Back from an amazing trip!! - The DIS Discussion Forums

gemmybear83 · 10-15-2009, 10:58 AM

Just got back this morning (currently fighting the need to go to sleep!), and had a fantastic trip! I am going to do a trip report and will put photos on the resort room thread - I also am going to do a food report complete with photos

.

Just a few quick reviews and highs and lows:

Flights
We flew from Newcastle to London with Flybe, they were great on time, friendly cabin crew, although I was slightly apprehensive about the fact the plane had propellers

but it was fine!

We flew to Orlando using Virgin, we had a 3 hour delay going out but I had booked the No1 Lounge (fab by the way!) and arrived on time on the way home. Virgin emailed and texted me that morning informing me of the delay and it didnt get any longer. The flights were fine, seat back entertainment worked great and the planes were clean, we also got the great seats we had requested online when we booked and had an empty seat next to us on the way home. I think I was expecting the worse from what I had read on here by the cabin crew were really friendly and helpful. I do prefer BA - smaller plane less noisy and I think the interior is nicer but to be honest I will always travel with the cheapest

The immigration queue was only 20 mins (even though our plane was full going out) and we were ont he magical express within 45 mins of landing

.

Coronado Springs
Fab hotel loved it - the new room decor is lovely, towels, tolietries etc are the same as the deluxe hotels. The grounds were beautiful we were in Casitas 5 with a lake view and king bed, we were also given complimentary champagne on arrival

. The cast members were lovely we were driven to our room in a golf buggy and given a guided tour of the resort and our room

. Buses were great we only had to stand twice and they were really frequent, we also found them a lot more friendly than the ones at POP.

Wilderness Lodge
We spent one night here to celebrate our anniversary - and fell in love with the resort

We got upgraded from a courtyard view to concierge level king room and made use of all the free goodies and wine! I don't think I would pay for this - the treats arent that good and the rooms are the same (but with a dvd player) but it was a great experience. Loved the resort, but thought the rooms seemed smaller than than the one we had at Coronado Springs, but I think its the style of the furniture and layout as there was less floorspace. While the room wasnt shabby it was nowhere near as nice as the one at Coronado Springs and I wouldnt say it was "deluxe". Were thinking trying a 1 bed villa for our honeymoon next year as we loved the look of the villas wing it was so peaceful.

Disney Florist
I bought a gift for Henry for our anniversary and it was great - would highly recommend them.

Disney Photopass
I will probably get this again for our our wedding/honeymoon trip but most of the photos are horrible - badly shot and the photographers were usually just in front of the castle etc, we couldnt be bothered to keep on going back! We did have a few of the special photos taken which are cute. But it is a great service for getting group photos.

Disney Dining Plan
First time doing this and it was fab! We saved so much money with the current exchange rate, I was able to swap desserts for drinks, smoothies and fruit. Excellent value in places like Wolfgang Pucks and Pepper Market. We mostly used our snack credits on drinks which I know is frowned upon as they are cheaper but it worked out well for us.

Highs
Customer service was amazing throughout the trip, we found the cast members much more friendly then our last trip.

MNSSHP - Amazing! Loved the parade my favourite parade of all time, fantastic atmosphere, we only went on one ride as we were too busy doing all the extra activities!

The parks - Short queues (apart from the day we tried DHS one a Fantasmic day - madness!). The shows were great - the first night we saw Fantasmic (my favourite) on the front row it was amazing!

Henry wanting to buy into Disney Vacation Club

I think he is pretty much brainwashed so after the wedding next year were going to seriously look into buying DVC, hopefully in 2011 as were wanting to try Disneyland California then.

Lows
Not many.....

Magical Express service on the way home was 30 mins late

Queueing for the Lion King show (fab by the way!) was a nightmare due to the heat, the guideboard advertises getting there 45 mins before, we got there 25 mins before the show and they only let us in 10 mins before the start of show. I know there are misting fans but it was not good enough with the levels of humidity. People were banging on the doors to be let in

The heat

The humidity was soooooo hot! The temp broke records at least twice during our stay. It was too hot for us, we prefered the cooler weather as you can get more done.

Roll on December 2010 for the wedding, Disney Cruise and honeymoon I will update with links to my reports once I get started

scottish mum · 10-15-2009, 11:22 AM

Welcome back, sounds like you had a great trip.

Some of our photopass pictures were a bit off too, but then others were lovely. Also lucky you getting an upgrade

disney_princess_85 · 10-15-2009, 12:03 PM

Welcome home! Thanks for the overview.

Glad you enjoyed CSR, we did too on our September trip. We also stayed in a lake-view room in Casita 5 and were given the complimentary champagne toast too!

