ITS a POP-O-LICOUS Thanksgiving

[mikkiwikki]

Keep it comin'. I am really enjoying all of the pictures. And for what it's worth, I let my kids eat loaded nachos, even when we are not in Disney

for all of the Pop photos too. The pool looks really fun. I am hoping to get a room near that pool. Can you suggest what building to request?

Just to be clear - The Hippy dippy pool? Or the pop jets?

We were in the 70's building facing the lake - very quiet.

If you wanted to be really close to the hippy dippy pool I would ask for 60s - but keep in mind the closer you get to the pools, the greater the risk of 'pool noise' so keep that in mind! Maybe you could ask for 60s facing away from the pool if you are looking for close to the pool but more quiet. if you dont care about quiet, ask for facing hippy dippy pool in the 60s bldg.

The walk from the 70's build wasnt far...and being by the lake kept it very quiet, and we were still a stones throw away from the big pool. The Pop Jets are where goofy icon is on this map. 70s was perfect for us because we could walk by the pop jets every day...
http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/PopCenturyMap.pdf

More info on pools here.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=28343149#post28343149

 

[mikkiwikki]

OK Mikkiwikki,
Those are the exact dates that we will be down there, except the first week we will be cruising on the Magic. Then from the 24 to the 29th, we'll be at BWV!!!!! We will have to meet up!

NO WAY! too kewl!!! Hooray - Yes lets plan to meet that would be too fun!

And btw - Just think how much money we would save if we moved closer to the mouse. Maybe we should seriously ponder this question..

 

[mikkiwikki]

Ok - while looking for a photo that might elicit some heightened subscribership to my TR and further its interest - I came upon some disturbing photos.

Now you say this is a family board. Thats ok they are not SHOCKING in that way - but SHOCKING nonetheless. Hold onto your hats folks.

As you know Disney is known for its HIGH quality of appearances. When you enter its parks, you are entering a fantasy land, an escape from reality if you will.

Walt held to this idea so steadfastly, that CMs had to move otherworldly equipment out of the guests purview. He must have been doing something right! The masses come to disney for fantasy, to dream and forget their daily troubles. I know I do!

THUS - I was saddened to see a bit of reality creeping in on one of my families favorite rides. With the above in mind ...keep in mind ....what I am about to show you might leave you agast. ...

... We rode the TTA a few times (well more than just a few)

....

On this day - I photographed..........THIS

....

I KNOW I KNOW - YOU say - NO say its not so!!

That cannot be disney - NO WAY. BUT - *it is* - here is another

And another...Ok but you say TTA is due for refurbishment? is it?

if not it should be. We really love TTA, its so family friendly - it doesnt matter how old your kids are everyone can enjoy it. It saddens me to see it getting such poor care. Anyways - just a thought in case someone from disney is reading.

And now that I have driven up the HITS on my TR astronomically with my SHOCKING photos....on with our regularly scheduled TR.

 

[mikkiwikki]

Two MORE gratuitous Hippy Dippy Pop Pool pics
In no particular date sequence.

As a matter of fact I think I will throw in a pool pic every other post. What do you think. hAve I mentioned how much my kids and I liked the pool?

 

[rentayenta]

Just to be clear - The Hippy dippy pool? Or the pop jets?

We were in the 70's building facing the lake - very quiet.

If you wanted to be really close to the hippy dippy pool I would ask for 60s - but keep in mind the closer you get to the pools, the greater the risk of 'pool noise' so keep that in mind! Maybe you could ask for 60s facing away from the pool if you are looking for close to the pool but more quiet. if you dont care about quiet, ask for facing hippy dippy pool in the 60s bldg.

The walk from the 70's build wasnt far...and being by the lake kept it very quiet, and we were still a stones throw away from the big pool. The Pop Jets are where goofy icon is on this map. 70s was perfect for us because we could walk by the pop jets every day...
http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/PopCenturyMap.pdf

More info on pools here.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=28343149#post28343149

I think I am thinking of the Hippy Dippy pool but now I saw some photos with the enormous Lady and how I would love that building.


