Thought I would write a report on our 3 week vacation in WDW.
Myself, DW and DD aged 15 have been numerous times but it was our fist visit with DS aged 2. We arrived back home last month
1st week in BC, garden view room with free dining.
2nd week in AKL Club Level
3rd week in WL Club level.
Beach Club
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The least favorite of the three stays. We have stayed there before but was not impressed this time. A few minor issues with the room were handled very badly by management. A real lack of care or attention. The Marketplace is still very poor as a quick service option as was the service there.
On the plus side, SWB is obviously great as is the ability to walk to Epcot. I wish I could remember his name but there was a really lovely elderly gentleman working in Hurricane Hannahs. A credit to Disney and frankly he put the middle-management of BC to shame.
AKL
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Second time in Club level and not much changed. A really nice resort and the room
was good. Concierge check in was not great and the staff were civil but seemed to lack that extra 'buzz' Food and drinks were nice. Was not keen on the new fencing round the pool that was not there during my last stay. It basically has sectioned off a number of the loungers outside the gated area. Maras was a bit chaotic as well and on a few occasions you could see counter staff arguing with each other. Not very professional but if truth be told DD and I found it quite funny !!
Still love the pool bar there and the bar staff and the pool itself is lovely
WL
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A clear winner. Loved it. Stayed there a few times and always felt it was our favorite but that stay confirmed it. Was a bit wary with the construction but it was not an issue. Greeted by a girl called Meaghan who immediately started calling DD and DS by name. She was very impressive throughout the stay. Great room, new club lounge is fantastic but best of all was the new Geyser Point. A superb addition to the resort. I probably spent more time at the bar than was perhaps necessary
Just missed the re-opening of Roaring Forks and the new pool it would seem.
Lifeguards in the kiddie pool a great bunch
There is no doubt our next stay will be spent entirely at WL. I cant speak highly enough of Geyser Point
parks/rides/dining etc
-----------------------
The Positives.
Sci Fi - not been in years and had a great meal
The new flight of passage ride - I've never actually watched Avatar but loved that ride.
Great return to form for California Grill after a lame last visit.
Cape May Character breakfast - great waiting staff
Garden Grill Character breakfast - great waiting staff
Marthas Vineyard Bar - again great staff
Disney Springs
Homecoming - basically the chicken !
Boathouse
The Nomad Lounge - lovely spot to hang out (while the rest of the family are at Nemo or the Lion King shows)
MK as always - some great memories with DS on his first visit on the usual classic rides
Negatives
Chef Mickey - awful, as bad as it gets. I said I would never go back but DW wanted to take DS.
Planet Hollywood - service so bad it was comical. We walked out before we even ate. Cant recall the last time I have done that, if ever.
The new Soaring - probably a bit harsh as its really cool but I miss the old one. I'm not sure if its a nostalgia thing but I preferred the USA one.
Buses - usually I can put up with the odd delay etc but I really worry how they are going now. Really, really poor service across the board. Also, whether I am just getting grumpy and notice it more but I cant believe the behavior of some of the guests. Some people seem to lose any sense of decency when a bus turns up. People walking straight to the front of the line, sending a kid on to 'reserve' seats. It was almost common to see young/middle aged adults and there kids happily sitting in a seat while someone elderly was standing. It started to drive me nuts. Not Disney's fault of course. The buses were a big perk for me as part of my vacation is to avoid having to drive as I clock up quite a few miles at work. Its now at the stage we will be factoring in x amount of dollars for Uber and try and avoid the buses as much as possible.
Overall a fantastic 3 weeks
Myself, DW and DD aged 15 have been numerous times but it was our fist visit with DS aged 2. We arrived back home last month
1st week in BC, garden view room with free dining.
2nd week in AKL Club Level
3rd week in WL Club level.
Beach Club
------------
The least favorite of the three stays. We have stayed there before but was not impressed this time. A few minor issues with the room were handled very badly by management. A real lack of care or attention. The Marketplace is still very poor as a quick service option as was the service there.
On the plus side, SWB is obviously great as is the ability to walk to Epcot. I wish I could remember his name but there was a really lovely elderly gentleman working in Hurricane Hannahs. A credit to Disney and frankly he put the middle-management of BC to shame.
AKL
----
Second time in Club level and not much changed. A really nice resort and the room
was good. Concierge check in was not great and the staff were civil but seemed to lack that extra 'buzz' Food and drinks were nice. Was not keen on the new fencing round the pool that was not there during my last stay. It basically has sectioned off a number of the loungers outside the gated area. Maras was a bit chaotic as well and on a few occasions you could see counter staff arguing with each other. Not very professional but if truth be told DD and I found it quite funny !!
Still love the pool bar there and the bar staff and the pool itself is lovely
WL
---
A clear winner. Loved it. Stayed there a few times and always felt it was our favorite but that stay confirmed it. Was a bit wary with the construction but it was not an issue. Greeted by a girl called Meaghan who immediately started calling DD and DS by name. She was very impressive throughout the stay. Great room, new club lounge is fantastic but best of all was the new Geyser Point. A superb addition to the resort. I probably spent more time at the bar than was perhaps necessary
Just missed the re-opening of Roaring Forks and the new pool it would seem.Lifeguards in the kiddie pool a great bunch
There is no doubt our next stay will be spent entirely at WL. I cant speak highly enough of Geyser Point
parks/rides/dining etc
-----------------------
The Positives.
Sci Fi - not been in years and had a great meal
The new flight of passage ride - I've never actually watched Avatar but loved that ride.
Great return to form for California Grill after a lame last visit.
Cape May Character breakfast - great waiting staff
Garden Grill Character breakfast - great waiting staff
Marthas Vineyard Bar - again great staff
Disney Springs
Homecoming - basically the chicken !
Boathouse
The Nomad Lounge - lovely spot to hang out (while the rest of the family are at Nemo or the Lion King shows)
MK as always - some great memories with DS on his first visit on the usual classic rides
Negatives
Chef Mickey - awful, as bad as it gets. I said I would never go back but DW wanted to take DS.
Planet Hollywood - service so bad it was comical. We walked out before we even ate. Cant recall the last time I have done that, if ever.
The new Soaring - probably a bit harsh as its really cool but I miss the old one. I'm not sure if its a nostalgia thing but I preferred the USA one.
Buses - usually I can put up with the odd delay etc but I really worry how they are going now. Really, really poor service across the board. Also, whether I am just getting grumpy and notice it more but I cant believe the behavior of some of the guests. Some people seem to lose any sense of decency when a bus turns up. People walking straight to the front of the line, sending a kid on to 'reserve' seats. It was almost common to see young/middle aged adults and there kids happily sitting in a seat while someone elderly was standing. It started to drive me nuts. Not Disney's fault of course. The buses were a big perk for me as part of my vacation is to avoid having to drive as I clock up quite a few miles at work. Its now at the stage we will be factoring in x amount of dollars for Uber and try and avoid the buses as much as possible.
Overall a fantastic 3 weeks
