The two biggest takeaways of this trip are: 1) This is a great time to plan a WDW trip because of the low crowds. The wait times were ridiculously low. I walked onto most rides in every park. The longest time I had to wait was 45 minutes to ride Frozen after the Epcot dinner and Illuminations.
2) Stay in a deluxe resort if possible. I probably saved at least an entire day's worth of time by avoiding bus travel and the proximity to the parks. I did everything I wanted to do and more- and could take a mid day break to cool off.
As far as the package goes, it was a bit of a let down. First of all, nobody in this package received the discounted rates for our rooms. We paid full price for our rooms and were not eligible for free dining. So, this package, by default cost us all more money than the other visitors- regardless of where anyone stayed. Don't get me wrong, I was THRILLED to stay at the Contemporary and LOVED the resort. That experience alone made my trip magical.
Second of all- It was HOT at the after hours events. It might have been a nice touch to have had ice water coolers nearby for us. They definitely could have sold me a reusable water bottle- especially at Animal Kingdom and Toy Story Land. This would have had zero additional cost for Disney and added to perceived value to us. At the very least we would have felt "taken care of."
Third- Fast passes to the tiered attractions at Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood would have been a nice surprise. They could have been good for any point during the day of the activity. Extra fast passes to other attractions weren't really necessary because of the low crowd levels. I LOVED the low crowds. This may be my new favorite time to go.
Fourth- The Friday night Halloween party was EXTREMELY crowded. I attended the party on September 3rd and the difference was noticeable. A cast member did mention that a dessert event may be added for next year. But we could have been given a choice as to which night we wanted to attend. This observation is irrelevant- because I normally go to more than one party during a trip. But, Monday night was WAY more enjoyable.
Finally, and this is kind of nitpicking. I got the survey this morning and was asked my opinion of experiences included in the package. I literally snorted when I was asked how I liked my "welcome gift." When I checked into my resort, I got an envelope that held my lanyard, my itinerary, and my Halloween Party ticket. If that is now what they refer to as a gift, I personally find it a little insulting. It left me feeling like I left something behind. I wasn't expecting anything until I got the survey.
Overall, my trip was excellent. The best Disney vacation ever. I got to stay in my bucket list resort and loved it. I'll spend absolutely look at the Contemporary the next time I go. It is top notch- from top to bottom. The low crowds were even better. I loved the Toy Story Land access- and that is the main reason I signed up for this package. As far as the overall package, I'm honestly a little underwhelmed. Disney does a great job at managing expectations and exceeding them, so I'm a little surprised by their inattention to detail. The things I listed above don't mean that my trip was horrible and disappointing because I didn't get a bunch of "stuff." I really just hope that someone from Disney reads this and takes this into consideration when putting together packages like this in the future. I did have a wonderful trip and brought a whole bunch of pixie dust home. If the dates line up, I'd consider doing this again. Maybe. I'm definitely going to come back this time of year.
2) Stay in a deluxe resort if possible. I probably saved at least an entire day's worth of time by avoiding bus travel and the proximity to the parks. I did everything I wanted to do and more- and could take a mid day break to cool off.
As far as the package goes, it was a bit of a let down. First of all, nobody in this package received the discounted rates for our rooms. We paid full price for our rooms and were not eligible for free dining. So, this package, by default cost us all more money than the other visitors- regardless of where anyone stayed. Don't get me wrong, I was THRILLED to stay at the Contemporary and LOVED the resort. That experience alone made my trip magical.
Second of all- It was HOT at the after hours events. It might have been a nice touch to have had ice water coolers nearby for us. They definitely could have sold me a reusable water bottle- especially at Animal Kingdom and Toy Story Land. This would have had zero additional cost for Disney and added to perceived value to us. At the very least we would have felt "taken care of."
Third- Fast passes to the tiered attractions at Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood would have been a nice surprise. They could have been good for any point during the day of the activity. Extra fast passes to other attractions weren't really necessary because of the low crowd levels. I LOVED the low crowds. This may be my new favorite time to go.
Fourth- The Friday night Halloween party was EXTREMELY crowded. I attended the party on September 3rd and the difference was noticeable. A cast member did mention that a dessert event may be added for next year. But we could have been given a choice as to which night we wanted to attend. This observation is irrelevant- because I normally go to more than one party during a trip. But, Monday night was WAY more enjoyable.
Finally, and this is kind of nitpicking. I got the survey this morning and was asked my opinion of experiences included in the package. I literally snorted when I was asked how I liked my "welcome gift." When I checked into my resort, I got an envelope that held my lanyard, my itinerary, and my Halloween Party ticket. If that is now what they refer to as a gift, I personally find it a little insulting. It left me feeling like I left something behind. I wasn't expecting anything until I got the survey.
Overall, my trip was excellent. The best Disney vacation ever. I got to stay in my bucket list resort and loved it. I'll spend absolutely look at the Contemporary the next time I go. It is top notch- from top to bottom. The low crowds were even better. I loved the Toy Story Land access- and that is the main reason I signed up for this package. As far as the overall package, I'm honestly a little underwhelmed. Disney does a great job at managing expectations and exceeding them, so I'm a little surprised by their inattention to detail. The things I listed above don't mean that my trip was horrible and disappointing because I didn't get a bunch of "stuff." I really just hope that someone from Disney reads this and takes this into consideration when putting together packages like this in the future. I did have a wonderful trip and brought a whole bunch of pixie dust home. If the dates line up, I'd consider doing this again. Maybe. I'm definitely going to come back this time of year.
