We don't wanna go home!!! Nov 1-8, 2008 Magic Western

[podsnel]

Oh - I LOVE the Boardwalk! SIGH!

Lucky duck with that view! And what is this DVC cash discount? If you don't have enough pts. for your stay, can you get a discount paying with cash? Is that what I'm hearing?

Yea- they give 25% off rack rates. We used it to stay in HHI last summer and that night at the BW. Have you seen what they did to the points this week? There are some very po'd people over on DVC planning. They're trying to redistribute the weekend/ weekday points a little more evenly...so they took a few off some weekends, and added a couple more to 99% of weekday stays...the total cost per week stayed relatively the same in most cases, give a point or two. But it's screwing the people who bought a minimum of points to stay su-thu nights with no flexibility. It really stinks they announced this AFTER they increased prices at AKV and BLT. And the people at BLT who bought a minimum? It's not like they can now go, Oh I have to add 25 more points to vacation the way I originally wanted to...they have to add a MINIMUM 100. Nice job, Jim Lewis.

Ok- off the soapbox now.

 

[alan_renfroe]

Hi Ellen! Great update. The Boardwalk looks terrific - if we ever upgrade from the mods, I think BWV would probably be our choice. I love the vibe of the Atlantic Coast boardwalk feel. What a great view you guys had!

We are planning to have dinner at the Flying Fish on our upcoming trip. It is one of the dinners I am most looking forward to!

 

[podsnel]

Hi Ellen! Great update. The Boardwalk looks terrific - if we ever upgrade from the mods, I think BWV would probably be our choice. I love the vibe of the Atlantic Coast boardwalk feel. What a great view you guys had!

We are planning to have dinner at the Flying Fish on our upcoming trip. It is one of the dinners I am most looking forward to!

Yes, we were very, very fortunate to have been given that view! It made me so happy everytime I looked out the window or sat on the balcony. The lobby though....it's elegant and whimsical all at once, just spectacular! Enjoy Flying Fish- it's my friend, Jane's, favorite Disney restaurant (Jane is the one from ST John margaritas with the hat) and she has great taste. I went on an off night (the MGR even came out and told us so) so I need to try that one again.

 

[TigerKat]

Okay, DW and I have decided that we want you and Pods to be our new best friends!!! We want to hang out with you guys, go where you go, do what you do, etc.

No, Alan, WE want to be best friends with Ellen and Pods!

No, WE want to be BF with El & Pods!!!

You know I adore The Boardwalk, everything about it, so I loved your pics!

 

[Camster0307]

No, WE want to be BF with El & Pods!!!

You know I adore The Boardwalk, everything about it, so I loved your pics!

I AM already best friends with them - so Ha!Ha! everybody!
(only Jersey natives can truly be their best friends!)

 

[podsnel]

Jeez- no need to fight over us! We have plenty of love and vacations for everybody!!

 

[pam775]

I love your trip report. I was wondering what you thought about choosing that week for the cruise. I am also from NJ and am considering the 10/31-11/07/09 Western. It would be our first Disney cruise and the first cruise for my kids DS-7 and DD-5. Any thoughts? Weather? Crowds? Thanks.

 

[podsnel]

I love your trip report. I was wondering what you thought about choosing that week for the cruise. I am also from NJ and am considering the 10/31-11/07/09 Western. It would be our first Disney cruise and the first cruise for my kids DS-7 and DD-5. Any thoughts? Weather? Crowds? Thanks.

