VickiVM
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 3, 2001
- Messages
- 2,318
We arrived home yesterday around 11:30am. We had a 6:30am flight and had to be at POR Magical Express pickup by 3:25am 
. So....still trying to recover.
First, we had a truly magical time in every sense of the word. After 6 previous visits we knew what to expect and Disney went beyond our expectations despite some of the poor reports I had been reading here.
Port Orleans-Riverside. Just as we remembered, but even more lush. Food Court - nothing to rave about. Pizza was pretty bad for what they charge. We didn't eat too many meals there, but did have the Philly Cheese sub twice (pretty good, could use a little more flavor, but not too bad. Plenty of meat in the sandwich). Prime Rib sandwich also decent. Breakfast eggs not too tasty. Hamburgers ok. Kids meal came with generic applesauce that the kids did not like at all. They're used to Mott's with lots of sweet fruity flavor. POR's was tart and not too sweet. Reminded me of baby food. One thing my husband and I shared and liked really well was the chicken wrap sandwich that was in the refrigerated cooler. Kids also liked the cheese/fruit plate.
The room was adequate (remember, we're a family of 5) and we found plenty of storage for empty suitcases/bags under the bed. We left $5 every morning for the housekeeper and in the afternoon we came back to various 'scenes' with the kids stuffed animals - Lilo in a hammock, two of the animals on a see-saw made from towels, etc. The kids thought this was cute.
We went to main pool once and it was ok. My kids prefer lots of their own space, so the quiet pool was more their speed. The main poool was not that crowded, I counted maybe 5 dozen people in the pool on Thurs. afternoon.
I requested bldg. 14 but got 26 and it was still convenient to the food court, main pool and bus stops. By the way, as of Tuesday, the buses were still running very early for character b-fasts. My husband had to be at Epcot by 8:15 am for a Segway tour and was at bus stop at around 7am and they were running buses for MK, MGM and Epcot. But if you ask guest services, they still tell you you have to make your own arrangements for early b-fasts at parks.
I have to insert my own observation of the grounds at POR. Although I know the landscaping is cared for very meticulously, the foliage, plants and flowers almost have an appearance of being in a natural state. We've stayed at Boardwalk, and YC/BC before and although those areas are also beautifully landscaped, POR seemed more natural - less manicured. If that makes sense. To some people it may seem overgrown, but all of the tall plants help to absorb sound and give a sense of privacy between each bldg. It also gives plenty of living space for the ducks, rabbits, squirrels and other living creatures we encountered every day. It was a nice refuge to come back to at the end of every day. For the cost difference from the deluxes, I would say we will probably come back in the future.
Crowds: Well, we could definitely see the difference from Wed, Thurs, to Fri, Sat, Sun (Memorial Weekend). However, using all the helpful advice here, from TourGuideMike, and UG, we had minimal waits for rides/attractions. Longest wait may have been 20 or 25 minutes (don't remember for what). I won't go into strategies, but using FastPass helped and backtracking was necessary to avoid waits at the beginning of the day. We went to Epcot when we arrived Wed. evening and ate at Le Cellier, say BJ Thomas and rode Spaceship Earth. That's it. We had a long day planned on Thurs, plus only got 3 hours sleep the night before (again and early flight to Orlando). Thursday we got to MK before opening (that's never happened before!) We got much accomplished that morning, ate at Liberty Tree for lunch, then went back to resort for a swim. We had Wishes cruise that evening. Friday was Blizzard Beach. Not too bad, we enjoyed it (my daughter wasn't feeling well, so she and I cut the day short.) Sat. we did MGM and we were able to do all the attractions/rides we wanted. Sunday was Animal Kingdom, but just for the morning. That evening we went back to Epcot. Monday my husband and I split off. He spent the day at Epcot and the kids and I spent the day at MK. Even though it was a holiday, it was not bad at all. We fast passed Buzz Lightyear only and everything else we did had waits of 15 min or less. POC, HM, Philharmagic were all walkons. The kids and I spent almost the whole day there and never felt overwhelmed by crowds. Tuesday (our final day) was back at Epcot for the whole day. Morning was pouring rain, so we put on our Ponchos. By midday or so, it had stopped. My poor husband's Segway tour was cut short - no time spent outdoors. We're supposed to get a refund of 1/2 because of rain. We experienced the most magical sequence of events here that I will detail in a separate report on the Attractions board later. Suffice it to say that in our 7 visits, I didn't think magic of this nature would ever occur for us.
