May the Force Be With Us: A Family Trip Report Summer 2021

Look at those smiles!:smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

4 Likes

Thanks I’ve gained 30 lbs but I think the fat has just replaced the lost collagen. So win? Lol

3 Likes

If this post drags on or gets off topic feel free to move it, it just brought back memories for me.

Anyone with kids traveling with younger ones may have challenging times here and there. Still, when my friend said why did you do want to travel with the kids that young, they won’t even remember, I say no kidding it’s for me, not them. That being said the last time I traveled with a younger child to Disney was way back in 1997. I went many times since, I just didn’t take the little ones after that.

I’ll never forget letting go of my daughters hand for a second, turning around while we were in the Christmas store and my heart sank, it was one of the worst 2 minutes of my life to that point. The kid was gone. I was frantic for that 2 minutes(possibly it was 30 seconds felt like a year) until realized she was siting playing with a Santa not 5 feet from me. In that moment I just didn’t look low. I was scared out of my mind and still a younger parent, though it was my second child. I didn’t yell, but when I picked her up my look must of scared the heck out of her. She started crying and it was a pretty big melt down. Would I bring her again, in a heart beat. It turns out I didn’t return with kids for many years though.

Flash forward about 20 years and my youngest daughter kept saying my sisters and brothers went to Disney why not me, you promised, when do I get to go. By this time the twins were 16. Me being dad and finding it tough to say no to my youngest girl(there is a 19 year age difference youngest twins to the oldest)I relented. I booked the typical 2 week dream vacation, stayed on property, the whole nine yards. Once we arrived I made the twins do all the little kids stuff(of course I had everything reserved and planned way ahead of time, they didn’t know that). We did three different character meals, stood in line for the character greets, things most teens would probably roll their eyes at, We also did the Hoop De Doo - twice, the Polynesian show, both versions at that time, etc, etc. My twins love Disney so they didn’t complain one bit. They joined in the character meals with the little kids and at Chef Mickeys my daughter led the parade just behind the characters leading all the small kids through the restaurant. The smaller kids gravitated toward my older twins, it was fun stuff. I am so lucky the twins didn’t act like some of their older brothers and sisters would of, they definitely would not have been happy to be at these things at that age.

As this particular meal was happening and the kids were parading around I remember thinking in that moment, I blew it. Why didn’t I take these kids when they were younger. I made a mistake holding off so long.

My thoughts on parents bringing little kids, if you are thinking about it and going back and forth rather than a firm no, just do it. The good outweighs the bad, then go back when they are older too!

That trip in 2018 led me to buying a little vacation home 6 minutes from AK’s door. It’s not the greatest thing(it is a 3 bed 3 bath on a pond though). It’s not on property and it’s a bit basic, but it was easy to convince my wife to buy it when she saw what we spent on that 2 week dream vacation. She was shocked. 8 months of payments and costs at the new place is what we spent in 16 days onsite going all out.

The newest issue is the kids asking if they can go down without mom and dad and the answer is nope. As long as I can I am holding out for them to go to Disney at least one or two more times so mom and dad can enjoy them as kids. I think I may be trying to get back what I lost by not bringing them when they were little. Just to see a hint of that gleam in their eyes of wonder one more time that the smaller kids get I guess is what I am after. Most parents know what I am talking about, parents that take their small kids to Disney even more so. With the twins pushing 20 already I am not sure how much longer I have a chance. I am still hoping for them to do a character Dinner next trip!

17 Likes


1st ride of 1st time at WDW. 4 years later, and he swears that he will never ride it again! LOL
(FYI - he was trying to crawl out of the boat so I had a grip to keep him in)

11 Likes

I laughed at both the picture and your username! And read it in Ray’s voice of course.

3 Likes

TRIP RETROSPECTIVE

PART 2

Quick Service Restaurants

Our experience at Quick Service restaurants was largely good, though some were certainly better than others. My universal complaint is that they need more seating, especially covered tables for when it rains. Mobile Order works great, but I recommend placing your order by 9 or 10am so you can reserve a good return time. We generally ate at 11am to beat the lunch rush on tables and avoid longer MO lines. If possible, send a scout ahead of your party to secure a table.

They have GPS location restrictions on when you can say “I’m here,” and I wouldn’t recommend pushing it until you can physically walk up within a minute or two, but keep in mind that you may have to wait longer at more in-demand locations - they don’t prepare your order until you push “I’m here.”

