Just got back from 7 nights at the Wilderness Lodge Villas. I don't do trip reports, as I find them kind of boring to do, but I like to share certain experiences, both good and bad, so here we go:
Crowds: Since when did MLK week become so crowded. I've been in January a dozen times, and never seen it as crowded as it was, especially at MK. Sunday, January 20, was worse than a weekend in July.
Resort: Staying at Wilderness Lodge always makes me realize, for me, this is the best resort on property. It's clean as can be, has wonderful CM's, is themed like no other, and has wonderful food.
Dining: For the first time EVER, I actually made every one of my ADR's. All meals were great. Standouts include Ohana, Via Napoli, Whispering Canyon, San Angel Inn and The Plaza. Only bad meal I had was the banana bread french toast at Whispering Canyon. Simply too heavy and moist for my liking.
Test Track 2.0: I was waiting to pass judgement on this until I rode it. Well, I rode it 3 times to make sure I got a good feel for it and didn't miss anything. It sucks. They ripped the heart and soul from the ride. My 6 year old boys loved Test Track, and understood it. The weather tests, the rough road tests, the braking test, etc. Having the human voice along with you really made it both fun and enjoyable for kids. Now, they won't understand what the hell is going on. Responsiveness, Power, Reliability - I barely understood it. And the OnStar thing is just such a cheap plug for Chevy. As for designing your own car, skip it. Complete waste of time.
New Fantasyland: Mixed bag really. There is very little room to move around, what with the walls around the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I liked the Little Mermaid attraction, though it is ridiculously unimaginative. Some of the effects weren't working the 1st time we rode it, and when we went back for a 3rd time, it was down due to technical difficulties. Storybook Circus doesn't make much sense to me. Same thing as Toontown, just without Mickey and Minnie's House. Gaston's Tavern is too small. The cinnamon rolls there are not the same as at Main Street Bakery. Smaller and not as moist.
As for "Is the Magic still there?", yeah, it is. But it has waned some. But I don't really fault Disney for this. I go way too much, and with my bad back, it's simply not as enjoyable as it was when I was younger. So, we're going this summer (God willing, the specialist I'm seeing this week will be able to do SOMETHING about my back), and that will be it for a couple of years. 2014 will be Disneyland. I'm thinking after that, maybe a cruise or Hawaii.
Crowds: Since when did MLK week become so crowded. I've been in January a dozen times, and never seen it as crowded as it was, especially at MK. Sunday, January 20, was worse than a weekend in July.
Resort: Staying at Wilderness Lodge always makes me realize, for me, this is the best resort on property. It's clean as can be, has wonderful CM's, is themed like no other, and has wonderful food.
Dining: For the first time EVER, I actually made every one of my ADR's. All meals were great. Standouts include Ohana, Via Napoli, Whispering Canyon, San Angel Inn and The Plaza. Only bad meal I had was the banana bread french toast at Whispering Canyon. Simply too heavy and moist for my liking.
Test Track 2.0: I was waiting to pass judgement on this until I rode it. Well, I rode it 3 times to make sure I got a good feel for it and didn't miss anything. It sucks. They ripped the heart and soul from the ride. My 6 year old boys loved Test Track, and understood it. The weather tests, the rough road tests, the braking test, etc. Having the human voice along with you really made it both fun and enjoyable for kids. Now, they won't understand what the hell is going on. Responsiveness, Power, Reliability - I barely understood it. And the OnStar thing is just such a cheap plug for Chevy. As for designing your own car, skip it. Complete waste of time.
New Fantasyland: Mixed bag really. There is very little room to move around, what with the walls around the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I liked the Little Mermaid attraction, though it is ridiculously unimaginative. Some of the effects weren't working the 1st time we rode it, and when we went back for a 3rd time, it was down due to technical difficulties. Storybook Circus doesn't make much sense to me. Same thing as Toontown, just without Mickey and Minnie's House. Gaston's Tavern is too small. The cinnamon rolls there are not the same as at Main Street Bakery. Smaller and not as moist.
As for "Is the Magic still there?", yeah, it is. But it has waned some. But I don't really fault Disney for this. I go way too much, and with my bad back, it's simply not as enjoyable as it was when I was younger. So, we're going this summer (God willing, the specialist I'm seeing this week will be able to do SOMETHING about my back), and that will be it for a couple of years. 2014 will be Disneyland. I'm thinking after that, maybe a cruise or Hawaii.
