She's Headed to High School, a June 2024 WL Trip Report: Post Trip DL Update 10/11

[GrandCalifornian]

I so feel Marshall just wanting to sit the heck down in the AC. Is this really “against the Disney rules”? They need to calm down.

Yeah, we hadn’t realized that there is no sitting anywhere within the World of Disney store. The CM explained that to sit down one needs to go outside, “due to safety reasons.” Oh well.

Such a delight to find your trip report and devour it in a couple of days! I always love following along with your family. The video of hide and seek was a treat!

Thanks! We’re almost through this one, but we love sharing the trips.

I do have a question for you - can you explain the different parts of WL for me? I would like to stay there someday but I don't know what is the best part and what is cash vs. DVC. We stayed in the main building when I was a teen but they have added on so much now I am confused!

Remind me - have you all been to Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone?

I believe I can help answer your questions. The main building at WL is what has been there since 1994. Then in 2000 they opened the original “Villas at Wilderness Lodge” over by the bus stops. Then things got confusing in 2017 when they converted the South half of the main building to “Copper Creek” which also included the addition of lakefront cabins along the shoreline. So half of the original building is now considered Copper Creek DVC villas, while the other half is still regular hotel rooms, and the original villas were renamed to “Boulder Ridge Villas”. The DVC rooms include studios, one bedrooms, two bedrooms, and some three bedroom Grand Villas. The one bedrooms are what we stayed in this time and last, and they were converted from two original hotel rooms each. I have a neat map on the Copper Creek thread that shows which rooms are where in the resort.
Anyway, you can book any of the rooms on a cash basis through Disney directly, but if you want to stay in a Villa you can save a bunch of money by “renting” DVC points through a broker, such as David’s Vacation Rentals. We have done this and it works great.
Around the resort they added Geyser Point, a lakefront bar and grill just beyond the end of the South wing. It is a beautiful addition that fits in to the resort just perfectly. There’s also a new pool over by Boulder Ridge that is open to everyone staying at WL to use. There’s also the main pool with a water slide and good sized kids play area for little ones.
I can go on and answer any other questions you might have about WL and the different room locations and view options, but it’s all good. The regular hotel rooms are nice and either face MK or the main pool. The Copper Creek villas are on the other side of the main building and offer the larger rooms if that’s of interest to your party. Boulder Ridge is a short walk from the main building and still under one roof. The lakefront cabins are beautiful too, and have two bedrooms but still cost quite a bit. We got to spend a few nights in one in 2018 and it was a bucket list item for us. WL is my favorite place anywhere, but I’m strange like that.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

LOL, Disney should hire you to promote WL for them! You're doing a great job of that as a volunteer!

I don't know if you've been to Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone as @ambula603 asked about. I myself haven't stayed there, but I have visited their lobby area. Although its architecture inspired WL, WL has much better amenities, considering that OFI doesn't have A/C, internet, or TV.

 

[ambula603]

Yeah, we hadn’t realized that there is no sitting anywhere within the World of Disney store. The CM explained that to sit down one needs to go outside, “due to safety reasons.” Oh well.


Thanks! We’re almost through this one, but we love sharing the trips.


I believe I can help answer your questions. The main building at WL is what has been there since 1994. Then in 2000 they opened the original “Villas at Wilderness Lodge” over by the bus stops. Then things got confusing in 2017 when they converted the South half of the main building to “Copper Creek” which also included the addition of lakefront cabins along the shoreline. So half of the original building is now considered Copper Creek DVC villas, while the other half is still regular hotel rooms, and the original villas were renamed to “Boulder Ridge Villas”. The DVC rooms include studios, one bedrooms, two bedrooms, and some three bedroom Grand Villas. The one bedrooms are what we stayed in this time and last, and they were converted from two original hotel rooms each. I have a neat map on the Copper Creek thread that shows which rooms are where in the resort.
Anyway, you can book any of the rooms on a cash basis through Disney directly, but if you want to stay in a Villa you can save a bunch of money by “renting” DVC points through a broker, such as David’s Vacation Rentals. We have done this and it works great.
Around the resort they added Geyser Point, a lakefront bar and grill just beyond the end of the South wing. It is a beautiful addition that fits in to the resort just perfectly. There’s also a new pool over by Boulder Ridge that is open to everyone staying at WL to use. There’s also the main pool with a water slide and good sized kids play area for little ones.
I can go on and answer any other questions you might have about WL and the different room locations and view options, but it’s all good. The regular hotel rooms are nice and either face MK or the main pool. The Copper Creek villas are on the other side of the main building and offer the larger rooms if that’s of interest to your party. Boulder Ridge is a short walk from the main building and still under one roof. The lakefront cabins are beautiful too, and have two bedrooms but still cost quite a bit. We got to spend a few nights in one in 2018 and it was a bucket list item for us. WL is my favorite place anywhere, but I’m strange like that.

