Here 2 days so far (VA/Mears/POFQ) - Magic is still here

[Coffeedrinker]

On our second day here at POFQ after flying in yesterday. After following certain threads on here and a suprise warning about the parks themselves from our Customs check official, we were a little worried about our return visit. It;s a little different from our previous visits to be sure, but the magic is still here.

Getting out of Manchester airport was fun. We were through check in and security at T2 yesterday at 6:30am in under half an hour. Great. Our VA flight into Orlando was boarded on time - but some of the luggage wasn’t. After 2 hours sat on the plane at the gate with 40+ pieces of luggage still to be loaded by MAN ground crew, our pilot made the decision to go with the missing luggage following on the next VA flight behind us (leaving an hour after us with our delay.

There was an advert we saw walking through the airport: 'MAN: More than an airport'. Begged the answer, 'yes, you're a ****** shambles too...'

FLight thankfully was excellent, with the pilot coming round mid flight to thank everyone for the patience and understanding., We were at the back of economy and he made sure to walk the length of the plane. Five points to VA Gryfindor.

Straight through MCO airport with no delays. Our Customs official was lovely but did warn us about ‘The state of the parks, the staffing and the trash’. Worried us a little bit from previous visits (2018/2014/2001).

Mears to POFQ and I will admit to a momentary loss of dignity when our taxi pulled into the driveway for the resort. Checked in and got our dining credit email immediat & collected our early booking bonus celebration gift basket. The basket itself was beautifully presented!

River view room at POFQ, just as good as our previous visits. We were delighted to have got a message on our phone when we arrived: the cast member who checked us in had found our previous bookings and left a phone message welcoming is back to the resort. Unexpected and absolutely delightful, we did indeed feel welcomed back.

The resort itself is as beautifully maintained as ever, no concerns there. Got the bus up to Disney Springs to collect our $200 gift card from WoD; Springs was rammed (it’s Memorial Day weekend here) but a cast member noticed our print out for the gift card and sorted us out quickly.

Early arrival at MK this morning as DW had a Keys To The Kingdom booking. DS and I had Genie+ so we paid-for LL Seven Dwarfs (12pm by the time we’d selected and paid) and Splash at 10:55am. Between early park entry, standby lanes and Genie+ bookings we managed:

• 2x Barnstormer (no queue after our ride, so we all rode again immediately!)
• 2x Splash Mountain
• 2x Big Thunder Mountain
• 2x Space Mountain
• Haunted Mansion
• It’s a Small World

All by 4.20pm, when we had to leave for a dining reservation. We expected mayhem in MK with it being Memorial Day. Sure, it’s the busiest we’ve ever seen MK but the park was spotless and every CM we met and interacted with were lovely. Sure, some things are different: there are no longer and Sorcerer’s cards and stations, random trolley car shows no longer happen and the Muppets are gone from Liberty Square. Depending on just what one might want from WDW/MK, this could be cause for disappointment, although we did everything we wanted to.

Just finished up with a great TS meal at Boatwrights. Having been to PO twice before, we’ve walked past Boatwrights so many times and thought ‘really must give it a try’. Tonight we finally did. Jambalaya with a serious kick and a lovely smooth glass of Zinfandel with it. I’ve always been impressed with the wine at WDW (not a big drinker otherwise) and tonight was no exception. Our server/CM could not have been friendlier or more attentive, dealing with a dietary intolerance with good advice and alternative suggestions.

Back in our room now and Mousekeeping hasn’t been/happened, a slight down on the day but nothing to diminish one of our best ever WDW days. I’m sure other closures or issues might present over the week relative to previous visits, and despite making good use of our Genie+ bookings, we’d still rather have 60+10 days Fastpass+ bookings. Less stressful and easier on the pocket.

Pool & relax night this evening and HS tomorrow. Bracing myself for ROTR 7am Genie+ carnage in the morning.

[eleele]

Apart from the flight chaos, it’s great to read so many positives, hope you enjoy the rest of you holiday!

[Twinklestar1]

Lovely to hear - have a great time!

[Goldia]

What a fab return to the parks for you. I'm glad you still found there was magic in the air! I hope you have a lovely trip for the rest of your stay.

[June8th]

Just returned from POFQ, if you want your room cleaning then ask at the front desk.
We didn’t get any service unless we asked for it including bin emptying and fresh towels etc.