Feb 23-29 2020
Pop Century Resort Preferred Room
Brent (Me), Becky (wife) and Harrison (3 year old son)
Trip #: 6 (1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2020)
I'm going to break down every single experience we had by category, elaborate a little and then assign a rating for the overall experience (1 being AWFUL and 5 being Perfection). For restaurants I'm only going to talk about dishes that I specifically had and not everyone at the table.
Resort
Like I stated above we stayed at Pop Century resort on this trip. This was our 3rd time staying at Pop and it once again didn't disappoint. The room remodel was fantastic making everything appear to have a cleaner/more efficient look to it. We stayed in a preferred room in the 60's era and were located about a 2 minute walk from the main hall and a 3-5 minute walk from the Skyliner. I have no complaints and it was once again a lovely stay at our favorite resort. 5/5
Tip: Have bell services help you in getting your luggage to the room. I know this isn't much of a "tip" and something that most people do already but for some reason I wanted to get everything to the room asap, didn't want to wait and almost had a heart attack because of it haha
Transportation
Skyliner: I'm not hesitating when I say that the Disney Skyliner is one of the greatest things that the Walt Disney Resort has done since opening. It's fast, quiet, unbelievably efficient and an absolute joy to travel in. I have absolutely nothing but praise for the Skyliner and it's become the standard in transportation around WDW for the areas that it serves. 5/5
Bus: I doubt I have anything to add that hasn't already been said a thousand times but it's pretty much the same, cramped experience that I try to avoid if at all possible. You'll of course luck out at times but overall it's not the preferred way to travel if you can help it most of the time. 3/5
Tip: You're usually going to see much shorter lines in Deluxe Resorts bus stops. For example when leaving a park we would usually just take the bus to the Riviera Resort and then catch the Skyliner back to Pop Century.
Monorail: We took the monorail from Contemporary (after chef mickeys) to the Magic Kingdom. We waited less than 10 minutes to board and it was your typical Disney monorail experience. The Skyliner had us spoiled by that point! 4/5
Minnie Van: We actually split a Minnie Van with a nice couple when leaving Animal Kingdom one evening. The bus line back to Pop was enormous so we struck up a conversation with a couple in line and decided to split one. To sum up the Minnie Van is that it's basically a Lyft but with the Disney charm and customer service. The van was spotless, our driver was extremely fun/nice to talk to and we arrived back at the resort comfortably and probably 45 minutes faster than we would have waiting for a bus. It was a fast and easy experience that has families with little ones in mind (car seats) and I HIGHLY recommend using one at least once during your stay. 5/5
Uber: It was a typical Uber experience and beat standing in line for a bus. We used Uber twice, once when I went to HS early to score a Rise of the Resistance boarding group and again when the bus was taking forever and we had to get to a reservation at Contemporary. They aren't as clean as the Minnie Vans but both times they were less than a 5 minute wait and worked out great. 4/5
Restaurants
Liberty Tree Tavern (MK): This was actually our first time at Liberty Tree and WOW were we impressed. We had a reservation at 4:25 and were seated around 4:50. The environment was comfortable and the food was INCREDIBLY good. The pot roast was some of the best I've ever had and really the entire 'Patriots Platter" was absolutely delicious. It was really nice to have a hearty/home-cooked style meal, love the souvenir mug I got and we now consider this to be a "must do" for all future visits. 5/5
Be Our Guest Lunch (MK): This was the second time my wife and I have had lunch at Be Our Guest. We sat in the West Wing for the first time and I personally loved the ambiance within it. My only nitpick would be that it's almost too dark at times. For example I felt like I was blind trying to figure out where the coke selection was at the soft drink fountain! But that's a insignificant gripe in the end. The food once again honestly failed to impress. I got the carved turkey sandwich this time and it was honestly just bland/nothing special at all. It could have used some more of the Dijon mayo perhaps but overall it was dry and nothing to brag about. For dessert I got the lemon meringue cupcake. It was decent but once again nothing mind blowing. The atmosphere/setting was amazing as usual but once again the lunch menu failed to impress 3/5
Yorkshire County Fish Shop (Epcot): A quick and easy place to grab some fish and chips. Everything tasted great and we managed to snag a table right by the World Showcase Lagoon. 4/5
Satu'li Canteen (AK): This was our first time to utilize mobile ordering and it was SO GREAT! I can't understand why people continue to stand in line to order because this is such an amazing and fast asset! The ambiance was gorgeous and the food was very impressive. I got the slow-roasted sliced grilled beef bowl with a base of rice/beans with a vinaigrette sauce on top. It was delicious, fresh and overall a memorable experience. I ordered a blueberry cream cheese mousse on the side and it also didn't fail to impress. I do wish they would have given us a little more food in the bowls for the price we paid but I still wouldn't hesitate to return. 4/5
Woody's Lunchbox (HS): It took us a few minutes to find a table but once we did it was a pleasant experience. It's a beautifully detailed quick service spot and the food was great. I once again utilized mobile ordering and while it was a breeze, the pickup experience was less than ideal. It's just too small of an area for picking up the mobile orders and it led to a large crowd gathering around the pickup window. Unfortunately the vast majority of them failed to grasp that they shouldn't just stand around by the window while waiting for their order to be ready and this led to the cast members being overwhelmed. I got the chocolate- hazelnut lunch box tart and a mystic portal punch. The tart was really tasty without being overwhelmingly sweet and the mystic portal punch was really good and refreshing. I wish they had a few more places to sit and maybe somehow added an additional pickup window for mobile orders but overall it was a fun experience. 4/5
