Well, here is a quick report on our family trip down to “The World” last week. It was a party of four adults (me, DW, MIL and her husband). We arrived on the first and departed on the seventh of February.
Yee haw, we’re on our way!
The first outbound leg of our flight from Waco (TX) to DFW was pretty full on an Embraer 51 seat regional jet. I would estimate that it was at 95% capacity. Our next leg, from DFW to MCO was on a widebody (757?) and it wasn’t nearly as full as I would have expected. I would say that conservatively it was at 50% capacity! The flight was smooth and the DW and I each had time to get in a couple of Bloody Maries. We arrived ahead of schedule. I was a little shocked at the condition of the airport on our arrival. The A side gates 1-29 wing was undergoing on-line refurb and was a mess. Temporary HVAC was hanging from a non-existent ceiling, and the lights were jury-rigged with bailing wire to suspend them from the rafters.
After making our way to the center terminal area, we met up with the other half of our party that was flying in from Newport News, Virginia. Their flight was also slightly early, and things were looking really good. We gathered our wits and headed down to our pre-arranged transportation to “The World”.
Not So Magical Express
Well, we made our way downstairs to find the DME. When I saw the crowd there waiting for transportation, my jaw dropped. All I could think about was the posting I had read in a forum that was predicting near death for WDW due to lower than expected early year bookings. I was wishing that those Cassandra’s could see the mass of people waiting to be transported!
I had a little bit of apprehension about this service in the beginning. At the time we booked our package, we already had our flight information since we knew that we would be flying. We weren’t sure about the other half of our party since they could drive it in 12 hours. I found them an excellent fare on Air Tran, so we booked them a flight instead. I added them to the DME about a week after we made our reservations, and included their itinerary. After two weeks passed and I didn’t receive their yellow luggage tags, I contacted WDW reservations and was assured that they were indeed added, but the tags were not required. When I got to the DME counter the confusion began. The lady that tried to help me spoke limited English, and was confused as to why I was insistent that there should be a party of four requiring transportation, instead of a single rider. We finally got that straightened out, and we were off to our 45 minute wait in line to board the DME to POR. We never did receive the package hanging on our door the night before. I was assured that we would have that – one package for each party. Didn’t happen.
Anyway, checking our baggage and getting our return flight check-in and boarding passes went exactly as advertised. Overall rating of the DME experience would be a “B”. Return flights were also very lightly loaded.
Parks and Crowds
We were able to do everything we wanted to, and weren’t put off at all by wait times for any of the attractions. We used FP only once or twice, but overall the lines were exactly as I remembered them being in early February. We tended to visit the parks with morning EMH, and that helped quite a bit. The nuisance crowds (read South American tour groups) typically visited parks with late EMH. For the most popular attractions (i.e. Soarin’ and TSM), the longest posted wait time I witnessed was 50 minutes. The trick seemed to be to stay ahead of the tour groups and always go left when entering a park. The cheer/dance squads weren’t an issue until later in the week. Compared to the obnoxiously noisy SA tour groups, the cheer/dance squads were a pleasure to be around. The parks were clean and well maintained – no observable decline in upkeep. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked.
As far as the late EMH, the CM’s did an excellent job checking for Keys To The World Cards and turning away those that didn’t have them. It was good to see them enforcing the one major benefit you get from staying on the property.
WDW Transportation System
The monorails were operating on a regular schedule, and we managed seats in the front after letting one train pass on our trip from the MK to Poly. Our travel partners (the In Laws) had never experienced that before and got some good pictures.
The boats were on time and seldom packed to full loading. No issues with the waterborne transportation.
The buses ran on a reasonable schedule, and aside from the park closing times we generally had room on the first bus to come by. During park closing we were usually on the next bus, and there was typically no room left at all (standing or seated). The only wait that seemed excessive was on Sunday (the 7th) when we stood and waited for almost 30 minutes to get from DHS to WL for lunch and some light shopping.
Overall, we were al pleased with the transportation system. One thing I did notice was the transitioning from YOAMD to What Will You Celebrate theme. One night, returning from a park closing the spiel announced “can I have your attention please, there is a special someone celebrating a birthday today”. This provoked a general monotone response of “Happy Birthday Special Someone”. The same went for the anniversary announcement and the special princess announcement too. Funny, I only remember hearing it that one evening though. It was a lot of fun – and I won’t admit to being the one who started the monotone response.
Restaurants
With one exception, we were seated promptly after check-in for our ADR’s. The only time we had to wait was on Thursday evening for our reservations at the Crystal Palace in the MK. We were left waiting for almost 45 minutes (outside, in the cold) until called. This was the only place that was obviously overbooked. In many cases, when we checked in as early as 30 minutes before our scheduled time we were immediately seated. The least popular place during our stay appeared to be Hollywood & Vine on Wednesday the 4th. They were only operating half of the facility, and there was plenty of walk-up seating available.
