|
The absolute best time to go in my opinion is during the food and wine festival. Particularly if you can get in during the latter half, toward the trailing end of October. The weather and crowds are both most manageable at that time of year and the festival itself bumps EPCOT from being the best park by just a little bit to unrivaled king of all parks everywhere in the universe. Each country's pavilion serves a taste of something awesome and booze for a few bucks. REALLY reasonable for Disney prices and the quality is outstanding. Just don't go trying the drinking around the world challenge. You'll be too smashed to be in a theme park by Germany. I also highly recommend going all out and paying the 150+ bucks a person to get into A Party for the Senses. It's like an old school Roman hedonism party. There is every sort of food and wine imaginable, and Cirque du Soliel also performs which is always neat. But mostly it's about some serious world class tasting. I'm not even a wine person but I still wish I could live there. Roar posted:As a side note, 30 minutes for Space Mountain is a drop in the bucket. With its popularity and frequent breakdowns, 80 minutes is closer to the norm. I worked Space Mountain! I love that old piece of atomic age engineering. Its cantankerousness kept my job interesting and the technology itself is endlessly fascinating, if in a sort of horrifying way. I actually ended up talking to one of the guys who programmed the... I don't even want to use the word 'computer', it's misleading in the modern context. Central control unit. So much of the work that would be done digitally now is mechanical instead. It's perfectly safe, more so than many digital equivalents, but it's pretty offensive to modern sensibilities when you get into the guts of it. Anyway, yeah in peak season the wait tended to be 60-90 minutes. More if we had a breakdown, which was often. Nathilus fucked around with this message at 08:26 on Apr 20, 2013 |
#
¿
Apr 20, 2013 08:10
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 18, 2024 04:22 |
|
|
Lincoln posted:I wrote a ton of stuff for parts 2 & 3 of the OP yesterday, and even I'm amazed how much I end up writing about food. My wife & I aren't even foodies! I never realized how much of our trip revolves around eating. It's amazing that the first big crisis WDW ran into when they opened was that they has so woefully underestimated the amount of food they would need to sell. Haha no kidding. The first couple of times my family went there when I was a kid, my parents were being cheap bastards and wouldn't let us eat a sit down meal inside the parks. They felt it was a waste of money so we'd eat off property after the day was over, completely ravenous. In retrospect, lovely decision. Staying and eating on property might be expensive, but it is so so SO worth it. Eventually I got them to relent and we ate at the Restraunt Akershus before it got turned into a damned princess dinner hamburger joint, my first experience with Norwegian food. It was so delicious we never turned back, and on every trip since have eaten at all sorts of places inside the parks. The dining plan makes this calculus even easier. And of course, when I worked there I would literally just pop into EPCOT to eat. Now when I think of Disney the rides and atmosphere are second in my mind after all that glorious, glorious food. Dining plan trick: even if you use the mid tier, save up two sit down meal credits and splurge at one of the fancy joints like the Brown Derby. TOTALLY WORTH IT. Also eat at Ohana's at the Polynesian. There's nothing like being accosted with incredibly tasty meats over and over again until you beg for mercy and the sweet escape of death. I discovered that joint while I was working there, and took my parents some time later, after the gig was up. I weigh a buck thirty sopping wet with five pounds of quarters in my pocket, but they are a bit older now and their metabolisms are slowing down a bit (IE: American PigDogs). Both of them were so impressed by the food there they ate themselves sick, which neither had ever done before. I've never laughed so hard in my life. My mother was groaning all the way back to the room and when she got there she didn't pass out, it was more like going into hibernation. Nathilus fucked around with this message at 16:51 on Apr 20, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Apr 20, 2013 16:36
|
|
|
Good update. A few suggestions, if I may. You missed a few things I consider drat near essential. First, two nearly perfect kid dumps: the frontier island in the Magic Kingdom and the awesome play area near the Muppet attraction in Hollywood Studios. I remember both being baller as hell when I was a kid, but what strikes me most about them these days is the clear relief of the reviving parents nearby. Just BEING at Disney World is like three or four lines of cocaine to a kid, these places where they can safely work out some of that energy (so they can be tired and cranky by the end of the day) are a godsend. You mentioned food in the Animal Kingdom and left out the best value for a counter service credit on the entire property! Flame Tree isn't as high brow as a lot of the dining at other parks, but the food is good and I love the seating area. Finally, I thought maybe you might want to say a few words about the shops? I've noticed a lot of first-timers seem frightened or intimidated by them. Or even dismissive. But I found that a lot of them have unique things which are interesting to browse if not even to buy. Like the African knicknacks shop in the Animal Kingdom. Or the shops in the world showcase, particularly Morocco, China, and Japan. I'm not sure how I'd tell a noob not to be scared of the shops and that browsing them can be really rewarding and a big part of the experience, but it might be worth trying.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 23, 2013 17:48
|
|
|
DNova posted:Maybe it's just because I never go to the toddler areas of the parks, but all of the kids under about 4 that I see in the parks seem absolutely miserable. Hell, I'd be miserable at some flower festival in Epcot. I tend to agree that 5 or 6 is the earliest age it is wise to take a kid. A toddler simply doesn't have the stamina or faculties to appreciate most of the parks. Besides they'll likely barely remember it at that age.
