PrincessTToo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 11, 2003
- Messages
- 159
Another trip report of just highlights, reviews and miscellaneous.
FLIGHT:
I had 85,000 miles with NWA which I had been saving for an upgrade on a European or Hawaiian vacation for my big birthday next year. But I started to get nervous that these miles might not be worth much next year so I bought a coach ticket for this trip and decided to spend some of my miles to upgrade to First Class.
Now the reason I mention my flight is not to rub it in that I flew First Class but to say that for the very first time I saw WDW from the air. I normally sit on the aisle and in the Coach section this means I rarely get to see outside at all. But in First Class there are two windows per row and only one person next to you. So I was looking out the windows as we were getting close to landing. Then I saw a group of buildings and thought that looks like the Grand Floridian but I couldnt see anything that looked like the MK so I just thought it was some GF knockoff. Then I noticed a building across the lake that looked like the Contemporary. And a building next door that looked like the Poly.
Then I saw the Swan and Dolphin. They just dwarf anything around them and are so distinctive. So I was able to get my bearings and looked back at where the MK should be and saw the smoke from the Cinderellabration fireworks. I was just shocked how little everything looks from the air. I was really expecting the mountains and the castle to be as big as the resorts. And I was surprised how small SE appears from the air!
MAGICAL EXPRESS:
This is my first time using Magical Express. It was a very enjoyable experience.
Although it took an hour from the time I finally found the Magical Express counter until I got to the hotel, I think that would be less time than waiting for my suitcase at baggage claim, getting a rental car and driving to BWV by myself. Plus I didnt have to haul my heavy suitcase off the conveyor belt, and then into the trunk, and then out of the trunk.
But it really is a leap of faith that the suitcase will get to your room. So I was so happy when I returned to my room in the afternoon after several hours in the parks to find my suitcase waiting for me.
Both bus drivers were very pleasant. There were no cartoons on the way to the resort but there were some on the way back. That was a nice diversion.
There was only one stop before the BW and that was the CBR. Ive never seen the CBR before so it was fun to check it out.
I originally was scheduled for the 10:20 AM Magical Express bus back to MCO but got to the stop so early that I got on the 9:50 AM bus. The driver was ok with that and so was I. Turns out that the 9:20 bus was MIA so some people on my bus had been waiting a long time.
The only negative with the whole Magical Express experience was trying to find the check-in counter at MCO. I knew it was on the A side of the A side but I didnt know what that meant. Ive always gone to the B side to get my luggage so I just started out going that way. Then I figured out how to get to the A side and then finally to get to the A side of the A side. Then there were no signs for the Magical Express. There were lots of signs pointing to rental car counters, etc. but no Magical Express signs. Finally some people in front of me stopped someone in uniform and asked where the Magical Express was. I didnt hear what the person said so I just followed those people. Anyway, now that I know how to get there I wont have any problems in the future.
When I think how much money this saved me I really have to say that I would use Magical Express again even if they charge a nominal fee for it.
BOARDWALK VILLAS:
Location, Location, Location. For me its all about location and the BWV are the best. I loved the walk to either Epcot or MGM. I only rode the bus once and that was to the MK and it wasnt bad at all. I guess if I had wanted to go to DTD or AK, then I might have missed my car.
One night I was sitting in my room watching TV and I thought I think Ill go see the France movie. So I walked over to Epcot, watched the movie in France, walked around WS and walked back to the resort. What a treat! It was also great to walk back to the resort after Fantasmic instead of having to fight the crowds waiting for buses.
I also loved being on the BW. The Boardwalk Bakery, Seashore Sweets and the Screen Door General Store were very convenient. Probably too convenient. One night I had nothing but two desserts from the Bakery for dinner. Another night I had a Haagen-daz ice cream and an entire bottle of wine from the General Store for dinner. Good thing I eat healthy lunches.
