***Official March 2021 Thread***

[Naomeri]

We're T-minus 6 days until the vacation fun begins, and I. AM. SO. EXCITED!

I need a few suggestions from my brilliant Disboarders!

1) Does the Swan and Dolphin count as a Disney resort for the purposes of taking advantage of the early morning access to the parks?

They haven’t started the early access to the parks yet

 

[MomOTwins]

1) Does the Swan and Dolphin count as a Disney resort for the purposes of taking advantage of the early morning access to the parks?
As Naomeri mentioned, there is special morning access for (any) resort guests currently; however, everyone these days has "early access" in the sense that parks are letting people in up to one hour before official opening time. At Swolphin, you can walk to Epcot would recommend leaving your room 75 mins before opening, to be among the first in the park when the gates open. For HS, you can also walk and be the first in, or take the friendship boat or skyliner (transferring at the skyliner hub at Caribbean Beach) which are more scenic routes but will get you in later than most other guests (though still before park open)

2) We're going to Beaches and Cream for the first time! What are some can't-miss dishes?
The ice cream is the real star of the show. The "kitchen sink" is the iconic dessert, but the "no way jose" peanut butter ice cream sunday has a devoted following. For food, it is a soda shop--just your usual burgers and sandwiches. The cheese and bacon tots are probably the most unique thing to try.

4) Talk to me about Satu'li Canteen! I'm trying to branch out of my usual dining options, and this is one I've never tried before.
It's fun and feels like you are eating food from another planet! My DH likes the sweet potato hash base with beef. I am not gonna lie, I think the bowls are a bit weird (the sweet/savory thing has never been my favorite) so I secretly get the kids food for myself. I like the hot dog-in-a-bagel-roll thing and the cheeseburger pods (which are basically bao buns, if you like dim sum).

6) We have early Droid Depot appointments on our HS day. I'm hoping to go on MF:SR this morning, but I'm not sure what to do with the droids while we're riding: take them with us? Put them in a locker? Run back to the hotel? I certainly don't want to leave them in our stroller, so any advice there would be helpful.
Take them with you. You can set them on the floor of the ride simulator--plenty of room. That's where we put our Savi's lightsabers and nothing bad happened to them. But candidly, I don't think you really need to keep those early droid depot appointments. We've done it on two separate trips (got the R unit one time and the BB unit the next) and both times there was plenty of walk up availability--we went in the afternoon and one time it was no wait at all and the other time no more than 15 mins. Would use your morning to ride attractions before the wait gets long and do droid depot when the ride lines are long in the afternoon.


Edited to add: I didn't answer 3 and 5 because I haven't stayed at the Swan and Dolphin.

 

[Bama Mom]

I'm so bummed that pick a pearl in Japan isn't opened right now. My daughter and I really wanted to do it again. On our trip in 2008 we both did it and I saved those pearls. She got married in 2019 and I put her pearl into a cage shapped like cinderella's coach and made it into a bracelet for her to wear on her wedding day. We were hoping to get he some more pearls to make into earrings this trip.

 

[DisneyFanJenn]

I'm so bummed that pick a pearl in Japan isn't opened right now. My daughter and I really wanted to do it again. On our trip in 2008 we both did it and I saved those pearls. She got married in 2019 and I put her pearl into a cage shapped like cinderella's coach and made it into a bracelet for her to wear on her wedding day. We were hoping to get he some more pearls to make into earrings this trip.

I wonder if the one over by Beach Club is open? I know it isn't the same experience but at least it will be a Disney pearl.

 

[Bama Mom]

We're T-minus 6 days until the vacation fun begins, and I. AM. SO. EXCITED!

I need a few suggestions from my brilliant Disboarders!

1) Does the Swan and Dolphin count as a Disney resort for the purposes of taking advantage of the early morning access to the parks?

2) We're going to Beaches and Cream for the first time! What are some can't-miss dishes?

3) What's the best pool at the Swan and Dolphin for kids?

4) Talk to me about Satu'li Canteen! I'm trying to branch out of my usual dining options, and this is one I've never tried before.

5) Has anyone tried the breakfast buffet at Garden Grove in Swan?

6) We have early Droid Depot appointments on our HS day. I'm hoping to go on MF:SR this morning, but I'm not sure what to do with the droids while we're riding: take them with us? Put them in a locker? Run back to the hotel? I certainly don't want to leave them in our stroller, so any advice there would be helpful.

1. Already answered so I'll not repeat this one
2. We are ending our trip with the Kitchen sink this trip. I'm just hoping we aren't all yucky feeling from the sugar high afterwards. On our 2019 trip, it was my first time there. My hubby and I split a burger and fries just so we would both have room for the ice cream since that's the real reason I booked it.
3. I have no idea.
4. We ate there in 2019 and I honestly can't even remember what we got. I'm picky so I probably ate the kids food and I can't remember what hubby had either. I'll have to go back and look through our pictures. I do remember not being impressed, but was glad we tried it.
5. I haven't eaten there.
6. I also don't know the answer to this but have heard of people who got the backpack for them just taking them on rides like they would any other normal backpack.