Ronto Roasters (HS): I was still in complete awe of Galaxies Edge when we walked into Ronto Roasters and it only continued from there. We found a table fairly quickly, utilized mobile order and within 2-3 minutes it was ready to pick up. I got the Ronto Wrap and the sweet Nuna turkey jerky. The Ronto Wrap is now one of my favorite dishes in Disney World...it's SO GOOD. I finished my first one and immediately ordered another one! The Nuna Turkey Jerky was good but was sliced a little too thin in my opinion. My only real complaint is that the menu doesn't really have toddlers/young kids in mind at all. We let our son take little bites from what we ordered but it would have been nice to have seen 1-2 dishes catered to his age. 4/5
Oga's Cantina (HS): My wife and son decided to skip this one so I went in solo. I had to stand in line for maybe 5 minutes until my name was called and I was taken to my assigned spot to stand at the bar. I really like how they give you a specific spot to stand, this makes the entire process more orderly instead of just throwing you in there and trying to find a place to go. I ordered the Carbon Freeze drink and the presentation/taste was incredibly good! The setting was loud but overall is a fun way to spend 20 minutes and grab a drink! 4/5
50's Prime Time Cafe (HS): This has always been a favorite reservation spot and it was no different on this visit. Our waitress was a lot of fun without being too over the top and the food was great! I ordered the Sampling of Moms Favorite Recipes and have no complaints; everything was delicious and once again made for a nice/hearty home cooked style meal. I got the peanut butter and jelly shake for dessert which was mind blowing good! I love the ambiance there and it never fails to remind me of the MGM Studio days. 5/5
Chef Mickeys (CR): This was actually the first time I had been to Chef Mickeys since 1992! I'm finding it hard to come up with a lot of stuff to say about the experience other than it was a nice breakfast buffet mixed with some quick character interactions from Mickey and company. The environment left a little to be desired, I felt it could have used a little TLC and while the buffet was above average it took just me well over 10-15 minutes to make it through. I understand that more people=more money but this was one of those cases where they could have booked maybe 50 fewer guests and it would have been a better experience. It's definitely not a cheap experience so eat a lot! 3/5
Pinocchio Village Haus (MK): After staking out a table we used mobile order and received the food quickly. I got the Margherita Flatbread and was actually very impressed by the size. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a nice "pick me up" meal! 4/5
Casey's Corner (MK): Always a "must do" of ours and it was once again a great experience. It took a good 10-15 minutes to find a empty table. It did get a little annoying after a while seeing people with nothing but drinks, playing on their cell phones taking up tables. Say what you want about that but the fact is that you should enjoy your meal and then get up so someone else can do the same. It's too busy and chaotic to do otherwise. Anyways, after mourning the fact that they no longer had the "BBQ Slaw Dog" I ordered the Chili Cheese Foot Long and a frozen Mint Julep. There's only so much you can say about a chili dog other than it was really good! The Mint Julep was delicious and would have been happy to drink another one! 4/5
Merchandise
This was one of the more disappointing aspects about our visit in that park specific merchandise (especially mens shirts) are almost nonexistent. I was unable to find a single Epcot, Hollywood Studios or Magic Kingdom specific shirt for men (Women had a semi decent selection) and was really bummed out because of it. However, I did love the new Skyliner merchandise along with offerings within Galaxys Edge.
Special Events
Plaza Garden View Dessert Party (MK): This was the first time we had done a dessert party so we weren’t really sure what to expect. We showed up about 20 minutes before they started letting people in and were then led to a specific table that the cast member had placed a “reserved” sign on. The first thing I noticed was how close the tables were placed by each other; they definitely cram people in which takes a little away from the atmosphere. Anyways, after seeing our table we head to the buffet line. The plates are extra small and unless you want to make 2-3 trips back to the buffet it’s best to just grab specific things you want on the first go around. I opted for the cheeseburger rolls and a couple of the mini desserts. We started walking back to our table and discovered that another family had sat there. This really wasn’t a big deal, there are a ton of tables and considering that they’re all identical with identical reserved signs on them (they really need some kind of better identifier) this would have been an easy mistake to make.
We see there’s an empty table nearby, there’s an empty stroller sitting off to the back corner of the table right behind another table full of people. We assume it’s their stroller, sit down and start enjoying the miniature offerings. Around 2-3 minutes pass when suddenly a guy abruptly approaches the table, grabs the stroller, looks at my wife and says “By the way, I REALLY appreciate you stealing our table” and starts to walk off. In hindsight I probably should have shut up up and let the guy walk away but honestly, him directing that at my wife with my little boy sitting next to her really irritated me. As he was walking away I said “Hey man, don’t come spout of something and then walk away, we didn’t purposely take your table”. This guy responded with actually asking me to “step outside” and pointed in the general direction of space mountain…a grown man actually wanted to fight me in Walt Disney World by Space Mountain…anyways, the entire thing was incredibly stupid and I don’t see a reason to add more to it.
