Most Recent Reviews
Reviewed by charlemonster Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
I attended Friday, May 31 of the 3rd weekend of 2013. I got to the park early about 7:30 am and the gates were already open with storm troopers inside heckling the guests. During the entire morning, it was easy to get on all the major rides (Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Toy Story, etc.) with 10 minutes or less of waiting on stand-by! That was a first for me! The only longish line was in Darth Mall for character photos, but it was worth it! The line took longer because the characters were chatting with every guest. C3-P0 sounded exactly right! I even got right in for the animation lesson in the early afternoon. The crowd level felt just right. Lots of energy and excitement, but easy to find places to stand and watch the Hoopla and the parade. Don't miss the special shows in the Premiere Theater with Star Wars actors. I saw three of the shows in one afternoon and all were excellent. There were empty seats in the back of the theater. If you want Star Wars merchandise, do buy it in the park. I was unable to find most of it anywhere else on property (like the photo frame). I asked cast members and only very limited merchandise was sent to other locations like Downtown Disney and the other parks. Star Wars weekends are a treat and worth trying! Just be sure to get there early.
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special character photos, unique showsCons:
none!Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
This was a our second year in a row and third overall. We went in 2010, 2012, and 2013. Went this year during third weekend, May 31 and June 2. I noticed there was no banner this year out front like in years past. Storm Troopers were not on roof at entrance. Also in the past the storm troopers were patrolling near the Backlot tour area. We went two different days and did not see them. Lines for characters get long quick so get there early. Parade is hard to see if you don't camp out on curb an hour early. We went last year during the final weekend and logo pins were sold out. On Friday of week 3 this year I was told by a castmember that the logo pins were nearly all gone. Also no DVC Star Wars pin this year! Luke, Leia, R2D2, and C3PO were all in Darth's Mall. The Disney app will tell you a few hours in advance who will be out, but there is no posted schedule at location. We had to let people go in front of us in line so we could get pics with all characters at Darth's Mall. The interaction with the characters was great. It seams that Disney has downscaled this event in some aspects.
It might be time to make this a ticketed special event on at least one evening every weekend. They really need to limit the number of tickets sold to make it special. Not like the Christmas party at MK where they pack the park and call it a special event.
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—Review of Disney Dining Plan
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (5) Recommended
This is just Disney's way of getting you to stay in resort to eat. You really don't save much, if any money. You're basically are just paying for the food in advance. How many people get desserts with QS lunches if not on DP? Not getting desserts at QS lunches and cut out 1 or 2 snacks per person and you already save money over the DP. The DP is convenient, but it is nothing more than a Disney strategy to keep you on the resort when your stomach starts rumbling. I paid $582 for 4 days of DP. I calculated we got $680 worth of Disney food. That was counting in all the snacks and desserts at QS. I broke it down and eliminated those unused snacks we used at the end to get cookies and candy. We also had 6 unused counter service meals that we used on 5th day. It was nice to have them on our final day, but not necessary. After I made those adjustment we would have saved money. It's also not worth it if your kids are in the 10-13 range and do not eat like adults. Disney considers a 70 lb 10-year old an adult. If the DP is free then great. Having to pay for it is not worth it anymore.
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—Review of Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
This was our third time eating here. Had reservation on May 30. We checked in 30 min early. It was a long day at MK and we just wanted to eat and leave. I'm pretty sure they were taking walk-ins ahead of people with reservations that showed up early. We were seated late (second time in a row now). Our drinks went empty several times and our server would disappear for 5 min or more. Food was still very good. I'm not sure we will eat here next time. Worth a dining credit, but not cash.
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FoodCons:
ServiceReview of 'Ohana Dinner
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
We had a dining reservation on May 29. We arrived really early and we were told not to expect to get in early. The check-in podium is on opposite side of second floor away from entrance to restaurant. We waited 10 min past our reservation time until our buzzer lit up. Went to the restaurant and after some confusion they claimed it was set off by mistake. First they acted like we didn't have a reservation, then they said they still showed us on waiting list. They reset our buzzer and we waited by the door. About 90 seconds later an older lady hostess showed up with our ticket. I honestly think our buzzer correctly went off, but the hostess was just really, really slow. Not very good marks on organization though. The server was efficient, but the service seemed hurried to us. All the servers ran-walk around like the place was on fire. We didn't feel hurried, it was just the atmosphere. The food was all really good. This was possibly the best quality food for one table service credit. Salad, chicken wings, noodles, steak, chicken, and pork were awesome. The kids games do take a bit too long. It pulls the kids away from their meal for more than 20 min. I really wanted to give this place a 9 rating, but the goof at check-in started to meal off poorly. If I had dining plan I would go back here.
