Disney World before the Holidays

Best Things Nearby:
Disney World and all the other parks are a short drive away. There are endless choices of dining all right in the area. There are several outlet malls as well.

Best Things About the Resort:
Hmmm...for some girls size is what matters most and this is the place for you. I personally prefer to be pampered and will not be returning to this "resort" aka apartment complex.

Resort Experience:
What you see in the picture is not necesarily what you get. This large resort is set up like a giant apartment complex with units from the 70s, 80s, and recent additions. They are up to four stories without elevators. Bell service was not offered and I didn't realize until it was too late that it was even available. You may be lugging your own luggage up many stairs.

We ended up in an 80s unit, so that is what my rating will apply to as I didn't see inside the others. It was very roomy and had a nice relaxing patio which is all it had going for it. The decorations and furniture were hideously 80s with a mauve and aqua color sceme intermitent with paneling on the walls. The finishing tough was a huge pink wicker chandelier of which I felt compelled to photograph. The mattress and telephone system were also relics from the 80s.

The first day we realized that only one person was able to shower before the hot water ran out and the bulb in the bathroom was burnt out making for very difficult makeup application although there was still a dim flourecent bulb over the shower. After a long and tiring day at Disney World I called to have the two problems fixed so we'd be able to shower in the morning. After waiting half an hour in my PJs by the door for the repairman, I decided to call back to make sure he had received the message. The lady said that I only called 30 minutes ago and they can take up to two hours to come. I told her I was waiting to go to bed becuse we were tired from Disney World. She respondeded very insultingly, "Ma'am, you don't understand. We're not just gonna send someone right out with a lightbulb!" When the repair man showed up he was able to fix the waterheater so we could all shower, but it still took ages for the water to get hot.

Do you like to make your own bed on vacation? Well, plan on it if you stay here. I also ended up washing the bathroom floor myself as the pink tile shows off dirt and hair that I couldn't stand any longer. You may take out your own trash to a trash can that was conveinently located outside our front bedroom window. By the end of the week people's trash bags not only fill but surround the trash can.

The washer did come in handy if you bring your own laundry soap as I didn't expect the weather to be too hot for pants and didn't pack appropriately. They keep a vaccuum in the laundry closet in case you get the urge to vaccuum, and another mysteriously located outside the front door. The maid stops in mid-week to change the towels. I was looking forward to the sheet change too as my little one spilled crumbs in the bed, but no such luck. The crumbs remained in the bed all week.

I must say if you have a large family and want to save money, this could be a good spot. Parents can have privacy, and the kitchen can help out with the food budget. We happened to bring Super Nana along who had hot breakfast waiting in the morning along with fresh squeezed tangerine juice. The kitchen came well-stocked with utensils, including a hand juicer. The appliances were also new.

Another disappointment was the pool. It was not even within walking distance. For some units it will be. Ours was near a pond, which was peaceful. The closest pool was a small clover-shaped pool with the only redeeming quality being the small waterslide they added as an afterthought. I didn't even get to see the beautiful pool in the photos that was my whole reason for choosing this resort.

We didn't participate in the resort activities as Disney kept us busy enough. However there seemed to be plenty on the list such as making tie-dye t-shirts and casino night. There seemed to be charges for most activities.

In conclusion, I expect more from a Gold Crown resort, however if you have a larger family on a budget this place could be a good match for you.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Fair
• Unit Satisfaction: Fair
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Poor

By far the best pizza I've had in my life. When you walk through the airport you will be handed a tourist package with advertisements for local dining and activities, including a photo of the thickest pizza I've ever seen. We went to see if the pizza would really be like the photo, and it was. It is not a fast-food joint like Pizza Hut - it is higher class than that, but lower class than the Olive Garden. The salad was also great. It is good for splitting if you plan on pizza as well. You can find a $2.00-off coupon in the tourist booklets.

This is a seafood chain that if you have dined in one, you have dined in them all.

The kids love the playground out front. But this will not be a quiet and relaxing dinner. Every so often, the music blares and all the waiters join together in the middle to dance.

The seafood is mediocre and a little pricey for what you get. The poor crab was boiled to mush. The waitress was embarrassed as she tried to show "how it was done" and it bent like a rubber band instead of snapping open.

Wonderfully authentic Thai food in a restraunt with great atmosphere. The moment you walk in you are greeted by a hostess dresses in a Thai dress. There are many decorations from Thailand to look at and buy. The meal could be romantic in a private wooden carved booth with candlelight.

They have entertainment on the weekends. It is also notable that the owner flys fresh tea in from Thailand on a regular basis. However, it is restaurant policy that you may not split a pot of tea, you pay per person. The meals are a little pricey, but worth it. Don't plan to split the portions. They are enough for one person.

The first word that comes to mind is YUCK! Corral isn't in the name for no reason - this is pig food. And overpriced pig food at that.

