VWL Groupies...yes, we love the Lodge, a lot!!

[MiaSRN62]

I'm at a loss: what's TT?

Test Track

 

[MiaSRN62]

Happy birthday Disney Lovin Iowan!!!

 

[blossomz]

Happy Belated Birthday DLI!! Sorry I'm late to the party!!

 

[Granny]

While I couldn't secure a BOG reservation for dinner, I was able to get a fastpass+ for lunch.

I guess I'm WAY behind on WDW. You can get fast passes for food places now? We too have been shut out of BOG for the past couple of trips as well as our May one but would like to try it at some point.

 

[bluecastle]

Any updates on the villas rehab?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Agreed. The refurb of TT was a big failure in my book. It's as though they slapped some day-glo paint on the walls, threw in useless computer technology, then said, "Wow, we have a new ride!" Not a fan.

Exactly. I also miss getting blasted by the heat, frozen by the cold and corroded by the acid spray. Wish they had put the $$$'s towards an additional new ride for Epcot.

I've been putting our very spontaneous trip together and things are coming along quite nicely considering this is being planned less than a week out. While I couldn't secure a BOG reservation for dinner, I was able to get a fastpass+ for lunch. I don't think Mom will mind at all not having the opportunity to meet Beast

How fun Di! Love planning a last minute trip - enjoy!!!!

I guess I'm WAY behind on WDW. You can get fast passes for food places now? We too have been shut out of BOG for the past couple of trips as well as our May one but would like to try it at some point.

Seems like there are FP's for everything these days. Here's the link if you want to try for May. I don't recall how far in advance you can use it - not more than 60 days and could be less. It's for lunch reservations to skip the line and you can also pre-select the lunch you want or else just order when you get there.

https://beourguestlunch.disney.go.com/

Just had to share a little something I saw on Facebook yesterday. Still making me laugh!



I'm glad they don't do this at the Disney fencing!

 

[ottawagreg]

We were "fortunate" to get dinner reservations at 8:30 p.m., which is almost my bed time. We booked that at 6 months prior to our trip. I think it is still new to many folks and in high demand. I wonder about the food. What is the specialty there? I hope it is high quality food. We are thinking of using FP to get a good seat for wishes after supper. Then straight back to VWL and bed.

 

[rusafee1183]

Agreed. The refurb of TT was a big failure in my book. It's as though they slapped some day-glo paint on the walls, threw in useless computer technology, then said, "Wow, we have a new ride!" Not a fan.

Exactly. I also miss getting blasted by the heat, frozen by the cold and corroded by the acid spray. Wish they had put the $$$'s towards an additional new ride for Epcot.

I'm with you guys. I am not loving the TT "upgrade"... and I never even thought about them taking the money and putting it towards something new. I think that definitely would have been a better use for it. We love Epcot for the nostalgia, but it is lacking a lot and could use something IMO.

We were "fortunate" to get dinner reservations at 8:30 p.m., which is almost my bed time. We booked that at 6 months prior to our trip. I think it is still new to many folks and in high demand. I wonder about the food. What is the specialty there? I hope it is high quality food. We are thinking of using FP to get a good seat for wishes after supper. Then straight back to VWL and bed.

We ate at BoG for lunch and the food was good, but not fabulous. The atmosphere was cool... but I am good with not going back again. At least not for a while. You'll have to let us know how dinner is. It's all plated and a sit down meal, so I'm sure it will be better than the CS lunch.

And we're in the same boat with a late ADR predicament. We got Ohana on our last night, but it wasn't until 8:30pm. It's my favorite restaurant in WDW (actually... pretty much anywhere) but that is just really late for that big of a meal. Plus, we are staying at the Boardwalk and it just seems like it's going to be really annoying to try to get back there that late at night. I think I will cancel for our April trip, and hope for a better time for our Dec trip when we are at VWL. At least it doesn't seem like it will be as hard and long to get back to that resort

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We were "fortunate" to get dinner reservations at 8:30 p.m., which is almost my bed time. We booked that at 6 months prior to our trip. I think it is still new to many folks and in high demand. I wonder about the food. What is the specialty there? I hope it is high quality food. We are thinking of using FP to get a good seat for wishes after supper. Then straight back to VWL and bed.

The atmosphere is probably a bigger piece of it than the food. We ate there last Feb and enjoyed the meal but it wasn't incredible. For the volume of food they serve though I think it was decent quality. I had the pork chop which was good. I think DH had the steak but wasn't overly impressed and my niece had one of the seafood dishes which she said was fine.

Their signature "dish" is the grey stuff which is not on the menu but may be brought to your table. That absolutely was just ok.

Overall it reminded me of how dinners at Cinderellas castle were before it was taken over for character dining.

We were seated in the West Wing which I recommend as long as you don't have any little ones that would get scared by the darker atmosphere however the Beast does only pop in briefly to the doorway so I think you'd see him a bit longer if you ate out in the main area. He does have his time in the library though so you can get a picture with him.

 

[DiznyDi]

Mom and I head out tomorrow for SSR. Would have been nice if a studio had been available at the Villas.... Had all of our nights been available, I would have sprung for the 1 bedroom. DDad heads for business overseas. We'll exchange pictures - mine from Epcot, his from France His projected weather is mid 40's and rain all week. Ours in mostly low 80's While I would have loved being in Paris, I'll enjoy Florida a whole lot more.