Reviews are listed from least favorite to favorite. I included a link to the post in the thread above where I begin to discuss the meal in more detail.

Mel’s Diner (USF)
Comments: The food here was very mediocre - not gross, but not good. It did the job of filling us up, and we were able to get away from the heat for an hour, but there are so many better places to get food. The brisket burger was just too much for me. I had to take off the gouda and only ate about half the burger, it was so greasy. It tasted fine though. The “chocolate shakes” were basically Wendy’s frosties, but not as good. I really like a good shake, so I was disappointed. I thought they’d have good shakes at a diner, but nope. The best thing was the onion rings, which were exactly what you’d expect from a diner. The fries were good too, which, along with the frosties, kept my kids happy. But overall, I’d definitely say skip this one.

Contempo Cafe (Contemporary)
Comments: I was not a fan of the spicy chicken sandwich - it was fine, but I didn’t finish it. I think the rest of my family enjoyed what they ordered. The Mickey waffles that my DDs got for breakfast looked good, so maybe I’d lean toward recommending this one for breakfast only. It was a great location to sit and watch the monorail go by. A nice retreat from the heat of the park. But only go if it’s convenient (i.e., you’re staying in the Contemporary or want to visit on the monorail for fun).

The Mara (AKL-Jambo)
Comments: The food was serviceable, but not great. The best item was the falafel, pita, and hummus. I’m very much a meat-eater, so that is unusual for me to say. The location is nice, wasn’t too busy (since Jambo isn’t officially open), and was air conditioned. I recommend only if you are staying at Jambo and need a convenient option.

Flame Tree BBQ (AK)
Comments: It’s a testament to how good the other quick service locations were that this one is so far down on our list. For a theme park, you wouldn’t expect such good barbecue, but it was great. Not stellar, mind you, but great. As you can see in the linked post, we crowded all 8 of us around one small circular table, but later found there was more seating on the lower terrace. IIRC, this was one of the multiple locations where a DD spilled her chocolate milk all over the table. :joy:

Yak & Yeti (AK)
Comments: The food here is excellent - very similar to Pei Wei (quick service version of P.F. Chang’s - nice fast casual Asian fusion chain). The tempura shrimp was the best dish we tried. I got the honey chicken and it was good, but not as flavorful as the Pei Wei version. The only thing the kids would eat here was french fries. :man_shrugging: They are super picky though - they don’t even like chicken nuggets - so don’t use us as a benchmark.

Whakawaiwai Eats (VB)
Comments: We ordered through the app for delivery to our premium seating - this is only available to those who pay for premium seating or cabanas. The longboard pizzas were fantastic. We got one pepperoni, one cheese, and one Hawaiian. The cheese was a hit with the kids, the pepperoni was solid, and the Hawaiian was our favorite. It had diced jalapeno, so it was spicier than I was expecting, and not in a way that you could easily remove it, just FYI. The “chocolate shakes” were the same as Mel’s Diner - Wendy’s Frosty style. I take it all UOR shakes are that way.

Docking Bay 7 (HS)
Comments: We ate here twice, so obviously we loved it. The pot roast was delicious, but the serving was small. The ribs were good and you get a lot more meat, so I ordered it both times. I loved the mac and cheese, DBIL liked the blueberry muffin. The kids liked the mac & cheese, tip yip (basically a giant McDonald’s chicken nugget), and pasta with no sauce. You can bring in a Ronto Wrap from next door if you order separately - those are also good, though I think the pork is unnecessary - the sausage is the best part. Moof Juice was probably my second favorite beverage in the land, after blue milk. I definitely recommend trying DB7. Note that you have to make a mobile order (remember to order in advance that morning!), confirm you are there, and then they will let you into the restaurant and seat you when your food is ready - they will assign your table. This is a different procedure from most other QS restaurants, which are generally a free-for-all. I wish it was more common.

Sleepy Hollow (MK)
Comments: I was not impressed with the offerings at most QS in MK, so we opted to go here twice. The hand-dipped corn dogs are excellent. The spicy chicken waffle was divine. Seating is the only rub - try the picnic tables behind the Christmas Shop if you can’t find a spot. Also they are very stingy with their straws. That is common at WDW - I get the switch to paper straws, but can they actually give them to us, please?! One of the times they were fresh out so I had to go to another QS location nearby to get them. Often they’d give us only half as many straws as beverages because they assumed we didn’t need them for chocolate milks. Whoever came up with that obviously doesn’t have kids.

