Home after 4.5 magical days at the DLR, from Oct. 11-15. My DD (who turned seven on our first park day) says she wants to go back “tomorrow” at least once a day, so I’d say the trip was a success!
I realize this trip report is impossibly long but I hope the detail is helpful for other trip planners. It’s also good for our family’s future reference. Feel free to ask questions – I’d be more than happy to answer!
General Thoughts:
- The parks were crowded, even by pre-pandemic standards. This def. limited what we could accomplish each day without FASTPASS/MAXPASS but we still had a great time. The first two hours after Rope Drop were AMAZING!
- We were beyond impressed with mask compliance indoors. I’d say rough 40-50% of people were wearing masks outdoors as well.
- Galaxy’s Edge blew our minds. We loved everything about it, especially Rise of the Resistance (though the ride scared DD and she refused to ride it again – so we put Rider Switch to good use.) Smuggler’s Run, on the other hand, was a full-on family favorite. Also, the lightsaber building experience at Savi’s was exceptional. Highly recommend doing that at least once, if budget allows!
- Avenger’s Campus was great but paled in comparison to Galaxy’s Edge. The area desperately needs an E-Ticket ride to feel complete. We only rode WEB SLINGERS once and that was enough for this trip. We never got to see the Spiderman Stunt Show but really enjoyed the show in the Ancient Sanctum featuring Dr. Strange. Highly recommend viewing that at night.
- Ooogie Boogie Bash (OBB) was awesome but we didn’t get to experience it fully as DD wasn’t feeling well and we ended the night early. But we loved the immersive treat trails (we skipped the ones without characters), overall theming and how uncrowded DCA felt during the event. But, without question, the most impressive part was Villains Grove. I’d consider going to a future OBB just to experience that again. Video doesn’t do it justice. And don’t let the long line for Villains Grove fool you – it moved really quickly.
- Shopping was hit and miss. For example, we found shirts we liked but often couldn’t get them in our size, even when Cast Members searched the resort system. It’s clear supply chain issues are still an issue.
- I’ve never seen so many Plaids in the parks … ever! I didn’t know there were that many on staff on any given day/week.
Hotel
We stayed at the beautiful Grand Californian for the first time and are now totally spoiled. The proximity just can’t be beat and the service/Cast Members were top-notch. I think we received a little bit of pixie dust at check in since our room was just off the Napa Rose elevators and had a Courtyard/partial Downtown Disney view. (We booked the Courtyard view.) Everything was clean and exceptionally well kept. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to use the pool but did visit the spa (more on that below).
All that said, the room was small – in terms of square footage – considering the rack rate cost. It was a thoughtfully designed room with PLENTY of storage but when DH, DD and I were all getting ready at the same time before rope drop, it felt like we were on top of one another. The double sink area was especially tight.
Additionally, the lack of daily housekeeping due to COVID was disappointing considering the price point (even though we anticipated it). I was able to request extra towels and hangers upon arrival and they were delivered right away. But our trash cans filled up quickly and I found myself tidying the beds, the counters, etc. for my sanity’s sake. Mousekeeping was def. missed.
Tenaya Stone Spa
On our third park day, DH and I took turns having foot treatments while our DD tried to nap before OBB. The spa itself is “intimate” but stunningly beautiful – both modern and fitting within the Craftsman theme. We had the 50-minute Mindful Traveler treatment, which was just decadent. It included a foot soak, scrub, mask (I think?) and massage. We were seated in spa pedicure chairs, offered spa water, a warm neck pillow, a blanket to snuggle with and some fruit to snack on. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Pro tip from the spa manager: if you get a service in the nail salon area, like we did, you can still go into the main spa area featuring the actual Tenaya Stone. This area is so pretty and peaceful. Carve out the few extra minutes to make this happen. It’s worth it.
Lansky Car Service
This was our first time using Lansky and we’d highly recommend them. They were prompt, professional, courteous and communicative. When we arrived at SNA, our driver was in baggage claim waiting with a luggage cart. He helped DH grab our one checked bag off the belt, organize all our carry-on bags and took everything to a very clean black Suburban parked nearby. The carseat was already installed for my daughter, so we were on our way in minutes.
We took advantage of the one complimentary stop to pick up a case of water for the room and a few snacks. When we arrived at the hotel, the driver helped the bellman unload all our luggage/groceries and made sure we didn’t leave anything in the car before saying goodbye. Total time from baggage claim to hotel check-in: 50 minutes, inclusive of the stop.
Before our return trip to the airport, we got a text from Southwest saying our flight was delayed. (Our experience with Southwest was terrible but that’s for a different forum/post.) I immediately texted Lansky, asking if our pick-up time could be pushed back so we could stay in the parks longer. I got a response within 10 minutes and they accommodated the request. Our driver was waiting outside the hotel in a minivan at the new pick-up time and whisked us to the airport in record time. It was an exceptionally smooth experience, all the way around.