It was also our first time on the DDP and we're definitely going to do it again next year (for free, which will be even better!

).

I love how Henry has been brainwashed!! DBF and I had an Open House visit and we're looking to buy into it next year.

From what I've read, the heat sounds a bit crazy for October! It was far too hot when I was there too, it can get very hard to cope with can't it?! Still, I'd rather be boiling and uncomfortable in Florida than be bored and chilly back home.

Glad you had fun anyway, I will await your trip report! Oh- and December 2010 will be here before you know it.

:

natalielongstaff · 10-15-2009, 12:33 PM

Welcome back, sounds like a great trip

Chilly · 10-15-2009, 02:49 PM

Welcome hoe, sounds like a great trip, looking forward to hearing more.

fleurbie · 10-15-2009, 03:40 PM

Sounds like you had a fanastic time, very pleased with your take on virgin, welcome back

Mrs Doubtfire · 10-15-2009, 03:47 PM

So glad you had a good time & found the magic was still out there

Will try & look out foor your trippie.

We are hoping to go Dec 2010 - but it seems so far away.............

joolz1910 · 10-15-2009, 04:29 PM

Welcome back!

Latte Lover · 10-16-2009, 03:36 AM

Welcome back. Looking forward to reading your trip reports.

Ware Bears · 10-16-2009, 04:48 AM

Welcome back!

Pegasus928 · 10-16-2009, 06:41 AM

Welcome back - looking forward to seeing some pics

strawberry blonde · 10-16-2009, 06:47 AM

Glad you had a great time. Lokking forward to the photos.

T16GEM · 10-16-2009, 09:26 AM

Sounds great! glad you had a great trip - we are not fans of the heat either - another great reason to go Dec / Jan!

The Fetherstons · 10-16-2009, 09:29 AM

Welcome Home Gemma

Sounds like you had a magical time.

You now have the countdown to you magical wedding to look forward to

Netty · 10-16-2009, 10:51 AM

welome back, looks like you've had a fabulous time!!

10-15-2009, 10:58 AM	#1
gemmybear83 I would blame it all on Bob Awww I love the first day You could stay behind after your meal and have another drink Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: U.K Posts: 4,382	Back from an amazing trip!! Just got back this morning (currently fighting the need to go to sleep!), and had a fantastic trip! I am going to do a trip report and will put photos on the resort room thread - I also am going to do a food report complete with photos . Just a few quick reviews and highs and lows: Flights We flew from Newcastle to London with Flybe, they were great on time, friendly cabin crew, although I was slightly apprehensive about the fact the plane had propellers but it was fine! We flew to Orlando using Virgin, we had a 3 hour delay going out but I had booked the No1 Lounge (fab by the way!) and arrived on time on the way home. Virgin emailed and texted me that morning informing me of the delay and it didnt get any longer. The flights were fine, seat back entertainment worked great and the planes were clean, we also got the great seats we had requested online when we booked and had an empty seat next to us on the way home. I think I was expecting the worse from what I had read on here by the cabin crew were really friendly and helpful. I do prefer BA - smaller plane less noisy and I think the interior is nicer but to be honest I will always travel with the cheapest The immigration queue was only 20 mins (even though our plane was full going out) and we were ont he magical express within 45 mins of landing . Coronado Springs Fab hotel loved it - the new room decor is lovely, towels, tolietries etc are the same as the deluxe hotels. The grounds were beautiful we were in Casitas 5 with a lake view and king bed, we were also given complimentary champagne on arrival . The cast members were lovely we were driven to our room in a golf buggy and given a guided tour of the resort and our room . Buses were great we only had to stand twice and they were really frequent, we also found them a lot more friendly than the ones at POP. Wilderness Lodge We spent one night here to celebrate our anniversary - and fell in love with the resort We got upgraded from a courtyard view to concierge level king room and made use of all the free goodies and wine! I don't think I would pay for this - the treats arent that good and the rooms are the same (but with a dvd player) but it was a great experience. Loved the resort, but thought the rooms seemed smaller than than the one we had at Coronado Springs, but I think its the style of the furniture and layout as there was less floorspace. While the room wasnt shabby it was nowhere near as nice as the one at Coronado Springs and I wouldnt say it was "deluxe". Were thinking trying a 1 bed villa for our honeymoon next year as we loved the look of the villas wing it was so peaceful. Disney Florist I bought a gift for Henry for our anniversary and it was great - would highly recommend them. Disney Photopass I will probably get this again for our our wedding/honeymoon trip but most of the photos are horrible - badly shot and the photographers were usually just in front of the castle etc, we couldnt be bothered to keep on going back! We did have a few of the special photos taken which are cute. But it is a great service for getting group photos. Disney Dining Plan First time doing this and it was fab! We saved so much money with the current exchange rate, I was able to swap desserts for drinks, smoothies and fruit. Excellent value in places like Wolfgang Pucks and Pepper Market. We mostly used our snack credits on drinks which I know is frowned upon as they are cheaper but it worked out well for us. Highs Customer service was amazing throughout the trip, we found the cast members much more friendly then our last trip. MNSSHP - Amazing! Loved the parade my favourite parade of all time, fantastic atmosphere, we only went on one ride as we were too busy doing all the extra activities! The parks - Short queues (apart from the day we tried DHS one a Fantasmic day - madness!). The shows were great - the first night we saw Fantasmic (my favourite) on the front row it was amazing! Henry wanting to buy into Disney Vacation Club I think he is pretty much brainwashed so after the wedding next year were going to seriously look into buying DVC, hopefully in 2011 as were wanting to try Disneyland California then. Lows Not many..... Magical Express service on the way home was 30 mins late Queueing for the Lion King show (fab by the way!) was a nightmare due to the heat, the guideboard advertises getting there 45 mins before, we got there 25 mins before the show and they only let us in 10 mins before the start of show. I know there are misting fans but it was not good enough with the levels of humidity. People were banging on the doors to be let in The heat The humidity was soooooo hot! The temp broke records at least twice during our stay. It was too hot for us, we prefered the cooler weather as you can get more done. Roll on December 2010 for the wedding, Disney Cruise and honeymoon I will update with links to my reports once I get started __________________ Gemma (26) Henry (26) Marie My huge Disney food porn thread! Next Trip December 2010: 5 nights at the Swan and Dolphin, a Disney Fairytale Wedding in the Yacht Club Gazebo, 2 nights at YC concierge level, 7 night DCL Western Caribbean Cruise and 2 nights VWL!!

