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What's the general consensus on Food and Wine vs Festival of the Holidays at Epcot? Food and Wine sounds better but weather is better during Festival of Holidays.
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Mar 12, 2021 23:21
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Virtue posted:What's the general consensus on Food and Wine vs Festival of the Holidays at Epcot? Food and Wine sounds better but weather is better during Festival of Holidays. We've done both. The weather in October was just really really awful. Just ultra hot and humid all day. The food and drink is pretty similar and the holiday theme is a lot better. Less locals are around during the holidays too
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Mar 12, 2021 23:27
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Fartington Butts posted:If this comes when people are still wearing mask its gonna be people with facelock fumbling to unlock their phone with a passcode. it will use wallet, which works without the phone being unlocked. still, you are correct. i’m sure people won’t know how to use wallet and will fumble with their phones
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Mar 13, 2021 02:23
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Dren posted:it will use wallet, which works without the phone being unlocked. still, you are correct. i’m sure people won’t know how to use wallet and will fumble with their phones I sure as hell don't
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Mar 13, 2021 02:34
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Boxman posted:For what its worth, it looks like it'll use the digital wallet in your phone rather than being a thing that's in the app. So that'll actually be reasonably convenient. I'm hoping it'll work like the express transit option does, where you just need to tap without unlocking anything. If it does, you'd be able to use an Apple Watch in exactly the same way as a MagicBand. Dren posted:it will use wallet, which works without the phone being unlocked. still, you are correct. i’m sure people won’t know how to use wallet and will fumble with their phones For normal wallet tap-for-payment stuff you still need to confirm with FaceID or passcode. Only express transit options that you explicitly enable don't need any interaction. I'm guessing that it'll either get crowbarred into that category or get a new generic no-confirmation-needed 'Event Ticket' category from Apple that works the same way. Roadie fucked around with this message at 02:41 on Mar 13, 2021 |
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Mar 13, 2021 02:39
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:I sure as hell don't double-click the lock button on the watch, double-click the side button (the button that is not the digital crown) edit: i just tested this and certain things in my wallet require face id, while others don’t. so it’s up to disney how this will work. (the watch will work without face id)
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Mar 13, 2021 02:39
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Dren posted:edit: i just tested this and certain things in my wallet require face id, while others don’t. so it’s up to disney how this will work. (the watch will work without face id) Displaying wallet cards (including QR codes) doesn't need FaceID/passcode, but tap-to-pay does, unless it's an express transit option, in which case you don't even need to open the wallet and you can just tap to immediately do the thing.
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Mar 13, 2021 02:43
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Virtue posted:What's the general consensus on Food and Wine vs Festival of the Holidays at Epcot? Food and Wine sounds better but weather is better during Festival of Holidays. All of the Epcot festivals are now variations of Food & Wine. Definitely go for better weather. But remember, January is pretty much the only month in Florida where cool or cold weather is almost a guarantee. - October: typically still terrible until maybe the last week. - November: Could be cool but also could still be like October. - December - Most likely pleasant, could be legit cold, but still possibly warm and humid. - January - Almost always pretty cool and dry, legit cold is a strong possibility. - February - Typically cooler, but could be warm. This year's February was unseasonably hot and humid. - March - Usually warm in the day and cool at night, low humidity. - April - Starts getting hot, but humidity usually still at tolerable levels. - Late May through Late October - just do not vacation here at all during this time
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Mar 13, 2021 04:47
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Virtue posted:What's the general consensus on Food and Wine vs Festival of the Holidays at Epcot? Food and Wine sounds better but weather is better during Festival of Holidays. Food and Wine has a lot more food and wine options if that is what you want. Weekdays are OK but weekends are terrible... At least they were pre covid. No idea what will happen this year. Holidays has less food but more seasonal entertainment. Wandering around and seeing the story tellers is a great time. Norway and England are my favorites. Voices of Liberty are great too. Candlelight is fun but no idea if they will do it this year. If they do... Expect to wait a long time or buy a dinner package. If you don't want either and don't mind standing you can hear and mostly see from the walkway at the back of the theater.
