Between trips—that’s where I spend most of my time and, unfortunately, that’s where I am now. I define this little period of Disney withdrawal as the point when the last trip has faded to a memory and the next one is still too far away to begin the serious planning steps. How is one to cope?
I’m a frequent reader of Disney sites and forums and I listen to a number of Disney podcasts on a semi-regular basis. I mention this because a fair share of my time between trips is still spent on Disney “stuff.” I may read or hear a review on a restaurant or restaurant item I haven’t yet tried and that will pique my interest. I might read or hear something about a new or refurbished attraction (e.g. – the recent changes at the Hall of Presidents comes to mind) or resort and make that mental note to make sure I visit on my next trip. (Author’s Note: As I continue on that steep slope toward senility, I must admit that my mental notes seem lately to be written to an Etch-A-Sketch. One shake of the head and they’re gone—but I digress.)
Anyway… last year I wrote a column on some Musings and Observations (link) I made just after a trip to Walt Disney World. Those are a bit easier because things are fresh in your mind. This will be similar, but here are some random thoughts from that time between trips as I attempt to treat my withdrawal symptoms.
Vacations
I’ve sometimes said the planning of a Walt Disney World vacation is almost as much fun as the vacation itself. That is an overstatement, but I’m betting that most of you would agree. The months of planning (and then reliving) the trip are just as much a part of your Disney experience as the trip itself.
I recently spent some time rearranging resorts and dates for our next trip. I added a two-day stay at the Animal Kingdom Villas—a first for us. That simple little planning exercise, plus the calls to DVC, gave me a bit of a Disney fix. Who am I kidding? It was a pretty good Disney fix. Soon we’ll get together over dinner to plan our dining reservations at the 90-day mark. If it’s an all-family trip, that usually involves a full-blown pizza party. Either way, I’ve found that trip planning is one of the ways of enjoying your vacation before you ever really leave home.
Dispel a Myth #1
There’s plenty to do in the Animal Kingdom. Photo by Steve Russo.
“Animal Kingdom is a half-day park.” I still hear people say this, but honestly—how can you spend only one-half day here? The items on the ever-growing list of “must-dos” at Animal Kingdom include: Expedition Everest, It’s Tough To Be a Bug, Dinosaur, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Flights of Wonder, Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo – the Musical, the Maharajah Jungle Trek, and the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. I would also include Kali River Rapids but only if the weather is warm enough to get wet. That’s a pretty full slate for a complete day and I haven’t even mentioned time spent at the Tree of Life, the Boneyard, DeVine, Primeval Whirl, meals, shopping, live entertainment, the parade or just some time spent strolling around taking in the ambience.
Dispel a Myth #2
“Dining at WDW has deteriorated.” I will concede a grain of truth to this, but I think it has been grossly exaggerated. There seems to be a large contingent of frequent visitors that lament every menu change as a sign that the Apocalypse is upon us. Could it be we expect too much? Over the last three or four trips, I’ve had some wonderful meals at Narcoossee’s, the California Grill, the Yachtsman Steak House, Jiko and Teppan Edo. Lest you think I’ve ignored the non-signature dining establishments, I’ve also been very pleased with meals at Trail’s End, Sunshine Seasons, ‘Ohana, Hollywood and Vine (a surprise due to some negative reports I’ve read), Big River Grill and Brewing Works, and the Columbia Harbour House to name just a few. I expect restaurants, and their menus, to change over time. I also do not expect a life changing experience every time I dine. Maybe I’m less discriminating than some folks, but I think dining at Disney World is still a fun thing to do. Overpriced? Sure; but find me an equivalent vacation resort that isn’t.
Air Fare
First, I live in the Capital District area of New York State – around Albany. For the past five or six years, we’ve flown predominantly on Southwest Airlines—mainly because they offer several non-stop flights to Orlando and they’re typically the low-cost provider.
The problem, however, is deciding when to book your flights. It has become a very difficult question. In the old days, I’d wait until 30 days before the travel dates and watch for deals. However, while planning a trip to Las Vegas I watched in horror as prices went up—and up again. Now, I book as soon as our dates become available. Then I’ll modify that reservation if I catch a Ding! fare or some other significant decrease. It’s a hassle dealing with Southwest’s “Unused Funds” policy, but it can be done.
If you’re flying from a location with more options, you might consider taking a look at Farecast. It offers price predictions to help you determine fares are rising or dropping and if you should buy now or wait.
