Trip Report englanddg's Spook-a-dee-doo-dah

Well, I haven't finished the previous trip report, but another trip is coming...



Not much to this pre-trip.

We are booked at the Nick hotel.



We plan to go to Sea World on our second day (Sat)...

And we'll have fun on Sunday at the Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party...

All is done and booked aside from the flights...

 

[MinnieM123]

View attachment 116067 Growing up too fast...

Happy that your daughter arrived safely, and the both of you are reunited for another wonderful vacation!

 

[englanddg]

Breakfast is available at the Nick Hotel at three venues. One is the Nicktoons Restaurant, that offers a breakfast buffet where you can meet characters like Spongebob and Dora. They also seem to do a little dance show every so often.

The cost is reasonable at $25 per adult (over 10) and $14 per child.

I really cant speak to the quality of the food at the buffet, because we decided not to eat there today.

The second venue is Starbucks. Pretty standard stuff you would expect there. Pastries, wrapped breakfast sandwiches (which did not look very appetizing) and of course a full array of Starbucks caffine in a cup, hot or cold.

The third venue is literally called...wait for the originality here..."buffet".

This is a very reasonable cost, with adults at 13.95 and kids (under 10) for 8.95. Kids under 3 eat free.

The venue has a beverage bar with standard offerings...in fact one, one nice thing, they offer lids. One silly thing, the cups are incredibly small and cheap dixie cups.

A hot and cold bar with a variety of fruits, scrambled eggs (plain or with cheese/sausage/bacon), pancakes, bacon and sausages.

An oatmeal bar, cold cereals, and pastries.

The hot strawberry and syrup toppings for the fresh pancakes are a very nice touch.

 

[englanddg]

But, the question is, how did it taste?

Wow, really good. I mean, it isnt a Disney Buffet, but it is a far step above a Bounty Platter! The eggs were really well seasoned, and didnt even need any extra salt or pepper. They were fluffy and not drizzly or runny, as buffet scrambled eggs (even at Disney) generally are. The pancake was fluffy and not very sweet, which was a good contrast to the sweet strawberry toppinng available.

The bacon was very well cooked, and not the cheap thin strips. And the sausage was well cooked and likewise seasoned well. I am sure it is just a prefrozen link sausage, but I would love to know the brand, so I can get some for my house.

Not Chef Mickeys, but leaps and bounds above food court breakfasts at Disney, and for less!

 

[MinnieM123]

Really glad to see your hotel report. I've never seen pictures from the Nikelodean before, and these are fun. Looks like a great place to take a kid (or adult! ) Glad to hear that you're enjoying the food there as well..

 

[englanddg]

Really glad to see your hotel report. I've never seen pictures from the Nikelodean before, and these are fun. Looks like a great place to take a kid (or adult! ) Glad to hear that you're enjoying the food there as well..

I've had two meals here, and both have been pretty good, both for the price (at least comparing it to "Disney" scales) and quality (comparing to the same scale).

Unfortunantly I haven't had a chance to try the room service, or the dinner restaurant, and probably will not for a trip of this short duration. Though, I will cover it, and I have seen the food on people's tables (the room service is from the same kitchen as the main restaurants, same food), and they looked pretty enticing. If we had more time (or a longer stay), I would make it a point to check them out. Nothing seems to be very offputting about the food at all!

So, chalk one BIG surprise up for the Nick Hotel. Food is certainly a winner here. Frankly, so is booze (though I've only had one drink, here at the pool while the kiddo swims, it was a good drink, and the tender wasn't light on the pour)...it was still $12, but again, that's on par with "Disney" prices if you go to one of the pool bars there.

In all, not bad. I have a lot of things to say about the Nick Hotel, and I do have some gripes. But, to be perfectly frank, if I was renting a car and staying for a 7 or 14 day, or if I don't mind the VERY limited free bus schedule they run to Disney (and other places), then I'd strongly consider this as an option ONCE they have completed room upgrades.

I find the resort actually more entertaining than any of the Disney Value resorts (which is this is directly trying to compete with), hands down. The only disadvantage, as noted, in that respect, are unforseen "nickle and dime" upcharges / costs, and a few other things.

Again, I'll go through it all in more detail later, but no time right now. Kiddo is nearly done with the pool for the evening, and after that we are going to head over to the TMNT laser activity (no idea what it is, but the kiddo seems to be fully aware, and is excited), and then after that she wants to watch Spongebob 4D. After that plays, we decided to make a final decision on if we are going to call it a night (as everything here shuts down between 9p and 11p, depending on the venue), or head over to Disney Springs and get in a few rounds of late night bowling at Splitsville.