|
|
#
¿
May 2, 2013 06:49
|
|
|
Fluffy Bunnies posted:http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm#pi and http://land.allears.net/reviewpost/showcat.php?cat=40 Yeah I agree with everything here. Another proviso is that a five day vacation with a very young kid is doable if you just take it easy. You don't have to rush the parks like they are going out of style the whole week like I do when there, others find a more leisurely vacation preferable and it's certainly easier on very young kids and their likely exhausted parents. There are even childcare services available so if you want to go out to dinner with a spouse while your kid goes nuts with games, it's cool. It's just... well, Disney World is loving Expensive. Totally worth the money, but it's enough to make my rear end in a top hat clench up pretty tight. Part of the way parents rationalize spending thousands of dollars on a Disney vacation is how memorable it will be for their kids. If a kid's so young they can't fully appreciate it, it makes spending all that time, money, and stress seem like a more dubious decision. Six or seven is like the primo age for a first visit IMO. Most 5 year olds will enjoy the poo poo out of themselves too but they tend to run out of energy before the day is through. A six or seven year old will be going balls out the whole time and loving it. And the memories of that trip are likely to last them a lifetime.
|
|
#
¿
May 2, 2013 15:26
|
|
|
Ockhams Crowbar posted:Does anyone have any recommendations on any of the in-park places that are really, really strikingly good? Good food, good atmosphere, something worth being a destination in the park instead of just a place to fill up? Tons. I could go on and on and on about this. My biggest hobby when I was working there was going to the parks to eat. EPCOT is pretty obviously the crown jewel. Out of its restaurants, Restaurant Marrakesh is the best experience IMO. They serve plates with stuff like lamb and giant piles of tasty couscous, the place is pretty, and there are belly dancers. WOOT. It's also sort of expensive even by Disney standards, 30-40 per person, so it's a really good use of a single dining plan credit. I also really like San Angel Inn in Mexico. It's around the same price for fair to good Mexican food, but the dining experience is pretty unique and the cool, dark interior of the pavilion is a godsend in the middle or toward the end of a hot Floridian day. Be warned, this is my most controversial suggestion. A LOT of people would smirk at the idea of going to WDW and paying 30 bucks for a plate of food about as good as something you could get for less than 10 back home. All I have to say is take a look at the joint. The Garden Grill likewise has a really relaxing atmosphere and their food is really good, but I hate character dining because of an experience I had at MGM when I was younger. In Hollywood Studios there's the Brown Derby. It costs two credits like the other extremely fancy places and significant amounts of dough if you're not on the dining plan, but the food is very good and you get priority seating for the nightly show, which cuts down the time you have to deal with that bullshit significantly. You asked for places in the parks, but some of the real gems are at the hotels. 'Ohana at the Polynesian Resort is a long time favorite for a lot of people. They serve meat on giant skewers and Polynesian themed sides, and it's delicious. Make reservations for a time during the evening fireworks show. This requires a bit of CS wrangling, but Disney-style it will be very pleasant. At the Animal Kingdom lodge, both Boma and Jiko are amazing African themed dining. Boma is also very good for breakfast, but at dinner Jiko really stands out with some top notch food that you can't get everywhere. It's also expensive, and there is a dress code. Boma has the same kinds of stuff but it's lower brow dining by a notch both in food and atmosphere. Still far above average and significantly cheaper. I'd say one or both of these places are absolutely must visit, so if you're getting low on bills or credits Boma might be the better bet. Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge is like Jiko in that it's signature dining thus expensive and has a dress code. They serve seasonal northwestern food including some of the best game meats I've ever had at any restaurant. There are quite a few more but I'm going to stop before I hurt myself.