EDIT TO ADD: The car seat we requested wasn't installed when we were picked up to head to the airport but the drivers always have both cars seats and booster seats in their vehicles. Our driver installed the car seat in minutes - it was a nonissue.
Dining
This was our second trip since I eliminated gluten from my diet. We had a TON of sit-down dining reservations – many at places we’d never tried before – so I didn’t “live off Dole Whips.” Happy to report that most of the meals ranged from good to great. But there we def. a few misses.
Below are mini-reviews of each meal. For reference, we’ve NEVER been to a theme-park restaurant that got a 10/10. Also, when creating the ratings, we took food quality, ambience, service and cost/value into account.
Arrival night – Napa Rose Dinner (8/10). First time dining here and the ambiance and service were IMPECCABLE. The drinks were excellent too. In terms of food, DH started with the Sautéed Spanish Zucchini Blossom followed by the Wine Country Pot Pie and Grilled Beef Tenderloin. I had the Roasted Pear Salad and Lemon-roasted Chicken Galantine. Everything was really good but not exceptional … and we were hyped up for exceptional. While we’re so glad we crossed this off the Disney bucket list, given the cost, I don’t see us coming back anytime soon unless a) we try the Chef’s Counter or b) we’re traveling with friends/family who’ve never been.
Park Day 1 – Plaza Inn Character Brunch (7/10). First off, DD thought this was the BEST. THING. EVER. After taking the arrival photo with Minnie, we were immediately seated and our server called the chef over to discuss my allergy. DH and DD went through the buffet during this conversation – and my food, which was prepared in the back to avoid cross contamination – arrived shortly after they sat down. I had GF waffles, bacon, a delicious omelet and country potatoes. The GF waffles were great and DH confirmed they’re not much different from the regular waffles – caveat: when eaten with syrup – which he enjoyed. My potatoes were good but totally under seasoned. DH would also recommend against the biscuits and croissants, which were dry/stale.
Park Day 1 – Oga’s Cantina (8.5/10). What an experience – so much fun! We loved the music, the atmosphere, everything. Checked in using the app and we were seated almost immediately at a large booth to the right of DJ R-3X. (As an aside, I REALLY appreciate that Disney installed clear partitions at the large booths so two parties could safely sit together.) I had the Fuzzy Tauntaun, which was tasty but I really disliked the tingling foam. My entire throat went numb, not just my lips … would never order that again. (Conversely, DH liked it.) DH ordered the Outer Rim, which was really good. We also enjoyed the Happabore Sampler (with GF modifications) and my husband liked the Oga’s Obsession, though he’d probably skip it on future visits. The only reason we didn’t score Oga’s higher is that my DD took two sips of the Blue Bantha and said “Yuk!” She didn’t even like the cookie that came with it. All that said, we’ll probably revisit the Cantina every time we visit Baatuu – we’ll just switch up what we order.
Park Day 1 – Blue Bayou Dinner (9/10). We try to eat at the BB every time we visit the resort – but that’s mostly out of tradition/nostalgia. We love the atmosphere, with the food secondary. But, funny enough, this ended up being the best dinner the adults had in the parks. DH’s filet was cooked to perfection and the lobster tail was exceptionally fresh. He also loved the gumbo. I really enjoyed my Jambalaya and the 31 Royal Street Signature Julep (so good and so refreshing). But the shining star of the meal was the Vanilla-Bourbon Crème Brûlée. YUUUUUUMMMMMMM! The only bummer is that DD’s kid chicken was bone dry. But she ate it with minimal complaint (after drowning it in ketchup).
Park Day 2 – Storytellers’ Café Character Brunch (8.5/10). We were happy with this meal, especially when directly compared to the Plaza Inn. Hands down, the food and the service at Storyteller’s is better. In terms of a character experience, my daughter preferred the Plaza Inn but she also agreed the good was “tastier.” Once again, I talked to the chef about my allergy and the GF options were very similar to the Plaza Inn’s. I had GF waffles, bacon and sausage, as well as country potatoes cooked with onions, peppers and Impossible meat. Those potatoes were so, so good. I’m not sure why but the coffee was better at Storyteller’s and the fresh-squeezed orange juice was heavenly. The chef also delivered a Mickey bat-cookie for my DD, just because. She felt so special.
Park Day 2 – Carthay Circle Dinner (7/10). CAVEAT: My biggest complaint about this restaurant is that our server kept removing his mask and he often approached our table before remembering to pull it back up.
