ninamouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2013
Hi my fellow DISer's!
I have been back a few days now and have finally managed to log on to give you a summary of our WDW trip. There was myself. my DF, DS7 and DS4. We did so much and I could write pages but I will just pull out some highlights and hopefully in the process answer some of the common questions and queries that come up on the DIS
OUTBOUND FLIGHT
We flew with Virgin and the flight out was excellent. I am so pleased we flew direct and the service was excellent. They didn't seem to stop feeding us. The entertainment on board was very good and I was impressed with the size and comfort of the seats in economy.
MAGICAL EXPRESS AND OUR RESORT
Our transfer to the hotel via Mickey's Magical Express was quick and easy and we were the first stop - Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. Now...I have to say this.....the CBR gets a lot of stick on these boards but in my opinion it was an excellent resort!
I was very nervous about staying here after seeing some of the DIS posts but it definitely exceeded my expectations. We had a Pirate Room in Trinidad South. The room was lovely and spacious with plenty of storage space. It did not have a fridge as they had been recalled. Luckily, I knew from another post on the DIS that we could claim credit for not having a fridge (which was annoying at times as we could not store any milk or keep drinks/snacks cold) so when I checked out, I asked if the credit was available and they gave me $210.00 credit. They will not necessarily tell you about this credit so you do need to ask for it.
The walk from Trinidad South to Old Port Royale was no problem at all - five minutes tops - and I don't think any of the rooms would be more than a 5-7 minute walk away.
The resort as a whole is beautiful and tranquil and I found it the perfect setting to contrast the busy parks - it was quiet and even the swimming pools didn't feel overcrowded.
The swimming pools were fab and my boys loved the pirate pool area.
The food court was adequate - nothing special - but we only had breakfast there a couple of days and did not have a problem with it at all.
A LITTLE BIT OF PIXIE DUST TO START....
The staff at CBR were excellent and couldn't do enough for us. We had some pixie dust sprinkled over us at the start of our trip....
I had ordered a package from Disney Florist for each of my sons to be in our room on the day we arrived. It had autograph books, pens, starter pin trading set and a cuddly mickey and minnie in it among other things. I had arranged for them to be delivered on our arrival day so we had the autograph books and pin trading sets ready for our first day at Magic Kingdom. But the package didn't arrive and there was no answer at Disney Florist.
I went to concierge and a fantastic CM called Taylor was extremely helpful and was making all sorts of calls but unfortunately she could not track down our packages. I explained I was disappointed as they were not cheap and that I expected to get the service I had paid for. I told her I knew it was not her fault but it had left me not knowing what to do. Taylor then arranged autograph books, pin trader sets and a big cuddly Mickey for each of my boys. I was so grateful and so were the boys at this point as they were so tired from travelling and I was having to spend time sorting this problem out. The packages did finally arrive a day later and Disney Florist hadn't embroided the bags and hats which I had also paid for. I called them and they gave us a decent refund for all the inconvenience and mistakes made. I was impressed with their willingness to rectify the problems as best they could.
DISNEY BUSES
So moving on and the big issue of Disney Transportation. I found the buses to be good. There is no set times or orders that the buses come in but they ARE regular. It is hit and miss how long you will be waiting for a park bus but we never waited for more than 15 minutes for one. The big tip is just to allow yourself plenty of time to get to the parks. In the rooms, there is a leaflet that tells you how long it takes to get to the parks, so allow that time and add 20 minutes for bus waiting time. There is also no real order on bus pick ups and drop offs. We were never fussed about whether we were the first or last stop - the drop offs are quick and easy so it doesn't take long once back on the resort.
My biggest 'niggle' about the buses was on the way home from parks in the evenings when they are at their busiest. We would always sit our children on our laps to ensure there was plenty of room on the bus for others to get on and sit down. I found it frustrating to see elderly people or very young children standing when other parents could have put their children on their lap to make room. Not a major issue but for me it's courteous and common sense. However, there were some considerate adults who gave up their seats to those that clearly needed them more.
So some highlights and lowlights at each of the parks were as follows:
MAGIC KINGDOM:
Breakfast at Cinderella's Table on our first morning was so magical! I know I have two boys but they loved being made 'Princes' and were completely fussed over by the Princesses. Snow White gave my DS7 a big kiss on the head a left a great big lipstick mark which he thought was brilliant as he has a bit of 'a thing' for Snow White. The food was really good - I had steak and eggs and it was absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend this as a great way to start your trip.
We also had breakfast at Crystal Palace on another park day and that was really good too.