We finish our food and head to the reserved area in the plaza garden area. Honestly THIS is what you’re paying for in the end. The miniature desserts are a mild extra but having a reserved spot for the fireworks is what makes it worth it. The dessert portion was underwhelming, overly crowded and apparently full of people who want to have death matches by Space Mountain. The reserved portion to watch the fireworks is absolutely worth the price and we would do it again just for that.
Dessert Party: 2/5
Reserved Spot for Happily Ever After: 5/5
Savi’s Workshop (HS): This is one of the biggest things I wanted to do during this trip. This entire trip was very much centered around my little boy but if I didn’t get to do anything else, I just wanted to build a lightsaber. I had spoiled the experience months in advance by watching a video on YouTube (I couldn’t stand the wait! Haha) and I was worried that it might have an effect on the impact when doing it in person. I can definitely say that it didn’t hinder the experience at all. Without going into too much detail, I’ll just say that this was one of the more emotional experiences I’ve had in Disney World and it’s a must do for anyone who loves the Star Wars universe. 5/5
Characters
I think my son ended up meeting 75% of all characters on Disney property! Every encounter was AMAZING and his reactions were total Disney magic. Ariel, Woody/Jessie and Peter Pan were definitely highlights! I can elaborate in the comments if someone has any additional questions but for now I will just give them an overall rating of 5/5
Rides/Attractions (This section may be more straight to the point with a rating for most and remember, these will only be the rides/attractions that we rode on this specific visit)
Magic Kingdom: I’m glad we got to experience it before the castle goes down for a refurb
Peter Pans Flight: Still a backed-up mess to get on but our fast pass made the process easy. I would still like to see it get the Disneyland makeover but it’s still a classic 4/5
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Still a charming ride but is showing its age. Could definitely use a 1-2-month refurb. 3/5
Prince Charming Regal Carousel: Randomly stopped twice while riding, still not sure why. It’s another classic that’s worth checking out when the lines are low. 3/5
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: Still a fun/charming ride with great scenery/theming. My son was BARELY tall enough to ride and had a great time! 4/5
Dumbos Flight: Another classic that only improved after the Fantasyland makeover 4/5
It’s a Small World: I have to admit, I’ve always enjoyed the attraction and my son loved it. The overflow que outside was usually full but it’s a fast loading attraction for the most part. Is it just me or are the lights turned up a little more on the ride now? 4/5
Voyage of the Little Mermaid: It’s still a fun/relaxing ride but WOW they’ve really cranked the lights back up in the “under the sea” section again. I can’t understand why they’ve done this again because it’s distracting and takes away from a lot of the magic. Other than that it’s still a favorite of ours 4/5
Carousel of Progress: It’s still the same classic you remember with some subtle refurbed sections. Still a nice way to get off your feet for several minutes! 4/5
People Mover: I was fascinated to see the people mover line reach 45 minutes on several occasions, I truly don’t understand how a ride such as this hit such wait times! Still a favorite of ours and gives a nice/unique view of Tomorrowland. 4/5
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin: My son enjoyed it but I’m really hoping they reimagine this attraction in the next 2-3 years. It’s beat up, ugly in some spots (the tunnel sequence is SO BLURRY) and deserves more. 2/5
Country Bear Jamboree: Another favorite of ours that our son loved. It could also do with some love in the very near future. The sound was too low and the mounted head animatronics were abnormally loud when moving/blinking. Still a lot of fun but needs attention 3/5
Liberty Square Riverboat: This was actually the first time we have taken a ride on the riverboat and it was a lot of fun! You get a really nice view of Frontierland and was really relaxing. 4/5
Haunted Mansion: A timeless classic that my son LOVED 5/5
Pirates of the Caribbean: Another timeless classic that still appeared to be in great shape. 5/5
EPCOT: Epcot is a mess at the moment. World Showcase still maintains the beauty of the park but everything else is plagued by walls and construction. We ended up splitting the day between Epcot and Animal Kingdom.