While the adults enjoyed the meal – but didn’t quite love it – this was clearly our DD’s favorite dinner. She had the Orecchiette Pasta with Marinara, along with a big side of fruit (lots of grapes.) She gobbled everything right up and was super content. My husband tried the Warm Cheddar Parkerhouse Rolls, which were overcooked/slightly burnt on the bottom and “didn’t live up to the hype.” He really enjoyed his Signature Pork Chop but, only a few bites in, commented that it didn’t hold a candle to the filet from the Blue Bayou the night prior. I loved the Autumn Squash Soup. (It was so interesting, in a good way.) My entrée was the Lubina Rayada de Baja a la Parrilla, which was good, but I found a lot of bones toward the center of the fish. The portion size was also way too big. Two people could’ve easily shared it.
The standout, from the adults’ perspective, were the Poison Apple martinis. Those were really good, though sweet, and we loved the Poison Apple Glow Cubes … so much so that we asked the server if we could purchase extra. He went in the back to check and came back out with two boxes, each holding four (if you count the two from our drinks). Each box was $17.99. In the future, I could see us going to Carthay for drinks/appetizers and having dinner later in the evening, maybe in Downtown Disney. But I’d like to give it one more shot, when COVID protocols (hopefully) fade, before officially removing it from our dinner rotation.
Park Day 3 – Carnation Café Brunch (4/10). All three of us agree this was our worst meal in the parks. There was a mix-up at check-in (despite me checking in using the app) and my allergy information was lost. That was eventually settled but the chef was very curt when he came out. It was clear he was inconvenienced when I asked what GF options were available (not much). I settled on the breakfast egg sandwich on a GF bun and it was … awful. The bun was cold and tasted like cardboard, despite everything else on my plate being warm. My daughter practically needed to be bribed to finish her Mickey eggs and my husband’s Mickey waffle (the big one, not the mini ones we had on previous mornings) wasn’t “any better than the waffles we make at home.” The coffee was also “meh.” We won’t be back, which is such a shame given the location’s history.
Park Day 3 – Wine Country Trattoria Dinner, OBB Menu (6/10). We’ve eaten here before and enjoyed it … this time, not so much. The starter salad was “meh” and the Rib-Eye Steak (which was $10 extra) was pounded so thin the meat suffered … which led to it being overcooked. Plus, the brussels sprouts that came with them were nearly uneatable (and I like brussels sprouts). The garlic-stacked potatoes were best thing on my plate.
DH had the Chicken Parmesan, which was good, an DD had the Whole-Grain Pasta with Marinara and Meatballs. She ate the meatballs but barely made a dent in the pasta … and she loves pasta. We hoped the desserts would end the meal on a high note but DH felt that there were way too many completing flavors in the Evil Queen Cauldron Cake. Thankfully, DD really enjoyed the Worms and Dirt.
Check-Out Day – quick service options in Galaxy’s Edge. DD and I ate at Docking Bay 7 (9/10) and DH grabbed a Ronto Wrap (7/10, without the slaw and peppercorn sauce). I LOVED the GF Endorian Roasted Chicken Salad. In fact (and I can’t believe I’m saying it), it may have been the best entrée I ate on this trip (again, taking cost into account). While it didn’t pair well with the Cold Brew Black Caf (with chocolate puffs removed to make it GF), I REALLY enjoyed both separately and will absolutely have both again during my next trip. DD also loved the Fried Chicken Tip-Yip Youngling Meal served with mac and cheese (which she said was better than the mac and cheese at Napa Rose, go figure).
Check-Out Day: Craftsman Bar & Grill Dinner (5/10). Disney needs to re-imagine the seating area of the grill because, at 4 p.m., every single table was being blasted by the sun and there wasn’t an umbrella in sight. We requested something a bit more shady and they took us the bar, sitting us next to/behind a pole. We saw our server twice in an hour … our food was delivered by someone else, we had to request drink refills from the bar and ultimately flagged down a bus boy to get the check. The food was good though. I had the nachos, which could feed an army. DH had the pizza, which he said was good but not craveworthy. DD had the slider and fries. I can’t imagine us coming back anytime soon, esp. since there are restaurants we love close by in Downtown Disney.
Snacks:
- According to DH and DD, the churros are as tasty as ever.
- As always, the Dole Whip didn’t disappoint … but the fact that you can only grab one using mobile order (or stand in a long line at Tropical Hideaway) was a bummer. I should’ve mobile ordered in the morning but completely forgot.
- The GF IncrediCookie is absolutely craveworthy … DH said it was far better than the Jack-Jack Cookie Num Num he shared with DD.
- DH and DD agreed the Choco-Smash Candy Bar from Pym’s Test Kitchen was good but they probably wouldn’t order it again. There were too many flavors in one wrapper.
- DD and I LOVED the ice cream from Salt & Straw in Downtown Disney. DH enjoyed it but would probably order a different flavor next time.
- I’m sure I’m forgetting something … but this report is long enough.
If you got this far, you are my people! Thanks for reading … in case it wasn’t clear, we can’t wait to go back!
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Thanks again
