In this series I’ll walk through our most recent trip to Walt Disney World in Winter 2024. This was a 5 night stay at the Boardwalk with 6 day Park Hopper park tickets. We took full advantage of those tickets, going into 1 or more parks every day. We used Genie+ some days and did not on others. Some days we park dropped and some days we arrived late. As usual we went into this trip with a detailed plan, which we generally followed closely. Looking back though, our next trip wont have a plan that looks very much like this one at all. Keep reading to find out why!
. Leading up to the trip the weather forecast had been calling for a decent storm to hit just around when our flight would be departing. This caused me to come up with some last minute what if scenarios. Would it be better to fly down a day early? Where would we stay? Those kinds of things. Thankfully (or not because who doesn’t want a bonus night on property?) by about 48 hours before departure the forecase had solidifed and shifted to a non-event by Northeast standards.
As usual, we got to the airport too early but I think that’s typical behavior for a planner. One minor tidbit I learned was that our home airport typical has their busiest periods first thing in the morning with a slew of departures between 5 and 7AM. Our departure was at 8am and we hit the morning lull perfectly. We quickly checked our bags and went through security. We have TSA Pre-Check, but this morning it saved us no time, but at least we didn’t have to take off our shoes!
I was in the airport when the 7am Genie+ window opened and my plan was to grab a ILL for Flight of Passage asap. This is one of my favorite rides in the all of Walt Disney World and we haven’t been on it in almost exactly 4 years – since our January 2020 trip. Our fight was scheduled to arrive at MCO at 11:10AM. I wanted an ILL several hours after that to give us flexibility and allow for any unforseen delays. Thankfully, availability was plentiful and I grabbed a 5:00 PM slot.
After an unventful and on-time flight, we deboarded and hopped on the first “attraction” for the trip – the famous MCO Tram! – and made our way down one level to baggage claim. We grabbed a coffee and a quick bite from Starbucks and tucked in to wait for our bags. By the time we were done with our coffees and used the restroom the bags were coming off the plane. Ours were out quickly and we popped right out the doors behind to order a rideshare. I deeply miss the Magical Express but there is no question that rideshare is faster and more efficient. Our driver arrived within 5 minutes and we were off to the most magical place on earth!
On the way over I decided to buy Genie+ for Animal Kingdom for the day. It was “only” $16 and I really dislike waiting in lines. I’m not sure this was absolutely necessary but it did end up saving us some time later. I grabbed an expedition everest LL for 2pm since everything was going to plan at this point and that would give us until 3:15 (1 hour plus 15 minute grace period) to check-in. Should be no problem.
As I said in the intro, for this trip we were staying at the Boardwalk (click the link for a detailed review). We arrived a little after Noon or about an hour after we got off the plane. The ride cost about $50 with tip, and took about 30 minutes. I did online check-in but also like to go to the front desk. In my experience the cast members are the resort desks are some of the most helpful and friendly you’ll encounter. Unfortunately, our room wasn’t ready but that’s to be expected we were very early for check-in. We double checked out Magic Bands (they’re from 2020 and still going strong) and paused in the lobby to consider our next step. Did we want to hang around and hope our room was ready early or change and head off to Animal Kingdom.
A quick comment on the Disney bus system. After our January 2020 trip I had all but swore off Disney Bus Transportation. We had some frustrating experiences with overcrowded and late busses that trip. This trip was the exact opposite. Busses were plentiful and we never had to stand. Hopefully, this marks a turnaround in that space and Disney continues to deploy more busses even if it costs them an extra 7 cents per guest per day.
We entered the park and slowly made our way over to Expedition Everest to use our first lighning lane. We were a bit early so stopped for a beer and a water at one of the stands along the way and enjoyed the beverages on the bridge connecting the Tree of Life area to Asia. After scanning at everest I grabbed another LL for the Safari right after. Everest was great as usual. Animal Kingdom definitely needs more attractions and the DinoLand USA reimaginging can’t come fast enough, but the do have some “bangers” as the kids say (or maybe not anymore?)
We were getting hungry at this point and popped into Harambe market on our way over. None of the offerings really enticed us. They mostly all looked good, but just weren’t what we wanted. We decided we would go on Safari and then figure out what we wanted to eat.
Despite being mid-day when a lot of the animals are relaxing the Safari was excellent. This ride more than any other is a testament to what sets Disney apart in my mind. Where else can you find an attraction like this? Just fantastic.
Since we were right there we decided to walk through the Gorilla Falls Expedition Trail. A walk at your own pace attraction through several animal exhbits, with the Gorilla’s being the stars. They did not disapoint on this day. Lots of good face time and play time to behold.
Now it was time to find some food. I persued the mobile ordering options before deciding it was time for us to experience Satu’li Canteen. We decided on the Cheeseburger Steamed Pods – Bao Buns and Chili-Spiced Fried Tofu Bowl.
Both of these dishes were excellent and of the two the Tofu Bowl was the surprise winner. It may not look it in the photo, but this was a pretty substantial portion of expertly fried tofu, rice, beans, and veggies. It was a bit spicy, but there were also tons of supporting flavors that evened everything out. Admittedly we were starving at this point so almost anything would have tasted great, but this was exceptional.
The Cheeseburger Steamed Pods were also quiet good. These would be a great option for generally picky eaters that may want to branch out a bit. The filling of the buns tasted like a cheeseburger if you put it in a blender, but in the best way. That is to say that all the familiar flavors of a cheeseburger were present – beef, cheese, and mustard being the most prominent. These were a decent serving size, but the bowl was probably a better value proposition. Regardless, we were not displeased with any aspect of this meal. I can undersstand the praise Satu’li Canteen gets and would recommend it as a great quick service option in a park with no shortage of them.
