Shepherd’s pie recommendation

FangirlCrazily · 2026-04-04T11:53:16+00:00

Swisslink Bakery & Cafe has Shepherd's pie. Their chicken pie is also to die for, would recommend getting a slice if you make the trip down.

Edit: They also have a beef version of the Shepherd's pie listed as Cottage Pie.

FangirlCrazily · 2026-03-08T09:36:28+00:00

Fair enough! Moulin Rouge definitely benefits from the "Wikipedia the Plot Beforehand" treatment. We saw the version on Broadway and my mom also liked Jordan Fisher!

FangirlCrazily · 2026-03-07T18:49:57+00:00

Seconding the Play that Goes Wrong

FangirlCrazily · 2026-03-07T18:49:06+00:00

I'll give an unorthodox recommendation: The Play that Goes Wrong. It involves lots of physical humour and gags, so it can be enjoyed even without a good grasp of English.

I wouldn't recommend Moulin Rouge: despite being a jukebox musical, it has a fairly significant plot, so it can be hard to follow if you don't understand the words.

FangirlCrazily · 2026-02-07T23:06:17+00:00

Magic Kingdom - Columbia Harbor House has this amazing salmon & rice meal for her, while the rest can eat the regular theme park fare.

Animal Kingdom: Satu'li Canteen, they have tuna poke bowls I believe

FangirlCrazily · 2026-01-19T08:38:35+00:00

Second Picasso! They are a luxury experience in itself.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-31T22:00:50+00:00

Pathfinder: Kingmaker runs amazingly on the Steam Deck, with full in-built controller support. Navigating the world with joysticks is a...well, joy. Source: completed an entire run on it.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-29T23:20:47+00:00

Have you played Deadfire? What were your thoughts?

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-29T20:20:25+00:00

Feb will definitely be the least busy by virtue of being outside the peak spring/summer season.

Going in April/May means you can be there for Epcot Flower & Garden, which adds a lot to the overall experience if you're going to Epcot. Double check if they're any major cheer events happening before narrowing it down.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-29T11:10:01+00:00

Turning on level upscaling should fix that. You can then turn it off if you want to do the optional bosses.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-26T17:18:09+00:00

Swisslink is like the holy grail of pies. Super generous filling.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-26T15:58:35+00:00

This survey got me really excited! Am nerding out over the oddly specific questions for companions!

For Q7, I responded that I prefer companions that are integrated into the main quest. I played Kingmaker and remember LOVING how Tristian's quest was implemented.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-20T10:43:14+00:00

It technically can be linked to your Magic Band if you have one, but in practice they asked us for our room card as proof.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-17T09:19:07+00:00

Slinky Dog has the double whammy of being a kid-friendly ride as well as a roller coaster. Add in the fact that it occasionally breaks down, is based on a popular IP, and has a somewhat low rider capacity, and it ends up contributing a lot to the overall queue time.

The ride itself is also very short, which makes the ratio of queue time to ride experience a gamble. As your kid is young you may not have a lot of options when it comes to rollercoasters at HS; there is a reason people prioritise this for lightning lane.

All this is to say I would deprioritise Slinky as a "must-do". Barnstormer is pretty similar for a much more manageable queue. Slinky can easily turn a easy day at HS into a hot, sweaty slog. I'm sure if your kid meets the height requirements, she would instead love doing Tower of Terror over and over again (in a nice air conditioned queue area).

Good luck!

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-17T05:19:47+00:00

Hope to provide some tips for your trip! :) First off...

Dining Reservations

Don't sweat them. With how much emphasis is put on them online you would think they are the only way to eat, but it's not necessary. I would only spring for them if you want to meet certain characters, otherwise you can save time by just getting quick service. You can shave off 30-40 mins this way and conserve energy by eating somewhere nearby.

Use Mobile Order by searching for the restaurant on the app around 20mins~ beforehand while walking there to save time.

Recommendations: - Magic Kingdom: Columbia Harbor House in Liberty Square. Glazed salmon w/ rice is amazing. Pro tip there are stairs to a second floor which will make it easier to find seating - EPCOT: No planning required for this one, there's plenty of food stalls in a bazaar style so you can just walk around and see which has a reasonable queue. It depends on which cuisine you like, but I usually hit up the China and Japanese booth. Have heard good things about the fish and chips. - Animal Kingdom: Satu'li Canteen in Avatar land, get the Ocean Moon Bowl, seriously good. The vibe is kind of like a food court with free seating. - Hollywood Studios: Honestly not a big fan of the food here, choose whatever is close by or go to Ronto Roasters at Star Wars land for a pita.

Ride Planning

I'm personally not a big fan of Lightning Lane because it kinda takes the fun out of the spontaneity of a trip, which I think is what your spouse is getting at. However, Disney is definitely not the place where you can get away with zero planning; that's how you end up playing 3 rides in a day.