I knew I was going to like the BW the minute I saw the lobby. Its just beautiful. The chandeliers are stunning and unusual. The check-in was painless and I was able to get into my room right away. And it was so easy to find too.
At this point, you might be hearing fairies singing while they sprinkle pixie dust well, now you can imagine that all coming to a crashing halt when I got to my room. One of my seldom used expletives came out of my mouth when I walked in. #*$#, it is a handicap room. No bathtub, just a shower that gets water all over the floor and very little counter space. I also had one of the very few solid wall balconies at the BWV. But that really didnt matter much because I didnt spend any time on my balcony. I was right on top of the Luna Pool! Thats the very non-quiet pool for those of you whove never been there. And I mean very, very non-quiet. Im sure that people with kids get used to their screaming but those of without kids never do. Its such a jolt to your nerves. My subconscious mind keeps thinking that oh my gosh, somebody is out there killing innocent children. And my body tenses up getting ready to fight all matter of evil. My conscious mind just shrugs and turns up the volume on the TV.
My room was also in the hallway that was part of a two-story atrium. There was an approximately one inch gap at the bottom of the door to my room so I got to hear everything in the hallway and everything upstairs as well. And kids just love screaming in two story atriums. I guess they like to hear the echo. I would have put a towel down to cover the gap under the door but Disney kept sliding stuff under my door. An invitation to join DVC, Magical Express return info, check-out stuff I guess thats why they have the big gap under the door so they can keep sliding stuff under there.
I really wish I had splurged and gotten a one bedroom instead of a studio but I just couldnt justify it. The one bedroom has such a nice layout because the bedroom is away from the main door and therefore much quieter. And I love the whirlpool tub. But it seems so extravagant for just one person especially since I wasnt getting any discount on this trip.
But I knew better than to try and request a different room. The CM at the check-in desk made a strong point of telling me that the entire resort was booked solid and how lucky I was to be able to get into my room right away. He and I both rolled our eyes at the couple who was checking in next to me because they were they didnt like the room they were assigned to and were complaining loudly and kept trying to get a different room.
Oh well, I still liked the BW and would definitely stay there again.
(Oh, the CM said the resort was full because of convention business. Not because of the MLK weekend. It didnt occur to me until later that maybe Orlando is getting some of the conventions that would have been going to New Orleans. Also, Disney TV now has a channel just for convention-ears. I dont remember seeing it when I was there in December.)
WEATHER:
Absolutely beautiful. 60s on Sunday, 70s on Monday and low 80s on Tuesday. Sunny and low humidity and breezy. It rained very, very early on Wednesday morning. It was a teeny bit cold on Sunday night but just lovely after that.
CROWDS (MLK weekend and college cheerleaders):
I was expecting it to be bad and I wasnt too disappointed. But it was a very weird kind of crowded. There were places that were just packed (like anywhere near Soarin) and I had to use Fastpasses for quite a few rides. And I dont normally use fastpasses at all in January. But there were other rides that were walk-ons. Certain times of the day were great and certain times of the day were bad. I was able to make last minute ADRs including a Fantasmic Dinner Package (for a show that was sold out with the reserved section very full) and my noon lunch at Marrakesh which turned out to be only me and one other family!
I kept trying to get a bead on who was making up the crowds but could never really figure it out. As always there were families with children and lots of multi-generational extended families (walking side-by-side trying to decide where to go to next!). I listened close but didnt hear very many southern accents so I dont think it was a lot of locals taking advantage of the long weekend. In fact, I didnt hear many accents at all. There were huge tour groups from Brazil but they were very controlled and being led from ride by ride by a tour director. On the BW there were lots of suits but I didnt see many of them in the parks.
The cheerleaders werent bad during the day but were very annoying at night. I ended up riding TOT with a group of them during the EMH Evening at MGM. Believe me I would have pushed the button on the elevator to get off on the next floor if I could have. Some stereotypes will never die and these girls were making sure the cheerleader stereotype lives forever.