Frozen Ever After: This was our first time and it didn’t disappoint. My beloved Maelstrom was done right and given a proper replacement because we thought it was fantastic! 5/5
Tip: I would still try and meet Anna and Elsa first before getting in line for Frozen Ever After at rope drop. Frozen Ever After can have some intimidating wait times but honestly it moved fast.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends: My wife and I knew what we were getting into, but my son is a die-hard Nemo fan so we did this for him. The stand by line said 35 minutes when we walked in but that soon turned into over 75 minutes. The que was packed, hot/humid and we knew the payoff was going to be disappointing but our son loved it so that’s all that matters. This is still one of if not the worst attraction in Disney World. It’s unreliable (who knows why), boring and needs a complete 6-month makeover. 2/5
Animal Kingdom: We only spent half a day in Animal Kingdom this trip but still managed to pack a lot in
Kilimanjaro Safaris: Our 3-year-old absolutely loved this experience! This was probably the 5th-6th time my wife and I had experienced it and it still holds up! We managed to spot several animals that we hadn’t been able to see before and it was overall a great experience once again. We rode around 5pm which really seemed to be a great time to spot all of the offerings on the attraction. 4/5
Finding Nemo The Musical: This was a a must do for our son and it was just as enjoyable and well done as we remember. I do have to say though that the “go with the flow” song is still as awful as I remember haha. 3/5
Flights of Passage: This was actually my first time in Pandora and I was completely blown away. The atmosphere was amazing and we walked in just as the forest was lighting up. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold. Since we ended up splitting the day between AK and EPC we didn’t have time to do a ton but had fastpasses for flight of passage. I pretty much knew what was about to occur but didn’t realize how insanely immersive it was going to be. I actually ducked a few times during the ride (The massive wave) and was completely immersed into the world of Pandora. This is hands down the new king of simulators and was above and beyond what I was expecting. 5/5
Hollywood Studios: I’m a MGM kid all the way and it always makes me happy to see that they still haven’t completely abandoned the vibe of the park I initially fell in love with
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: It could use a little bit of love (mirror was visible during the pepper ghost effect during the first hallway scene, couple of effects not working) but it’s still to me the absolute best of Disney Imagineering and still belongs at the top. 5/5
Voyage of the Little Mermaid: On one hand I absolutely LOVE that this has barely been touched since the glory days of MGM Studios. On the other hand, its REALLY showing its age. It deserves a lengthy refurb (update the movie portions to digital at least) but still puts a smile on faces. 3/5
Toy Story Mania: We haven’t been to Toy Story Mania since it became part of Toy Story Land. The new que portion was very well done and the ride unchanged. I would really like to see sharper/brighter on ride video in the near future but overall it was still a blast! 4/5
Slinky Dog Dash: This would be my little boys very first roller coaster! He was BARELY tall enough but we made it on! I spent most of my time making sure he was ok during the ride (he loved it!) but overall, I had a great time and it was a nice/smooth ride. I wouldn’t wait in a 2 hour line for it but it’s certainly something I would ride again with a fastpass. 4/5
Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run: I’d like to quickly say that Galaxy’s Edge was an absolutely mind blowing, emotional experience that I’ll never forget. Unfortunately one of the main attractions (Smugglers Run) really didn’t live up to the hype for me, however there could be a good excuse for this. This has been said many times before but the enjoyment you’ll find in Smugglers Run in my opinion will come down to two things. Piloting the Falcon or being in the cockpit with at least 3 other people you personally know. Neither one of these things happened to me (I was the engineer and my wife/son skipped this one) and the experienced suffered greatly because of it. My ride consisted of trying to watch what was happening in front of me and trying to see if I needed to hit a button or a switch to the left of me. It takes your focus away from the actual action but at the same time is vital to actually have a good run during the mission. At the same time you being able to perform your tasks as a engineer is primarily up to the pilot being able to well….pilot. Our pilot was a 6-7 year old meaning his flying directly effected my ability as a engineer to properly line up my shot for the harpoon cable and…you get the idea. Under ideal settings I would give this a 4/5 without hesitation. Under my settings and most likely ones that most people will experience I can’t give this any higher than a 3/5.
Rise of the Resistance: Long story short, I scored boarding pass number 89 only to have the ride shut down/stop running around boarding pass 72. Because of this they gave anyone with a boarding pass 72-100 a fastpass for the ride to experience the next day. We could show up any time we wanted and ride it no issue and that’s exactly what we did. We showed up, they scanned our magic bands and we were experiencing the attraction within 10 minutes. It’s truly hard to sum up or even describe what Rise of the Resistance is but I’ll do my best but remain vague for people wanting to be surprised. This is a dream project for Disney Imagineering and it shows throughout every moment you’re experiencing it. It’s part play, part ride, part simulator all rolled into one and it’s easily the most immersive/amazing experience I’ve ever had. I was grilled by a First Order officer (Michelle) concerning the location of the Resistance base and she didn’t buy my answer of Kashyyyk. I was then promptly thrown into a holding cell “LIAR! Get into the cell with the rest of the stinky people!") and the adventure only continued from there. This attraction is the pinnacle of Disney magic and is worth every moment it takes to be able to experience it. 5/5
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular: Another untouched MGM attraction that I still absolutely love to this day. I honestly don’t think a single thing has changed (other than Indy no longer dropping from the ceiling at the beginning) and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is most likely my last time seeing it in it’s original form (updates rumored to be happening soon) and I was glad that I was able to experience it with my son in it’s original form. We waited around at the end and were able to talk with Indy and Marion. They were both so incredibly nice and took a pic with my son and I! They even let us hold the idol! This particular Marion had been doing the show since 1989 and is most likely who I saw during my first visit in 1992! Does anyone know this cast members name by chance? (see photo below) I would love to send her a picture of the 1992 show and see if it was her or not. 4/5
Muppet Vision 3D: I’ll defend this show forever! It’s still funny, the 3D is still great and I hope they never touch it. We experienced it 2 times in a row because my son loved it the first go around so much! 4/5
Closing
We once again had a magical trip to our favorite home away from home and taking our 3-year-old little boy made it even better. Nothing can prepare you for seeing your child’s face light up with magic upon seeing their favorite character and this trip was no exception. We didn’t experience a a cast member that was anything short of sweet, gracious and wanting to make our experience as magical as humanely possible and we can’t say thank you enough for that. This was a very character heavy trip but we wouldn’t have had it any other way and we can’t wait to return to the most magical place on earth very soon!