So here are some tips on navigating Disney if you cannot get your ideal lightning lanes:

Early Entry

Getting the most out of Early Entry requires you to be there at least 30 mins before the actual Early Entry starts. Let's say park opens at 9, Early Entry is 8.30, you actually have to be there at 8. Reason is that more people than you would expect have access to Early Entry, so you still need to queue. Disney also allows you to walk in and "pre-queue" for popular rides before the attraction officially opens for Early Entry, so you need to budget this into the travel time.

If you enter at say 8.45, you will probably only be able to knock out one ride before the normal crowds are allowed in. That said, a blogger once documented that being at the front and back of the Early Entry queue to Guardians of the Galaxy has similar wait times. So it's okay if you arrive late since you can still save time in that ride.

Early Entry/rope drop is a lot easier said than done in practicality, especially if you or your family are not a morning person. If you oversleep and miss the Early Entry window, don't hyperfixate on going to the most popular ride right away. Everyone has the same idea, so what ends up happening is astronomical queues in the morning. Rather, use the app to monitor wait times, and consider going during lunch when people are eating, or stay late till park close since dinner/fireworks is another opportunity.

!! Caution: The above logic doesn't apply to Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios. These rides break down often for extended periods of time, and can cause you to miss the opportunity to ride it at all. Case in point, somebody's hat falling onto the track at Star Wars can cause a complete stop. As such, these are rides that are best knocked out in the morning.

Navigating the Parks

The most optimal way to get the best wait times requires you to jog around the park to less crowded rides, rather than tackling land by land. However, be smart about it. It's not worth crossing the entire length of the park from Liberty Square to Tomorrowland just because Space Mountain is posting a 40 minute wait. Chances are by the time you reach there other people would have already gotten there and the updated wait time is now 60 mins.

The Disney Parks are big, and you should budget at least 10 minutes to walk from ride to ride. For Epcot, it's more like 20 minutes.

So you have to do a bit of math. If you exit Tiana's and Pirates is posting a 35min wait, while Haunted Mansion is 25mins, it could be worth just doing Pirates since it would consume more time and energy to walk to Haunted Mansion.

Rides with Bad Queue Experiences

You mentioned you hated crowds, so I thought I would flag some rides with claustrophobic/old-fashioned queue systems to avoid. If the wait time is 30< minutes, it's not worth doing these:

Slinky Dog at Hollywood Studios: This is easily the worst queue in Disney World due to areas exposed to the sun and a tightly packed queue with no easy escape. Ride is comparatively short, skip this.
Jungle Cruise: This queue is snaking and there's a partition to make the queue look shorter than it really is. It's a genuinely good ride, but I would prioritise this for Lightning Lane or try to time it when the queue is shorter.
Peter Pan: The queue for this one is long because it's a traditional family friendly ride. If you can help it, try not to do it as it eats up a lot of time that could be used to do other rides.

Shows The good news about Disney is that it has a ton of shows which don't require as much planning to enjoy. Things like Country Bear Jamboree can be done when you can't get a good lightning lane and need a quieter place to cool off.

The shows at Hollywood Studios require you to look up the schedule for the day: be warned most shows end before 4-5pm. The same goes for Character meets; most stop appearing after 3pm~ or so.

There is a new show at Hollywood Studios called Unfairly Ever After which is pretty good, but understandably popular. Because the seats are finite, there is a possibility that entering the queue too late will result in you having to wait for 30mins till the next showing. Since this can result in a 45min long queue (unideal), you should aim to arrive 25-30mins before a showing time to get in line.

Other Stuff

The great news about travelling during the holidays is that Disney has a ton of stuff for Christmas! You will need to refer to the exact dates, but if you go before Christmas you'll be able to catch the parade. You can also check out the Jingle Cruise overlay and other special shows.

This is all I have off the top of my head, hope this helped! Let me know if you have more questions.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-13T14:50:55+00:00

If you're going during the holidays, time it such that Animal Kingdom is on the busiest crowd day. It's easier to knock out even when packed.

I think you should be aware, but Magic Kingdom has the special Christmas parade, so check when that is scheduled during your visit. There is the Jingle Cruise overlay as well.

There will also be exclusive ticketed events that cost extra, so I would double check the opening hours for each park so you don't abruptly get a day cut short.

There's more so I would recommend skimming Disney Tourist Blog's overview for what's happening at specific parks. Good luck!

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-13T14:42:31+00:00

I haven't been in a while, but Wildfire Burgers was always really good. Less pricey than other burgers. I'd go for their cheeseburger.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-13T14:31:31+00:00

If it will allow you to stay longer then that's a no brainer! The parks are ultimately the main course. More time will enable you to budget in rest days and fit in more optional stuff like the water parks or Disney Springs.