Thank you for this!! I know we stayed in the main building and it would have been around 1998. The trees in the center were just babies when I stayed there! I remember watching a wedding on one of the balconies!

We rent DVC from a friend and/or David's every time we go, so I am familiar with that. What rooms have a National Park theme? Do some have a train theme? Or am I getting confused?

 

[ambula603]

I myself haven't stayed there, but I have visited their lobby area. Although its architecture inspired WL, WL has much better amenities, considering that OFI doesn't have A/C, internet, or TV.

We stayed there in 2021 and had a room overlooking Old Faithful...one of the most incredible views I have ever had! I watched it erupt from the bathroom window while I was taking a bubble bath (and my husband watched while he was using the toilet as men do! Hahahaha) But we also did the free tour and it was a highlight to learn all of the history!

 

[Wood Nymph]

It was my latest morning of the trip, and at least is later than I get up at home for work. Besides, it let me see the 7AM Geyser and watch the big ferry boat go across from Bay Lake.

That was nice to see the ferryboat moving to the park entrance. A satellite view shows the location of the main marina where they hide all the boats.

The back of the Jeep looks like a Tetris.

I've always wanted to do the balloon ride. It looks very cool.

We just got back from WDW on Thursday and went to Disney Springs from POR. It was a very hot trip and I could understand the kids getting wiped out.

We've been staying at POR more frequently now because the deluxe prices are getting very high. But we are bouncing back to WL in February. We're really looking forward to that trip.

The main building at WL is what has been there since 1994. Then in 2000 they opened the original “Villas at Wilderness Lodge” over by the bus stops. Then things got confusing in 2017 when they converted the South half of the main building to “Copper Creek” which also included the addition of lakefront cabins along the shoreline.

Thanks for posting the construction dates. We've stayed at WL during all that construction. It was worth it, though.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I also suffer from having way more stuff on the way home from Disney than on the way there. I started packing a fold-able duffel bag in my suitcase so I have expansion space on the way home.

Your trip reports make me want to go to Copper Creek again. It's one of my home resorts and I've really grown to love it.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

LOL, Disney should hire you to promote WL for them! You're doing a great job of that as a volunteer!

I don't know if you've been to Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone as @ambula603 asked about. I myself haven't stayed there, but I have visited their lobby area. Although its architecture inspired WL, WL has much better amenities, considering that OFI doesn't have A/C, internet, or TV.

Lol, thanks. I just really like WL. I forgot to post that we have not stayed at the Old Faithful Inn, or any other National Park resort. For all of our other travel we are usually in our RV and staying at a campground.

Thank you for this!! I know we stayed in the main building and it would have been around 1998. The trees in the center were just babies when I stayed there! I remember watching a wedding on one of the balconies!

We rent DVC from a friend and/or David's every time we go, so I am familiar with that. What rooms have a National Park theme? Do some have a train theme? Or am I getting confused?

All of the rooms have a rustic woodsy theme, although there are decor differences between the WL hotel rooms, the Copper Creek rooms, and the Boulder Ridge rooms. The Boulder Ridge lobby has the Carolwood Pacific room, which is train themed. There is also some railroad theming around the Boulder Ridge pool. It all ties together nicely.

We stayed there in 2021 and had a room overlooking Old Faithful...one of the most incredible views I have ever had! I watched it erupt from the bathroom window while I was taking a bubble bath (and my husband watched while he was using the toilet as men do! Hahahaha) But we also did the free tour and it was a highlight to learn all of the history!

