Cast Member and Annual Passholder previews are now underway, and the Grand Opening is just a few days away!
Excitement levels are high — so we’re centralizing all discussion here, as the frequency of posts is (understandably) starting to overwhelm the sub’s front page.
Good luck with those Virtual Queues! Please see the official Disney Parks Blog for more details.
I made a post the other day ranking the hotels from my personal view, and someone suggested doing it without cost being taken into account. The comments also made me wonder if I was being too harsh on some resorts 😆 So, I made a new ranking in excel, marking each resort out of 5 on cost, value, alternative transport to parks, park walking possibilties, if there are multiple bus stops, if a table service restaurant is available, how relaxing I think the resort is, and the general vibe of the resort. I then did one where I took away cost and value. Below is what the numbers mean (this is all meant to just be fun and is highly personal):
Cost: based on prices I found for a trip from the UK - so these may vary depending on where you're coming from and how long you're staying
Value: What you get for your money. This is slightly compared to similar resorts too, so for example if two resorts have the same thing but one is more expensive, the cheaper one gets a higher rating.
Alternative transport to parks (basically can you take something other than a bus):
5 - alternative direct transport to more than one park
4 - alternative transport to more than one park but not all direct (e.g having to change monorail)
3 - alternative transport to one park
0.5 - Disney springs
0 - no alternative transport
Park walking (can you walk to any parks)
5 - multiple
3 - one
0 - none
Bus stops (are there multiple)
5 - one bus stop
3 - more than one but not many
2 - a few
0- lots
Table service availability
5 - multiple at hotel
4 - multiple nearby (short walk)
3 - one
2 - none but one very close
0 - none
Relaxation: this one is personal to me, but basically how relaxing I find the resort
Vibe: again, personal but just how I feel the vibe of the hotel is, a mix of relaxation, quietness amongst others. I've reconsidered my previous views
As you can see, I've not been overly biased, my beloved OKW is right down at the bottom 🥲
Edit: Apparently I need to add in that this is just a bit of fun, I've not taken it overly seriously, and I've just ranked it based on my experiences of what I like at resorts. If you don't want transport (which is a huge part of staying on property for many people), cost, or food taken into consideration, you're welcome to make your own list ✌️
Hi! I’m going to Disney in a few weeks (yay!), and I’m hoping to meet all of the Princesses. I’m autistic, and one of my niche special interests is Sofia the First (and she’s also technically a Disney Princess). With the release of the new Sofia the First Royal Magic show, I was wondering if Disney will be doing a meet and greet again with Sofia? I know they used to do one back when the original show was running, but of course the show ended and so did the hype for it. I’d love to add that meet and greet to my family’s park itinerary if it was available! Thank you! :)
I just wanted to write this up here for people to see. Maybe these stories find their way to those people who made our trip that much more simply because of their small gestures and dedication to people visiting.
These are just small anecdotes, but things that I will remember at least if not more vividly for the rest of my life than big attraction moments.
First one:
I was coming back from Disney Springs late in the evening. As we are leaving the stop the bus driver announces. "I am sorry ladies and gentlemen, but there seems to be some sort of a problem here. Are there any teachers on board"? It seemed such an odd situation, but being a teacher I raised my hand as did one other person on the bus. Few moments passed and I was wondering if there was going to be follow up before the driver continued: "Alright people we do have some national treasures here. Let's give it up for the teachers for national teachers appreciation day. Come on everybody".
And it was so funny because it was literally that "everyone in the bus applauded" moment that you make fun of in silly stories. I just laughed but people really clapped and said thanks to us. It was so much fun.
Second:
I was in the Rise of the Resistance ride. I was simply flabbergasted. In awe. Everything was so gorgeous. So as we were being ushered from the transport into our spots to be taken for interrogation I stood there grinning like a small kid. This officer steps up RIGHT into my face and yells "WHAT'S SO FUNNY REBEL SCUM!" and my mind just hopped back into 20-year old me trying not to laugh at a training officer. So I just answered "Nothing sir!". He looked at me a fraction of second and walked away saying "We'll get you first".
Then when we were being rescued the rebel guy ushered everyone out of the room "You too funny guy". AND I FELT SEEN!
It was so great. Like I was 100 % in the story at that point.