10-15-2009, 11:22 AM	#2
scottish mum We still have 2 posties in shorts I'm still learning how to work it Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland Posts: 1,408	Welcome back, sounds like you had a great trip. Some of our photopass pictures were a bit off too, but then others were lovely. Also lucky you getting an upgrade __________________ Natalie DH ME DS 12 DS 8 DD 5 allstar movies 2000, 2002,2005,2006,2007 Disneyland Paris 1994, 1997, 2004, 2009 fort wilderness cabins september 2008

10-15-2009, 12:03 PM	#3
disney_princess_85 DIS Veteran Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 1,883	Welcome home! Thanks for the overview. Glad you enjoyed CSR, we did too on our September trip. We also stayed in a lake-view room in Casita 5 and were given the complimentary champagne toast too! It was also our first time on the DDP and we're definitely going to do it again next year (for free, which will be even better! ). I love how Henry has been brainwashed!! DBF and I had an Open House visit and we're looking to buy into it next year. From what I've read, the heat sounds a bit crazy for October! It was far too hot when I was there too, it can get very hard to cope with can't it?! Still, I'd rather be boiling and uncomfortable in Florida than be bored and chilly back home. Glad you had fun anyway, I will await your trip report! Oh- and December 2010 will be here before you know it. : __________________ January 2002- Disneyland Paris, Sequoia Lodge, October 2007- Disneyland Paris, Newport Bay Club, May 2008- Walt Disney World, Pop Century/Universal Studios, Royal Pacific Resort, January 2009- Disneyland Paris, Holiday Inn, March 2009- Disneyland Paris, Sequoia Lodge, May 2009- Disneyland Paris, Magic Circus, September 2009- Walt Disney World, Coronado Springs/Universal Studios, Hard Rock Hotel Club Level, November 2009- Disneyland Paris, Hotel Cheyenne Lauren

10-15-2009, 12:33 PM	#4
natalielongstaff I need a cup of tea and a big bar of free chocolate nowI will be back later too stalk some more Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: leicestershire,england Posts: 71,529	Welcome back, sounds like a great trip __________________ April 2003 DLRP, November 2004 WDW and Barbados, September 2005 WDW, September 2007 WDW,October 2009 WDW

10-15-2009, 02:49 PM	#5
Chilly I was having a bit of a blonde moment D'oh! Married my prince at WDW Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Reading, England Posts: 7,899	Welcome hoe, sounds like a great trip, looking forward to hearing more. __________________ Claire Claire & Mikes Planning Journel & Trip Report for their Disney Wedding DIS Buddy I.C.E DisneyJo 2009 Dec /2010 Jan DFTW WDW Onsite @ GF, Poly & AKL Plus DCL on the Wonder 2008 July Engaged DLRP Onsite @ Santa Fe 2007 September WDW Onsite @ Pop 2006 September WDW Offsite 2005 May Disneyland Offsite

