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Disney Vacation (4 Viewers)

Got my Disney booking done for December. Holy hell,  was it expensive this time around. Zero discounts because of Star Wars and I got the last two rooms available at Coronado for the dates of my trip. I, literally,  paid as much as I usually do and that was with three free nights that were credited to me from my last stay. Insane. 

 
Deranged Hermit said:
The Dis podcast has been killing Ohana lately. The host, Pete Warner,  said it's gotten to the point where he can't even recommend it anymore.
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:bag:  I have not been back there in the past 2 trips and do not have it on my list for this one. 

I love most of the food there, but it's just got too crowded and too rushed and the experience has gone downhill IMO. And this was before anything the Dis team put out there. 

 
glvsav37 said:
:bag:  I have not been back there in the past 2 trips and do not have it on my list for this one. 

I love most of the food there, but it's just got too crowded and too rushed and the experience has gone downhill IMO. And this was before anything the Dis team put out there. 
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I'm torn. I really want to go since I missed last time, but I'm really hesitant. I might go and tell the waiter that we will not be rushed. I want to take my time and enjoy it.

 
I can't fathom being in the parks at all this week.  I rarely get in my own pool, but it's been a must so far and it's not even June!

 
Capella said:
Sad news to report. Ohana was pretty terrible. 

I asked the guy for medium rare steak knowing that was impossible and he said “I have medium ......well done” 

At least he had a sense of humor. The shrimp were so over cooked that the shells melted into the meat. Yeesh. 
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so confused ...why is it impossible to get a medium rare steak there?  

 
I didnt realize this was a Olivanders type experience. 

Visitors to planet Batuu are allowed to move freely between piloting the Millennium Falcon and browsing a collection of toy Rathtars — the world we live in now! — but there’s only one place you can’t enter without a cover charge. Savi’s Workshop sells the famed weapons, sure, but you won’t step foot in the door unless you or a guest are making one to the tune of $199.99. The merchandise experience, which lets guests hand-select their own kyber crystals and build a heavy-duty personalized lightsaber, has approximately three build show experiences per hour, and each turn is limited to 28 people — 14 builders with a single allotted guest.
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Binky The Doormat said:
so confused ...why is it impossible to get a medium rare steak there?  
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Because their cooks suck? I dunno. A waiter there told me years ago that they didn’t like to serve it under medium because of some dumb health reason that doesn’t exist, but I’ve been to multiple Disney steakhouses that will cook you medium rare steak. Maybe it’s because they are feeding the masses at Ohana and they just figure it’s better to overcook?

 
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glvsav37 said:
got to create some sort of mystery around it if you are spending that much money for a toy. 

oh, and becasue Universal does it
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But you can go into olivanders without buying. Not so much for saberland. 

But who am I kidding, Im def making one. Each of my kids will too

 
Capella said:
Because their cooks suck? I dunno. A waiter there told me years ago that they didn’t like to serve it under medium because of some dumb health reason that doesn’t exist, but I’ve been to multiple Disney steakhouses that will cook you medium rare steak. Maybe it’s because they are feeding the masses at Ohana and they just figure it’s better to overcook?
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And with ketchup  ;)

 
Just got home from a 6 night stay. Man it was hot this weekend. Epcot on Thursday and AK Friday weren’t too terrible with a decent breeze all day, Sunday HS was pretty dang warm, and Magic Kingdom on Memorial Day was just brutal. Crowds and lines were long but I was honestly expecting worse since it was a holiday. Couple of random findings /observations: 

The filet at Be Our Guest dinner was awesome. Perfect medium rare, just melted in your mouth. The lobster bisque sucked. French Onion Soup was great. 

The MK fireworks/projection show is officially skippable for our family. People camp out 1.5 hrs ahead of time to get the prime viewing spots. We got to the circle/main street area 30 min prior and it was madhouse. Then as soon as the show starts, everyone stands up and jockeys forward to try and see the projections low on the castle. Standing elbow to elbow in 90+ degree heat, after walking all day and my feet screaming, ouch. I’m 6’4” so no issues seeing for me, but my 5’4” wife and 9 yr old nephew couldn’t see anything bc of the crowd. Every dad in front of you has a kid on their shoulders too. We ended up moving to the side halfway through and said screw the projections. But there’s too many trees and light poles with planters/flags/etc on them that you can’t see the fireworks from the sides of the main st/middle area. I just can’t fathom sitting on the concrete for 1.5 hrs or more just for a good spot to watch a 15 min show, so we decided we’ll skip that from now on. 