And on the TTA photos!


And more pool photos!

 

[Imagoofy1]

I'm here - loving your TR --- been back here a couple times and its great. I'm just a lurker I guess and don't respond much. But I am really enjoying your report and your pictures are terrific. Keep up the good work.

 

[mikkiwikki]

I'm here - loving your TR --- been back here a couple times and its great. I'm just a lurker I guess and don't respond much. But I am really enjoying your report and your pictures are terrific. Keep up the good work.

Thanks Imagoofy! More to come - Im having a hard time diggin out of the piles of presents at home...and between the relatives and assembling toys for the kids I fear my report is not getting the attention it deserves.

I'm really enjoying your report! We stayed at the Contemporary for our first trip, and we're planning Pop for our next trip (August 2009).I LOVE all your photos!

Thanks for reading stay tuned because we move over to the Contemporary on this date... OH and we will be back at POP August 2009 too! Maybe we will run into one another!

Im going to try to finish 11-29 now. On this date we transfer to Contemporary and arrive at ANIMAL KINGDOM late. Should I break off the Contemporary to a new TR? Or can I change the title of my TR oh no what to do?

 

[mikkiwikki]

Not sure if the text is readable - but I just love the icons printed in this welcome literature.

 

[mikkiwikki]

I think I am thinking of the Hippy Dippy pool but now I saw some photos with the enormous Lady and how I would love that building.

HERE ARE some pics for rentayenta - taken at night.

 

[mikkiwikki]

Ok so That evening I came to the conclusion that OMG - tonight is our last night at pop and I had better start taking some more POP PICS!

SO after a full day of the parks and swimming hubby and I went for a whirlwind tour of the POP grounds. Hold onto your seats....HERE GOES!

Terrible pic of the album cover of the huge 8 track

Picture outside the path of our building

TWO VERY good years

psychedelic yoyo and NO I was not tripping on acid.

Another shaky photo (sorry - we were running around trying to take it all in)

A very BAD year IMHO

Excellent year

Nice photo of the pins

50s pool at nite - there was NO ONE IN IT! (and it was warm enough to swim)

MY view boo hoo. but we are leaving tomorrow to CR

 

[mikkiwikki]

That morning - bright and early we are ready to go -

Grab some food from food court kids got Pop Waffles & sausage

Hubby had danish and coffee

Me just coffee...

We pack our bags - there is a message on the phone "Thank you for staying at POP Century - we hope you will return again soon. You may review your bill using your room TV - chanel ? or a copy of your bill will be delivered to your room by 8am. Once again thanks for staying at Pop Century."

We decided that we needed to be out of the room before 8 - so I called the front desk to ask if I could pick up the bill at the front desk, and that a copy NOT be delivered to the room. They said of course. So after packing our bags and tripple checking the room for any leftover items, we were on our way to the main lobby. When we get there - I swing by the front desk there was no line,and I pick up a copy of my bill after showing my room key. There were no discrepancies, the balance was exactly what I expected. Yeah!

After grabbing a copy we are out through the lobby to the taxi/cab entrance.

Kids playing with the blocks while the cab is being loaded

The CMs are very accomodating and flag a cab, load with our bags, and within minutes we are off to the Contemporary Resort! For another glorious week.

As we drive up

 

[laurainsem]

Your posts are so great! Looking forward to hearing about your week at the contemporary. I was never that interested in it, but I keep hearing great things.

Alright, i'm ready to read more!

 

[rentayenta]

HERE ARE some pics for rentayenta - taken at night.

Awesome! I have got to stay in that building by Lady. I canot even tell you how fun your pictures are!!! That waffle looks good too!

What resort is CR?

ETA: Did a little research, CR is the Contemporary. Duh

 

[Laneychris]

Great pics!

