Sand and Sun ~ Trip Number Ten Was Lots of Fun! Clearwater Beach & YC, August 2013

[JoBird]

Ack!! Where the heck is my response? I did it an hour ago from my iPad and now it isn't on here?!? I'm reading I swear I am!!!!

I will try to find it on there again. Grumble grumble.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I know I said this before, but you totally hit the jackpot on that view! And I really like the looks of that room too! I love the nautical theme, striped wallpaper, Mickey lamp and the headboards... very cute! I think that's one of the best looking deluxe rooms I've seen. And it looked very spacious too! That deal you got just keeps getting better and better! If I could stand the heat I would absolutely book that deal next year.

It was a super awesome deal at $190 a night!!! Got to love our agency exclusives!! I am just going to have to deal with the heat, because I plan to book that deal again next year. Too good to pass up. Hopefully we are getting the resorts I think we are getting on the exclusive. And hopefully we will be able to go the very last week of August, and that should cut down on the crowds.

Ack!! Where the heck is my response? I did it an hour ago from my iPad and now it isn't on here?!? I'm reading I swear I am!!!!

I will try to find it on there again. Grumble grumble.

I hate when that happens!!!!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

It was a super awesome deal at $190 a night!!! Got to love our agency exclusives!! I am just going to have to deal with the heat, because I plan to book that deal again next year. Too good to pass up. Hopefully we are getting the resorts I think we are getting on the exclusive. And hopefully we will be able to go the very last week of August, and that should cut down on the crowds.

I hate when that happens!!!!

Wow $190/night!!! That is AWESOME!!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[JoBird]

Well the stupid thing-- I left it over an hour ago, I open it back up and it says sending still. Dumb. Then it lost it instead of sending it.


Sorry.

Anyway--,your trip started out the best way possible-- upgrade!!

I think that a trip can be made or broken in the first few minutes of arrival. I know it sounds dumb but it has been my experience that if you get a good view, room, etc and it all runs smoothly, then for whatever reason, you have a great trip. If you get there and it isn't right from the start, you might as well turn around and leave bc it's gonna be bad the whole time.

Your view was awesome! What a great arrival!!

So if I'm looking at the pics right, when you walk in you're in the hall with the bathroom? That room set up looks a lot different than any rooms I've seen at other deluxes. I thought the sleeping part looked a little smaller than, say the GF or Poly. Like more narrow or something? Did it feel smaller?

The YC is pretty--- we walked right passed there!!!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Wow $190/night!!! That is AWESOME!!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I know!!!

Well the stupid thing-- I left it over an hour ago, I open it back up and it says sending still. Dumb. Then it lost it instead of sending it.


Sorry.

Anyway--,your trip started out the best way possible-- upgrade!!

I think that a trip can be made or broken in the first few minutes of arrival. I know it sounds dumb but it has been my experience that if you get a good view, room, etc and it all runs smoothly, then for whatever reason, you have a great trip. If you get there and it isn't right from the start, you might as well turn around and leave bc it's gonna be bad the whole time.

Your view was awesome! What a great arrival!!

So if I'm looking at the pics right, when you walk in you're in the hall with the bathroom? That room set up looks a lot different than any rooms I've seen at other deluxes. I thought the sleeping part looked a little smaller than, say the GF or Poly. Like more narrow or something? Did it feel smaller?

The YC is pretty--- we walked right passed there!!!!

I totally agree. If check in and room assignment goes well, then you are off to a great start and your trip will be great as well. If you get off to a rocky start it is really hard to recover.

When you walk in - the closets & dresser are on the right and the sinks to the bathroom are on the left. Then there is a door to the toilet/shower. I think the set up is pretty similar to the GF. The hall/entrance in the YC/BC rooms might be larger, but the room size itself is definitely larger at the GF/Poly.

 

[JoBird]

I think that's what is throwing me on the visual of the room-- the hall/entryway is a lot bigger than the GF, but the sleeping part looks a lot smaller.
I really like the soft goods, though-- it looks really clean and masculine, which I am a fan of!

Isn't it weird that you feel the same way about arrival going well= a great trip?
I really feel like you can tell in the first 10 minutes if its going to be a great trip or not.

Totally strange to me.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I agree with both of you about a trip getting started right. Although I would say it starts for me from the time we pull out of the driveway. We had a less than magical trip last year and it was all because of how it got started. We had several 'issues' on the drive down, then I got sick on the first night, then DD and I had a major mother/daughter blowout... and from there, Mickey himself could have brought me breakfast in bed and spoon fed it to me and I would've still been a wet rag! It just got started wrong and it was very hard to recover. I HATE it when that happens! You feel like you wasted all that money and planning when things aren't 'perfect' like they are supposed to be.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

NICE room and view!!! I'm sure your boys are taller than my girls, but Sarah would have slept on that chair with the ottoman! They are also getting to the point they don't want to share a bed, but I make them. They're still pretty small. Although Sarah slept on the floor one night on our recent trip.

I can't wait to see your pics from Illuminations from that balcony!

