Pre-trip help: [updated] now with less Genie!

Walt Disney World
1

Hi yall, im finally headed back to the World after a long hiatus of 6 months! Hadnt planned on it, but my friend with a SW companion pass is a HUGE Hanson fan (:woman_shrugging:) and asked me about hotel deals so she could see them at Eat to the Beat. I was like “how many people?” She said, “Just me, unless you wanna join!”
I was packed within the hour. She’s not a disney person, but going together we can essentially cut lodging and transport expenses in half. Her companion pass pays my flight, my TA room pays her room. We do our own thing and meet up for a meal or pool time! Win win! AND a local friend i never get to see because she works in the school system, her husband is a doc and she has a 2 year old is going to be at YC that weekend for a conference, so we finally get to sort of fulfill our girls trip dream!

Now that you have the who and why…
When: arriving oct 27 around 2p, leaving 10a oct 30
Where: CBR preferred room
What: MNSSHP, GOTG, F&W, Le Cellier Eat to the Beat pkg, AK

So far my plans are:
Oct 27: uber from mco to cbr. ??? Right now i have a solo reservation at Jaleo for my bday dinner (its the 26th) and would love to grab some gideons and bday gifts for my nephews, so im thinking the springs. Hard to eat at the springs at not do homecomin lol

Oct 28: GOTG via VQ and ILL. F&W. Pics of the resort. Depending on VQ time, pool? Topolinos? Am hoping to get an Ohana dinner res. MNSSHP for parade, stage show, fireworks, splash, big thunder, poc, hm, that cake that looks like an ear of corn, monsters inc.

Oct 29: RD AK w my friend and her 2yo. I dont want to RD the morning after a party, but this is the only time i can hang out w her, so… FOP w rider swap or ILL depending on when we get there, navi, KS. VQ GOTG (Can i do that w a hopper?) and ILL. After those 3 rides, Split w friend, shes going wildlife express and ill do the best attraction in wdw, FFF. Food? Maharajah? EE? At some point i was going to do the podcast in dinoland that @OBNurseNH suggested.
Then we have 235 at Le Cellier for ETTB pkg. Only plan here is to ride gotg, see the early concert. Then perhaps a pool evening? Just depends on how tired i am.

Oct 30: uber to mco.

Questions for yall:
Suggestions on room requests? Neither of us are going to HS, so it makes sense to request something closer to the RR station. But all i could grab was a preferred room, which means ill need to walk across RR, right? Ive never stayed at CBR. Tips appreciated.
Anything new and shiny im overlooking? Ive been to space 220, fantasmic and round up rodeo arent going to be open… lounges, experiences, movies? Is sebastians open yet? Is it worth trying?
Do i need both epcot days? I could just do breakfast, pool, MNSSHP and save a ticket day, but wondering if ill regret not riding gotg as many times as possible (right now, 4 lol).

5 Likes
2

I think more park tix are better for sure. I don’t have much to add about CBR other than it is a gigantic resort, but I like the rooms. Sebastians is open and a good deal for the $ if you like the food. I had an ok experience there and we left full, but I’d rather spend a little more on a meal elsewhere that I’d enjoy a lot more. The only snag I see in your plan is Jaleo solo. That’s really a meal best shared with friends bc of all the small plates.

2 Likes
3

That’s a really good point re jaleo.

1 Like
4

Regarding CBR, idk about preferred rooms. My preffered location prior to the Skyliner has been Jamaica. We had bldg 42, parking lot side and were 5 minutes from the bus stop.

1 Like
5

Not until you’re in the park but many days the 1pm VQ is still available at 2pm and later

It’s pretty neat

1 Like
6

I was lucky enough to go with PT and her son and his gf and I think we shared like 6 or 7 items. If solo I’d probably only pick 2 or 3 and then that’s $$$.

2 Likes
7

My trip overlaps with yours. :slight_smile: Who knew Hansen had fans? LOL I am going to try really hard to convince my kids to either see Hansen (very doubtful) or go ride stuff in FW while I see Hansen (possible). I just like live music. Billy Ocean is the other ETTB concert during my trip, but I saw him last F&W I attended pre-COVID.

2 Likes
8

If you’ve got a preferred room, I would favor Barbados 32 or 33 over Martinique…and just walk to the main skyliner hub. You’re right that RR would be better…but that walk is long at the end of a full day in the parks if you’re over on the Martinique side!

2 Likes
9

Im curious whether this impacts epcot crowds in the afternoon.no fun to hop there if youre not buying ILL. Then again, the afternoon epcot crowds probably are there for ETOH not GOTG

10

Im gonna watch and see if i can change it to a regular room but my choices were preferred and pirate :rofl:

11

Not interested in finding out why all the rum’s gone?

1 Like
12

Ooh!!! If our plans overlap, look for the solo chick with a brown ponytail and silly grin!

1 Like
13

I am alone in my love of the pirate rooms…but they’re really way the heck out there.

2 Likes
14

Less interested than trying to sleep on those notorious beds.super curious what the new ones will be

1 Like
15

Yeah. I always plan to have lots of resort time and then FOMO wins and im at the parks til im too tired otherwise.

1 Like
16

FUN UPDATE!!! An agent rate finally opened up at Yacht Club, so I’m staying there instead! YAHHHHHHHH. My roomie can walk to her Hanson concerts and I can more easily see my friend staying there for her hubby’s conference! Plus, YC!!!

I’ve also decided that we need to celebrate DD’s 5th bday (in August of next year lol) with some WDW, so i booked a long weekend over Yom Kippur.

Also: Is Ohana a bad idea solo?

10 Likes
17

I have done it twice solo. No regrets.
Yay for you on YC! How exciting?

4 Likes
18

How’s the waste factor?

That’s the one thing I really really dislike about that restaurant. The amount of food that is wasted is just appalling.

1 Like
19

yes i’m super excited about YC! i stayed 2 nights at BCV back in March but we arrived after midnight the first night and didn’t get to do our resort time because kiddo got sick and we had to run back home.

How do they serve you at ohana as a singlet?

20

It’s smaller portions for singles. I never asked for seconds of anything, so the waste factor isn’t that bad. I’m not a desserts person, so by the time they bring out the bread pudding/ice cream - that’s too much for me. I’ve wasted that both times. I mow down on the salad, noodles, shrimp, pot stickers and wings. The key for me is making sure I don’t have a big meal beforehand. Last trip, I ate about 5-6 shrimp and a few green beans all day. By the time I made it to ‘Ohana I was ravished. ‘Ohana food is some of the tastiest on property flavor wise. (Not including some of the chains at DS.)
I love a meal that makes me feel something.

7 Likes