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10-15-2009, 03:40 PM	#6
fleurbie Mouseketeer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: England Posts: 105	Sounds like you had a fanastic time, very pleased with your take on virgin, welcome back __________________ Married Disney April 2004 POR 2004 AKL 2005 CBR April 2010

10-15-2009, 03:47 PM	#7
Mrs Doubtfire DIS Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: UK Posts: 1,806	So glad you had a good time & found the magic was still out there Will try & look out foor your trippie. We are hoping to go Dec 2010 - but it seems so far away............. __________________ Samantha Last edited by Mrs Doubtfire; 10-17-2009 at 06:24 AM.

10-15-2009, 04:29 PM	#8
joolz1910 I would have gone down to reception in my robe and slippers I can't decide if it's sweet or sinister Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 2,807	Welcome back! __________________ Juliette x 1997 Disneyland, California (offsite) 2005 DLRP (Santa Fe) 2009 DLRP (DLH)http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2060542 I've been boo'ed and gobbled. Yay. Thanks Bob and Emma!

10-16-2009, 03:36 AM	#9
Latte Lover in charge of the credit cards and plotting quickest routes to the shopping malls Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Hampshire, England Posts: 638	Welcome back. Looking forward to reading your trip reports. __________________ 1975 Royal Plaza 1997 Master's Inn Kissimee 1999 Clarion Universal 2001 Howard Johnson Maingate East 2003 Econolodge 2005 Howard Johnson Maingate West 2006 Our Timeshare at Sheraton Vistana Resort 2007 Club Sevilla 2008 Sheraton Vistana(May), Terrace Ridge (Aug)Nov 2009 Barefoot'n' in the keys, Kissimmee

10-16-2009, 04:48 AM	#10
Ware Bears Elvis Fan Fridge Magnet hoarder Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: England's Sunny South Coast Posts: 17,963	Welcome back! __________________ Elaine WDW Holiday Inn Nikki Bird Easter 2004 ~ DLRP Explorers August 2005 ~ DLRP Explorers Christmas 2005 ~ DLRP Explorers August 2006 ~ WDW Comfort Suites Maingate East / Grand Plaza, St Pete Beach Easter 2007 ~ DLRP Explorers Halloween 2007 ~ DLRP Explorers August 2008 ~ WDW Comfort Suites Maingate East / Disney Wonder / Yacht Club Christmas 2009 New Year 2010 Moderator Disneyland Paris

10-16-2009, 06:41 AM	#11
Pegasus928 Is really pleased that the Spell-Checker Fairy (DW) keeps an eye on his posts. Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sometimes on dry land - sometimes in the North Sea Posts: 2,049	Welcome back - looking forward to seeing some pics __________________ Check out our 2009 Florida Music Video HERE Our 2005 Florida Music Video HERE Our Halloween 2009 Trip Report with lots of pictures HERE And our February 2009 Trip Report HERE www.nicholls2010.co.uk/florida

10-16-2009, 06:47 AM	#12
strawberry blonde Mouseketeer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bournemouth, UK Posts: 186	Glad you had a great time. Lokking forward to the photos.

10-16-2009, 09:26 AM	#13
T16GEM I must have a funnel cake when I'm in Florida! Confucious say: Friends don't let friends do AOL Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: England- United Kingdom Posts: 5,113	Sounds great! glad you had a great trip - we are not fans of the heat either - another great reason to go Dec / Jan! __________________ My Dis Buddies are SaratogaGirl and Goofysmate

10-16-2009, 09:29 AM	#14
The Fetherstons DIS Veteran Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne Posts: 7,082	Welcome Home Gemma Sounds like you had a magical time. You now have the countdown to you magical wedding to look forward to __________________ Kerry x (Ive been boo-ed twice but cant get my Mickey pumpkin to work) Thanks Michelle & Madmumof2 and Netty for your help MY ICE BUDDY IS MICHELLE - SNOWYGIRLS Me (35) DH Craig (37) DS Adam (7) 1980 Disney0ff Site 1993/7 Disney Offsite, 2001 Honeymoon ASMusic 2005/6 ASMovies, 2007 Pop Century 2008 CBR, 2009 Tuscany Villa

10-16-2009, 10:51 AM	#15
Netty A six foot palm from Wal-Mart would make a very festive Christmas tree Especially if covered with FROG ornaments! Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: PRESTATYN N. WALES Posts: 7,200	welome back, looks like you've had a fabulous time!! __________________

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