Back from "My Happy Place". - The DIS Discussion Forums

Ms. WDW · 10-12-2009, 07:55 AM

I just returned from a GREAT stay at WDW. A short one I might add, but wonderful none the less. I stayed 4 nights at Saratoga Springs in Congress Park. I was in building 15 and had room 1645. Checkin was quick and effortless. The room wasn't quite ready so I headed to DTD. After a nice lunch at the Rainforest Cafe I got a call that my room was now ready and I headed back.

Now, I have to make you all laugh.....two years in a row I had this room. Loved...loved....loved this room. It was overlooking DTD with a view to die for and was right behind the quiet pool. The bus stop was directly across the driveway so that was nice also. But....the last time I was in this room was 2007. So when I made the request and received this room I was quite pleased. So upon entering the room I immediately went to the sliding door and preceeded to throw open the curtins so I could see.....TREES and BUSHES!! Lots of TREES and BUSHES!!! NO MORE DTD VIEW!!! NO MORE QUIET POOL VIEW; I wouldn't even have known there was a pool there if I hadn't been there before!!

I stood there laughing out loud saying "wait till I tell Milt (husband) about this. I never even thought about the "little pine tree out side the balcony" growing up!!!! Or all the pretty bushes and shrubs. But it was fine. I love the area, the room was perfect and I could just about roll out of bed and be at the pool!

Weather was HOT, HOT, HOT. Mid 90's from Tuesday on. A record was broken I think Thursday for hotest day in October. MNSSHP on Friday was absolutely wonderful. Not as crowded as I remembered from a couple of years ago. I wound up in Frontier Town on the porch in a rocker for about an hour prior and once the parade began had no problems taking some pictures. I'll post them a little later on.

I ate at (in order too) at the Rainforest Cafe at DTD, Rose and Crown Pub, Trails End Buffet at Fort Wilderness (this was a first) Cat Cora's new place Kouzzina, the Crystal Palace and of course grazzed around the WS at the Food and Wine Festival. I ate well...

. Little note here on the Trails End Buffet. This was a first for me; a family member who is also a CM took me there. It's very small and while the selection of food was somewhat limited, the food was excellent. I'd definately go back just for that fried chicken alone! Kouzzina (hope I'm spelling it right) was very nice. Other than the menu changing I still had the "Spoodles" feeling there and it was nice to see many familiar faces among the servers. The food was very good; I had the Fisherman's Stew as an entree which was excellent and tried the onion bread to start. The bread definately would have been shared if DH was with me, so I didn't finish it. I would have liked to have seen some sort of "pasta" or "rice" come with the stew however to off set all that tomato sauce/broth. It was placed ontop of fenel which at first looked like pasta but of course wasn't. But I would still order it again.

Parks...I spend most of my 4 days at the MK and EPCOT but did head into the Studios for a short time. I have to say the parks were not as crowded as normal for this time of year so going on my favorite rides was not an issue.

Transportation...ME was great; as usual. No lines and now wait. Got directly on the bus around 10:30 and at 11:10 I was checking into SSR. Buses to the park were not bad at all and I think the longest wait I had was in the late afternoon and it was oh, maybe 10 minutes for a MK bus. Early mornings they were fine; maybe 5-10 minutes. However, at the parks and trying to get home was another story. It was at least a 15-20 minute wait and sometimes it felt like forever. I think with the heat and humidity and the fact that you're just plain ole tired made it seem like it was forever, but one night at the MK I saw 3 buses for Coronado Springs leave before even 1 for SSR arrived. EPCOT wasn't much better; at least a 15 minute wait at night to go back to the hotel.

All in all I had a wonderful time and now the countdown begins again until we're back in June. This was a "me only trip" and in June DH will be with me when we celebrate my birthday. Normally I do "live" reports, but I didn't have the laptop this trip.

I'll try and post some pictures later on for all of you to see; especially my wonderful "view of DTD"!!!

Ms. WDW · 10-12-2009, 07:59 AM

This was now my view!! LOL....

The front of the MK decorated for MNSSHP

The Headless Horseman indicating the Boo To You Parade is beginning

Me with Piglett

Ms. WDW · 10-12-2009, 08:04 AM

The beginning....

Minnie...

