rgoble5972
Are we there yet?
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2001
- Messages
- 276
CAST
Robin/Me - 40; trip planner/recorded; 11th trip to WDW
Paula/Sister to Robin - 30; 5th trip to WDW
SUMMARY
Well, I suppose this wouldnt be a very helpful trip report without a handy summary of all things good and evil about our trip so, without further ado, here it is, the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Goble Girls Spring Fling....Wait a minute, not so fast. I think a word of explanation is in order.
It goes without saying that the good part of any Disney trip is easy to write, its the bad and the ugly parts that are rather difficult--most of them feel like Im grasping at straws. I mean, it *is* Disney after all, so the bad are more like mild disappointments, and the ugly are more homely really than out and out ugly.
THE GOOD
Lodging
This was our first stay at the Boardwalk Inn and we couldnt have been more pleased. Aside from the rather confusing layout of the resort, I thought everything about the Boardwalk was great. The location, in particular, was wonderful, even rivaling my beloved Beach Club for ease of access to Epcot and MGM.
I also really liked the walkway to MGM. This was my first trip to actually use it (thought Ive sent my poor Mom down it on her ECV on more than one occasion). As long as the weather is pleasant and youre not beat down by a long day in the parks, its far superior to talking the Friendships in my opinion.
Did I mention that I loved the bathroom at the Boardwalk Inn? Yes? Well, I did. The chest of drawers in the sink area kept all the usual clutter off the vanity and was very handy. See, its the simple things in life that keep me happy.
The Polynesian of course is always a favorite resort of mine. As I previously mentioned, I love the CMs here and I love watching the fireworks from the beach as well. Plus, being on the monorail line cant be beat for visiting the MK and for going to activities at the Grand Floridian or the Contemporary.
And, since were talking about resorts, I have to go ahead and put the new Pop Century resort in here as well. Im thrilled that Disney has added another value resort and I loved the theming of this one. Ive always said that I think the All Star Movies resort is the most Disney-themed of any of the resorts and I think theyve continued that feel at the Pop Century with the Lady and the Tramp icons, the giant Mickey phone, Mr. and Ms. Potatohead, etc. Im looking forward to staying here on a future trip (hopefully very soon).
Weather
Aside from the first three rainy days (which are mentioned in the bad section), we couldnt have asked for better weather--nice warm days without even the slightest bit of humidity. I have been in May before when it was definitely wetter, but all in all, I think its a great time to visit.
Food
We didnt try a whole lot of new eating places this trip, but we enjoyed all the ones that we did try. Earl of Sandwich was very good, as was Tonys Town Square in the MK. Of our old stand-bys, Le Cellier is always a favorite (although if you order your steak rare, be sure that you mean it!) as is Ohana and the afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian.
The lunch we had at Alfredos in Epcot was a particularly nice stand-out for the atmosphere, nice waiter, and lovely day, as much as the food.
Miscellaneous
Now heres where I throw in all manner of random thoughts about what we enjoyed.
First up are Fast Passes. Even during times of more moderate attendance, these things are great. As long as you dont mind a minimal amount of back tracking, I think its a good idea to always be holding Fast Passes for an attraction. Then, before doing the current attraction via your Fast Pass, get another set for some other attraction. It saves time, energy, and you know it makes sense.
Secondly, I love the special events they have at Epcot--The Flower & Garden Festival as well as the Food & Wine Festival in the fall. Of course, Im probably a bit partial since Epcot is my favorite park, but I think these events are well worth going to. Even if you dont participate in any of the special demonstrations or events, just admiring the displays is worthwhile.
Finally, I have to give a big nod to the Cast Members. All of the ones that we encountered this trip were very friendly and helpful and, for the most part, knowledgeable. Also, the character CMs we encountered were all great. From Governor Radcliffe kicking me in the rear to Prince John disdainfully making me kiss his ring, to Pinocchio playing chase with the children, they were all playful and delightfully in character. The only thing I missed at all on this trip was being felt up by Tigger.