Pizza Window (Boardwalk)
Comments: Honestly, this was my favorite pizza of the trip. Solid, regular old pepperoni pizza. The crust was fluffy, lots of cheese, pepperoni was good. I even had a slice of the cheese pizza we got for the kids, which is a good sign that the cheese is high quality. Incidentally, also the cheapest meal of the trip, at $44 for 8 people, with leftovers. :smile: You have to wait at least 15-20 minutes for a pizza at non-busy times. Probably more during the evening rush. I saw a lot of dads there ordering a pizza to take back to their family swimming at Stormalong Bay, or back to their villa (like I did). There isn’t a lot of seating so don’t expect to eat there. If you’re not staying in the area, I recommend trying another option.

Chicken Guy (DS)
Comments: I love fried chicken so this one gets high marks from me. The breading is thin, and almost like panko or a baked style. The tenders are thin so you get the maximum amount of crispness. The star of the show is the sauces. My favorite was the Nashville Hot Honey. The sweet and sour was also great. It was fun just to try different ones, even if they weren’t my favorite. You get 2 sauce types with each order, plus you can add on more sauces for $0.50 each. I didn’t see the “Sauce Slinger” while I was there, so not sure that is still a thing. You can either mobile order to skip the line (you can google it or use the QR code at the entrance) or wait and order in person. The only downside is that you have to be in DS, which is purgatory right now. There is very limited indoor seating, and the outdoor seating is uncovered. We ended up eating on a bench in a covered area. Go on a weekday to minimize the crowds, or use Uber Eats or Postmates to deliver.

Three Broomsticks (IoA)
Comments: My big complaint about Three Broomsticks was the 45 minute wait to get in at 11am. But everything else about the experience was fantastic. In fact, even the wait made us appreciate it more (though I will never do that again). The wait is much shorter at dinner and seems to get shorter the later you go, even during the typical “dinner rush” hour (6pm). The frozen butterbeer was our favorite treat / beverage - we all ordered one both times we ate there. The roasted chicken was my go-to - the corn on the cob and potato sides were excellent. But it seems the real star is the fish and chips, which the other adults in my party ordered both times. The ambiance in the restaurant was fantastic. I loved noticing the details of the construction, and listening to the soundtrack from various Harry Potter movies as we dined. It was blessedly cool. Note that you can ask to be seated outside, but by the time they ask, you’ve already waited in the huge outdoor line so you of course will want to be inside. They need to ask that earlier to reduce the wait for everyone - almost no one was eating outside, but if they had asked us at the beginning of the 45 minute wait, we would have - the tables were shaded under fans.

Final thought: I told my family that my conception of what is “expensive” completely changed throughout the course of my vacation. I’ll just say I had to let go of my miserly inhibitions for these two weeks. :slight_smile:

23 Likes

I love the way you have linked back to your report. Genius.

9 Likes

I concur. I will usually take it off. Docking Bay 7 ranks pretty high with me. I also love Sleepy Hollow, but mostly the waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. We ate at Flame Tree in April and it was just okay. Maybe I didn’t order the right thing. But Satuli was fantastic! I would much prefer to eat there than Flame Tree. DD18 thought it was the best food we had on that trip.

I’m still just bummed that you’re not still at Disney! :cry: I guess you had to go home sometime. :joy:

6 Likes

TRIP RETROSPECTIVE

PART 3

COVID Impacts

Masks

Throughout the pandemic, I have been a vocal proponent of masking and limiting social interactions. I have been supportive of Disney’s safety protocols from the very beginning, which, while not perfect, have allowed the parks to continue to operate despite the global pandemic. Since the vaccines were approved, I have advocated for vaccination, which is the single greatest tool to combat and even end the pandemic.

I am compliant with rules by nature. We were always very careful to follow the guidelines as posted or instructed by cast members. I would not want to make any CM’s life more difficult.

All that said, we were very relieved to hear last month that masks would no longer be required outdoors, in accordance with evidence-based guidance from regulatory authorities. Wearing masks outdoors in the Florida heat is not fun, and even indoors can get old fast. With the oppressive heat and humidity, we were always weighing the trade-off between outdoors with no mask, or indoors with one.