Last night we decided to just crash after 11p, but we had both had very full days (work and school, then flights, etc...)...but after having to mess with USAA tagging my card TWICE as unchargable (no embarassing scenes, I have another emergency card to use) today, and dealing with all that, I'm ready for another drink and some distracting fun!

Plus, tomorrow we don't technically have to be anywhere until around 12:30, when we need to be at Ft. Wilderness for Horseback Riding at 1p.

So...

Oh, as a side note...I have had one other sad frustration...I randomly checked ADR available for Be Our Guest for tomorrow night yesterday, and an 8:50 slot came up, which is PERFECT timing (means we can watch the parade and then head right over to BOG for a late dinner, which excited the kid).

Got all the way to the credit card screen, and I don't know if it was MDE or the internet here at Nick (the internet here is one of my MAJOR gripes, it is TERRIBLE)...but, I ended up not getting the reservation.

I called in first thing this morning, and it was gone.

Sad.......

 

[englanddg]

Good morning!

 

[englanddg]

Well, lots to say about yesterday. After breakfast, I walked back up and the kiddo had woken up and was watching Disney Channel on the main TV. She had found my note and had already taken a shower and brushed her teeth, though I did walk in on her getting dressed, which let do her freaking out and me having to stand outside for a few minutes!

The...living room is not a dressing room, little one...it's why we have suites! (then again, I would have done the same if I wasn't expecting someone to walk in on me and dressed in the living room, frankly)...so...

Anyhow, pants and shirt later, she let me in and we gathered stuff together. I showed her a picture of the breakfast, and she was all about it. So, we headed down. They charged her under 10, even though I told the lady she was 11...she winked and said "close enough"...ok. Though, I suspect it was because she had already rang it up and didn't want to bother with getting a manager, it still is cool that she didn't inconvenience me to fix the issue either.

Not "magic", but certainly nice to be at a place that, even though it has little upcharges here and there, isn't THAT interested in smashing you for every little dime due to "policies", and that CMs here (though they call them "Team Members", I've found out, and there are a few different "classes" of them..."Yellow Shirts" being one, "Red Shirts" being another... I'm not sure exactly what that means, or what the hierarchy is, but...it does exist.

I found this out because of something I haven't spoken much about at all so far, and it seems that quite a few people have worked here who now work (or also work) at Sea World...I'll get into that more later, though... Anyhow, the Nick Hotel has a few things that are really cool, some things that are "ok, that's fine", and a few things that really have bugged me on this trip.

So far I've focused on positive things, and overwhelmingly I have enjoyed this hotel. I will be perfectly frank, while some of this may also be due to it not being August, I grant, I have enjoyed this RESORT stay more than Pop Century back in 2012, and more than AoA in August.

Transportation...not so much (for cost reasons alone, but I'll cover that in a later update). But, for food, and things to do around the resort, services and offerings (both entertainment and cuisine)...I will probably get smashed for this by some, but...I rank Nick over any Disney Value Resort I have experienced (which is Pop and AoA...All Stars are slated for our December Trip). Yes, even AoA with it's wonderful food court.

The only thing is...you can tell this isn't a "Disney" resort with an eye for detail when it comes to certain things. The primary common areas are all clean and maintained, but therea re little things which set Disney apart...things you would have to "look for", in some cases, but, once you see them you notice them.

For example, in the "mall" they have large glass plate windows. These are not cleaned regularly (partially a really silly architectural decision to put them facing a pond with onlya really small ledge for a window cleaner to stand on...so, not the sort of thing you can easily send a Team Member out to do on a daily basis)...but, as a result, the windows are smudged and spotted on the outside...pretty badly in places.

I would guess a good squeegee based cleaning hasn't happened to these windows for at least a month or two (probably more...but I'm being generous).

(Thise spots are not rain splatter...thats dirt and hard water stains)

This is about average for the full length windows...but like I said, some of them are very bad.

But, to be fair, here is how they could "clean" them...teeny tiny little ledge...

I also want to be very clear (and you can tell from that picture, if you look at the window ledge inside), the interior glass is quite clean. They just have an (understandable) operational issue getting to the external parts...

Anyhow, all for now. I need to link our new Magicbands and go check on the kid. She should be ready by now and she wanted to eat at the character buffet this morning.

Tee tee a fin! Ta ta for now!

 

[englanddg]

Hey kids, what time is it!!!!

(Starts music)

Whoooooooo attends your breakfast at the Nick Hotel?

Spongebob Squarepants!

With Dora and Boots and Patrick as well!

Spongebob Squarepants!

(Patrick kept trying to walk through the wall)

Spongebob was upset that we are eating his house! (Not kidding, he had the kid cracking up as she wolfed down 3 pieces and he did a pretty good "shocked and pouting" routine)

The handlers here are fun as well, very lively atmosphere!

