momto3gr8boys
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2006
- Messages
- 2,225
We just returned from 10 days in the world and I thought Id share some thoughts. Im posting here even though Im including some dining/hotel comments as well.
Cast Members: I had read a lot on here about CMs not being as friendly or helpful as they used to be, and was a little concerned. Im happy to report that we did not experience that once. Every CM we encountered was helpful, friendly and a few even sprinkled some pixie dust our way! One day we were walking in the MK and two CMs showed up out of nowhere and gave us a giant ice cream sundae with 5 spoons! And at BOG we got not one, but five plates of the grey stuff. There were other little things as well that enhanced our trip.
Photopass Photogs: Here was one CM area that was lacking a bit. Most of the photogs were good, a few great, and some not so great - they almost seemed as if they didnt want to be bothered. I always pre-purchase a card, and am still happy with my pictures, but it seemed as if they were quick to pass you off to another photog just up ahead .
Dining: This is a very generalized review, but overall we were very happy with every dining experience we had. Our servers were happy and attendant, the food was good, some very good, character interaction at those meals was great (and my kids are big!), and perhaps the biggest positive change I noticed was the short wait times. In the past we would show up for our ADR time and then wait. And wait. And wait. This trip we did 14 TS and with the exception of Sci-Fi, we did not wait more than five minutes to be seated at any of them!
Resorts and Split Stay: We stayed at the Beach Club for the first half of our stay and the Poly for the second. The BC is a regular for us, the Poly was new for us all except for me, but the last time I was there was in 1986. Both check-in processes were smooth - we had done online check-in for two rooms which was a little confusing on the website, but all the correct info made it into the system. Our requests were not honored at BC, but were at Poly (we were upgraded there). Both hotels were in good shape, but the BC felt more crowded and a little more frenetic than I am used to. Finding a lounge chair at SAB was impossible, and the resort as a whole just was not as relaxing as I have found it in the past. We usually stay there this same week, but I guess it was just more crowded. At the Poly they were checking key cards, and we did not find it to be too crowded in the pool. This was our first split stay and we found it to be a great experience. I would not do it for less than a week (we had five days at each resort). The time we spent packing (everyone was responsible for themselves) was greatly outweighed by the time saved in transportation by location of the resorts. We called bell services on our BC check out morning, walked to HS, spent the day there, left after lunch and got on a Poly bus, and were checked in and unpacked and headed to the MK in under an hour. Disney made it effortless, and I am not sure why people say they feel homeless for a day or that it takes too much time - definitely not the case in our experience! We also wound up with a bonus in that we kept our park tix on our first KTTW cards and were then able to pull double fast passes for the rest of the trip.
Following a crowd calendar: We chose to use easy wdw and it paid off! Josh was dead on with his predictions and we barely waited for anything. The only day we were in a red park was when we went to AK for a tour. The crowds did not affect our tour in any way, but once it was over we got out of there fast! The difference from the day before (a green day for AK) was incredible. It was at that moment my family looked at me and said thank you for finding that site!
Special events: We splurged on four special activities this trip - the Wild Africa Trek, the Wishes Dessert Party, massages at the GF (ok, so the boys were left out on this one!) and a cabana at the Poly. The WAT was amazing! Truly a wonderful experience, and if you like the safari, you will love this! My DW and I spent two weeks in Africa on real safaris, and they did a pretty good job mimicking the feel of it. Obviously its not going to compare to the real thing, but it was very good. The Wishes Dessert Party was good. We had a front row table, did not have to stand, and the desserts were good, but I dont feel the need to repeat this. There was no photopass photog (which I had been looking forward to) and overall it was just ok, IMO, for the money. But Im glad we did it. The spa at the GF is very nice...they did a great job. Our treatments were good, and the atmosphere was very peaceful and relaxing (with the exception of the people in the relaxation rooms on their smart phones - people, its a spa, disconnect for one hour and enjoy!). And the cabana at the Poly was heaven....for a little while! We booked the whole day, and when I booked, I asked what happens in bad weather. The CM told me if it was a total washout they would refund our money, but usually there is only a shower or two in the afternoon (as August regulars we are used to this and I felt fine booking it). What they didnt tell us as the first rain clouds rolled in at 1:00 was that if the pool closes the cabanas have to be cleared out. So it thundered, no rain, and we had to pack up everything and move out until 3:00. At four it thundered again and we packed up again and moved out - unfortunately for the rest of the day. They did refund me the full day price and only charged us the half day, but it was a shame because it wasnt even raining half the time - we would have been happy to sit there...even in the rain. So while it was SO worth the space, the service, etc., just be aware that in August you will most likely not get your full time.