Pop Century Resort Preferred Room
Brent (Me), Becky (wife) and Harrison (3 year old son)
Trip #: 6 (1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2020)
I'm going to break down every single experience we had by category, elaborate a little and then assign a rating for the overall experience (1 being AWFUL and 5 being Perfection). For restaurants I'm only going to talk about dishes that I specifically had and not everyone at the table.
Resort
Like I stated above we stayed at Pop Century resort on this trip. This was our 3rd time staying at Pop and it once again didn't disappoint. The room remodel was fantastic making everything appear to have a cleaner/more efficient look to it. We stayed in a preferred room in the 60's era and were located about a 2 minute walk from the main hall and a 3-5 minute walk from the Skyliner. I have no complaints and it was once again a lovely stay at our favorite resort. 5/5
Tip: Have bell services help you in getting your luggage to the room. I know this isn't much of a "tip" and something that most people do already but for some reason I wanted to get everything to the room asap, didn't want to wait and almost had a heart attack because of it haha
Transportation
Skyliner: I'm not hesitating when I say that the Disney Skyliner is one of the greatest things that the Walt Disney Resort has done since opening. It's fast, quiet, unbelievably efficient and an absolute joy to travel in. I have absolutely nothing but praise for the Skyliner and it's become the standard in transportation around WDW for the areas that it serves. 5/5
Bus: I doubt I have anything to add that hasn't already been said a thousand times but it's pretty much the same, cramped experience that I try to avoid if at all possible. You'll of course luck out at times but overall it's not the preferred way to travel if you can help it most of the time. 3/5
Tip: You're usually going to see much shorter lines in Deluxe Resorts bus stops. For example when leaving a park we would usually just take the bus to the Riviera Resort and then catch the Skyliner back to Pop Century.
Monorail: We took the monorail from Contemporary (after chef mickeys) to the Magic Kingdom. We waited less than 10 minutes to board and it was your typical Disney monorail experience. The Skyliner had us spoiled by that point! 4/5
Minnie Van: We actually split a Minnie Van with a nice couple when leaving Animal Kingdom one evening. The bus line back to Pop was enormous so we struck up a conversation with a couple in line and decided to split one. To sum up the Minnie Van is that it's basically a Lyft but with the Disney charm and customer service. The van was spotless, our driver was extremely fun/nice to talk to and we arrived back at the resort comfortably and probably 45 minutes faster than we would have waiting for a bus. It was a fast and easy experience that has families with little ones in mind (car seats) and I HIGHLY recommend using one at least once during your stay. 5/5
Uber: It was a typical Uber experience and beat standing in line for a bus. We used Uber twice, once when I went to HS early to score a Rise of the Resistance boarding group and again when the bus was taking forever and we had to get to a reservation at Contemporary. They aren't as clean as the Minnie Vans but both times they were less than a 5 minute wait and worked out great. 4/5
Restaurants
Liberty Tree Tavern (MK): This was actually our first time at Liberty Tree and WOW were we impressed. We had a reservation at 4:25 and were seated around 4:50. The environment was comfortable and the food was INCREDIBLY good. The pot roast was some of the best I've ever had and really the entire 'Patriots Platter" was absolutely delicious. It was really nice to have a hearty/home-cooked style meal, love the souvenir mug I got and we now consider this to be a "must do" for all future visits. 5/5
Be Our Guest Lunch (MK): This was the second time my wife and I have had lunch at Be Our Guest. We sat in the West Wing for the first time and I personally loved the ambiance within it. My only nitpick would be that it's almost too dark at times. For example I felt like I was blind trying to figure out where the coke selection was at the soft drink fountain! But that's a insignificant gripe in the end. The food once again honestly failed to impress. I got the carved turkey sandwich this time and it was honestly just bland/nothing special at all. It could have used some more of the Dijon mayo perhaps but overall it was dry and nothing to brag about. For dessert I got the lemon meringue cupcake. It was decent but once again nothing mind blowing. The atmosphere/setting was amazing as usual but once again the lunch menu failed to impress 3/5
Yorkshire County Fish Shop (Epcot): A quick and easy place to grab some fish and chips. Everything tasted great and we managed to snag a table right by the World Showcase Lagoon. 4/5
Satu'li Canteen (AK): This was our first time to utilize mobile ordering and it was SO GREAT! I can't understand why people continue to stand in line to order because this is such an amazing and fast asset! The ambiance was gorgeous and the food was very impressive. I got the slow-roasted sliced grilled beef bowl with a base of rice/beans with a vinaigrette sauce on top. It was delicious, fresh and overall a memorable experience. I ordered a blueberry cream cheese mousse on the side and it also didn't fail to impress. I do wish they would have given us a little more food in the bowls for the price we paid but I still wouldn't hesitate to return. 4/5
Woody's Lunchbox (HS): It took us a few minutes to find a table but once we did it was a pleasant experience. It's a beautifully detailed quick service spot and the food was great. I once again utilized mobile ordering and while it was a breeze, the pickup experience was less than ideal. It's just too small of an area for picking up the mobile orders and it led to a large crowd gathering around the pickup window. Unfortunately the vast majority of them failed to grasp that they shouldn't just stand around by the window while waiting for their order to be ready and this led to the cast members being overwhelmed. I got the chocolate- hazelnut lunch box tart and a mystic portal punch. The tart was really tasty without being overwhelmingly sweet and the mystic portal punch was really good and refreshing. I wish they had a few more places to sit and maybe somehow added an additional pickup window for mobile orders but overall it was a fun experience. 4/5
