Post by tomandrobin on May 28, 2024 10:29:12 GMT -5
Whew....What a mouthful.
This is not a day-to-day trip report, more of a post of random events, thoughts and happenings on this past weekend's trip.
This was a short, action packed trip with the grandsons and friends.
Roll call for the trip.....
Tom - host
Robin - host
Aiden - grandson 10
Danny - grandson 8
Brek - Aiden's BFF 11
Collin - Brek's brother 5
Robyn - Brek and Collin's mom
Overall, we had a mixed bag kind of trip....Some great parts, some good parts and some bad parts.
We had a late flight to MCO on Thursday, wanting to hit the ground running Friday morning. We had a dedicated 2-bedroom unit at VGF, standard view, room 1507. We did online check-in, but when we arrived at the room at 11pm, none of our magic bands nor the app would open the door. 30 minutes later and two trips to the main desk, we finally got into the room. We were told that the magic bands had to be linked to the account, which made zero sense. Why, because 1) the app should have worked 2) these were the same MBs we have used over the last two years. Definitely a Disney error/IT glitch on their end.
The great parts
We had a VIP tour on Saturday, starting in DHS at 2:30pm and ending at the MK fireworks viewing area. The tour was great, our VIP guide was amazing. All the boys loved him and he was just amazing all day long.
We had a pool day Sunday, that included a Cabana rental. This was a much needed break after two back to back, hard park days.
Cast members - No matter where we went or what we did, the cast members all were excellent. Its taken a while for the CMs to get back to a consistent level since the lockdowns.
Pin Trading is back! The boys had so much fun trading pins. Its a simple thing, but the boys really love pin trading and its keeps the occupied throughout the day. They were all proud of the "successful" trading and showing everyone the pins on their lanyards.
Disney transportation - Its one of those little things, but when buses/boats/skyliner/monorail does not show up or runs really behind, it has a domino effect on the mood of the trip.
The good parts
The weather - It was hot, but the humidity was not full blown summer. It only rained once, for maybe 10 minutes, and the sunny skies were back.
The crowds - For a holiday weekend, we were expecting packed parks but to our surprise we did not experience the crowds. Makes for a more pleasant trip.
The resort/room - VGF and GF as a whole, is one of our favorite resorts. The resort grounds, our room and most places we interacted with was in top shape. It was also nice to see that most of the construction is gone now. The second floor gift shop is closed for renovation, which was a bummer.
The bad parts
Disney pricing - I know its been talked about over and over, but wow are prices out of control. An example, Tusker House lunch is $80 pp, plus tax and gratuity. If you buy a juice or beer with that meal, you are looking at $110 for an adult lunch.....at a buffet! That are not serving Filet Minion and Cavier!
Disney IT - As mentioned above, we had the door issue. The requirement to use your phone all day for everything is a PIA. On our first day, by dinner time, my phone had died (my fault), but I needed it to show our waitress my Annual Pass on the app, to get my discount. Luckily, one of the kids phones still had a charge, I logged in on their phone to call it up.
Dining summary
Overall it was good. We ate at Tusker House, Space 220, Topolino's, Pinocchio's House, Pool Bar at VGF, Gasparilla Grill, and Pecos Bill.
Topolino's was by far the best meal of the trip. We ate there for breakfast (again) and I have nothing bad to say about our meals or service.
Space 220 was good, not great. To me, I felt it was a stepped-up chain restaurant. We went there because the kids requested it. For the price and what you got, I will only go back if we are taking them again.
We went to Tusker House for lunch. The food was very good, the character interactions were good (not as good as Topolino's). My only complaint is the price.
I don't have much to say about the quick service restaurants. None of them are "special" or unique. But I will say that I did not like Pecos Bill. The food was meh, but what really bothered me is how it is all served and presented.....like really cheap cafeteria food. It is nothing like back in the day when they had the fixings bar.
This trip was unique for losing things. Never had we had so much stuff go missing and lost. D3 lost a banshee from AK, Aiden was carrying our Mickey Mouse backpack with waters and lost it, Brek lost his pin book that he had since he was 6, Robin took off here swimsuit coverup in the cabana and it disappeared, My prescription Maui Jim sunglasses....gone. We filled out Lost & Found forms, but I am not holding our breath to get any of them back.
We got to meet one of our long time DVC point renters on this trip. It was really nice to meet their whole family and put faces to names. They are a great family and we really have a connection to their family arc over the years.