Not really. Sorry--bad joke. And in extremely poor taste as well (although Im sure you would expect nothing less from me by now). We were amused however by the lack of Tigger in the parks. It looks like theyre keeping a low profile where hes concerned.
THE BAD
Theres not too much to talk about that was bad on this trip. The crowds on Grad Nights are fairly significant and we were surprised at how the other parks beside the MK were affected. The crowds werent unmanageable, but might have been surprising if we hadnt known about them in advance.
We did miss seeing Fantasmic and Illuminations (two of my favorites) this trip because of the weather. Fortunately, we know that we can always see them next trip (and we did see Wishes three times this trip, so that should count for something).
On a similar note, the rain the first few days was a mild annoyance mainly because our rain gear was usually back at our resort instead of with us when we needed it. I really dont mind splashing around in the elements at Disney despite how bad my hair looks--the rain seems to thin out the crowds and, as most of the attractions are indoors anyway, doesnt really affect your enjoyment of the rides. Also, we were flexible about our plans and switched going to a park for shopping while it was raining.
The only other bad thing was Paula bringing the wrong shoes by mistake and getting blisters the first day. It made for a rather miserable rest of the trip for her.
THE UGLY
What can I say, its Disney. The only really ugly part (besides the distinct lack of biscuits at the airport McDonalds) is having to go home.
Although, its hard sometimes when everyone you wish could go to Disney with you cant make the trip for whatever reason. No matter how much fun Paula and I have on our all-girl trips, there is a slight element of guilt for being at Disney by ourselves. For example, Paula celebrated her wedding anniversary with me at Disney this trip instead of with her husband (who is a dear and patient man, by the way, for loaning her to me on such a regular basis).
So, I guess that would be the only other bad thing about our trip. However, its good to know that there will be more trips to Disney in our future and that those trips will be made with the people that we love. And isnt that what makes Disney so special?
Thanks for reading. Until next time,
Robin
Robin/Me - 40; trip planner/recorded; 11th trip to WDW
Paula/Sister to Robin - 30; 5th trip to WDW
SUMMARY
Well, I suppose this wouldnt be a very helpful trip report without a handy summary of all things good and evil about our trip so, without further ado, here it is, the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Goble Girls Spring Fling....Wait a minute, not so fast. I think a word of explanation is in order.
It goes without saying that the good part of any Disney trip is easy to write, its the bad and the ugly parts that are rather difficult--most of them feel like Im grasping at straws. I mean, it *is* Disney after all, so the bad are more like mild disappointments, and the ugly are more homely really than out and out ugly.
THE GOOD
Lodging
This was our first stay at the Boardwalk Inn and we couldnt have been more pleased. Aside from the rather confusing layout of the resort, I thought everything about the Boardwalk was great. The location, in particular, was wonderful, even rivaling my beloved Beach Club for ease of access to Epcot and MGM.
I also really liked the walkway to MGM. This was my first trip to actually use it (thought Ive sent my poor Mom down it on her ECV on more than one occasion). As long as the weather is pleasant and youre not beat down by a long day in the parks, its far superior to talking the Friendships in my opinion.
Did I mention that I loved the bathroom at the Boardwalk Inn? Yes? Well, I did. The chest of drawers in the sink area kept all the usual clutter off the vanity and was very handy. See, its the simple things in life that keep me happy.
The Polynesian of course is always a favorite resort of mine. As I previously mentioned, I love the CMs here and I love watching the fireworks from the beach as well. Plus, being on the monorail line cant be beat for visiting the MK and for going to activities at the Grand Floridian or the Contemporary.
And, since were talking about resorts, I have to go ahead and put the new Pop Century resort in here as well. Im thrilled that Disney has added another value resort and I loved the theming of this one. Ive always said that I think the All Star Movies resort is the most Disney-themed of any of the resorts and I think theyve continued that feel at the Pop Century with the Lady and the Tramp icons, the giant Mickey phone, Mr. and Ms. Potatohead, etc. Im looking forward to staying here on a future trip (hopefully very soon).
