Mr & Mrs. R Live & Unleashed From SSR

[MrRomance]

Today was the Jingle Jungle 5K Run!!! It was a lot of fun and we did surprisingly well considering our injuries. So far we've raised £282 for Great Ormond Street Hospital and our target was £200 so we're happy with that.

The problem is the 5K is a VERY early start, we were up at 4am, ready to head out at 4.30am and on the bus to Animal Kingdom at 5am. Race started at 7am but we were in the last corral because it was our first one and we didn't get going for a while after the official start time. We think we saw a fellow DISer in our corrall (Tabz was it you in D this morning?)

Feeling a little tired and achy but glad we did it.

 

[tinks_1989]

Glad you enjoyed the 5K we did it in October part ot Tower of Terror 10miler weekend. We really enjoyed it. We aren't runners so we were also in the final coral. The atmosphere was amazing the morning we went and really enjoyed being involved. I agree though it was very early. Not that I would want to run in the afternoon early October in Florida lol x

 

[MrRomance]

Just got back from Discovery Cove and wanted to post this update ASAP

In the past I have been a huge fan of DC and have actively encouraged people to try it out because it's an expensive day and many people are wary of spending that kind of money. We went last year and we LOVED it. We were so impressed I wrote them to thank them and to express how great we thought our experience was.

Today, we left 2 hours early absolutely disgusted by it. It has generally gone downhill but a couple of things were really bad.

So, let me start with a couple of the poor but not intolerable things. Food choices have been reduced a lot and the standard of the food has dropped significantly. Staff are not just less attentive they are damn right rude most of the time. One person particularly irritated me because she rudely had a go at me over something a child (who was clearly not my child!) was doing. This kid was clearly South American and was irritating the Rays with his feet about 5 feet from me and my daughter. We were snorkerling just looking at the Ray from the surface while this boy (who was around 13 or 14) was putting his feet on it and kicking sand at it. The staff member shouting at me " you can't put your feet on the Rays when they are resting on the bottom" I said "we're not, that boy is not with us" to which she said "they are delicate creatures and you'll hurt them" --- OK which part of that boy is not with me do you not get lady! I didn't say anything just distanced myself from the child but it's irritating.

We paid extra for a cabana. We had one last year and paid an extra $200 this year because it was awesome. As part of it, you get an attendant who will bring you dry towels, drinks and snacks. It was 3 hours before we saw our attendant who said hi and walked away. We saw him 3 times in all... the second time he asked me if I wanted him to bring some beer and snacks over. I said that would be great. An hour later he rocks back up with a beer. REALLY... an hour? I could have got one myself in 2 minutes.

The final straw that broke the camels back was serious and I intend to write to Discovery Cove and complain. Walking back to our cabana from Grand Reef, I tripped. I looked and saw a cable running under the sand with part of it above the sand that had tripped me over. I wasn't badly hurt just pulled a muscle but I went straight to guest relations because it was clearly a hazard that they needed to deal with. 2 staff at guest relations and I explain that I had fallen over because of an exposed cable and that I was not too badly hurt but someone could really hurt themselves. I was told to go back to my cabana and someone would be right over to deal with it. I sat there for an hour waiting for someone to come. No one came. I'm sitting there directing people around it to stop someone else falling like some sort of unpaid warden. After an hour and 10 minutes, I was really angry and feeling pretty sore so I just left without collecting our picture or anything.

There were plenty of smaller issues but I won't bore you with them, I would just say that it has really gone down in my estimations and I can no longer recommend it. Today cost me $800 in total and all I got for my money was a pulled muscle and a lot of disappointment.

 

[Tony Toon]

So sorry to hear about your really bad day at DC. We've been several times in the past and like you, have loved it. Yes it was expensive but we've always felt the overall experience of whole day was worth it. We tried to book again last summer, but left it too late and our available days were fully booked. We reckoned this was down to the change in policy allowing non swim parties and if your experience is anything to go by then this has not been a positive move. We had thought we'd try to be better organised and book for our visit in July next year. Perhaps not!

Mrs TT

 

[MrRomance]

So sorry to hear about your really bad day at DC. We've been several times in the past and like you, have loved it. Yes it was expensive but we've always felt the overall experience of whole day was worth it. We tried to book again last summer, but left it too late and our available days were fully booked. We reckoned this was down to the change in policy allowing non swim parties and if your experience is anything to go by then this has not been a positive move. We had thought we'd try to be better organised and book for our visit in July next year. Perhaps not!

Mrs TT

We loved it last year and we were so excited for today. I think they have become a little too complacent. They have been voted top attraction in Orlando for a long time in a lot of polls and I think they've stopped giving two hoots. Almost every member of staff we encountered today was rude and it started the moment we got in.

We went for breakfast (which was terrible btw!) and the guy in front of us said he wanted some eggs and some waffles. The server woman said "you have to have the full breakfast it'll be at the end for you" and when he said he didn't want to waste the other stuff, she practically threw a plate of eggs and waffles at the guy.

It was clear too that it was a problem that spanned all of the staff because even "guest relations" didn't seem to care about anything. It's a shame because it used to be an awesome day of relaxation. I'm going to write to them and I'll update with what they say, but I don't hold out much hope because they really didn't seem to care about anything today.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

What a shame about you visit to DC. I certainly wouldn't be happy with the Cabana attendant and incident with the cable and rays.