Thanks Maria for the TT explanation. This is something I think we have only done once or twice. This just is not a big draw for us.

BOG - we have done both lunch and dinner. Both were enjoyable. It really is the atmosphere that draws you in.

Have a good week. I'll try to check in every now and again.

 

[jimmytammy]

Happy Birthday WildernessDad!!!!

 

[twokats]

Mom and I head out tomorrow for SSR. Would have been nice if a studio had been available at the Villas.... Had all of our nights been available, I would have sprung for the 1 bedroom. DDad heads for business overseas. We'll exchange pictures - mine from Epcot, his from France His projected weather is mid 40's and rain all week. Ours in mostly low 80's While I would have loved being in Paris, I'll enjoy Florida a whole lot more.

Thanks Maria for the TT explanation. This is something I think we have only done once or twice. This just is not a big draw for us.

BOG - we have done both lunch and dinner. Both were enjoyable. It really is the atmosphere that draws you in.

Have a good week. I'll try to check in every now and again.

I hope you both have a great time and the weather cooperates. Has to be better than what has been going on for y'all.
We had a little more ice in the area last night. Nothing like it was in Dec when Kati and I were in Florida, but it will be bitterly cold most of the week plus a chance of more winter mix in a few days. Joy, Joy, too bad I can't go back to Florida yet!!!!!



Happy Birthday WildernessDad!

I hope it is the best!

 

[Muushka]

Happy Birthday WD and a belated one for 2Kats and DLI!!

 

[blossomz]

Happy Birthday WildernessDad!

 

[eliza61]

Aaah, I'm late, I'm late.

Happy Birthdays Wilderness dad, 2Kats, and DLI

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Happy Birthday WildernessDad!

 

[jimmytammy]

12 days til we roll outta NC and hit the warm air of FL

Cant wait, got lots of different things on the agenda(and we keep adding days, just added another night to the 1st part of trip, so its now 4 nights at AS Sports before BLT)including 2 Braves games, Daytona Speedway qualifying race(never seen a race there), MK Dessert Party and trying several new places to eat including GF Cafe, Maya Grill(heard all the neg. reviews through the yrs but friends went recently, said it was very good)and Capts Grill.

Going to Tonys(havent been there in long time), breakfast at WCC, Trails End and Kona, lunches and dinners at Boma, Rose N Crown, Ohana, San Angel, Chefs De France, Mama Melrose and Biergarten, Sadly, we will miss our old standby 50s PTC but got a feeling we will sneak in PT Lounge for a PB&J Shake

All FPs are accounted for, got MBs, all we need now is for Feb 15 to roll around

 

[sleepydog25]

Happy Birthday WildernessDad!

Ditto!! Enjoy your day!

 

[Granny]

12 days til we roll outta NC and hit the warm air of FL

Cant wait, got lots of different things on the agenda(and we keep adding days, just added another night to the 1st part of trip, so its now 4 nights at AS Sports before BLT)including 2 Braves games, Daytona Speedway qualifying race(never seen a race there), MK Dessert Party and trying several new places to eat including GF Cafe, Maya Grill(heard all the neg. reviews through the yrs but friends went recently, said it was very good)and Capts Grill.

Going to Tonys(havent been there in long time), breakfast at WCC, Trails End and Kona, lunches and dinners at Boma, Rose N Crown, Ohana, San Angel, Chefs De France, Mama Melrose and Biergarten, Sadly, we will miss our old standby 50s PTC but got a feeling we will sneak in PT Lounge for a PB&J Shake

All FPs are accounted for, got MBs, all we need now is for Feb 15 to roll around

Jimmy...thanks for sharing your planning. I have to admit, out of your entire restaurant list the only places we have ever eaten are Tony's , San Angel , Mama Melrose and WCC . Sounds like a great trip...and looking forward to your eating reviews when you get back. We tend to eat at the same places (and order the same thing!) on many of our trips. Just part of being comfortable at WDW I guess.

And thanks to those people who have chimed in on BOG dining. I think it is all about the atmosphere there, and the food is just a smaller part of it. I guess they did such a good job hyping it that they are just jam packed.

Seems like they would figure out that there is a place at WDW in all the parks for heavily Disney themed dining. Hopefully they will create some more places like that to spread out some of the demand.

 

[ottawagreg]

And we're in the same boat with a late ADR predicament. We got Ohana on our last night, but it wasn't until 8:30pm. It's my favorite restaurant in WDW (actually... pretty much anywhere) but that is just really late for that big of a meal. Plus, we are staying at the Boardwalk and it just seems like it's going to be really annoying to try to get back there that late at night. I think I will cancel for our April trip, and hope for a better time for our Dec trip when we are at VWL. At least it doesn't seem like it will be as hard and long to get back to that resort

Well getting from Boardwalk to the Poly is not easy. Most convenient way is a cab. $20 (??). Or Bus it to Epcot or the Studios and bus it to Boardwalk. I tried that from VWL to Kouzzina. It started raining in transit and they stop running buses from Epcot. We finally flagged a bus but we had to go thru the dolphin and swan to get there. Not fun. It would have been worth the twenty.

Your better play is to wait until you are staying at VWL. Ride the boat to Contemporary and the then get on monorail. After dinner ride the monorail to the castle. and then ride the boat back to VWL. Much easier than two bus transfers.