Ronto Roasters (HS): I was still in complete awe of Galaxies Edge when we walked into Ronto Roasters and it only continued from there. We found a table fairly quickly, utilized mobile order and within 2-3 minutes it was ready to pick up. I got the Ronto Wrap and the sweet Nuna turkey jerky. The Ronto Wrap is now one of my favorite dishes in Disney World...it's SO GOOD. I finished my first one and immediately ordered another one! The Nuna Turkey Jerky was good but was sliced a little too thin in my opinion. My only real complaint is that the menu doesn't really have toddlers/young kids in mind at all. We let our son take little bites from what we ordered but it would have been nice to have seen 1-2 dishes catered to his age. 4/5
Oga's Cantina (HS): My wife and son decided to skip this one so I went in solo. I had to stand in line for maybe 5 minutes until my name was called and I was taken to my assigned spot to stand at the bar. I really like how they give you a specific spot to stand, this makes the entire process more orderly instead of just throwing you in there and trying to find a place to go. I ordered the Carbon Freeze drink and the presentation/taste was incredibly good! The setting was loud but overall is a fun way to spend 20 minutes and grab a drink! 4/5
50's Prime Time Cafe (HS): This has always been a favorite reservation spot and it was no different on this visit. Our waitress was a lot of fun without being too over the top and the food was great! I ordered the Sampling of Moms Favorite Recipes and have no complaints; everything was delicious and once again made for a nice/hearty home cooked style meal. I got the peanut butter and jelly shake for dessert which was mind blowing good! I love the ambiance there and it never fails to remind me of the MGM Studio days. 5/5
Chef Mickeys (CR): This was actually the first time I had been to Chef Mickeys since 1992! I'm finding it hard to come up with a lot of stuff to say about the experience other than it was a nice breakfast buffet mixed with some quick character interactions from Mickey and company. The environment left a little to be desired, I felt it could have used a little TLC and while the buffet was above average it took just me well over 10-15 minutes to make it through. I understand that more people=more money but this was one of those cases where they could have booked maybe 50 fewer guests and it would have been a better experience. It's definitely not a cheap experience so eat a lot! 3/5
Pinocchio Village Haus (MK): After staking out a table we used mobile order and received the food quickly. I got the Margherita Flatbread and was actually very impressed by the size. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a nice "pick me up" meal! 4/5
Casey's Corner (MK): Always a "must do" of ours and it was once again a great experience. It took a good 10-15 minutes to find a empty table. It did get a little annoying after a while seeing people with nothing but drinks, playing on their cell phones taking up tables. Say what you want about that but the fact is that you should enjoy your meal and then get up so someone else can do the same. It's too busy and chaotic to do otherwise. Anyways, after mourning the fact that they no longer had the "BBQ Slaw Dog" I ordered the Chili Cheese Foot Long and a frozen Mint Julep. There's only so much you can say about a chili dog other than it was really good! The Mint Julep was delicious and would have been happy to drink another one! 4/5
Merchandise
This was one of the more disappointing aspects about our visit in that park specific merchandise (especially mens shirts) are almost nonexistent. I was unable to find a single Epcot, Hollywood Studios or Magic Kingdom specific shirt for men (Women had a semi decent selection) and was really bummed out because of it. However, I did love the new Skyliner merchandise along with offerings within Galaxys Edge.
Special Events
Plaza Garden View Dessert Party (MK): This was the first time we had done a dessert party so we weren’t really sure what to expect. We showed up about 20 minutes before they started letting people in and were then led to a specific table that the cast member had placed a “reserved” sign on. The first thing I noticed was how close the tables were placed by each other; they definitely cram people in which takes a little away from the atmosphere. Anyways, after seeing our table we head to the buffet line. The plates are extra small and unless you want to make 2-3 trips back to the buffet it’s best to just grab specific things you want on the first go around. I opted for the cheeseburger rolls and a couple of the mini desserts. We started walking back to our table and discovered that another family had sat there. This really wasn’t a big deal, there are a ton of tables and considering that they’re all identical with identical reserved signs on them (they really need some kind of better identifier) this would have been an easy mistake to make.
We see there’s an empty table nearby, there’s an empty stroller sitting off to the back corner of the table right behind another table full of people. We assume it’s their stroller, sit down and start enjoying the miniature offerings. Around 2-3 minutes pass when suddenly a guy abruptly approaches the table, grabs the stroller, looks at my wife and says “By the way, I REALLY appreciate you stealing our table” and starts to walk off. In hindsight I probably should have shut up up and let the guy walk away but honestly, him directing that at my wife with my little boy sitting next to her really irritated me. As he was walking away I said “Hey man, don’t come spout of something and then walk away, we didn’t purposely take your table”. This guy responded with actually asking me to “step outside” and pointed in the general direction of space mountain…a grown man actually wanted to fight me in Walt Disney World by Space Mountain…anyways, the entire thing was incredibly stupid and I don’t see a reason to add more to it.
