Rainkiss
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2009
- Messages
- 244
We were there from 10/22 (23, really, we got in after 11 PM on the 22nd) and came home on 11/2.
We had a lot planned, and mostly things went right. The weather was HOT. We only got rained on once... and we happened to be sitting in the hot tub at the resort (Coronado Springs) at the time. Was just a cool sprinkle, actually felt really good. Let's see, in no particular order:
Magical Express... As we got in after 10 PM, we had to haul our own luggage... Survivable. Easy, fast check-in at the resort, only about a half dozen people in line ahead of us (though why they let people who didn't use online check-in use that line I don't know, meant I got to stand there and wait for 'em).
Coronado Springs was very nice. Bell services drove us with our bags right over to our room, including a tour on the way over, advice on using the bus to get around the resort (we were WAY in the back), and pointing out the pools and the nearest bus station. (We were very close to stop #3, for which I was very grateful by the end of most days.)
The parks were a blast, of course, not much closed. Space Mountain, of course, and I've yet to hit the parks while Sounds Dangerous was open. Ellen's Energy Adventure had some hiccups, I still haven't ridden that one. We caught Spectromagic, which was closed our previous trip, loved it! Still haven't managed Fantasmic, but good to have something to look forward to next time.
The Halloween party was a ball, other than the family directly in front of us during the parade. When we got to the route, they were sitting on the curb... then popped up like jack-in-the-boxes every time anything interesting went by. I have a ton of pictures of the back of their heads.
Additional irritation, they weren't wearing wristbands, so hadn't even paid to be there. On the plus side, lines for the rides were short (even though the party was, according to a cast member, nearly sold out). Thunder Mountain went down, though, not sure if it ever came back up, which was a little disappointing.
We did the Backstage Safari Tour, lots of fun. Not a lot of walking on the tour, we spent more time on the van than on foot, I think. Saw an elephant in the barn, and they had a crowned crane in the vet while we were there, getting some work done on a weak leg.
ADRs worked out well, and the few nights we didn't have them, we had no trouble getting in to find dinner. Ohana didn't have a record of our reservation, but I had the confirmation number in my purse, which meant we just had a few minutes extra delay while she looked things up. (Carry your confirmation numbers, MUCH irritation saved!)
Downsides...
Magical Express home was, to put it bluntly, a train wreck. The bus was a yellow Mears bus, the driver was... well... I suspect I could have driven the bus better. Had he feathered the gas pedal a few more times, the lurching could very well have ruined my "no-protien-spill" record for the trip. He was late, took forever to park, tried to give hubby's carry-on bag out of the storage bay to somebody NOT my husband, at the wrong stop. His announcements were not just accented (which I can deal with), but mumbled to the point of inaudibility, so we didn't know which stop to get off the bus. Bad end of a vacation.
We hit the Pepper Market at Coronado Springs, more out of laziness than any desire to eat there. Regretted it. Interesting concept, bad execution, indifferent food, bad service. Not worth the dining entitlements (and we had free dining).
We had a lot planned, and mostly things went right. The weather was HOT. We only got rained on once... and we happened to be sitting in the hot tub at the resort (Coronado Springs) at the time. Was just a cool sprinkle, actually felt really good. Let's see, in no particular order:
Magical Express... As we got in after 10 PM, we had to haul our own luggage... Survivable. Easy, fast check-in at the resort, only about a half dozen people in line ahead of us (though why they let people who didn't use online check-in use that line I don't know, meant I got to stand there and wait for 'em).
Coronado Springs was very nice. Bell services drove us with our bags right over to our room, including a tour on the way over, advice on using the bus to get around the resort (we were WAY in the back), and pointing out the pools and the nearest bus station. (We were very close to stop #3, for which I was very grateful by the end of most days.)
The parks were a blast, of course, not much closed. Space Mountain, of course, and I've yet to hit the parks while Sounds Dangerous was open. Ellen's Energy Adventure had some hiccups, I still haven't ridden that one. We caught Spectromagic, which was closed our previous trip, loved it! Still haven't managed Fantasmic, but good to have something to look forward to next time.
The Halloween party was a ball, other than the family directly in front of us during the parade. When we got to the route, they were sitting on the curb... then popped up like jack-in-the-boxes every time anything interesting went by. I have a ton of pictures of the back of their heads.
Additional irritation, they weren't wearing wristbands, so hadn't even paid to be there. On the plus side, lines for the rides were short (even though the party was, according to a cast member, nearly sold out). Thunder Mountain went down, though, not sure if it ever came back up, which was a little disappointing.We did the Backstage Safari Tour, lots of fun. Not a lot of walking on the tour, we spent more time on the van than on foot, I think. Saw an elephant in the barn, and they had a crowned crane in the vet while we were there, getting some work done on a weak leg.
ADRs worked out well, and the few nights we didn't have them, we had no trouble getting in to find dinner. Ohana didn't have a record of our reservation, but I had the confirmation number in my purse, which meant we just had a few minutes extra delay while she looked things up. (Carry your confirmation numbers, MUCH irritation saved!)
Downsides...
Magical Express home was, to put it bluntly, a train wreck. The bus was a yellow Mears bus, the driver was... well... I suspect I could have driven the bus better. Had he feathered the gas pedal a few more times, the lurching could very well have ruined my "no-protien-spill" record for the trip. He was late, took forever to park, tried to give hubby's carry-on bag out of the storage bay to somebody NOT my husband, at the wrong stop. His announcements were not just accented (which I can deal with), but mumbled to the point of inaudibility, so we didn't know which stop to get off the bus. Bad end of a vacation.
We hit the Pepper Market at Coronado Springs, more out of laziness than any desire to eat there. Regretted it. Interesting concept, bad execution, indifferent food, bad service. Not worth the dining entitlements (and we had free dining).