 

[englanddg]

The buffet has a few more offerings than the cheaper one we did yesterday. Worth doing once, but for most part. With the exception of the omelet bar, a larger fruit and pastry selection, and the griddle (french toast) and baked ham, everything else is the same, and of the same quality.

So, for twice the price of the normal buffet, I wouldn't do this more than once or twice in a trip.

 

[englanddg]

 

[englanddg]

So, in all breakfast was a success. My kiddo had fun (though she has "outgrown" Dora, which is amusing to me because for the first 5 - 6 years of her life, Dora was her #1 thing. She has 3 "backpacks (one real one, one purple plastic one and one of Diego's Orange backpack) which she has passed on, she says, to her little sister (who is 5 going on 6).

The Dora Walkaround costume is really neat. It has Backpack with googly eyes that make him seem "alive" and Map, who flops around like he's dancing whenever the character moves (kinetic movement, but a neat effect).

The costumes are in excellent shape. Coming from someone who worked with costumes (Chuck E. Cheese), I have a tendancy to notice thing like dirty gloves, ratty seams, etc...these are common at at a lot of Chuck E Cheese's, unfortunantly...it was always a battle, because when the bottom line is key, costumes are expensive...and as Food Service managers tend to run those places, instead of F&B/Entertainment types, quality of show is not always an important thing.

So, another big fat YES for the Nick Hotel from me. The Manager was on the floor the entire shift, and even danced around. The crew was upbeat, and working together as a team to keep the restaurant clean (I even saw the griddle chef come out several times to wipe down the buffet bar and sweep the floors with a spot sweep kit several times...spot sweep is broom and dustpan).

Costumed Characters were not hard to find, constantly on the floor in at least pairs (5 of them...Dora, Boots, Spongebob, Patrick and some alien looking guy who I am sure is a popular Nick Jr. character, but have no idea who he was...some guy in a blue spacesuit), and the characters were extremely interactive (more so than most of the Disney breakfasts I've attended). Also, as it is both a smaller venue, but also off season (perhaps, I can't speak for when the hotel is packed during the summer), I found that we got a lot more attention from the characters, where at Disney it generally is a wave, a picture, and off they go. More than one character had little gags here they played (and I'm sure play on others) that even made my newly "cool and cynical" 11 year old giggle like a kid.

She left the meal smiling and bubbly, and wants to come back tomorrow (we'll try, but she has an early flight out of MCO, so unless we come down VERY early, I'm not sure I want to cut it that tight...we may be able to do 8a, but I'll need to think that through tonight, and base that on how tired she is tomorrow morning, as we have a late night at Magic Kingdom tonight).

I can give this a solid A grade...BETTER than 1900 Park Square (with the exception that 1900 has more food to offer, but I had such a poor experience there that I'd probably rate a 7-11 microwave sandwich and coffee over 1900, and call the 7-11 a "character experience" if you slapped someone in a batman costume outside, and give the 7-11 higher ratings...so...yeah, my experience there was THAT bad...but, I know a lot of people have had great experiences there, so...grain of salt).

It is not better than Chef Mickeys, and doesn't even come CLOSE to Boma, with respect to food. However, I'd rate the character experience over any Disney breakfast I've had (can't say the same for character dinners or lunches, where we've had some wonderful interactions with Chip, Mickey, Pluto and of course the Princesses over the years.).

Anyhow, the long and short, a great breakfast for a very reasonable price.

 

[englanddg]

Yippie kay yay!

 

[Tuvalu]

The resort definitely is showing it's age, wear and tear. I'm not sure how much is going to be upgraded with the 10th anniversary (or "birthday" as they call it here) $26 Million dollar refurb going on, but it could all use some TLC

The resort is actually 16 years old. It opened as the Holiday Inn Family Suites in the summer of 1999. We paid $85/night even back then.

 

[englanddg]

Halloween invades the golf cart community at Ft. Wilderness!

 

[englanddg]

The black four legged friend from the Tri Circle D who shares a stall "is a friend"...ahem...of the horse in tonight's parade is named Ivan.

We saw his trailer being loaded up at Settlement to take him over to wish his "friend" a nice show.

 

[englanddg]

Been a while sonce Ive worn her out mid day!

 

[englanddg]

Cruisin' on the resort line for a few spins to let her get a short nap!

 

[englanddg]

Front gates are mobbed! (Missed a pic, kiddo sleeping on my arm)

 

[disneypearl]

Have a great time at the party tonight! How is the weather been for you so far?

 

[MinnieM123]

Really impressed by the buffet pictures you've shared at the Nick. I also think a buffet is good for a kid, as some kids are picky eaters, and they can choose exactly what they want for breakfast from a buffet assortment.

How's the temperature down there--still hot and humid, or has it mellowed a bit from the summer temps?