|
|
#
¿
May 3, 2013 07:04
|
|
|
Ockhams Crowbar posted:I vaguely remember the San Angel Inn from last time we went - or at least, I remember eating a bean burrito at a table someplace dark, which seems to fit the description. Hahaha, yep. That's definitely the place. I get a huge kick out of it. Having lunch by a fake river in the fake evening in fake Mexico with a random volcano painted on in the background has this pleasurably surrealist vibe that can't be had anywhere else.
|
|
#
¿
May 3, 2013 15:34
|
|
|
Toolband posted:Our 2 almost 3 year old had a blast the 6 days we were there! No crying, no whining. To those say it's inviting disaster must be around some misbehaved kids. I don't care how well behaved the kid is, most of em are going to get bitchy when they're hot and tired just like adults. I'm glad you had a good experience, but I stand firm in my assertion that it's a better bet to wait for your kid to have the increased stamina, patience, and self-control that comes with being six or seven before dragging them around theme parks. I've seen too many stressed the gently caress out kids and their parents at Disney to say otherwise.
|
|
#
¿
May 16, 2013 04:11
|
|
|
HPanda posted:The Universal parks (Universal and Islands of Adventure) aren't too bad, especially IoA. I could be biased on that one, though, since I worked at Universal for a couple months during busy season. I was able to see the attention they put into everything there. It's not quite up to Disney, but definitely higher than parks like Six Flags. The difference in quality is still noticeable. Marvel Island might be cool but the Hulk queue is disgusting and poorly designed and the paint in the Spider Man queue is often flaking/picked off. Jurassic Park and the myth area (I haven't been since Harry Potter World Land went up) are both amazingly designed, but there is still a notable lack of the Disney flair in the staff and cleanliness of the areas. Gotta admit though, Universal is good at designing set pieces. The gates of Jurassic Park with the iconic theme music blaring. The Men In Black queue, OH MY GOD  .
|
|
#
¿
May 17, 2013 19:56
|
|
|
Roar posted:This is mostly true, as long as you stay ON Disney property. A lot of people that come to Disney get cheaper rooms on I-drive or 192, and some pockets of those places are just as dirty and full of con artists as anywhere else. Just do some research if you decide to stay off-property and you should be fine. Yeah. My family was cheap the first few times I went and we stayed off property and wouldn't eat in the parks. Which is fine if you are loving broke and that's the only way you can afford to visit Disney, but at that point I'd argue you should probably save your money on a cheaper vacation. The difference between staying on-property and off is night and day. For me, the best part of WDW is the attitude of fantasy that is very intentionally engendered. It might be an illusion, but the parks are just the right mixture of diverting and a little stressful that when you stay inside the illusion for a week, you really can get to a point that all the poo poo you spend your life worrying about is completely not even on your mind. You don't have to argue or negotiate with anyone to be treated fairly. You don't have to worry about transportation. You can do what you want, at your own pace, and everything is taken care of for you in an aesthetically pleasant way. To me that is the core experience, more so than some meh to good rides. I'm a thrill ride lover so Universal has more that caters to my particular interest in that regard. Universal doesn't make me hate returning to the real world in the same way WDW does, however.
