Hello! I just returned from a 5-day trip to the World with my parents and younger brother. I thought I would upload my thoughts on what we did in case they might help anyone planning or leaving on a trip soon. I'm not sure how these are usually organized, but I'm going to go by park/location and activity instead of by day since I’m doing this after the trip. I’m sorry if it’s long for a trip report, this is my first one and I figured people would like the detail. Thanks for reading! 
General Notes
My family on this trip included me (25 years old), my parents (early 50s), and my little brother (8 years old). We have been to Disney many times in the past. My most recent trip was a day in Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs last July, and my family’s most recent trip was April 2015. My family was willing to try some of the more thrilling rides that I enjoy, especially now that my brother was tall enough to go on them. I went through and did our FastPass+ reservations about a month ago, and for the most part got what we wanted (with the exception of Flight of Passage).
The heat was incredible this week. A few days there were thunderstorms to cool it down for the evening, but most days we felt quite gross by the afternoons and had to take a break in a cooler climate. Being from New England, we often asked ourselves, “How can anyone live here?...How is that person wearing a sweatshirt right now?...How are they in those costumes and not dying?!” Good on you, Florida peeps…I couldn’t do it! Several stores in each of the parks have mosquito prevention lotion near the entrances. Also, there were many dining locations that had ice water and cups out because the heat was so intense.
FastPass thoughts – I liked knowing I would definitely get to experience some of my favorite attractions while we were there, barring some closure or change in operations. However, it was a bit sad to realize that because of the 3 reservations in one park per day, I missed out on other things I would have loved to do. One example is that we used our MK FastPasses for rides we all wanted to go on, and I was not left with a slot for Space Mountain. Then, when we were able to choose more that day, all the reservations were taken. The lines were over 2 hours any time I could have gone in standby, and it was not feasible for this trip to wait or leave my family to go on it. I think FastPass has created a perplexing situation for park-goers, and we have to make a lot of choices and sacrifices that take away from the complete vacation in all. I had the My Disney Experience app, which helped with maps and our plans for the week, but there was no notification to tell me when one of our passes had been changed or canceled.
Accommodations/Ticket Package…
Pop Century – July 3rd through July 7th; Standard Room
We ended up with a room in the 50s building on the 4th floor. It was a 5-minute or less walk to the main building, cafeteria, and bus stops. The room was not one of the newly-renovated ones (bummer for me!), but it was clean and what I’ve come to expect from the value resorts. It was our first time at Pop Century, as we have stayed almost exclusively at the All-Star Resorts in years past. I was disappointed that there was no real theming inside the room, and even forgot that we weren’t in the All-Star Movies room we stayed in the last time. However, it truly was just for sleeping and getting ready for the day, so it didn’t matter too much to me in the grand scheme of things. I had asked when rooms were ready, since we were arriving earlier in the day. Though the Cast Member who checked me in said it would not be until at least 3 PM, she put in a note to have a room ready earlier, if possible. We were very excited that our room was ready right at noon, exactly when my family was arriving! I had used the luggage service while wandering around the resort, and when I got to the room, my bag was already waiting for me.
The pool was very clean, not too crowded, and had a good depth (about 4 1/2 ft.) for my little brother to float around in. We spent about 2 hours there to cool off. They had some beach balls and noodles to use in the pool (they also had complimentary floatie vests), and the activities directors had a variety of games going. We enjoyed the movie & television theme song trivia greatly!
I had taken an early morning flight into Orlando and arrived at the hotel earlier than my parents and brother, who were driving in. I took Disney’s Magical Express (for the first time) and though I had to wait a while for the bus to leave, it was a very easy and relaxing way of getting to the hotel. Not to mention it saved me roughly $50 in cab fare! Checking into the service was easy with my MagicBand, as well. I had sent my luggage with my family earlier in the week, so I only had my carryon bag, but I have full faith from my other experiences that if I had checked luggage with DME, it would have arrived without issue.
Magic Your Way Package + Quick Service Dining Plan
My goodness, what a value that package was! We had Park Hopper tickets, plus entrance to the water parks, a free round of mini golf if we had time for it, and the quick service plan with refillable cup. We all agreed it was worth the cost for the value of convenience it added to our vacation experience.
The MagicBands are so awesome. I have never felt so free to wander and relax without having to carry a bag or money. I had my MagicBand, phone, and some chapstick (my all-time necessities!), and I was ready to go. My mother kept a backpack with bottled drinks, her camera, and some other things, and the only inconvenience was going through bag check. It was usually quick because she wouldn’t pack too much, but of course there were times when she got stuck behind families who packed crazy amounts of food and supplies and took several minutes.
