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Disney World Trip Review
Posted on 4/29/19 at 10:39 am
Posted on 4/29/19 at 10:39 am
Got back yesterday from a Monday to Sunday Disney World Trip
Went with wife and two kids - 2 and 4 months plus additional family members
Hotel - Stayed at Coronado Springs. The rooms have all been recently renovated which made them pretty nice. There is still ongoing construction with them adding an additional 500 room hotel tower but the construction did not bother us at all.
The food market in the hotel was surprisingly pretty good and diverse.
The only complaint we had is that it was world cheerleading championships week and the hotel was slammed with those people. I also think it is pretty ridiculous to charge for daily parking at the hotel.
Transportation - We used the bus service exclusively as our transportation. The good thing was that our hotel did not share service with any other hotel but there were 4 stops at the resort because of the size of Coronado springs. We had two strollers to get on and off and never really had problems catching busses. It did get very crowded at times but all in all I liked the bus transportation.
Park Experience - We went to all four parks and magic kingdom an additional time. I have not been to Disney in 11 years. Was surprised with the amount of stuff we were still able to do with kids as young as mine (mainly Magic Kingdom). Disney is constantly building and improving and adding more and more especially with the Tron coaster under construction and Star Wars opening soon but I couldn't help but notice how old some of the stuff felt like in Epcot. Some areas of the park are starting to show serious age. I also think a lot of the pre ride videos need to be updated in a lot of the rides in the parks. Dinosaur still had that video from the 90's. I was really impressed with Pandora and the Flight of Passage ride. What an amazing experience that ride is. Enjoyed a lot of the shows too. The Monsters Inc Laugh show was really funny.
Fast Pass+ - Fast pass+ is such an awesome tool. The app in general for Disney World is truly awesome itself. Using the app and having booked our fast passes 60 days out, we were able to do everything that we possibly wanted to. It was so crowded at the parks but we never waited in lines longer than 40 minutes if we didn't have a fast pass because we planned well and followed all the information on the app with wait times and schedule of shows.
General Comments - Disney has completely eliminated any advantage to staying off grounds with the fast pass system. Staying on grounds lets you book fast passes at 60 days out versus 30 if you don't stay at Disney. I think you would have a hard time getting fast passes for anything if you weren't able to book at the 60 day window which would put you in substantial lines to do anything worthwhile.
I also couldn't believe how much the Disney Springs area has built up. Place was slammed packed Saturday night. We ate at the boathouse and it was an awesome restaurant.
Overall, loved the trip. Definitely tough with two kids 2 and under but I am prepared for when they are a little older. My older boy lovvvvved meeting Mickey and I enjoyed that moment.
Went with wife and two kids - 2 and 4 months plus additional family members
Hotel - Stayed at Coronado Springs. The rooms have all been recently renovated which made them pretty nice. There is still ongoing construction with them adding an additional 500 room hotel tower but the construction did not bother us at all.
The food market in the hotel was surprisingly pretty good and diverse.
The only complaint we had is that it was world cheerleading championships week and the hotel was slammed with those people. I also think it is pretty ridiculous to charge for daily parking at the hotel.
Transportation - We used the bus service exclusively as our transportation. The good thing was that our hotel did not share service with any other hotel but there were 4 stops at the resort because of the size of Coronado springs. We had two strollers to get on and off and never really had problems catching busses. It did get very crowded at times but all in all I liked the bus transportation.
Park Experience - We went to all four parks and magic kingdom an additional time. I have not been to Disney in 11 years. Was surprised with the amount of stuff we were still able to do with kids as young as mine (mainly Magic Kingdom). Disney is constantly building and improving and adding more and more especially with the Tron coaster under construction and Star Wars opening soon but I couldn't help but notice how old some of the stuff felt like in Epcot. Some areas of the park are starting to show serious age. I also think a lot of the pre ride videos need to be updated in a lot of the rides in the parks. Dinosaur still had that video from the 90's. I was really impressed with Pandora and the Flight of Passage ride. What an amazing experience that ride is. Enjoyed a lot of the shows too. The Monsters Inc Laugh show was really funny.
Fast Pass+ - Fast pass+ is such an awesome tool. The app in general for Disney World is truly awesome itself. Using the app and having booked our fast passes 60 days out, we were able to do everything that we possibly wanted to. It was so crowded at the parks but we never waited in lines longer than 40 minutes if we didn't have a fast pass because we planned well and followed all the information on the app with wait times and schedule of shows.
General Comments - Disney has completely eliminated any advantage to staying off grounds with the fast pass system. Staying on grounds lets you book fast passes at 60 days out versus 30 if you don't stay at Disney. I think you would have a hard time getting fast passes for anything if you weren't able to book at the 60 day window which would put you in substantial lines to do anything worthwhile.
I also couldn't believe how much the Disney Springs area has built up. Place was slammed packed Saturday night. We ate at the boathouse and it was an awesome restaurant.
Overall, loved the trip. Definitely tough with two kids 2 and under but I am prepared for when they are a little older. My older boy lovvvvved meeting Mickey and I enjoyed that moment.
