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[alex]

Hi guys,

Just got back from a great trip staying at the Santa Fe which was so good!!

Highs

WEATHER, it was scorching hot all week, like 28C ! so hot we were trying to stay out of the heat, but great

QUEUES, several walk-ons for EMH so really took advantage of riding buzz a few times in a row  /  couldn't manage to get to level 5 on the scoreboard though  :cry: during the day the most was about 40 minutes apart from crush...BTM at mid-day etc

RAINFOREST CAFE, great food as always I had the the tree top steak and my partner had the rasta pasta both came within 10 minutes !? very good service from the waiter and the steak was delicious cooked just how I like it which is a pleasant suprise in disney for me!

SANTA FE, I'd never stayed here before and didn't have high hopes for it at all but actually we enjoyed it for the price and it was just somewhere nice to sleep and did it's job. We had a room directly opposite the entrance to La Cantina in block 49!! was great for just waking up and going straight to breakfast  :thumbs:

TOAD HALL, love love loved the food here so yummy could of ate here several times, also liked the receipts you got from the counter services for free drinks

generally a great holiday really pleased with it, we also ate at cafe mickey which was lovely

Lows

not many at all maybe La Cantina, it's not very well laid out and you're not told what is where and was generally a bit of a stampede for the dinner buffet. I didn't like the food much myself for the price I didn't think it was worth it but my boyfriend thought it was nice so maybe I am just fussy.

SMOKING, anywhere...really irritated us

REFURBISHMENTS, not really a criticism just a shame phantom manor and indiana were closed as we really like those two

generally a great holiday and we're already booking again for february! just a dilemma of choosing between going for 3 nights/4 days at sequioa or going for 4 nights/5 days at santa fe for the same price as we really loved the sequioa bar and hotel feel!! is february a nice and quiet time to go?

will be uploading pics soon got a lot to sort through  :cheshire_bounce:  :cheshire_bounce:

[magic katy]

Nice report! Me and my boyfriend were there the same period.
The weather was a surprise allright. We really enjoyed it, especially the evenings were lovely.
I expected it to be a little less busy, but maybe it was the great weather that draw people to the parks more.

But we enjoyed it anyway.

[AislingM]

Im just home today too , we stayed in Cheyenne. My god the weather was unreal! I thought it was really really busy , the queue for Big Thunder was 90 mins this morning and we didnt even bother with Phantom because the queue went all the way down to the entrance. I must do my trip report tomorrow and put up photies too!

[alex]

I apologise if my pictures aren't very good I'm not good with a camera! I will update some more at the weekend as I am busy with work all week  :x

We got the indirect train leaving St Pancras at 8:27 changing at Lille and finally arriving at Disney and 13:10!! We rushed to Santa Fe and our room was already ready so we'd already done our first ride by 3




I loved how they'd done up the stage but I missed the pumpkin men, I left before the halloween season officially started so I'm not sure if they put up anymore decorations, I hope so otherwise it's a bit lacking



Lovely weather all week



some food pictures for you...








the not to be missed bar at the sequioa I've always loved! my boyfriend seems to be wearing the same shirt in all the photos  :lol:





spent much of day 3 in walt disney studios, I liked it more this time round I've been there all my other previous trips and I just don't feel the vibe like I do in the main park but I really enjoyed the toystory playland I'd never been to, loved rc racer!  =D>








Adventureland!




Peter Pan!


Fantasyland! love the crystal castle





and a few hotel/panoramics I like  :thumbs:





I hope you like my report, again sorry I'm a novice with a camera  

[AislingM]

Your photos are great! Love the ones of the food , especially the fish and chips in Toad Hall! They didnt seem to put up any more Halloween decorations but I left on Saturday , so maybe there was still more to come , I hope! I know alot of people give out about the pumpkin men and the orange paint but I think its really festive. How did you find the Santa Fe? The room looks lovely and comfortable. I keep meaning to go look around all the other hotels when Im there but I always forget! The only shows I meant were the Peter Pan one and Mickeys Magical Celebration. I didnt see any other ones anyway , aside from the Villians one Saturday!

[alex]

Your photos are great! Love the ones of the food , especially the fish and chips in Toad Hall! They didnt seem to put up any more Halloween decorations but I left on Saturday , so maybe there was still more to come , I hope! I know alot of people give out about the pumpkin men and the orange paint but I think its really festive. How did you find the Santa Fe? The room looks lovely and comfortable. I keep meaning to go look around all the other hotels when Im there but I always forget! The only shows I meant were the Peter Pan one and Mickeys Magical Celebration. I didnt see any other ones anyway , aside from the Villians one Saturday!

Thanks, I've just had a peak at your new post - I LOVE the steakhouse I always get such good service there always a must for me but it was my boyfriends first trip and he wasn't keen on the menu so we gave it a miss  :cry: next time it's on my to-do!! Oh really I thought everyone loved the pumpkin men, I think it adds to the atmosphere otherwise it's so samey... I liked the Santa Fe...for the price I paid I was really pleased with it. I'm heading back there in Feb but hoping an offer comes out between now and then so I can hopefully upgrade to Sequoia but if not I was pleased with it, room was pleasant, only somewhere to sleep! The Cheyenne is the only hotel I haven't tried now so I need to check it out as it looks nice, is it that much of an upgrade from Santa Fe do you know? as the price isn't too bad at all.. I guess the loooong countdown has begun for us again  :-({|=

[AislingM]

Sob , we will get through it together! My boyfriend wasnt too keen on steakhouse menu either , thats why he went for the burger! Em, I dont know if its much of an upgrade. I remember when I stayed in SL the only difference was the choice at breakfast , and the room was bigger but I actually prefer the rooms in Cheyenne. I loved the NPB too but I dont think Id bother paying such a huge price difference when all you are doing is sleeping there. Id rather save on the hotel to have more money to spend in the parks. How did you find the Disneyland hotel though? Is it worth saving like mad to be able to stay there? How did your bf find his first trip? Is he converted?!