|
|
#
¿
May 26, 2013 00:40
|
|
|
BromanderData posted:Also in Epcot is soda tasting station. There you can try different sodas that are sold in the rest of the world. Is that back? It was there when I worked there but not last time I visited. If it's back I'm glad. Also I agree that the melon one is rad.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 6, 2013 20:07
|
|
|
Congratulations about being correct concerning the best time to go. You just can't beat the Food and Wine Festival. I love the lack of crowds at that time of year, the more bearable temperatures, nibbling at 2-4 dollar treats from various countries in the World Showcase, and of course the Party for the Senses. I'm a bit of a foodie so it's almost criminal how much fun I have at that thing. The first time I went I actually got SPOOKED by how much fun I was having. I kept asking my mother if I had drank too much because I was on cloud 9 and couldn't stop eating everything. I hadn't, of course, it would actually be difficult to get unacceptably drunk at that event unless you're a hella lightweight or went drinking around the world beforehand due to the small serving sizes and lines. I also like pissing off the wine people at that event. Just go up to a wine table and say "I'm not really a wine person so I have no idea what the choices you just gave me represent. Just pour me something that will go with this salmon." and watch the massively indignant expressions.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 13, 2013 20:12
|
|
|
Yoshifan823 posted:Man, I loved it there, though I don't know if it's something my parents will ever do again. We got a table right next to a booth that had boutique moonshine that they were making margaritas out of, I must have had six or seven, all while Cirque du Soleil was going on all around and delicious food was in my mouth constantly. Yeah it's a hedonist's wet dream and I'd live there if I could. It's also fuckin' expensive though. It's something like twice or three times as much as eating at one of the super-fanciest restaurants there. Totally worth it though if you can afford it without bankrupting yourself. We can't all be Roman Senators at the height of the decadent Empire but it's great to play at it for a few hours.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 14, 2013 04:51
|
|
|
Games I actually finally beat at DQ due to having unlimited credits: That horrible Star Wars Episode 1 rail shooter, Gauntlet Legends, Gauntlet Dark Legacy. There are a lot more but those are the ones that stand out.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 16, 2013 11:33
|
|
|
Yeah the Astroblasters are rad. Bumper cars and air cannons go so well together I'm surprised they aren't combined more often. Back when I was working there, Pleasure Island was still around as a huge clubs area. I found its existence pretty hilarious. Think of the connotations of that name: Pleasure Island is where all the "stupid little boys" got rounded up and turned into donkeys as they committed bad deeds like drinking, smoking, and playing pool. So they created a place to accommodate just that sort of behavior and kept the weird "you're going to hell" overtones that go with the name.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 16, 2013 17:56
|
|
|
Yoda posted:Victoria and Alberts. No ifs, ands or buts about this. Meeeeh. I agree only if you like haute-culture dining. I'd rather go to Jiko or Artist's Point. Artist's Point if I was wanting something more traditionally American and Jiko if not. Both have great atmosphere and wonderful food.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2013 04:33
|
|
|
TheBigBudgetSequel posted:If you can get a reservation to Le Cellier in Epcot, that's the best place I've eaten on property. I have heard great things about Artist Point, Narcoossees (at Grand Floridian), and Victoria and Alberts. I ate elk for the first time ever at Artist Point and it was loving delicious. I honestly feel that V&A doesn't beat that joint when it comes to actual food quality, although of course Artist Point can't compete when it comes to snootiness.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2013 05:23
|
|
|
zmcnulty posted:A lot of people consider V&A the best restaurant in the state of Florida, and some the entire Southeastern US. I agree it's probably not worth it if you don't understand the food. Unless you're a foodie you probably don't understand most of what they serve, and you can only describe it as "pretty good." Plenty of people can afford it, especially for something like an anniversary dinner, but that doesn't mean they'll really appreciate it what makes it fantastic rather th not trying to be condescending or jump on any particular poster; I'm one of those people myself since I also walked out of V&A only able to say "well that wan just pretty good. It doesn't take some culinary genius to notice that the food at Artist Point is just as good (if obviously prepared in a completely different style) as what they serve at V&A. I think it's a cop-out to say that if someone doesn't think it's that absolute bomb that "you just don't GET it mang". You're even arguing that your own plebeian palette isn't enough to fully appreciate the refined flavors of a V&A meal. Sounds suspiciously like fanwank to me, particularly when I know how people love talking up a restaurant because it's ~*~exclusive~*~. I've eaten there before and it was definitely not my most enjoyable meal on property, so I admit I'm biased on this point. Don't get me wrong either, V&A serves a mean rear end meal that happens to cost more than I make in a normal week.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 28, 2013 15:09