We pulled in on the way to Disney expecting a cheap breakfast. They charge 5 dollars for a 3-year-old that I usually split with and 7 for an adult. So for 12 dollars, we picked at cold eggs and baked beans. They also serve a full selection of desserts for breakfast, if you want to get your Disney day started with a sugar high.

Although we cooked breakfast in the room after this experience, I noticed the Sizzler breakfast buffet was just $3.99 for an adult, plus there was a 10%-off-your-check coupon. Also, the Perkins restaurant was offering a breakfast (non-buffet) starting at $2.99.

There are many outlet malls to choose from, and this was by far my favorite. It boasts deals for Armani, Fendi, Douney and Bourke, Burberry, Kenneth Cole, Coach, Anne Taylor, la perla, and Ralph Lauren, to name just a few. My favorite store is a trendy junior boutique called Papaya where stylish shirts start at $7 and skirts start at $10. This is the mall with the official Disney outlet, where you can get deals on Disney clothes, dolls, and pins, but the cotton candy is still $3. I bought a porcelain piglet figurine for half price of what I almost spent on it last time I was at Disney. Heed this advice: Do not waste your time in imitation Disney stores, such as the "Character Corner" you will drive past on the way to Disney in the Lake Buena Vista outlet mall. They sell overpriced junk, seriously outdated Disney T-shirts, and the same non-official Disney keychains offered at every drugstore and souvenir shop.

Do not go expecting the Magic Kingdom. It is a cross between a zoo and an amusement park. There is a section with a few rides, including an awesome, not-to-be-missed dinosaur ride for those without neck and back problems. But the main part of the park is dedicated to the animal viewing and the shows. They are excellent and not to be missed. Find a spot for the parade early. Its route will be marked on the map you are handed upon entry. There is no way to see everything in one day. The park closes early in the slow season before the holidays, but that is offset by the lack of crowds. There are practically no lines. Most children in the park are under school age.

The "happiest place on earth" is the Disney park that brings back all those warm, fuzzy feelings of excitement from childhood. This was the best time to visit, before Thanksgiving, in my opinion. There were no lines longer than 10 minutes. Most rides you were able to walk right on. We found plenty of curbside seating for the daytime parade.

The park fills up after 5pm, with everyone taking advantage of their park-hopping capabilities to watch the nighttime parade and excellent firework display. Most people watch the fireworks from in front of the castle, and it can be very crowded. To avoid the crowds, try watching them from Fantasyland behind the castle. You will have no one blocking your view and the fireworks shoot out above your head. My daughter was enthralled with this display, which could easily be viewed near the Dumbo ride. Actually, if you could be on the Dumbo ride during the fireworks, it would be an even better view. It is the last Dumbo ride of the night.

The downside of watching the fireworks from here is that you will be in the back of the mass crowd attempting to exit the park all at once. Which wouldn't be so bad if the only way off this magic island weren't a ferry and a monorail, both of which require waiting in a massive line. And once on the other side, you wait to get into the parking lot tram and hopefully remember where you parked. So it takes at least an hour to get out of the park, from closing time to getting your vehicle on the road.

You will most likely pass this mall on your daily trips to Disney. It is, however, probably just like the outlet mall you have at home (if you have one). There is a generic listing of stores, only some of which are actually outlets while the others are overpriced tourist traps such as Character Corner. This is not an official Disney outlet and not worth your time. It contained rack after rack of old Disney 100 Year Celebration t-shirts, non-Disney items, the same key chains they sell at every Walgreens and Walmart in the area, and a strange selection of Disney dolls. Most were unrecognizable as Disney characters, however I did recognize the wicked witch from Sleeping Beauty and a horse that transformed into a mermaid horse from Little Mermaid...I think. All items that the official Disney outlet has discarded and this tourist trap is trying to sell for close to original prices. Avoid this place.

The good thing about this mall is that you can drive to each store without walking the entire mall. They have a Liz Claiborne, Gap, Nine West, Fossil, and KB Toy outlet. I found good deals in the Nine West shoe store, and thankfully a new carry-on in Fossil to hold all the things I bought that would not fit in my luggage. This outlet mall can not compare to the Premium Outlet Mall, which is located very near to this one.

After wasting our time in many imitation Disney stores, we happened upon two excellent places to save money on Disney souvenirs.

The first place is Walmart, believe it or not. I ran in for a $10 stroller after renting one at Disney for $8, only to have the frustration of finding it in a sea of identical strollers after coming off a ride. Walmart had a huge Disney section right in front. T-shirts start at $5, sweatshirts start at $8, keychains start at $1.97, fuzzy Pooh or Mickey ears are $3.97.

I got a pink Tinkerbell sweatsuit cheap, and matching Minnie shirts for my daughter and me. The second great store is the official Disney Outlet in the Premium Outlet Mall, where authentic Disney items of all kinds are slightly discounted or up to half off.