my dh and i just got back from a week at the wl and it was the most wonderful vacation ever. we got there about 10:00 a.m. and couldn't wait to walk into that majestic lobby. what a sight. check in was a breeze not many peopole there at that time, but i did notice more people checking in around 11:00a.m. to around 1:00p.m. oh and by the way, if you get chilly, the lobby and hallways were kept pretty cold, but i just brought a little jacket and i was fine.
we had a courtyard view in the southwing on the 5th floor by the end of the U by the main pool. what a view. previous posts were right though, the pool could get very noisey and stayed open until midnight. but that was exactly what my dh and i wanted. one of my favorite things to do was take a drink and sit out on the balcony and listen to all the laughter and watch the families having fun. it was the best.
anyway, i had called the front desk a few days earlier and asked if they could possibly have one of those towel animals waiting in the room for us. (my dh absolutely loves them and we stayed at POR in february and he saw them in the windows of other rooms, but we never got any.) the woman at the front desk noted it on our reservation and said she would check with mousekeeping but couldn't guarantee anything. well, when our room was ready, we went upstairs and i let my dh go in first and low and behold there was a cat and a dog towel animal facing one another on the bed. it was great, i wish i had a camera to take a picture of the look on my husband's face. just like a giddy kid.
speaking about thin walls, we did hear the people next to us a couple of nights, and we always heard families coming back at night walking down the hall. but that didn't bother us, we were on vacation. just laughed at some of the things the little kids would say to their parents.
babymo - you said that you need to keep the tv on at night to fall asleep, my dh is like that but what we did was bring our laptop (or a cd player) with us and we brought music. every night we would put a cd on and it was great. fell right to sleep. hope that is a help.
roaring forks was great, had a couple of small meals there, bought the cups (10.99) great deals. we ate at whispering canyon three times. that place is a hoot. the first night we had dinner there the waiter got all the men up and made them dance (in a chorus line) and sing "my little buttercup". i was laughing so hard. we had the all you can eat skillet for dinner (good but way too much, but good). the second night we didn't have priority seating andgot seated in about 30 minutes. i think if you want to be in the center of the action make sure you have priority seating. they sat us in the library room, it is quiter there and if you want to join in the fun i wouldn't recommend it. but it was just fine for us that night, my dh had a wonderful grilled tuna (the best).
transportation was good, the boat was great to the mk and we never waited any longer than 15 minutes for the bus (to epcot and animal kingdom), although they do stop at the grand floridian. but it was fine. the parks were not very crowded and we never waited more than 10 minutes to get on any rides.
the wl was pretty empty when we got there on thursday but filled up for the weekend, then emptied out again on monday.
just want to say that my dh and i love the wl and if we had the choice wouldn't stay anywhere else. it was such a great vacation, sitting in the lobby listening to the music and watching the people. we did take the lobby tour, had ranger stan, thought the tour was really good, and ranger stan was great, such a nice man.
p.s. there were these deer flies that would come around when i would sit on the balcony. the first day i went out one stung me on the ankle. i still have a welt. but it didn't stop me from sitting out there i just kep a watch out for them and just made sure i put on bug spray. after that it was fine.
anyway, wish i was back at the wl sitting on the balcony watching the people in the pool and looking out on bay lake.
can't wait until december (we get to go again to see the holiday decorations, we have never been so this will be a treat).
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