bearette
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2006
Stay: Cabana Bay, we books about a month before and paid around $250 a night for a basic room. At check in we received a family room at Starlight facing the parking lot at almost the very end bottom floor. We didn't use it much but showering and sleeping, or napping. We liked having coffee in the room and the mini fridge, for coffee creamer and a few leftovers. Though the plates they leave don't work in the microwave. We booked through a third party and saved $200 off their online price,but it was nonrefundable. We could have booked a date of $150 with an AP discount for all but our last day at Dockside, but we wanted to be closer. The premium resorts.we're $1000-$800 a night and the other disgrace hotels were sold out already. About two weeks before we left Cabana Bay was also sold out.
Access to theme parks: We were as far from Volcano bay as you could get and a decent trek to the lobby and buses, but we were close to the walkway to the park and we would stop at Sapphire to take the boat. This walk was pretty and about the same walk for us to the bus, but it depends on if you make the boat if you are faster. The buses come more often and they have those huge ones that really cram people on, so in the busy morning it was only a 5 minute wait for the bus. 15 minutes for the boat if you miss it.
Park lines: We took advantage of early entry and did Hagrads, get there before 8am as by 8:08am we were in line with a 90minute wait. We did the poor man's express, single rider, but they often closed these due to full lines. For those signals riders, we usually waited 20 minutes but occasionally they were walk on or took an hour when the rides had operational issues. We got lucky a lot and our party of four ended up having two or three of us in the same car or next to each other. My daughter is more of a chicken so we would save her for last unless they asked for two to keep her more with us. A few times large parties saw her (she's ten but short) and moved so she could sit with one of us which was nice, but not expected. This only works if you have a child who is comfortable riding alone because they had to often. You will be split up so don't let our luck make you think otherwise. They rode a lot alone.
Waits were obscene, 4 hours for Velosocoaster and 3 hours for Hargrids. Only in the first two hours were the main rides under 2 hours and at the end of the night. We noticed the end of the night line waits were inflated, we did Hagrad's in an hour though it was posted at 2 hours. We wished we would have done the premiere hotel as express cost $200 a day when I looked. It would have been worth it, but at an extra $2000 we decided not to. If you go during spring break ( you can see which week by the blackout calendar) on APs) get the express passes.
Mardi gras: Once we did the parade and happened by it again. It's fun to get some beads, but the ride lines were short, especially the Mummy so this was a good time to ride rides. The floats were nothing special after you saw them once. We got one of the drink cups and my husband and I shared it to get some of the beverages being offered. My husband had an AP from a business trip in the summer ( we upgraded his ticket when we decided to try to do a family trip) so we utilized the food cards which ended up being the best deal. $150 for $120, though when we bought two a few times it ended up only being $180 charge instead of $240, though we did end up with $300 in cards. I'm unsure this is a glitch that is probably fixed by now. Worth an AP for this benefit alone.
Food: Since we had these Mardi Grai cards I booked restaurant reservations before we left. A few times we changed them in the morning and were able to get a time, though a lot of times were sold out. They are flexible so I would make reservations, just make sure you cancel if you aren't going. Reasonable food prices for a theme park, $18 for sandwiches and $20 for more mains and $30 for steaks and main entrees. Kids meals were all under $10. I heard people getting quoted 40 minutes to an hour for a walk up, just theme park closing times (8:30 or later) they turned people away.
Volcano Bay: We went on our first day and it rained and the sun came out off and on. Best day to visit as we walked on everything and only waited 30 minutes for the cosster. We went back Friday on a nice weather day and they closed the park for entrance (when we arrived at 11:30 only hotel guests and dated Volcano bay ticket holders were allowed in, but by 12:30 it was fully closed). My kids did one slide that took 30 minutes and then we just did the wave pool, played in the sand, and fast river. They slowed down the fast river so we took that as a sign to get out of dogde. We hit the pool and food at Cabana Bay as the waits were an hour in Volcano bay, not worth using the cards for... We took towels from the pool to Volcano bay and saved us having to buy or rent towels. The day we went in the afternoon we started at the park and did all the water rides , take a towel there too. We were drenched and cold. We warmed up with a coffee and hot chocolate for the bus ride back to Volcano Bay.
