[James_and_Shona]

A very short trip report below which those going soon may find helpful. We stayed onsite at Port Orleans Resort Riverside from 01/04/19 to 16/04/19.

Highlights
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1. We had dinner at California Grill (an 8pm reservation). The food was superb (best all holiday) and watching HEA from the top of the Contemporary Resort was an unforgettable experience. The service was also the best we had all holiday. Well worth 2 dining credits.

2. The Hoop Dee Doo musical revue was great fun - well worth another 2 credits.

[if we ever return to WDW we would return to both CG and HDD - they were that good]

3. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside - the daily pool party and campfire were great ways to keep our two children entertained in the late afternoon / early evening. These activities gave us all a break, in a good way! The cast members running these events at the moment at Riverside - Becca and Jon - do an amazing job every day.

4. April is a great time to go to WDW - the weather was/is amazing and the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival is beautiful.

5. Blaze Pizza is awesome!

6. The 'old' rides still trump the new ones - we loved going on Everest and Big Thunder Mountain. Maybe its just the nostalgia!

7. Happily Ever After and Illuminations are both great shows!

8. Storybook Dining at Artist Point, the Bon Voyage Breakfast at Trattoria al Forno, Tusker House and Raglan Road were all very enjoyable. Lots to keep the kids entertained at all these restaurants.

9. Trivia night and Yee Haa Bob in the River Roost lounge at Port Orleans Riverside are both well worth going to - we enjoyed both.

10. For the fist time ever we did not hire a car, and found using the Magical Express, Taxi's and the Bell Services golf carts much more convenient and less stressful, and saved us a lot of money. The Disney buses and boats were very efficient (and the boat rides very relaxing/fun).

Lowlights
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1. The monorail is just so dated, slow and busy ... we had a couple of very frustrating, time consuming, unenjoyble rides ... it badly needs to be updated.

2. Rivers of Light didn't wow us like HEA or Illuminations did. It's a very forgettable experience. We're glad we saw it, to tick it off, but doubt we will ever go back.

3. Akershus - we thought this restaurant was very overpriced for what it is, and the food was the worst we had all holiday.

4. We had perhaps the worst Jungle Cruise skipper we had ever had the first time we rode it. I didn't catch his name, but honestly thought it was a set up how bad he was. Anyway, we rode it again later in the holiday and had perhaps the best skipper we had ever had - Brody, with a Y!

Overall it was another amazing WDW holiday, and we are already planning our next Florida trip - summer 2020 hopefully.

If you have any questions on the above, please just ask.