Orlando Post-Trip Discussion: Overall Impressions

I have a lot of information to update on this blog but I think a summary post is in order. I can say with complete certainty that this year's Orlando trip was by far my most favorite vacation to-date. I think it was a combination of research and experience that really helped us to make the most of our time; while many individuals in my Disney September planning group on Facebook were complaining about crowds on various days, I was happily strolling along nearly empty walkways because I utilized several crowd calendars and a little intuition to put together a touring plan before traveling. If nothing else is taken from this blog, I hope that you'll appreciate this piece of advice: a complete touring plan will make a world of difference for your trip regardless of the time of year that you plan to visit. Even if you can only go to Orlando in the dead of summer when everyone else is there, you can utilize a touring plan to visit attractions during slow parts of the day to see and do everything on your list.

Our first day at Epcot during Food & Wine Festival; minimal crowds

In order to keep this post as concise as possible, I'll divide the trip among the major categories to give a brief summary of our impressions. The goal is to dedicate a post to more specific topics in the coming weeks but please feel free to post any questions or comments below if you'd like an answer sooner!

Time of Visit

We chose to vacation in September because there are historically very low crowds this time of year. Disney's free dining offer, in addition to seasonal events, have resulted in higher crowds the past few years. I don't have another September visit to compare, but I would say that the crowds seemed very similar to those I experienced on my trip the first week of May 2015. The parks weren't empty but I would say they were on the lower end of moderate. We are planning our next trip to Disney World for the first week of December 2017 to see if that famed 'slow week' will live up to the hype.

Hotels

Disney's Contemporary Resort: I had no idea how convenient a monorail resort would be until we took our first walk to Magic Kingdom on arrival day and timed ourselves - less than 10 minutes to the security checkpoint and that's while walking in Halloween costumes that nearly suffocated us! Patrick has requested to stay at a monorail resort for every trip in the future although I'm unsure we'll always be able to fork out the money for it. The resort definitely feels luxurious but staying there for a week allowed us to notice a few dated details that served as tiny reminders of this resort's history. For example, our bathroom had worn edges on the wallpaper that probably wouldn't have stood out to us if we hadn't been there for a full 7 days. We made excellent use of the pool area and loved that we could see Magic Kingdom's fireworks from the quiet pool! I would rate this resort 8/10, knocking off a star for price and another star for minor dated decor.

Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort: I'm not sure that we really gained anything by staying in the Family Suite. It was a bigger room but we didn't utilize the extra space at all and we found that the separate water closet was a bit of a hassle because there wasn't much space between the toilet and the door (had to step into the water closet and around the door in order to close it.) Also, the mattress was sagging in the middle and was pretty uncomfortable for this reason. We really enjoyed the lazy river but will definitely select a room on that side of the resort next time because the walk from the Cabana Courtyard was a longer distance than I had anticipated. 5/10

Dining

I was very impressed with nearly everything we ate on this trip. I won't go into details on each experience because there will undoubtedly be another post for that purpose but I will share our best and worst recommendations -

Best Disney: California Grill, Via Napoli, Kona Cafe

Best Universal: Mythos, Cowfish, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen

Worst Disney: Tangierine Cafe

Worst Universal: Bayliner Diner

Special Events

There were three special events that we attended on this trip: Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Food & Wine Festival, and Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. Of these three, we enjoyed Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party the most because it was a night dedicated to our favorite holiday and provided all attendees the opportunity to dress up, trick-or-treat, and watch event-specific parades, shows, and fireworks. It was a spooky good time! We also loved the Food & Wine Festival but we weren't especially impressed with a lot of the offerings and, compared to the Flower & Garden Festival in the spring, it seemed like it brought in a lot more crowds. For Epcot, specifically, I think I would choose to visit in early March or May to catch the Flower & Garden Festival because I prefer the food at those kiosks more and they are easily enjoyed any time of day or night because the crowds are lower. And rounding up the special events....well, we attended Universal's Halloween Horror Nights but they should really re-brand it as a frat party for Orlando's locals. While the houses and scare zones were pretty impressive, the event was too crowded and boozy. It's really not even worth attending unless you plan to purchase an Express Pass because the lines for the houses grow to 45+ minutes for most of the night and they all utilize the same scare tactics (fog machine + random props hanging from ceiling + too many scare actors jumping at the same intervals). We will definitely not return to this event in the future.

