DisneyJen
12-17-2001, 11:46 AM
Players: DH, 40, who after 17 years of marriage has learned that visiting WDW is part of our yearly family vacation plan. Me, DisneyJen, who has loved WDW since first stepping on property in 1972. Our DD, who is 9, stayed home with my parents since this trip was partly a Christmas shopping trip.
Background: We own DVC and are now at the point where we are deciding if we should add more points at DVC or add a week via Marriott's Vacation Club. Dear friends of ours own three weeks at Marriott and since they referred us we were able to stay at the Marriott Grande Vista for a very reasonable rate if we sat through a presentation, which we wanted to since we are in the fact-finding stage.
We checked out and were Tampa bound by 9:30 a.m. It rained almost the whole 75 minutes from Orlando to Tampa. The skies cleared up by the time we arrived at the airport.
We checked in an upgraded to first class. The flight home was on a really old MD-80 but it was uneventful. We all, including our luggage, made it home just in time to catch the end of the Eagles game, which made DH very happy.
Here are some thoughts about the trip:
Thumbs up:
Flying again!
The weather was sunny and warm the whole time we were in Orlando. We wore shorts during the day and really did not need sweaters or sweat shirts in the evenings.
The parks were decorated in high fashion for the holidays. There is no better place to get into the holiday spirit, in my opinion, that WDW.
The crowds were virtually non-existent.
Cast members were helpful and cheerful. We had wonderful wait staff during all of our dinners.
I expected the parks to be not as clean as in the past but they looked just fine to me.
Thumbs down:
Staying offsite. I felt that we spent less time in the parks because we had to make that 20-minute drive. There is nothing like rolling out of bed at being right in the center of everything at the Boardwalk.
World Showcase Hours: We really enjoy spending time in the countries. It was strange not doing anything before noon.
All is all we had a wonderfully relaxing and re-energizing time.
Only 158 days until our next trip!
Background: We own DVC and are now at the point where we are deciding if we should add more points at DVC or add a week via Marriott's Vacation Club. Dear friends of ours own three weeks at Marriott and since they referred us we were able to stay at the Marriott Grande Vista for a very reasonable rate if we sat through a presentation, which we wanted to since we are in the fact-finding stage.
We checked out and were Tampa bound by 9:30 a.m. It rained almost the whole 75 minutes from Orlando to Tampa. The skies cleared up by the time we arrived at the airport.
We checked in an upgraded to first class. The flight home was on a really old MD-80 but it was uneventful. We all, including our luggage, made it home just in time to catch the end of the Eagles game, which made DH very happy.
Here are some thoughts about the trip:
Thumbs up:
Flying again!
The weather was sunny and warm the whole time we were in Orlando. We wore shorts during the day and really did not need sweaters or sweat shirts in the evenings.
The parks were decorated in high fashion for the holidays. There is no better place to get into the holiday spirit, in my opinion, that WDW.
The crowds were virtually non-existent.
Cast members were helpful and cheerful. We had wonderful wait staff during all of our dinners.
I expected the parks to be not as clean as in the past but they looked just fine to me.
Thumbs down:
Staying offsite. I felt that we spent less time in the parks because we had to make that 20-minute drive. There is nothing like rolling out of bed at being right in the center of everything at the Boardwalk.
World Showcase Hours: We really enjoy spending time in the countries. It was strange not doing anything before noon.
All is all we had a wonderfully relaxing and re-energizing time.
Only 158 days until our next trip!