I have been watching the COVID numbers and I think we’re finally getting to a point where vaccination is high enough and infections are low enough that I personally (being vaccinated with children who are at low risk) would be comfortable removing remaining restrictions, including indoor mask requirements, in the next couple of weeks. I understand not everyone will feel that way. I’m not saying it is my decision, just saying that if I had an upcoming trip planned, I would not be opposed with removing indoor mask requirements and would not voluntarily wear one or have my children wear them if that were to occur.

I came back to work today and found that masking is no longer happening in my office or in restaurants I frequent (my company is relatively progressive and the office is located in a more liberal part of town), so it seems many people are feeling comfortable with lifting restrictions. I hope whatever Disney does, they advertise it in advance so families can make the necessary arrangements depending on their comfort level.

Other Measures

Plexiglass or other clear plastic barriers were still around in some queues and ride vehicles. It was most disruptive in Frozen Ever After, Rise of the Resistance, and Kilimanjaro Safaris. Given the latest evidence that plexiglass is at best unnecessary and at worst, counterproductive, they should remove it.

Spacing between parties in lines was non-existent. While there were still markings, no CMs were making any attempt to enforce except in very specific places (such as the outdoor Milk Stand queue in SWGE :thinking: ) with no rhyme or reason. Most rides were loading every row, and in some cases, single rider lines have returned (e.g., Hagrid’s at UOR).

Most indoor and outdoor theaters had some sort of distancing protocol, but in the case of Frozen Singalong, they started to backfill empty rows close to show time so it was essentially pre-pandemic seating. It all seemed very ad-hoc and, pardon the pun, theatrical.

There was some spacing between tables for indoor dining, and sometimes tables were still marked “unavailable” to promote distancing, but most places seemed back to normal. If you are concerned, definitely request an outdoor table.

Mobile Order, which was around pre-pandemic but expanded much more rapidly than it might have, was fantastic. They need to add it to the remaining quick service and food cart locations. Just keep in mind you may not be able to get an immediate return window and may still have to wait nearby to be called.

I talked to my wife and we both agreed that the restriction we loathed the most was waiting in line to get into shops. This seemed unnecessary - the only shops that ever had a line were also the largest ones where I never felt cramped pre-pandemic. World of Disney in DS is a good example - the store is gigantic, and had like 30 doors marked “exit only,” forcing all the crowds together into one line instead of keeping people dispersed. Most people just pop in and out of that store anyway. I understand why they implemented it originally, but it’s probably time to “let it go.”

As for the difference between UOR and Disney, while we were there, the protocols were about the same (we left UOR just before the change in mask policy), but UOR felt worse because of the crowds packed in tight areas, especially Hogsmeade. Also, UOR packed their buses with standing room only passengers. Disney still had partitions between parties and limited capacity on their buses for the duration of our trip.

Offerings

There was so much to do, we felt no lack of attractions or entertainment. I was actually relieved to not have to worry about getting my kids to meet and greets or keeping them out late for nighttime shows. It would have been cool to see fireworks from our hotel room at BLT, though.

The cavalcades were much better than parades. You didn’t have to stake out a spot or commit any time whatsoever to watching them. They happened about every 20 minutes throughout the day. If I were in charge, I’d keep the cavalcades and cancel any future parades, except maybe a nighttime one like Paint the Night, Main Street Electrical, etc.

The biggest disappointment was that they pushed back the opening of Ratatouille. That seemed just cruel on Disney’s part. It wasn’t something I personally was super looking forward to, and honestly it would have been tight to fit it in, but why not open something that is completely ready to go? We all know why, and it has nothing to do with the guests. Honestly, they should have used last summer to expedite Tron and GotG, not push them back further. UOR did it right with Velocicoaster.

Crowds

I could discern no difference between the number of people at WDW / UOR this trip compared to previous trips. There were tons of people. Everywhere. (Well, the only exception was at Jambo, which isn’t officially open yet.) Len said on the Disney Dish that they estimate capacity is currently at 42%, but that is probably normal for this time of year anyway (they only approach 100% on Christmas and New Year’s, etc.). Len also mentioned that crowd levels are showing 1s and 2s into June because crowd levels are based on wait times, not number of people, and wait times are way lower than usual because of the lack of fastpass (which uses 90+% of capacity on most attractions, inflating standby wait times).