I hate to pick sides on the Disney vs. Universal debate but this trip cemented us as a Disney family. The layout of the parks, efficiency of the MagicBand and Fastpass, access to various modes of transportation, and plenty of resorts in every budget makes Disney World a destination that any family can aspire to visit. Universal charges a premium for many of the options that Disney offers for free and their resort options are pretty slim unless paying $250+/night is your preference. I'm glad they've recently opened Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Sapphire Falls to accommodate guests on a budget but even these options are typically more expensive than Disney's All-Star resorts. Also, perhaps it was because we spent a week at Disney World first but it seemed like the Universal employees were far less friendly than we had grown accustomed to witnessing from the Disney Cast Members. We haven't completely decided on our next Orlando trip but I think it's safe to say that we'll probably just take one day to drive over to Universal for Wizarding World of Harry Potter but we won't be staying onsite.

That's it for now - stick around for posts in the near future that will dive deeper into the specifics of our September 2016 Orlando trip!

Engagement in the Happiest Place on Earth!

This is supposed to be the post where I tell you my overview of the trip but you can probably guess from the title and the happy pictures that it was AMAZING! A dream come true! My own Prince Charming proposed in my favorite park (Epcot) and it was absolutely perfect.

Many people asked "did you see it coming?" and to that I will say, technically no. We've discussed marriage extensively and knew it would happen but he made the proposal happen on his own. I'm quite impressed! Patrick was unfamiliar with specific locations in Epcot but originally thought he would propose quietly during IllumiNations. After our dinner at Le Cellier, we walked out to a very angry rainstorm and he was afraid that the fireworks would be canceled so we grabbed some dry space under the nearest shelter and he asked right then and there!

But really, what's more iconic of a vacation to Florida during hurricane season than a rainstorm and our super fashionable ponchos? I look at these pictures and the good memories flood back in. 

I promise many more posts to come in the next few days as I break down our trip from overall impressions to dining, fastpasses, new attractions, events, and more! 

The Final Countdown - 1 Day!

I have finally realized exactly what today means. In 11 short hours, the plane will be on the runway and headed to Orlando! This will be my final blog post for a couple of weeks but I'll try to get an update on here as soon as we return.

For now, I will cover the final full day of our trip. It's probably the busiest day of the whole trip considering Halloween Horror Night (HHN) doesn't end until 1am. We may try to sleep in a bit on this day to offset the long hours in the park but no definite plans yet.

Sunday September 25

• 8:00am - Universal Orlando opens

• 9:00am - Wake up!

• 10:00am - Leisure enjoyment of the park, rides with low wait times

• 12:00pm - Lunch at Leaky Cauldron, more rides

• 4:30pm - Line up for Halloween Horror Night

• 6:00pm - Halloween Horror Night begins (posted hours indicate 6:30pm but I've read in some articles that they will allow guests already in the park to visit a haunted house at 6:00pm)

Sorry for the short itinerary; I wish I could give more information but the first HHN hasn't been held yet and I want to wait until new articles have been posted before I nail down any plans. I am still unsure of our dinner options, as well, because I don't know exactly which establishments will be open and/or if full menus will be served. I love Universal and have visited many times but I am a total newbie to HHN and excited to experience something new! 

As mentioned, the final day of our trip is sure to be a long one and well worth the lack of sleep. I am hoping for a memorable finale to a wonderful vacation and will report back when it's all over!

The Final Countdown - 2 Days!

If yesterday was slow (and it actually didn't end as slow as it started) then today was the opposite! I've barely had a moment to breathe, much less think about the trip and now I'm staring at the image on this post and wondering how I got to day 2 on the countdown. 

This is going to be a tough trip day to review mostly because there aren't predetermined Fastpasses at Universal and also because we are going to try to cram as much into day nine as we can. But you are owed a summary and I'll do my best to put it all here! We will have the Express Pass on this day so we should not have a long wait for any specific ride (except maybe 15 minutes at Reign of Kong)

Saturday September 24

• 6:30am - Wake up! 