We did a water park day (Blizzard Beach) in the middle of our trip (Saturday) for the first time.  Highly recommend it if you have active kids, especially like ours with big gap in ages (don’t like to do what the other one likes) there’s various things to keep both entertained. Great way to cool down, wasn’t that crowded bc most people at the parks, and just a fun way to spend a day. Don’t see much water park love in this thread, but we’ll do it again if the weather is conducive. 

Stayed at the Beach Club this time.  Awesome pool!! Going from our room to Epcot side gate in less than 10 min was awesome.  Definitely will plan another trip there, especially during Food and Wine for an easy stumble home.

Any chance you can to take a boat, or the monorail, or drive yourself, or Uber, Minnie Van, etc, DO IT.  The buses suck.  It’s always just about to pull away as you walk up, and another one won’t come for 30 min, and it’s standing room only at the end of the day, and they aren’t always direct route (multiple hotel stops)...just avoid if at all possible. 

Slinky Dog Dash > 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, imo 

Finally broke a quarter mil on the Toy Story / Midway Mania ride.  Bow down peasants!

 
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wlwiles said:
Any chance you can to take a boat, or the monorail, or drive yourself, or Uber, Minnie Van, etc, DO IT.  The buses suck.  It’s always just about to pull away as you walk up, and another one won’t come for 30 min, and it’s standing room only at the end of the day, and they aren’t always direct route (multiple hotel stops)...just avoid if at all possible. 
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finally, somebody else agrees the buses suck.  I love almost everything about Disney, but those buses suck.  

 
jb1020 said:
Whats the rumor about the land and the seas pavilions being demolished?   What on earth do they have planned?  

https://wdwnt.com/2019/05/rumor-epcots-the-seas-and-the-land-future-world-pavilions-set-to-be-demolished/
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wdwnt is usually a pretty solid source, but have had a few misses too. 

but IDK, nothing is really off the table at Epcot yet, but that's also a pretty big stretch and they better have something gigantic planned there. I would say reimagining them and reworking the attractions would be in order, but removing them outright would be a really hard sell if they are trying to keep any semblance of bringing the park back to its original glory. 

#BringBackSeaBaseAlpha

 
glvsav37 said:
REMEMBER:::: Tonight at 8:20 PM PT (11:30 PM EST) Disney parks blog is streaming the dedication of DL's SWGE!!!

@AAABatteries, @jb1020, @AcerFC, @Capella, @Osaurus, @The Commish, @Redwes25, @Deranged Hermit, @dickey moe, @wlwiles, @doowain, @JackReacher, @Tiger Fan, @Shaft41, @Punxsutawney Phil, @PIK95, @That one guy, @In The Zone, @roarlions  sorry if I forgot anyone, feel free to tag. 

@Bruce Dickinson better have a "I  :heart:   FBG" Shirt and find a camera.
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Just saw this. 

Thanks.

 
glvsav37 said:
REMEMBER:::: Tonight at 8:20 PM PT (11:30 PM EST) Disney parks blog is streaming the dedication of DL's SWGE!!!

@AAABatteries, @jb1020, @AcerFC, @Capella, @Osaurus, @The Commish, @Redwes25, @Deranged Hermit, @dickey moe, @wlwiles, @doowain, @JackReacher, @Tiger Fan, @Shaft41, @Punxsutawney Phil, @PIK95, @That one guy, @In The Zone, @roarlions  sorry if I forgot anyone, feel free to tag. 

@Bruce Dickinson better have a "I  :heart:   FBG" Shirt and find a camera.
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Thanks for the heads up

 
Im curious how the interactive piece works in DL without magic bands

Will they somehow be able to read the apps from your phone?

 
roarlions said:
I thought that was all part of the shtick to introduce Ford. But I only watched up to that point and haven't watched past yet so maybe I'm missing something.
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yea, the Falcon was 'having trouble' powering up, so Ford was supposed to do the Fonzie thing where he smacks it and it goes on, but before he does, Ford turns back and says "This is for you Peter" meaning the late Pete Mayhew (Orig Chewie). Unfortnialty as he does, the MF power-up effect fires before he could hit it. I guess the guy flipping the power-up switch was a bit early or didnt expect Ford to ad lib that line.  

 
glvsav37 said:
well, that didn't take long...

seems WDW is pretty much sold out of the specialty designed magic bands. there is a message up on the site

Due to strong popularity, our selection of MagicBand upgrade options is currently limited. Disney Resort hotel Guests and new and renewing Walt Disney World Annual Passholders may continue to choose from a selection of complimentary solid-color MagicBands. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are working to replenish our inventory as soon as possible.
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we ordered ours, but i'm concerned bc on our page—for my family of 4—3 of us have the special magic band designs shown next to our name, but my 9-year-old's just shows a grey band. 

