Most Recent Reviews
Review of Boardwalk Villas (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by Colleen Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
This is my absolute favorite resort! I love the beautiful theming and general atmosphere. The main pool area is fun with a great slide and bar. I much prefer this pool to Storm Along Bay. I love all the Boardwalk activity especially at night, and there are lots of good places to eat. The location can't be beat. Easy walk to Epcot and walk or boat ride to Hollywood Studios.
Pros:
beautiful, fun resort with lots to do great locationCons:
noneReview of Grand Floridian Resort (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by llhoff Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
Our family of 5 recently stayed at the Grand Floridian for 2 nights following 3 nights at Port Orleans Riverside. It had been many years since we had stayed at the Grand Floridian, but it definitely lived up to the positive memories we had from our previous stay. Our room was on the 2nd floor in building 9, Big Pine Key, which was convenient to the main building and both pools. Our room had a lovely view of the wedding pavilion and the Polynesian Resort just across the lake. The room was lovely, clean, and well appointed. We had everything we needed. It was very comfortable for our family of 5 with no complaints from our 17 year old who slept on the pull out couch. We opted for turndown service which our kids loved for the Ghirardelli chocolate left on their pillows each night.
We spent most of our time in the parks and didn't really have time to take advantage of a lot that the resort has to offer (maybe next time!). We did have an evening at the pools which were uncrowded and peaceful. The large hot tub was a nice bonus. We watched the fireworks from Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party from the marina area one night, which was really nice, as they have the soundtrack piped in. We took advantage of the quick service location, Gasparilla Island Grill, one evening for a late dinner. The food was as good or better than most of the resort quick service locations we have eaten at. All of the cast members we interacted with were friendly and helpful throughout the resort. Having the choice of monorail, bus, or boat to the various parks was very convenient. Our whole family really enjoyed our stay here and wished we could have stayed longer. We would like to return, however, even with a discount, the room rates here make it a rare treat for us. Nonetheless, we had a very nice time and would definitely recommend it.
Pros:
convenience, atmosphere, serviceCons:
priceReview of Geyser Point Bar and Grill
Reviewed by Colleen Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
We recently stayed at the Copper Creek Villas at Wilderness Lodge, and we loved Geyser Point. We mostly used the DVC pool and enjoyed the proximity to Geyser Point for getting drinks from the bar and filling our refillable mugs. We had dinner there one night and spent another afternoon having drinks and apps while the pool was closed due to weather. There is a quick service which was handy, but we didn't end up using it. The food was quite good, the atmosphere fun and relaxed, and the view was lovely.
Pros:
good food and drinks, relaxed seating and atmosphere, nice viewCons:
noneReview of Lotus Blossom Cafe
Reviewed by Diana K Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (6) Recommended
One of the few places I didn't use mobile ordering for quick service, but food was still ready quickly. Not really all that different from my local "Chinese" food, but good. Portion sizes are generous.
Seating is covered, but open air, so it can get hot on warmer days.
Pros:
Portion sizesCons:
Lack of air conditioningReview of PizzeRizzo
Reviewed by Diana K Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (5) Recommended
I am a huge Muppets fan, but honestly this place was more entertaining as Pizza Planet. Food is similar, but pasta salads sub for the ceasar salads. I've heard rumors of closing or rethemeing, which wouldn't surprise me. It closes at 4 most days though, which is a bummer if you want to eat dinner there. Lots of seating upstairs, never too crowded.
Pros:
Lots of seatingCons:
Closes at 4, lack of Muppety decorReview of Contempo Cafe
Reviewed by Diana K Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (8) Recommended
Stayed here recently and got dinner shortly after arriving. Always nice to see something other than burgers and chicken on quick service menus. I got the Mac & Cheese which was huge! I saved most of it in the fridge at the room for later in the trip. Food was ready pretty quickly and brought right to us. They also have a lovely assortment of cupcakes. Not really my thing, but they looked beautiful and delicious!
Pros:
Quick service, menu optionsCons:
Noisy if you dine in since it's the atrium of the hotelReview of Grand Floridian Resort (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by Dutch Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (1) Recommended
This was my second stay at the Grand Floridian. My family was booked into the Big Pine Key building. The resort's lobby is truly magnificent and after a near non-stop drive from Atlanta, the live jazz and relaxed atmosphere is a balm to the weary traveller. The attention from cast members at this resort is second to none.
The theming of this resort is decidedly "grown up Disney" and a bit more fancy than my t-shirt and shorts wardrobe. But it's ok, it's Disney after all.
Our room was very spacious and accommodating for a family of 5 (mom, dad, and three daughters ranging in age from 19-12 and full size humans). We were situated on the Seven Seas Lagoon and the views were beautiful. We faced the Polynesian Resort and Wedding Pavilion and also had views of the monorail line. At night the sounds of the Friendship bells and the Magic Kingdom railroad could be heard clearly adding a wonder bit of atmosphere.
We took advantage of the food court several times during our stay. One night we sat outside of the food court eating desserts and watching the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom (the soundtrack of the fireworks is played over the GF Resort sound system). That was a nice touch.
We also used both pools late at night. They were of course practically all to ourselves due to the late hour.
Pros:
Beautiful setting, smaller sized grounds than many Disney resorts, opulent and reserved styling is great for grown-ups and those with more high-end tastesCons:
Cost, feels "less fun" or little kid oriented, unless of course your little kids are used to a 5-star, high-end lifestyleReviewed by Diana K Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed in a 2 bedroom with an amazing view of the pier. I was concerned that it might have been noisy, having Goofy's Sky School right out the window, but I never heard any more noise than I'd expect from a hotel. The rooms for DVC are a little far from the lobby, but as everything in Disneyland is closer than at Walt Disney World which I'm used to, it was not too bad. The private entrance to California Adventure was great, but I learned not to use it if you arrive to late the morning or it backs up, giving you a longer wait than you'd have at the main gate. It was also great to have the hotel so close when exiting the park late after seeing World of Color.
Pros:
Proximity to park, viewsCons:
DVC wing is a bit far from lobbyReview of Pandora -- the World of Avatar
Reviewed by Diana K Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (6) Recommended
As someone who experiences moderate motion sickness, I'm fine with roller coasters and rides like the Tower of Terror, but can't do simulators like Star Tours or Flight of Passage. My brother rope dropped FoP on an extra magic hour morning, with a 30 minute wait and said after that he probably wouldn't bother again. He wasn't a fan of the vehicle/banshee's living effects, i.e. simulated breathing. The lack of coherant story is an issue for this ride as well as Navvii River Journey, which I rode 4 times while waiting for him to get off FoP. Pleasant enough, but I certainly don't need to ride it again for a while. The land was very well themed, but without an emotional connection to Pandora myself, I didn't feel as interested as I am with say, Frontierland. One thing I really did not like was the traffic flow issues. The extended queue for FoP blocks off a section of the land at times. As this was my first visit, I was not very familiar with the area and got lost while trying to visit the gift shop because of the queue. Not sure how they can improve that with the crowds they're drawing. I would have liked to try FoP, but not risking getting sick first thing the morning. I'm disheartened that simulators like this seem to be the new trend for thrill rides as I won't be able to experience any of them. Even though I was not "wowed" by the land, I'd definitely say it's worth experiencing at least once due to all the hard work the imagineers put into the theming.
Pros:
ThemingCons:
Crowd control, lack of clear storylinesReview of Amorette's Patisserie - Town Center
Reviewed by Nikki Murry Review Date: 09/28/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
Holy moly, everything we tried here is delicious. Totally worth the price tag for delicious treats. I had the pistachio eclair and my son had the chocolate mousse.