• 7:00am - Early opening at Universal Studios, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, take pictures if the park isn't too busy

• 8:00am - Official opening of Universal Studios, Men in Black Alien Attack, The Simpsons Ride, E.T. Adventure, Terminator 2: 3-D

• 10:00am - Universal Horror Make-Up Show, Shrek 4-D, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (again), Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Transformers: The Ride - 3D, Revenge of the Mummy

• 11:15am - Hogwarts Express to Islands of Adventure

• 12:00pm - Lunch at Mythos, Poseidon's Fury, The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad, Dragon's Challenge, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (will have to wait in line for this), Jurassic Park River Adventure, Skull Island: Reign of Kong, Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls, Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Doctor Doom's Fearfall, The Incredible Hulk Coaster

• 7:00pm - Dinner at Cowfish (may be earlier if we take a break and decide to go back to the park afterward to finish rides), Dessert at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

I know there are a lack of concise times here and I apologize; the Express Pass is going to make it difficult to know exactly when we'll be in each section of the park but I assure you we'll be enjoying whichever attraction comes next in line! 

I'm still not as excited as I feel I should be with only 2 days left in the countdown (1 1/2 days technically but who's counting?) I suspect that it will hit me tomorrow or maybe not until I see those beautiful palm trees in Orlando. In any case, I'll be back tomorrow with the final countdown/trip post so I'll see you then!

The Final Countdown - 3 Days!

Oh boy. I've hit the countdown wall. I know it's happening because I just woke up and I'm already writing this post. Cranky mood, be gone! I need to start feeling the Disney/Harry Potter magic already. There's no better way to banish a bad mood than to write about an upcoming vacation!

Day eight of the trip is officially our transition from Disney World to Universal Orlando. While I am sure I will be sad to leave Disney, I love Universal just as much and there is plenty to look forward to. Without further delay, let's take a look:

Friday September 23

• 9:00am - Wake Up! We're sleeping in to enjoy our last morning at Contemporary Resort

• 10:00am - Check out

• 10:30am - Disney Springs for Daily Poutine and souvenir shopping

• 12:00pm - Lunch at Blaze Pizza 

• 1:00pm - Head to Character Warehouse for discount souvenirs (8200 Vineland is the address)

• 4:00pm - Check in at Cabana Bay Beach Resort

• 4:30pm - Dinner at Hash House a Go Go

• 6:00pm - Pool time at Cabana Bay

We intend to make this day as relaxing as possible and hopefully head to bed early because the weekend at Universal is going to be CrAzY! You'll see what I mean when we get to those blog posts!

The Final Countdown - 4 Days!

I have survived the first day of my final week at work before vacation! Let me tell you, it was intense! All day I was jumping at the sound of my email notification because I was concerned that a last-minute catastrophe would happen. 

But the work day is over and here I am!

Four days left until vacation commences and that means I've got a post to write. Full speed ahead to day seven of the trip!

Thursday September 22

• 8:00am - Wake Up!

• 9:00am - Animal Kingdom opens

• 10:00am - Festival of the Lion King, Animal viewing, Tamu Tamu Refreshments for chocolate-covered espresso beans

• 11:45am - Flights of Wonder

• 12:30pm - Lunch at Yak and Yeti

• 1:45pm - Kali River Rapids Fastpass, Jungle Trek

• 2:25pm - Expedition Everest Fastpass

• 3:00pm - Finding Nemo The Musical, Dino Land, It's Tough to be a Bug!

• 5:00pm - Dinner at FlameTree BBQ, Discovery Island Trails, Dawa Bar for Watermelon Mimosa

• 7:30pm - Kilimanjaro Safari Fastpass

There are more evening activities we would like to see but Animal Kingdom seems to be the park with the most last-minute changes to its schedule so we are playing it by ear until we get there. I would love to ride Expedition Everest in the dark, as well as catch the Tree of Life Awakening and Discovery Island Carnivale. I know it's too much to hope for a soft opening of the Rivers of Light show but it would be cool to catch some Cast Members testing the floats for the show if possible. 

This day will be pretty relaxed for us because, well, Animal Kingdom is a super laid-back park. If Epcot wasn't already my favorite park then Animal Kingdom would probably claim that spot in my heart because it's beautiful and it houses one of my favorite rides - Dinosaur! Although <insert sad face here> Dinosaur will be closed for refurbishment on this trip.

