My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

I am posting a detailed review because so many people ask about Disney. Hopefully this post can come up in a search or two and help someone.

We had an INCREDIBLE time. It was just fantastic. Words don’t seem to do it justice.

I’ll comment on the usual things like the hotel and then other things that were notable for whatever reason. If I say anything negative, it’s not meant as a “complaint” at all – just honest feedback which I know people want.

Special thanks to everyone on here for their advice, especially Jenniferever and Lillykat!

Rented points through David’s DVC Rentals: David’s was great. Any time I had questions they answered very quickly. I was a little wary of the idea of renting points but I took out insurance and hoped for the best. We went back and forth SO many times about what we wanted to do; first we were going to do Pop Century, then we were going to do the Spring Hill Suites at Marriott Village. When I finally decided on renting points, we kept our reservation at the Marriott which we cancelled when all was okay with our room. It gave me peace of mind.

Boardwalk: We rented points to stay in a Preferred view Studio at the Boardwalk Villas. I searched disboard threads to figure out the desirable room locations and put in a request with both the member and the online check in system; we were very happy with the room location. We LOVED the resort. The Disney theming wasn’t strong which I liked. It was so nice to (literally) turn the corner from EPCOT and come back to an oasis where Disney wasn’t “in your face”, so to speak. The boardwalk itself was fun and being on the lake was relaxing. The room itself was just ok – the décor was meh and there was minimal storage – but we don’t spend much time in the room so that was minor. (I was more surprised than disappointed because the regular -and even discounted- price of the place is so high and I’ve stayed in nicer rooms at a mid level Marriott.) I did love the balcony though. We sat out there a few times in the morning or on the afternoon break and it was a great respite.
I read about how close it was to EPCOT but I still couldn’t quite believe it when we saw it. Maybe 7 minutes from our room – not even! We were easily able to go back to the room for a quick break in the afternoon. We were also about a 15 minute walk to HS. It’s a beautiful walk, too, on a lake with other hotels and the Tower of Terror in the skyline.
I could go on but not many people ask about the Boardwalk on here so if there are any questions please FM me. I would definitely stay there again, especially because we love EPCOT.

Packing: We didn’t do gardengrocer because it was such a short trip (4 nights.) We just packed cereal, tea bags, juice boxes etc. The only thing I would have liked to have from a grocery store was milk for DS but again, it wasn’t worth the minimum and the delivery fee so we just bought as needed. We also brought bubbles to amuse DS while waiting in line but we never used them because we never waited on line that long. Also, we brought a fat marker to make it easier for the non face characters to sign an autograph book but DS wasn’t interested so we didn’t do the book.

Dining: We only had two reservations and ended up canceling one of them midway through the trip. Ohana was the one we ended up doing and it was fantastic - worth every penny. We canceled a character lunch after seeing DS’s nap schedule and lack of interest in the characters that were at Crystal Palace. It was also very $$$ and we don’t care for buffets. Actually I’m not sure what I was thinking when I booked it. We were fine with CS meals; we just sought out choices that were better quality, like Columbia Harbour House in MK and Studio Catering in HS (not just burgers and fries.) We grazed in EPCOT – the CS in Norway and France, Joy of tea, etc. This gave us the opportunity to try many different things instead of ending up with one or two big meals that left us stuffed. When DS is older and can sit better we might try more sit downs but eh…we’ll see. This way worked very well for us.
If you want to schedule something that you are iffy about leave it for later in the trip so you can see how things go and still have time to cancel if necessary.

The rides - Toy Story Mania and Soarin – I do not get the hype with these rides at all. Toy Story is virtual carnival games. It’s cool and all, but I can do carnival games at any local fair up here when the weather gets warmer. Soarin was different, but I thought the graphics were fuzzy and it just felt fake to me. Again, not complaining, just not sure what the hype is. I thought there were other attractions that were much more interesting and well done, like Tower of Terror, Rock and Roller Coaster, Spaceship Earth, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.

