Maybe this was a mistake---but probably not!

[Brian Noble]

So, this was an odd trip, and I am still processing it. I had a couple moments of "Do I really want to keep coming back to WDW year after year?" alternating with "I have something to celebrate in early April, maybe I should come down!" On balance, it was a lovely trip, and one I really enjoyed.

Nothing in detail, but bullet points as I think of them. First, the overall vibe of the trip:

• I came into this trip off of an intense few months of work, so it took me a bit to shift into vacation mode.
• Relatedly, I was less enthusiastic about planning than usual. I had two dining reservations and two LLMP days booked for an eight night trip, which is very unusual for me.
• It was nice not having as much pre-planned so that we could be more spontaneous, but I would not have been sad with an extra day or two of LLMP.
• Some of that was an effort to keep a lid on costs. I just moved, increasing my monthly expenses, and I am still getting used to the new cash flow constraints.

 

[Brian Noble]

We stayed at AKV-Jambo, in a 1BR Savanna view. We were in 5506, in the Zebra trail overlooking the Uzima savanna. I can see myself making a repeat visit here. I really enjoyed it!

Notes on the resort:

• Our room was a lovely location for viewing animals (though ironically, no zebras). It was a very peaceful spot, as there aren't rooms across the way, though we were close to the corner between a "spur" and the main part of the trail; this is a >90' angle, which helps. Animals were generally present and often (but not always) active. Sun a little rough in the morning, but by mid/late-afternoon it is in the shade.
• The room was just a few doors down from the Zebra elevators, so Mara and the pool were very easily accessible.
• The overall vibe of the resort is calm and relaxing. Some of that is the darker ambiance, but not all of it. It took me a few days to realize why it felt so much more peaceful than Wilderness Lodge: there is no Whispering Canyon in the lobby.
• The downside is that the low-key casual restaurant is over at Kidani. I visit Sanaa more trips than not, but this was a "not" trip.
• I love all of the art scattered around the resort. It is definitely worth taking some time to wander and explore.
• The 1BR does not feel like a hotel conversion, even though it is. The wardrobe is a clever solution to an otherwise hard problem of "where does the closet go.' There are a few concessions though. Clearances are a little tight in places---the bedroom door/side table, and the dishwasher/center island table. The most obvious implications are in the bathroom. There is only one sink (aside from the kitchen), the commode closet is surprisingly large, and the shower set up is awkward because they wanted to include a jacuzzi tub. If you've never stayed here, the tub's sides are both high and wide, making getting in and out of a shower something you want to pay conscious attention to. It will be interesting to see if they redesign the bath in the upcoming refurbishment. At the very least, I expect the jacuzzi to be replaced with a soaker, and that will allow for thinner tub walls.
• I've now stayed in both Kidani and Jambo. I think I prefer Jambo, because for me it has more of a "resort feel" than Kidani, and I generally don't have more than two in the room, so the extra bath is not all that helpful.

 

[Brian Noble]

Dining notes

• There were fewer table service meals than I might typically take, but I did not exactly scrimp, as you will see.
• Brown Derby for dinner was very good. I had not been there in a while, and it manages to have a bit of an elegant vibe despite being busy and occupied by folks in the middle of a theme park. Three courses were served at a very leisurely place (this will become a theme). It was not slow, exactly, but far from the usual too-fast pace that WDW restaurants are sometimes guilty of. If we had had major plans post-dinner, this would have been a problem, but as it was we called it an early night afterwards rather than stay for Fantasmic.
• We had lunch at Tiffins as walk-ins. Great as always, though I though the shrimp and grits was lacking....something? But I don't know what, exactly. Maybe a touch of acid. This is one of the few places in WDW with a decent mocktail. I was angling for Nomad, but the waitlist there was an hour+, while Tiffins was 10 minutes. I eat here a lot, it is rarely full, and this meal was no exception. I wonder a little bit how it justifies taking up some very valuable real estate. This was another leisurely paced meal, an app (the bread service), entrees, plus coffee. Again, not a problem as we had no big plans afterwards, but it is worth noting if you are on a schedule.
• A Boma brunch for my partner's departure-day re-enty meal. I hadn't done this one in a while, and forgot how good the African-inspired dishes are. It is a bit pricey, but when in Lake Buena Vista...the value proposition is iffy enough that I would not go out of my way to eat brunch here most trips.
• We had a rough patch in Epcot one evening. Tutto Gusto was not seating guests, only doing carryout for food; strictly bar service indoors. We got into Via Napoli as walk-ins next. However, we did not stay. We were there ten minutes with no server interaction. My partner has a sharp eye for restuarnat issues, and noted that a couple dishes were delivered incorrectly to different tables, and more than one server was in the midst of correcting checks. I am sure it was just an off night, but it was an off night. Regal Eagle, here we come!
• I solo'd at Flying Fish after many years of wanting to try it. I like the current interior design. The roasted winter squash app was great. I went old school and got the potato-wrapped snapper. It was good, but felt as though it would have been au courant decades ago (probably because it was). I will definitely be back, but will probably order something else next time. A little bit snappier pace-wise, but still not fast.
• My departure brunch was at Steakhouse 71. Another place I've been meaning to try for a while. I like the new interior, and the throwback photos are a lovely touch. The prime rib hash was very good. Yes, it was probably built from the leftovers from a recent dinner service, but so what? If it is good, it is good.
• MK continues to struggle for counter service. Some of that is the long-departed toppings bars, but it has nothing comparable to e.g. Satuli, Docking Bay, the bowls at Mara, or even the aforementioned Eagle. It might just be that the park has to serve many more people, and can't devote the real estate to doing it properly. But ugh. We did not stop at Connections Eatery, but it seems as though the menu has gotten much less interesting in the past year.
• One note: the hummus in the falafel plate at Docking Bay DOES NOT skimp on the garlic. If you are there with a partner, either both of you should have some, or you should skip it.