After polling the members of our party, everyone agreed that the best experience overall (food, service, atmosphere) was Boma, and the best TS was Tutto Italia. None were bad, and we would recommend any of the places we ate. As far as CS goes, the hands-down favorite was there at POR. My next favorite was Cosmic Rays Starlight Diner – and yes, Sonny Eclipse was back! I was surprised at how small the CS was at WL, and we were all pretty much discouraged at the CS offerings at DHS. For the first time using the dining plan, I felt that it was worth it. Next time, I may opt for the QS plan though. No worrying with ADRs and crowds. Although all of our TS meals were dinners, the only one with characters was at CP (Pooh, Tigger, Piglet & Eoore). I thought that all of the buffets had characters, but I guess only a select few do?
T.S. Restaurants visited – Kona Café (Poly), Boma (AKL), Tutto Italia (EPCOT), Hollywood & Vine (DHS), Crystal Palace (MK) and Les Chefs de France (EPCOT).
C.S. Restaurants visited – Cosmic Rays, Flame Tree, Roaring Forks, Riverside Mill, ABC Commissary, Cantina de San Angel and Sunshine Seasons Food Court.
Cast Members
Almost every CM we met made it a point to wish the one person in our party a happy birthday (easily identified by the button given at check-in). Almost all seemed cheerful and willing to help. The only issue we had was with a ride operator on IASW. On our second visit to the ride, we requested two sets of seats. Our first ride with four was uncomfortable. We were assigned the last seat, and due to the curvature of the boat, it was smaller than the other seats. The eldest member of the party was 6’6” and he has a bad knee (must remain slightly extended). None of our party would be considered “overly large”, or “portly”. When we asked for two separate benches, the CM ignored us and curtly repeated “Row 1!”. So, once we determined that the very first seat was also smaller than the rest, we sent the ILs on the first boat that came by, and we caught the next one. Other than this one incident, I didn’t see any evidence of morale issues or reduced staffing.
Lodging
Our room at POR was in Alligator Bend, building 27. It wasn’t too bad of a stroll to the bus stop or the main lodge. We had a first floor room, and it was adequate – if a little small for four adults. I would equate it to a room at a newer chain hotel such as a Best Western or Holiday Inn Express. All was in working order and good repair, just not up to the rooms you could book for the same price off-site. We were not visited by any of the towel animals – a disappointment for the birthday girl (DW). All in all, the lodging was adequate. I would recommend the POR if anyone were to ask. The amenities and location make it a slight improvement over the value lodging.
Yee haw, we’re on our way!
The first outbound leg of our flight from Waco (TX) to DFW was pretty full on an Embraer 51 seat regional jet. I would estimate that it was at 95% capacity. Our next leg, from DFW to MCO was on a widebody (757?) and it wasn’t nearly as full as I would have expected. I would say that conservatively it was at 50% capacity! The flight was smooth and the DW and I each had time to get in a couple of Bloody Maries. We arrived ahead of schedule. I was a little shocked at the condition of the airport on our arrival. The A side gates 1-29 wing was undergoing on-line refurb and was a mess. Temporary HVAC was hanging from a non-existent ceiling, and the lights were jury-rigged with bailing wire to suspend them from the rafters.
After making our way to the center terminal area, we met up with the other half of our party that was flying in from Newport News, Virginia. Their flight was also slightly early, and things were looking really good. We gathered our wits and headed down to our pre-arranged transportation to “The World”.
Not So Magical Express
Well, we made our way downstairs to find the DME. When I saw the crowd there waiting for transportation, my jaw dropped. All I could think about was the posting I had read in a forum that was predicting near death for WDW due to lower than expected early year bookings. I was wishing that those Cassandra’s could see the mass of people waiting to be transported!
I had a little bit of apprehension about this service in the beginning. At the time we booked our package, we already had our flight information since we knew that we would be flying. We weren’t sure about the other half of our party since they could drive it in 12 hours. I found them an excellent fare on Air Tran, so we booked them a flight instead. I added them to the DME about a week after we made our reservations, and included their itinerary. After two weeks passed and I didn’t receive their yellow luggage tags, I contacted WDW reservations and was assured that they were indeed added, but the tags were not required. When I got to the DME counter the confusion began. The lady that tried to help me spoke limited English, and was confused as to why I was insistent that there should be a party of four requiring transportation, instead of a single rider. We finally got that straightened out, and we were off to our 45 minute wait in line to board the DME to POR. We never did receive the package hanging on our door the night before. I was assured that we would have that – one package for each party. Didn’t happen.
Anyway, checking our baggage and getting our return flight check-in and boarding passes went exactly as advertised. Overall rating of the DME experience would be a “B”. Return flights were also very lightly loaded.