|
|
|
Disney itself will cut you deals like a travel agent would, a lot of the time. Their reservations people are just as hardcore as the rest of the front-facing staff. They have all your info if you've been there before and a lot of leeway to get you special prices. My family once went in one of the slow seasons when the Animal Kingdom Lodge had just been built. Because of my curiosity about it, the status of my family as longtime visitors, and the fact the place was half empty; they simply upgraded use from a standard Port Orleans room to a balcony one in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was awesome because there is no way in hell we'd pay 400$ a night for a room.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2013 18:45
|
|
|
If you want to try to get a discount straight from Disney, the only thing to do is to call reservations and explain the situation. As a company that wants even more of your money than you are currently willing to part with, they think it's great when someone is curious about trading up. The reaction will be based on how dead they think they're going to be when you'll be there. You might get offered a nominal discount, or if you're lucky might get a real sweet deal like I did back when.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2013 19:05
|
|
|
KittyEmpress posted:Okay, this is kind of a large thing to ask, but the subject came up today for me, when I learned about Shades of Green. 1. Shades of Green is very nice by the standards of anywhere else. It's not as animated as the other mid range places, but as a tradeoff it's pretty quiet and relaxing comparatively. If you really want a more themed stay, maybe try Port Orleans or something but Shades of Green is nice and you can't beat the price. 2. Count me in with the lot that says 5 days. One day per park and the extra spent shopping or park hopping or at shows or whatever. 3. Depends! Dining Plan or no? How long are you going to stay? What options do you want, such as park hopper access? For five days, room at a mid-rate place and park tickets will be under 2k, perhaps significantly so at that time a year. You could end up getting away with paying 14 to 15 hundred dollars, particularly with the discount from Shades of Green. As for her health and keeping her refreshed, 5 days gives you plenty of time for breathers. It's still going to be hot in September and likely even October. Sorry, that's the middle and south of Florida for you. I'd recommend going late October or even early November if possible. The EPCOT food and wine festival starts up around then and is awesome, plus it might be significantly cooler. Regardless, there are plenty of shady spots to duck into for a moment and a brief nap or dip in the pool back at the hotel are great uses of a few hours in the middle of the afternoon.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 29, 2013 17:15
|
|
|
TheBigBudgetSequel posted:DL's Space Mountain seems like less of a death trap from what I hear, but having never been there, I don't know. What do you mean by WDW's Space Mountain being a death trap? Like all other rides there, it was designed and is operated with safety in mind above everything else. I only know of one death in the history of the ride. Oh, whoops. I just checked that and there have been two more since I worked there, both due to natural causes and not any kind of ride issue. Cancer and a heart attack, in case you're curious The one I knew about happened decades ago and involved a dude standing up during the ride. I can't find this documented anywhere at the moment but I'm pretty sure it actually happened, vs. just being one of the dozens of cast member rumors. That said, DL Space Mountain is definitely more technologically advanced than the one in WDW and probably a better experience.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 10, 2013 22:10
|
|
|
Malt posted:I had a chance to ride DL Space Mountain with the lights on a few years back and while I'm sure its very safe, the track appears so close to the cars I would never put my hands up while riding after seeing it. Haha, the WDW one is the same. It's easily possible to reach out and touch struts during the ride, although I don't recommend it. They do have pool noodles on all the spots where that is possible, so you shouldn't be able to hurt yourself too badly by doing so. But still, pretty bad idea to attempt it.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 11, 2013 00:14
|
|
|
Suspicious Dish posted:I was genuinely surprised when I learned that the Reflections show at EPCOT was driven by a Windows 95 machine, but I guess there's really no reason to update these legacy systems, especially if they're not hooked up to the network. You have no idea. Some of the rides are still run by 1950s style mainframes running ancient COBOL instructions. Space Mountain WDW is one of them. If it ain't broke, I suppose.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 11, 2013 01:01
|
|
|
Optimist with doubt posted:So for two days of Disney what do you folks think are the best options? I was thinking Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. I might spend an extra half day depending on funds. Are you taking kids? Then definitely MK and whichever of AK or Hollywood strikes your fancy more. Without kids, EPCOT, EPCOT EEEEPCOOOT. it's hands down the best park for adults. But the best answer is clearly that two days is not nearly enough and that you need to book 3-5 more. 