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Mar 13, 2021 04:51
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SweetMercifulCrap! posted:All of the Epcot festivals are now variations of Food & Wine. Definitely go for better weather. But remember, January is pretty much the only month in Florida where cool or cold weather is almost a guarantee. This past month has been crazy with how hot it is during the day versus how cool it gets at night. I was at work sweating my butt off and then went over to a friends and we were outside and I needed a jacket. Just nutso weather fluctuations
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Mar 14, 2021 03:18
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TheBigBudgetSequel posted:This past month has been crazy with how hot it is during the day versus how cool it gets at night. I was at work sweating my butt off and then went over to a friends and we were outside and I needed a jacket. Just nutso weather fluctuations How busy has it been? It’s Texas spring break time and I’m guessing it’s just insane. Now the kids are older I can’t really take them out of school anymore, so I’m stuck going during holidays or the summer.
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Mar 14, 2021 03:45
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March has been crazy busy, though probably not any busier than any other spring break time. Even with attendance capped at 35%, there are only so many places people can be since not every attraction and restaurant are open. Lines are super long and it just feels crowded. I have a friend there now who says it's nuts.
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Mar 14, 2021 04:07
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drat, just saw the spring roll cart raised its prices to 9.50 for 2. I mean 7.50 at WDW was like...alright I guess but drat 9.50
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Mar 15, 2021 01:33
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skipdogg posted:drat, just saw the spring roll cart raised its prices to 9.50 for 2. I mean 7.50 at WDW was like...alright I guess but drat 9.50 Sigh I have yet to make it to MK when that dang thing is open. I just want some spring rolls :[ At least Sonny has been performing the last few times I've gone. I'd cry if they got him of Sonny
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Mar 15, 2021 01:37
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I got my first vaccine dose and the wife is getting hers on Saturday, so we’ll be okay to travel around May, but we’re thinking May’s too hot, so December for our anniversary. We wanted to try staying at one of the Epcot resorts, but all of them are at least double if not four times the price of the Disney Springs area hotels where we usually stay. Is this a case where prices may go down/discounts are available or is the $700+ price tag on the Beach Club/Boardwalk basically fixed at that price? Just want to know if I should just rip off the bandaid now and book elsewhere or if there’s still hope. We’re FL residents it it matters.
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Mar 16, 2021 15:19
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Nanigans posted:I got my first vaccine dose and the wife is getting hers on Saturday, so we’ll be okay to travel around May, but we’re thinking May’s too hot, so December for our anniversary. Braks would know if any discounts come out, but BeachClub and Boardwalk are both very high demand resorts, and they're not very large, so between demand and capacity, prices stay high. If you're heart is set on one of those resorts, look into renting DVC points. It might be too late though, as DVC resorts book up fast 11 months out. You might be able to make it work. Unpopular opinion, the skyliner is pretty cool, so staying on property at a skyliner connected resort will get you to the epcot area pretty quick if thats whats important to you. Rent DVC points at Riviera, or stay at Carrib or AoA/Pop and use the skyliner.
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Mar 16, 2021 15:29
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The 50th anniversary celebration begins in October, so December this year is gonna be very booked up. I doubt there will be any discounts available until last minute, if ever, for Beach/Boardwalk.
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Mar 16, 2021 15:37
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Boardwalk is mostly just good for the location. We stayed there once, and the room itself was very fake nice. It looked nice at first walk in, but we quickly realized the room layout was kind of bad, the bathroom didn't have enough room and felt worse than a lot of discount hotels for getting ready in the morning. The toilet paper was the cheapest imaginable toilet paper and it was a $500 a night room. The hotel was a huge sprawl with lots of long winding hallways, so it felt like it took just as long to get to our room from the entrance to the hotel as it did to get to the hotel from Epcot.
