Just back 8/11-18 from Boardwalk

Just returned this afternoon from a week at the Boardwalk (and 3 days prior at Universal-Hard Rock Hotel. We go every time this year, and usually crowds thin as we head deeper into August. This year they increased - I betting because of the Dining Plan, based on how crowded the restaurants were.

We used the airline check-in at Boardwalk to come home - we dropped luggage and picked up boarding passes at the front desk. This worked out great - we headed directly for security when we got to the airport. I would highly recommend this service if your hotel/airline participates.

I'd be happy to answer any questions.

 

[majortom1981]

couple of questions

I am going from the 27 - sept 3.

How were the waits?

Where the restaurants that busy? We already have all our reservations but asking anyway.

Did you do the castle dinner ? If you did how was it?

How was the weather

 

[donnahead]

Waits were longer than usual for this time of year. AT 3:30 in Epcot on a Tourguide Mike "green" day, fastpasts for Soarin, Test Track and Living with the Land were gone by 3:00. From opening until 11:00, lines and crowds were manageable. After that, it was like mid-summer crowds. Even Stitch had a line.

Restaurants were very crowded, even though we ate at "off" times - 4:00 for dinner. With reservations we waited on average 15 minutes for our table. The waiting areas were crammed with people. Several restaurants (at 4:00) were turning people away for walk-in and telling them they had no openings left all week.

We didn't eat at the Castle.

It was very hot (high 90's) - and very little rain to cool things off or empty the parks.

We've been going in mid-August for years, and this was more croweded than we are used to. I think the Dining Plan and Magical Beginnings really increased attendance.

 

[MissDiznee66]

Sounds like a nice vacation being able to stay at the HardRock then the BW, how was it planning? Did you do it through an agent and they did everything? Or did you do it on your own and have to just make 2 separate reservations? I would love to do this one day. How did you get from the HardRock to the BW? Thanks

 

[donnahead]

I did the planning myself - we are DVC members and stay at Boardwalk on points, so there is no reason to use an agent for that. For Hard Rock, I looked at rooms and prices on the Universal Orlando site, and then called to make the actual reservation. They will send confirmation and other info by email, so that was nice, they emailed me a week before we arrived with updated park info. We needed connecting rooms, which we got, and we travelled with two kids with asthma, so they guaranteed us non-smoking rooms, which we also got. The FOTL at Universal spoils you for Disney tho, because you do not wait in any lines to speak of. But three days is more than enough to see everything with FOTL.

I made Boardwalk reservations thru DVC Member Services. We got a rental car at the airport, and drove to Hard Rock, parked there, checked out and drove to Boardwalk, parked there, and then drove it back to the airport. We used the car a few times for the water parks, dinner, etc. But I think you could easily cab it from Hard Rock to Disney (it's about a 10 minute drive). I'm not sure about shuttle services. Some years we also do Discovery Cove, and we do it while we are at the Hard Rock (SeaWorld is between Universal and Disney).

We love both hotels and resort areas - each has something different to offer.