Wilderness Lodge Feb 12

While WLR was less than magical, the rest of our trip was FABULOUS! As a frequent visitor and annual pass holder, we are now trying to seek out new experiences to keep WDW exciting. This past visit we ate at Tokyo Dining and House of Blues which were both very good. So while the resort didn't pan out, Disney still delivered. Having stayed at almost every resort we have reached the conclusion that all future stays will be at Boardwalk/Beach Club/Yacht Club. We love the ambiance and the convenience of walking to two parks without transportation hassles.

Rich

Yes, a little weird that on two occasions WL was not very customer oriented toward me. The rate was high as it was President's Week but we had to meet family there so we couldn't take advantage of a better FL resident rate on a other week. The first time I took my kids on a quick college tour and my wife couldn't go so this time I was excited to have her experience this resort. I know we each have our own preferences that connect to us personally. My wife complained WL is dark and I guess she is right. For me I don't connect to the WL theming the way I do at Boardwalk. Something about the 1940s music, costuming, etc there just makes me that little bit more engaged.

Vettelover asked me about dining. On this recent trip we had the other family with 14 year old twin boys so we did a little less than if we were just there as a couple. Our three kids all live in Orlando and are at college there and our oldest works over at (audible gasp!!!) Universal at Nascar Cafe where the money was just a whole lot better than they offered her when she was invited to be a CM at WDW. So last trip dining list:

DAY1
Snack at Canyon Rapids at WL - typical counter service
Dinner at House of Blues - outstanding. Loved the shrimp and grits!
DAY 2
Lunch at Whispering Canyon - food has been significantly upgraded here with quality ingredients.
Dinner at Tokyo Dining - Fuji Bento Box was great. A little pricey for some folks.
DAY 3
Lunch at Pattiserie in France - one of our secret places for a great, low cost lunch. Heated croissant with ham and cheese!!!
Dinner at Beaches and Cream (BCR) - always fun and good burgers. A whole can??? Yes, of course we got the Kitchen Sink!
DAY 4
Lunch at counter service next to Backlot Tour (HS) - decent but nothing to get excited about. Greek salads looked awesome.
Dinner at Tangerine Cafe in Morocco - expensive for Shwarma platter with lamb which is hardly lamb.
Dessert at Germany's Werther's Caramel. Just delicious.
DAY 5
Breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe. French Toast is amazing and really good sausage.
Lunch at Pizzeria in Italy. Remarkably good but very costly for pizza.

Hope that is helpful to someone! I will post more about dining in the appropriate forum on other experiences we have had. Noteworthy though is every time I call WDW, I ask the person their favorite place to eat in WDW. The largest majority says Nine Dragons in China. We have had some very good meals there.

Rich

Lizzy,

We are in Naples so it is rare to make an Orlando day trip. With our kids all at UCF we get a double bang for our trip. We have seasonal annual passes which only black out dates we would never go. I made the July mistake once when the parks were jam packed with Brazilians so when we went with the FL passes the seasonal made sense plus we stay on property which gives us parking (although I have a workaround for that if we do not). We visit about 4 to 5 times a year now. Next WDW will likely be mid or late April.

Did not hear about the patisserie expansion. I hope they don't ruin it. My only gripe is sometimes having difficulty finding a table. I wish they would ditch the outpost and add another country or two!

I do love Disney but it comes into perspective here seeing some folks who are clearly fanatical. I am here to pick up tidbits I may not know and share a few things from my bag of tricks accumulated over the years. I am anxious to see the expanded Fantasyland later this year, heard anything about it?

Best,

Rich