I guess that bottom-line, there are no best times to go to WDW anymore. Now its just a matter of avoiding the worst times.
FLIGHT:
I had 85,000 miles with NWA which I had been saving for an upgrade on a European or Hawaiian vacation for my big birthday next year. But I started to get nervous that these miles might not be worth much next year so I bought a coach ticket for this trip and decided to spend some of my miles to upgrade to First Class.
Now the reason I mention my flight is not to rub it in that I flew First Class but to say that for the very first time I saw WDW from the air. I normally sit on the aisle and in the Coach section this means I rarely get to see outside at all. But in First Class there are two windows per row and only one person next to you. So I was looking out the windows as we were getting close to landing. Then I saw a group of buildings and thought that looks like the Grand Floridian but I couldnt see anything that looked like the MK so I just thought it was some GF knockoff. Then I noticed a building across the lake that looked like the Contemporary. And a building next door that looked like the Poly.
Then I saw the Swan and Dolphin. They just dwarf anything around them and are so distinctive. So I was able to get my bearings and looked back at where the MK should be and saw the smoke from the Cinderellabration fireworks. I was just shocked how little everything looks from the air. I was really expecting the mountains and the castle to be as big as the resorts. And I was surprised how small SE appears from the air!
MAGICAL EXPRESS:
This is my first time using Magical Express. It was a very enjoyable experience.
Although it took an hour from the time I finally found the Magical Express counter until I got to the hotel, I think that would be less time than waiting for my suitcase at baggage claim, getting a rental car and driving to BWV by myself. Plus I didnt have to haul my heavy suitcase off the conveyor belt, and then into the trunk, and then out of the trunk.
But it really is a leap of faith that the suitcase will get to your room. So I was so happy when I returned to my room in the afternoon after several hours in the parks to find my suitcase waiting for me.
Both bus drivers were very pleasant. There were no cartoons on the way to the resort but there were some on the way back. That was a nice diversion.
There was only one stop before the BW and that was the CBR. Ive never seen the CBR before so it was fun to check it out.
I originally was scheduled for the 10:20 AM Magical Express bus back to MCO but got to the stop so early that I got on the 9:50 AM bus. The driver was ok with that and so was I. Turns out that the 9:20 bus was MIA so some people on my bus had been waiting a long time.
The only negative with the whole Magical Express experience was trying to find the check-in counter at MCO. I knew it was on the A side of the A side but I didnt know what that meant. Ive always gone to the B side to get my luggage so I just started out going that way. Then I figured out how to get to the A side and then finally to get to the A side of the A side. Then there were no signs for the Magical Express. There were lots of signs pointing to rental car counters, etc. but no Magical Express signs. Finally some people in front of me stopped someone in uniform and asked where the Magical Express was. I didnt hear what the person said so I just followed those people. Anyway, now that I know how to get there I wont have any problems in the future.
When I think how much money this saved me I really have to say that I would use Magical Express again even if they charge a nominal fee for it.
BOARDWALK VILLAS:
Location, Location, Location. For me its all about location and the BWV are the best. I loved the walk to either Epcot or MGM. I only rode the bus once and that was to the MK and it wasnt bad at all. I guess if I had wanted to go to DTD or AK, then I might have missed my car.
One night I was sitting in my room watching TV and I thought I think Ill go see the France movie. So I walked over to Epcot, watched the movie in France, walked around WS and walked back to the resort. What a treat! It was also great to walk back to the resort after Fantasmic instead of having to fight the crowds waiting for buses.
I also loved being on the BW. The Boardwalk Bakery, Seashore Sweets and the Screen Door General Store were very convenient. Probably too convenient. One night I had nothing but two desserts from the Bakery for dinner. Another night I had a Haagen-daz ice cream and an entire bottle of wine from the General Store for dinner. Good thing I eat healthy lunches.
I knew I was going to like the BW the minute I saw the lobby. Its just beautiful. The chandeliers are stunning and unusual. The check-in was painless and I was able to get into my room right away. And it was so easy to find too.
