fantastic. Me and my daughters feel Disney has hit it out of the park with this area. The theming is so good that you will feel transported to Belle's little village.

Gaston's Tavern was really cool and the kids loved LeFou's Brew, however I was kind of meh over it. To each his own though. The little store across from Gaston's had a bunch of great mechandise in it. Ended up buying a Gaston shirt, an Enchanted Tales With Belle shirt, a wine glass, and a vase.

I can't say enough good things about Enchanted Tales With Belle. I really think kids of all ages can enjoy it. It's so cute and well done. I had no idea what to expect, and in the end I loved it. I was chosen to be a knight in Armor, which was a lot of fun. And Belle was so beautiful. Absolutely touching moment when a young boy got to dance with Belle and the look on his face was precious.

The Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid is the best dark ride at WDW now. So much fun and music. The queue is wonderful and there's a fun little game to play in the middle of it. Take the time to look at it. We were able to ride it 4 times and would ride it over and over and never get bored of it. Oh, and Ursula is the most amazing animatronic ever.

Lastly, got to eat dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant and thought it was really good. The theming of the place is incredible and it's worth it to eat there just to see the inside. I thought the service was also good and enjoyed having a glass of Lassiter wine with my meal. As for the food, it was OK, but honestly I think it could be better. It's not overly priced, so that's a good thing. For the 3 of us with tip we ended up banging out a $170 bill, but could have ate there for quite a bit less.

If you have any questions please ask.

Welcome back and thank you for a wonderful report. I am happy to hear you liked FLE. Did you see magic mirror, I jumped when I saw video, so cool. Your bill for BOG is kind of high, how prices there? Thanks.
 
Thanks for the input! We will be going to WDW in 1.5 weeks and look forward to seeing the new fantasyland. As with many topics on these boards, the reviews seem to be mixed on the new land. I'm glad that you guys had fun! What is this brew that they serve at Gaston's? I know they don't serve alcohol in MK......not to mention you mentioned your kids opinion on it.

When I asked the castmember she said it was like an apple slush. I could definitely taste the apple, but they also added butterscotch to it. Then it's topped off with a passion fruit whip. You can order it in a regular cup, or two special glasses (not that impressed with the glasses as they used stickers).

As for the FLE we loved it. I think some of those who don't like it are having a hard time seeing it through a kids eyes. This area is not so much for adults, it's for small kids or adults who want to be kids.

As the theming is incredible, especially at night. The Beasts castle is awesome at night.
 

Just got back an hour or so ago from a quick trip down with my two daughters, ages 15 & 12. Flew in last Thursday night and got a rental car from Alamo for $175 (just a little over $40 per day, not bad) and had some immediate pixie dust. The Alamo worker said it was late and we could take any car we wanted from the Luxury aisle even though our resevation was for a Premium. We always rent a car and am always glad we did. Daughters forgot a couple of essentials so we could head off site to get them. Also ate off site a couple of times. Only issue was getting into Hollywood Studios due to a long line, but all other entries were easy.

Going to admit, had a hard time finding the All Stars resort, guess I should have looked in a map before flying down. Anyway, after getting lost for a while we got checked in with no problems at about 1 a.m.

First thing we had planned was to head over to the PGA golf tournement being held at the Palms and Magnolia coursed directly across from the Poly. We used the parking at the MK and took the shuttle bus. That worked great as they drop you off right at the entrance to the course. Since we were staying on site we got complementary entry. Spent about 4 hours there on Friday, and another 3 hours on Sunday. Good way to go spend some nice time outside in the sun and be amazed at how good the PGA players are. I have been to other golf tournements and didn't think it was very busy here.

Spent a lot of time at hte Magic Kingdom, so I'll make some obsevations about that park.

Love the new refurbed and shortened Country Bear Jamboree. I remember the show used to drag at points and the characters were in need of some TLC. Well, the refurb took care of both items. The shortened show is much better and moves from one song into the next. No more dialogue which ended up being a good thing. I wasn't sure if I'd like the new show, but yes it's a winner. And all the characters look fantastic and move a lot smoother.

The new Fantasyland expansion area is fantastic. Me and my daughters feel Disney has hit it out of the park with this area. The theming is so good that you will feel transported to Belle's little village.

Gaston's Tavern was really cool and the kids loved LeFou's Brew, however I was kind of meh over it. To each his own though. The little store across from Gaston's had a bunch of great mechandise in it. Ended up buying a Gaston shirt, an Enchanted Tales With Belle shirt, a wine glass, and a vase.

I can't say enough good things about Enchanted Tales With Belle. I really think kids of all ages can enjoy it. It's so cute and well done. I had no idea what to expect, and in the end I loved it. I was chosen to be a knight in Armor, which was a lot of fun. And Belle was so beautiful. Absolutely touching moment when a young boy got to dance with Belle and the look on his face was precious.

The Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid is the best dark ride at WDW now. So much fun and music. The queue is wonderful and there's a fun little game to play in the middle of it. Take the time to look at it. We were able to ride it 4 times and would ride it over and over and never get bored of it. Oh, and Ursula is the most amazing animatronic ever.