Here were the actual crowd levels for our dates:

image

Lines - Disney

Almost all our waits were less than 30 minutes. Rides like Dumbo, Triceratops Spin, Spaceship Earth, etc. were 5-10 minutes most times of day. Most dark rides were 10-20 minutes. Headliners were walk-on to 20 minutes during the pre-park opening period, but were more like 40-50 minutes later in the day. Even FoP was like 44 minutes in the afternoon, much better than the 180 minute waits it commanded in pre-pandemic summers. Looking back through my notes, none of our actual WDW wait times was longer than 50 minutes (as opposed to posted, which was sometimes longer), or if I missed one, it was very close to that. Space Mountain was 47 minutes - I think that was the longest.

Planning and executing was much simpler and less stressful without FPP. If they ever reintroduce something, I hope it is only used for the headliners, as it is (was) in Disneyland. You don’t need FPP for high-capacity or less popular rides like Dumbo or It’s a Small World or even Pirates of the Caribbean. It would have been nice to have FPP for Space Mountain, FoP, SDD, and a handful of others. Anything where the wait is under 30 minutes, I’d prefer to leave it standby only. FPP never completely eradicated waiting anyway - you always had to wait 5-10 minutes or more depending on the loading patterns, so you’re really not saving much on the rides with shorter standby waits anyway - you’re just making the standby line much longer than it needs to be.

Instead, Disney should invest the money they were going to spend on the IT for an FP replacement system and build MORE SHADE (and/or indoor AC) for the queues. 30-40 min is tolerable if you’re moving swiftly and are in the shade. (While I’m at it, can I recommend a gosh darn canopy for the 37-foot of outdoor portion of Test Track?!?!? Rain delays = :weary:. Did anyone check the climate before building in Orlando?)

Lines - UOR

At Universal, Express Passes through HRH were absolutely essential, especially since we had little kids requiring extra time for rider swap. We only had to worry about waiting in line for Hagrid’s (generally 40-60 minutes upon reporting to the queue with a Virtual Line Pass - at 81 min, our second time riding was our longest wait of the trip due to downtime), Ollivander’s (which I recommend rope dropping to secure a return time - only need one person in line), and Velocicoaster (we waited 37 min in the afternoon - watch the app since it can fluctuate throughout the day). (Also Pteranodon Flyers, but we didn’t end up going on that.)

At Volcano Bay, as I mentioned up above, the add-on Express Pass would have been great if I had bought my tickets and EP at the same time so they were already linked to each guest profile (which would then link automatically to your Tapu Tapu upon entry through the tapstiles). If you have to go to the Concierge Desk in the morning of your VB day to have tickets linked to profiles, you will waste way more time than EP is worth, unfortunately. Also, buy EP ASAP (once you have a firm date - not transferable, except perhaps in person with Guest Services, I assume). You can get the basic VB EP (which is good for one ride on most rides except the body slides) for like $20 if you buy 2-3 months in advance ($40 for the EP Plus, which is good for one ride on all slides), whereas it goes up to $80 or more for basic within weeks of your date.

21 Likes

I don’t like the dividers in Living with the Land either. The non hard ones are worse because they are not truly clear and obstruct your view even more. And yes agreed. It’s seems like it creates less airflow? So why?

Also agree with building more shade and misting ventilation or some such to cool off in lines. So many places without proper sun coverage and it’s HOT

5 Likes

Really appreciate your thoughtful and detailed retrospective so far (hope there’s more?). Such useful information.

3 Likes

TRIP RETROSPECTIVE

PART 4

Accommodations

We loved all four hotels we stayed at and would stay again in the future. But there were some features that were better than others at each. I’ll give a rundown of the pros and cons of each hotel. I won’t attempt to rank them since they were all Deluxe in the best sense of the word. We stayed at 3 2BR villas (AKL-Jambo, BCV, and BLT) and one set of regular rooms (HRH).

Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House

Of the three 2BR villas we tried, this one (a lock-off) felt the most cramped. However, not knowing any better, that didn’t bother us. DS enjoyed having a sleeper chair separate from DBIL’s sleeper couch (which they had to share at BCV). The beds were comfortable. Water pressure in the shower was great - I was surprised because TP always says water pressure is mediocre at Disney resorts, but I found that not to be the case. It was actually better than at home.

We did NOT have a savanna view, but I’m glad we saved the money because we wouldn’t have used it very much. It was easy enough to walk downstairs and go out to the lookout areas, and we didn’t spend much time in our villa anyway.

The decor and theming was really spectacular, especially in the lobby. One thing I that was a tad off-putting, however, was walking between Kidani and Jambo. The resort is SO big, and the buildings on the Kidani side especially look sort of industrial from the walking path. The opposite of immersive.