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Mar 16, 2021 15:40
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Thanks for letting me know they’re not worth it, everyone. How are the “cheaper” Skyliner hotels? AoA and Pop Century, right? I’ve heard they’re not as nice as the much cheaper non-Disney hotels in the area. Might be worth it this once though. But yeah, we mostly want quick access to Epcot. Want to ride Ratatouille and get that France breakfast. I guess we can always try getting a breakfast reservation to get into the park early, right? Are they allowing dining reservations 60 or 90 days in advanced right now? We don’t have our annual passes anymore so I’m not sure if that makes a difference on when you can get reservations for dining. Last question: Do you need park tickets and a park reservation to make dining reservations?
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Mar 16, 2021 15:54
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Chainclaw posted:Boardwalk is mostly just good for the location. We stayed there once, and the room itself was very fake nice. It looked nice at first walk in, but we quickly realized the room layout was kind of bad, the bathroom didn't have enough room and felt worse than a lot of discount hotels for getting ready in the morning. The toilet paper was the cheapest imaginable toilet paper and it was a $500 a night room. The hotel was a huge sprawl with lots of long winding hallways, so it felt like it took just as long to get to our room from the entrance to the hotel as it did to get to the hotel from Epcot. I've never stayed at the Grand Floridian or the new Riviera, but you pretty much summed up all WDW area hotels I have experience with. You're average Hilton Garden Inn is just as nice or nicer than the 500 to 700 dollar a night WDW room hotel. The layout of the older hotels can be rough, especially Boardwalk.
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Mar 16, 2021 15:56
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Nanigans posted:Thanks for letting me know they’re not worth it, everyone. It's hard to say if it's worth it or not, I was mostly trying to level expectations. These hotels you're paying for location more than anything else. The other gotcha to the Boardwalk is that half of Epcot doesn't open until like 11 or 12, so early access isn't as beneficial. You can walk through to the front half of Epcot, though. Probably not worth it for a whole trip, but maybe 2 nights, and move to another hotel after. I think our next splurge hotel would be the Contemporary. Walking distance to Magic Kingdom feels pretty great, especially in the morning when you would otherwise be stuck waiting in a big line for the monorail or ferry from the parking lot.
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Mar 16, 2021 16:05
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Chainclaw posted:It's hard to say if it's worth it or not, I was mostly trying to level expectations. These hotels you're paying for location more than anything else. The other gotcha to the Boardwalk is that half of Epcot doesn't open until like 11 or 12, so early access isn't as beneficial. You can walk through to the front half of Epcot, though. Probably not worth it for a whole trip, but maybe 2 nights, and move to another hotel after. International Gateway opens at the same time as the main entrance. Usually France is also open for breakfast.
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Mar 16, 2021 16:17
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Chainclaw posted:I think our next splurge hotel would be the Contemporary. Walking distance to Magic Kingdom feels pretty great, especially in the morning when you would otherwise be stuck waiting in a big line for the monorail or ferry from the parking lot. Contemporary is okay. It should be a moderate; especially the garden wing, until it's updated. Walking to MK is why it isn't. Coronado Springs 4 lyfe, all the way in the back, absolute silence constantly and it's just so good. E: Fort Wilderness cabins are amazing if you have a golf cart the whole time. If you don't, oh god.
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Mar 16, 2021 16:57
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:Contemporary is okay. It should be a moderate; especially the garden wing, until it's updated. I’ve stayed at Coronado Springs one or twice for work. Which in real nice when I’m trying to get to sleep at a reasonable hour and don’t have to hear fireworks or ferry boat horns going off. (I know first class complaints) Wilderness Cabins with a cart when our daughter was little was sooo much fun.
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Mar 16, 2021 17:15
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tomapot posted:I’ve stayed at Coronado Springs one or twice for work. Which in real nice when I’m trying to get to sleep at a reasonable hour and don’t have to hear fireworks or ferry boat horns going off. (I know first class complaints) I get the people who complain that CSR has little in the way of Disneyfied themeing. It really doesn't. There aren't a lot of SW properties, anyway, for Disney to choose from. And maybe that should change, but it's fine for now. But gosh, it's just so quiet. I've never in my life had to wait for a bus there. There's no real reason for people to be there (there's no destination restaurant like GF or the Poly or whatever) if they aren't staying and it's primarily adults. I love it.