I like the decor of the room. Smart of you to use those drawers for your food/drinks too!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I think that's what is throwing me on the visual of the room-- the hall/entryway is a lot bigger than the GF, but the sleeping part looks a lot smaller.
I really like the soft goods, though-- it looks really clean and masculine, which I am a fan of!

Isn't it weird that you feel the same way about arrival going well= a great trip?
I really feel like you can tell in the first 10 minutes if its going to be a great trip or not.

Totally strange to me.

Yeah, I think the entrance way/hallway is a lot longer at the YC/BC. But the rooms are definitely smaller. We could tell. Especially with the rollaway in there, after we finally got it.

The room decor and bedding and everything was very nice. We really liked it.

That is weird!! I thought I was the only one who felt that way!! Seriously, if I get a rude CM at the front desk or a crappy room, the trip is likely not going to recover no matter how hard I try. If those front desk CM's only knew the power they held! I get so anxious just walking up to the desk at check in. It's crazy!

I agree with both of you about a trip getting started right. Although I would say it starts for me from the time we pull out of the driveway. We had a less than magical trip last year and it was all because of how it got started. We had several 'issues' on the drive down, then I got sick on the first night, then DD and I had a major mother/daughter blowout... and from there, Mickey himself could have brought me breakfast in bed and spoon fed it to me and I would've still been a wet rag! It just got started wrong and it was very hard to recover. I HATE it when that happens! You feel like you wasted all that money and planning when things aren't 'perfect' like they are supposed to be.

It would start for me the second we left the house too if we were driving. Every trip would probably be off to a bad start!! We are not good road trip people!!

I'm sorry you and DD had a blowout. That's the worst. DS14 and I had one a few years back on vacation, not fun. That was the same year that we arrived at the BWI (so excited for our first deluxe) and they put us in one of the five rooms they have without a balcony.

NICE room and view!!! I'm sure your boys are taller than my girls, but Sarah would have slept on that chair with the ottoman! They are also getting to the point they don't want to share a bed, but I make them. They're still pretty small. Although Sarah slept on the floor one night on our recent trip.

I can't wait to see your pics from Illuminations from that balcony!

I like the decor of the room. Smart of you to use those drawers for your food/drinks too!

Yes it was, we were so lucky!!

DS12 tried to sleep in the chair & ottoman at the Poly a few years ago but it just didn't work. We do bring a sleeping bag for him and he sometimes sleeps on the floor!

IllumiNations was beautiful from the balcony. I got so used to watching it every evening before bed, it was hard when I came home. I said to DH that first night - how am I supposed to go to bed, I haven't seen IllumiNations yet???

 

[monica23535]

Hi Shelly!

I loved your beach photos, although you aren't beachy people, it still looked as though you had fun.

Am loving your room so far at the Yacht Club, great view

My goodness, another trip so soon?? Nope, I'm not jealous at all

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Hi Shelly!

I loved your beach photos, although you aren't beachy people, it still looked as though you had fun.

Am loving your room so far at the Yacht Club, great view

My goodness, another trip so soon?? Nope, I'm not jealous at all

Thanks Monica!

Yes, we got an awesome room at the YC and a wonderful view!

Yep, we are going to try to sneak in a short trip this winter!!

 

[disny_luvr]

I your room and view. We've never been pixie dusted with an upgraded but I'm glad you guys were. Can't wait to hear about your first day at WDW.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I your room and view. We've never been pixie dusted with an upgraded but I'm glad you guys were. Can't wait to hear about your first day at WDW.

Thanks, yep we were very happy and grateful!!

More WDW to come!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

We had unpacked, watched TV, rested, gotten freshened up, and still no cot or rollaway.... So I called housekeeping. A very rude CM told me that if housekeeping brought me a cot or rollaway we would be charged $15 a night for it. So I said – the CM at the front desk said she would wave the charge (I didn't think there was a charge for them in the first place ), but the housekeeper on the phone was very rude and argumentative and told me that I would have to take that up with the front desk. So, I hung up and called the front desk. Again, another rude CM who knew nothing and couldn't be bothered to help me. She told me to go to the front desk and hope that the CM who checked me in was still there because that was the only way I was getting one without being charged.

Good grief. So I went downstairs and luckily my CM was still there!! I explained to her what I had been going through for the last hour and she apologized. I told her that the request has to come directly from her or they want to charge me and that they are being very rude about it. She checked her computer and brought over a couple more front desk CM's and they all agreed that the request is in there and clearly noted. They say they will take care of it. I told her that we are leaving for Epcot soon and asked if we had to be there for it to be delivered. She said that she doesn't see why we would have to be there... Wasn't really the definitive answer I was looking for.

I went back up to the room and we waited another 45 minutes or so and gave up and decided to head out. We had FP+'s waiting!! Just as we walked out in the hall a gentlemen in a suit was walking past our door, he smiled and asked how we were doing and I could tell from his name tag that he was management. I said – we are doing well, but we have been waiting on a cot or rollaway to be delivered for 2 hours and we need to head out to the parks now. He said – I'm so sorry about that, I will have someone bring one right away and you go ahead and enjoy your day!! Yay! Finally. I didn't get into the whole thing about being charged or not, at this point I just had the mindset that I would deal with it later.