Restaurants: DON'T, I repeat, DON'T go to Rainforest Cafe on a weekend night without a PS. Actually, I would suggest not going at all because our food was so mediocre for the price we paid and wait we had. When we got up to podium to sign in it was a 2 1/2 hour wait. I sort of expected that. However, they bribe you with their discount card they sell. If you buy their discount card for $15, you get a $10 gift certificate mailed to you for a future visit for RC plus 10% off entree OR free appetizer valued at $7.50 or less, plus discounts that can be used at any Landry's restaurants (Landry's, Joes Crab Shack to name a couple). Here's the bribe: You pay for this card and your wait time for a table magically becomes 30 minutes or less!! OK - We're from San Antonio and have Landry's restaurants here, so we paid the $15. She gives us a ticket that says we should be back at the podium at 8:25pm (roughly 30 minutes later). We never left. 8:25 comes and goes with no call. About 10 minutes later my husband goes to check and she tries to tell us we're on the list, but it may be another 20 minutes. WAIT - that's not we were told. He's ticked by now. So he let's her know how 'ticked' he is that we were lied to just to buy their discount card and 'magically' she tells us they're ready for us now. Well, we go and wait in yet another line for about 10 minutes just to get seated. What a joke. Food was not incredible. I had the 4 cheese pizza which was not better than a high quality frozen pizza, believe it or not. Our waiter was not too attentive and my husband sat with an empty glass for about 10 minutes. Not cool. OK, lesson learned and I blame myself for not making a PS for that evening.
Le Cellier - incredible as usual. We had the cheese appetizer plate. Out of this world. I highly suggest this to everyone who eats there. Steak was tender and so flavorful. Service wonderful. A lovely meal.
Lunch in the Castle at MK - What a nice surprise! This was a last minute surprise for the kids, just so they can say they went inside the castle. I had the pasta with mushrooms, chicken and shrimp. Yummy. The kids had the usual, but at least the sides were different - sweet potato chips, small salads, fruit. And the pretzel bread with honey dijon butter was terrific.
Prime Time Cafe in MGM - I had the fried fish sandwich which was different and tasty. Can't remember what my husband had, but he enjoyed it. Onion rings were those tiny wimpy ones. Not our favorite, but we enjoyed overall.
Liberty Tree Tavern at MK for lunch - I tried the salad for the first time. It was quite tasty, husband had the panini (new - only been on the meny a few days) and he enjoyed it. We had a wonderful server who took great care of us.
Flame Tree Barbeque - AKL - Pretty tasty. We all shared 2 orders of 1/2 chicken with a few extra sides. Very moist and tasty. Another pleasant surprise.
El Marrakesh in Morocco at Epcot - What a wonderful last vacation meal. My husband and I shared the chicken couscous plus he had salad and I had soup. Very good. Loved the iced mint tea. It was so refreshing and lite.
Well, didn't realize this would be so long. These are the highlights. I'll post more details on the appropriate boards. Ask any specific questions and I'll try to answer questions as best I can.
Vicki
. So....still trying to recover.First, we had a truly magical time in every sense of the word. After 6 previous visits we knew what to expect and Disney went beyond our expectations despite some of the poor reports I had been reading here.
Port Orleans-Riverside. Just as we remembered, but even more lush. Food Court - nothing to rave about. Pizza was pretty bad for what they charge. We didn't eat too many meals there, but did have the Philly Cheese sub twice (pretty good, could use a little more flavor, but not too bad. Plenty of meat in the sandwich). Prime Rib sandwich also decent. Breakfast eggs not too tasty. Hamburgers ok. Kids meal came with generic applesauce that the kids did not like at all. They're used to Mott's with lots of sweet fruity flavor. POR's was tart and not too sweet. Reminded me of baby food. One thing my husband and I shared and liked really well was the chicken wrap sandwich that was in the refrigerated cooler. Kids also liked the cheese/fruit plate.
The room was adequate (remember, we're a family of 5) and we found plenty of storage for empty suitcases/bags under the bed. We left $5 every morning for the housekeeper and in the afternoon we came back to various 'scenes' with the kids stuffed animals - Lilo in a hammock, two of the animals on a see-saw made from towels, etc. The kids thought this was cute.
We went to main pool once and it was ok. My kids prefer lots of their own space, so the quiet pool was more their speed. The main poool was not that crowded, I counted maybe 5 dozen people in the pool on Thurs. afternoon.
I requested bldg. 14 but got 26 and it was still convenient to the food court, main pool and bus stops. By the way, as of Tuesday, the buses were still running very early for character b-fasts. My husband had to be at Epcot by 8:15 am for a Segway tour and was at bus stop at around 7am and they were running buses for MK, MGM and Epcot. But if you ask guest services, they still tell you you have to make your own arrangements for early b-fasts at parks.
I have to insert my own observation of the grounds at POR. Although I know the landscaping is cared for very meticulously, the foliage, plants and flowers almost have an appearance of being in a natural state. We've stayed at Boardwalk, and YC/BC before and although those areas are also beautifully landscaped, POR seemed more natural - less manicured. If that makes sense. To some people it may seem overgrown, but all of the tall plants help to absorb sound and give a sense of privacy between each bldg. It also gives plenty of living space for the ducks, rabbits, squirrels and other living creatures we encountered every day. It was a nice refuge to come back to at the end of every day. For the cost difference from the deluxes, I would say we will probably come back in the future.
