Most Recent Reviews
Review of FastPass+ (Retired)
Reviewed by mcmouse Review Date: 04/01/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
This was our 2nd time using fast pass+. We love getting on rides quickly, but having to make the decision on what fast passes to get months in advance limits us to follow park plans made far ahead of time. I tried to change some passes a day or two ahead, but all of the times we wanted were taken. I miss the old system. Then if we wanted to change the park we were going to at the spur of the moment, we could. I felt sorry for all those people we saw in line at the fast pass kiosks. They were left with the undesirable time slots for that day. Some times on the old system we would get more than one fast pass for the same ride on the same day. Not any more. The only way to ride that ride twice was to get to it at park opening and do standby early. Then use our fast pass later. While I do recommend Fast Pass+ I do so only because it's the only way to get a good fast pass. I hope they do some more tweeking to the system to make improvements. I would like to see the ability to choose any rides you want, not from a 2 tiered choice, and also be able to choose one ride more than once.
Pros:
quick entry to ridesCons:
have to plan too far aheadReview of MagicBand
Reviewed by mcmouse Review Date: 04/01/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
We love the magic bands. They are easy, convenient, and worked very well for us the entire trip. We used them to get on the Magical Express, to purchase food and items from the shops, and to get into our resort rooms without having to go through the normal check in at the main desk. We swam in them and never had any problems. Entry into the parks was a snap. This was a great idea.
Pros:
easyCons:
noneReview of Wilderness Lodge (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by disneylover97 Review Date: 04/05/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
Wilderness Lodge is my favorite resort on Disney property. I have stayed at almost all the resorts and this is always my favorite. The service is excellent, transportation is not an issue and it is a beautiful hotel.
The atmosphere of the wilderness lodge is very relaxing, it is out of the hustle and bustle of the parks...It isn't busy. For transportation the bus situation is similar to other Disney resorts, sometimes they are quick and sometimes you have to wait a little but they do share the bus with another resort. The boat to magic kingdom is just wonderful. It's the resorts almost "private" boat...it takes you back and fourth only to magic kingdom and back it doesn't make stops at any other resort. My family really enjoyed the boat epscislly when the driver would sing different Disney songs 🙂
The food options are awesome. Roaring fork is on the smaller side but has really good food! They also have a few treats you can only find there.. Like the magic bars and s'mores cupcakes which we enjoyed. Whispering Canyon Cafe is a very cute resturant and Artist Point is on the expensive side, but is delicious.
Overall the service and cast members are truly amazing here and we have never had an issue. The pool is small and not the best on Disney property but is perfect to take a dip during the day when taking a break from the parks. It is so peaceful at the wilderness lodge and I recommend checking out this resort!
Pros:
EverythingCons:
NothingReview of Caribbean Beach Resort (Moderate Resort)
Reviewed by lespav Review Date: 04/05/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
We stayed at CBR March 24-28, 2015. The resort itself was nice. We watched Epcot's fireworks from the main pool deck, avoiding park crowds and bus rides. The pools were nice, yet cold after an afternoon rain. We stayed in a Pirate Room because it was the only thing left when we made our reservation. I would have liked to have stayed in a preferred room but they were booked already. It seemed like a lot of them were empty, but they are also going through renovations so who's to say! The pirate room was fun considering the theme and decor. The room and furnishings are in desperate need of extensive care, though. There was a hole in the bottom of one bed where someone may have kicked it (it was the size of a large heel and positioned where this may occur), none of the drawers closed, the AC wall unit would not allow us to change the temperature so we cooked, and the bathroom just looked dingy (mousekeeping does a great job at working with what it is dealt; it was always clean). The room itself was very dark so it was a challenge to see your clothes in your drawers, which I suppose was ok since the drawers didn't shut; at least we couldn't "see" the stuff inside when not looking for it! The walk to OPR was really nice every day, actually. We used the path along the lake and it was nice to be out of the small room. The dining choices were sufficient and the layout was great! The 3 of us (we have a 10 y/o son) could easily go to separate eating places for breakfast and I didn't worry about him getting lost or stolen! Overall, the resort was great. The cast members were fantastic as expected. We weren't given a passcode when we got to the custom house so we had some issues getting our first meal on the dining plan, but the manager was REALLY nice and helpful; we had our passcode and food in less than 5 minutes (always good when you have starving people!). We typically stay off-site when we visit every other year, so we were slightly clueless with the onsite stuff. Everyone was really knowledgable and willing to patiently help us! It was a beautiful resort and, being from Pa, I always love the Florida air smell. Landscaping was beautiful and well taken care of! I would recommend anyone to stay here, but try to get a renovated room. We will definitely stay onsite again but will probably try a different resort (our first choice was Beach Club but was full when we got around to making our reservations). We should probably plan further ahead than 2.5 weeks before leaving :o)
Pros:
good locationCons:
room was very outdatedReviewed by jengrey Review Date: 04/05/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
I really can't think of any negative aspects of Port Orleans French Quarter. I guess I'm biased because it's the only resort I've stayed at (I will be there for a third time this Fall), but it truly is a great place.