Parks and Crowds
We were able to do everything we wanted to, and weren’t put off at all by wait times for any of the attractions. We used FP only once or twice, but overall the lines were exactly as I remembered them being in early February. We tended to visit the parks with morning EMH, and that helped quite a bit. The nuisance crowds (read South American tour groups) typically visited parks with late EMH. For the most popular attractions (i.e. Soarin’ and TSM), the longest posted wait time I witnessed was 50 minutes. The trick seemed to be to stay ahead of the tour groups and always go left when entering a park. The cheer/dance squads weren’t an issue until later in the week. Compared to the obnoxiously noisy SA tour groups, the cheer/dance squads were a pleasure to be around. The parks were clean and well maintained – no observable decline in upkeep. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked.
As far as the late EMH, the CM’s did an excellent job checking for Keys To The World Cards and turning away those that didn’t have them. It was good to see them enforcing the one major benefit you get from staying on the property.
WDW Transportation System
The monorails were operating on a regular schedule, and we managed seats in the front after letting one train pass on our trip from the MK to Poly. Our travel partners (the In Laws) had never experienced that before and got some good pictures.
The boats were on time and seldom packed to full loading. No issues with the waterborne transportation.
The buses ran on a reasonable schedule, and aside from the park closing times we generally had room on the first bus to come by. During park closing we were usually on the next bus, and there was typically no room left at all (standing or seated). The only wait that seemed excessive was on Sunday (the 7th) when we stood and waited for almost 30 minutes to get from DHS to WL for lunch and some light shopping.
Overall, we were al pleased with the transportation system. One thing I did notice was the transitioning from YOAMD to What Will You Celebrate theme. One night, returning from a park closing the spiel announced “can I have your attention please, there is a special someone celebrating a birthday today”. This provoked a general monotone response of “Happy Birthday Special Someone”. The same went for the anniversary announcement and the special princess announcement too. Funny, I only remember hearing it that one evening though. It was a lot of fun – and I won’t admit to being the one who started the monotone response.
Restaurants
With one exception, we were seated promptly after check-in for our ADR’s. The only time we had to wait was on Thursday evening for our reservations at the Crystal Palace in the MK. We were left waiting for almost 45 minutes (outside, in the cold) until called. This was the only place that was obviously overbooked. In many cases, when we checked in as early as 30 minutes before our scheduled time we were immediately seated. The least popular place during our stay appeared to be Hollywood & Vine on Wednesday the 4th. They were only operating half of the facility, and there was plenty of walk-up seating available.
After polling the members of our party, everyone agreed that the best experience overall (food, service, atmosphere) was Boma, and the best TS was Tutto Italia. None were bad, and we would recommend any of the places we ate. As far as CS goes, the hands-down favorite was there at POR. My next favorite was Cosmic Rays Starlight Diner – and yes, Sonny Eclipse was back! I was surprised at how small the CS was at WL, and we were all pretty much discouraged at the CS offerings at DHS. For the first time using the dining plan, I felt that it was worth it. Next time, I may opt for the QS plan though. No worrying with ADRs and crowds. Although all of our TS meals were dinners, the only one with characters was at CP (Pooh, Tigger, Piglet & Eoore). I thought that all of the buffets had characters, but I guess only a select few do?
T.S. Restaurants visited – Kona Café (Poly), Boma (AKL), Tutto Italia (EPCOT), Hollywood & Vine (DHS), Crystal Palace (MK) and Les Chefs de France (EPCOT).
C.S. Restaurants visited – Cosmic Rays, Flame Tree, Roaring Forks, Riverside Mill, ABC Commissary, Cantina de San Angel and Sunshine Seasons Food Court.
Cast Members
Almost every CM we met made it a point to wish the one person in our party a happy birthday (easily identified by the button given at check-in). Almost all seemed cheerful and willing to help. The only issue we had was with a ride operator on IASW. On our second visit to the ride, we requested two sets of seats. Our first ride with four was uncomfortable. We were assigned the last seat, and due to the curvature of the boat, it was smaller than the other seats. The eldest member of the party was 6’6” and he has a bad knee (must remain slightly extended). None of our party would be considered “overly large”, or “portly”. When we asked for two separate benches, the CM ignored us and curtly repeated “Row 1!”. So, once we determined that the very first seat was also smaller than the rest, we sent the ILs on the first boat that came by, and we caught the next one. Other than this one incident, I didn’t see any evidence of morale issues or reduced staffing.
Lodging
Our room at POR was in Alligator Bend, building 27. It wasn’t too bad of a stroll to the bus stop or the main lodge. We had a first floor room, and it was adequate – if a little small for four adults. I would equate it to a room at a newer chain hotel such as a Best Western or Holiday Inn Express. All was in working order and good repair, just not up to the rooms you could book for the same price off-site. We were not visited by any of the towel animals – a disappointment for the birthday girl (DW). All in all, the lodging was adequate. I would recommend the POR if anyone were to ask. The amenities and location make it a slight improvement over the value lodging.
