Just got back DD and other Disney matters

[kbelle8995]

I just got back from a short trip.

Was able to do Downtown Disney and some other stores. It was busy. Downtown Disney is starting to clean up and I was impressed by some of the shops. There are areas that are tight. And if you are going to drive I would suggest go early and not on the weekend but crowds were pretty manageable. My hotel was close so I walked over. Marketplace Co-op was nice. I like the merchandise but hope that they will continue to bring new merch in. I was more impressed by Cherry Tree lane section which had some great affordable items if you are not interested in pricy Dooney's or Vera Bradley's. I still like the Centerpiece a lot.

Really liked the Food Truck area and the Starbucks which is great for people watching. It's still a bit of a mess but I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Still hoping they complete the other garages a little more quickly

Also did a monorail resort tour. Some problems with the Monorail line and got stuck in the Contemporary. Polynesian had good and bad. Enjoyed the Pineapple lanai. It really is a nice place to sit and have a dole whip. Trader Sam's looks like it is going to be small and Ohana is taking over the second floor due to popularity. If you are looking for Resort specific merch the Poly has them is spades a really nice mug and some really cute T-shirts. Plus they do have a nice selection of the Adventureland and Poly merchandise from Marketplace Co-op if you don't want to go over to Downtown Disney. Didn't explore the others too much because I wanted to see the Polynesian But the Contemporary looks nice and has some nice resort specific merchandise besides a pin. Grand Floridian looks nicely freshened. Had a fun time.

 

[tcherjen]

Thanks for the report. Might have to go this trip. Last trip it was a mess.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

We went to DTD a few times on our recent trip (just back 2/5). Parking is indeed a challenge.
We parked across the street one time and walked and then just caved and tried out the parking deck. The parking deck is really neat (I generally do not like parking decks). Loved the high ceilings and the parking space indicator information! The walk over to the Earl of Sandwich / World of Disney area wasn't bad but did take a fair chunk of time (compared to just parking over in that area to start with). If you can I recommend you take the bus (we're not fans of the bus system so we drove).

 

[kbelle8995]

The only reason I went was because my hotel was so close. Parking is still an issue. I would recommend taking Disney transportation. If you really have to go and drive, My suggestion is going early in the day like in the morning when it opens. Don't even try on a weekend.

Pack your patience and I would give it a few more months before you go out of your way to do this. But it was not as bad as I feared. Maybe this was because I didn't drive there.