Really appreciate your thoughtful and detailed retrospective so far (hope there’s more?). Such useful information.
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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.
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.
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.
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. 
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. 
)
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. 
).
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.
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Whether you hope it or not, there is! 
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.
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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!
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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.
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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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
- Flight of Passage
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Mission Space: Orange
- Rise of the Resistance
Honorable Mentions: - Velocicoaster
- Expedition Everest
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Escape from Gringotts
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
DSIL
- Velocicoaster
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Hulk
- Expedition Everest
- Space Mountain
- Avatar: Flight of Passage
DBIL
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Rise of the Resistance
- Avatar: Flight of Passage
- Test Track
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
DS9
- Space Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Ika Moana
- Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Millennium Falcon
- Test Track
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
DD7
- Space Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Splash Mountain
- Kali River Rapids
- Avatar: Flight of Passage
- Test Track
- PeopleMover
- Mad Tea Party
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
DD4
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
- Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Dumbo
- Frozen Ever After
- Cat in the Hat
- Caro-Seuss-el
DD2
- Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Caro-Seuss-el
- Prince Charming Regal Carousel
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Dumbo
- Triceratops Spin
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- It’s a Small World
- Astro Orbiter
- Speedway
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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?
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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. 
If that doesn’t happen, we are also tentatively planning Aulani in October - that might be a good opportunity to do another trip report!
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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…
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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. 
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?
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Excellent trip report summary, I read allot of this out loud to DW as we leave in only 3 days. Lots of useful information on what to expect here!
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I was going to ask when we are getting the DBIL/DSIL POV trip report
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That’s right! DD7. She is named after my mom and is a precocious one. Lives up to her namesake.
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I asked DBIL whether the trip matched his expectations and he said he had no idea what to expect (he has never been to a Disney theme park, let alone with a Liner 
). I told him I’d love to see a visualization of what he thought Disney would be like!
Good luck and have a magical trip! Soak it in.
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I asked DD2 last night what her favorite ride was, and she said in her cute little girl voice, “Ariel! Ariel!” 
I asked her to name some other ones and she couldn’t really remember on her own, but when I offered names of rides, her reaction was helpful. Dumbo, Carpets, Triceratops Spin - she definitely had a positive reaction to. When I got to Peter Pan she seemed quite hesitant. I think she didn’t love the flying or the dark. Her favorites were definitely all very tame.
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Update: Our AC was fixed this afternoon. Bad capacitor.
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Is it a flux capacitor? Those can really take you times.
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I was hoping someone would make a BTTF reference!
(I wore my BTTF shirt to Universal as an homage to the dearly departed attraction there.)
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I don’t comment much (mostly lurk) but have really enjoyed following along! This is probably the most organized trip report I’ve ever seen - and something I would totally do as a fellow accountant
How did DD2 do with her mask and how did you prepare her? My middle child will be 2y2m when we go in September and I’m a little worried (although maybe it won’t be an issue by then).
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Thanks!
We were very lucky in that DD2 has always loved wearing her masks, I think because she was emulating her older siblings. She often goes shopping with DW to the grocery store, etc. and always requests her Minnie masks. DW has a whole bag of Minnie masks for her.
That said, no CM ever said anything if she was not masked, which happened from time to time (once she even lost her mask and we weren’t able to get her spare from DW’s bag for a while). Just do your best and people will be understanding (assuming masks are still required then).
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