I'll post more later; time to do laundry. Back to reality for me; ugh!!!!!!!!

Tinks "SS" · 10-12-2009, 09:02 AM

Oh Linda, your pics are so much better than mine. I tried so hard to get some pics of the headless horseman and was unsucessful. My camera isn't very quick on the trigger and obviouly doesn't take really great action shots.

Can't wait to see more of your pics!! I'm excited that i get to share some myself now! MNSSHP was so great! My DH is a totally sold on it!

Isn't amazing how quickly those pine trees grow? We have them everywhere near where i live and they shoot up fast.

I too am back to reality and working on laundry and unpacking still. ugh! How was the going solo part? Were you too lonely? I think it would be great and hope to try it out someday.

Ms. WDW · 10-12-2009, 09:08 AM

Hi Leigh Ann!! How was your trip??? When did you get back? I got back home Saturday afternoon. My trip was great. I love going solo. No I don't get lonely; there's always someone to talk to if I want to!

For example at the Plaza one afternoon having lunch a lovely couple next to me was discussing "Splash Mountain". The woman wanted to go and the husband wasn't sure. It was apparane that neither had been on the ride. All I had to to was politely look over and say "you'll get wet" and that was it....conversation all throughout lunch!

Wasn't it hot??? OMG I wasn't expecting that! Normally in Oct. we've had low to mid 80's and sometimes 70's. So you know this was a shocker to the system. Especially when I left NY it was 50 and today it's 52!!!!!

What thread are your pictures? I'll post more of mine later; after laundry...

Tinks "SS" · 10-12-2009, 09:19 AM

We got back last night around 7p. The boys so didn't want to get up and go to school today. can't say that i blame them though. i changed the name of my thread to OKW pics and stuff.

We had so much fun and it was a wonderful trip of firsts for us. I do have pics of my DS's Haunted Mansion cake posted also. It was so good and turned out great! Can't wait to see more of your pics and hear more about it!!

DVC Mike · 10-12-2009, 09:21 AM

Thanks for posting your pictures!

jamie@dvcstore · 10-12-2009, 01:59 PM

Hi Ms. WDW,
Thank you very much for your great trip report and the wonderful pictures. I am glad to hear that you had such a great time. Sorry to hear your "view" had changed. With all of this heat we are having it is making everything grow! Thank you again for sharing and just remember the best part of having to go back to reality is planning that next trip.

msaseifert · 10-12-2009, 02:22 PM

OMG...I am laughing so hard at this post. We stayed in this very same room for 2 wks this August. It was our first trip home and we were using developer points. I requested to be in the Congress Park area with a DTD view so we were so excited to see when we got to the building that in fact we would have a view only to whip open the curtains and see the trees. LOL Too Funny

Ms. WDW · 10-13-2009, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by msaseifert

OMG...I am laughing so hard at this post. We stayed in this very same room for 2 wks this August. It was our first trip home and we were using developer points. I requested to be in the Congress Park area with a DTD view so we were so excited to see when we got to the building that in fact we would have a view only to whip open the curtains and see the trees. LOL Too Funny

If you could have seen what the view looked like before the trees; spectacular. I have an old post that I opened yesterday, showing the "old" view and then the "new" view. I think I called it "Live from SSR". But I had to laugh at the entire situation. Besides, I was in WDW, my happy place, and I had a fantastic time!!!

Ms. WDW · 10-13-2009, 08:15 AM

Here are a few more pictures of the Parade.....

Love these Gravediggers!

Whatta face!!!

"Grim Grinning Ghosts Come Out To Socialize........"

"Goofy's Candy Company"

Now I don't know who these people are, but I thought they looked sooo cool. Thank you for letting me take your picture if you're on this board!!