I get teased a lot for trying to catch the Geyser, and I have about a million pictures of it. I don't have one from the restroom though... Lol.

That was nice to see the ferryboat moving to the park entrance. A satellite view shows the location of the main marina where they hide all the boats.

It is neat how they hide the service area from any of the resorts on Bay Lake. I am fascinated with the water bridge, and it is cool that even the big ferry boats cross it.

The back of the Jeep looks like a Tetris.

Yeah, it was packed tight. I have been informed that we will be renting something bigger next time.

I've always wanted to do the balloon ride. It looks very cool.

I have always been intrigued by it, and I'm glad we finally got to do it. I would recommend it at least once, especially when the crowd is low.

We just got back from WDW on Thursday and went to Disney Springs from POR. It was a very hot trip and I could understand the kids getting wiped out.

The heat does a number on everyone.

We've been staying at POR more frequently now because the deluxe prices are getting very high. But we are bouncing back to WL in February. We're really looking forward to that trip.

We love POR, and while we don't get to stay there much now with DVC we do like it over there and will go back to visit.

Thanks for posting the construction dates. We've stayed at WL during all that construction. It was worth it, though.

Yeah, we had some trips affected by construction, but we love how it all turned out. On our first trip after the Copper Creek work we loved it so much that we bought DVC and the rest is history.

I also suffer from having way more stuff on the way home from Disney than on the way there. I started packing a fold-able duffel bag in my suitcase so I have expansion space on the way home.

We have packed a duffel and even nested suitcases within each other for the trip there. We used to pack high volume consumables like diapers and food that would make room for "swap space" for bringing stuff home, but we are always short on space coming back. Next year we'll probably take a whole extra bag, we'll see.

Your trip reports make me want to go to Copper Creek again. It's one of my home resorts and I've really grown to love it.

We do love WL, and are nearing 100 nights of staying there. I'm not ready to go to WDW and not stay there, so we will be back next year...

 

[GrandCalifornian]

When we left off we were letting tempers cool and everyone regained composure rather quickly. It’s so important with kids knowing that the meltdowns are just because they can’t handle everything they’re feeling, they are tired, hot, and overstimulated. That’s a lot for an adult let alone a kid so we give them grace and have discussions so things don’t escalate too far. Allie has for sure had her share of meltdowns at Disney.

Yes she has, I remember an epic one at Disney Springs when a CM had the audacity to try to give her a pin... Oh well.

Anyway we were hungry too and on our way to Old Key West.

We left the parking garage at 1:20 and headed for Old Key West.

It was a nice super short drive and we were at the gate of the resort by 1:23. We told them we had a reservation and got right in. It was a little hard to find parking, so I dropped Melissa and the kids off and went and parked the Jeep.

It was nice to minimize the walking a little bit for everybody, Paul took one for the team.

I got a spot just across the main road, so it worked out nice. Then we checked out the Conch Flats store, and I got Allie another set of ears because they were unique and she wanted them and I'm a softie.

They are really cute and they even smell like oranges.

We checked in and were seated right away. The restaurant was just busy enough to not feel empty but not too busy. We had great service.

We were actually seated 10 minutes before our reservation time. Since it was technically a brunch there were a lot of breakfast items on the menu, but Melissa and I decided to try the Signature burger.

Marshall was able to get pasta with marinara sauce,

and Allie chose to try crab cake eggs Benedict.

The burger was so good. I’m not nearly the burger fan my husband is but this burger just hit the spot.

You said it was your favorite one of the trip, surpassing the one from Kona the night before. I wouldn't go quite that far, but it was an excellent burger topped with half of an avocado and a bacon jam. It was excellent. Allie really loved her meal too, calling the eggs Bennedict the best food item of her entire trip, surpassing the noodles from Teppan Edo. It was a great meal to wrap things up with.

Maybe it was just a situational thing or maybe the food is just really that good but I think Olivia’s will definitely be on our minds when we are looking for a last minute reservation somewhere. I was really impressed that we were able to fit something that unique in on our departure day.

I completely agree. When the bill arrived we found it to be the best deal of the trip as well, at just $80 for the four of us. It was less expensive than many QS meals, and was just great.

