So Dan and I had a VERY similar experience at Storybook Dining in December and I am still annoyed about it! There's absolutely no reason they should have the timing that off on a character dinner experience when its Disney and they've been doing this for idk a million years??? I'm sorry your experience wasn't good. I'm glad your Dad got to meet Grumpy though!!

Those surfboard platters look so good! I dont think we had that offered when we did our cabana at Beach Club. Glad you guys enjoyed your morning!

Woo Moonlight Magic!! That is so funny that you explained so many times and your family still didn't listen about what tap to use lol families can be so funny like that!

What a bummer about your Dad on FOP :( My Dad has had that happen a couple of times before and even when they take it like a champ I think its still hard to enjoy the ride once that happens! Especially when the seat out front made it seem like he would be good! I'm glad Disney gave you fastpasses to make up for it though!

Your M&G pics from MM are so fun! I'm glad you had a great night overall!

I hear ya on the park fatigue! I think I have a hard time getting over not riding everything every single time but when I put less pressure on myself I have the most amazing time! I think your plan sounds great for next time! Will you do a PTR for your next trip? A

I hope we can find a minute to say hi when me and Dan are in Disney in March! Would love to finally meet in person. If not, me, Dan, my sister and her bf will be staying at the Polynesian at the same time as you in August! Well at least for a few days! We check in on 8/13! But we'll be in Disney beginning 8/11!!

Really enjoyed your report! Have a blast during your DCP!!
 
I will start my DR about a week before my Program check-in date, so I'll let you know when it goes live!
Yay! Yes! Cannot wait to hear about the DCP and Dining Adventures!

LOVED your TR - I have so many ideas for our upcoming trip now (heading down in late February with my boyfriend). Hope your time in DCP is fantastic!!
 
I got totally behind and now I'm done!
I don't think I'm alone when I say that this is truly one of the most stunning resorts on property. It is so immersive in its theming and crafted so beautifully, with no detail overlooked. Our only concern with booking BRV is that the Studios and One-Bedroom Villas all sleep four, and at this point, we really need that trundle bed that makes it a "sleeps five" situation, since Grace and I can't sleep comfortably on a sofa bed together.
I loved WL too! Have you looked into Boulder Ridge - I think they have the couch and pull down bed options?
Wow, I don't think I have ever written a dining review this long in my entire life! Anyway, our experience was a fiasco and there's just no sugar coating it. Almost none of the food was served at the right temperature, we were in there for almost three hours, we were rushed through a character interaction that we waited an hour post-dinner to see. It was rough. I don't want to tell you all not to go, because I think on a better night, at the beginning of the dinner service, your experience will probably be much better. But we will not be back.
Ugh, that totally sucks!
We sat and enjoyed our drinks together for a while, talking about how we thought the week went. We all agreed that this trip felt "different" for some reason. I think my parents have Park fatigue. They love their nice, easy afternoons and evenings at Magic Kingdom, but they don't really like going to the other Parks anymore. I think for our next vacation, we're going to plan even more downtime. It'll be the week after I come off my Program, so I'll also want to relax at the hotel and spend time with my family! We've been talking about booking a few DVC Member experiences, like the cake decorating class at the Wilderness Lodge or painting at the Contemporary.
You should also look at renting a boat or something! My friend Zach has done it on 7 Seas Lagoon a bunch of times and he loves it! Also, I know you aren't the biggest AK fans, but there is the Caring for Giants and Rhino tours which are super affordable and also just a unique perspective on the animals! Or if you want to really splurge - the sunset safari with a stop on the Boma - gorgeous!

Hopefully I get to see you in Feb/March!
 


So Dan and I had a VERY similar experience at Storybook Dining in December and I am still annoyed about it! There's absolutely no reason they should have the timing that off on a character dinner experience when its Disney and they've been doing this for idk a million years??? I'm sorry your experience wasn't good. I'm glad your Dad got to meet Grumpy though!!

That's what I'm saying! Disney, this is not your first rodeo... you know how to work through busy, late nights at Character Dining!

Those surfboard platters look so good! I dont think we had that offered when we did our cabana at Beach Club. Glad you guys enjoyed your morning!

They were delicious!! We had a great morning!

What a bummer about your Dad on FOP :( My Dad has had that happen a couple of times before and even when they take it like a champ I think its still hard to enjoy the ride once that happens! Especially when the seat out front made it seem like he would be good! I'm glad Disney gave you fastpasses to make up for it though!

Ugh, that's always a bummer :( the FP+ were much appreciated, though!

