Most Recent Reviews
Review of Art of Animation Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by Cinderellasball Review Date: 11/02/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
We stayed in adjoining rooms in the Little Mermaid section of the hotel. The rooms were not displayed as they were on the internet. Comforters were replaced with runners which although much more sanitary, less eye appealing. We had 5 adults and 3 children on our trip. Our room was on the top floor overlooking the lake giving us an amazing view. Busses were amazing, never had to wait for more than 10 min.
Food-The landscape of Flavors was amazing for anyone who has a child with allergies. I have a child that is highly allergic to all dairy and dairy product, eggs in all forms, and peanuts. This was our first trip and I was very nervous about having to head to the hospital due to an anaphylactic reaction. Well parents of children with allergies, rest your worried little heads, the chef at the resort, as well as all of the dining establishments on Disney property were more than accommodating. The Chef came out to guide me through what options were available for my child and offered to make anything (within reason) upon request. Overall amazing experience and we are returning to stay again.
Pros:
Super accomodating for food allergies, beautiful view from roomCons:
shower water was neve hot, luke warm at bestReview of Caribbean Beach Resort (Moderate Resort)
Reviewed by MouseBound4 Review Date: 11/02/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed for 5 nights in October 2014. This was our 3rd stay at CB resort. I had read on All Ears that this resort was being renovated building by building, so I wanted to make sure we were assigned a room in one of the buildings already completed. The online check-in gave us an opportunity to make requests for location, so I requested Aruba or Jamaica. I made a couple of other requests as well. I also called & was on the phone a long time with a WDW representative about the building request. The cast member on the phone assured me we would be assigned one of the renovated buildings. When we arrived at the resort, NONE of our requests were granted. I did not expect that all our requests would be granted, but I did think at least one request would be granted. I was told the resort was full so we had no choice but to take the room assigned in Martinique. I had worried over nothing. Even though ours was not a renovated room, it was spotlessly clean & looked like it had new carpet. Our mousekeeper was one of the best we have had, & we made it a point to let management know. The cast member who checked us in was really nice as well. He was so nice, I had a hard time complaining about the room assignment. The grounds were very nicely landscaped. We took advantage of both the quiet pool & the themed pool, both were quite clean & enjoyed both. We did not experience any of the problems with the food court which others on All Ears experienced. Our food was good. We did not utilize the buses, so I cannot comment on them. By the way, I was told when arriving at the resort that it is a frequent occurrence that guests are told they will have certain requests granted only to find out later the requests are not granted. The cast member at check-in told me the cast members on the phone are nowhere near WDW & know nothing of the resort itself. I concerned myself needlessly with building assignment. We have stayed in 3 different villages on our 3 stays & all 3 have been fine. We have stayed in three of the deluxe resorts, but are quite satisfied with the moderates. I would recommend (and have recommended) CB resort to others.
Pros:
Theming, cleanliness, quietCons:
Did not get building area requestedReviewed by MouseBound4 Review Date: 11/02/2014
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
This was our 6th MNSSHP in the past 10 years. PROS: We love thinking up family Disney-related costumes & all dressing up. We also enjoy seeing others' costumes, & encourage everyone who goes to dress up because it adds to the fun. We noticed this year that more of the restaurants were staying open for the party, which is nice. The main advantage of the party is shorter lines on the bigger rides. We have enthusiastically endorsed MNSSHP to our friends & family for years; however, the cons now outweigh the pros for us & we will no longer be recommending it. CONS: The crowds are now extreme. WDW simply allows too many people in at the same time to the point it is bumper to bumper people, making it very difficult to get around. We had read that the crowds were less during the weeknights as opposed to weekends, so we went on Tuesday, Oct 21st. It was still outrageously crowded. The fireworks are wonderful, but there were so many people packed in to the park, we could not even see the fireworks except through the trees. We had looked forward to seeing the light show on the castle before the fireworks, but could not get anywhere near the castle to see the show. The ticket price continues to rise. We are huge Disney fans & it pains us to have to write a negative review, but I do think others need to know so they can be prepared for the crowds.
Pros:
All the great costumes!Cons:
Extreme crowds, rising costsReview of Earl of Sandwich
Reviewed by omalley1118 Review Date: 11/02/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
This is one of our favorites and a must do every time!!! We have never had a bad meal here!! The kids love their Mac and cheese and pizza sandwiches. I had the Hawaiin one which was tasty. DH Had the seasonal Thanksgiving sandwich, which he loved. This place is always crowded, but I will say that the line moves much faster than you would imagine!!! All in all, we love this place!