After lunch we walked around the resort a little bit and stopped in the Community Room. They had all kinds of activities going on. The thing we were most interested in was the big comfy couch in the AC.

Perhaps it is because it is the original DVC resort, but it definitely has the biggest and most active Community Room of any of the DVC resorts. There were a lot of different activities and things to do, from board games to video rentals to crafting activities. They were setting up for Tie Dye T-Shirts as we got there. After a brief rest on the couch, we left the hall and checked out the pool area. It is sand castle themed, but had more sand around it than Melissa would prefer. At least you didn't have to walk through the sand to get there.

Yeah we do a lot of camping in the sand dunes and sand at Disney isn’t exciting to me. It just gets everywhere. We like the vibe at Old Key West and can see ourselves staying there sometime.

It has a calm quiet feel, and we could definitely see staying there. The room availability is usually pretty good too, as long as you have a car to deal with the size of the resort. On our way out we stopped and played some giant Connect Four, with me beating Marshall but Allie defeating me in the finale.

With that we headed to the Jeep at 2:53.

We decided we needed a giant connect 4 game for home and now we have one for our back porch. Allie is a master player though and she’s tough to beat. Marshall and I are probably on the same level though.

We followed the phone GPS towards the airport, which took a route avoiding the toll roads.

Once we got close we got gas at the same station as last year, but this time took a twisty trip through the old airport area towards the new terminals while avoiding the toll road.

It got us there and was something different.

There were a lot of new things to see going this way, we got to see Universal and the construction going on. Then the back side of the airport was a little crazy to see but we got to the rental car drop off pretty easy.

We pulled into the airport rental car return right at 4:00, and took our time dropping off the Jeep and cleaning everything out of it.

On the way to the terminal we saw that the toll place has a drop box in Terminal B now, avoiding the terminal hike that we did last year. We headed up to drop off our bags, and it was super easy at the customer service desk.

The rental car drop off is really nice and there’s no pressure to move fast or anything so we take our time making sure we have everything and all of our stuff is packed away where it should be.

I wanted to change my clothes for the flight so I stopped and did that before we went through security. I like wearing pants on the plane but it was too dang hot for pants in the morning. It was something I’ve never done before but it was nice to have fresh clothes for the flight.

We cruised through the Disney store for one last bit of Disney.

It was nice to have extra time to hang out before going through security. The food court was way busier than when we last hung out there during COVID. We finally got in line for security at 4:50 and we were through it by 5:01 with no issues.

I love having TSA Pre-check.

Yes, me too, especially at MCO. We hopped on the monorail and went towards our gate.

On the way we stopped at one of the gift stores for drinks at the hub. Marshall convinced me to buy him a Hot Wheels car as well.

I really wanted Chinese food too, but we were still full from lunch so we headed to our gate.

We found some seats and started chatting with a family who as it turns out lives a couple miles from us in our same city. It was nice chatting with some neighbors.

It was pretty crazy that they were from our town. They were returning from 8 nights at the Grand Floridian, so we had plenty to chat about. We also had plenty of time, since our plane was delayed by 30 minutes, but as it got closer to boarding time it was clear the plane would not arrive before then. Instead of opting for a touch and go where we hopped on as it landed, they delayed our departure some more.

I think we’ve only left out of MCO on time one time.

Yeah, it just doesn't happen. I chatted with work and found out the detils of what they did for the week, and what I would have to do the next day. Then they started boarding our plane at 7:12, and we got on by 7:20. We had the entire third row to ourselves, which was really nice.

It was very nice. We got settled and were served some water before takeoff.

As the pilot was briefing the flight attendants he mentioned that the table for 3C was broken. I realized that was my seat, and I looked down and saw the out of order sign under my arm rest.

We taxied out and took off right at 8:01, in a light rain. We tried to see WDW in the distance but couldn't make it out.

The flight attendant took drink orders and then came by to verify our pre-ordered meals. We had all chose the beef short rib with Mac and cheese. The meal ended up coming with a twice baked potato instead of the Mac and cheese but it was still very tasty.