|
|
#
¿
Aug 11, 2013 02:53
|
|
|
Ah, word. It is... well, rickety isn't exactly the word I'd use. Haphazard maybe. Still, close enough. Sorry if I came across as defensive or anything. It's just after working on that particular ride and having SAFETY drilled into my head over and over, hearing it called a death trap was a bit baffling.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 11, 2013 03:16
|
|
|
Roar posted:What happened to just following the rules like a civilized society? That never existed. It's a fairy tale. Most people will take advantage and cheat as much as they think they can get away with. Not to mention the rules themselves are made by people who take as much advantage as they can.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 16, 2013 01:05
|
|
|
Incorrect, Port Orleans is obviously the objectively best of the mid-tier resorts.  Anyone who doesn't agree with this is simply wrong.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 25, 2013 21:37
|
|
|
Seriously, none of the mid-tiers have anything that make one worth 100 quid more unless you love the theme and have cash to burn. Coronado is perfectly fine. It's physically very close to the Caribbean resort and has the same buses as all the other resorts, so that won't be an issue. It's also one of the more laid-back and least cheesily themed of the resorts in that tier, which is nice.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 30, 2013 22:21
|
|
|
Both The Brown Derby and Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge are also good places to get a steak, though they're both in that same hella expensive tier. I'm also from Texas so ordering steak at either place would simply seem like a wasted opportunity. Artist Point serves awesome seasonal game meats and Pacific Northwest seafood while The Brown Derby is more classical American Rich People Food. If I want a perfect steak I can just go to HEB and then slap a good cut of meat onto the BBQ pit or a skillet for a few minutes. Reductions and a $40 NY Strip are fine but the opportunity cost of eating such a thing would kill me.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 1, 2013 19:30
|
|
|
mobby_6kl posted:I'm going to have a day I could spend in Orland before going to (hopefully) watch a rocket launch and am considering spending it in Disney World, probably Epcot. If I go right from the airport, I could be there around 10-11 maybe, and stay until closing. Would this be sufficient to explore all the good stuff in that park? Anything else in Orlando that I, a single adult male, should consider spending I'd say one day is enough to get a lot of the good stuff at EPCOT in, but probably not all. You could get your money's worth though, particularly if you're the kind of person that would enjoy the simple pleasures of The World Showcase. That splits your time nicely between riding and waiting for the big rides of the other half of the park, and a more relaxing time at whatever countries suit your fancy. If you're more of a thrill ride fan, Islands of Adventure might be a better bet for your single day. I'm a huge coaster fan and would have a hard time deciding between those two.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 1, 2013 23:47
|
|
2 on instead?
|
I agree that 3 table service meals a day is borderline undoable. It's not just about being a widdle piggie either, who wants to spend hours a day eating when you've paid hundreds of dollars to even be in the parks?! TheBigBudgetSequel, Artist Point is very good and you will not be disappointed. It's not particularly whizz-bang in terms of Disney restaurants, but they do solid and high-class pacific northwest food and often seasonal game meats. I ate elk there for the first time and it was superb. I've had elk several times since but it has never compared to that dinner. Also don't get picky/spooked about Jiko. It's nothing that will offend babby's palate. If you don't like curry sauces and the like, you can still get "steak in wine reduction with veggies" there. Perhaps it's too late for this trip, but Jiko is very very good even if you're not terribly taste-adventurous.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 10, 2013 18:35
|
|
|
Fluffy Bunnies posted:Nathilus, how hard is it to get ingredients out of Jiko chefs? I've heard they're the super busy types. Somewhat tricky. While it's totally kosher for them to give out that info and Disney is all about customer service, Jiko is indeed pretty much constantly packed. Still, if you can manage to grab their attention for a minute, they'd likely be happy to share. That reminds me of an encounter I had at Ohana. I LOVED when they had the pineapple drizzled with caramel for dessert. A couple years after that I went in and got served carrot cake or some BS for dessert. I said something like this to my waiter: "What the hell is this garbage?! Where's my yummy pineapple drizzled with caramel!?! I don't want your dumb cake!" All faux-outraged. In reply he gave me a faux-contrite look and said, "You have no idea how often we hear that. We've been trying to get it switched back, just so we don't have to hear about it anymore." Hahaha.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 10, 2013 21:10
|
|
|
tomapot posted:I do have a question for the thread through, since I travel by myself most of my evening meals are solo. I always feel awkward just sitting down to eat by myself, are there any single-diner friendly places I should check out? For example last trip I ate at Jiko and sat at the cooking station or whatever that was and chatted it up with the cooks. The Teppanyaki place at the Japanese pavilion will set you up at a table with an odd number of strangers. Depends on the people you get I guess, but I always had a good time there solo. The real answer is to not give a gently caress and go anywhere alone though.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 19, 2013 06:38
|
|
|
Oooh, can I join the Cosmic Ray's hatefest? Because I hate that loving joint, too! It exemplifies everything that's wrong with American middle of the road cuisine. The place is huge, trashy, serves blatantly average but expensive burgers, and can bite me. Furthermore they store their trash down in a part of the tunnels I had to walk through daily to get to and from work at Space Mountain. Nothing like getting dressed then having to walk through a place that smells like decomposing meat! 