Your M&G pics from MM are so fun! I'm glad you had a great night overall!

We had SUCH an incredible night!!! We really loved it!!!

I hear ya on the park fatigue! I think I have a hard time getting over not riding everything every single time but when I put less pressure on myself I have the most amazing time! I think your plan sounds great for next time! Will you do a PTR for your next trip?

That "ride everything every time" mentality gets me every time! We definitely need a trip that isn't fully immersed in the Parks. I haven't decided on whether I'll do a PTR for this trip or not, but I probably won't because I'll be so busy on my Program!

I hope we can find a minute to say hi when me and Dan are in Disney in March! Would love to finally meet in person. If not, me, Dan, my sister and her bf will be staying at the Polynesian at the same time as you in August! Well at least for a few days! We check in on 8/13! But we'll be in Disney beginning 8/11!!

Yes!!! I would love to see you this March or August, please keep me updated on insta so we can work something out!!

Really enjoyed your report! Have a blast during your DCP!!

Thank you so, so much girl!!! You are the best!!!!

Yay! Yes! Cannot wait to hear about the DCP and Dining Adventures!

LOVED your TR - I have so many ideas for our upcoming trip now (heading down in late February with my boyfriend). Hope your time in DCP is fantastic!!

Thank you SO much!! I sincerely appreciate this and I hope you and your boyfriend have a blast this February!!!

I got totally behind and now I'm done!

I feel this... I got behind during this semester and haven't caught up with anyone yet :sad:

I loved WL too! Have you looked into Boulder Ridge - I think they have the couch and pull down bed options?

We haven't looked into Boulder Ridge, but I'll have to do some Googling to see if they sleep five because my family would adore that!

Ugh, that totally sucks!

Happens every so often. Thankfully, we haven't ever had a dining experience that bad before, so it all balances out!

You should also look at renting a boat or something! My friend Zach has done it on 7 Seas Lagoon a bunch of times and he loves it! Also, I know you aren't the biggest AK fans, but there is the Caring for Giants and Rhino tours which are super affordable and also just a unique perspective on the animals! Or if you want to really splurge - the sunset safari with a stop on the Boma - gorgeous!

That's so funny-- my parents were convinced that we had to rent a boat for our Thanksgiving 2018 trip!!! We decided against it after a meet-up with my dad's side of the family fell through (we were going to go together), but one of these days, we'll have to do it!

As for the Caring for Giants and Rhino tours, I don't think my family will be interested... BUT! I really want to do one, and the amazing thing about the DCP and working for Disney is that sometimes, you can do these tours for free if you register on the Programs class registration site or sign-up backstage at your work location! There are a ton of Pandora, Africa, Asia, Dinosaur, and Finding Nemo: the Musical Tours on there, but they all filled up and I'm taking a few "professional" seminars with Disney, so I can't sign up for any of the cool ones right now, but as soon as the opportunity to do the Up Close with Rhinos tour pops up I'm going to spring for it!

Hopefully I get to see you in Feb/March!

I would love that!!! I will definitely be around, please keep me updated!!
 


Hi friends!

Today I found out that I'll be working at Magic Kingdom, which I am thrilled about! My DCP dining report is up already on the Dining Reviews board so that I'll be ready to start reviewing and posting when I land in Orlando on Saturday. Here's the link, thank you guys so much for following along on this thread and I hope I'll see some of you over there!
 
Exchanging rose-gold glitter crocs on Main Street, USA and stopping for donuts and coffee at the Contemporary... can't EVERY errands run look like this? :rotfl:
Life would be a lot more enjoyable, wouldn't it?
We stopped for a bathroom break, and then made our way over to Slinky Dog Dash with 5 minutes to spare.
Great! I'm glad you were lucky enough to find FP+ for it and have the timing work out.
459621
Congratulations! It looks like you really took full advantage of that last semester to make some memories and get the most out of it. Good luck in your DCP!
At that point in the afternoon, the rest of the family really wanted to swim. I had a DCP Bestie Meet-Up in the mix, so I bid them adieu and headed towards PizzaRizzo, where I met up with my friend Emily!

Emily is currently doing her second DCP at Tony's Town Square Ristorante as a Seater. She was my apartment-mate during the DCP and the closest friend I made from that apartment. She'll be extending this Spring at the same location/role, so we'll see each other again soon!
That's great! I'm glad that you were able to spend some time with a couple of your DCP friends.
This was...