At this point, you might be hearing fairies singing while they sprinkle pixie dust well, now you can imagine that all coming to a crashing halt when I got to my room. One of my seldom used expletives came out of my mouth when I walked in. #*$#, it is a handicap room. No bathtub, just a shower that gets water all over the floor and very little counter space. I also had one of the very few solid wall balconies at the BWV. But that really didnt matter much because I didnt spend any time on my balcony. I was right on top of the Luna Pool! Thats the very non-quiet pool for those of you whove never been there. And I mean very, very non-quiet. Im sure that people with kids get used to their screaming but those of without kids never do. Its such a jolt to your nerves. My subconscious mind keeps thinking that oh my gosh, somebody is out there killing innocent children. And my body tenses up getting ready to fight all matter of evil. My conscious mind just shrugs and turns up the volume on the TV.
My room was also in the hallway that was part of a two-story atrium. There was an approximately one inch gap at the bottom of the door to my room so I got to hear everything in the hallway and everything upstairs as well. And kids just love screaming in two story atriums. I guess they like to hear the echo. I would have put a towel down to cover the gap under the door but Disney kept sliding stuff under my door. An invitation to join DVC, Magical Express return info, check-out stuff I guess thats why they have the big gap under the door so they can keep sliding stuff under there.
I really wish I had splurged and gotten a one bedroom instead of a studio but I just couldnt justify it. The one bedroom has such a nice layout because the bedroom is away from the main door and therefore much quieter. And I love the whirlpool tub. But it seems so extravagant for just one person especially since I wasnt getting any discount on this trip.
But I knew better than to try and request a different room. The CM at the check-in desk made a strong point of telling me that the entire resort was booked solid and how lucky I was to be able to get into my room right away. He and I both rolled our eyes at the couple who was checking in next to me because they were they didnt like the room they were assigned to and were complaining loudly and kept trying to get a different room.
Oh well, I still liked the BW and would definitely stay there again.
(Oh, the CM said the resort was full because of convention business. Not because of the MLK weekend. It didnt occur to me until later that maybe Orlando is getting some of the conventions that would have been going to New Orleans. Also, Disney TV now has a channel just for convention-ears. I dont remember seeing it when I was there in December.)
WEATHER:
Absolutely beautiful. 60s on Sunday, 70s on Monday and low 80s on Tuesday. Sunny and low humidity and breezy. It rained very, very early on Wednesday morning. It was a teeny bit cold on Sunday night but just lovely after that.
CROWDS (MLK weekend and college cheerleaders):
I was expecting it to be bad and I wasnt too disappointed. But it was a very weird kind of crowded. There were places that were just packed (like anywhere near Soarin) and I had to use Fastpasses for quite a few rides. And I dont normally use fastpasses at all in January. But there were other rides that were walk-ons. Certain times of the day were great and certain times of the day were bad. I was able to make last minute ADRs including a Fantasmic Dinner Package (for a show that was sold out with the reserved section very full) and my noon lunch at Marrakesh which turned out to be only me and one other family!
I kept trying to get a bead on who was making up the crowds but could never really figure it out. As always there were families with children and lots of multi-generational extended families (walking side-by-side trying to decide where to go to next!). I listened close but didnt hear very many southern accents so I dont think it was a lot of locals taking advantage of the long weekend. In fact, I didnt hear many accents at all. There were huge tour groups from Brazil but they were very controlled and being led from ride by ride by a tour director. On the BW there were lots of suits but I didnt see many of them in the parks.
The cheerleaders werent bad during the day but were very annoying at night. I ended up riding TOT with a group of them during the EMH Evening at MGM. Believe me I would have pushed the button on the elevator to get off on the next floor if I could have. Some stereotypes will never die and these girls were making sure the cheerleader stereotype lives forever.
I guess that bottom-line, there are no best times to go to WDW anymore. Now its just a matter of avoiding the worst times.