We finish our food and head to the reserved area in the plaza garden area. Honestly THIS is what you’re paying for in the end. The miniature desserts are a mild extra but having a reserved spot for the fireworks is what makes it worth it. The dessert portion was underwhelming, overly crowded and apparently full of people who want to have death matches by Space Mountain. The reserved portion to watch the fireworks is absolutely worth the price and we would do it again just for that.
Dessert Party: 2/5
Reserved Spot for Happily Ever After: 5/5
Savi’s Workshop (HS): This is one of the biggest things I wanted to do during this trip. This entire trip was very much centered around my little boy but if I didn’t get to do anything else, I just wanted to build a lightsaber. I had spoiled the experience months in advance by watching a video on YouTube (I couldn’t stand the wait! Haha) and I was worried that it might have an effect on the impact when doing it in person. I can definitely say that it didn’t hinder the experience at all. Without going into too much detail, I’ll just say that this was one of the more emotional experiences I’ve had in Disney World and it’s a must do for anyone who loves the Star Wars universe. 5/5
Characters
I think my son ended up meeting 75% of all characters on Disney property! Every encounter was AMAZING and his reactions were total Disney magic. Ariel, Woody/Jessie and Peter Pan were definitely highlights! I can elaborate in the comments if someone has any additional questions but for now I will just give them an overall rating of 5/5
Rides/Attractions (This section may be more straight to the point with a rating for most and remember, these will only be the rides/attractions that we rode on this specific visit)
Magic Kingdom: I’m glad we got to experience it before the castle goes down for a refurb
Peter Pans Flight: Still a backed-up mess to get on but our fast pass made the process easy. I would still like to see it get the Disneyland makeover but it’s still a classic 4/5
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Still a charming ride but is showing its age. Could definitely use a 1-2-month refurb. 3/5
Prince Charming Regal Carousel: Randomly stopped twice while riding, still not sure why. It’s another classic that’s worth checking out when the lines are low. 3/5
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: Still a fun/charming ride with great scenery/theming. My son was BARELY tall enough to ride and had a great time! 4/5
Dumbos Flight: Another classic that only improved after the Fantasyland makeover 4/5
It’s a Small World: I have to admit, I’ve always enjoyed the attraction and my son loved it. The overflow que outside was usually full but it’s a fast loading attraction for the most part. Is it just me or are the lights turned up a little more on the ride now? 4/5
Voyage of the Little Mermaid: It’s still a fun/relaxing ride but WOW they’ve really cranked the lights back up in the “under the sea” section again. I can’t understand why they’ve done this again because it’s distracting and takes away from a lot of the magic. Other than that it’s still a favorite of ours 4/5
Carousel of Progress: It’s still the same classic you remember with some subtle refurbed sections. Still a nice way to get off your feet for several minutes! 4/5
People Mover: I was fascinated to see the people mover line reach 45 minutes on several occasions, I truly don’t understand how a ride such as this hit such wait times! Still a favorite of ours and gives a nice/unique view of Tomorrowland. 4/5
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin: My son enjoyed it but I’m really hoping they reimagine this attraction in the next 2-3 years. It’s beat up, ugly in some spots (the tunnel sequence is SO BLURRY) and deserves more. 2/5
Country Bear Jamboree: Another favorite of ours that our son loved. It could also do with some love in the very near future. The sound was too low and the mounted head animatronics were abnormally loud when moving/blinking. Still a lot of fun but needs attention 3/5
Liberty Square Riverboat: This was actually the first time we have taken a ride on the riverboat and it was a lot of fun! You get a really nice view of Frontierland and was really relaxing. 4/5
Haunted Mansion: A timeless classic that my son LOVED 5/5
Pirates of the Caribbean: Another timeless classic that still appeared to be in great shape. 5/5
EPCOT: Epcot is a mess at the moment. World Showcase still maintains the beauty of the park but everything else is plagued by walls and construction. We ended up splitting the day between Epcot and Animal Kingdom.