Lastly, got to eat dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant and thought it was really good. The theming of the place is incredible and it's worth it to eat there just to see the inside. I thought the service was also good and enjoyed having a glass of Lassiter wine with my meal. As for the food, it was OK, but honestly I think it could be better. It's not overly priced, so that's a good thing. For the 3 of us with tip we ended up banging out a $170 bill, but could have ate there for quite a bit less.

If you have any questions please ask.

Sounds like an awesome trip!! :thumbsup2:thumbsup2 Really cool about the rental car pixie dust! Which luxury car did you end up picking?! We got a pixie dust car rental last time from Advantage, we got to pick and we chose the VW Passat. We got to do Enchanted Tale with Belle in Oct and loved it too! SOOO cool you were a Knight! I just sat there in awe the whole time. Can't wait for our trip in Feb when we can do LM ride and eat at BOG! :goodvibes:goodvibes:goodvibes:goodvibes:goodvibes

Thanks for the input! We will be going to WDW in 1.5 weeks and look forward to seeing the new fantasyland. As with many topics on these boards, the reviews seem to be mixed on the new land. I'm glad that you guys had fun! What is this brew that they serve at Gaston's? I know they don't serve alcohol in MK......not to mention you mentioned your kids opinion on it.

It's a non alcoholic frozen apple juice kinda drink with a marshmallow foam. :goodvibes:goodvibes

Welcome back and thank you for a wonderful report. I am happy to hear you liked FLE. Did you see magic mirror, I jumped when I saw video, so cool. Your bill for BOG is kind of high, how prices there? Thanks.

Not the OP but Kelly it is so freaking cool! Seriously DH video taped it and we had to watch it back a bunch of times to even figure out what the heck was happening! It is so magical even for all the adults there. Just amazing!:goodvibes:goodvibes
 
Welcome back and thank you for a wonderful report. I am happy to hear you liked FLE. Did you see magic mirror, I jumped when I saw video, so cool. Your bill for BOG is kind of high, how prices there? Thanks.
My jaw dropped when I saw the magic mirror. Blew my mind.

As for BOG, we all ate appetizers, I had a glass of wine ($16), and my daughter ordered the steak. I would say the prices are just a little bit lower than most of the table service places at Epcot. Cheaper than Le Cellier.
 
Not the OP but Kelly it is so freaking cool! Seriously DH video taped it and we had to watch it back a bunch of times to even figure out what the heck was happening! It is so magical even for all the adults there. Just amazing!:goodvibes:goodvibes

I had same experience, I watched several times and could not understand what am I missing, so cool! Can't wait to see it!
 
My jaw dropped when I saw the magic mirror. Blew my mind.

As for BOG, we all ate appetizers, I had a glass of wine ($16), and my daughter ordered the steak. I would say the prices are just a little bit lower than most of the table service places at Epcot. Cheaper than Le Cellier.

Thanks, I am so trying BOG next time. I watched video it looks amazing.
And mirror, so cool! :thumbsup2
 
Agreed with your post... I was meh on the brew. The foam was pretty gross, and the drink itself was just okay. I had a couple of sips and then trashed it.
 
Thanks for your observations. You are making me even more excited for our trip next year!

Glad you had a ball.
 
Did you have to FP "Under the Sea"? Did you notice the wait times for the standby line? Thanks for the review! Really looking forward to seeing the FLE!:)
 
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.

Live trip reports, and just back threads are really a better fit for our trip report board. You can find the trip report forum here:

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18

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
 
Did you have to FP "Under the Sea"? Did you notice the wait times for the standby line? Thanks for the review! Really looking forward to seeing the FLE!:)

We were there for a passholder preview, so the crowds were pretty light. That ride is a people eater in the same way Haunted Mansion is (uses same type of ride vehicle) so it should eat over 1100 people per hour. Line should move fast all the time.

Plus the queue is really cool, ala Pirates or The Seas with Nemo.
 
Lastly, got to eat dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant and thought it was really good. The theming of the place is incredible and it's worth it to eat there just to see the inside. I thought the service was also good and enjoyed having a glass of Lassiter wine with my meal. As for the food, it was OK, but honestly I think it could be better. It's not overly priced, so that's a good thing. For the 3 of us with tip we ended up banging out a $170 bill, but could have ate there for quite a bit less.

If you have any questions please ask.

Thanks for sharing!
We have BOG dinner reservations for February - did you sit in the main dining room? Were you able to view the West Wing? How is the theming throughout? What were your thoughts of the restaurant? Was it noisy? Do they play music?
Sorry for all the questions - just really interested :goodvibes
 
Thanks for sharing!
We have BOG dinner reservations for February - did you sit in the main dining room? Were you able to view the West Wing? How is the theming throughout? What were your thoughts of the restaurant? Was it noisy? Do they play music?
Sorry for all the questions - just really interested :goodvibes

We sat in the Rose room, which is definitely less themed than the Ball Room and the West Wing. That being said, it was still nice and the paintings and tapestries they have in there are incredible (all concept art from the movie). This room was nice and quiet because it was the first night they had it opened and there were only about 10 tables being used in that big room. I didn't feel like they put tables too close together so you have some room to breathe. In the middle of the Rose room there is a huge music box that plays lots of nice music.

The theming of the entire restaurant is incredible. We were one of the last seatings for the night, so when we finished we walked around the entire restaurant and took it in. The West Wing is really cool, but the Ball Room is beautiful.
 















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