Third:
I was doing last night snack hoarding from our hotel store and the store manager, huge guy, just came to me and said straight up that Oh no this looks like last night! He had been asking questions about our trip the whole week whenever I happened at the store. (We had the 1st visit pins all the time) and he had been genuinely funny dude.
So then he asked if the vacation had been good. I just broke down. I just started to cry and said it was so much better than I had expected or even hoped for and that it had really been the best vacation and 8 days ever. This big dude just looked at a grown man cry and straight up asked if I wanted to hug. And I did.
So two middle aged dudes hugged through a moment of emotions.
These were just few moments with people there that I will remember forever. And these are the things I think that make the place magical on top of everything else.
Hi, delete if not allowed. My family and I are currently staying at Bay Lake Tower, not sure where we picked it up from but we have norovirus.
Wash your hands and be extra safe. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.
UPDATE: woke up feeling normal. Thanks for all the well wishes and advice. Stay healthy friends!!
Counting down the days for our first Disney world trip as a family to celebrate our kiddos 5th birthday. It should be a fun surprise for him. Tips and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Small story time.
I recently went back to WDW for the first time in about 12 years. I can barely afford it, but I stayed for one night at the Grand Floridian Resort; the hotel I used to stay at with my family back in the 90s.
The last time I stayed there was about 24 years ago with my dad and my brother. We didn't know it then, but it would be our last vacation together. My dad passed away two years later from cancer. So, as you can imagine, staying even for one night back at that hotel came with a lot of overwhelming happy memories and nostalgia.
When I booked my room this time, I requested to be in the same building and same room we stayed in on that last trip. Thanks to the incredible cast members working in reservations, I got the room directly next to the one I stayed in with my dad and brother 24 years ago.
Needless to say, it was emotional, magical and extremely fulfilling. It felt like a full circle moment and like "touching time." In the end, I'm happy I didn't stay in the exact room we did. It was the same hallway, the same view and it left the past in the past. But, we got to be neighbors.
I can't thank the WDW folks enough for making this happen. I made sure to let them know as I was checking out just how much that meant to me and my whole trip.
I hope to go back again some day and stay at the GF. It's truly one of the best.
It's been about 26 years since I last ate here as a kid with my family. Didn't disappoint. Delicious food. Great service. Impeccable atmosphere. :)
I finally got try out Beak & Barrel this last trip to WDW two weeks ago. This is my new favorite drink from there! Soooo good and so refreshing!
Just need to vent a little. I got home from our trip and instead of that happy tired feeling, I feel like I just finished a week-long logistics project.
I love Walt Disney World. I'm the person who meal-preps to save money and rotates the same three easy dinners, so you would think I'd enjoy the planning side. But the amount of phone time required right now is exhausting. It felt like every day was a chain of tiny decisions that had to be made at exactly the right moment: checking availability, refreshing, reworking the order of the day because one thing moved, then doing it all again.
The worst part is how it changes the vibe in the parks. Instead of noticing little details or just wandering until something looks fun, I kept catching myself staring at my screen, doing mental math, and worrying I was making the wrong call. I hated that I was thinking about optimization while standing in places that are supposed to feel immersive.
Also, party days at Magic Kingdom stressed me out more than they should have. I know the schedule is posted and it's on me to plan around it, but it still stinks when you realize mid-day that the park energy is different and you are trying to cram everything in.
For those of you who still manage to have a relaxed trip: what's your strategy for putting the phone away and letting the day happen without feeling like you're wasting time and money?
We are staying at theDisney Dolphin for my daughter’s 2nd birthday. We want to pop into Epcot for a few hours and will do things around the boardwalk after so we don’t want to make the trip to MK. She would really enjoy meeting princesses since she’s 2 and doesn’t really ride much.
Does Epcot have designated princess meet and greets like magic kingdom does or do princesses just pop up in various pavilions?
Planning our first trip to Disney for July! we are doing waterpark, MK two days, Epcot, and HS.
I have three kids aged 6, 8, and 9. My 9 yo daughter has been obsessed with Goofy since age 1 and as a result our whole family loves Goofy and even celebrates his Bday at home with a big party every May 25!
I’m wondering where we can go to make sure we get at least some quality time with Goofy, without booking a character breakfast. and also, is there something we could do to ensure Goofy makes a special deal about my kids?! that would be incredible!!! help a mama out ! thank you!