We all loved it enough to book the same week in 2010! The weather was still hot, the water was still warm for swimming- Key West was a little cool, but bright and sunny- maybe 75 degrees? We had 2 days out of 10 (if you include the days before & after when we stayed in WDW) that it rained- one was a sea day, and it was not a downpour kind of rain, and one was in Grand Cayman- but their weather had been weird for weeks both before and after we were there. The crowds were fine. Honestly, I NEVER once felt like a herd of cattle on the Magic, even though there were plenty of people onboard (although I don't think it was sold out). There will be loads of folks from NJ onboard because of NJTC, but also lots from other places, too. Have you gone on the cruise meet thread for that date? I would guess that there is TOT set up by the Dissers onboard for the kids, so they won't miss out on ToT! Another good thing about this cruise is that the price is lower than most- and on DCL, that is a very, very good thing! Also- the seas were very calm for us, if you're worried about that. Not that any of this is a guarantee for 2009, but nothing is, right?

Good luck with your decision- I wish I had gone when my kids were that age- the characters and magic are even more wonderful then, when they really, truly believe.

 

[anewmac]

Great view. Man everytime I come here i Keep thinking we should look into joining DVC... but then a part of me goes into panic mode.. NO CLUE WHY lol

 

[pam775]

Thanks for all the information. It is a great age. I'm pretty sure we will book and I will check the boards for that week as well. And of course the ToT is so important. It's one of our favorite days of the year. I hope to do a pre-trip report as well as the actual trip report. I just hope I can capture all of our wonderful times and memories as well as you did and others have. Thanks again.

 

[Mom2PrincessesLinSy]

Finally checking in on your TR! Awesome as always babe! LOVE the pic of the Loo on the island, I have never explored that far, so I have never seen it! LOL Thanks for sharing!

I am always sad on Thursday too. A. because the trip is coming to an end and B. because I know that I am going to have to get up at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday to get my %#*$# off the damn boat! LOL But we don't wanna go home!!! (stamping my foot)

Will try to start back on my TR here this weekend. Still trying to unpack from this Disney trip we got back from yesterday. Coming back to ice and snow sucks big time!!

Love ya hon!

 

[podsnel]

Finally checking in on your TR! Awesome as always babe! LOVE the pic of the Loo on the island, I have never explored that far, so I have never seen it! LOL Thanks for sharing!

I am always sad on Thursday too. A. because the trip is coming to an end and B. because I know that I am going to have to get up at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday to get my %#*$# off the damn boat! LOL But we don't wanna go home!!! (stamping my foot)

Will try to start back on my TR here this weekend. Still trying to unpack from this Disney trip we got back from yesterday. Coming back to ice and snow sucks big time!!

Love ya hon!

I didn't know you just went to WDW!!! Well, I did know, but I forgot! Lucky you!! My next trip is in May with Lonnie- it seems soooooooooo far away. Especially because we are in tax season now. Yuck. But gotta pay for those disney vacations somehow!

You cracked me up with this response- we don't wanna go home!

 

[Mom2PrincessesLinSy]

I live to make you laugh hon, I live to make everyone laugh...

Maybe you should publish a book on Disney Food Porn and Loo exploration? I'd definately take a few copies.

Could be like a Disney Treasure Hunt... where in the World is this Loo???

 

[podsnel]

I live to make you laugh hon, I live to make everyone laugh...

Maybe you should publish a book on Disney Food Porn and Loo exploration? I'd definately take a few copies.

Could be like a Disney Treasure Hunt... where in the World is this Loo???

Shhhhh...now everyone will be publishing one!

 

[bfosbenner]

Hello!

Get this.

I am planning on waterskiing off the beach behind Strathmere, NJ on Sunday afternoon as a part of our church youth group annual POLAR Plunge. DD Rachel will be doing the plunge.
It is a fundraiser for our trip in March to help build a church in Haiti!

If you did not know, our family is very involved in competetive waterskiing.
BUT! The water is 36 degrees! Hopefully it will be
but I am sure I will need lots of to warm up.

Donations are going throug my church.