Horrible. It wasn't warm like I was expecting it to be, and it was rock hard.
That stinks! Seems I've only heard good things about those cookies. Sorry you had the bad one.
I went over to the PhotoPass CM in front of the Incredible wall artwork and asked for some photos taken in front of the purple bubble pop thing, but she like... didn't move... so they're at an angle:
Well, I guess in some cases, a living breathing photographer isn't actually better than a box. :rolleyes1 :duck:
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the fabulous and iconic friendship between Timmy and I: it all started on the DISboards Teen board while we were still in high school. We moved in similar "circles" on the Boards and soon became friends. Then we applied for the DCP together and moved to Disney for the first time in Fall 2016!!! We truly became Disney besties, visiting each others apartments (even when we lowkey were under curfew during hurricane Matthew... oops), having heart-to-hearts outside the Vista Way service center, having fun in Magic Kingdom together. I was lowkey more sad to leave him than to leave WDW. He then did the FABULOUS Summer Alumni DCP at Disneyland last summer, and started work again at WDW for the Fall Advantage 2019 Program! He made me super proud once again as he joined the opening team of SWGE as a lightsaber builder in the workshop! Soon enough we will once again be Cast Members, since he has accepted his extension into Spring 2020! I love him with all of my heart and can't wait to be fully reunited with him this Spring
Well, I didn't really know that story, but that's great that you became friends here on the boards and then got to experience the DCP together! That's awesome that you get to continue this friendship in the coming months!
I don't think I'm alone when I say that this is truly one of the most stunning resorts on property. It is so immersive in its theming and crafted so beautifully, with no detail overlooked.
::yes:: I love WL.
This came out lukewarm, borderline cold. I could tell it had been sitting under a lamp for a while, because that little exposed part of the mashed potatoes over there had a thin film of "crust" on the top of it. It was too cold to enjoy the prime rib, which was a really nice cut when all was said and done, and the mashed potatoes had a nice "tang" to them because of the horseradish, and the popover was fluffy and airy. Unfortunately, the temperature ruined the dish.
That's... disappointing. Yikes!
There's a Character Attendant following Dopey and she allows this interaction to occur, tensely checking her watch every 30 seconds or so, not saying anything to the family. Again, fine. Then it's time for Dopey to walk over to us, and as soon as he arrives at the table, the Attendant LITERALLY takes the phone out of my hand and says, "Okay, family photo! I'll take it. Family photo, quick!" and yanks him to the next family.
What? Really? Oh, no. I get you not wanting to throw that CM under the bus, and it very well might have been beyond her control, but that's a terrible experience for your family.
Then it was Dad's turn to say hi! "I bow to your Grumpiness!" were his exact choice words in this major life moment.
Well, at least that part went well! :rotfl2:
Wow, I don't think I have ever written a dining review this long in my entire life! Anyway, our experience was a fiasco and there's just no sugar coating it. Almost none of the food was served at the right temperature, we were in there for almost three hours, we were rushed through a character interaction that we waited an hour post-dinner to see. It was rough. I don't want to tell you all not to go, because I think on a better night, at the beginning of the dinner service, your experience will probably be much better. But we will not be back.
Man, that's just rough. I'm sorry the whole thing was such a difficult experience. Everybody has an off night, but honestly, it is hard to stomach at Disney World. When you factor in the customer service that the resort is known for in addition to the price you pay for that particular meal. Well, one of those factors (cold food, poor character interactions, service, etc) can be forgivable, but to have so many instances of subpar performance on one night is almost inexcusable. I'm sorry it wasn't a better meal!
It is the PERFECT poolside beverage and I can't wait to indulge next time I'm at a WDW Resort pool, which will probably be the bar at the Surfboard Bay Pool at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort on February 1st did I just say that here out loud oh no shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
That will be here soon!!!!
he cheeseburger sliders were everyone's unanimous favorite! There was just the perfect ratio of meat, cheese, and bun going on there, they were little pockets of delicious cheeseburger goodness.
it's hard to beat a good dialog with the perfect ratio. It would be nice to have a sampler though because I'd want to try all three.
Here's where I have a problem with Flight of Passage: the pre-show is just straight up bad. Like, 20 minutes of complete drivel from a scientist talking with his face right up against the camera split into two different rooms. Even the cool "interactive" stuff where they scan your body isn't that fun. I feel like when a pre-show is this dragged out, it hinders the general rerideability. Am I the only one who feels this way?
This is accurate.
I thought it was fun! I am personally not a huge fan of rides that are like, stationary vehicles with screens/immersive feature, but I knew what to expect going in and for what it was, I thought it was executed well.
So is this. I like it... but it isn't my favorite. Well executed but I'm not standing in an hour long line to do it. There are other rides I would wait an hour for.
When we caught up with dad afterwards, a CM explained that for the trouble, we would each be getting three FP+ that could be used anywhere on property except for Slinky Dog Dash. We thanked him and went on our way!
I'm glad you were able to enjoy it. Sorry your dad couldn't but at least they went beyond what I would expect to make up for it.
The Attendant tonight was so friendly! I mentioned that I was a CP Alumni who was thinking about returning to the Parks within the next year and that Character Attendant was high up on my list of roles that I was looking at applying for. He gave me some great advice and told me all about how much he loved his job! Dad was busy making friends with the family behind us. I think the dad in that family was also a firefighter? They were a DVC family who owned at the Poly as well.
That's fantastic! Great that you got to have a nice chat while you waited!
I really don't want to beat a dead horse, but like. These PhotoPass boxes? Not it, guys.
Yeah, just seems cheap and impersonal.
hile I was walking past the bakery, I was stopped by a lovely CM with an iPad asking if I could answer a few questions about my stay! I answered the questions and he gave me a Mickey & Minnie celebration sticker! :hyper:
A sticker? Come on your answers are at least worth a fastpass!
He took this, and then I said, "Thank you!"

