Most Recent Reviews
Reviewed by DeanMoriarity Review Date: 02/26/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
I love this resort. I stayed here the week of the princess marathon and being this is the 7th time I booked a room here shows how much I like this place. The grounds are beautiful, the rooms are nice, and the staff was great. You get a lot of bang for your buck here. I’ve stayed at some of the high priced resorts, but always come back here. I once had a $900 a night room at the Grand Californian in Disneyland and I would still rank Riverside over that. I have no doubts I’ll Be here again my next trip.
The only negative I have is the bus service. I see Disney is making improvements and they are trying. It’s gotten better but it still has a way to go.
Pros:
Best “theming†of a moderate resortCons:
TransportationReviewed by DeanMoriarity Review Date: 02/26/2018
Rating: (5) Recommended
Disney is trying, and I have seen improvements. Monitors are now installed to let you know when to expect the next bus, and resorts don’t double up they way they used to. This is all good and I have had less time waiting for a bus, and quicker transit times. But Disney construction is never ending and there are always more people trying to get to more places. The roads are very congested and what should be a 5-10 minute ride can take 30-45 minutes. The whole resorts is getting a very urban feel to it and the #1 complaint from most guests is transportation. So what should be done?
Not adding more busses. Disney should try to encourage guest to not use a motor vehicle if at all possible. The monorail is a good idea that should be expanded. Having a southern monorail that goes from animal kingdom to Disney springs would do a lot to alleviate the traffic problem. Disney has already cried about the cost of a monorail, but seeing all the construction going on and seeing how many guests stay at their resorts I find it hard to believe money is short. Make a new transportation center where the southern and northern monorails meet to make it possible for most resort guests to be able to choose bus or monorail to any park. The solution should be to reduce the amount of vehicles on the roads. Not build more roads, not add lanes, and not make more parking garages. Here “if you build it they will come†is as true a statement as could be.
Pros:
No need to rent a carCons:
Whole system needs to be oerhauledReview of Disney Dreams
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 02/26/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
Disney Dreams was our second of three shows and it was really enjoyable. It’s been running 15 years for a reason! Unfortunately, I think it kind of fell into the “middle†rut for me, where nothing is standing out as really great because I have a better recollection of Golden Mickeys (first show) and Frozen (last show). I know that we liked it and that’s really all that matters!
Pros:
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—Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 02/26/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
What an awesome way to spend our final day on the cruise! We were able to watch the docking and sailing away happen from our aft, port side room. We disembarked around 9:30 to make it to our 10am Castaway Ray’s excursion. Took the tram to the first stop and the Family Beach closest to Ray’s and the snorkel beach had plenty of open chairs, even close to the water!
The water was so clear and beautiful. Our cruise director said this was the nicest weather the Wonder had encountered at Castaway in several weeks so we were thrilled! Even wandering down to the far end of the Family Beach after lunch, we saw many open lounge chairs, though I imagine it gets fuller when the two larger ships dock.
We didn’t make it down to Pelican Plunge, Serenity Bay or the observation tower as we had some more things we wanted to do on the ship. Next time I’ll definitely try to spend the entire day on the island.
We did browse the merchandise shops and the selection was okay but didn’t find anything that really called to me so I didn’t end up making any purchases.
The merchandise wasn’t
Pros:
Clean, beautiful, relaxingCons:
—Review of Pandora -- the World of Avatar
Reviewed by tink Review Date: 03/21/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
I really liked walking though Pandora especially at night.I also liked having a picture taken in the same place during the day and then at night.The food at satuli canteen was good , not the usual food you get at most theme park quick service.
The morning I was there (Thursday at the end of January) they let people into Pandora at 8:30am.
Park opening was officially 9am.I arrived at 7:45 when they let us in the line kept moving for FOP.I was concerned how I would be motion sickness wise on FOP.For me, what I was looking at , not the actual motion, was what bothered me a little, but 15-20 min later I was fine, The first time I went on I keshut my eyes a lot and I felt fine.
Pros:
walking though especially at night FOP and Satuli CanteenCons:
very long linesReview of Excursions
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 02/26/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
I signed up for the Extreme Getaway Package (includes Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure, float/tube + snorkel equipment rentals for the day, and a one hour bike rental). I signed my mom up for just the Stingray Adventure at the same time as mine.