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Mar 16, 2021 17:29
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AoA is my husband's very favorite resort. If you want a basic hotel that is heavily Disney themed, that's what you'll get. I really like Yacht Club, though, for Epcot resorts. I think the rooms are really good and the resort itself is not so big as to be exhausting. Plus Stormalong Bay is the best pool on property. I wouldn't spend double to stay there, but if the price is within your budget it's an excellent choice. I really dislike the cabins. I think the layout is just awful. The main bedroom has a queen bed and a set of bunks, then the living room has a double sofa bed. I would honestly prefer it if the queen bed were in the living room as like a murphy set up or something because I want to be able to throw my kids in their own room. Also, the bunk beds were the most uncomfortable beds I've ever slept on in my life. The floor was more comfortable. The golf carts are fun though. To me, the best mix of price, convenience, location was Caribbean Beach. I didn't expect to like it but I thought it was good. We did have some long waits for buses but I've had long waits for buses everywhere at Disney. Skyliner access was good, food court was good, room was good if in a slight need of a refresh. We stayed in the Barbados section and it was a short walk to everything. I would definitely stay there again and we got an amazing price on it. Also, no ETA on any discounts for fall just yet. Braksgirl fucked around with this message at 17:34 on Mar 16, 2021 |
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Mar 16, 2021 17:31
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Wilderness lodge, everything else is secondary.
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Mar 16, 2021 17:32
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Braksgirl posted:AoA is my husband's very favorite resort. If you want a basic hotel that is heavily Disney themed, that's what you'll get. see, we had four adults so it was just super mellow. I actually was in a bunk bed and I was great with it. I dunno. I like real hard beds, though. Yacht Club feels just way too snooty for me. I've been there, I've eaten there, I felt like I needed to get out. Same with the Poly and the Floridian. quote:Also, no ETA on any discounts for fall just yet. They're waiting on covid vaccine stuff. couldcareless posted:Wilderness lodge, everything else is secondary. I love the aesthetic but that $$ price point. Oof.
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Mar 16, 2021 17:45
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I think I prefer the Disney resorts that are a bunch of smaller, sprawling buildings over one or a few giant buildings. Yeah, it takes a little longer to get to your room, but you're paying the extra money to be in the "Disney bubble", and being in a big sprawling resort that's inside of a much larger sprawling resort is something you can really only experience at WDW.
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Mar 16, 2021 18:29
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:Contemporary is okay. It should be a moderate; especially the garden wing, until it's updated. We used to stay in the 200 loop in Fort Wilderness all the time when I was a kid. It was one of the best places to stay in the park when River Country and Discovery Island were still around. 
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Mar 16, 2021 18:30
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Braksgirl posted:March has been crazy busy, though probably not any busier than any other spring break time. Even with attendance capped at 35%, there are only so many places people can be since not every attraction and restaurant are open. Lines are super long and it just feels crowded. I have a friend there now who says it's nuts. This is spot on. The lines for most rides aren't all that long wait-wise, but you'll do some hefty walking to get on them. The line for Haunted Mansion is consistently down to Country Bear Jamboree but hardly exceeds 30-40 minutes most days. The general areas of the park just feel like a madhouse, and now the guests are starting to get really cranky about be constantly reminded about the covid rules. A guy got so upset when I reminded him that he had to step off to the side if he wanted to remove his mask to eat his food. I was nice too. It's not a super fun vibe rn.
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Mar 16, 2021 19:41
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TheBigBudgetSequel posted:This is spot on. The lines for most rides aren't all that long wait-wise, but you'll do some hefty walking to get on them. The line for Haunted Mansion is consistently down to Country Bear Jamboree but hardly exceeds 30-40 minutes most days. yeah just wait until things get even more mixed and Disney no longer requires anything like masks or whatever because "what?! our numbers are down!"