I really don't want to deal with him if he's the only one in the family who got shut out... looks like i'm buying him a damn full price one once we get there if that's the case. I try not to be that guy, but I bought them on the 1st day, have an order confirmation, and if it turns out that we can't get his, I'm calling guest services and demanding a discount when having to replace his by buying one on site.  :rant:
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OK, so update on this...sorry I was slacking. 

As unfortunately expected, the box shows up with specialty bands for me, my wife, and our 13 y/o daughter, and just a simple grey band for my 9 y/o son. Ugh!!! And by the message board chatter, this seems like a pretty common problem. Due to the huge demand on day 1, they sold out of many of the bands. However, I guess their IT infrastructure couldn't keep up and physically take sold out bands off the site or tag them Sold Out—letting people continue with their orders, pay for them and get confirmation numbers, but never tell them that there was a problem with their order until the user checked their MB page or the box physically came. Plus, there was no way to change or cancel the order once you realized the issue. 

So once the box came, i called WDW guest services number and the passed me around a bit but finally got a CM who couldn't say much,  but said we would be receiving an email, and when I pressed her a bit, she admitted it was a known problem and there were 'mechanisms in place' to take care of it. 

So we finally got the email yesterday and to their credit, it included a code for $15 off (bringing the normal price back down to $10) and free 2-day shipping at ShopDisney.com. Plus the original Donald Duck MB my sone wanted was in stock and we were able to order it. 

IMO, from what I saw is that WDW never put into their systems a way to limit orders to those with closer trips. I saw people on the boards with trips not booked until mid-2020 who were able to and did, order MBs for their trip. IMO, if there had rolled out access to people with trips say within 60 or so days, then that would have allowed them to restock and retool if needed. 

regardless, what would a new offering at Disney be without a major blunder these days? lol. Glad it worked out and I didn't have to pay full price for a replacement MB for my little guy. 

 
glvsav37 said:
that was pretty freaking incredible. 

Harrison Ford, Mark Hammel, Billy D, and Geoge Lucas.......no joke!!!
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That was awesome. That Millennium Falcon is Bad ####. It seems like you better have plenty of 💵💲 going in by looking at some of the food and merchandise, which from the video look amazing.

Oh, and Reba

:heart: :heart: :heart:

 
AcerFC said:
This guy was not a fan of the ride. There is a part 2

https://twitter.com/TouringPlans/status/1134496318443925504?s=19
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Have seen similar comments that the enjoyment of the ride hinges too much on the ability of the pilots. They probably should have simplified that role (let people believe they are controlling the MF when instead it is essentially on autopilot) and made the other roles more interactive. Here is a good review:

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/review-millennium-falcon-smugglers-run-star-wars-galaxys-edge/

 
Interesting item spotted in DL's SWGE....a water bottle fill station. 

Normally this would seem like no big deal, but if this is included in SWGE in Orlando, it is huge. Has Disney finally got on board with the filtered bottle fill station popularity and can keep their guests hydrated w/o us bringing our own water bottle or needing to got into QS locations for a shot glass worth of free water? 

I can only hope (help us bottle fill station...you're our only hope) that they do include them in this land and then roll them out across the other parks. 

 
AcerFC said:
This is BS that you didnt pop in to give us a review. 
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Sorry about that.  I wanted to wait until I got home to post about it.  The whole experience was a whirlwind and awesome and I'm so happy I got to do it.  

I spent a lot of time taking photos and shooting video for Disney bloggers.  That's how I weaseled my way in: support personnel for DPMP wannabes wanting more photos with them in the shot, having someone to hold the camera at more than arm's length while they logged Instagram stories, stuff like that.  I've decided I'm not going to apply for DPMP again (more on that later), so it was extra special getting to do this to end that chapter.  I did get to taste some of the foods and drinks available in SWGE, interacted with the cast members a bit, and got to ride Smuggler's Run a few times.  

I got in town just early enough to make it over to the dedication ceremony Wednesday night.  Could clearly see even 40+ years later why Mark Hamill was cast as Luke and Harrison Ford was cast as Solo.  Hamill's speech about how thankful he was to be part of the SW franchise and all the great stories he's heard from fans over the decades was really moving.  Got a kick out of Hamill talking about being there for the opening of Star Tours and what a big thrill it was to have an actual Disney Parks ride tied to movies he'd been in.  And now this.  And then Ford ad-libbing a tribute to Peter Mayhew and throwing off the cue for the fireworks was just Han Solo enough for the moment.  