Having said that, we were just there as non swim guests and although the queues for food were long, we found the staff willing to give you whatever you wanted both at breakfast and lunch. The staff in the aviary were helpful and gave us different food to attract other species. Also had a lovely chat to one of the workers. I did notice a lifeguard deny knowledge of where a British family should go for their dolphin swim and the next minute direct an American family over to the place where the pre talks are given

Also, there didn't seem to be enough loungers as one family were asking if there were more as they had walked around the park and couldn't find any.

 

[MrRomance]

What a shame about you visit to DC. I certainly wouldn't be happy with the Cabana attendant and incident with the cable and rays.

Having said that, we were just there as non swim guests and although the queues for food were long, we found the staff willing to give you whatever you wanted both at breakfast and lunch. The staff in the aviary were helpful and gave us different food to attract other species. Also had a lovely chat to one of the workers. I did notice a lifeguard deny knowledge of where a British family should go for their dolphin swim and the next minute direct an American family over to the place where the pre talks are given

Also, there didn't seem to be enough loungers as one family were asking if there were more as they had walked around the park and couldn't find any.

Last year, they couldn't do enough for us and they were overwhelmingly good all the way around. This year, it seems they have lost their mojo. When we were house hunting we spoke to our sales guy and he said he thought they had changed their management early this year, so that might account for it.

 

[Tony Bush]

We made it!!

I'm running a TR in the Trip Report Section already but I know already it's going to be on a delay so I figured I'd offer some quick little updates here too!

Yesterday was travel day. We arrived on time on the BA flight and as much as it pains me to say it, I think Virgin offer the better Premium Economy product overall. BA wasn't bad, I have no complaints (which I did have with Virgin PE last year) but as a product, I think Virgin offer more.

Flight landed on time... we were off the plane and through immigration in record time. From gate to baggage claim in less than 5 minutes. All was going well but baggage took forever to come through and by the time it did and 40 minute line had developed for customs who were clearly on some sort of go slow! Through customs on over to the other terminal without a hitch, but Avis were clearly on the same go slow! No hard upsell but I think that's probably because I'm a grumpy sod and made it clear not to bother! We have a 4 door Kia Rio, plenty big enough and a half decent ride.

Arrived at SSR about 8.10pm and met with friends who flew home to OH today. Finally went to bed after 11pm and managed to avoid the first day crack of dawn wake up today.

Busy first day and got everything we wanted to do and more done. Loving the FP+. Picked up the free gift card at World of Disney, quick and painless, it's at the information desk to the left of the jewellery. Picked up our photopass + and got slightly confusing information. Went to Target for room supplies and then over to Epcot at 1pm.

We did Test Track, Captain EO, Character Spot (all on FP+) and we also did Imagination with Figment & Nemo and walked around the World Showcase stopping at Belgium for some waffles and Italy for a Cannoli. We left at 4.30 for our Dinner reservation at the Yachtsman which was absolutely outstanding. I have to say of all of the restaurants we've been to on-site, we absolutely love Yachtsman. Truffle Mac & Cheese was new for us, it was divine as was the entire meal. Thank you, Kathy our excellent server, we'll be back!

After dinner we went back to SSR and I am updating this sitting by the pool watching the world go by over at Downtown Disney! Amazing first day and we'll be heading off to watch the movie by the pool with a couple of adult beverages in a few minutes.

Other highlights so far...

Love the refurb at SSR
Love the AAA Diamond Parking
Love being back at our happy place!

Did I miss the Trip report ?

Tony

 

[Sencybil]

Just wanted to chip in on the Discovery Cove debate. We went on as non swim guests and hadn't been before so nothing to compare to. Went with my BIL and SIL who are hard to get moving in the mornings, so we weren't as early as we otherwise would have been, but still weren't trailing in mid morning or anything. Went straight to breakfast and then SIL had a bit of a fainting turn and felt very ill. We grabbed a single lounger near the restaurant tables and got her laid down and then dh and I went off to find us a permanent spot for the group. It didn't help that as a first visit we didn't know our way around, but we couldn't find any loungers in the shade. DH asked am employee if he knew of any shady areas that were free but he didn't. We eventually settled on a patch of shade and started to haul loungers from a distance away - one from here, one from there. We were extremely lucky that the employee we'd approached came over to dh and said he felt really bad for us, to hang fire for a few minutes. He gave us a cabana for the day. It really made the day, especiallyas SIL could lie down comfortably until she felt fully better.

So yes, definitely short on loungers. (I hadn't thought I'd have to battle for them - I thought there'd be more than enough - so hadn't prioritised bagging them as I now realise I should have). We experienced great customer service - but it was entirely down to one employee, we were very lucky, and I wouldn't pretend its representative of what everyone would experience.

Food lines were very long. We went late for lunch thinking the queue would have diminished but it was still about 25mins. There weren't enough people clearing tables either so it felt very canteenish. The food was good though.

For us it was great value as we were doing sea World and Busch anyway and the incremental cost wasn't too much. I probably wouldn't pay $200 for a cabana though as me, dd and dh spent no time there, we were always in the water.

If we go back to Orlando it will be a 'maybe', not a 'must do'.

Sencybil xx