Three days at All-Star Movies, with DDP too! (The end of adventure)

Day 4: Time to go

I actually had a fair amount of stuff on the agenda for today. Fast Passes were chosen, there was an ADR for lunch, and I was prepared to stay through the fireworks. Those plans were made when I wasn't just worn out. Today was filled with Disney burnout. My desire to deal with heat and crowds was hovering just below a zero. So, I decided to blow off everything I could possibly blow off, which meant everything except the ADR. It was too late to cancel, and besides, I was looking forward to trying out Grand Floridian Cafe. In my head, I could have sworn that I had made that ADR for 12:30. I was not all that thrilled with that time. It would mean having to kill too much time between checkout and ADR, and possibly having to park at MK or leave my car at ASMo and have to deal with buses again. Yuck. I checked my MDE app and was happy to find that my lunch ADR would be at 11:30. It's amazing how one hour can make things completely better. I showered up, packed away all my stuff and loaded up my car before heading out to Grand Floridian for lunch.

I've never been to Grand Floridian before. I've passed it on the Monorail and seen it from Poly, but I've never actually checked it out. From the outside, it's beautiful. The design is very classy and clean. There's no ridiculous themes or tacky crap on the exterior. After seeing cheap junk all of the place at the Allstar Resorts, it was a beautiful change to see. Also, the people just looked content all around. No screaming kids, no miserable parents. Just peace and happiness. The interior is even more stunning. It's just massive and open. Everything is well lit. The color palettes and fabrics are all inviting and clean. There are couches and chairs all over the place. Everything is inviting you to sit down and relax and let your cares just disappear. There's a big, swooping stairway upstairs and glass elevators if the stairs aren't your thing. It smells very floral and sweet and very calming. I dig that. I can only imagine what the rooms are like. The shops are all well lit and clutter free. It's a true step up and the first deluxe resort that actually feels truly deluxe.

I was still quite early, so I wandered around and checked out the shops. I stopped inside of Basin and wound up walking out with two shampoo bars and a clay bar soap.

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This is bacon soap. Besides looking like bacon, it also sort of smells like it. I did not buy this one. I did like the look of it though. It smells like maple syrup with a light hint of smokey bacon. It's a really neat smell, but I don't think I would want to be surrounded by that scent all day. I think I would grow tired of it very quickly. Still, it was cool to see. I'd like to stop there first on my next trip and pick up something to use for the duration of my stay.

With shopping done and a bunch of time used up, it was time to eat some food. The exit for 1900 Park Fare is right next to the check-in for Grand Floridian Cafe. I could see Alice and Pooh right by the exit and I thought long and hard about running in and stealing a moment of their time for pictures, but I passed on that. Oh well. Time to eat.

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Check-in was quick and easy. There were just a few people in the restaurant, which was nice. It didn't feel like we were crammed on top of each other. It's also quiet. It has a similar feel to The Wave, but with a cleaner and more open feel to it. I came there with the intent of eating the Surf and Turf burger, but the other food I saw being brought out all looked amazing as well. Still, I knew what I wanted and I wasn't veering from that path.

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I'll definitely be going into more detail in the food thread, but spoiler alert, it was delicious! I scarfed it down in no time. The chips, too, were incredibly tasty as well.

After lunch I was on one final mission. I had one quick service credit and one snack credit. None of the stores in the main building looked like it would suit my cause, so I moved over to the quick service restaurant and picked up four huge cupcakes. With that in placy, I was finally out of DDP credits.

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Pina Colada Cupcake. I picked up two of these. They look fantastic!

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German Chocolate Cupcake

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Oreo Cupcake

I've tried none of them yet. I'm still recovering from lunch. With my DDP credits spent and lunch eaten, I walked back to the car with my swag and made the trip home. My time at Disney had come to an end.
 
Trip wrap-up and thoughts that didn't fit anywhere else

I had a great time on this trip. It was probably the most enjoyable of all of my Disney trips so far. There were some bumps along the way, but they did nothing to detract from the fun.

Some thoughts
  • Value resorts aren't for me. They're just not my thing. I really dislike the garish and ostentatious decorations on the buildings. Everything feels a little more run down. the All-Star Resorts, in particular, were not very enjoyable. Everything is just a mess. I don't believe I'll be staying at any value resort from now on.
  • The Disney Dining Plan is also not for me. If I got it free, sure, I'd use it. If I'm paying out of pocket, though, I would avoid it. It's not going to save me any money. I never felt like I was at a restaurant because I actually wanted to be there. It always felt like I had to be mindful of what place I picked for my meal and how to maximize the value of the dining credit. I also don't eat a lot of meals and snacks while there. I have one big meal and maybe a snack. The rest is typically something eaten in the room to recharge before going back out. I have four cupcakes in my fridge that I may or may not finish that I have because I felt like anything left behind will be a complete waste of money.
  • MNSSHP was fantastic. I will definitely be going again next year. I loved the atmosphere and the decorations. I really enjoyed the fireworks. I got to do a few rides and a few character meets without dealing with crazy line.
  • This is the second trip where I skipped AK, which is weird because I really like it. It's just out of the way and doesn't work well with some of my plans.
  • DHS is only good for two rides. The rest I can easily skip.
  • MK is still my favorite park.
  • Visiting other resorts only made me realize how much I just didn't like ASMo.
So, I think that's it. That you, everyone, for reading along. I hope it was entertaining for you. Until next time. Goodbye, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night.
 
Great report! I hope to do MNSSHP someday, but it wasn't in the cards for our upcoming trip. We're trying the meal plan for the first time, too. We'll see how that works out for us! I'm hopping over to your dining report because I am a tad too excited for the Disney food! haha
 
Great report! I hope to do MNSSHP someday, but it wasn't in the cards for our upcoming trip. We're trying the meal plan for the first time, too. We'll see how that works out for us! I'm hopping over to your dining report because I am a tad too excited for the Disney food! haha
Have fun on your trip! MNSSHP was so much fun. It's unfortunate that it isn't in the cards for you this trip. Next year, right? The dining plan just didn't work out for me. I have such weird eating habits at Disney that the dining plan just doesn't suit me.
 


Thanks for taking the time to give us your final thoughts on your trip. Has helped in my planning, appreciated
 
Thanks for taking the time to give us your final thoughts on your trip. Has helped in my planning, appreciated

Thank you for reading this mess! I'm happy when I can help out, or at least provide something moderately entertaining. :thumbsup2
 
Have fun on your trip! MNSSHP was so much fun. It's unfortunate that it isn't in the cards for you this trip. Next year, right? The dining plan just didn't work out for me. I have such weird eating habits at Disney that the dining plan just doesn't suit me.

Hopefully, next year!!! I can already see where the dining plan gets in the way a bit. I am making reservations just to have them. On our Epcot day, I fully plan on eating a ton at Food & Wine, but I also made a dinner reservation at Teppan Edo. LOL I don't know why I did that!
 


Hopefully, next year!!! I can already see where the dining plan gets in the way a bit. I am making reservations just to have them. On our Epcot day, I fully plan on eating a ton at Food & Wine, but I also made a dinner reservation at Teppan Edo. LOL I don't know why I did that!
That's how I felt the entire time on DDP. I felt totally obligated to change my eating habits to fit the dining plan credits. I didn't expect that.
 
I am with you on the DDP. If I had not gotten it for free, I would not have paid for it. We are lucky we were there for the F&WF because without it, we would have walked away with a LOT of snack credits.
 

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