Walking around SWGE on Thursday, the word that kept coming to mind was "gratitude".  I'm not the most intense Star Wars fan, but the movies and its universe have been part of my life for pretty much all of my life.  The first movie I remember seeing in a movie theater, back in the one-screen movie house in the town I grew up in, was Star Wars: A New Hope during its initial theatrical run.  I was Luke Skywalker for Halloween when I was 5.  My favorite Christmas present from childhood was the Death Star play set.  SWGE is built for people like me.  They worked so hard to get so many details right, stuff casual fans or non-fans wouldn't have noticed.  Shout-out to the people at Coca-Cola who designed special beverage bottles for SWGE printed in SW language, with design inspired by thermal detonators.  So many moments that warmed the heart of my inner grade school kid. 

Another word that kept getting thrown around was "immersive".  You really do disappear into Batuu.  The basic premise of Batuu it is was once a bustling port and hub of travel and commerce, but then lightspeed technology developed at Batuu was no longer a necessary stop to refuel and buy supplies.  So now it's a little run down because there isn't as much money flowing through it, and because it's no longer a strategic location in the galaxy it's become a haven for beings of the galaxy who would rather not be found.  IMO it's genius they chose Batuu, grounding it firmly in the Star Wars universe while giving the cast and crew freedom to create their own characters and evolve the story there as the SW universe expands further. 

Anyway, it's an architectural wonder.  They do a great job giving you great sights of Batuu from basically anywhere in the SWGE section without being aware that you're in Disneyland.  There's one spot where you can see some of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but its figure kinda fits the view so I get why they left it in.  I suppose the weather being 72 and sunny every day might be a giveaway that you're in Southern California, but it works. 

The cast members interact with you as if you are on Batuu.  There's code words and catchphrases you use and pick up around the cast that help unlock new things to look for and see.  I don't know how much of that will be experienced as huge crowds get unleashed into the SWGE, especially when the DHS version gets going.  I was blown away by how good the cast was before the thing even opened.  Usually the cast member experience at DLR is inferior to WDW, but on Batuu they bring it.  It's comparable to the wizards of Diagon Alley Orlando interacting with the muggles who wandered in, or if one of those historical places you went to on field trips where the staff all acted as if it was a specific place/time was actually awesome.  It did get a little rough talking "credits" with the bartenders and merchandise sellers, but overall you see how much work they've put into creating an immersive experience.  

So.... Smuggler's Run.  There's going to be fisticuffs in one of these cockpits, or right outside.  At some point a couple groups who don't know each other and spent a couple hours in line waiting to ride it only to have it ruined by some idiot kid who begged to be pilot but didn't fly the mission and instead just spun the Falcon around in circles is going to cause violence from the other group who had their ride ruined.  I better back up a little bit.... there's six chairs in the cockpit: two pilots, two gunners, and two engineers.  One pilot handles horizontal movement, the other vertical movement.  The two gunners shoot at stuff.  The two engineers press buttons and such fixing problems that pop up with Falcon during the run.  This would be an awesome setup for a place like Main Event or Dave & Buster's or even the old DisneyQuest where you could take your own group in and go for it on your own terms.  But waiting a couple hours and getting teamed up with another group you don't know?  Or having three people who really really want to be pilots and only one opportunity to ride the ride on that day or even a lifetime?  That's gonna cause some trouble.  The pilot controls are wicked responsive and really tough to pick up without practice or a lot of gaming experience.  For someone who has played a lot of flight or driving video games it won't be too rough, but getting both pilots on the same page will be a challenge without rehearsal... too much risk of having all the waiting ruined by giving the stick to someone with all the skill of my wife playing Mario Kart.  I got a turn as pilot, gunner, and engineer.  Pilot was by far the most fun but also the most pressure.  You can overcome a lousy gunner or a slow engineer but a crap pilot is tough to get past.  I found engineer to not be that much difference from Mission: Space as an experience, but a bit more challenging.  Gunner required a bit of suspension of where the true gunner chairs are on the Falcon and what the sightings are like, but was still fun.    
The queue for this ride is part of the experience, both as an interactive storytelling experience and as a  love letter to fans of the Millennium Falcon.  I'll admit it; I got a little choked up sitting at the Dejarik table inside the Falcon, just like I'd sit my Luke Skywalker action figure there in my best friend's Millennium Falcon when we were kids while his Han Solo figure sat in the cockpit.  And there's a color coded wait right before you enter, kind of a hybrid of the Dumbo queueless queue and the 30 Rock waiting room at the Jimmy Fallon ride at Universal Studios Orlando.  You're put into a group of six, assigned a color, and then the role cards are distributed.  For us, they allowed trading roles but not colors.  But I could see a stink being put up for a twosome wanting to trade out of a color because they got engineer instead of pilot. 