One thing that many like about this resort is how compact it is. No matter what building you're in, you're close to pretty much everything. Even if you're in the building furthest from the pool, quick service restaurant, store, etc. you're really not that far. It's only a pleasant walk away.
The theming is also wonderful. The street lamps and gates definitely add a nice touch. It's right on the Sassagoula River and you can take a very pleasant boat ride to Downtown Disney. If you can afford more than a Standard View room, try to get the River View.
The food court isn't bad, but it's not wonderful. It's quick service and they have the usual Disney fare...they DO have beignets, which are a tasty treat if you have a sweet tooth. If you want a sit-down meal but don't feel like traveling far, you can stroll over the Port Orleans Riverside and dine at Boatwright's.
Bus transportation to the parks is good. I think the longest I waited for a bus was maybe 8 minutes. French Quarter guests are picked up before Riverside guests, so you do have a few stops before you get to the parks. In my experience, the buses I've been on have never stopped at Riverside because there were no guests there waiting. I guess it was just the time of day, though.
Overall, this is a wonderful little resort. I highly recommend it if you want to stay somewhere that feels a little more intimate than some of the other more spread-out resorts.
Pros:
Size, theming, busesCons:
NoneReview of Whispering Canyon Cafe Breakfast
Reviewed by disneymimi Review Date: 04/07/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
Brought Grandkids for first time and they loved it. They cant wait to go back. Food is good, but the atmosphere is great. Anthony our waiter was hilarious from the start and had the kids laughing the whole time. Our birthday celebrating Grand daughter was thrilled to be serenaded by the room and staff. We went on our get away/check out day and it was the perfect ending to our magical vacation.
Pros:
Fun Family MomentsCons:
NoneReview of Be Our Guest Dinner
Reviewed by lovingeire Review Date: 04/06/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
We arrived excited for our reservation, but a few minutes late due to getting stuck on a ride. At the check-in podium we had no issues and were seated within a few minutes.
We were greeted promptly by our waitress and drinks were brought over, as well as bread quickly. I ordered the steak and my friend ordered the lamb. When they arrived they were both delicious! We both would have ordered our meals again.
The only downside was dessert. We'd heard so many great things about the gray stuff so we both ordered it. The cookie it was on! It was horrible! It was so hard I couldn't even put my spoon through it to eat it. So I just ate the gray stuff off the top.
Overall I would definitely return again and either ask for the gray stuff by itself or order a different dessert. I will actually be dining there again in June with my family and am hoping my one picky son will be able to enjoy dinner there!
Pros:
Wonderful food & amazing atmosphere!Cons:
NoneReviewed by mcmouse Review Date: 04/07/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
During our 11 day trip in mid March we used the WDW busses and boats. The busses were for the most part timely. We had to stand once on our way to Epcot. They usually ran about every 10 - 15 minutes..not bad for Spring Break time. We had no complaints with them. We used the boats to go to Fort Wilderness Campgrounds one day. The trip over from the Magic Kingdom launch was a short 10 min. wait. The trip back, however was at least 1/2 an hour wait. The line was so long on the dock that the large boat could not accommodate everyone and some people had to wait for the next boat. Good thing we got there when we did. Of course it stops at Wilderness Lodge on the way back too and these poor people had to wait too as very few people got off here from our docking. I would think with so many people using this form of transportation to and from Fort Wilderness that there would be more boats ferrying on the lake at the same time. It is a nice view to sit back (if you're lucky enough to get a seat) and watch all the scenery and views of the other resorts while riding, but they need more boats to accommodate everyone. Plan ahead for a lot of time for your transportation if using the boats.
Pros:
no car rental neededCons:
—Review of Rainforest Cafe
Reviewed by mcmouse Review Date: 04/07/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
Our first visit here and probably not our last. We had a 12:30 lunch ressie. Glad we didn't make it for much later as the line grew quickly. The cute jungle atmosphere is entertaining for kids. The very young may be frightened though. It can get a little loud. Both hubby and I had the chicken parm and it was pretty good. It came with spaghetti and was more than enough for us to eat. I didn't finish 1/2 of it. If we weren't going back into the park to finish our day, I would have taken it back to the resort with me to warm back up for another meal. Our server Colin was wonderful, always checking back to see if we needed anything. There was no room for dessert, darn it. Would have loved to try one. Prices were reasonable with Disney standards. Would like to go back on another visit. Oh, and the gift shop is huge and not bad prices either.
Pros:
fun jungle atmosphereCons:
noneReviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 04/10/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
It had been several years since I'd eaten here but we wanted something quick in the vicinity of the Frozen and Lights, Motors, Action shows. We popped in around 3:15pm on 3/19 and there were a large number of open tables.
We each got the Spicy Buffalo Chicken sandwich which was definitely lacking on the spice. Fine for me, but my friend wanted more of a kick. Fries were really good. They had a special St. Patrick's Day cupcake that was chocolate cake with mint frosting and it was fantastic. Tasted exactly like mint chocolate chip ice cream. It was gigantic though; we couldn't finish it!