Sanaa was one of the best meals of our trip. It was worth it to stay at AKL to be nearby to AK and Sanaa, which made our first AK day quite convenient (despite almost being late for our ADR!). The Mara, however, was a mediocre. They need to up their game.

The Uzima Pool was great, especially since there were so few people at Jambo. The slide was just the right size for DS to start out the trip on - very tame. The hot tubs were pretty full though. There are two, and one is much smaller than the other. They show movies on a screen near the pool in the evening.

Hard Rock Hotel

This was the only time on the trip where we did not have laundry or a kitchen. However, with only three nights, that worked out fine. The rooms were spacious and the beds were comfortable. My only complaint was that the pillows were very thick. The DDs ended up sleeping with their heads directly on the bed. At home, my pillow is quite thin by design - my neck aches in the morning if my head is too elevated, and I can’t breathe if there is too much fluff over my mouth or nose. But there are worse problems to have!

The resort wasn’t too sprawling so it was convenient to get to the lobby, pool, restaurants, etc. And the access to the parks can’t be beat. I would never stay at Portofino or Sapphire Falls (with kids / on a tight schedule) because the distances beyond Royal Pacific / Hard Rock were prohibitive for walking, IMO. Book HRH early so you can get the AP rate! It is worth the savings to get an AP for one member of your party! I got a Seasonal AP, which was valid for my dates, but even if you have to get all the bells and whistles, it is still worth it for the savings. Plus, you get Express Pass included at premier hotels! Great deal.

Food options in the hotel were good. We tried the Kitchen. We didn’t make it to the marketplace / quick service, but it had breakfast items, pizza, and ice cream.

The pool was one of the kids’ favorites. There was a zero entry area with sand, a water slide, and plenty of space to spread out.

Beach Club Villas

This resort felt like home to us. That was good cause we were there for 7 nights! It was spacious, comfortable, and close to the action. Since we spent so much time at HS and Epcot, it was the perfect location for us. The only thing I would change is open the Epcot Skyliner line in the morning so we could rope drop HS!

The beds at BCV were the most comfortable, I’d say. The water pressure in the showers was great. The kitchen was the perfect size and had all the amenities we needed.

Stormalong Bay was epic. The water slide was just thrilling enough to be fun for me to do multiple times. DS was never brave enough to try it, but the kids loved the sand pool and lazy river enough that it didn’t matter. The hot tub was never too crowded while we were there.

I definitely recommend visiting SAB in the evening. It was never too crowded (no wait to get in) after 7pm. I was told 11am-2pm was peak and it slows down after 5pm. Much better to be at the pool when the sun was down so we didn’t have to worry about reapplying sunscreen and shielding our lingering burns from our VB day.

My one complaint about BCV is that it is so sprawling. We did not get a room anywhere near where we requested. It was quite the hike to get anywhere - I think we timed 7 minutes to the bus stop. Probably 10-12 minutes to get to SAB or International Gateway.

There are so many good food options at BC/YC/Boardwalk that you could never tire of them all. Walking down to SAB we were always lured by the smells from Cape May’s Cafe. We didn’t even get to try anything besides Ale & Compass and the Pizza Window at Boardwalk. Not to mention you have Epcot next door.

I’m fairly certain we will be back to BCV someday.

Bay Lake Tower

By far the poshest room we set foot in was the 2BR villa at BLT, complete with a magnificent theme park view. We didn’t get a high floor as I requested (we were on the 4th), but we did get the side of the building I wanted. The height ended up being perfect, actually. Any higher and I fear things would seem even further away.

The rooms were very classy. It seemed a little more business-like. Not in a bad way, although it wasn’t as welcoming a feel as BCV. It was very roomy and DS appreciated having the sleeper chair again (at BCV there was not an extra sleeping surface).

This was the only hotel where the water pressure was not as good as my home. That’s probably the biggest complaint I have about it.

We didn’t get a chance to try the pool, but it looked great. I didn’t realize that there was a separate lobby in BLT until check-out, which would have been helpful to know when we were bringing our bags down to bell services that morning! Oh well. :slight_smile:

I didn’t love the food at Contempo Cafe, but the ambiance was striking. I loved eating by the monorail.

There was sometimes a line for the elevators, so having a stroller was a nuisance. Being able to walk or (at less busy times) hop on the monorail was a great perk. When I’m in a rush, I prefer to have the timing in my control, so we always walked if we had a schedule to keep.