12
Posted on 4/29/19 at 10:40 am to BeeFense5
For Mardi Gras and Spring Break you can book it , there will be a cheerleader competition going on for sure.
Posted on 4/29/19 at 11:52 am to BeeFense5
quote:
I think you would have a hard time getting fast passes for anything if you weren't able to book at the 60 day window
We’re staying off site and we booked everything we wanted around 21 days out. Have the maximum 3 passes per park. All in the morning with the exception of Epcot but that was intentional based on a lunch plan.
Posted on 4/29/19 at 12:26 pm to BeeFense5
Glad you had a great time. Yes, fastpasses can be a challenge for the big ticket rides like Flight Of Passage and Slinky Dog Dash under 60 days but they can be had. We always stay onsite for the convenience.
Posted on 4/29/19 at 2:20 pm to BeeFense5
quote:
but I couldn't help but notice how old some of the stuff felt like in Epcot. Some areas of the park are starting to show serious age.
Good observation.
After Animal Kingdom opened, Disney went through a period - a decade or so - where none of the parks really got any major facelifts/improvements. Eventually Magic Kingdom got New Fantasyland and Mine Train, Animal Kingdom got Pandora, and the Studios got Toy Story Land and is getting Star Wars Galaxy Edge (and Studios had some small changes as well).
But Epcot wasn't touched for a long, long, LONG time (unless you count the Nemo / Frozen overlays). There are starting to fix that with some new rides and some plans to reboot the entire rest of the front of the park, but it will take time.
quote:
Disney has completely eliminated any advantage to staying off grounds with the fast pass system. Staying on grounds lets you book fast passes at 60 days out versus 30 if you don't stay at Disney. I think you would have a hard time getting fast passes for anything if you weren't able to book at the 60 day window which would put you in substantial lines to do anything worthwhile.
Very dependent on when you travel. The busier the parks, the more this is true. My wife took a school group there the week before Easter, and on that Monday, she had three morning fastpasses pre-booked, and after those were used, she ended up getting EIGHT additional fastpasses for that day via the app. That's pretty rare though.
quote:
I also couldn't believe how much the Disney Springs area has built up. Place was slammed packed Saturday night. We ate at the boathouse and it was an awesome restaurant.
It has blown up for sure... it's almost too big for me now.
Posted on 4/29/19 at 2:21 pm to nicholastiger
Been to cheer competitions there for the last couple of years. The organization that puts it on works a deal out with Disney to load up the value resorts with cheer teams. We stay at Port Orleans Riverside, and largely avoid the crowds. We aren't the only ones that do it, so you cannot avoid the cheerleaders entirely, but it is vastly less crowded than an all star resort, that houses all of the teams.
Posted on 4/29/19 at 5:11 pm to BeeFense5
Posted on 4/29/19 at 5:40 pm to BeeFense5
I have a word of warning. Do NOT stay in a Deluxe unless you want that to become the baseline for your future trips! Years ago, we made that “mistake” and can’t stay in the values anymore. Even though Pop will always have a special place in my heart.
Posted on 4/29/19 at 8:12 pm to convertedtiger
Coronado is a moderate. I thought it was decent for the price. The deluxe looks to be a little too expensive for me but I’d love to try it once.
I have no idea why my OP got downvoted.
I also am glad to hear that the fast pass booking isn’t as bad during “off” times. When we booked 60 days out on this trip it was a free for all but we were able to get every major ride at each park. Other than Epcot. That tier system kind of sucks.
I have no idea why my OP got downvoted.
I also am glad to hear that the fast pass booking isn’t as bad during “off” times. When we booked 60 days out on this trip it was a free for all but we were able to get every major ride at each park. Other than Epcot. That tier system kind of sucks.
Posted on 4/29/19 at 8:15 pm to convertedtiger
Tru. Once you go Deluxe you can’t go back.
Posted on 4/29/19 at 10:25 pm to BeeFense5
quote:
Staying on grounds lets you book fast passes at 60 days out versus 30 if you don't stay at Disney. I think you would have a hard time getting fast passes for anything if you weren't able to book at the 60 day window which would put you in substantial lines to do anything worthwhile.
Certainly at a disadvantage but it’s still more than doable. Last time we went was 21 days out last minute change of plans to go, the only thing we didn’t do was Pandora and that’s because we had little kids and were limited on our times. There were plenty of times available though especially later in the day. The only thing that’s tough is the handful of big rides, like 4-5 to get exact times you want. But you can get a time generally fairly easily. A lot of it though too is the day you are going. Also if you have a hard time getting rides you should look into going another day of your trip to that park. Often times certain parks are considerably busier one day or another, this is due to some knowns and some un knowns.
But great report.
This post was edited on 4/29/19 at 10:26 pm
Posted on 4/30/19 at 5:37 am to BeeFense5
quote:
I have no idea why my OP got downvoted.
Because too many ppl here are miserable SOBs. Ignore it. If anyone reading a vacation review thinks to themselves "Yeah, f%$k that guy and the fun he had, Im going to downvote" they've got some serious insecurity issues.
