In what is probably the least surprising news one could imagine, I am heading back to Walt Disney World! We’ll talk about all the usual fun stuff, where I’m staying, how much I “saved” and how, and what the vibe of this trip will be. Come along as I have a little fun dreaming of my upcoming vacation, maybe pick up a tip or trick, and enjoy a trip down Disney lane with me!
My past 3 trips to Walt Disney World have all been in the mid-late January timeframe. Traditionally this has been a more quiet period with lower prices. The lower prices are still true (outside of the holiday periods) but the quiet period not so much. Disney had been offering some pretty steep discounts to help drive visits to this timeframe, and I think they’ve succeeded. The crowds weren’t terrible or anything, but we certainly didn’t feel like it was that quiet.
Then last year we hit the absolutely worst weather we’ve ever had in Florida. I’m talking 40’s and rainy, just bone chilling. Luckily, we’re from the Northeast and are relatively hardy folk, so we were able to adapt. We honestly had a great time not sweating through our clothes, but it didn’t feel very Florida like.
Fast forward to this year and the it felt like it may be time for a change. The discounts for January never materialized to the extent they have in the past and so I didn’t grab a “just in case” reservation. At the same time I was thinking about how beautiful the Flower and Garden festival was when we unknowingly travelled during that time in May of 2015. I had been longing to return but Spring is a busy time for us and it just didn’t work out; until this year. Disney announced some decent deals and the gears started turning. I did some research and found that Flower and Garden usually starts the first Wednesday in March and suddenly the framework of a plan was in place. And then somehow, I had reserved a 6 night stay with 4 day tickets using a “up to $250 off a night” package deal for the first week in March. Funny how that works out!
For this trip, we will be staying at , drum roll please…. Port Orleans French Quarter. I am nothing if not a creature of habit! This resort just hits the sweet spot for us. It’s reasonably priced, has great theming, a great vibe and ambiance, and is a boat ride away from some of the best dining on property at Disney Springs. The compact layout has more in common with the Deluxe resorts than the sprawling layouts of it’s sister moderate resorts. The biggest negatives, bus only transportation and no table service dining options on premise, aren’t really issues for us. Disney bus transportation has a certain nostalgia to it and the lack of a table service restaurant is negated by so many options in close proximity.
I booked a preferred room, not out of choice, but because that’s all that was available for the package deal I was using. Recently, Disney changed their room types to be more straightforward, opting for a basic standard or preferred as a starting point. Preferred rooms are closer to amenities and more centrally location. Port Orleans French Quarter is one resort where a preferred designation doesn’t really offer much benefit. The resort is so compact the difference between preferred and standard probably comes down to a difference of seconds in many cases. I’m not mad about it though. I have a 75% chance to be in a new to me building, so I should get a different perspective on an old favorite. And hey, if I end in building 3 again, that’s a great consolation prize.
Another difference for this trip is the amount of downtime I’ve worked in. Our flight lands bright and early at 9:30am and our ride home doesn’t leave until 8:00pm. That’s basically 2 full days with noting planned. I’ve also worked in a rest day right in the middle of the week. We’re going to play those completely by ear. Though this will be our third stay at the French Quarter, we’ve never spent time at the pool. If the weather cooperates we’ll look to do that for sure this trip. We’ll also likely take advantage of the beautiful boat ride to Disney Springs on 1 or 2 of those days.
When it comes to the parks, we will do our typical 2 days at EPCOT to make sure we can take our time and really lean into the Flower and Garden festival. EPCOT and its festivals are the highlight of every one of our trips. The ride lineup is quietly grown into one of the strongest on property in my opinion, more so now that Test Track has reopened after a complete overhaul. Overlay that on top of the most varied and best food and drink options of any park and EPCOT is a clear best park right now in my (likely unpopular) opinion.
We’ll of course spend a day at the Magic Kingdom. I’m excited for the new lands opening in the coming years but I’m not excited to see what they’ve done to my boy. The area of the park being cannibalized was one of my favorite areas. The transition from the Haunted Mansion, through Liberty Square, and on to Frontierland was special. I’m not one of those never change old man shaking his fist at a cloud, but this one does sting a little. I’ll shake my fist at the chaos right now and look to a better future though. It’s all you can do!
The other park we’ll spend time at this trip is Hollywood Studios, a park we sipped last trip. We generally alternate between Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom if we’re going for anything less than a full week. Especially now with Dinoland USA getting put out to pasture, Animal Kingdom is really a half day park, if that. For us it is because we love the animal exhibits, but as far as rides and shows the numbers just aren’t there right now. Hollywood Studios isn’t without turmoil right now either. Muppet Vision is gone and Rockin’ Roller Coaster will be ceasing operations literally the day before we will be at the park. However, there are more options at Hollywood by a good margin and we’re excited to get back there.
So, that’s the shell of this upcoming trip. I am less than a week out and the packing has begun. As I write this, the forecast look’s great, but we all know that Florida weather is notoriously unpredictable. I do think it’s safe to say we won’t see the mid 40’s and raining again, so that’s a win! Make sure to check back in a couple weeks to see how things turned out. I’ll have reports direct from the parks!