Pros:
Great food, good prices, convenient locationCons:
CrowdedReview of Electric Umbrella
Reviewed by omalley1118 Review Date: 11/02/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
This is our second time here, and the service was slow both times despite being almost empty. I would hate to see what happens when they are busy. We liked the food a lot!! I had the kids meal chicken wrap sandwich with grapes. Both kids had hamburgers, which they liked. The only not so great meal was the sandwich my husband had. I think it was. French dip or something like that. It was blah without any real flavor... I LOVE you have the choice of indoor or outdoor seating!!!
Pros:
Lots of seating, good foodCons:
Slow serviceReview of Flame Tree Barbecue
Reviewed by omalley1118 Review Date: 11/02/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
This is my husband's favorite restaurant in AK. He and I had the pulled pork sandwiches. They were tasty but a bit dry. The kids spilt a rib platter, which neither was thrilled with. The ribs were a bit tough. I love the atmosphere of this place, sitting amongst the trees.
Pros:
Efficient serviceCons:
Limited menuReview of Rainforest Cafe
Reviewed by omalley1118 Review Date: 11/02/2014
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
I made my online reservation, like all Disney obsessed people, at the earliest possible day. Our reservation was for 7:30 last night. I checked in at 7:05 and was told they were "running a bit behind". I went back at 7:50 and was told they weren't sure when they could seat us. At 8:10 I was told "I am not sure when we can seat you, but there are at least 8 parties ahead of you." I have a broken foot and am wearing a boot cast. I need to NOT stand that long. The only seating is outside where it's cold. At that point, we gave up and ordered pizza back at Kidani.
Pros:
NoneCons:
Not run well, didn't honor reservationReview of FastPass+ (Retired)
Reviewed by SarahL78 Review Date: 11/02/2014
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
I've been a frequent WdW visitor for years and I'm quite a planner, but this system truly marks the death of any spontaneity in the parks. I am not a robot. I am on vacation. I don't want to choose exactly which park and which particular day and every ride-time a month in advance! If something changes, or there is an unforeseen circumstance, I'm screwed. I resent being glued to my phone. The system was fine. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I am far less likely to park hop for the reasons stated in the reviews above. I echo all the criticisms in the reviews on this site. I like a bit of flexibility at wdw - maybe I want to change plans and go over to Epcot one day and try for a fast pass for test track. Ha! Impossible now. The tiered system is a rip off. I'm taking every opportunity at guest services to tell Disney that this is trip-planning overkill. For first time visitors, this must be truly overwhelming. Walt would've hated this. I'm rethinking my decisions as to when and how often to go to WDW, and Will spend more time at Disneyland, where my day is flexible, I call the shots, and I don't have to deal with this truly anal retentive nonsense.
Pros:
NoneCons:
Lack of flexibility, unable to access as many attractions as before, spontaneity is gone, and everything else about this productReviewed by clane79 Review Date: 11/01/2014
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
We went on Tues 10/21 and it was just too crowded to enjoy anything. Rides lines were long, the character lines were long, even the candy lines were long. Parade route was crowded, fireworks were crowded. If you wanted to do anything you had to stand in line or spend your time staking out a spot. This was not worth the price in my opinion. The few things we wanted to do we didn't get to do, it ended up being a very frustrating night with disappointed kids. To top it off the monorail was down at the end of the night and it was chaos getting on the ferry.
Pros:
Good parade and fireworksCons:
TOO CROWDEDReview of Caribbean Beach Resort (Moderate Resort)
Reviewed by pkmuns Review Date: 10/30/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
My adult daughter and I stayed October 15-18, 2014.
We asked for a room in the newly refurbished Jamaica area, but were put into room 5131 in Aruba, right next to Jamaica. Our room in Aruba has also been refurbished. Although we don't need and didn't request an accessible room, that is what we were given.
The room was lovely, with new queen size beds, and a fold-down bed suitable for someone less than 5 feet tall, allowing 5 people to sleep in the room.
The disadvantage of having the fold-down bed is that it takes away valuable storage space. The only drawers were under that bed, right above the floor, making them inconvenient to use.
The hanging storage is limited by the fact that the mini-fridge is located in the wardrobe, leaving about 4-6 inches of full length hanging space. Blouses can't hang straight above the fridge.
The bathroom is huge, due to being in an accessible room. It has rails near toilet and tub, and two sinks. There is a sliding door separating bathroom from the rest of the room.
It is a pleasant walk to Center Town from this building, as the bridge is right behind it.
The food court is very nice, and has many options, including gluten free items.
Bus stops are a 5-7 minute walk in either direction, the Aruba or Jamaica stops.