 

[Bama Mom]

I wonder if the one over by Beach Club is open? I know it isn't the same experience but at least it will be a Disney pearl.

I'm not sure but I was wondering that too. I'll have to search and see if it's the whole experince closed or just the Japan location.

 

[Kitty & Covs Covs]

For those there March 13th, I noticed more dinner reservations were dropped today to correspond with extended park hours. We were able to move things around quite a bit for a party of 7, so there should be even more available for smaller parties.

This should mean there will be more available in the come days/weeks as other days’ hours are extended. Let’s keep each other posted!

 

[dez1978]

All of March is green again

 

[Thomasboys]

I’m so bummed People Mover will be closed!!!!!!

 

[debedo]

I’m so bummed People Mover will be closed!!!!!!

Noooooooooo!!! I heard they were starting to train/retrain castmembers too..

I wonder what has happened now.....

 

[lorilclevelandrn]

Anyone else out there with fingers crossed for extended park hours?

 

[TikiRob]

Clearly, everyone is canceling after the PeopleMover announcement... my wife was ready to cancel, but she remembered Gideon’s cookies were still available.

 

[Kmedders]

I'm so bummed that pick a pearl in Japan isn't opened right now. My daughter and I really wanted to do it again. On our trip in 2008 we both did it and I saved those pearls. She got married in 2019 and I put her pearl into a cage shapped like cinderella's coach and made it into a bracelet for her to wear on her wedding day. We were hoping to get he some more pearls to make into earrings this trip.

The Disney springs location is said to be open. We do pearls for our girls every trip for their wedding also - so we are going to hit up the springs location this trip.

 

[lluv3971]

You guys.... I'm getting really nervous...

Another WDW website just published an article (on 2/23) that said all the park reservations "buckets" have been replenished for March... AGAIN. I'm looking and all the dates are currently green.

I feel like these buckets have been shifted and filled so many times. I'm getting so nervous about crowds - not so much with COViD (I'm vaccinated and will happily follow all protocols), but more so worried about the level of enjoyment at parks.

We are WDW vets. We have traveled in March before without issue. We rope drop, take a mid-day break, then hop in the evening. I'm hoping that strategy will still work for us since this will be our first time navigating rides vs. crowds without FPs.

Where is the paper bag I can breathe into!?

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

You guys.... I'm getting really nervous...

Another WDW website just published an article (on 2/23) that said all the park reservations "buckets" have been replenished for March... AGAIN. I'm looking and all the dates are currently green.

I feel like these buckets have been shifted and filled so many times. I'm getting so nervous about crowds - not so much with COViD (I'm vaccinated and will happily follow all protocols), but more so worried about the level of enjoyment at parks.

We are WDW vets. We have traveled in March before without issue. We rope drop, take a mid-day break, then hop in the evening. I'm hoping that strategy will still work for us since this will be our first time navigating rides vs. crowds without FPs.

Where is the paper bag I can breathe into!?

I truly believe the total capacity is not changing. What you're seeing is, IMO, shifting of capacity between categories and/or the reflection of cancellations.

 

[JJ2017]

You guys.... I'm getting really nervous...

Another WDW website just published an article (on 2/23) that said all the park reservations "buckets" have been replenished for March... AGAIN. I'm looking and all the dates are currently green.

I feel like these buckets have been shifted and filled so many times. I'm getting so nervous about crowds - not so much with COViD (I'm vaccinated and will happily follow all protocols), but more so worried about the level of enjoyment at parks.

We are WDW vets. We have traveled in March before without issue. We rope drop, take a mid-day break, then hop in the evening. I'm hoping that strategy will still work for us since this will be our first time navigating rides vs. crowds without FPs.

Where is the paper bag I can breathe into!?

I saw that and also became super curious as to why alllllll green again.

 

[lluv3971]

I truly believe the total capacity is not changing. What you're seeing is, IMO, shifting of capacity between categories and/or the reflection of cancellations.

Oooo.... I like your idea about the cancellations. That would make sense.

 

[JJ2017]

So looking for advice on how to spend a 3/4 of a day with my daughter who is 8. Here's the scenario:

We are arriving one day before our friends. We are spending the previous day and 1 night at a Disney Springs hotel, and in the morning, checking out and will hang at the pool, go to lunch, before heading to the timeshare to meet up with our friends (check in is at 4:00).

But now, my husband is going to take my son to spring training in Tampa the morning after we arrive. He will have the car. So I will be car-less in the Disney Springs area. I'm good with Ubers and Disney Transportation, just looking for ideas to spend the day. Of course we can head to the timeshare and hang at the pool and hope for an early check in, but not sure how that works b/c the reservation is under my friend.

Thanks!

 

[HokieRaven5]

Group Calming Session Time



As hard as it may be to do I'd recommend just not looking at the Reservation Calendar unless you are looking to make changes. Any time it goes from yellow to green could be a handful of people cancelling to a shuffling from the AP bucket to the theme park/disney guest. We don't really know how the system works completely but they aren't going above the 35% of max capacity on reservations.

 

[Wood Nymph]

2) We're going to Beaches and Cream for the first time! What are some can't-miss dishes?

The onion rings are really good.