It was pretty slick because they only had chicken and rice or pasta as the options to choose from on the flight, but by pre-ordering they had the beef for us. Before the meal they brought out warm nuts which was nice, and then the meal was served about 45 minutes into the flight.

The beef short rib was fork tender and really good, as was the bread. Definitely my best airplane meal ever.

Even though you had to eat it on your lap.

The broken tray table was a bit of a bummer, we’ll have to make up for that sometime.

Yeah, I thought they might have some better solution than setting the plate on my lap, but there wasn't much they could do. At least I knew my neighbor, and I was able to put some stuff on Marshall's table.

There are also like 3 pop out other little trays for drinks and things.

At one point we flew right next to this angry cloud that just had constant lightning. It was pretty spectacular, I’ve never seen anything like it.

That was pretty wild. Fortunately soon after they served dessert so we focused on that instead. They had ice cream sundaes with hand scooped ice cream and whip cream, hot fudge, carmel, strawberry, and nuts.

It was an awesome dessert.

That was another thing I’ve never seen on an airplane before. Oh man it was good.

It was one of the best parts of first class. I was able to follow it up with a Diet Coke in a real glass and I was a happy guy. It made the trip home go really quickly. We did actually make up some time, and arrived just a little after our planned arrival time despite leaving over an hour late.

The biggest bummer is that they parked our plane in the International Terminal and then our bag claim was in the next terminal over so the walk was a pretty long hike.

Yeah, that was a long walk late at night, but we made it and our bags arrived soon after we made the trek. Once we had them all we had a short walk across the street to pick up the car.

We found the valet where we dropped off the car which was so easy and amazing.

It was the best parking situation we’ve ever had at an airport ever.

It really was neat, and after texting them from baggage claim the truck was waiting right there, and they pulled it up and we hopped in. Definitely a great way to go for LAX parking, and by pre-paying it is less than half the cost of parking in the self park lot. We WILL do this again.

Oh yeah, between first class flights and the valet parking the travel stress levels were lowered dramatically. Since we drove my Expedition to the airport instead of Paul’s Jeep all of our luggage fit just fine without any Tetris skills.

The drive home went well, and we made it home just after midnight.

The dogs were there waiting for us, and everything went well while we were gone. We got to sleep as quick as we could because in the morning we'd be getting up for work, which isn't nearly as much fun as waking up at Disney.

It was so nice to be home and sleep in our own bed. The best part about having a good house sitter is coming home to a spotless house and happy pets.

And with that the trip was done. We'll be back with one more post to summarize the highlights of the trip, so look for that coming soon.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

I get teased a lot for trying to catch the Geyser, and I have about a million pictures of it. I don't have one from the restroom though... Lol.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We stayed in a 2br villa at OKW with extended family, including our two oldest grandsons, age 8 and 10 at the time. We had a great stay and would love to find a reason to return.

It seems like the late afternoon flights at MCO are always delayed. But we continue to book them anyway.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Maybe I have a new goal….

We stayed in a 2br villa at OKW with extended family, including our two oldest grandsons, age 8 and 10 at the time. We had a great stay and would love to find a reason to return.

We were looking at those rooms and considering one for a trip with an extended group. Much like POR, we like the laid back feel at OKW, especially if we are going to have a car.

It seems like the late afternoon flights at MCO are always delayed. But we continue to book them anyway.

Yep, we are in the same boat. I’ll take flight delays over having to get up and leave Disney early in the day.

 

[KPeterso]

Sounds like a great trip.

And how fun to meet people from your town waiting for the flight. Many years ago, we were using curb side check in at MCO for our flight and the family behind us said they were flying to Chicago (same as us). And one of the kids said, why aren't we flying to town X? All three of our heads flipped around as it was our small town of under 5000 people. Yup, family right behind us lived near us and my mom started running into the mother at the grocery store regularly and the one kid went to school with a kid I had been babysitting for years. Small world moments!

 

[ambula603]

Wow, that flight and valet service sounds awesome. Definitely changes the travel day dynamic!

We LOVE Old Key West. Such a relaxed vibe with large rooms. And brunch at Olivia's has never disappointed us! We still talk about how kind the waiter was on one of our trips, but they are all great. You can tell they really enjoy working there. The berry compote on the French toast/pancakes is divine! Now I'm hungry!