Transportation: We took advantage of our resort locations to cut down on transportation. During our BC stay we walked to Epcot and HS. We took the AK bus twice and the monorail to MK once and the bus back. We also went to TL and DTD one day (with a break in between). With the exception of TL/DTD, the transportation from the BC was great. We lucked out with short waits and easy rides. TL was a long wait and we decided to take a cab to DTD and back after not wanting to deal with that again. It was about $13 each way and well worth it! From the Poly we mainly used the boat/monorail to the MK. We did head back to HS one day from the Poly and their bus system is not great - we saw three AK buses come in before a HS bus. That evening we took the monorail back from Epcot and walked back to our room - no problems there. The only complaint we had was that the boats to the Poly at MK closing time were slow and no where near big enough to handle the crowds. Additionally, on an EMH night at the MK, we left at 12:30 and the monorail closed at midnight - park was open until 1:00 am. So obviously the boats were crazy. That bothered me - dont keep a park open for people who pay a lot of money to stay on the monorail and then not run it. It was not a technical issue - it just closed one hour after regular park closing and did not take EMH into consideration.
Parks in general: Three things I read about here of concern were the cleanliness of the parks, down time of the rides and the functionality of the CMs. Cleanliness was fine, IMO. I did not notice more garbage or dirty restrooms. Maybe it was just luck - I got to those places at the right times, but I saw a lot of constant cleaning going on. I also saw a lot of gross people who cant be bothered to clean up after themselves - really unbelievable - but the CMs were on it. Rides were down a lot - Im not sure if many of them are just hitting an age where they need major help or there are too many guests, etc., but that was an annoyance. Fortunately the MDE app was current on closures which saved a lot of criss-crossing the park. And as for the CMs, as I stated above, they were great. We encountered one experience that made me a little nervous though. We were riding the Walt Disney RailRoad and at the stop on Main Street, we decided to ride through to Frontierland. The train was stopped for a while and there was commotion in the back. Turns out someone was unconscious. My DW is a doctor and went back to help. She was the only person on the train to help, the family in question spoke no English (fortunately she speaks Spanish) and the CMs just stood there helpless. She said they were so unequipped to handle this that it really concerned her. And it took the paramedics a long time (too long) to get there. They had an AED but no other first aid equipment (oxygen was necessary in this situation), no interpreter, no understanding of basic first aid (they wanted to use the AED in an unnecessary situation) and the poor person was seizing and they just didnt know how to handle it. They did take direction well and tried their best, but I shudder to think what would have happened had there not been anyone with a medical background around. We dont know what ultimately happened, but we are hoping the young man is ok.
ETA: I forgot to mention park bags and water bottles. After 17 trips, I think I have finally found the answers lol. I used an REI Flash 18 Pack and it was perfect. With only one opening it was quick for bag check, held everything I needed, the straps were comfortable, it was lightweight, and perhaps most importantly, waterproof! We got caught in such a downpour I was drenched, but everything inside was bone dry! As for water bottles, we have tried purchasing in the park (too expensive), getting free ice water (too time consuming), having water bottles delivered from GG (convenient, but they get warm too fast), etc. Well, this time we each got a hydroflask, filled it with ice and bottled water (from GG), and the water was ice cold all day! They were a huge hit with everyone and worked perfectly. Definitely the best option I have found!