We had a few minutes to kill before our Flight of Passage call back time so we walked around Pandora a bit, admiring the incredible engineering that went into this land.
We scanned into Flight of Passage as soon as we could – 5 minutes before our return time – and were quickly in the pre-show. Man that scientist guy is such a bad actor isn’t he? How did he make it off the cutting room floor? Thankfully, the ride itself was still as fantastic as always.
While we were touring we got the notice that our room was ready and we were getting eager to get properly settled and cleaned up. Before we left the park we decided that we should ride Dinosaur because it may not be here for our next trip. So we did that and then slowly made our way out of the park.
We were in Animal Kingdom for about 4 hours at this point. During that time we were able to ride Expedition Everest, Kilmanjaro Safari, Flight of Passage, and Dinosaur with almost no wait with the help of Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane. That may not feel like a great value proposition, but it felt like the right call to us. We were never rushed or feeling like we needed to forgo something due to time. We did what we wanted, when we wanted, at the pace we wanted. I think that’s really how to view Genie+ and ILL – flexibility and greater control over your touring. One thing to note with Animal Kingdom, Navi River Journey is the most popular Genie+ selection and return times quickly get into the evening, so plan accordingly if that ride is a must do for you.
We bussed back to the Boardwalk and retrieved our bags from bell services. We were in room 2270 about 20 seconds from the lobby and just around the corner from the Bellevue Lounge. This turned out to be an outstanding location. We were a little concerned about noise because the proximity to the popular lounge area and lobby, but those concerns turned out to be unfounded. There was only one time when a rowdy guests woke us up around 1AM on their way back from the lounge, but that can happen anywhere. Otherwise, this location was all upside. It was convenient to the Boardwalk itself and dining options, and thus the bus stop and walking path to the parks. One thing about the Boardwalk Inn is that the main entrance is really the only way to the Boardwalk and the Boardwalk is the way to everything else.
The view from our room was quiet and serene, overlooking the garden cottages and courtyard with the quiet pool in the distance. I saw more staff than guests over the course of our trip. Very peaceful.
We unpacked and settled in before cleaning up for our 9:00PM dinner reservation at Flying Fish. Because our room was so centrally located the walk to dinner was literally 2 minutes. We checked in a few minutes early, but were immediately texted that our table was ready. Disney seems to require that the computer system dictate when a table is ready. Multiple times on this trip we were told to relax and we’d get a text when the table is ready only to get a text before we could even sit down. Just an observation.
I didn’t take any food pictures at this dinner. It was meant to be our date night type meal for the trip and we wanted to just enjoy the experience. Without photographic evidence you’re going to have to just trust me on this one – this was the best meal we’ve had in a long time on or off property. Our server Omar was next level. He had a clear passion for the restaurant and ensuring that his guests had the best experience possible. This was our second time at Flying Fish, 6.5 years after our first, and both times the service was exquisite. We ordered cocktails while perusing the menu. I had their version of a gin and tonic and my wife had a blood orange margarita – both were great.
For our meal we decided to start by sharing the cheese plate. . This was 5 different cheeses with accompaniments that were clearly selected with care to bring out all sides of the cheeses flavor profile. Though all cheese is delicious and thus all cheese plates are great, this was a tier above. This would be a common theme for this restaurant. Everything was a step up.
For my main I choose the Potato-Wrapped Snapper, a generous portion of Snapper wrapped in very thinly sliced potato and fried to golden perfection. I have never had Snapper before and was very pleasantly surprised. This fish was right up my alley. It was firm, but tender, with a soft fish flavor – just the way I like it. I hope this didn’t set the bar too high for snapper in the future. The plate was filled out by a leek fondue and red wine reduction which was the pefect pairing for this dish. The acid of the wine reduction balanced the slight fried flavor from the potato wrapping perfectly and ensured the fish was still the star of the show. I can’t do this more justice with additional words so I’ll just sum it up by saying that this was the best thing I ate all trip. I had decided to follow the sommelier’s suggestion and pair the entree with a glass of the suggested Pinot Noir. This was the right decision. I wouldn’t have expected that a red wine would pair with a white fish, but as it turns out a profressonal sommelier knows what they’re doing.
My lovely wife order the Filet Mignon with Truffle Risotto, Honshimeji Mushrooms, Broccolini, and Perigourdine Sauce. I have to look up what perigourdine sauce was – it’s a duck broth based sauce with truffle and cognac to round it out. Based on this I’m sure you can start to envision the flavor profile of this dish – umami, earthy, and rich. Though the truffle was certainly prominent, it was not overpowering. The flavor of the expertely flavored filet was augmented by the truffle flavor of the sauce and risotto. This was a well designed steak dish that we wouldn’t hesitate to order again. Part of what makes Flying Fish such a great choice is that despite having fish in the name and excelling at preparing seafood, their steaks are some of the best on property. This dish was also paired with the suggested wine, and again, that suggestion was perfect. If you’re a wine drinker, don’t hesitate to follow the pairing suggestions.
At this point we had a decision to make. Order a dessert that we barely had room for but would almost certainly be delightful, or retreat back to our room. We dug deep and found the strength to order the Florida Sunset. This was a very light fluffy cheesecake with a citrus flavor profile. This was another winner, and turrned out to be the perfect way to end an incredible dining experience. If you’re in the market for a signature dining experience, you cannot go wrong with Flying Fish – highly recommended.
WIth that we waddled back to the room for some much needed rest after a perfect first day where everything went according to plan. We were quickly asleep dreaming of our very early 7:30AM Magic Kingdom rope drop the next day.