10-12-2009, 07:55 AM	#1
Ms. WDW DIS Veteran Who Won't Grow Up! Dodging the Boardwalk surrey bikes is a thrill ride in itself! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bronx, NY, USA Posts: 2,134	Back from "My Happy Place". I just returned from a GREAT stay at WDW. A short one I might add, but wonderful none the less. I stayed 4 nights at Saratoga Springs in Congress Park. I was in building 15 and had room 1645. Checkin was quick and effortless. The room wasn't quite ready so I headed to DTD. After a nice lunch at the Rainforest Cafe I got a call that my room was now ready and I headed back. Now, I have to make you all laugh.....two years in a row I had this room. Loved...loved....loved this room. It was overlooking DTD with a view to die for and was right behind the quiet pool. The bus stop was directly across the driveway so that was nice also. But....the last time I was in this room was 2007. So when I made the request and received this room I was quite pleased. So upon entering the room I immediately went to the sliding door and preceeded to throw open the curtins so I could see.....TREES and BUSHES!! Lots of TREES and BUSHES!!! NO MORE DTD VIEW!!! NO MORE QUIET POOL VIEW; I wouldn't even have known there was a pool there if I hadn't been there before!! I stood there laughing out loud saying "wait till I tell Milt (husband) about this. I never even thought about the "little pine tree out side the balcony" growing up!!!! Or all the pretty bushes and shrubs. But it was fine. I love the area, the room was perfect and I could just about roll out of bed and be at the pool! Weather was HOT, HOT, HOT. Mid 90's from Tuesday on. A record was broken I think Thursday for hotest day in October. MNSSHP on Friday was absolutely wonderful. Not as crowded as I remembered from a couple of years ago. I wound up in Frontier Town on the porch in a rocker for about an hour prior and once the parade began had no problems taking some pictures. I'll post them a little later on. I ate at (in order too) at the Rainforest Cafe at DTD, Rose and Crown Pub, Trails End Buffet at Fort Wilderness (this was a first) Cat Cora's new place Kouzzina, the Crystal Palace and of course grazzed around the WS at the Food and Wine Festival. I ate well.... Little note here on the Trails End Buffet. This was a first for me; a family member who is also a CM took me there. It's very small and while the selection of food was somewhat limited, the food was excellent. I'd definately go back just for that fried chicken alone! Kouzzina (hope I'm spelling it right) was very nice. Other than the menu changing I still had the "Spoodles" feeling there and it was nice to see many familiar faces among the servers. The food was very good; I had the Fisherman's Stew as an entree which was excellent and tried the onion bread to start. The bread definately would have been shared if DH was with me, so I didn't finish it. I would have liked to have seen some sort of "pasta" or "rice" come with the stew however to off set all that tomato sauce/broth. It was placed ontop of fenel which at first looked like pasta but of course wasn't. But I would still order it again. Parks...I spend most of my 4 days at the MK and EPCOT but did head into the Studios for a short time. I have to say the parks were not as crowded as normal for this time of year so going on my favorite rides was not an issue. Transportation...ME was great; as usual. No lines and now wait. Got directly on the bus around 10:30 and at 11:10 I was checking into SSR. Buses to the park were not bad at all and I think the longest wait I had was in the late afternoon and it was oh, maybe 10 minutes for a MK bus. Early mornings they were fine; maybe 5-10 minutes. However, at the parks and trying to get home was another story. It was at least a 15-20 minute wait and sometimes it felt like forever. I think with the heat and humidity and the fact that you're just plain ole tired made it seem like it was forever, but one night at the MK I saw 3 buses for Coronado Springs leave before even 1 for SSR arrived. EPCOT wasn't much better; at least a 15 minute wait at night to go back to the hotel. All in all I had a wonderful time and now the countdown begins again until we're back in June. This was a "me only trip" and in June DH will be with me when we celebrate my birthday. Normally I do "live" reports, but I didn't have the laptop this trip. I'll try and post some pictures later on for all of you to see; especially my wonderful "view of DTD"!!! __________________ Linda There is Magic in WDW; just ask my DH.

10-12-2009, 07:59 AM	#2
Ms. WDW DIS Veteran Who Won't Grow Up! Dodging the Boardwalk surrey bikes is a thrill ride in itself! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bronx, NY, USA Posts: 2,134	This was now my view!! LOL.... The front of the MK decorated for MNSSHP The Headless Horseman indicating the Boo To You Parade is beginning Me with Piglett __________________ Linda There is Magic in WDW; just ask my DH.

10-12-2009, 08:04 AM	#3
Ms. WDW DIS Veteran Who Won't Grow Up! Dodging the Boardwalk surrey bikes is a thrill ride in itself! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bronx, NY, USA Posts: 2,134	The beginning.... Minnie... I'll post more later; time to do laundry. Back to reality for me; ugh!!!!!!!! __________________ Linda There is Magic in WDW; just ask my DH.