|
|
#
¿
Sep 24, 2013 03:54
|
|
|
DNova posted:Hi, I used to be a kid and I went to Disney World and the waits were the loving worst. It was absolutely miserable waiting 2+ hours for the then-new Tower of Terror and Space Mountain. Yeah, as a kid an hour of adult time is like.... a couple days of kid time. I remember the waits being occasionally excruciating. In an age before cell phones to gently caress around with, even a half hour wait for the movie at a theater to get started was pretty bad. But never fear, kids these days are pre-trained to deplete cell phone batteries when faced with an absence of something else fun to do. It's seriously like having a battery backup for the kid's attention span, and it's genius.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 25, 2013 00:07
|
|
|
tomapot posted:Didn't realize my training session this week in Orlando coincided with the start of the Food & Wine festival. Best part, we decided to end training at 3pm tomorrow and finish the day at Epcot for a "team building" exercise. Just FYI it's usually bad form to get super drunk at company events. Keep the buzz slow and steady, the prices help somewhat if you're a cheapskate like me. Don't try to drink around the world. Instead, occasionally sample things which seem interesting. Also, I've mentioned this before and it's probably too late for you to buy a spot, but during the Food and Wine festival, anyone with the means should attend the "Party for the Senses". At $150 a pop minimum, yes it is just as expensive as dining at a 3 star Michelin restaurant. But it has a thousand amazing things to eat and drink, Cirque du Soleil performs, and you can stick around for hours. You get things in tiny fancy restaurant portions which means you can eat as much of one thing as you'd like, or sample a dozen or more. Additionally, the company is excellent. The self-selecting set of people that will buy into such a thing plus the artistic atmosphere leads to a really cool and huge modern day salon type event. I really can't sperg hard enough about how awesome it is.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2013 05:05
|
|
|
I flat out dislike the Grand Floridian. Its spot on the monorail line is nice, it has the best restaurants, and the layout is great; but I don't find the price tag worth it at all and think the theme is unbearably pretentious. I'd much rather stay at The Contemporary or The Polynesian if I wanted one of the monorail loop hotels. Wilderness Lodge and AK Lodge are pretty similar. They're both off the beaten path, have a rustic sort of theme, and have top tier restaurants. Jiko happens to be one of my favorite places to eat on property and I love the savannah view balcony rooms, so I personally rate AK higher than Wilderness Lodge despite the slightly longer travel times. That said Artist Point isn't shabby at all either, and a savannah view room is a waste of money if you aren't going to spend any time in it except sleeping. These are just my personal opinions, I don't pretend to be an authority on the matter. All three are great hotels by any measure, so the choice really comes down to what aspect of the experience is most important to you.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2013 20:43
|
|
|
Roar posted:The Poly isn't pretentious? And at least the Grand HAS a theme; the "modernistic" theme of the Contemporary doesn't really cut it in comparison. The Grand is the flagship hotel and is by far the best of the three. It's a lot easier for them to stick to the Victorian theme as opposed to giving a college kid a lei and telling them to say aloha. We're obviously in the realm of taste at this point, so let me just say that your taste sucks and mine is the correct kind.  Seriously though, I actually like the modernist minimalism of the Contemporary. And while the Polynesian's theme might be a bit caked on like bad prom makeup, at least it isn't stuffy as hell fake-Victorian fake-rich-people BS. I had a grandmother who had a taste for that kind of thing and visiting the Grand Floridian always makes me remember the smell of grandma's house. gently caress that poo poo. It's the opposite of a comfortable, relaxing environment. I've stayed at really nice hotels in Midtown Manhattan as well as two of the joints in Hollywood that cater to the super rich and/or famous. None of them had decor that came off as nearly as pretentious or stuffy as the Grand Floridian. That place has always struck me as a stuck up eight year old's idea of "classy". Don't get me wrong, it's still a super-nice hotel. Great service, nice rooms, and the like.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2013 00:02
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 18, 2024 04:22 |
|
|
Talk to someone concerning dining reservations. I wouldn't trust the website. At least a couple hundred people are trained and staffed to deal with that kind of thing and customers, so ring them up. Their information has a much higher fidelity than the web's, and you don't have to worry about a laggy electronic middleman when you place your reservations.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2013 01:57
|
|