In regards to on-site vs off-site, my thoughts are more dependent on how frequent you plan to go to WDW. If it's a first trip or first trip in 11 years or maybe last trip for a long time, stay on-site and reap the benefits. If you go all the time or plan to go again son or just recently went, staying off-site MIGHT be able to save you some serious cash if you decide to drive but I agree for the OPs sentiment for the most part. The perks for resort guests are soo rich right now and, at least for the time being, resort prices have been reasonable because so many ppl are holding off on reservations until Galaxy's Edge opens.
This post was edited on 4/30/19 at 5:41 am
Posted on 4/30/19 at 11:47 am to BeeFense5
I would never bring a 4 month old but bravo, you got some balls. We decided to never bring ours until they are out of diapers... almost there with the 3 y/o. So we’ll probably go next year when they’re 7 and 4
Posted on 4/30/19 at 2:52 pm to BeeFense5
I am here now with my 5 year old daughter. We cane with another couple who invited us. They have a daughter same age as ours plus a younger one. She is having fun, so I’m glad for that, but Disney world is not my cup of tea. Too many people and everything is so fricking expensive, but Disney doesn’t need me to keep the doors open. We will probably bring our daughter again in the future, but in the mean time I would rather go on 2 or 3 all inclusive resorts compared to one Disney trip in the future. Glad y’all had a good time
Posted on 5/1/19 at 11:08 am to BeeFense5
We were there Monday - Sunday as well. Did parks on Monday, and then Wed-Sat.
Our family has never stayed on site and we have yet to not get the fast passes we want. Some days we change plans, dump our fast passes and wing it, picking up passes as they pop up throughout he day.
I agree, Saturday evening was slammed at Disney Springs, it looked like a lot of prom kids and just huge crowds in general.
We stay on Disney property but at the Whyndham Bonnet Creek Resort. It is a time share but you can rent off of VRBO, ebay, Shelby Resorts, etc. Really nice place, we usually get a two bed, two bath condo, full kitchen, 1200 square feet, I have paid as little as $129 per night up to $179 per night. I could not imagine being in the parks all day and then coming home to a "hotel room" with no room to spread out.
On this last trip, we ended up upgrading our tickets to annual passes. Disney credits the value of your tickets towards the pass which is nice. Lots of discounts in the parks and free photo pass.
Our family has never stayed on site and we have yet to not get the fast passes we want. Some days we change plans, dump our fast passes and wing it, picking up passes as they pop up throughout he day.
I agree, Saturday evening was slammed at Disney Springs, it looked like a lot of prom kids and just huge crowds in general.
We stay on Disney property but at the Whyndham Bonnet Creek Resort. It is a time share but you can rent off of VRBO, ebay, Shelby Resorts, etc. Really nice place, we usually get a two bed, two bath condo, full kitchen, 1200 square feet, I have paid as little as $129 per night up to $179 per night. I could not imagine being in the parks all day and then coming home to a "hotel room" with no room to spread out.
On this last trip, we ended up upgrading our tickets to annual passes. Disney credits the value of your tickets towards the pass which is nice. Lots of discounts in the parks and free photo pass.
This post was edited on 5/1/19 at 11:10 am
Posted on 5/1/19 at 3:36 pm to BeeFense5
quote:
I also think it is pretty ridiculous to charge for daily parking at the hotel.
us DVC members don't pay it.
of course i stay at DVC resorts though like boardwalk, beachclub, etc.
Posted on 5/1/19 at 4:54 pm to Fat Bastard
I don't like the resort parking charges either...I know alot of hotels that do it too but I still think it's pretty silly. Just build it into the rates if you want but the plain appearance of xtra charges rubs me the wrong way.
Posted on 5/2/19 at 10:30 am to LSUfan4444
quote:
I don't like the resort parking charges either...I know alot of hotels that do it too but I still think it's pretty silly. Just build it into the rates if you want but the plain appearance of xtra charges rubs me the wrong way.
quote:
I don't like the resort parking charges either...I know alot of hotels that do it too but I still think it's pretty silly. Just build it into the rates if you want but the plain appearance of xtra charges rubs me the wrong way.
I don't agree with the charges either, but my understanding is that they are using the money from the parking charges to help pay off the bonds they took out for all of the new road improvements they are doing property-wide.
The problem is the people who stay offsite, then drive to a resort hotel, park, and then ride the bus, they don't pay at all. I know Disney has said they going to cut down on that, by doing things such as making sure non-resort "visitors" either have a restaurant reservation or the name of someone they are visiting, but that system isn't well enforced at all.
Posted on 5/3/19 at 8:39 am to BeeFense5
For what you paid for your crappy Disney hotel room I saved and got a 3 bedroom condo next to Disney springs using rewards points with Marriott for free. I book my fast passes at 30 days and have never had an issue getting the ones I wanted. I plan the shite out of it, do pre park opening breakfasts in order to ride before park opens, and we usually go back to the room for a break each afternoon without having to ride a bus (or wait forever for it). I’ll never stay on site again. The 60 day window isn’t the advantage you think it is.
Posted on 5/4/19 at 5:56 am to Clark W Griswold
quote:
I saved and got a 3 bedroom condo next to Disney springs using rewards points with Marriott for free
This is not a viable option for most people.
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