Overall, one night at BLT was about right for our trip, especially given that price tag. (I’ve already written it off in my mind so I’m going to pretend we didn’t actually pay that. :joy:)

Thoughts on a Split Stay

We didn’t go into this trip planning to stay at four resorts. And in retrospect, it would have been much simpler to consolidate to 1 or 2. However, because of the nature of the way our trip ballooned from 7-14 nights, that’s the way it happened.

Since our trip was 2 weeks, it was nice to break it up a bit and the split stay was doable. I was glad we had the chance to stay at each of these hotels to try them out, especially since we are considering buying DVC. Honestly, moving was fairly convenient, other than the ~2-3 hours of packing each time! I’m sure DW (who bears the brunt of packing the kids’ stuff) could have done without that.

However, in the future, I think we will arrive in Orlando and go straight to UOR for 2-3 nights, then transfer to whatever hotel we want to stay at in the Disney bubble and stay put for the duration (I would never end my stay at UOR! What a letdown. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:).

Now that I have a better idea about what we like and don’t like, we can make a more informed decision, so I don’t think any of the effort was wasted. We have no regrets.

26 Likes

Whether you hope it or not, there is! :joy: I know not everyone will be interested in my essays, but I want to make sure I record all this while it’s fresh and keep it tucked away for next time. Maybe someone else will benefit as well.

11 Likes

Thank you for the report and follow up! It does make me sad when I hear how Covid has changed the Mara. I hope you are able to go to it again once all of this is just a bad memory!

3 Likes

Thank you for the report.

It confirms the method we use when having a trip with a vist to UOR and WDW. I have always done UOR first and then “enter the bubble” of WDW for the rest of the trip.

I love a lot of the attractions at UOR, but it always seems less than WDW to me. That is why we always do it first so we end our trip on the high in WDW.

Your assessment of HRH is also online with our thoughts as well. I did do one trip at Royal Pacific, but HRH is our favourite for comfort and accessibility to the parks…and also an awesome pool.

I can relate and have conviently forgot the cost to stay at BLT. We stayed the opening year in a 2BR as well, but the cost was insane. The biggest benefit I had with staying at BLT is that we forgot a load of laundry in the washer. The hotel staff boxed it up and shipped it home for us. We did not even have to ask for them to do this. They just shipped it all the way to Canada.

BCV is on my list of places to stay, someday I will learn the tricks of the trade and get a resonable rate.

Thanks again.

4 Likes

TRIP RETROSPECTIVE

PART 5

Attractions

This was our first trip where our kids were excited and open to riding thrill rides. We had to coax them very carefully to ride one or two on our last trip to Disneyland in May 2019. Even DD4 proved herself to be a little daredevil! I think by our next trip, DS will be tall enough to try the remaining rides he missed this time (if not brave enough to try the UOR roller coasters!). And maybe DD2 will even be able to join her older siblings on Splash Mountain and Big Thunder.

Here are our favorite attractions:

Me

  1. Rise of the Resistance was an instant favorite. It will be hard to top the experience of being part of the Resistance, face to face with the First Order, accompanied by familiar characters and musical themes, ambitious special effects, and thrilling ride elements. For those who have been on the Forum for some time, you know how important this ride is to me - I’ve been tracking it since the day it opened! That’s what I mean when I say riding it was cathartic. It sums up the love and joy I’ve felt seeing the sequel trilogy unfold over the last decade. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but these films speak to me.
  2. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure was the best roller coaster experience I’ve ever had. It was so smooth yet so thrilling and unpredictable. The theming was the best of any Universal ride, and rivaled even the best of Disney (i.e., Rise of the Resistance). Make sure to try it at least once on the bike. It’s fun in the sidecar as well, but the stance of the bike is more fun.
  3. Velocicoaster was the most thrilling coaster I’ve ever been on. It was perfectly built for thrills without giving you a headache or knocking you around too much. The theming brought up so much nostalgia for me - it is so slickly done in the Jurassic World style, but has enough Jurassic Park charm to keep it from feeling sterile. Loved it.
  4. Splash Mountain has long been my favorite ride, and it still is (let’s call these top 5 a tie). As I said before, I am at peace with the future, but I will miss the ride. It carries so much nostalgia for me, as one of the first thrill rides I ever rode at Disneyland as an 11-year-old. I am looking forward to seeing it as The Princess and the Frog. I’m sure Imagineering will get this right.
  5. Tower of Terror is another ride I’ve often called my “favorite.” My favorite sensation is that thrill in your stomach when you drop, and I love the theming! I was devastated when DCA’s version was changed to GotG, but now that I’ve ridden it, I can honestly say that having both ToT in Florida and GotG in DCA is the perfect outcome. Let’s keep it this way, please?