I think thats about it! Overall it was a great trip and we cant wait to go back again!
Cast Members: I had read a lot on here about CMs not being as friendly or helpful as they used to be, and was a little concerned. Im happy to report that we did not experience that once. Every CM we encountered was helpful, friendly and a few even sprinkled some pixie dust our way! One day we were walking in the MK and two CMs showed up out of nowhere and gave us a giant ice cream sundae with 5 spoons! And at BOG we got not one, but five plates of the grey stuff. There were other little things as well that enhanced our trip.
Photopass Photogs: Here was one CM area that was lacking a bit. Most of the photogs were good, a few great, and some not so great - they almost seemed as if they didnt want to be bothered. I always pre-purchase a card, and am still happy with my pictures, but it seemed as if they were quick to pass you off to another photog just up ahead .
Dining: This is a very generalized review, but overall we were very happy with every dining experience we had. Our servers were happy and attendant, the food was good, some very good, character interaction at those meals was great (and my kids are big!), and perhaps the biggest positive change I noticed was the short wait times. In the past we would show up for our ADR time and then wait. And wait. And wait. This trip we did 14 TS and with the exception of Sci-Fi, we did not wait more than five minutes to be seated at any of them!
Resorts and Split Stay: We stayed at the Beach Club for the first half of our stay and the Poly for the second. The BC is a regular for us, the Poly was new for us all except for me, but the last time I was there was in 1986. Both check-in processes were smooth - we had done online check-in for two rooms which was a little confusing on the website, but all the correct info made it into the system. Our requests were not honored at BC, but were at Poly (we were upgraded there). Both hotels were in good shape, but the BC felt more crowded and a little more frenetic than I am used to. Finding a lounge chair at SAB was impossible, and the resort as a whole just was not as relaxing as I have found it in the past. We usually stay there this same week, but I guess it was just more crowded. At the Poly they were checking key cards, and we did not find it to be too crowded in the pool. This was our first split stay and we found it to be a great experience. I would not do it for less than a week (we had five days at each resort). The time we spent packing (everyone was responsible for themselves) was greatly outweighed by the time saved in transportation by location of the resorts. We called bell services on our BC check out morning, walked to HS, spent the day there, left after lunch and got on a Poly bus, and were checked in and unpacked and headed to the MK in under an hour. Disney made it effortless, and I am not sure why people say they feel homeless for a day or that it takes too much time - definitely not the case in our experience! We also wound up with a bonus in that we kept our park tix on our first KTTW cards and were then able to pull double fast passes for the rest of the trip.
Following a crowd calendar: We chose to use easy wdw and it paid off! Josh was dead on with his predictions and we barely waited for anything. The only day we were in a red park was when we went to AK for a tour. The crowds did not affect our tour in any way, but once it was over we got out of there fast! The difference from the day before (a green day for AK) was incredible. It was at that moment my family looked at me and said thank you for finding that site!
Special events: We splurged on four special activities this trip - the Wild Africa Trek, the Wishes Dessert Party, massages at the GF (ok, so the boys were left out on this one!) and a cabana at the Poly. The WAT was amazing! Truly a wonderful experience, and if you like the safari, you will love this! My DW and I spent two weeks in Africa on real safaris, and they did a pretty good job mimicking the feel of it. Obviously its not going to compare to the real thing, but it was very good. The Wishes Dessert Party was good. We had a front row table, did not have to stand, and the desserts were good, but I dont feel the need to repeat this. There was no photopass photog (which I had been looking forward to) and overall it was just ok, IMO, for the money. But Im glad we did it. The spa at the GF is very nice...they did a great job. Our treatments were good, and the atmosphere was very peaceful and relaxing (with the exception of the people in the relaxation rooms on their smart phones - people, its a spa, disconnect for one hour and enjoy!). And the cabana at the Poly was heaven....for a little while! We booked the whole day, and when I booked, I asked what happens in bad weather. The CM told me if it was a total washout they would refund our money, but usually there is only a shower or two in the afternoon (as August regulars we are used to this and I felt fine booking it). What they didnt tell us as the first rain clouds rolled in at 1:00 was that if the pool closes the cabanas have to be cleared out. So it thundered, no rain, and we had to pack up everything and move out until 3:00. At four it thundered again and we packed up again and moved out - unfortunately for the rest of the day. They did refund me the full day price and only charged us the half day, but it was a shame because it wasnt even raining half the time - we would have been happy to sit there...even in the rain. So while it was SO worth the space, the service, etc., just be aware that in August you will most likely not get your full time.
