Disney 2026 Retrospective

Posted on Feb 9, 2026

Brief notes on what went well or not so much, and what I’d do different next trip. We stayed for two weeks at Coronado Springs in January/February 2026, during International Festival of the Arts. The high was 30°C and the low was an unseasonably cold 4°C (though freezing with wind chill). We had Disney’s Quick Service Dining Plan (DDP), at two Quick Service meals and one snack a day - and used the entire allowance. We stayed almost entirely on Disney property, except for a first day trip for groceries, a trip to the gun range, and a road trip to Buc-ees & malls.

What went well

  • Bringing my MacBook rather than iPad - this gave me a bigger screen for media, a proper keyboard, and the opportunity to try coding ideas.
  • Capt’ Cooks has a good cooked breakfast, alongside the delicious Tonga Toast.
  • Always ask for a “cup for water” when ordering another beverage, to get free access to refills.
  • D-Luxe at Disney Springs is an excellent burger.
  • Two pairs of shoes is enough, but Crocs were useful around the resort.
  • Snack liberally - don’t worry about running out.

What could have been improved

  • Days with restaurant breakfasts left us very tired by dinner time - it’s a lot of food.
  • Trying not to “waste” Dining Plan credits meant we spend time bouncing between parks for food.
  • Not having a bus between resorts meant a lot of time was taken on buses if we wanted to go between them.
  • We really missed not being at a Skyliner resort. It gives fast access to other resorts, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, with minimal waiting.
  • Quick Service dining has too little variety for two weeks.
  • Quick Service dining also changes the pace of the holiday - barely slowing down for meals, as opposed to Table Service.
  • Renting a car for two days was unnecessary, as we were all done within one day - but it did make return times safer, to avoid paying for the second day with late fees.
  • We ran out of underwear before t-shirts - it’s easier to wear t-shirts for two days in the cold weather.
  • Not carrying ID all the time meant losing access to alcohol on meals at some locations.
  • CSC Go laundry app stopped accepting international cards, which meant laundry took multiple hours due to waiting for Cast Members.
  • Some dryers did not actually dry clothes - check halfway, and move to a new machine.

Next time

  • Bring a couple of pairs of thick socks - we walked ~20,000 steps a day.
  • Bring insoles or wear shoes with a wider toe box to avoid blisters.
  • Bring tool to open shower dispensers - the body wash pumps often get stuck, and can’t be fixed without housekeeping.
  • Bring large carabiner for belt - super handy to clip resort mugs to.
  • Bring lip balm - air-conditioning and different climates mean dry lips.
  • Bring moleskine patches - useful for patching blisters, rubbing patches on shoes and more.
  • Bring more thick shirts, for flexible dressing options - can be worn open in afternoon, and closed for warmth in the evening.
  • Bring plasters and blister pads of different sizes - harder to cover small blisters with large patches, in single size packs.
  • Bring suntan lotion - its sunny, even if it’s cold: you will burn.
  • Bring USB-A to C cable - the rooms have USB-A charging ports, and I only brought USB-C to C.
  • Don’t buy room snacks - with Dining Plan, there’ll be more than enough food.
  • Don’t obsess over spending all DDP credits, and allow an off credit meal because we want it - it’s supposed to be a holiday.
  • Book a resort with multiple transport options, like monorail or Skyliner - buses are OK, but lots of waiting.
  • Shirts and layering are better than bringing multiple sweatshirts - and pack smaller in cases.