Resort Airline Check-In
C’mon Southwest. I’ve been hoping to use this service for some time and have been anxiously waiting for Disney and Southwest to get their luggage tracking systems synchronized. As I write this, it’s in trial mode at Pop Century and I’m hoping all goes well so I can kiss my bags goodbye at the resort on my next trip. I should rephrase that—kiss them goodbye temporarily.
Disney Vacation Club
Getting to be a very popular place. Photo by Steve Russo.
My home resort is the Boardwalk Villas but getting a reservation there, or the neighboring Beach Club Villas, has become almost impossible unless you reserve at the 11-month window. Any time I’ve tried for a reservation inside of 6-months, it seems that Saratoga Springs and Old Key West are my only options.
I’m hoping the opening of Kadani Village at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary will absorb some of this demand because it seems everyone is looking to stay near Epcot these days.
Advance Dining Reservations
I still dislike having to make dining reservations 90-days before dining. If we’re at home and heading out to dinner, we’ll often decide as we’re leaving the house—sometimes en route and (gasp!) we’ll sometimes change our minds mid-stream based upon how crowded a restaurant parking lot looks. Planning what to eat and where to dine 90-days in advance is just… uncivilized.
I know this situation is exacerbated whenever Disney offers the free Dining Plan and, unfortunately for me, they just did that to coincide with my next trip in December. I guess this means I’ll be booking all my reservations precisely 90-days out.
Disney’s Magical Express
A fine service… and it’s free! Photo by Steve Russo.
Yes, I know… I’m impatient too, but renting a car is not the only way to go. Magical Express is a very fine (and free) service. We just need to do something about the queues at the airport. I have always been a big fan of the omnimover attractions because you almost never stand in the queue—you just keep moving forward. It’s slow but, at least for me, if I’m moving it’s OK.
There’s not much worse than standing in that Magical Express corral… waiting. It might only be five or ten minutes but it seems longer when other lines are boarding and you’re not moving. I don’t have a solution to this, I’m just saying…
Disney’s Buses
A rare sighting at Saratoga Springs. Photo by Steve Russo.
I’ve always been a proponent of using Disney Transportation and have (almost) always been happy with the results. I am somewhat biased because we spend most of our time at the Boardwalk Villas and we walk to two parks: Epcot and Hollywood Studios. That leaves just Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom for bus trips so it’s possible my assessment is a bit slanted. However, in the pre-DVC years, we typically stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort or one of the All Stars resorts so I do have experience relying on buses as my sole transportation option and it’s always been fine—until my most recent trip staying at Saratoga Springs Resort.
Suffice it to say that the bus service I experienced was less than stellar. It was so bad, I sent a letter complaining to Guest Services and Disney Vacation Club—something I’ve only done once before in 25 years of Disney World trips. I did receive several phone calls and spent almost 30-minutes speaking with a transportation manager who painstakingly explained what had happened, why and what they are doing to make things better. He also asked many questions about a few of the more egregious occurrences so he could further research exactly what had gone wrong with the system. I truly appreciate the attention but we’ll have to wait and see if things improve there.
Guest Rudeness
I can’t tell if this is on the rise or I just notice it more but I seem to see more instances of rudeness at the resorts and parks than ever before. Line cutting; either the outright, blatant “I’m cutting in front of you” or the more subtle “We’re joining our group in front of you—way in front of you,” seems to be prevalent everywhere. I’ve seen people slide into a line at a bus stop at park closing paying no attention to the dozens of folks already in that line.
Sitch’s Supersonic Celebration
Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration – RIP. Photo by Steve Russo.
Ah, Stitch… we hardly knew ye. In May, I conducted an interview with one of the show’s creators and provided a bit of a mini-review (read it here). My wife and I had a chance to see the show as part of a soft opening just prior to the interview. In the article, I attempted to be kind but wanted to convey that I did not care for the show. In fact, mid-way into the show I turned to Barb and said, “This is lame. What am I going to ask this guy?”
Apparently, I wasn’t alone because the show has now been canceled—after slightly less than two months of operation. I’m not certain but that sounds like it may be some sort of record. In fairness, I think the Imagineers were on the right track with the presentation and use of technology; it just needed a better premise and storyline… and some shade.
Well, there they are. Just a few random thoughts that pass through what is left of my mind as I not so patiently await my next trip. As always, those are just my opinions. What are yours?