General Notes
My family on this trip included me (25 years old), my parents (early 50s), and my little brother (8 years old). We have been to Disney many times in the past. My most recent trip was a day in Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs last July, and my family’s most recent trip was April 2015. My family was willing to try some of the more thrilling rides that I enjoy, especially now that my brother was tall enough to go on them. I went through and did our FastPass+ reservations about a month ago, and for the most part got what we wanted (with the exception of Flight of Passage).
The heat was incredible this week. A few days there were thunderstorms to cool it down for the evening, but most days we felt quite gross by the afternoons and had to take a break in a cooler climate. Being from New England, we often asked ourselves, “How can anyone live here?...How is that person wearing a sweatshirt right now?...How are they in those costumes and not dying?!” Good on you, Florida peeps…I couldn’t do it!
Several stores in each of the parks have mosquito prevention lotion near the entrances. Also, there were many dining locations that had ice water and cups out because the heat was so intense.FastPass thoughts – I liked knowing I would definitely get to experience some of my favorite attractions while we were there, barring some closure or change in operations. However, it was a bit sad to realize that because of the 3 reservations in one park per day, I missed out on other things I would have loved to do. One example is that we used our MK FastPasses for rides we all wanted to go on, and I was not left with a slot for Space Mountain. Then, when we were able to choose more that day, all the reservations were taken. The lines were over 2 hours any time I could have gone in standby, and it was not feasible for this trip to wait or leave my family to go on it. I think FastPass has created a perplexing situation for park-goers, and we have to make a lot of choices and sacrifices that take away from the complete vacation in all. I had the My Disney Experience app, which helped with maps and our plans for the week, but there was no notification to tell me when one of our passes had been changed or canceled.
Accommodations/Ticket Package…
Pop Century – July 3rd through July 7th; Standard Room
We ended up with a room in the 50s building on the 4th floor. It was a 5-minute or less walk to the main building, cafeteria, and bus stops. The room was not one of the newly-renovated ones (bummer for me!), but it was clean and what I’ve come to expect from the value resorts. It was our first time at Pop Century, as we have stayed almost exclusively at the All-Star Resorts in years past. I was disappointed that there was no real theming inside the room, and even forgot that we weren’t in the All-Star Movies room we stayed in the last time. However, it truly was just for sleeping and getting ready for the day, so it didn’t matter too much to me in the grand scheme of things. I had asked when rooms were ready, since we were arriving earlier in the day. Though the Cast Member who checked me in said it would not be until at least 3 PM, she put in a note to have a room ready earlier, if possible. We were very excited that our room was ready right at noon, exactly when my family was arriving! I had used the luggage service while wandering around the resort, and when I got to the room, my bag was already waiting for me.
The pool was very clean, not too crowded, and had a good depth (about 4 1/2 ft.) for my little brother to float around in. We spent about 2 hours there to cool off. They had some beach balls and noodles to use in the pool (they also had complimentary floatie vests), and the activities directors had a variety of games going. We enjoyed the movie & television theme song trivia greatly!
I had taken an early morning flight into Orlando and arrived at the hotel earlier than my parents and brother, who were driving in. I took Disney’s Magical Express (for the first time) and though I had to wait a while for the bus to leave, it was a very easy and relaxing way of getting to the hotel. Not to mention it saved me roughly $50 in cab fare! Checking into the service was easy with my MagicBand, as well. I had sent my luggage with my family earlier in the week, so I only had my carryon bag, but I have full faith from my other experiences that if I had checked luggage with DME, it would have arrived without issue.
Magic Your Way Package + Quick Service Dining Plan
My goodness, what a value that package was! We had Park Hopper tickets, plus entrance to the water parks, a free round of mini golf if we had time for it, and the quick service plan with refillable cup. We all agreed it was worth the cost for the value of convenience it added to our vacation experience.
The MagicBands are so awesome. I have never felt so free to wander and relax without having to carry a bag or money. I had my MagicBand, phone, and some chapstick (my all-time necessities!), and I was ready to go. My mother kept a backpack with bottled drinks, her camera, and some other things, and the only inconvenience was going through bag check. It was usually quick because she wouldn’t pack too much, but of course there were times when she got stuck behind families who packed crazy amounts of food and supplies and took several minutes.
I think we had a very good Skipper who helped make our ride better. There isn’t much else to say about this one. I think it is holding up well, and there was no sign of the ride’s age or any broken elements that I noticed. I did seem to be the only one who was excited about the 8th wonder of the world, though!