More to come...
Access to theme parks: We were as far from Volcano bay as you could get and a decent trek to the lobby and buses, but we were close to the walkway to the park and we would stop at Sapphire to take the boat. This walk was pretty and about the same walk for us to the bus, but it depends on if you make the boat if you are faster. The buses come more often and they have those huge ones that really cram people on, so in the busy morning it was only a 5 minute wait for the bus. 15 minutes for the boat if you miss it.
Park lines: We took advantage of early entry and did Hagrads, get there before 8am as by 8:08am we were in line with a 90minute wait. We did the poor man's express, single rider, but they often closed these due to full lines. For those signals riders, we usually waited 20 minutes but occasionally they were walk on or took an hour when the rides had operational issues. We got lucky a lot and our party of four ended up having two or three of us in the same car or next to each other. My daughter is more of a chicken so we would save her for last unless they asked for two to keep her more with us. A few times large parties saw her (she's ten but short) and moved so she could sit with one of us which was nice, but not expected. This only works if you have a child who is comfortable riding alone because they had to often. You will be split up so don't let our luck make you think otherwise. They rode a lot alone.
Waits were obscene, 4 hours for Velosocoaster and 3 hours for Hargrids. Only in the first two hours were the main rides under 2 hours and at the end of the night. We noticed the end of the night line waits were inflated, we did Hagrad's in an hour though it was posted at 2 hours. We wished we would have done the premiere hotel as express cost $200 a day when I looked. It would have been worth it, but at an extra $2000 we decided not to. If you go during spring break ( you can see which week by the blackout calendar) on APs) get the express passes.
Mardi gras: Once we did the parade and happened by it again. It's fun to get some beads, but the ride lines were short, especially the Mummy so this was a good time to ride rides. The floats were nothing special after you saw them once. We got one of the drink cups and my husband and I shared it to get some of the beverages being offered. My husband had an AP from a business trip in the summer ( we upgraded his ticket when we decided to try to do a family trip) so we utilized the food cards which ended up being the best deal. $150 for $120, though when we bought two a few times it ended up only being $180 charge instead of $240, though we did end up with $300 in cards. I'm unsure this is a glitch that is probably fixed by now. Worth an AP for this benefit alone.
Food: Since we had these Mardi Grai cards I booked restaurant reservations before we left. A few times we changed them in the morning and were able to get a time, though a lot of times were sold out. They are flexible so I would make reservations, just make sure you cancel if you aren't going. Reasonable food prices for a theme park, $18 for sandwiches and $20 for more mains and $30 for steaks and main entrees. Kids meals were all under $10. I heard people getting quoted 40 minutes to an hour for a walk up, just theme park closing times (8:30 or later) they turned people away.
Volcano Bay: We went on our first day and it rained and the sun came out off and on. Best day to visit as we walked on everything and only waited 30 minutes for the cosster. We went back Friday on a nice weather day and they closed the park for entrance (when we arrived at 11:30 only hotel guests and dated Volcano bay ticket holders were allowed in, but by 12:30 it was fully closed). My kids did one slide that took 30 minutes and then we just did the wave pool, played in the sand, and fast river. They slowed down the fast river so we took that as a sign to get out of dogde. We hit the pool and food at Cabana Bay as the waits were an hour in Volcano bay, not worth using the cards for... We took towels from the pool to Volcano bay and saved us having to buy or rent towels. The day we went in the afternoon we started at the park and did all the water rides , take a towel there too. We were drenched and cold. We warmed up with a coffee and hot chocolate for the bus ride back to Volcano Bay.
More to come...