 

[mikkiwikki]

IM BACK - Holidays are ROUGH -

Clicking my ruby red slippers (in my wildly vivid imagination)
- CLICK CLICK CLICK -
Bring me back to my happy place - Bring me back...

So where was I oh yea -

My little family is zooming along in a cab and arrive at CR.

The BELL staff is great and leaps into action as our cab arrives.

I exit the cab with children, while hubby takes care of the tips. Unfortunately we left DS's hat in the cab....more on that later. We get to the curb, and wait for hubby & our bags are quickly loaded onto a cart and brought to bell services. Hubby takes care of this while I go to the front desk. Kids hang out and watch the cartoons in the lobby

More pretty lobby pics

Here is the first little foreshadowing of things to come. Ok - so first our room is not ready - which is fine because we knew we were wayy early for checkin. NO Problemo!

I have all my paperwork ready with my printed confirmation number and the bolded balance due. Remember this people! Bring a copy clearly showing your BALANCE DUE.

The nice man at the front desk after handing me some papers shows me a calculator displaying a VERY VERY VERY incorrect balance due. He is asking for 1828.00 to be exact..... for 7 days. ....11-29 to 12/05

Pause

Absorb.

I had papers showing a balance agreed to of 1016.00 - JUUUSSST a teensy weensie SLIGHT discrepancy. about a $810.00 dollar diff!!
UM Huh?

After some back and forth - he realizes that 1) he is not showing payments made to date 2) I got a discount code that he was not taking into consideration Either.

Nice front clerk then proceeds to tell me "Dont worry about it - it will come off your account when you check out." um....ok? Can I get that in writing? At which point I again show him the balance I agreed to pay and that I will not be paying any more than that amount correct? He says YES. OK - In case I havent be overtly blunt enough about this....REMEMBER THIS EXCHANGE...for my checkout posts

Anyways because our room is not ready we are handed a card and told to go to the parks etc. and they will call us when our room is ready. Fine we say - we hop a bus over to Animal Kingdom - after locking up our bags with Bell Services.

Checking out the grounds briefly before our bus ride.

Beach

We hop a bus to AK - which has virtually no line to enter. We walk right in!!
We start by checking out the wildlife - parrots were very cool.

While we are looking at the ducks - my cell phone rings.

It's the front desk telling us our room is now ready. it's 11:00am! I say great ! We are at the Animal Kingdom but will be back shortly - can you give us our room number? He says 5210 - I right there - whip out of my lime green baggalini (yes Yes I know Im geeky)
the MAP to the Contemporary.

Once I see where the room is I start jumping up and down.
We had only paid for STandard view - so I assumed I would be looking at a parking lot. 5210 Faces Bay lake!

 

[mikkiwikki]

After getting the call, and getting over my elation at the location of the room - I bubbled about it for about 15 mins to my husband.

- we walk on...and see the tree of life

They had some nice parrots out this time - I dont recall seeing any out last trip.

We then did Kilamanjaro Safari -

We saw a ton of animals this time around. Last year we saw hardly any.

Crocs

Giraffes

Beasts ignoring us

Elephants

 

[momsoftwins]

Just Tooning In....love The Report

 

[alan_renfroe]

Terrific updates!!! LOVE those pictures from the Contemporary. I would so love to stay there someday.

 

[mikkiwikki]

Thanks alan_renfroe & momsoftwins!! Glad you are still on board.

So while we are drifting through Animal Kingdom My eyes keep going back to the MAP to obsess about the LOCATION of my room. As I said we got a very low rate for the room and I totally expected to be looking at the parking lot. Instead we are here. and in front of the room is a very pretty courtyard and Bay Lake!

What will the view look like = I almost want to forget the rest of Animal Kingdom and go back to our new HOME to check it out.

BUT Kids are complaining of hunger so we ditch that thought and head over to Pizzasafari......

 

[Imagoofy1]

beautiful pictures -- can't wait for more