[DopeyDad]

really enjoyed your report Aisling, and will certainly check out the cookout character meal. We've almost always eaten at Lucky Nugget before and while I love the building and music it's the characters my 2 boys enjoy most, so I'm kind of hoping now that the cookout can offer something for all of us. Halloween seems a bit subdued this year, not necessarily a bad thing but I'm hoping for enough decoration to create a sense of something special, FWIW we always enjoyed the pumpkin men and women, a lot of the decorations were a bit tacky but the character pumpkin people were always loads of fun.

[alex]

Sob , we will get through it together! My boyfriend wasnt too keen on steakhouse menu either , thats why he went for the burger! Em, I dont know if its much of an upgrade. I remember when I stayed in SL the only difference was the choice at breakfast , and the room was bigger but I actually prefer the rooms in Cheyenne. I loved the NPB too but I dont think Id bother paying such a huge price difference when all you are doing is sleeping there. Id rather save on the hotel to have more money to spend in the parks. How did you find the Disneyland hotel though? Is it worth saving like mad to be able to stay there? How did your bf find his first trip? Is he converted?!

I agree completely on the NPB, I didn't particularly like the hotel despite the price I just didn't like the feel it wasn't welcoming to me but that's just me!! I really love the Sequoia but always forget to go back and go to a different hotel but fingers crossed on a good offer! Umm...well luckily both times I've been to the Disneyland hotel it's been from my lovely paying parents wallets, when I go without them I can no way afford the DLH as beautiful as it is and as lovely I think the rooms and entire hotel is I can't justify the cost or even closely afford it. It is a beautiful hotel though, breakfast is wonderful and it's so nice to not have to trek to your hotel but I'm with you on the cost factor at the same time I quite enjoyed the nice walk by the river to the Santa Fe...and the ROOMS so comfy! But yeh, it's up to you obviously but in my shoes I'm not planning to save to stay there on future trips I'm happy with other hotels and more money for food or souvenirs!

and yes!!! thankfully he is completely converted and more than happy to of already booked to go again he loved it! I was worried he'd be underwelmed as he's only ever gone to WDW Florida but yeh he's converted! Is your bf into DLP like you are?

[AislingM]

Oh Im the same , when I stayed in NPB it was with mammy and daddy too! Everytime I go I keep looking at the Disneyland Hotel and say to myself " Next year Im definately going to save up and stay there" but I never seem to manage it! One day Ill win the lottery and stay in the castle club haha! Yeah he is definately into it now.. He went for the first time last Halloween and wasnt too bothered or excited but once we got there he was blown away and was hopping about waiting for the trip last week and planning next year already! How did your bf find the difference between Florida and Paris? Ive never been to WDW but Id be put off by the sheer size of the place and the crowds I think!

[AislingM]

really enjoyed your report Aisling, and will certainly check out the cookout character meal. We've almost always eaten at Lucky Nugget before and while I love the building and music it's the characters my 2 boys enjoy most, so I'm kind of hoping now that the cookout can offer something for all of us. Halloween seems a bit subdued this year, not necessarily a bad thing but I'm hoping for enough decoration to create a sense of something special, FWIW we always enjoyed the pumpkin men and women, a lot of the decorations were a bit tacky but the character pumpkin people were always loads of fun.

The pumkins around the park last week all had character faces on them , instead of the generic scary ones , which was cute but I agree the pumkin men and women were alot of fun to see around the place! Ive never tried the lucky nugget , and it was closed last week but Ive always wanted to try it and see the inside! They dont do a character meal anymore do they? Whats the food like? I hate when they just describe a buffet as a buffet , I want to know what the dishes actually are! Same with the Plaza gardens , it just says buffet!

[alex]

Oh Im the same , when I stayed in NPB it was with mammy and daddy too! Everytime I go I keep looking at the Disneyland Hotel and say to myself " Next year Im definately going to save up and stay there" but I never seem to manage it! One day Ill win the lottery and stay in the castle club haha! Yeah he is definately into it now.. He went for the first time last Halloween and wasnt too bothered or excited but once we got there he was blown away and was hopping about waiting for the trip last week and planning next year already! How did your bf find the difference between Florida and Paris? Ive never been to WDW but Id be put off by the sheer size of the place and the crowds I think!

Yeh I don't know what my boyfriend had expected but he said he didn't think it was going to be comparable or as fun in comparison to Florida but he loved it and is counting down to our holiday! Umm, I haven't been to WDW either but he said he really enjoyed being in walking distance to the parks as he stayed in villas everytime he went to Orlando but he said he prefers the MK at Paris!! He didn't say too much more I think he still hails WDW as king but we can't afford that soon so he'll have to learn to love DLP  :lol: Like I said I haven't been but I think the weather would be too much for me  :x 4 months today...are you going for a 4 night/5 day in Jan?

[AislingM]

Yeah , I couldnt afford WDW either, unless I get a pay rise which isn`t going to happen anytime soon! Only going for 3 nights and 4 days this time as Im going with my mom and she cant take any longer off work! Im going to see can she manage it though and then maybe add on an extra day and night if I can... Is that possible though? How long are you going for? Are you going around Valentines day? That would be so romantic! Myself and himself are going to plan a trip for the 2 of us again this week next year , really love Halloween! Id love to go for christmas but unfortunately Im not allowed holidays in November or December!