And then he was all confused and was like, "Don't you want some photos without the donut?"

And then I was all, "No, I'm good!"

And then he laughed and gave me a fist-bump and we went on our way.
Just capturing a moment of true love and happily ever after...
It is truly the most remarkable view on earth, even in this rain! How do you not look at this picture and not feel something pulling on your heart?!?!
Truth
I think my parents have Park fatigue. They love their nice, easy afternoons and evenings at Magic Kingdom, but they don't really like going to the other Parks anymore. I think for our next vacation, we're going to plan even more downtime. It'll be the week after I come off my Program, so I'll also want to relax at the hotel and spend time with my family! We've been talking about booking a few DVC Member experiences, like the cake decorating class at the Wilderness Lodge or painting at the Contemporary.
I get that. And it sounds like a great plan. After the DCP you'll have plenty of park time to be ready to slow down and enjoy those other things along with them.
I haven't had Pizza Hut probably since my 2016 DCP, the rest of my family hasn't had it since at least 2011 when the one in our hometown closed, and we were all pleasantly surprised to find that Pizza Hut has gotten better
It's gotten better? I never noticed. Maybe it's the whole absence makes the heart grow fonder conceit at work?
*I* also have a very small pre-Program vacation coming up! I will be at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort from Feb 1-3. I will fly in on the 1, renew my AP, have a super fun Hollywood Studios day (with reservations at Oga's Cantina!) on the 2, and then get a Mears taxi to take my to my housing complex on the 3 when I check in to housing.
Sounds fun! At first I was questioning renewing the AP, but then I realized that would still let you in if CM passes are blocked for new attractions... so you should really get to have a lot of fun!
 
I just found and read your entire trip report (thanks for helping me procrastinate on my work reports!). We are traveling to WDW around this same time frame this year (end of August) and attending our very first MNSSHP. So your report was very helpful. We are hoping for similar lower crowd levels to help offset the brutal heat. You have a great mix of entertaining and helpful info/advice in your posts. I agree with you about those Joffrey donuts! We had those for the first time during our last trip in 2018 - amazing. I am glad to hear that the larger, mickey-shaped ones are of similar quality.

Your love of all things Disney shines through in your writing and photos. Have the best of times in your DCP!
 
Sheesh, a girl leaves the boards for a couple of months and ends up 11 pages behind. :P

I'm way too far back to quote so I'm not going to try.

1900PF looks great. I haven't been about to make it for just yet but it's definitely the next character meal on our list.

Sucks about the way MNSSHP ended. You just never know what kind of crowds you're going to get and your parents' goals were lofty even under the best circumstances.

What a great SDD FP pick up! Excellent work.

Congrats on graduating! And having the DCP right after, that's just crazy great

Dude, something was seriously wrong with your num num cookie. Ours was a warm, gooey, delicious mess. Sorry you got a bad batch.

Bummer that your artist point visit was less than stellar. I feel like people either have very positive or very negative things to say about it. They need to work on consistency.

The cabana sounds lovely. I am a huge pins colava fan as well

That sucks that your dad couldn't ride FoP even after trying the test seat, but the FPs are a nice consolation prize.

