RLGNC
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2009
- Messages
- 540
We got home last week from our trip. Here are a few random thoughts:
1. Definitely not as hot as we expected. It was overcast and I think that helped. We are back home in NC now with 100 degree temps, and I can't imagine what it would have been like if if was this hot in FL last week. So, we were definitely grateful for that. Also, just a few spontaneous rain showers, and nothing that interfered with our plans.
2. FP+ worked OK for us - definitely appreciated having 3 lined up in advance. Although we didn't quite make it at RD as I had planned, we arrived to the parks right around opening time and were able to do many rides with a short wait before our FPs kicked in. We did not have much luck with a fourth FP most days, other than one for Peter Pan around 5:30 one evening, and one for Illuminations. We actually were glad to have the Illuminations FP, because we did not have to stake out a spot, and the viewing area was pretty prime. Really enjoyed the show. Speaking of FPs, we were also glad to have them for Nemo and FotLK at AK, even though some people advise against them. With FPs for these shows, you can just arrive 10 minutes before the show starts and walk right in to your seat, while without it, you have to wait in line and wait for the doors to open (I hate waiting
).
3. Random thought about Haunted Mansion - I really wish they would do something about the transition from the stretching room to the queue. It's a huge mess and literally a funnel of people trying to squeeze into the roped area leading to the ride. Maybe they could start the roped off part right out of the stretching room? We got squashed and banged around and nearly separated from one another, and almost always ended up at the end of the line because we were not willing to fight through the crowd (still love the ride, though
)
4. AK at night - I know there are mixed opinions about the safari at night, but we loved the nighttime safari. We had a 7:45 FP, and went to the queue right about sunset. I guess others had the same idea, because the FP line was way longer than standby at that time (we actually considered moving over to standby, but didn't), but it was worth it. I thought the sunset was really nice and understated (I don't think I would have known it was fake if I hadn't been informed in advance). Our driver was really energetic and excited that we were seeing so many animals. We also did the safari in the morning, and enjoyed both times.
5. Pin trading is alive and well. Most cast members had pins on lanyard or hanging from their belts and of course were happy to show them to us. We saw a lot of the same pins over and over, but also got a few really cool ones. We saw quite a few park-goers with pin lanyards as well.
6. DHS didn't do much for us, but we aren't big Star Wars fans, although meeting the Jawas and Chewbacca was really cool. (Note - the Jawas can be picky about what they trade, and rejected several "shiny" things that we offered them.) I did enjoy GMR which I had never seen before, and TSMM was awesome as usual, but we only ended up spending a few hours there.
7. It was pretty crowded overall, but we were able to manage things pretty well with having things planned out. Monorails were easily accessible and ran smoothly, as did the trams, and although bag and security checks were sometimes crowded, they seemed to run pretty efficiently.
We stayed at POR and ate at Via Napoli, San Angel Inn, Chef Mickey's, and Kona Cafe, so if anyone has any questions about those places in particular, I'd be happy to answer.
Thanks for reading!
Becky
1. Definitely not as hot as we expected. It was overcast and I think that helped. We are back home in NC now with 100 degree temps, and I can't imagine what it would have been like if if was this hot in FL last week. So, we were definitely grateful for that. Also, just a few spontaneous rain showers, and nothing that interfered with our plans.
2. FP+ worked OK for us - definitely appreciated having 3 lined up in advance. Although we didn't quite make it at RD as I had planned, we arrived to the parks right around opening time and were able to do many rides with a short wait before our FPs kicked in. We did not have much luck with a fourth FP most days, other than one for Peter Pan around 5:30 one evening, and one for Illuminations. We actually were glad to have the Illuminations FP, because we did not have to stake out a spot, and the viewing area was pretty prime. Really enjoyed the show. Speaking of FPs, we were also glad to have them for Nemo and FotLK at AK, even though some people advise against them. With FPs for these shows, you can just arrive 10 minutes before the show starts and walk right in to your seat, while without it, you have to wait in line and wait for the doors to open (I hate waiting
).3. Random thought about Haunted Mansion - I really wish they would do something about the transition from the stretching room to the queue. It's a huge mess and literally a funnel of people trying to squeeze into the roped area leading to the ride. Maybe they could start the roped off part right out of the stretching room? We got squashed and banged around and nearly separated from one another, and almost always ended up at the end of the line because we were not willing to fight through the crowd (still love the ride, though
)4. AK at night - I know there are mixed opinions about the safari at night, but we loved the nighttime safari. We had a 7:45 FP, and went to the queue right about sunset. I guess others had the same idea, because the FP line was way longer than standby at that time (we actually considered moving over to standby, but didn't), but it was worth it. I thought the sunset was really nice and understated (I don't think I would have known it was fake if I hadn't been informed in advance). Our driver was really energetic and excited that we were seeing so many animals. We also did the safari in the morning, and enjoyed both times.
5. Pin trading is alive and well. Most cast members had pins on lanyard or hanging from their belts and of course were happy to show them to us. We saw a lot of the same pins over and over, but also got a few really cool ones. We saw quite a few park-goers with pin lanyards as well.
6. DHS didn't do much for us, but we aren't big Star Wars fans, although meeting the Jawas and Chewbacca was really cool. (Note - the Jawas can be picky about what they trade, and rejected several "shiny" things that we offered them.) I did enjoy GMR which I had never seen before, and TSMM was awesome as usual, but we only ended up spending a few hours there.
7. It was pretty crowded overall, but we were able to manage things pretty well with having things planned out. Monorails were easily accessible and ran smoothly, as did the trams, and although bag and security checks were sometimes crowded, they seemed to run pretty efficiently.
We stayed at POR and ate at Via Napoli, San Angel Inn, Chef Mickey's, and Kona Cafe, so if anyone has any questions about those places in particular, I'd be happy to answer.
Thanks for reading!
Becky
Yes, we had ADRs for the 4 restaurants I mentioned, and I do think they were necessary for all except maybe Via Napoli. For dinner at both Kona Cafe and San Angel Inn, I heard the hostess turning away guests without reservations and, well, Chef Mickey's is always busy (we went for brunch). We were able to push back our Via Napoli lunch reservation on the day of, so this may have been the exception for needing the ADR. We did have short waits to be seated at all 4 restaurants. Food portion size and quality were very good at Kona Cafe. Food was just OK at San Angel Inn, and I thought portion size for some of the entrees was somewhat small. Same with Via Napoli. Chef Mickey's is a buffet, so portion size was great 
and quality was as to be expected for that type of meal (some really good dishes, some so-so). The main draw there is the atmosphere and characters, of course.
