May 12 - May 20th WDW Vacation :muchlove:

Hellooooooo everyone

This is my first post I wanted to give an overview of our 2011 WDW vacation -- if this isn't the correct forum to place this, mods, by all means, feel free to move

So, typically I'm not really a forum type of person, but before heading out for our vacation I scoured TONS of forums and read LOADS of posts.. so, I thought it may be helpful to write one of my own..

Prior to leaving.. I was a panic about several different things.. I had read tons of reports about lovebugs, and how awful they are/were in the the WDW parks and resorts.. ugh, this became a true stress factor for me prior to our departure! And then, to make matters worse, while scouring the web for more lovebug info in WDW I came across information regarding bedbug info at WDW resorts.. tack the two together and I was freaking out thinking we were doomed for an awful vacation!!

Okay so to start off.. the lovebugs .. did we see some? Yup! Creepy, lovey, floaty things.. they were in fact present.. but!!! NOT at ALL in the numbers that I was expecting!!! Maybe the entire time we were there.. which was 9 days.. we maybe saw 10 of them! No swarms, no benches covered in them, no people getting attacked at the poolside -- NOTHING! All the things i was worried was going to happen were completely moot -- it actually became a game where my DH and I would look for them! And, on the bug note.. I must say, I do NOT know how Disney does it -- but the parks were AMAZINGLY bug free!! The only time we noticed getting a little bit up was during some of the nighttime firework shows (specifically at Epcot, but we were sitting right by the water, so it was to be expected).. but other then that.. completely bug free!! Incredible! Even eating lunch outside every day and a few dinners outdoors as well.. we were never bothered by bugs

Okay so next.. bedbugs.. we stayed at Pop Century in the 70s section of the resort.. and, I have to say.. I was extremely PLEASED with our accommodations! After looking it up prior to leaving, I had read numerous complaints about this resort -- bed bug issues, uncleanly rooms, dirty/worn showers/tubs, etc.. So, because I was a nut job terrified of finding bugs, when we first got to the room before our luggage arrived we scoured the place for signs of bugs.. NOTHING.. the mattresses (which was a Sealy, btw -- pretty good for a resort hotel, I thought!) looked almost new, the headboard and nightstands were spotless, and the chairs were all clear too The shower/tubs actually were in great condition -- I loved the shower head -- one of the adjustable heads where you can modify the pressure settings for how the water dispenses! The carpets looked a little grimy, so whenever in the room I made sure to wear socks.. but, I actually don't think they were dirty because my socks were never filthy after walking around on them! I think it was more just that they were dark colored, which made me think they were dirty

My only complaint about this resort is the cafeteria.. I think the selection was mediocre, and I was a bit disappointed that they closed at midnight.. we purchased one of the resort mugs ($13.99 for the mug, which included free refills for your entire stay).. there were several nights that we'd get back from the parks after midnight and would have liked to refill our mugs, but the cafe was closed.. I think it would be great if they just kept a section open all night so that people could refill them later on

As for the parks.. May was a WONDERFUL time to go.. The lines weren't crazy long -- I think the longest we waited was 25 minutes! And, we only used FastPass a few times! I was shocked at how long the lines were for Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh in MK -- especially because the rides weren't "out of this world amazing".. I mean, they were cute, but not worth the 50min+ wait that was listed!! We ended up using fast pass for both of those, and again.. they were cute, but I would have been annoyed if we waited nearly an hour for them! I will also say that EVERY employee we came in contact with (at the parks and the resorts) was just INCREDIBLY bubbly, and happy and polite and helpful and etc... It was so nice -- my DH joked and said they probably all hate their jobs from having to smile and be so happy all day LOL! The other complaint we'd have is just that it's very difficult to "move" at night when the firework shows are going on.. the one night when we were trying to watch the show, we were annoyed because workers kept telling us we had to stay within the "taped off areas" to stand and watch the fireworks, but they were crazy packed, and it took us forever to find a spot.. but then another night after we had seen the show, we were trying to get through to go do more rides and that was just NUTS! Because people weren't staying in the taped off areas, it made it almost impossible to get through.. I feel so bad for the poor workers who have to keep order during those times!! After being on the other side, trying to force our way through the crowds, I completely understand why they need to use the taped off areas, but for the sheer number of people trying to watch the show, the areas aren't nearly big enough.. it's a hard call.. people need to get through, but people also paid to come to the parks and have the right to see the fireworks.. anyways, I'm sure they'll come up with a better system soon, and in the mean time -- be forewarned that during the nights shows (and I'm mostly talking magic kingdom) it's a bit chaotic!! Butttttt.. well worth it -- MKs night show was absolutely beautiful!! I almost filled with tears!!! Made me truly feel the magic

Transportation back from the parks was insane. There were several nights where we waited longer for a bus to come than we did for any lines for rides that whole day And, those drivers -- they PACK YOU IN like sardines!! It was intense! The one night there were people standing up next to the driver in the doorway -- and there were several nights where they packed multiple of us in the doorway in the middle of the bus! On one hand, I would much rather them pack us in that way you aren't waiting AS long for a bus.. but I'm sure there are safety violations there!! I think, and I would hope, that during peak season they have more buses running! Otherwise, I can't imagine how much worse it would be!

Now to discuss our dining adventures.. the dining plan is DEFINITELY the way to go.. only complaint -- you get a TON of food!! I think we both gained 5lbs despite all the walking we did!! Other comment -- make sure to make reservations EARLY! We did not do this, and so the first night we were there we made reservations for our whole week.. but, some of the places we wanted to eat were already booked, and most of the places we could get reservations for our time slots were between 8:30 and 9:30 pm.. for us, that ended up working out fine.. we brought granola bars and bagels with us from home and would eat "breakfast" in the morning before leaving for the parks.. and then we'd have a late lunch at like 2-3pm, a snack around 5 or so and then our dinner.. here are the places we had dinner at, and a quick review

Mama Melrose - DHS - Great Italian food
Chef De France - Epcot -- Fabulous!! This was one of our favorites!!
WolfGang Puck - Downtown -- Great for Sushi lovers
Captains Grille - Yacht Club -- Ehh, so-so.. the food was just OK -- we probably wouldn't go here again
Cape May Cafe - Beach Club -- AMAZING buffet!! Tons of seafood -- crablegs, clams, mussels! And, tons of other stuff too!
Tonys Town Square -- Good Italian food -- we sat outside overlooking the main street area -- very nice, had a great breeze!
Captain Jacks Marina - Downtown -- Great food! Crabcakes were amazing, as was the chocolate cake!! Yum!!
Biergarten - Epcot -- NEVER AGAIN!! LoL The food was just OK (buffet style) -- the desserts were better than any of the main courses.. but, the thing that threw me for a loop -- they sit you at a "communal" table.. so, we were a party of two.. and so they sat us with 3 other party of 2s at one table! It was super awkward! Some people may totally dig that and that's fine.. but, definitely not how I enjoy dining!! I definitely think this should have been advertised prior to seating you!!

Hmm.. the only other thing to comment on was our 2 days at Universal -- ehh, it was fun, but I will say Universal definitely does not compare to Disney! Their organization, layout, everything was lacking compared to Disney! We planned for 2 days there, and in theory could have finished everything in 1 day doing both Islands and Universal Studios.. especially given the fact that it was $19pp each day for the Meers Transportation (which, wasn't really great -- they were never on time, and the one day we got a driver who wasn't experienced with the route which caused the drive there to take over an hour!).

All in all.. we had such a wonderful time !! I'm sooooooooo excited to go back again in 2 years I can't wait to see the new additions in MK parks (said to open in 2012) I hope this review was helpful to some!!!