Transportation: We took advantage of our resort locations to cut down on transportation. During our BC stay we walked to Epcot and HS. We took the AK bus twice and the monorail to MK once and the bus back. We also went to TL and DTD one day (with a break in between). With the exception of TL/DTD, the transportation from the BC was great. We lucked out with short waits and easy rides. TL was a long wait and we decided to take a cab to DTD and back after not wanting to deal with that again. It was about $13 each way and well worth it! From the Poly we mainly used the boat/monorail to the MK. We did head back to HS one day from the Poly and their bus system is not great - we saw three AK buses come in before a HS bus. That evening we took the monorail back from Epcot and walked back to our room - no problems there. The only complaint we had was that the boats to the Poly at MK closing time were slow and no where near big enough to handle the crowds. Additionally, on an EMH night at the MK, we left at 12:30 and the monorail closed at midnight - park was open until 1:00 am. So obviously the boats were crazy. That bothered me - dont keep a park open for people who pay a lot of money to stay on the monorail and then not run it. It was not a technical issue - it just closed one hour after regular park closing and did not take EMH into consideration.
Parks in general: Three things I read about here of concern were the cleanliness of the parks, down time of the rides and the functionality of the CMs. Cleanliness was fine, IMO. I did not notice more garbage or dirty restrooms. Maybe it was just luck - I got to those places at the right times, but I saw a lot of constant cleaning going on. I also saw a lot of gross people who cant be bothered to clean up after themselves - really unbelievable - but the CMs were on it. Rides were down a lot - Im not sure if many of them are just hitting an age where they need major help or there are too many guests, etc., but that was an annoyance. Fortunately the MDE app was current on closures which saved a lot of criss-crossing the park. And as for the CMs, as I stated above, they were great. We encountered one experience that made me a little nervous though. We were riding the Walt Disney RailRoad and at the stop on Main Street, we decided to ride through to Frontierland. The train was stopped for a while and there was commotion in the back. Turns out someone was unconscious. My DW is a doctor and went back to help. She was the only person on the train to help, the family in question spoke no English (fortunately she speaks Spanish) and the CMs just stood there helpless. She said they were so unequipped to handle this that it really concerned her. And it took the paramedics a long time (too long) to get there. They had an AED but no other first aid equipment (oxygen was necessary in this situation), no interpreter, no understanding of basic first aid (they wanted to use the AED in an unnecessary situation) and the poor person was seizing and they just didnt know how to handle it. They did take direction well and tried their best, but I shudder to think what would have happened had there not been anyone with a medical background around. We dont know what ultimately happened, but we are hoping the young man is ok.
ETA: I forgot to mention park bags and water bottles. After 17 trips, I think I have finally found the answers lol. I used an REI Flash 18 Pack and it was perfect. With only one opening it was quick for bag check, held everything I needed, the straps were comfortable, it was lightweight, and perhaps most importantly, waterproof! We got caught in such a downpour I was drenched, but everything inside was bone dry! As for water bottles, we have tried purchasing in the park (too expensive), getting free ice water (too time consuming), having water bottles delivered from GG (convenient, but they get warm too fast), etc. Well, this time we each got a hydroflask, filled it with ice and bottled water (from GG), and the water was ice cold all day! They were a huge hit with everyone and worked perfectly. Definitely the best option I have found!
I think thats about it! Overall it was a great trip and we cant wait to go back again!