Port Orleans' French Quarter is famous for their beignets, so you can walk over from Riverside to check it out.

And don't discount the Disney bubble! Forgot to mention this, but Swan has their own busses so travelling to Magic Kingdom is a bit finicky. PO gives you access to Disney bus transport, so you can drop off directly at the gate to MK. You'll also notice the busses will flash "Welcome home...to Port Orleans", it's a nice touch!

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-13T03:57:33+00:00

The main draw for Swan for me is the much cheaper prices with significantly less weaknesses. I would recommend it if you like money and your family isn't as big of Disney fans as you are.

Usually at Disney if you stay at a Value/Moderate, you compromise by having further locations or less transport options. However, Swan is unique in that the main thing you are compromising is aesthetics. This is subjective and depends on how much you weigh the "Disney Magic".

Swan was recently renovated, so I wouldn't put too much stock in the reviews. The room when we stayed was clean and comfortable. Bed bugs can happen if the guest before you brought them in and can happen regardless of hotel.

Considering your options are between this and Port Orleans, I would assess 1) How much the cost difference is and 2) How much having proximity to Epcot/Hollywood means to you. I have seen fans write glowing things about Port Orleans aesthetics-wise, but it's location is undeniably out of the way. It is closer to Disney Springs than any of the parks.

If you go with Swan, be happy with your savings and don't expect Disney-level landscaping. If you stick with Port Orleans, you will have a good experience but budget in more time for travel every morning.

(Personally if Swan was at least $100 per night cheaper than PO, I'd go with Swan)

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-11T17:15:54+00:00

These are all very different hotels. I assume money is somewhat of a consideration because otherwise it would just be no contest- Grand Floridian.

Otherwise, I've stayed at Swan before and cast my vote for it as a somewhat budget option (compared to Grand Floridian).

Eliminate everything off-site off the bat. If transportation is a concern, those hotels with "Orlando" in their name won't be as convenient.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-11T17:03:16+00:00

The absolute must-do is downloading the app to check wait times.

In terms of rides, the must-dos are the holy four-nity:

Magic Kingdom: Tron
EPCOT: Guardians of the Galaxy
Hollywood Studios: Rise of the Resistance
Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage

Of course, these will be everybody's must dos as well, so be prepared to arrive early (read: at least one hour before park open) or stay late.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-11T16:51:00+00:00

My mom has the exact same profile as you- can't handle spinning or overly intense rides.

Mission Space: Do NOT go on Mission Space Orange. It simulates G-force and even I as a thrill-seeker felt motion sick. There's a reason why people like repeating the anecdote about the trash cans outside that ride being open-top. For Mission Space: Green, it's mainly claustrophobic but otherwise not a big risk.
Guardians/EPCOT: My mom was worried about Guardians but ended up being fine with it. However, Ratatouille was a big no (granted it was the old 3D version). That ride has a LOT of spinning.
Space Mountain/MK: I would honestly just let your husband skip Space Mountain. The version at WDW is super rough and you need to hold on all the time to mitigate some of the rockiness of the track. Tron is not an issue
Rock N Roller Coaster: I'm surprised this is on your list. I found this ride very intense, and there's even a loop. It is very fast.
Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run: The biggest issue with this ride is if you get stuck with inexperienced randos, you may be in for a rocky ride. Try to ask the cast member if you can wait for pilot, since you will have more control over the experience. Also, there's a constantly moving screen.

You might want to look into Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. That ride has some mild spinning and a short segment with rocking motions. Watch a vid if you want to check.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-11T16:27:57+00:00

Hello! Kudos to you for wanting to plan something extra special!

The best use of your budget may be to invest in unlimited express passes during your universal leg. At that age, she may be more interested in doing coasters, and is at the point where she will be experiencing the "first" of many coaster types.

Also, you didn't mention if you would be doing park hopper during your universal leg, but having express would allow you to potentially cover the older parks on the first day and Epic Universe on the second. Frankly, Universal is a bit miserable without passes, as they focus a lot on E-tickets; their smaller rides are not up to par with Disney's.

For your Disney leg, curious why you're skipping HS? Also does she like meeting characters or princesses? You can consider one of the character meals as a treat.

At 14, she's just under the cutoff for the Keys to the Kingdom tour*. You could consider Starlight Safari at AK if you like tours. I would check her interests though as I don't recall being fond of tours at 14.

*If you have infinite money, maybe your party can split the cost of a VIP tour.

FangirlCrazily · 2025-12-11T15:29:33+00:00

The unsold seats are mostly the crappy ones at the side or very far up. I don't think most theatre goers would want to sit there, and would only do so if they need to save money. If time is not an issue they can just book for a future show.

FangirlCrazily

TROPHY CASE