I think it the charachter breakfasts are great value for money - not only because you get some great food, but you also get to meet so many characters and the interaction is brilliant - but if you book and early ADR, there was nothing better than strolling down Main Street without the crowds and taking lots of great quality pictures and taking in the atmosphere. So worth it!
MICKEY'S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY was good fun - especially the fireworks and parade but I do think the high crowds in the park took away from the atmosphere. We had gone trick or treating around Seaworld a few days before - and it pains me to say it but the trick or treat trail at Seaworld was far better in my opinion.
ANIMAL KINGDOM:
The Tusker House breakfast is excellent and again a great reason to get in the park early and get on the safari. We had a 8.10am ADR on an EMH day and we still got to do the safari twice in a row with no wait. The boys loved it. Mine and DF highlight was the Gorillas. We spent ages watching them.
As much as the Tusker House breakfast was great - we went back for the buffet dinner later in the trip and I would not recommend it. Breakfast - yes. Dinner - no. The food wasn't warm enough and you had to eat it so quick before it got cold. Everything was spicy and it didn't cater well for young children. My DF had an upset tummy the next day.
The Nemo Show and Festival of the Lion King shouldn't be missed!
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:
We did the Fantastmic Dinner Package twice on this trip. The first was Holloywood and Vine and we were pretty disappointed. Again - the food wasn;t warm enough and it felt too much like a school cafeteria. But the second time we went to Mama Melroses - it was absolutely fantasmic! Gorgeous food, great service and a lovely atmosphere.
We loved this park as a family though. We went to the animation studio both days we visited the park. The first time my DS4 was given the animators sketch of Eeyore and the second time I was lucky enough to win the one of Mike Wazowski! These will be framed and put up at home.
As ever the Rock n' Roller Coaster was my favorite ride whilst as a family, our favorite was Toy Story Mania! But be warned - if you want to ride this - either do FP+ or get in the park when it opens and go get a FP! This was one of the only times I double dipped with the Magic Bands but the boys loved the ride so much and we wanted to make the most of it!
Fantasmic as ever was just awesome and I cried. It's my favorite show at Disney and it was the first time my DF and DS's had seen it and they also loved it.
EPCOT:
Here I must thank the DISer's - we took the advice and we did World Showcase first and then over to 'the other side'. World Showcase began to get so crowded after 1pm - up until then we strolled around there at a lovely pace taking it all in and by the time we went back over the bridge the queues for things like Test Track and Nemo was very short. Soaring we did FP+ for and both the boys were brave enough to go on. DS7 loved it.
The food and wine festival added a lot of atmosphere which was nice.
We had lunch at Arkeshus and I highy recommend it - the meatballs were lovely!
CROWDS
All in all - we found the crowd levels in the parks very good - apart from our first Saturday in Magic Kingdom. Tip there is not to go on a Saturday!
We had no long wait times in queues - and most of the time we waited less than ten minutes to ride anything. We also used our FP+ wisely...
MAGICBANDS
This probably brings me to Magic Bands and I will keep it short and sweet, We had no problems with them, we found them extremely convenient, used them for the dining plan, getting into our room, into parks, to pay for merchandise and for FP+. I made some changes to FP+ whilst we were there via the DME App on my phone and it worked great.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
CHEF MICKEY'S - In my opinion, the one character breakfast that shouldn't be missed. Great interaction with the fab five, the food is excellent too.
Mickey's Backyard BBQ was great fun - lots of food, beer, wine and toe tapping fun! Worth doing!
1900 Park Fayre - again - a great character breakfast.
My biggest highlights had to be watching my son's faces as they saw or met the characters they have loved for so long. My DS4 is mad on the Lion King and his face was a picture at Animal Kingdom when we did Festival of the Lion King. Timone also came over, hugged him and posed for a picture during the Jammin' Jungle Parade. DS4 was over the moon. My DS7 loved seeing all the Villains and one of his highlights was the people mover at night (thanks to which ever DISer gave me that tip!)
My mum also got married out there and the wedding day was just beautiful.
I could go on and on with all the wonderful memories we have made - and I am becoming conscious of just how long this thread is becoming. I have the Disney blues now and the boys keep asking when we are going back. I have told them when I have saved enough money! Hopefully it won't be too long a wait!
I must say thanks to all the DIser's for their advice and help over the last 18 months - it has been invaluable at times and I hope I can now help others with any questions....so feel free to ask me anything and I will try to help.