Disneyland sells beer now.  That's new.  I sampled a Bad Motivator IPA.  Not my thing, but IPAs in general aren't my thing.  The milks were pretty good and will be a ton of fun for kids and something you will be able to re-create at home.  

Didn't get the full feel of the light saber builder show.  It looked like they are going for an Ollivander's type thing bringing people in small groups, and choosing someone (presumably a kid) to test different light sabers for the young Padawan.  This shtick works well at Ollivander's since it's authentic from the books and movies.  But I don't want to be the parent who has their kid chosen for light saber testing then told they can't have it because the saber is 199 "imperial credits".  Sure at Universal they are charging $40-50 for that stick of plastic, but the sensors on the ends can execute "magic" tricks at stations when done properly.  No such luck at SWGE.  

The build-a-droid thing was really cool.  As a frequent parkgoer who knows what a premium time is within the Parks, I would have preferred the build-a-droid out in Downtown Disney/Disney Springs because building one can take a while, but the mix of classics and customized pieces are really well-done.  But I didn't buy one.  

For those of you going to DLR these first few months... they are doing the timed entry thing by sending one group en masse at entry time, and that group is who is in there for the next four hours.  They aren't sending people in and out every hour like I'd expected.  Our guess is waiting to hit up Smuggler's Run until a little later in that four-hour time will probably have a shorter wait, as there will be a crush to the queue at open but a lot of people only riding it once.  And without fresh meat coming in every hour, that line should thin out after two hours or so.  

So yeah, I'm not going to apply for DPMP again.  After really thinking about it, I realized what I really want is to be chosen to the Panel, not do the actual work of the Panel or launch my own Disney-related brand before or after.  My interests are too broad.  And with the kid at the top of her class after two years of high school, 99th percentile standardized test scores, and a group project for her Energy & Sustainability class last spring that might escalate into a patent application, she needs her father around supporting her at homework and activities time, assisting in the college search and selection, not playing Disney Trip Planner for little compensation and no plan to leverage the exposure.  So that's what I'll be focusing on the next couple years.  I'll have more time to play after the kid moves out.  So don't expect me to participate in this thread much going forward.  But we are going to WDW for the kid's birthday this fall (we booked the trip thinking SWGE Orlando wouldn't be open yet and the Parks would be a little less crowded; whoops) so I might livepost from queues there to help my cope with the waits.

Thank you for your time.  

 
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How did they not envision the pilot thing. Every single review says the same thing

And I can not tell you how many reviews I have read that have said, sure $199 is a lot of money. But it is the best 199 spent because of the experience. 

 
Every review I’ve read says how bad the millennium falcon ride is as well. Impossible to me how they screwed that up. They had to know kids would want to be the pilots, which is fine...but why make it where that can ruin the ride for others? 

 
@Bruce Dickinson   :suds:   good to have you back even if only for that report. 

I've basically heard a lot of your review echoed over and over. the land is awesome, theming is awesome abut mixed on the ride. I'm going to guess that they will eventually split this into 2 experiences just like Mission Space. One that is the full experience, and a second one that is family friendly for "little pilots" 

Congrats on your daughter's success. I know a guy who kinda did the same thing after his kids moved out, he cashed out of his construction company, and he became a Disney vacation planner to get his Disney fix. Now he's all over the place doing travel agent cruises and trips. 

IDK where in the fall you will be in WDW, but I'll be there solo from Sept 27-Oct 2. so if those dates align, I would love to buy you a drink! 

 
AcerFC said:
How did they not envision the pilot thing. Every single review says the same thing

And I can not tell you how many reviews I have read that have said, sure $199 is a lot of money. But it is the best 199 spent because of the experience. 
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I had this conversation with my 9-year-old yesterday. He's like "dad, it's only one...nine..nine dollars!!" 

I was like dude, how many lightsabers do you own and how many still play with??? 

regardless, thankfully we wont be anywhere near a SWGE for a while. Our trip falls before it opens. 

 
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