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Mar 16, 2021 19:45
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Ew. I'm going back the last week of March and I hope a lot of the rear end in a top hat spring breakers are gone by then.
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Mar 16, 2021 19:49
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Pop Century sucks. Never stay there. Especially from October - December. Thanks 
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Mar 16, 2021 19:57
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As someone who works in the Orlando parks, guests are absolutely snippier and more stressed than they have ever been. These COVID procedures are not fun. I’m not talking about wearing a mask, though it does suck on hot humid days. They’re just clearly putting more people in the park than these procedures can accommodate in a reasonable, non-annoying way. So getting on any ride or going in most stores involves jumping through hoops to even find where the end of the line is, and a lot more shuffling around than what people are used to. Universal is way worse. They still pay lip service to the procedures but are very clearly putting way, way more people than their parks can handle in. Universal’s parks are smaller, and have narrower walkways, and in general lack the infrastructure to accommodate all these spaced out queues that Disney’s sprawling parks have. The result is getting on most Universal attractions is total chaos and you will be shoved into shoulder to shoulder crowds that are only there because of everyone criss-crossing to navigate their poorly labeled makeshift queues.
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Mar 16, 2021 20:06
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SweetMercifulCrap! posted:As someone who works in the Orlando parks, guests are absolutely snippier and more stressed than they have ever been. These COVID procedures are not fun. I’m not talking about wearing a mask, though it does suck on hot humid days. They’re just clearly putting more people in the park than these procedures can accommodate in a reasonable, non-annoying way. So getting on any ride or going in most stores involves jumping through hoops to even find where the end of the line is, and a lot more shuffling around than what people are used to. Yall deserve to be paid but yall absolutely should not be working right now, especially in conditions like this. If they closed the parks for a few months and let everyone get vaccinated, they could probably reopen in September totally maskless.
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Mar 16, 2021 20:22
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I've stayed at Caribbean Beach twice now and totally recommend it. There are a few downsides, like the Skyliner stations being on the far side of the bay from Old Port Royale, so depending on where your room is you'll have a bit of a trek for either breakfast or Skyliner access, but the grounds are nice enough for it to not be too annoying, even all the way up in block 55 in Aruba. You can even sometimes spot turtles in the water  Buses there are... a thing. The first time I stayed Jamaica was the place to stay to be first on/off the bus, the second time it was Martinique. I'm not sure if the shuffle it to prevent one area from being preferred or if it was due to the changes at Old Port Royale, but it's usually not TOO bad. I've never had to go out of my way to go to a different stop to get a seat. Also, Banana Cabana may be no Trader Sam's in terms of theming, but the drinks are about as good and you can watch Epcot's fireworks across the bay. This WAS before the Skyliners had opened, there were just testing them on my second stay, so I'm not sure if it's changed much.
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Mar 16, 2021 20:28
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CB is my favorite resort of all time and adding the skyliners was an added bonus. It's all so easy. Theme park adjacent but I really appreciate the effort this artist put in to making this like a theme park advertisement. It's open edition, meaning everybody can get one in X time. Ships from the UK but too good for me to pass up. https://vice-press.com/blogs/news/jurassic-park-george-bletsis?currency=USD
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Mar 16, 2021 20:56
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Tim Whatley posted:CB is my favorite resort of all time and adding the skyliners was an added bonus. It's all so easy. I like to imagine I make the same face the dino is making every time someone posts in this thread. (this is awesome) CBR seems really sensible to be a favorite if you trust the skyliner murder buckets (people are gonna have to drug my terrified rear end to get me on them)
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Mar 16, 2021 21:00
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What’s a good way to find out what dates a room is available at a WDW resort? Going one day at a time until you see something other than “no rooms available” can’t be it.
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Mar 16, 2021 21:16
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