 

[Stasieki]

What a great trip! I need to put Teppan on a future trip. We have never eaten there and looks like you consistently have good luck there.

 

[Paulaparm]

What a great trip! Thanks for sharing.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Sounds like a great trip.

It really was a lot of fun. We had to pack things in, but did a lot.

And how fun to meet people from your town waiting for the flight. Many years ago, we were using curb side check in at MCO for our flight and the family behind us said they were flying to Chicago (same as us). And one of the kids said, why aren't we flying to town X? All three of our heads flipped around as it was our small town of under 5000 people. Yup, family right behind us lived near us and my mom started running into the mother at the grocery store regularly and the one kid went to school with a kid I had been babysitting for years. Small world moments!

Isn't it crazy when you can meet people like that so far from home? I guess in our case it happened to help that they were headed to LA, but still of all the possibilities to run into them was surprising.

Wow, that flight and valet service sounds awesome. Definitely changes the travel day dynamic!

Yes it does. We felt we arrived from the travel much more relaxed going both directions. That helped with work the next day, and really did help us make more out of a shorter trip by having the travel be something we looked forward to instead of dreading it. Valet parking at LAX is the best way to go that we have found, and is a great deal compared to many other options. First class flights are a splurge, but it did add a lot of fun to this trip.

We LOVE Old Key West. Such a relaxed vibe with large rooms. And brunch at Olivia's has never disappointed us! We still talk about how kind the waiter was on one of our trips, but they are all great. You can tell they really enjoy working there. The berry compote on the French toast/pancakes is divine! Now I'm hungry!

Mmm, yes Olivia's sounds good right now. We like OKW and definitely will consider a stay there in the future.

What a great trip! I need to put Teppan on a future trip. We have never eaten there and looks like you consistently have good luck there.

We really enjoy it, but a key to success is ordering the upgraded food items. Their filet mignon is my favorite steak anywhere, while the regular steak is just mediocre. Melissa feels their scallops are the best too, and the volcano rolls are always delicious. Yes the atmosphere is a lot of fun, but we consistently go back for the food.

What a great trip! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks and you're welcome. We will write a wrap up when we get a minute, but it was a fun time and we will plan on doing much of it again during the same time next year. The low crowds in September sure look good right now, but we'll take what we can get.

 

[rdkeim]

Love your TR's! Always fun to read about your family's Disney experiences. You traveled first class all the way! Sometimes it's fun to splurge and enjoy the perks. We've stayed once at OKW and really liked the vibe there. Taking the bus from there is a bit tedious and time consuming. Agree it would be much better with a car. I'll watch for your wrap up!

 

[CariadMartin]

Wow that storm cloud photo from the plane video is wild! Looks like something from a movie!

Loved this TR btw, the pictures of the early morning walk around the resort look so pretty and peaceful.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Love your TR's! Always fun to read about your family's Disney experiences. You traveled first class all the way! Sometimes it's fun to splurge and enjoy the perks. We've stayed once at OKW and really liked the vibe there. Taking the bus from there is a bit tedious and time consuming. Agree it would be much better with a car. I'll watch for your wrap up!

Thanks for following along, we are glad that you enjoyed it. We finally have a wrap up together, so your wait is over...

Wow that storm cloud photo from the plane video is wild! Looks like something from a movie!

Loved this TR btw, the pictures of the early morning walk around the resort look so pretty and peaceful.

It was pretty spooky looking out there. Fortunately the plane was nice and smooth though. We are glad that you enjoyed the TR. I absolutely love the quiet peacefulness of WL early in the mornings, it is such a neat contrast to the business of the parks.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We’re back with one last update for this trip report!

I like looking back and wrapping it up by writing about the new and different things that made the trip special. It also just feels like Disney time since we are moving into September, and we have had so many great September trips to WDW. It is kind of crazy looking at our Facebook memories from 12, 11, 8 and 6 years ago.

Yes, it still feels like we should be heading to Disney even though we haven’t had a September trip in a while.

Someday we will definitely do another Food and Wine trip, but for now we'll focus on the fun from June. Food is always such a big part of the trips, so let's start there. We had a few new restaurants this trip, with Space 220, Woody's, and the last minute additions of Kona and Olivia's.