Planning – I think the advice to get there at rope drop is most important for Magic Kingdom. The other parks had crowds, but honestly, if we hadn’t gotten there for rope drop it wouldn’t have been the end of the world. As long as you get there early enough to fit in your FPs, you are fine. If you aren’t going for rope drop and are therefore relying on FPs, you have to be willing to backtrack a lot because you have to visit the attraction twice (once to get the FP and once to ride.) So bring VERY comfortable shoes. Also you can only have one FP per ticket at a time. The time that you can get the next FP can be as late as the start time of your first FP. For example, if you get a FP for TSM for 2:30-3:30, you might not be able to get your next FP until 2:30, and by then the return times for that FP might be late at night or they could even be out. Just plan carefully and get there relatively early and you shouldn’t be shut out of anything.

Writer’s Spot (Stop?) in HS – This was a little gem not found on the map next to Sci Fi Dine in. It has books, a TV, coffee and pastries. It was not crowded at all and a nice haven on a hot day.

Time limit pass – Ok, file this under big surprise: I had no idea that you can get a “time limit pass” to the parks for free! Here is what happened: the whole trip we kept trying to fit in Chip and Dale but either DS was sleeping or they weren’t available. So the last morning that was our main priority, but C & D had to change their schedule at the last minute and leave HS early. When I asked where they were, I must have looked really disappointed and mentioned something like “oh I wish we could go to EPCOT because they’re always there but I can’t add the hopper now, it doesn’t make sense.” I was talking to myself more than the CM but then the CM suggested the “time limit pass.” Basically you go to Guest Relations and buy a full price ticket. They give you anywhere from 1-2 hours and you visit the park as usual. If you leave before the end time, you get your money back! So we had two hours in EPCOT and DS got to see Chip and Dale and we did a few other things we didn’t get to on our EPCOT day (mainly shopping.) I don’t know if they do this for everyone or if it was just to make up for the character schedule change but it was a great way to end our last day. (It makes sense for Disney too, because you are spending money in the park that you otherwise would not have spent.)

Quantity v. quality – Lillykat gave me the great advice to watch youtube videos to really see what the attractions are like. This led me to some decisions about the rides and parks that I think worked out really well. I had it in my head that DS would like AK better than HS. While there technically is more at AK for DS (2.5 yrs old) to do, I think he got more out of HS because the few things that he could do were just perfect for him. All he talks about is meeting lightning and mater and the “spider web” at honey I shrunk the kids. So think about what your kids will REALLY want to do. Expect some surprises too; I had written off Magic carpets of Alladin as a low priority minor attraction but DS loved it so much that he wanted to ride it again and again. Luckily by the time we got to it, it was late and there was no line so we did just that!

On v. off site – I loved staying onsite but really only for the proximity to the parks. Like I said, I loved that the BW’s Disney theming was minimal and that it was an oasis among the frenetic pace of the parks. At this point, I would really only pay onsite prices for walking distance to a park or two. Once DS is out of the stroller – and cars and trams and such become less of a nuisance - I would reconsider off site again. I’ve done both and I don’t see a big difference. The EMH was nice but not that big of a deal, and we don’t do the Dining Plan. So after all the debate, the difference overall – meh! It’s Disney – who cares where you put your head at night?

Thanks for reading War and Peace!

My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

Sounds like a great time!

I felt the same way with Toy Story Mania and Soarin'.

My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

Thanks for the awesome review! Right now I am driving myself nuts with figuring out where to stay. Were you nervous to rent the points? Was the price that much of a difference if you booked directly through Disney? Did you purchase insurance through David's site?

Sorry for all the questions. I've been driving myself nuts trying to figure out where to stay.

Re: My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

LOL Jenn, Soarin' is my favorite ride!

And there's nothing like walking distance!
I'm glad you had a great time!

My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

I want to know more about this "time limit pass"!! I really wonder if it was bc of the schedule change or if this is something anyone can do? How do they refund you for the ticket?

Is there a limit on the number of times you can get these passes on a trip?