Here's to saving for the next trip.... Big Hugs, Nina x
I have been back a few days now and have finally managed to log on to give you a summary of our WDW trip. There was myself. my DF, DS7 and DS4. We did so much and I could write pages but I will just pull out some highlights and hopefully in the process answer some of the common questions and queries that come up on the DIS
OUTBOUND FLIGHT
We flew with Virgin and the flight out was excellent. I am so pleased we flew direct and the service was excellent. They didn't seem to stop feeding us. The entertainment on board was very good and I was impressed with the size and comfort of the seats in economy.
MAGICAL EXPRESS AND OUR RESORT
Our transfer to the hotel via Mickey's Magical Express was quick and easy and we were the first stop - Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. Now...I have to say this.....the CBR gets a lot of stick on these boards but in my opinion it was an excellent resort!
I was very nervous about staying here after seeing some of the DIS posts but it definitely exceeded my expectations. We had a Pirate Room in Trinidad South. The room was lovely and spacious with plenty of storage space. It did not have a fridge as they had been recalled. Luckily, I knew from another post on the DIS that we could claim credit for not having a fridge (which was annoying at times as we could not store any milk or keep drinks/snacks cold) so when I checked out, I asked if the credit was available and they gave me $210.00 credit. They will not necessarily tell you about this credit so you do need to ask for it.
The walk from Trinidad South to Old Port Royale was no problem at all - five minutes tops - and I don't think any of the rooms would be more than a 5-7 minute walk away.
The resort as a whole is beautiful and tranquil and I found it the perfect setting to contrast the busy parks - it was quiet and even the swimming pools didn't feel overcrowded.
The swimming pools were fab and my boys loved the pirate pool area.
The food court was adequate - nothing special - but we only had breakfast there a couple of days and did not have a problem with it at all.
A LITTLE BIT OF PIXIE DUST TO START....
The staff at CBR were excellent and couldn't do enough for us. We had some pixie dust sprinkled over us at the start of our trip....
I had ordered a package from Disney Florist for each of my sons to be in our room on the day we arrived. It had autograph books, pens, starter pin trading set and a cuddly mickey and minnie in it among other things. I had arranged for them to be delivered on our arrival day so we had the autograph books and pin trading sets ready for our first day at Magic Kingdom. But the package didn't arrive and there was no answer at Disney Florist.
I went to concierge and a fantastic CM called Taylor was extremely helpful and was making all sorts of calls but unfortunately she could not track down our packages. I explained I was disappointed as they were not cheap and that I expected to get the service I had paid for. I told her I knew it was not her fault but it had left me not knowing what to do. Taylor then arranged autograph books, pin trader sets and a big cuddly Mickey for each of my boys. I was so grateful and so were the boys at this point as they were so tired from travelling and I was having to spend time sorting this problem out. The packages did finally arrive a day later and Disney Florist hadn't embroided the bags and hats which I had also paid for. I called them and they gave us a decent refund for all the inconvenience and mistakes made. I was impressed with their willingness to rectify the problems as best they could.
DISNEY BUSES
So moving on and the big issue of Disney Transportation. I found the buses to be good. There is no set times or orders that the buses come in but they ARE regular. It is hit and miss how long you will be waiting for a park bus but we never waited for more than 15 minutes for one. The big tip is just to allow yourself plenty of time to get to the parks. In the rooms, there is a leaflet that tells you how long it takes to get to the parks, so allow that time and add 20 minutes for bus waiting time. There is also no real order on bus pick ups and drop offs. We were never fussed about whether we were the first or last stop - the drop offs are quick and easy so it doesn't take long once back on the resort.
My biggest 'niggle' about the buses was on the way home from parks in the evenings when they are at their busiest. We would always sit our children on our laps to ensure there was plenty of room on the bus for others to get on and sit down. I found it frustrating to see elderly people or very young children standing when other parents could have put their children on their lap to make room. Not a major issue but for me it's courteous and common sense. However, there were some considerate adults who gave up their seats to those that clearly needed them more.
So some highlights and lowlights at each of the parks were as follows:
MAGIC KINGDOM:
Breakfast at Cinderella's Table on our first morning was so magical! I know I have two boys but they loved being made 'Princes' and were completely fussed over by the Princesses. Snow White gave my DS7 a big kiss on the head a left a great big lipstick mark which he thought was brilliant as he has a bit of 'a thing' for Snow White. The food was really good - I had steak and eggs and it was absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend this as a great way to start your trip.
We also had breakfast at Crystal Palace on another park day and that was really good too.