Space 220 was a lot of fun and the food was super interesting. I don’t think it’s going to make the short list of repeats though.

Yeah, it was a great meal and exceptional atmosphere, definitely a must do, but I agree not a must repeat. Woody's was fun and had better food than I expected, but also isn't a must do every time but is a solid HS option. We do have good choices there.

I feel like went through a bit of a drought of food at Hollywood Studios and now we have some great choices.

Yeah, and we will be happy with whatever ADR we wind up with there, which is a nice situation. I gotta feel that the new food stars of the trip were the last minute additions. Kona was excellent, in part because of the food quality and location, but also in part because of the last minute availability. It is nice to have an unplanned option.

The food was fantastic though! You can’t beat their bread pudding, I’d be up for just popping in there for dessert.

Yeah, I do wonder if it makes an Ohana visit a little less likely since the bread pudding was the top reason to go there, and now we can get it without being stuffed with meat first.

True but they don’t have Ohana noodles so there’s that.

True, but I do see Kona as a possible dessert option sometime. Olivia's was super good, and while we didn't need another food choice near Disney Spirngs, it is one we will definitely repeat sometime. It did work well on the departure day.

It worked very well, and since we’re now in the habit of renting a car it makes it super easy to get to anytime.

Yes, and again the possibility of spontaneity is appealing. I could see popping over there for a lunch or dinner anytime.

The returning favorites were so strong for this trip though as well, and we again had excellent meals at many of our favorites. The one I keep thinking about is Teppan Edo, and it will be repeated for the forseable future.

Yeah the “we’re running late walk” across world showcase is an integral part of our trips.

My standout meal of the trip from our returning group was probably Roarin Fork surprisingly enough. The barbecue was just so good.

I didn't choose as wisely there, and tried another disappointing burger. It was still a great place to eat though, and Allie loved her grilled cheese. Besides, the location can't be beat.

There were really no bad meals this trip and I would repeat any one of them. Any changes we make in the future will be for variety, since there are so many good choices.

Setting up our restaurant list for next trip is going to be fun.

We also discovered a new favorite ride this trip. We all really enjoyed Guardians. I still haven’t tied Paul down to watch the movie though.

Oh yes, we do have a new ride must-do, which does add to the planning pressure because we now know what we were missing, and will do what it takes to get to ride it next time. It is also fun to see the walls coming down at Epcot, even if we didn't get many of the neat things shown in the original concept art.

I thought we were supposed to have rooftop gardens or something? It is nice though that the walls are down and it’s easier to get around. I’m looking forward to a more complete park when we return.

Yeah, the re-invention of Epcot is coming along. We did say goodbye to Test Track as we have known it, but we are optimistic it will come back in a new and improved (or at least not degraded) form.

I’m excited to see what the future for Test Track holds.

In discussing future trips, we are trying to figure out how to plan park days with a five day trip, and aside from the obvious one park per day, we are thinking we really need multiple Epcot days, which means we either park hop or skip a park. I'm not sure what we'll wind up doing, but it will be a pre-trip decision for next time.

We all feel like we need a little more downtime too which is tough on a shorter trip. It’s essential to schedule it though or we won’t stop moving.

Yeah, that was the biggest negative of this year's trip, we were just too busy trying to squeeze stuff in. It is more relaxing and fun to decide to do less, and to do so at a more relaxing pace.

How we force ourselves to do that though is the challenge, and maybe sticking to one park per day would be part of it. We will be trying that approach this coming weekend when we visit Disneyland for Allie's birthday, and have three park days with one park each.

Overall we had a fantastic trip and we’re going back next year! Thank you all for coming along for the reminiscing.

We wanted to get this one done before we head back to Disneyland for the first time in many years.

It will be neat to get to show Marshall the parks, and for Allie to return to her "original" Disney parks. It will be a quick trip since it is just an extended weekend, but we actually get to stay at the Grand Californian for the first time since our wedding, which we are definitely looking forward to.

We are all super excited to see all of the changes to both of the parks from the last 8 years.

Thanks for following along, and we'll be around for any questions.