For instance our last night we really wanted to eat in Epcot again, didnt have a PH and at that point it made no sense to get a park hopper but we also didnt want to waste a whole day on Epcot (we did it earlier in the trip). That pass would have been great. I feel like there has to be a catch though...no? Glad you had a good time. I was very close to renting the points from Davids but I chicken'ed out on our last trip bc I like to be IN CONTROL of everything and I got scared I wouldnt be. But I might consider next time.

Glad you had an amazing time. BW is on my list to stay at next as well.

Message edited 2/27/2013 10:15:59 AM.

My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

Thanks for the info. What exactly is "renting points"?

Re: My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

Thanks all. Some followups:

@ Gloria re. renting points: Renting points refers to renting someone's Disney Vacation club (timeshare) property when they can't use it that year. "Points" just refers to Disney's method of allocating ownership; owners buy a certain number of points and rooms are sold for a certain number of points per night. If you do a search on this board for dvc you will find posts that explain it better than I would. Basically the risk is that the owner controls your reservation.

@ Diana: Yes I was a little nervous renting but I did a few things to alleviate that. I went through a middleman so there was another layer of protection. I would never rent points through a stranger. David's said they have never had a problem and if they did they'd be working the phones all night to get us a room. We also kept our Marriott reservation which we canceled at the last minute - we had until 6:00 day of check in - when we knew all was fine. We also took out travel insurance through Travelguard. (I used them years ago with a cruise and needed to file a claim and since all went very smoothly I won't use anyone else now.) It helps that you get a confirmation number and you see your own name in the system. I'm pretty type A but I recommend it as long as you take the precautions. Through Disney the room would have been more than double.

@Serendipity - We just had to get our tickets at Guest Relations and return to the same guest relations to get our money right back on the credit card. It was very easy. I don't know if there's a limit because we just tried to get the one.

Sorry I don't know more about the pass. I did tell my story before they offered me anything but it wasn't any great sob story - I was just looking for Chip and Dale - so I'd have to assume it's fairly easy to get. I wouldn't book a deposit required ADR or anything like that and then go count on it but it's good to know it's there!

Message edited 2/28/2013 12:57:32 PM.

Re: My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

Well I have tried a few times to respond on here over the past few days but for some reason it keeips freezing and loossing my response...

So glad you had a great trip. Might have to try davids sometime.

I personally like soarin for the gliding feel but think the picture is grainy. As for TSM, we have the wii game, it is just a fun ride but I don't love how it throws you around. But the kids love it. My favorite rides are in the MK and EPCOT though.

But for many with younger kids TSM is their major ride in HS. Most won't be tall enough for RnR (I am the only one in my family who will ride it so honestly I mostly skip it. I am eh on ToT but my kids are tall enough to ride but not sure I will be taking them on it, and they aren't sure they want to ride it. There have been rumors of carsland or star wars coming to HS might be a nice addition.

Curious what you thought of test track since you didn't care for soarin? It has been getting mixed reviews.

The insurance you got covers you for something like davids? I wasn't sure if you could use a standard type insurance for something like that.

Re: My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

Posted by Lillykat

Well I have tried a few times to respond on here over the past few days but for some reason it keeips freezing and loossing my response...

So glad you had a great trip. Might have to try davids sometime.

I personally like soarin for the gliding feel but think the picture is grainy. As for TSM, we have the wii game, it is just a fun ride but I don't love how it throws you around. But the kids love it. My favorite rides are in the MK and EPCOT though.

But for many with younger kids TSM is their major ride in HS. Most won't be tall enough for RnR (I am the only one in my family who will ride it so honestly I mostly skip it. I am eh on ToT but my kids are tall enough to ride but not sure I will be taking them on it, and they aren't sure they want to ride it. There have been rumors of carsland or star wars coming to HS might be a nice addition.

Curious what you thought of test track since you didn't care for soarin? It has been getting mixed reviews.

The insurance you got covers you for something like davids? I wasn't sure if you could use a standard type insurance for something like that.

Re: My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

Happy to read this. We are staying in the Boardwalk Villas in August, love hearing how close it is to Epcot:) How was the pool?

Re: My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

My Disney Review - (it's very long, grab some coffee :-))

Hi Jenn, sent you a FM!