The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Disney August 2018)

In the past, I've highlighted certain aspects of our Disney (and sometimes other) vacations.  This post has been sitting as a draft because, apparently, I became sidetracked and forgot all about it.  So here it is (yes, 8 months later): the good, the bad and the ugly from our August 2018 Disney vacation.

Stroller-free

Before you become outraged at the thought of an older child riding in a stroller, please remember that Anna was born with myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida.  Before she was born, we were told that, at best, she would be able to walk with some type of assistance (leg braces, a walker, etc.)  She has far exceeded everyone's expectations as to what she would be able to do physically, but this doesn't mean that it is easy for her.  Actually, this has come up quite a bit over the past couple of months.  What would be viewed as possibly challenging but definitely doable physical activity for Allie and Emily is extremely difficult for Anna.  This includes walking 10+ miles around a theme park.

We no longer own a stroller and I certainly wasn't going to buy or borrow one to bring with us just in case Anna had difficulty getting around.  We decided that if she couldn't handle the walking, we would rent a stroller from Disney.  Those strollers are not the most comfortable but when you're exhausted, a place to sit is a place to sit.

Anna ended up not needing a stroller for this visit and I have to say, it was soooo much easier to maneuver through the crowds without one.  Also, there was time saved in not having to park the stroller and then retrieve the stroller, sometimes searching through a sea of strollers because a cast member had moved them around.  I think how we visited the parks played a role in her not needing a stroller as well.  We weren't out there for 12 hours a day, running from place to place, waiting in long lines.  We took plenty of breaks and utilized FastPasses.  


First Aid

I can't say enough good things about the cast members working in the First Aid offices at the Disney parks.  This is where we take care of Anna's cathing needs and everyone is so friendly and accommodating.  If you or your child need a private space in which to take care of anything medical, head over to First Aid.


Toy Story Land

We really enjoyed visiting Toy Story Land, the new addition to Hollywood Studios.  If you look around and take it all in, the theming is really amazing.  I still feel like visitors are viewing Hollywood Studios as a half day park though.  Maybe that will change when Star Wars land opens on August 29th.  In my opinion, during our visit, Toy Story Land was pulling guests away from other popular attractions, such as Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, which is a huge benefit to guests who don't plan to blow in and out of the park in record time.

If you'll be visiting Hollywood Studios before the end of August and the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, check out my touring strategies.


The Coffee Situation

I don't drink coffee.  I never acquired a taste for it (unless it's coffee ice cream) and I get my caffeine fix from diet soda.  (I know. I know.  It's SO bad for you.)  Rich and my mom need coffee every morning and their biggest complaint about Disney is that the coffee is terrible.  At home, if they're buying their coffee, they go for Dunkies (Dunkin Donuts) or Honey Dew.  Never Starbucks.  Which is unfortunate for them as Starbucks seems to be the in-house coffee of Disney World.  What's funny is that friends of ours vacationed at Disney last year, and they also mentioned the coffee situation.  Their first stop after leaving the Disney bubble was Dunkin Donuts.


Magic Kingdom Ride Closures

I understand guest safety is high on Disney's priority list but the amount of rides that were down at Magic Kingdom was ridiculous.  Especially considering that ticket prices keep increasing.  There's been quite a bit of commentary over this issue in the Disney online community these past couple of years.  As Disney continues to plow money into new rides and Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and a new Star Wars themed hotel and Skyliner gondolas, Magic Kingdom keeps getting older.  Yeah, it's typical for a ride or two to temporarily close here and there but at any given time, there were multiple rides down and the same rides kept experiences issues.


Summer Crowds 

In the past, summer months have been known as the busiest time at Disney World.  It makes sense.  There are families, like us, who don't want to pull kids out of school or can't get away for a vacation during the school year due to commitments, so summer is really the most convenient time for a Disney vacation.  Disney doesn't publish crowd information but you can speculate (and many do) on crowd expectations based upon special offers from Disney.  Several Disney World crowd predictors think that summer is no longer the busy time that it used to be.  Last year, Disney offered free dining over the summer months and there have been special offers out for summer months this year already.

2019 may be a bit different as Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is scheduled to open on August 29th, which is a bit earlier than when it was supposed to, and many who were planning to visit in 2019 pushed back their vacations.  For our past couple of vacations, we've booked with a travel agent who was offering their own special late summer (sometimes early fall) deal.  The first time I discovered this travel agent many, many years ago, their special deals would sell out.  I was quite shocked when I received a reminder email months after their offer came out for this year.  It appears that the travel agent hasn't seen the numbers they've seen in the past for summer guests.

Disney definitely tries to spread out the crowds.  They don't want a slow time.  That being said, if you've ever contemplated heading there in the summer but haven't due to the crowds, do some more research.  It may not be as bad as you think.  Also, the heat.  I know.  I didn't think the heat was as bad this time around.  (You can read my post on beating the summer heat at Disney here.)  Having older kids and taking plenty of breaks were definitely factors.  Sure, I'd love to head to Florida in April or November but the girls don't want to miss school (and have to make up a ton of work) and there are other commitments we need to take into account, like dance and Rich's work.


To read my Disney trip reports, click here.

To read my Disney planning tips, click here.