Crowds: Well, we could definitely see the difference from Wed, Thurs, to Fri, Sat, Sun (Memorial Weekend). However, using all the helpful advice here, from TourGuideMike, and UG, we had minimal waits for rides/attractions. Longest wait may have been 20 or 25 minutes (don't remember for what). I won't go into strategies, but using FastPass helped and backtracking was necessary to avoid waits at the beginning of the day. We went to Epcot when we arrived Wed. evening and ate at Le Cellier, say BJ Thomas and rode Spaceship Earth. That's it. We had a long day planned on Thurs, plus only got 3 hours sleep the night before (again and early flight to Orlando). Thursday we got to MK before opening (that's never happened before!) We got much accomplished that morning, ate at Liberty Tree for lunch, then went back to resort for a swim. We had Wishes cruise that evening. Friday was Blizzard Beach. Not too bad, we enjoyed it (my daughter wasn't feeling well, so she and I cut the day short.) Sat. we did MGM and we were able to do all the attractions/rides we wanted. Sunday was Animal Kingdom, but just for the morning. That evening we went back to Epcot. Monday my husband and I split off. He spent the day at Epcot and the kids and I spent the day at MK. Even though it was a holiday, it was not bad at all. We fast passed Buzz Lightyear only and everything else we did had waits of 15 min or less. POC, HM, Philharmagic were all walkons. The kids and I spent almost the whole day there and never felt overwhelmed by crowds. Tuesday (our final day) was back at Epcot for the whole day. Morning was pouring rain, so we put on our Ponchos. By midday or so, it had stopped. My poor husband's Segway tour was cut short - no time spent outdoors. We're supposed to get a refund of 1/2 because of rain. We experienced the most magical sequence of events here that I will detail in a separate report on the Attractions board later. Suffice it to say that in our 7 visits, I didn't think magic of this nature would ever occur for us.
Restaurants: DON'T, I repeat, DON'T go to Rainforest Cafe on a weekend night without a PS. Actually, I would suggest not going at all because our food was so mediocre for the price we paid and wait we had. When we got up to podium to sign in it was a 2 1/2 hour wait. I sort of expected that. However, they bribe you with their discount card they sell. If you buy their discount card for $15, you get a $10 gift certificate mailed to you for a future visit for RC plus 10% off entree OR free appetizer valued at $7.50 or less, plus discounts that can be used at any Landry's restaurants (Landry's, Joes Crab Shack to name a couple). Here's the bribe: You pay for this card and your wait time for a table magically becomes 30 minutes or less!! OK - We're from San Antonio and have Landry's restaurants here, so we paid the $15. She gives us a ticket that says we should be back at the podium at 8:25pm (roughly 30 minutes later). We never left. 8:25 comes and goes with no call. About 10 minutes later my husband goes to check and she tries to tell us we're on the list, but it may be another 20 minutes. WAIT - that's not we were told. He's ticked by now. So he let's her know how 'ticked' he is that we were lied to just to buy their discount card and 'magically' she tells us they're ready for us now. Well, we go and wait in yet another line for about 10 minutes just to get seated. What a joke. Food was not incredible. I had the 4 cheese pizza which was not better than a high quality frozen pizza, believe it or not. Our waiter was not too attentive and my husband sat with an empty glass for about 10 minutes. Not cool. OK, lesson learned and I blame myself for not making a PS for that evening.
Le Cellier - incredible as usual. We had the cheese appetizer plate. Out of this world. I highly suggest this to everyone who eats there. Steak was tender and so flavorful. Service wonderful. A lovely meal.
Lunch in the Castle at MK - What a nice surprise! This was a last minute surprise for the kids, just so they can say they went inside the castle. I had the pasta with mushrooms, chicken and shrimp. Yummy. The kids had the usual, but at least the sides were different - sweet potato chips, small salads, fruit. And the pretzel bread with honey dijon butter was terrific.
Prime Time Cafe in MGM - I had the fried fish sandwich which was different and tasty. Can't remember what my husband had, but he enjoyed it. Onion rings were those tiny wimpy ones. Not our favorite, but we enjoyed overall.
Liberty Tree Tavern at MK for lunch - I tried the salad for the first time. It was quite tasty, husband had the panini (new - only been on the meny a few days) and he enjoyed it. We had a wonderful server who took great care of us.
Flame Tree Barbeque - AKL - Pretty tasty. We all shared 2 orders of 1/2 chicken with a few extra sides. Very moist and tasty. Another pleasant surprise.
El Marrakesh in Morocco at Epcot - What a wonderful last vacation meal. My husband and I shared the chicken couscous plus he had salad and I had soup. Very good. Loved the iced mint tea. It was so refreshing and lite.
Well, didn't realize this would be so long. These are the highlights. I'll post more details on the appropriate boards. Ask any specific questions and I'll try to answer questions as best I can.
Vicki
Glad you had a great trip!!!