I think it the charachter breakfasts are great value for money - not only because you get some great food, but you also get to meet so many characters and the interaction is brilliant - but if you book and early ADR, there was nothing better than strolling down Main Street without the crowds and taking lots of great quality pictures and taking in the atmosphere. So worth it!
MICKEY'S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY was good fun - especially the fireworks and parade but I do think the high crowds in the park took away from the atmosphere. We had gone trick or treating around Seaworld a few days before - and it pains me to say it but the trick or treat trail at Seaworld was far better in my opinion.
ANIMAL KINGDOM:
The Tusker House breakfast is excellent and again a great reason to get in the park early and get on the safari. We had a 8.10am ADR on an EMH day and we still got to do the safari twice in a row with no wait. The boys loved it. Mine and DF highlight was the Gorillas. We spent ages watching them.
As much as the Tusker House breakfast was great - we went back for the buffet dinner later in the trip and I would not recommend it. Breakfast - yes. Dinner - no. The food wasn't warm enough and you had to eat it so quick before it got cold. Everything was spicy and it didn't cater well for young children. My DF had an upset tummy the next day.
The Nemo Show and Festival of the Lion King shouldn't be missed!
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:
We did the Fantastmic Dinner Package twice on this trip. The first was Holloywood and Vine and we were pretty disappointed. Again - the food wasn;t warm enough and it felt too much like a school cafeteria. But the second time we went to Mama Melroses - it was absolutely fantasmic! Gorgeous food, great service and a lovely atmosphere.
We loved this park as a family though. We went to the animation studio both days we visited the park. The first time my DS4 was given the animators sketch of Eeyore and the second time I was lucky enough to win the one of Mike Wazowski! These will be framed and put up at home.
As ever the Rock n' Roller Coaster was my favorite ride whilst as a family, our favorite was Toy Story Mania! But be warned - if you want to ride this - either do FP+ or get in the park when it opens and go get a FP! This was one of the only times I double dipped with the Magic Bands but the boys loved the ride so much and we wanted to make the most of it!
Fantasmic as ever was just awesome and I cried. It's my favorite show at Disney and it was the first time my DF and DS's had seen it and they also loved it.
EPCOT:
Here I must thank the DISer's - we took the advice and we did World Showcase first and then over to 'the other side'. World Showcase began to get so crowded after 1pm - up until then we strolled around there at a lovely pace taking it all in and by the time we went back over the bridge the queues for things like Test Track and Nemo was very short. Soaring we did FP+ for and both the boys were brave enough to go on. DS7 loved it.
The food and wine festival added a lot of atmosphere which was nice.
We had lunch at Arkeshus and I highy recommend it - the meatballs were lovely!
CROWDS
All in all - we found the crowd levels in the parks very good - apart from our first Saturday in Magic Kingdom. Tip there is not to go on a Saturday!
We had no long wait times in queues - and most of the time we waited less than ten minutes to ride anything. We also used our FP+ wisely...
MAGICBANDS
This probably brings me to Magic Bands and I will keep it short and sweet, We had no problems with them, we found them extremely convenient, used them for the dining plan, getting into our room, into parks, to pay for merchandise and for FP+. I made some changes to FP+ whilst we were there via the DME App on my phone and it worked great.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
CHEF MICKEY'S - In my opinion, the one character breakfast that shouldn't be missed. Great interaction with the fab five, the food is excellent too.
Mickey's Backyard BBQ was great fun - lots of food, beer, wine and toe tapping fun! Worth doing!
1900 Park Fayre - again - a great character breakfast.
My biggest highlights had to be watching my son's faces as they saw or met the characters they have loved for so long. My DS4 is mad on the Lion King and his face was a picture at Animal Kingdom when we did Festival of the Lion King. Timone also came over, hugged him and posed for a picture during the Jammin' Jungle Parade. DS4 was over the moon. My DS7 loved seeing all the Villains and one of his highlights was the people mover at night (thanks to which ever DISer gave me that tip!)
My mum also got married out there and the wedding day was just beautiful.
I could go on and on with all the wonderful memories we have made - and I am becoming conscious of just how long this thread is becoming. I have the Disney blues now and the boys keep asking when we are going back. I have told them when I have saved enough money! Hopefully it won't be too long a wait!
I must say thanks to all the DIser's for their advice and help over the last 18 months - it has been invaluable at times and I hope I can now help others with any questions....so feel free to ask me anything and I will try to help.
Here's to saving for the next trip.... Big Hugs, Nina x