Frozen Ever After: This was our first time and it didn’t disappoint. My beloved Maelstrom was done right and given a proper replacement because we thought it was fantastic! 5/5
Tip: I would still try and meet Anna and Elsa first before getting in line for Frozen Ever After at rope drop. Frozen Ever After can have some intimidating wait times but honestly it moved fast.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends: My wife and I knew what we were getting into, but my son is a die-hard Nemo fan so we did this for him. The stand by line said 35 minutes when we walked in but that soon turned into over 75 minutes. The que was packed, hot/humid and we knew the payoff was going to be disappointing but our son loved it so that’s all that matters. This is still one of if not the worst attraction in Disney World. It’s unreliable (who knows why), boring and needs a complete 6-month makeover. 2/5
Animal Kingdom: We only spent half a day in Animal Kingdom this trip but still managed to pack a lot in
Kilimanjaro Safaris: Our 3-year-old absolutely loved this experience! This was probably the 5th-6th time my wife and I had experienced it and it still holds up! We managed to spot several animals that we hadn’t been able to see before and it was overall a great experience once again. We rode around 5pm which really seemed to be a great time to spot all of the offerings on the attraction. 4/5
Finding Nemo The Musical: This was a a must do for our son and it was just as enjoyable and well done as we remember. I do have to say though that the “go with the flow” song is still as awful as I remember haha. 3/5
Flights of Passage: This was actually my first time in Pandora and I was completely blown away. The atmosphere was amazing and we walked in just as the forest was lighting up. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold. Since we ended up splitting the day between AK and EPC we didn’t have time to do a ton but had fastpasses for flight of passage. I pretty much knew what was about to occur but didn’t realize how insanely immersive it was going to be. I actually ducked a few times during the ride (The massive wave) and was completely immersed into the world of Pandora. This is hands down the new king of simulators and was above and beyond what I was expecting. 5/5
Hollywood Studios: I’m a MGM kid all the way and it always makes me happy to see that they still haven’t completely abandoned the vibe of the park I initially fell in love with
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: It could use a little bit of love (mirror was visible during the pepper ghost effect during the first hallway scene, couple of effects not working) but it’s still to me the absolute best of Disney Imagineering and still belongs at the top. 5/5
Voyage of the Little Mermaid: On one hand I absolutely LOVE that this has barely been touched since the glory days of MGM Studios. On the other hand, its REALLY showing its age. It deserves a lengthy refurb (update the movie portions to digital at least) but still puts a smile on faces. 3/5
Toy Story Mania: We haven’t been to Toy Story Mania since it became part of Toy Story Land. The new que portion was very well done and the ride unchanged. I would really like to see sharper/brighter on ride video in the near future but overall it was still a blast! 4/5
Slinky Dog Dash: This would be my little boys very first roller coaster! He was BARELY tall enough but we made it on! I spent most of my time making sure he was ok during the ride (he loved it!) but overall, I had a great time and it was a nice/smooth ride. I wouldn’t wait in a 2 hour line for it but it’s certainly something I would ride again with a fastpass. 4/5
Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run: I’d like to quickly say that Galaxy’s Edge was an absolutely mind blowing, emotional experience that I’ll never forget. Unfortunately one of the main attractions (Smugglers Run) really didn’t live up to the hype for me, however there could be a good excuse for this. This has been said many times before but the enjoyment you’ll find in Smugglers Run in my opinion will come down to two things. Piloting the Falcon or being in the cockpit with at least 3 other people you personally know. Neither one of these things happened to me (I was the engineer and my wife/son skipped this one) and the experienced suffered greatly because of it. My ride consisted of trying to watch what was happening in front of me and trying to see if I needed to hit a button or a switch to the left of me. It takes your focus away from the actual action but at the same time is vital to actually have a good run during the mission. At the same time you being able to perform your tasks as a engineer is primarily up to the pilot being able to well….pilot. Our pilot was a 6-7 year old meaning his flying directly effected my ability as a engineer to properly line up my shot for the harpoon cable and…you get the idea. Under ideal settings I would give this a 4/5 without hesitation. Under my settings and most likely ones that most people will experience I can’t give this any higher than a 3/5.
Rise of the Resistance: Long story short, I scored boarding pass number 89 only to have the ride shut down/stop running around boarding pass 72. Because of this they gave anyone with a boarding pass 72-100 a fastpass for the ride to experience the next day. We could show up any time we wanted and ride it no issue and that’s exactly what we did. We showed up, they scanned our magic bands and we were experiencing the attraction within 10 minutes. It’s truly hard to sum up or even describe what Rise of the Resistance is but I’ll do my best but remain vague for people wanting to be surprised. This is a dream project for Disney Imagineering and it shows throughout every moment you’re experiencing it. It’s part play, part ride, part simulator all rolled into one and it’s easily the most immersive/amazing experience I’ve ever had. I was grilled by a First Order officer (Michelle) concerning the location of the Resistance base and she didn’t buy my answer of Kashyyyk. I was then promptly thrown into a holding cell “LIAR! Get into the cell with the rest of the stinky people!") and the adventure only continued from there. This attraction is the pinnacle of Disney magic and is worth every moment it takes to be able to experience it. 5/5
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular: Another untouched MGM attraction that I still absolutely love to this day. I honestly don’t think a single thing has changed (other than Indy no longer dropping from the ceiling at the beginning) and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is most likely my last time seeing it in it’s original form (updates rumored to be happening soon) and I was glad that I was able to experience it with my son in it’s original form. We waited around at the end and were able to talk with Indy and Marion. They were both so incredibly nice and took a pic with my son and I! They even let us hold the idol! This particular Marion had been doing the show since 1989 and is most likely who I saw during my first visit in 1992! Does anyone know this cast members name by chance? (see photo below) I would love to send her a picture of the 1992 show and see if it was her or not. 4/5
Muppet Vision 3D: I’ll defend this show forever! It’s still funny, the 3D is still great and I hope they never touch it. We experienced it 2 times in a row because my son loved it the first go around so much! 4/5
Closing
We once again had a magical trip to our favorite home away from home and taking our 3-year-old little boy made it even better. Nothing can prepare you for seeing your child’s face light up with magic upon seeing their favorite character and this trip was no exception. We didn’t experience a a cast member that was anything short of sweet, gracious and wanting to make our experience as magical as humanely possible and we can’t say thank you enough for that. This was a very character heavy trip but we wouldn’t have had it any other way and we can’t wait to return to the most magical place on earth very soon!
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