 

[podsnel]

I really love the DIS...especially when you get to make new friends who are as insane about Disney as you are! What's even better is when you all realize that for one day, a bunch of you will be at WDW at the same time- WOO HOO! And that's what a few of us had figured out, so we were all meeting at ESPN on the Boardwalk to say hello-

From left to right- OhMari, Camster0307, TigerKat, FormerCastMember, and me. Cammie & I had met before- on the GSP at a rest stop, in case you don't know- but for the rest of us it was a first time meeting. FormerCastMember was (is) pregnant- isn't she gorgeous? And TigerKat was so sweet- she brought us gifts! And her DH bought us drinks! So generous, just like I knew she would be. OhMari came in at the end, and we were all so happy she stopped by to say hello- the only problem with the meet was it was TOO SHORT- next one needs to be an overnight or something!

Anyway, when it was over, Cammie and her girls and I walked back to BWV together-

Lauren took our pic, but it didn't come out- sorry! We passed the Wyman Gallery -

And then we were all moving on to our seperate plans. Back at the room, no one was in a rush to get to dinner at CG, they were all watching some kind of sports (what else?).

I, on the other hand, was watching this-

So weird to have the opposite view of what I've had all these years staying at BC! Next we were on the way to the valet to get our car. Let me just say, this was a very, very bad experience, the valet parking at BW. I think they were completely overwhelmed by the last weekend at F&W- they said a ton of people park there instead of at Epcot, and it makes it a mess. This was my DH's first experience having a car at WDW, and after this, I know it will be his last. Anyway, we finally got our car, and we were off to CG!

 

[TigerKat]

Can you imagine how much trouble, um, I mean fun we could have if we did an overnight???????

 

[podsnel]

The last time we were at CG it was the other restaurant with the Broadway show that I can't remember the name of- bad, bad Disser, Ellen! So this was all new to us. We were seated and let the feasting begin! Ds11 ordered a strawberry smoothie -

And DS9 got milk and worked on the placemat-

We were seated next to the kitchen, kind of, so it looked like this-

And DS11 was next to a million wine glasses ...No sudden movements, buddy- PLEASE!

DH & I love sushi, so we ordered a couple rolls to try- I think one was a spicy one or the crunchy one and one was a special, and I don't remember which was which, I am sooo sorry! But I can tell you our server told us that the sushi menu changes all the time because they go with whatever looks best- so I know I had cobia and I think wahoo- and I've never had either for sushi before. This was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo delish- I can't wait to go back and eat there again. But next time I think I'll just sit at the bar (no reservations) and order all sushi-

For the main I had diver scallops, they were perfect-

And DH had pan seared grouper, also fantastic

Both kids got the kids ribeye (one last steak before it's back to a life of chicken and pasta!)

And of course, DH & I got a bottle of wine. While we were there, sitting just 2 tables away, were 2 Redskins- Jason Campbell (quarterback) and Chris Coolie (tight end). But we're Giants fans, so no pics! I guess now we know what football players do when they have a by week- they go to WDW!

No dessert, we were beyond stuffed. Now, as everyone knows, when you book a table at CG you're supposed to try to be there during Wishes. So I had called however many months prior, based on when the schedule said Wishes was happening....and then Disney changed the time. So here's a tip- keep checking the schedule before your trip, and see if you can change your res before you get kicked out onto the windy, freezing deck instead of the nice cozy restaurant. Where my family was so over it, and didn't want to wait.

Too bad I got the gorilla pod after this trip!

BLT

A swanky lounge-

We were all tired. Beat. The last night of a long and beyond fabulous vacation. And that BWV 1 bdrm villa? That was the perfect place to just hang. I had hoped to meet up with Cammie and Tigerkat again, but as it turned out, it wasn't going to happen- which was ok, because I was pooped! So I drank some champagne (from the REAS that was in the cabin when we arrived- I finally popped it!), talked to Tigerkat on the phone, and enjoyed the view-

 

[podsnel]

Can you imagine how much trouble, um, I mean fun we could have if we did an overnight???????

Yes I can, and I think we should do it someday! Trouble...I mean fun...is my middle, first and last name!

 

[TigerKat]

We're going back to CG for sushi in October, can't wait!