I'm not doing a trip report, but wanted to post some thoughts after returning from WDW 10 days ago. We were only there long enough to visit each of the four parks for one day, but we packed in tons of activity from early EMH to near-closing.
Accommodations:
We stayed at POR in the Alligator Bayou section and loved it. It’s a big resort but Bldg 17 was very close and convenient to the food court and park buses. The boat to Disney Springs was so peaceful and lovely. I wish we had more than one night at DS so we could have seen how built up it was by daylight.
Yehaa Bob at River Roost Lounge – what an entertainer! Definitely a repeat for our next trip. Loved the piano on rockers!
Transportation:
Used Magic Express for 1st time in 10 years and found it very convenient – no wait more than 10 minutes. We did not stay for any fireworks in part to avoid the rush but also in part because DD was sick and needed to rest after a long day at the park. On that note, we discovered Turner Drugs delivers to Disney resorts for a nominal fee when our pediatrician had to call in an Rx for an antibiotic for bronchitis for DD! She was a trooper.
Very easy experience with Uber from the Poly to POR one day.
Food:
Tried some new restaurants for the first time and loved them all: Raglan Road (amazing food and entertainment); Trails End (delicious BBQ buffet); Chefs de France; and BOG for lunch (great braised pork and roast beef sandwich, but the tuna nicoise was inedible – they replaced it immediately when my husband said the tuna had turned; we ate in the West Wing which had great ambiance, and it was cool how they know where to bring your food.) Kona Café was a repeat for breakfast for us, and it was fantastic as ever.
We shared a sampler of 6 ice cream flavors at Ample Hills Creamery on the Boardwalk – the flavors were so unique and the ice cream delicious. Great concept.
The beignets were amazing at POFQ and it was a beautiful walk from POR to POFQ.
The Dole Whip cups in Harambe in AK at Tamu Tamu (with Meyers or Malibu rum) are thicker and more like soft-serve sorbet with a stronger pineapple flavor than the pineapple ice cream in the Dole Whip floats at MK. Both were well-enjoyed.
Tried school bread at Norway for the first time and disliked it immensely.
I wanted to decorate my own pretzel at Goofy’s Candy Shop in DS but they no longer have it – you can only design your own caramel apple. Oh well.
Got a yummy chocolate covered pineapple skewer in DHS at sweet shop at the start of the street that leads to TOT and RNRC
Parks:
Found the Magic Bands quite convenient. I thought they might pop off but they stayed on with no problem.
Found FP+ convenient as well even though I was annoyed in advance by the tiers at EPCOT and DHS. My #1 priority at EPCOT was Soarin’ so I had booked FP+s for that, and we ran straight to Frozen at 8am early EMH opening then to Test Track then to Soarin’ without a FP+ before I even started using any of the FP+s I had reserved. When we completed them, I was able to get another FP+ for Test Track, and we also rode Soarin’ again, so the tiers never affected us. Same thing at DHS where we were able to ride Toy Story multiple times, TOT multiple times, and RNRC.
LOVED LOVED LOVED the new Soarin’ – best view is in the top center because there is definitely warping when you see it from the sides. But the new screens and new footage are great.
DD and I had seen the movie Frozen so we loved the new ride at Norway. DH and DS hadn’t so they found the ride boring. We all loved the 7DMT – very smooth and very sweet. Couldn’t get the music out of my head all day! Muppets: Great Moments in History was also adorable and very funny for adults and kids alike.
Wish I could’ve seen Rivers of Light. Sigh.
Stumbled onto a few great shows in the parks – acrobatics in Harambe Marketplace and a capella singers in EPCOT near WS entrance.
Miscellaneous:
According to DH’s fitbit, we walked 45 miles in 5 days! Thank goodness since we ate our way through the trip.
Saw the launch of a NASA satellite from the bus back to POR at around 8pm on 1/20. Neat.
Accommodations:
We stayed at POR in the Alligator Bayou section and loved it. It’s a big resort but Bldg 17 was very close and convenient to the food court and park buses. The boat to Disney Springs was so peaceful and lovely. I wish we had more than one night at DS so we could have seen how built up it was by daylight.
Yehaa Bob at River Roost Lounge – what an entertainer! Definitely a repeat for our next trip. Loved the piano on rockers!
Transportation:
Used Magic Express for 1st time in 10 years and found it very convenient – no wait more than 10 minutes. We did not stay for any fireworks in part to avoid the rush but also in part because DD was sick and needed to rest after a long day at the park. On that note, we discovered Turner Drugs delivers to Disney resorts for a nominal fee when our pediatrician had to call in an Rx for an antibiotic for bronchitis for DD! She was a trooper.
Very easy experience with Uber from the Poly to POR one day.
Food:
Tried some new restaurants for the first time and loved them all: Raglan Road (amazing food and entertainment); Trails End (delicious BBQ buffet); Chefs de France; and BOG for lunch (great braised pork and roast beef sandwich, but the tuna nicoise was inedible – they replaced it immediately when my husband said the tuna had turned; we ate in the West Wing which had great ambiance, and it was cool how they know where to bring your food.) Kona Café was a repeat for breakfast for us, and it was fantastic as ever.
We shared a sampler of 6 ice cream flavors at Ample Hills Creamery on the Boardwalk – the flavors were so unique and the ice cream delicious. Great concept.
The beignets were amazing at POFQ and it was a beautiful walk from POR to POFQ.
The Dole Whip cups in Harambe in AK at Tamu Tamu (with Meyers or Malibu rum) are thicker and more like soft-serve sorbet with a stronger pineapple flavor than the pineapple ice cream in the Dole Whip floats at MK. Both were well-enjoyed.
Tried school bread at Norway for the first time and disliked it immensely.
I wanted to decorate my own pretzel at Goofy’s Candy Shop in DS but they no longer have it – you can only design your own caramel apple. Oh well.
Got a yummy chocolate covered pineapple skewer in DHS at sweet shop at the start of the street that leads to TOT and RNRC
Parks:
Found the Magic Bands quite convenient. I thought they might pop off but they stayed on with no problem.
Found FP+ convenient as well even though I was annoyed in advance by the tiers at EPCOT and DHS. My #1 priority at EPCOT was Soarin’ so I had booked FP+s for that, and we ran straight to Frozen at 8am early EMH opening then to Test Track then to Soarin’ without a FP+ before I even started using any of the FP+s I had reserved. When we completed them, I was able to get another FP+ for Test Track, and we also rode Soarin’ again, so the tiers never affected us. Same thing at DHS where we were able to ride Toy Story multiple times, TOT multiple times, and RNRC.
LOVED LOVED LOVED the new Soarin’ – best view is in the top center because there is definitely warping when you see it from the sides. But the new screens and new footage are great.
DD and I had seen the movie Frozen so we loved the new ride at Norway. DH and DS hadn’t so they found the ride boring. We all loved the 7DMT – very smooth and very sweet. Couldn’t get the music out of my head all day! Muppets: Great Moments in History was also adorable and very funny for adults and kids alike.
Wish I could’ve seen Rivers of Light. Sigh.
Stumbled onto a few great shows in the parks – acrobatics in Harambe Marketplace and a capella singers in EPCOT near WS entrance.
Miscellaneous:
According to DH’s fitbit, we walked 45 miles in 5 days! Thank goodness since we ate our way through the trip.
Saw the launch of a NASA satellite from the bus back to POR at around 8pm on 1/20. Neat.
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Which I thought was fantastic by the way.
