Nov 19th - 26th CSR, Magic Bands, FP+ and DDP

[thads]

So I am not sure that anyone wants to read this, but I have the time so I figured that I would type it all out. With Magic Bands, FP+, fridge replacements, and all of the other changes, I was really really nervous about how this trip would turn out. In addition, to get the free DDP, we had to change to CSR, which seemed to have some mixed reviews. I have to say, I was happy with pretty much all of it. Here are some notes on our trip.

Crowds: Very light crowds the first few days, moderate crowds heading into the holiday week.

Weather: Suprisingly rainy and muggy for about half the trip. Felt like September weather.

Coronado Springs Resort: For all of you folks who don't like this resort, keep posting that same message. That just means more space for me. We loved this resort. It was lovely, quiet, the pool rocked, the staff rocked, the rooms were updated/clean, and the fridge worked great. I have been a dedicated Port Orleans fan and, other than the walking, I think this resort exceeded in every way. I did miss the cane pole fishing at riverside though.

FP+ (including BOG FP): It worked perfectly for us. We like to plan, and stick to our plan, so this was a no brainer. I have all good stuff to say about this, other than sometimes the phone ap did not update as quickly as I hoped. I would change a time on a FP and the phone would not show the new time for an hour or so. Now, I booked all of my FP+ options prior to the 2 tier situation at Epcot. I would not have been happy with that at all.

Magic Bands and Pilot: No issues at all, in fact, they really exceeded my expectation. They were surprisingly more comfortable than I expected.

Rapid Fill Mugs: Of all the new technology, this was the only frustration. What a stupid program. Seriously. I am not a person that steals free soda (if that is even possible) but I do occassionally want more than 12 oz. There has got to be a better way.

Park Upkeep and Attractions: I gotta tell ya, the parks looked great. All of it. We did not experience one breakdown our entire trip. Tower of Terror was running on 2 shafts (1/2 capacity) which pushed out the wait, and the sauropod was missing from Dinosaur.

Dining:
BOG- Looks way more impressive (and larger) in the pictures. It was fun, the food was good, but I guess my expectations for the ballroom were high. West wing was cool, but it is a small room and all of the tables were taken. FP for this was a huge bonus. We did the QS lunch, not dinner. I will also say the cream puffs are way better than the cupcakes.
Whispering Canyon-2nd trip here for dinner. Caught the boat from MK. This was even more amazing than last time. The resort is lovely at Christmas time. Food was good. Server was excellent. What a gem. If you have never done this before, add it to your next trip. Special thanks to my Disney Pal Bert for reccomending this one to me.
Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House-This was a 3rd time doing this and it was okay. Maybe we need to take a break from this one. Food was good, but service was mediocre. It is nice to get into the park early though. 8:15 breakfast and on Everest by 9:05
Le Cellier-Always fantastic and came through again. Got up early to make sure I got this booked and I am so glad I did. I usually get the filet, but this time I got the rib eye. I think I like the ribeye better. It was heavenly. Also the pretzel bread and cheese soup is always to die for.
50's Prime Time- Let's face it, we go to this restraunt for the entertaining servers and the theming. When the servers are lousy, then the experience is lousy. We were with friends who had a different server than we did. In both cases, we felt the servers were stretched way to thin. Very little interaction and impossible to get a refill on my D. Coke.
Tepan Edo- Better than last time. Got the steak and shrimp. Our chef was amazing and really made the dinner extra magical.

So that is it. If you took the time to read this, I hope it gets you excited for your next trip. We had a great trip, with great friends, and I look forward to the next one!!!

[disneymom15]

Great report. I'm a bit leary about fastpass+, I have to say, I feel much better after reading your report.

[faline]

Good to hear things went so well for you! Coronado Springs is a great resort - glad you enjoyed it!!

Thanks for taking the time to post your experiences - it's always helpful for others to know what happens on trips - either to learn from other's experiences or to try to decide to do something new based on what others have enjoyed!

[VWL Mom]

After almost 20 years we'll be giving WCC another try in January, I''m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the report.

[vizsla]

Thanks for the report.

[yjgirl32]

I enjoyed the report. Thank you. and Yes it does get me excited for my trip.