So, we were off to Epcot!

At the time we didn't know that there was a single elevator at the opposite end of our hallway that led right outside by the marina, much quicker than walking through all those hallways to the main elevators and through the lobby. So we headed back through the lobby and outside that way. We walked by SAB and the BC and to the International Gateway entrance to Epcot.

First try with the Magicbands and everybody's worked!! DS14 said something about that he didn't think he had to use the fingerscan. I hadn't really paid attention, but no one said anything to him so we didn't worry about it. I was just hoping that his FP+ wasn't messed up!

First stop – Soarin! We had a FP+ from 3-4pm. And good thing we did. The standby line was huge and all the FP's for the day were gone. Pretty good indication of the crowds for the day. And even for the week.

So, our very first FP+ experience of the trip was a success. Since the regular FP's we gone, if we wouldn't have had FP+ we wouldn't have gotten to ride Soarin at all that day, without waiting forever.

After our awesome flight on Soarin and then rode Living with the Land. Most boring ride ever, but it's like tradition or something. Then we went over to the Seas for a ride on Nemo.

Up Next: SSE and Chef's de France Dinner

 

[ddluvsdisney]

That is one thing I can't stand is when one person says something to you, and it doesn't mean anything to anybody else!

That is so annoying!! We waited a long time once to get a rollaway too. I can't remember where. I think it was the BC.

That is so awesome that the FP+ worked so well for you. I am looking forward to using them for late day rides. That is when I ever get to access FP+. We have APs but bc we stay offsite not sure when I'll be able to start using FP+. I'm hoping by the December trip it will be all straightened out. We're going over Columbus Day weekend but I think old FP machines will still be there. I'm just really worried about everybody else using FP+ and how that will effect us. Any thoughts??

Sounds like your first was off to a pretty good start, minus the rollaway

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[mickeyplanner]

SAB, love the pictures and makes me want to me there now instead of hopefully in May.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

That is one thing I can't stand is when one person says something to you, and it doesn't mean anything to anybody else!

That is so annoying!! We waited a long time once to get a rollaway too. I can't remember where. I think it was the BC.

That is so awesome that the FP+ worked so well for you. I am looking forward to using them for late day rides. That is when I ever get to access FP+. We have APs but bc we stay offsite not sure when I'll be able to start using FP+. I'm hoping by the December trip it will be all straightened out. We're going over Columbus Day weekend but I think old FP machines will still be there. I'm just really worried about everybody else using FP+ and how that will effect us. Any thoughts??

Sounds like your first was off to a pretty good start, minus the rollaway

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I know. It was so frustrating!! I'm sure your rollaway situation was at the BC. I have found the YC/BC housekeeping to be hard to deal with.

The FP+ is great for days when you don't get to the park at RD. I mean, they are great any day, but especially for this. You don't have to worry about your favorite rides being out of FP's.

They haven't told us of an official date that the FP machines will be gone and everything will be converted to the new system. So I'm not sure what to think for you. I know if you have an AP and stay at a Disney resort (that is participating in the test run) now, you can link the tix to the room and participate. But I'm not sure how or when that is going to work for people who stay offsite. Hopefully soon we will all know!

In the meantime, I am concerned for you going in October without the FP+, when nearly everyone else will have it. I probably wouldn't expect to be able to get too many FP's after about noon.


Yes, our trip was off to a great start! Other than the stupid rollaway.

SAB, love the pictures and makes me want to me there now instead of hopefully in May.

SAB did look quite inviting that afternoon!

 

[rusafee1183]

What a pain! I can't believe it took 2 hours to get all of that sorted out.

It seems like FP+ will be fantastic for sleep in days, or half days.

I have been meaning to ask you about the rental car situation. I am going to be doing pretty much the same thing as you, and renting a car for 2 days out of Tampa and then returning it to the Dolphin.

Is it only the Alamo and National that you can rent from if you return the car there? Prices right now for both of them are sky high They want to charge me $380 from Saturday - Monday!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

What a pain! I can't believe it took 2 hours to get all of that sorted out.

It seems like FP+ will be fantastic for sleep in days, or half days.

I have been meaning to ask you about the rental car situation. I am going to be doing pretty much the same thing as you, and renting a car for 2 days out of Tampa and then returning it to the Dolphin.

Is it only the Alamo and National that you can rent from if you return the car there? Prices right now for both of them are sky high They want to charge me $380 from Saturday - Monday!

Yeah, that was crazy!!

FP+ is super great for sleep in days or half days! We always do the parks in half days, so it will really work out well for us when we do the afternoon/evening half of the day!

Alamo is the only car rental company that I could find that you could pick up at Tampa and return to the Dolphin. It was crazy high at first, so I was looking at other options with other companies and going to have to return to a hotel in DTD or to Shades of Green. But I just kept watching and waiting and it finally came down and even ended up being less than the others. So hang in there!

 

[princessjv]

Great report so far! You got a lot of Pixie Dust on the room! Now if only you were getting same Pixie Dust from the CM's you are encountering! Boo on them.

p.s.
I hope the meal was yummo!