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food qualityCons:
check-inReview of 1900 Park Fare Character Dinner
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
We had a reservation on May 28. We arrived 30 min early and we were seated within 5 min. I will begin by saying I was expecting more from a restaurant within the Grand Floridian. It took the first characters nearly 45 min to get to our table. The interaction was hurried. It felt like, "lets take the darn picture so I can get to the next table." The service was actually good, but the food quality was poor. The food was below average and the buffet had a limited selection. Much better food quality at Cape May. This is not worth the money or dining credits. If you want to see princesses go to Akershus breakfast in World Showcase.
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Overall qualityReview of Cape May Cafe Clam Bake Dinner
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We had a dining reservation on May 31. We arrived about 40 min early and we were seated within 5 min of arrival. Parks were busy this week, but I noticed plenty of open tables. The service was good and food quality was really good compared to places like 1900 Park Fare and Crystal Palace. We ate here last Summer and it feels like the buffet options have decreased. Not as many items this time? Not a huge buffet, but not a problem finding a few things the kids liked. The seafood aspect of the buffet is a nice change of pace. I would not pay cash to eat here, but worth a table service credit on dining plan.
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Great BuffetCons:
—Review of San Angel Inn Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (7) Not Recommended
We had a dining reservation on May 27. Checked in early and we were seated close to our reservation time. The lighting is dim, but reading the menu was not a problem for us. One major con is the closeness of the tables. It almost feels like the Biergarten experience where you sit with strangers. The service was good. Food and drinks came out quickly. Nothing special about the food though. Average size portion and average quality Mexican food at best. Better places to eat for the money. We had never tried this place and we can cross it off the list now. No major problems. It's just not worth the money or a table service credit in my opinion.
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atmosphereCons:
tables too close, avg foodReview of Be Our Guest -Counter Service Lunch
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
I gave lunch here a 9, but it really deserves a 9.5. The only con is the kids lunch menu. If your kids are picky eaters then it will be a problem. They don't have any simple kids menu items. That is about the only con other than the long wait.
We got into line around 10:35am on May 28. Restaurant opens at 11am. The line was already half way across bridge. By 11am it was across bridge and snaked around the corner another 50 feet or more. We left around 11:45am and the line was still just as long. Line-up early to eat lunch!
We had the roast beef sandwich and the carved turkey sandwich. Both were huge and very good. Could have used another slice on the turkey though. Cupcake desserts were good. One of the few QS that have refill drink stations so that is a big pro! Food comes out very quickly. Usually less than 5 min which beats most other QS where you have to wait in line to pickup your food. Food is served on real plates and you get real silverware. We sat in the main dining room. Great theming. This is one of the best or maybe the best QS dining option in all of Disney.
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Pretty much everythingCons:
kids menuReview of Boardwalk Villas (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
Stayed in a studio for 5 nights in late May. We arrived at hotel around 3pm and our room was ready. We had to switch rooms after first day due to separate reservations. Our second room was ready before 10am and received a prompt email notification as requested.
We did have issues with our key cards when trying to use the dining plan. When we tried to eat QS lunch at MK it would not accept PIN. Had another problem getting snacks. Snack kiosk said it was a PIN problem. Checked with front desk and they said PIN was ok, but the dining plan was not set-up at check-in correctly? Not sure what the problem was but it was fixed after that and we had no further problems.
Main problem with the Boardwalk is the parking lot. Self parking is a long way from the front door of hotel.
The other issue is the feature pool area. The hot tub was not working very good. The water jets were not all working and the ones that did had the force of a garden hose. Also, only one hot tub in Luna pool area. Most of the time it was swamped by kids because the hot tub is right next to the entrance to the coaster slide. Boardwalk needs to have a second hot tub for the amount of people. They could also use more tables/umbrellas at pool. Only a handful of tables/umbrellas around pool.
They have no self-use refillable mug station at pool! Not very convenient to have to walk to Boardwalk or ask bartender for drink refill.
The resort is located in one of the best spots. Five minute walk to Epcot or 15 minute walk to HS. We used the bus to MK twice and first bus arrived about 1 hour before MK opened. Bus is either shared with Beach Club or Swan/Dolphin. Not too bad if you get on an early bus. The water taxi from HS to Boardwalk can be very slow since you stop at Swan and Beach Club first. We get off at Swan and walk the 3 min to Boardwalk.
Overall it is a nice resort in a good location. Some areas are starting to show their age though. If you enjoy Epcot and HS then this is the place to stay. Other than the location I am not sure the Boardwalk is worth the money when compared to other DVC resorts. if I had to pay cash I would probably not stay here. Until I stayed at the Yacht Club later in our trip I would have gave the Boardwalk a 8 or 9.