10-12-2009, 09:02 AM	#4
Tinks "SS" Mouseketeer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Atlanta, Ga Posts: 237	Oh Linda, your pics are so much better than mine. I tried so hard to get some pics of the headless horseman and was unsucessful. My camera isn't very quick on the trigger and obviouly doesn't take really great action shots. Can't wait to see more of your pics!! I'm excited that i get to share some myself now! MNSSHP was so great! My DH is a totally sold on it! Isn't amazing how quickly those pine trees grow? We have them everywhere near where i live and they shoot up fast. I too am back to reality and working on laundry and unpacking still. ugh! How was the going solo part? Were you too lonely? I think it would be great and hope to try it out someday. __________________ me (Leigh Anne), DH (Bart), DS 9, DS 7

10-12-2009, 09:08 AM	#5
Ms. WDW DIS Veteran Who Won't Grow Up! Dodging the Boardwalk surrey bikes is a thrill ride in itself! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bronx, NY, USA Posts: 2,134	Hi Leigh Ann!! How was your trip??? When did you get back? I got back home Saturday afternoon. My trip was great. I love going solo. No I don't get lonely; there's always someone to talk to if I want to! For example at the Plaza one afternoon having lunch a lovely couple next to me was discussing "Splash Mountain". The woman wanted to go and the husband wasn't sure. It was apparane that neither had been on the ride. All I had to to was politely look over and say "you'll get wet" and that was it....conversation all throughout lunch! Wasn't it hot??? OMG I wasn't expecting that! Normally in Oct. we've had low to mid 80's and sometimes 70's. So you know this was a shocker to the system. Especially when I left NY it was 50 and today it's 52!!!!! What thread are your pictures? I'll post more of mine later; after laundry... __________________ Linda There is Magic in WDW; just ask my DH.

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10-12-2009, 09:19 AM	#6
Tinks "SS" Mouseketeer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Atlanta, Ga Posts: 237	We got back last night around 7p. The boys so didn't want to get up and go to school today. can't say that i blame them though. i changed the name of my thread to OKW pics and stuff. We had so much fun and it was a wonderful trip of firsts for us. I do have pics of my DS's Haunted Mansion cake posted also. It was so good and turned out great! Can't wait to see more of your pics and hear more about it!! __________________ me (Leigh Anne), DH (Bart), DS 9, DS 7

10-12-2009, 09:21 AM	#7
DVC Mike DVC Member @ BLT, AKV, VWL, BWV, BCV Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,410	Thanks for posting your pictures! __________________ DVC Member - My 6 Home Resorts: BLT, VGC, AKV, VWL, BWV and BCV! Next Trips: 3/6-3/14/10 (AKV), 10/23-10/31/10 (VWL), 12/4-12/12/10 (BLT) A happy DVC member!

10-12-2009, 01:59 PM	#8
jamie@dvcstore Mouseketeer Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Orlando,FL Posts: 330	Hi Ms. WDW, Thank you very much for your great trip report and the wonderful pictures. I am glad to hear that you had such a great time. Sorry to hear your "view" had changed. With all of this heat we are having it is making everything grow! Thank you again for sharing and just remember the best part of having to go back to reality is planning that next trip. __________________

10-12-2009, 02:22 PM	#9
msaseifert Hooked on Disney Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: VA Posts: 693	OMG...I am laughing so hard at this post. We stayed in this very same room for 2 wks this August. It was our first trip home and we were using developer points. I requested to be in the Congress Park area with a DTD view so we were so excited to see when we got to the building that in fact we would have a view only to whip open the curtains and see the trees. LOL Too Funny __________________

10-13-2009, 08:15 AM	#11
Ms. WDW DIS Veteran Who Won't Grow Up! Dodging the Boardwalk surrey bikes is a thrill ride in itself! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bronx, NY, USA Posts: 2,134	Here are a few more pictures of the Parade..... Love these Gravediggers! Whatta face!!! "Grim Grinning Ghosts Come Out To Socialize........" "Goofy's Candy Company" Now I don't know who these people are, but I thought they looked sooo cool. Thank you for letting me take your picture if you're on this board!! __________________ Linda There is Magic in WDW; just ask my DH.

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