Weather
Aside from the first three rainy days (which are mentioned in the bad section), we couldnt have asked for better weather--nice warm days without even the slightest bit of humidity. I have been in May before when it was definitely wetter, but all in all, I think its a great time to visit.
Food
We didnt try a whole lot of new eating places this trip, but we enjoyed all the ones that we did try. Earl of Sandwich was very good, as was Tonys Town Square in the MK. Of our old stand-bys, Le Cellier is always a favorite (although if you order your steak rare, be sure that you mean it!) as is Ohana and the afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian.
The lunch we had at Alfredos in Epcot was a particularly nice stand-out for the atmosphere, nice waiter, and lovely day, as much as the food.
Miscellaneous
Now heres where I throw in all manner of random thoughts about what we enjoyed.
First up are Fast Passes. Even during times of more moderate attendance, these things are great. As long as you dont mind a minimal amount of back tracking, I think its a good idea to always be holding Fast Passes for an attraction. Then, before doing the current attraction via your Fast Pass, get another set for some other attraction. It saves time, energy, and you know it makes sense.
Secondly, I love the special events they have at Epcot--The Flower & Garden Festival as well as the Food & Wine Festival in the fall. Of course, Im probably a bit partial since Epcot is my favorite park, but I think these events are well worth going to. Even if you dont participate in any of the special demonstrations or events, just admiring the displays is worthwhile.
Finally, I have to give a big nod to the Cast Members. All of the ones that we encountered this trip were very friendly and helpful and, for the most part, knowledgeable. Also, the character CMs we encountered were all great. From Governor Radcliffe kicking me in the rear to Prince John disdainfully making me kiss his ring, to Pinocchio playing chase with the children, they were all playful and delightfully in character. The only thing I missed at all on this trip was being felt up by Tigger.
Not really. Sorry--bad joke. And in extremely poor taste as well (although Im sure you would expect nothing less from me by now). We were amused however by the lack of Tigger in the parks. It looks like theyre keeping a low profile where hes concerned.
THE BAD
Theres not too much to talk about that was bad on this trip. The crowds on Grad Nights are fairly significant and we were surprised at how the other parks beside the MK were affected. The crowds werent unmanageable, but might have been surprising if we hadnt known about them in advance.
We did miss seeing Fantasmic and Illuminations (two of my favorites) this trip because of the weather. Fortunately, we know that we can always see them next trip (and we did see Wishes three times this trip, so that should count for something).
On a similar note, the rain the first few days was a mild annoyance mainly because our rain gear was usually back at our resort instead of with us when we needed it. I really dont mind splashing around in the elements at Disney despite how bad my hair looks--the rain seems to thin out the crowds and, as most of the attractions are indoors anyway, doesnt really affect your enjoyment of the rides. Also, we were flexible about our plans and switched going to a park for shopping while it was raining.
The only other bad thing was Paula bringing the wrong shoes by mistake and getting blisters the first day. It made for a rather miserable rest of the trip for her.
THE UGLY
What can I say, its Disney. The only really ugly part (besides the distinct lack of biscuits at the airport McDonalds) is having to go home.
Although, its hard sometimes when everyone you wish could go to Disney with you cant make the trip for whatever reason. No matter how much fun Paula and I have on our all-girl trips, there is a slight element of guilt for being at Disney by ourselves. For example, Paula celebrated her wedding anniversary with me at Disney this trip instead of with her husband (who is a dear and patient man, by the way, for loaning her to me on such a regular basis).
So, I guess that would be the only other bad thing about our trip. However, its good to know that there will be more trips to Disney in our future and that those trips will be made with the people that we love. And isnt that what makes Disney so special?
Thanks for reading. Until next time,
Robin
Thanks so much, I really enjoyed your reports!
I'm not ready for my...... errr, I mean your trip to end yet. I was having so much fun. Add me to your list of "volunteers" to accompany you and sis on your next adventure.
I was LOLing all the way through. Sounds like an awesome trip!
Yep...great reports.