Time just keeps winding down and I don't even know what to do with myself anymore! I made a nail appointment for Wednesday and I'm ticking off a few items on my final to-do list but it still feels surreal. Maybe day three will be different! Stay tuned :) 

The Final Countdown - 5 Days!

Five days. FIVE days. FIVE DAYS! It's nearly here! And look, another cute image to share from Walt Disney World's Facebook album!

A bit of news to share: we've decided to purchase the Express Pass for Universal Studios. This information doesn't directly correlate to the day we will be discussing in this post but it is exciting nonetheless. We made this decision because we will be at Universal Orlando for two days, one of which is a a short day due to Halloween Horror Nights party. We purchased the Express Pass for Saturday, September 24th to be used once per applicable attraction for both parks. Because Islands of Adventure is open 9am to 8pm that day and Universal Studios' hours are 8am to 5pm, we will begin our day at Universal Studios and visit as many attractions as possible before taking the Hogwarts Express to Islands of Adventure for our 12pm reservation at Mythos and all of the attractions we can handle until 8pm (including Reign of Kong!!) The total damage was about $140, including tax. I wouldn't normally splurge for this sort of thing but I think the recent Hulk coaster refurbishment and the opening of Reign of Kong warrant a little assistance. The ride wait times still appear to be 120 minutes or more for Reign of Kong and that's precious time that could be spent exploring.

Now, for day six of the trip!

Wednesday September 21

• 8:30am - Wake Up!

• 9:00am - Epcot opens, although we probably won't be in the park until 9:30am

• 10:00am - Mission Space Fastpass

• 10:35am - Living with the Land Fastpass

• 11:40am - Frozen Ever After Faspass

• 12:00pm - Lunch at Tokyo Dining

• 1:00pm - Food & Wine Festival Itinerary (see below)

• 5:00pm - Dinner at Tangierine Cafe

• 6:00pm - Food & Wine Festival Itinerary

Food & Wine Festival Itinerary:

Future World:

Chew Collective (B): Ricotta and Zucchini Ravioli

Chocolate Studio (B): Liquid Nitro Chocolate Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey Caramel

*Farm Fresh (B): Chicken and Dumplings, Mac and Cheese, and Pear Hard Cider

Starting at front of World Showcase, moving counter clockwise:

Hawaii (L): Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole® Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise

*Desserts and Champagne (L): Dom Perignon

Greece (B): Vegan Loaded Greek Nachos and Chicken Gyro

Canada (B): Cheddar Cheese Soup and Beef Filet Mignon

*Ireland (L): Frozen Chai Cocktail

*France (L): La Passion Martini Slush

*Morocco (B): Spicy Hummus Fries, Mimosa Royale, Chocolate Baklava

Brazil (B): Brazilian Cheese Bread

Japan (B): Spicy Sushi Roll, Spicy Edamame, Garlic Shrimp

Hops & Barley (B): Smoked Beef Brisket with Pimento Cheese and Carrot Cake

*Italy (B): Baked Ziti, Tuscan-Style Stew, and Frozen Margarita with Limoncello

*Poland (B): Kielbasa and Potato Pierogi and Frozen Szarlotka Apple Pie cocktail

*China (L): Bubble Tea

Mexico (P): Battered Shrimp Soft Taco

* is an alcoholic beverage stop

The focus of this day is mostly on the Food & Wine Festival so we may need to roll ourselves back to the hotel afterward! We have a few rides scheduled but we probably won't do anything without a Fastpass on this day (unless it's Soarin' with a low wait time because we LOVE Soarin'!) Also, we aren't planning to watch IllumiNations because that's part of our first Epcot day BUT if the Chase Visa Lounge isn't handing out wristbands on the first day then we may have to move that plan to this day. Personally, I'm hoping it's an early night for us because walking around World Showcase in the hot sun always seems to zap my energy.

There are a lot more offerings at Food & Wine Festival aside from those I've listed in this post; we had to narrow it down by what we a) really wanted and b) could handle. This is still a lot of food and drinks but I think we can spread it out from 11am to 9pm and make it work - plus we can always skip the lunch at Tokyo Dining or dinner at Tangierine Cafe if necessary.

I'm hoping to report back with lots of pictures of the festival because I know this is a huge interest for many people and I'm glad we are able to make it this year! Be sure to check back after the trip for updates!