We found the Stingray portion to be pretty cool. Once the group is assembled in the hut, a cast member gives you an overview of the excursion, some background info on the Rays, and tells you how to hold the food for them to eat. We learned that of the 70-ish Rays in the Lagoon, there’s only one male. The largest female is Megatron, and she weighs about 120 lbs and measures 4.5 feet. The rays also have their barbs trimmed, so no worries about getting stung! They are well trained to come up to eat off their Mickey plates. The feeding part only lasts about 10-15 minutes. The rays remind me of my cats, in that they like to wind around your feet! We were surprised at how soft their “wings†are. After the feeding part, you’re allowed to snorkel in the lagoon with the rays for the remaining time. I didn’t see a whole lot with that part.
Next, I picked up my inner tube rental and went out into the swimming area to float for a bit. Big failure. I floated out a little too far and then they started to pull in the buoys to make the area smaller. It’s not easy to direct yourself on an inner tube, so I flopped off and awkwardly swam back, dragging my tube. No more of that, thanks.
Then I picked up my snorkel gear and gave that a try. I learned from the now closed Shark Reef at Typhoon Lagoon (WDW) that I’m not a particularly good snorkeler - I never had a great experience there. With this, I appreciated the buoyancy vest. However, snorkel mouthpieces never seem to fit me well. It’s hard for me to bite them properly and this mask ended up rubbing on my gums to the point of soreness. I completely missed the “trails†and the cool underwater statues and Nautilus shipwreck. Perhaps I’ll try this again next year.
I did not end up using the bike rental but still felt this was a good investment. Next time I think I would just do the “Getaway Package†(all the rentals without the stingrays) and use my time on the island more wisely.
Pros:
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—Review of Tokyo Dining
Reviewed by jannielane Review Date: 03/01/2018
Rating: (8) Recommended
Our group of three adults ate at Tokyo Dining at the beginning of December. Although the restaurant was very crowded, once seated the atmosphere was very peaceful and service was gracious and unhurried. I had the Bento Box because I couldn't make up my mind on a single entree. It was not exotic, but still excellent. I can get the same food at local Japanese restaurants, but not the atmosphere. I wish that the menu were a bit more daring, because Japanese cuisine is not exotic anymore, nonetheless, I like Tokyo Dining's food and will return.
Pros:
Great service; food is pretty and well-preparedCons:
NoneReview of Tangierine Cafe
Reviewed by jannielane Review Date: 03/01/2018
Rating: (8) Recommended
Tangierine Cafe is one of the better fast food restaurants in Disney World. We ate there at the beginning of December.
The food is fresh and the restaurant is very clean. Ordering is a bit confusing, but not bad compared to some restaurants in the World. I had the combination shawarma plate and found it excellent. It was too much food for lunch for me, but many would find the serving size just right. I guess that the meal might be a bit exotic to some, but I found the spicing of the side salads a little on the timid side. The staff is delightful and they stay busy sweeping floors and busing tables, so the restaurant looks tidy. Overall, very impressed, and I will return.
Pros:
Great service and foodCons:
Small seating areaReviewed by jannielane Review Date: 03/01/2018
Rating: (6) Recommended
During a 6 day stay at French Quarter, three adults ate most breakfasts at the food court, mainly using Dining Plan snack credits. The snack credit selection at breakfast is good, but gets repetitive and carb-heavy. I had a lot of grab and go fruit trays, along with either oatmeal or grits. Some days the grits were plain, and other days there was a hint of red pepper, so if you are averse to spicy foods, ask before you order. The staff is always pleasant, patient and helpful, and the cooks at the various bays are especially nice. Hooray for begniets!
Pros:
Mostly good food; excellent staffCons:
Gets repetitiveReviewed by jannielane Review Date: 03/01/2018
Rating: (8) Recommended
I continue to enjoy eating at Boma, although as I get older, I'm not sure that I eat enough to justify the price. I tend to stick to the soups, salads and fish dishes, all of which are enjoyable. The night my husband and I ate there, seating was extremely slow (the beginning of December) and the staff was having a hard time keeping up the little messes along the buffet line. There were lots of little kids serving themselves and leaving glops of food on the serving stations. Our table server was very nice and attentive. Servers at the buffet were pleasant, if swamped. The selection of food seems a bit smaller than at our last visit, but there is still plenty of variety.