How cool that Kevin meets during moonlight magic. She's a really great addition to that park.

Thanks so much for sharing your trip. It was great to follow along!
 
Just finished reading your trip report! 💘 really enjoyed it and it makes me so ready to get back to disney! Fixing to start reading your food report!! 😊
 
What's This?

When we got out of 1900PF, we had two pit stops to make in the main building before heading back. First, dad needed some sundries from Sandy Cove Gifts, so we went over there. I decided to use a snack credit.

Anyone interested in anything?


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I went for a snack that I hadn't been able to get my hands on in literal years!

48829050753_a4213c3f0a_b.jpg

These Mickey Puffy Cheese Crackers were my favorite snack on my 2014 and 2015 trips! They look like your typical goldfish crackers shaped like Mickey, but they're really good. I don't know if any of you have ever had Annie's Cheddar Bunny crackers, but these remind me a lot of the Cheddar Bunnies because of the type of cheese they use. These were MIA at Disney for a while. I kept asking CMs about them on my Program and during my '17 and '18 trips, but I was told a lot of different things. I was told that they were so popular they were flying off shelves as soon as they arrived, that they had been discontinued, that they were at a different store, etc. This was the first year I actually saw them back on shelves since 2015, so I picked up a tube!

They're pretty great. I'm fairy certain they "tuned down" the flavor of the cheese so they really are more like Goldfish now, so if you have little kids, they're going to love these!

After we picked up a few things at Sandy Cove, we went upstairs to M. Mouse Mercantile so I could pick up the one souvenir I desperately wanted this week...


48829050883_d35452e5e2_b.jpg

MICKEY MOUSE PUMPKIN LOUNGEFLY BAG!

Okay, so these made their debut in the park the week before I came down, alongside the candy corn spirit jersey, and my jaw dropped. I knew that they would be extremely popular this week, and it would go perfectly with my outfit for MNSSHP that night! I really wanted to buy it, but I was worried I would only get one or two uses out of it. WRONG. This was one of the best investments I've ever made! I wore it as my normal park bag for the remainder of the week and have worn it around NYC a few times since I came home! It's my first Disney Loungefly bag, and I'm really impressed with the quality of it.

We had some downtime afterwards. I went to the pool for an hour with the rest of the family before getting out and getting ready for MNSSHP.


The tank top is from TheBlondeRuby, the tutu is from Amazon, and the ears were from Disney back in 2016! I didn't do a full "costume" this year because I didn't want to put in the effort to coordinate a costume that would get hot and icky when I knew I would love doing something cute and festive like this just as much.

I head out for MK around 2:30, ready to rock and roll for the party!

DVC Members were able to get into MNSSHP as early as 2 PM this year, so I headed to the ticket tapstile to the far right of the park entrance. There, I had to show a CM my Blue ID and driver's license before walking up to the tapstile and scanning in. As soon as I got my wristband, I headed to Town Square Theatre, where I got in line to meet Jack & Sally.

Jack & Sally start meeting at 4:30 because they're so popular. If you want to meet Jack & Sally this year, I highly recommend getting in line as soon as you can get into the park. You'll have to wait about 2 hours no matter what, but if you get in line before the party begins, that means you shave 2 hours of waiting during the actual party itself, so you'll have more time to trick-or-treat and take advantage of other Halloween party offerings! I got in line at 3 PM and there were ~25 people in front of me.

I killed time by playing on my phone and checking the DIS, and by 4:35, the line had started moving.

I got into the room itself at 4:45, and it was decorated very nicely for the Pumpkin King and his Queen!


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We had a great interaction. We gushed about my outfit, and how I wanted to pay tribute to the Pumpkin King! Sally and I promised to get together afterwards so that we could sew a new outfit for the party, and then we talked about how absolutely dreadful the party was going to be tonight!

These two are really great for pictures, and they'll talk the ear off of you, but keep in mind while you're waiting in line that this is going to be a relatively short interaction. The character attendant in the room was VERY tense and checking his watch approximately every thirty seconds, so these two are under a lot of pressure to greet as many friends as possible in a very short amount of time!

I got out of the M&G at 4:55, so the entire experience from start to finish was just 5 minutes shy of 2 hours.

When I came out of the M&G, I went to the bathroom, then got a text from my dad saying that the rest of the family had arrived and wanted to watch the flag retreat ceremony about to take place.


(Click here to continue!)
Your bag is so cute! I love the sparkly candy corn bag next to it, too.😍 I like anything glittery.😂
 

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