Honorable Mentions:
6. Expedition Everest was in my Top 3 at Disney coming into the trip, but it was bumped by RotR, I suppose. This ride is built so perfectly to maximize thrills despite not being in the same class as, say, Velocicoaster. (That’s why DS didn’t like it, I guess!) I love the theming as well.
7. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was better and more thrilling than I thought it would be, without being too scary for timid DD2. Don’t skip this one! It’s a charmer.
8. Flight of Passage was much more enjoyable for me this time thanks to getting my motion sickness under control. I will always ride this one when we are here in the future. I had worried I’d have to write it off after my first experience. Take dramanine and ask for a seat near the center of the theater.
9. Krakatau Aquacoaster was so much fun! Everyone who rode it loved it. It was not too scary once you were on it, though DS was spooked looking at it from the queue and did not ride. I’m sad he didn’t get to experience it, cause I know he would have loved it. But I’m also proud of him for being willing to get up to the loading platform, and prouder still that he spoke up and said he wasn’t ready to ride yet. That took as much guts as riding it.
10. Frozen Ever After gets a mention mostly since it was my first time riding it, and I was impressed. Like MMRR, it’s another one I think everyone should ride at least once. It’s more fun than the Maelstrom. #sorrynotsorry

DW

  1. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
  2. Flight of Passage
  3. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  4. Mission Space: Orange
  5. Rise of the Resistance
    Honorable Mentions:
  6. Velocicoaster
  7. Expedition Everest
  8. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
  9. Escape from Gringotts
  10. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

DSIL

  1. Velocicoaster
  2. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
  3. Big Thunder Mountain
  4. Hulk
  5. Expedition Everest
  6. Space Mountain
  7. Avatar: Flight of Passage

DBIL

  1. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  2. Rise of the Resistance
  3. Avatar: Flight of Passage
  4. Test Track
  5. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

DS9

  1. Space Mountain
  2. Big Thunder Mountain
  3. Splash Mountain
  4. Ika Moana
  5. Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
  6. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
  7. Slinky Dog Dash
  8. Millennium Falcon
  9. Test Track
  10. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

DD7

  1. Space Mountain
  2. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  3. Splash Mountain
  4. Kali River Rapids
  5. Avatar: Flight of Passage
  6. Test Track
  7. PeopleMover
  8. Mad Tea Party
  9. Slinky Dog Dash
  10. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

DD4

  1. Slinky Dog Dash
  2. Flight of the Hippogriff
  3. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  4. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
  5. Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
  6. Magic Carpets of Aladdin
  7. Dumbo
  8. Frozen Ever After
  9. Cat in the Hat
  10. Caro-Seuss-el

DD2

  1. Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
  2. Caro-Seuss-el
  3. Prince Charming Regal Carousel
  4. Alien Swirling Saucers
  5. Dumbo
  6. Triceratops Spin
  7. The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
  8. It’s a Small World
  9. Astro Orbiter
  10. Speedway
19 Likes

I’m very interested in your essays! Your skills don’t cease to amaze me. I love how you summed everything up and provided your thoughts. When’s the next trip?

10 Likes

We will for sure be going to Disneyland next May. I’m hoping to sneak away to Disneyland with DW sometime this year though - my company is based in LA so I may be able to tuck a leisure trip into a work trip. :slight_smile: If that doesn’t happen, we are also tentatively planning Aulani in October - that might be a good opportunity to do another trip report!

13 Likes

I remembered that from my October trip and actually brought my own reusable ones this time. I think chocolate milk spills must be some right of passage…

3 Likes

I actually prefer to end at UOR, since there we usually sleep in and with express pass it is much more of a relaxing trip. That is perfect after a week at Disney. When we go to UOR first, the lack of express passes at WDW makes me cranky. :rofl: So yes, I will be first in line to buy whatever pass Disney comes out with to help me skip the lines.
I enjoyed your trip report so much, you guys always looked so happy. Your kiddos are adorable, I think one of them shares a name with me, right?

7 Likes