 

[Brian Noble]

Park/Attraction notes

• It feels like the parks not named Epcot are a bit of a hot mess. I am not complaining---the current major-land investments all seem likely to improve capacity in principle if not in fact in the long run. But, in the meantime each of these three parks has to make do with less. For example, MK on what TouringPlans measured as a moderate "4" still had non-trivial lines pretty much everywhere between 7 and 8 on a 10P close day with a parade showing at 7:45. That was unexpected, but maybe my memory is faulty?
• It also means each park has less room for error when it comes to attraction uptime.
• On the bright side, groupers were doing a good job of filling vehicles, and the TouringPlans observations about a lower Lightning Lane/Standby ratio meant lines moved more regularly than this time last year. It's less painful to wait in a moving line than one that is crawling along.
• Single rider on Remy is a huge win, for the same reason as it is on TestTrack: rows of three are hard to group without a steady supply of singles.
• Oddly, the photopass folks were completely forbidden from capturing any of the Aerosmith/G-Force iconography during the final weekend (and maybe before). Likewise, the on-ride photo was generic. Presumably (some part of) the license expired before the closure date.
• On a moderate-crowd day, it's easy to spend the first hour (give or take) power-riding Everest. I think we got five laps in before the wait time was above 15 minutes, and we did not show up until about 30 minutes after regular park open, let alone early entry. Most of those five were walk-ons. I suspect the 8AM open helps.
• Surprisingly, Tron opened before general park opening one morning, and was operating during at least some part of Early Entry. I showed up at 8:40, and the line was already moving. However, a standby time was not posted on the official app, nor did TouringPlans know. I have no idea how often this happens, but worth checking! I got in line, was on the ride, and back off in 30 minutes. That would be hard to beat without paying.
• I hadn't seen Beauty and the Beast in a long time, and I don't know why I only now realize its a ballet as much as (or more than) a musical. I also hadn't seen Indy in a long time. I will go back to the former soon. I don't ever need to see the latter again---it's tired, and the park's entire theme has shifted out from under it.
• For some reaosn I never made it to Zootopia, which I think was the only new-to-me thing in the Parks since October.
• Luminous is really growing on me. The two signature pieces of music (One Hearbeat/Beating of our Hearts) make the show. A tip of the cap for using So Close from Enchanted for the "in love/partnered" song rather than one of the Usual Suspects. (On that note: do we have to use Friend Like Me for the play segment?) I liked Harmonious, but thought that its ending ("Someday") was not particularly well-suited to this moment in time---the message was, essentially, "It stinks now, but it will get better in the indeterminate future." Luminous' ending seems more appropriate to the moment, and similar to the ending of the dearly departed Rivers of Light.
• Likewise, I'm starting to appreciate Starlight more than I did on first showing. It's not SpectroMagic, but what is? The closing throwback to Baroque Hoedown is a nice touch.
• MagicBand+ might not be dead yet, but they were surprisingly rare. I like them (I apparently have not set my phone up to do attraction photopass tagging), but am clearly in the minority.

 

[Brian Noble]

Oh, one more Parks note:

• The current iteration of Fantasmic is a solid improvement over the Pocohantas-In-Depth version. I liked the old one a lot, but the new one has better pacing in the second act. My partner is a theater-head, (I'm not the one who buys season tickets for UMS and DSO!) and was stunned by how technically complex the show was, and how well it was executed. It gave me a new appreciation for the show.

 

[Steelers0854]

A Boma brunch for my partner's departure-day re-enty meal. I hadn't done this one in a while, and forgot how good the African-inspired dishes are. It is a bit pricey, but when in Lake Buena Vista...the value proposition is iffy enough that I would not go out of my way to eat brunch here most trips.

Boma Breakfast is one of our favorites on property. The variety and quality are unmatched. I actually dont think the price is bad at all for what you get. Its actually one we do go out of our way for.

Glad you had a great trip!

 

[petrola]

Dining notes

• A Boma brunch for my partner's departure-day re-enty meal. I hadn't done this one in a while, and forgot how good the African-inspired dishes are. It is a bit pricey, but when in Lake Buena Vista...the value proposition is iffy enough that I would not go out of my way to eat brunch here most trips.
• I solo'd at Flying Fish after many years of wanting to try it. I like the current interior design. The roasted winter squash app was great. I went old school and got the potato-wrapped snapper. It was good, but felt as though it would have been au courant decades ago (probably because it was). I will definitely be back, but will probably order something else next time. A little bit snappier pace-wise, but still not fast

Flying Fish is one of our favorites! We seem to keep going back to BW area, so it's the perfect dinner spot for us. heading down in April, not sure if they will still have the winter squash appetizer, but if so, we will definitely try it!

also have to agree with you on Boma - such a great spot and delicious food! Sounds like you had a fun time and some pretty great meals! Thanks for sharing!

 

[VGCgroupie]

Love the report and all your insights. I may just have to try Jambo after the refurb.

Noted on Tron and Everest. We are skipping LLMP on our upcoming trip and we will try for those in the am.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Park/Attraction notes

• MagicBand+ might not be dead yet, but they were surprisingly rare. I like them (I apparently have not set my phone up to do attraction photopass tagging), but am clearly in the minority.

How do you set that up on your phone?

I’ve enabled Bluetooth for the app, and location is “when in use” not “always”

However that does not seem to be enough for the attraction photos to map to my account.

 

[Brian Noble]

I have no idea! I thought I had it set up correctly as well, but evidently did not.