Lydia Pert

It has been over two years since I wrote my original Disney World blog. A lot has changed since then, so I figured it was time to “reimagine” my advice. A lot of my previous recommendations stand, so feel free to take a look. But I do have some updates in here you might find helpful. And unlike my last Disney blog, I will also include some advice for inside the parks since my last visit has revealed there are some clear winners (and some new losers) as far as attractions. 

Best Times to Visit:

• This section will remain pretty consistent with my last blog…but avoid holidays like the plague! The absolutely best time to go to Disney is when schools are in session, there are no holidays (even minor ones) coming up, and there are no significant events happening in Orlando at the time like pro-bowls or comicons. There is never, ever, ever a slow time to visit Disney. But there are certainly times that are more chaotic than others.

Best Hotels:

1. The Polynesian Village Resort. The Poly will forever and always be at the top of my list since it’s my DVC home resort. I really do feel at home as soon as I walk through the doors. They reimagined the rooms since the last time I visited, but I honestly didn’t even notice. I think it ended up being more like a room refresh than a complete makeover. It still gave the same vibes I’ve come to expect over the years. Captain Cook’s fortunately kept the coconut curry meatballs on the menu, and I indulged in far more dole whip’s twisted with vanilla than I should have. 
2. The Grand Floridian. This surprised me a lot, because I normally give the Grand a hard time for being so stuffy. But they reimagined a lot of the DVC rooms, and it was an absolutely epic makeover. I felt like I’d stepped into a luxurious London flat and I expected Mary Poppins to appear at any moment. The Poly will always be my first love…but man…the Grand Floridian has stepped up its game. I might have to try and convince Dave to buy a second contract there. 
3. Kidani Village Resort. No matter what, Kidani will always be on my list of favorites. I know most rooms are a long walk, and the pool is very inconveniently located. However, despite some minor irritations, nothing will beat waking up, walking out onto your balcony, and coming (almost) eye to eye with a giraffe. Not to mention Sanaa is right there so you can get bread service and zebra domes galore. I also really love just sitting in the fireplace room, it’s so peaceful.
4. Saratoga Springs Resort. I used to recommend Old Key West as far as a budget DVC stay, but I did not love my last stay there. I love that the rooms have two beds, and the bathroom is very nice. But our room had a forward facing window with a light right outside, and that kept the room pretty bright even in the middle of the night. That killed it for me a bit. It’s still a good option when I travel with my mom (just have to be very clear about wanting a rear facing window), but when I go with Dave I would much rather stay at Saratoga Springs if we are doing a budget trip. The point values are comparable, either identical or just one point off. The rooms were all recently refreshed, and like OKW they have multiple pools, walking paths to Disney Springs, and an internal bus system.

Best Restaurants:

1. Steakhouse 71. This was really the MVP restaurant of the trip. Normally food on Disney property is “good for a theme park,” but Steakhouse 71 was just good. Period. We split several appetizers as our meal, and with the exception of one salad that was good but not great, everything was fantastic. The bacon and eggs was *chefs kiss,* the crab cake was meaty with very little binder, and the breads and soups were out of this world. I’d go to that restaurant all the time whether or not it was at Disney.
2. Eet by Maneet Chauhan. Normally I push Sanaa on everyone — but Eet, a new quick service in Disney Springs…is actually a little bit better. It’s very similar and they have their own version of bread service, but the prices are better, the portions are larger, and the flavors are just better enough that if I had to choose between Sanaa and Eet, Eet would win. Of course I still love going to Sanaa and I think everyone should give it a try (especially if you can get a table by a window), but just talking exclusively about the food, Eet wins.
3. Chicken Guy. This will always be on my list of favorites because the flavors are so good, it’s so filling, and the prices are very good — for Disney ;-). I’ve shifted over to their naked tenders to reduce calorie intake a little bit, and honestly the seasoning on those makes them comparable to the regular tenders. It’s such a good, filling meal. Definitely not healthy, but worth it.
4. Columbia Harbor House. Normally I’m a big fan of Satuli Canteen and Docking Bay 7, but my most recent experience at both locations left much to be desired. Satuli Canteen wasn’t very busy, but they were still struggling to get food out to people. It lead to really long waits, and the food that did come out was pretty sloppy. They were stingy on the meat and veggies and went overboard with starch and sauce. Docking Bay 7 was also a bit of a bummer, all our portions were overcooked and tough, and the lines to order were just not efficient. Columbia Harbor House emerged as the hero of the park quick service locations: the lobster roll was nice and fresh and filling, the salmon was cooked nicely, and it was quick to get our food and easy to find a table.

Best Activities:

I won’t write a huge paragraph about this, because the best non-park activities remain the same. Trader Sam’s. Raglan Road. Monorail hopping. Resort hopping in general. The one thing I’ll add is that the “around the world” soda sampler at the Coke Tower in Disney Springs is so fun and great for a large group. One order is easily enough for 5+ people.

The Best and Worst at Each Park:

My most recent trip was weird for me, in that I usually ranked the parks:
1. Animal Kingdom. 2. Hollywood Studios. 3. Epcot. 4 Magic Kingdom

But since my last trip, I’ve updated my rankings to:
1. Epcot. 2. Magic Kingdom. 3. Hollywood Studios. 4. Animal Kingdom 

Mainly because efficiency at each park has noticeably changed, food service is very different, even cast member engagement has shifted around. 

So with all that being said, here are some of the best and worst at each park, which will explain why my rankings have changed:

	Best	Worst
Epcot	Guardians of the Galaxy: Galactic Rewind was one of the best rides I have ever been on. Ever. It was like it took the best elements from all the best rides and smushed it all together. I am so glad I got to ride it multiple times.	I normally like festival food, but the Festival of the Arts food was…not very good. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t BAD, but it was very mediocre for very high prices. I wish we had eaten at Garden Grill instead.
Magic Kingdom	Happily Ever After, hands down, every time, always. And I have to say the new Tron coaster was pretty cool. The initial acceleration was epic, I just wish it had maintained that thrill level. I still prefer Mine Train but Tron is a great new addition.	Because Magic Kingdom is the most well known park, it is also always the busiest. So for the most part, no matter when you go, there is always going to be an insane amount of people. And last visit I felt cast members weren’t able to manage the crowds well (or safely) which lead to some “mob rule” situations, especially during fireworks.
Hollywood Studios	Honestly, even though I’m not a big Star Wars fan, Galaxies Edge is so impressive. The rides are so fun, there are always characters walking around and interacting with guests, and it’s just such a cool and immersive experience.	There aren’t that many rides at HS, so when one goes down, it’s noticeable. Rock N Roller Coaster was down when we were there (which is a big bummer since it’s one of my favorite rides) and even that one closure impacted crowd distribution.
Animal Kingdom	Animal Kingdom is by far the most beautiful of all the parks. Even just walking around is a feast for the eyes and senses. I love the heavy emphasis on conservation and animal welfare, and of course The Festival of the Lion King is one of the best stage shows on Disney property.	Animal Kingdom is the largest park in square footage but smallest in terms of space available to guests. It also has the fewest attractions. So the rides tend to all have really long wait times, and there just isn’t much space for guests so everywhere feels crowded and chaotic. And similar to Magic Kingdom, that cast members aren’t able to manage the crowds well so things start to feel out of control and very un-magical.

Other Things: