17 Days of Wishes Come to Life- A Sept. 08 WDW and DCL Adventure 3/27 new link posted

[momoftriplets]

How did I end up on page 2 when you just started this???

I think you have quite a following, girlfriend!

Bring it on! You know we've been waiting for months.

TTFN!

B

 

[Figment's Friend]

The Wilderness Lodge is gorgeous! I can see that first-day excitement from everybody, this is going to be fun! Can't wait for more!!

 

[bawsmom]

can't wait to hear all about the WL. we stopped by there a few weeks ago to take a peak... AWESOME!! hopefully that will be our next stay

i have lurked through all of your reports and just want to say that you have what appears to be a wonderful family!! precious children!! and such ..... i don't even know what the word is for your vacations.... they are just spectacular... can't wait for the details on this one!!

 

[jaycns]

Oh good! I know you were unsure about it, so I'm glad to hear you can endorse it like this!

I did very much appreciate the WL for it's own beauty and flavor. Even though I was worried about me liking that sort of theme, I was able to really get into it and enjoy it. I know you will be able to LOVE the theme there. The WL just sort of pulls you right in. All of that said, I am not sure that I would chose to go back. NOT because of the magic that was missing (cause it was not) but for me personally, AKL,the CR or the GF floats my boat a bit higher. Maybe had I not encountered some of the issues I dealt with at the lodge, it would have been a different story too. I will get into those as they crop up (and my most major/serious one happens to come up late in the evening of day 1, so I am going to get to it shortly).

But honestly, without the issues (and issues can happen anywhere, they just happened to me at the WL) the WL was an amazing resort. Majestic, grand in both scale and theming while at the same time being homey and welcoming and just plain "spot on" as far as the atmosphere. We did meet some very nice CMs (like the one who stopped and offered to take our picture near the totem pole). I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, but I would have a few asterisks attached to that recommendation by way of my personal experiences. However, I am sure that every single resort on the planet (not just at WDW) has had someone who encountered issues during there stay but otherwise really enjoyed it? KWIM? Okay, I will stop trying to explain without giving anything away. I am sure I am making you look like this . I promise to explain fully throughout the TR.

Welcome home! What stamina - drive all night and then go to down town disney instead of straight to bed.

How the boys have grown! The baby is JUST ADORABLE! Well, they all are, even the big one, but the baby, couldn't you just eat him up? You've lost weight, too! Lookin GOOD!

Note that our room was not ready so neither of us could go to bed instead of DTD. Had our room been ready, the day would most likely have consisted of dh napping while I took the boys swimming and then him taking them to the arcade while I napped. We really did need some rest. However, going to the DTD basin store did perk me up quite a bit.

Now Linda, you should admit that I stapled a twenty dollar bill to your postcard to get you to say that I have lost weight! Seriously though, you are much to sweet for having noticed. I have lost 20 pounds since having the little bugger errr, I mean prince (he's been getting into EVERYTHING today, so bugger seems to fit better). Well, I had lost 20 pounds, I gained some of that back while on this feast of a vacation.

Count me in I cant wait to hear more. I am surprising my husband with a stay at the WL club level this January, do you have any tips or suggestions?

Tips and suggestions...ummm...loads of them. The biggest one is to leave a day (or even just a morning or evening if it is all you can manage)open to explore the lodge, it was so much fun, they have all sorts of nooks and crannies with fireplaces, comfy sofas, writing desks, little alcoves to enjoy, it is so much fun to explore the WL.

Another tip, jump right on securing a reservation to eat at Artist Point for your anniversary meal if you don't have any other plans yet. It was a very romantic meal and they went out of there way to make us feel special on our anniversary.

Last "quick tip" is to use the IPO to set up any sort of surprise you might be hoping for. They have a way of making things happen. Also, if you can think of any special gift for your dh, they can purchase it for you and have it left in your room. An associated tip is to make sure to double check your plans once you are on site. There seems to have been a bit of a break down communication wise between the IPO and the on-site staff in some instances.

I love pictures, so bring them on!! I'm all finished with my TR, it's kinda sad to be done - I guess I need another trip!

Great first installment! All of your boys are getting so big, but to me Goofy especially looks like he's grown. He's losing that little boy look, that can be so sad for a mom! DH looks like he's ready for a nap in those pics, but the boys look well rested and ready to go! What a trooper your DH is for not insisting on a nap before going anywhere!

It is so sad for this mom. Some people cannot wait for their kids to grow up, I on the other hand wish I could track down Peter Pan and have him make me my own troop of lost boys. Well, at least I feel that way most days.

Dh was VERY ready for a nap, somehow, we did make it through the entire day without one! I think we ran on excitement over the fact that we were finally on vacation.

I was so happy to see that you have gotten your TR started! The pictures of your guys in the WL lobby are very fun.... everyone looks like they are starting the greatest adventure! I am impressed that you drove all night! Sometimes I think we could save a lot by driving. How long did it take you? I think we are 2 hours south from you.

It took us about 12 hours. We made great time with no traffic and for once, not much construction! We were all more than ready to get out of the van once we got there, but it did save us a TON of money! Enough so that I was able to plan my dream afternoon (and fund it ).

Great TR so far

I love reading them and yours is sure to be a fun one!

You have a lovely family and I cant wait to read more

Thanks for saying that! I love to read TRs too. I get so caught up in them that I sometimes find myself reading long ones I stumble upon all in one sitting (that takes up an entire evening sometimes). Reliving the magic of WDW with someone is so much fun!

How did I end up on page 2 when you just started this???

I think you have quite a following, girlfriend!

Bring it on! You know we've been waiting for months.

TTFN!

B

Barb!! You are here now and that's all that matters! Well, that and planning more Disney trips!

The Wilderness Lodge is gorgeous! I can see that first-day excitement from everybody, this is going to be fun! Can't wait for more!!

We were so excited! I can see it in the boys' eyes when I look back at those pictures. Installment number 2 will be posted very soon!

 

[RachelTori]

Tips and suggestions...ummm...loads of them. The biggest one is to leave a day (or even just a morning or evening if it is all you can manage)open to explore the lodge, it was so much fun, they have all sorts of nooks and crannies with fireplaces, comfy sofas, writing desks, little alcoves to enjoy, it is so much fun to explore the WL.

Another tip, jump right on securing a reservation to eat at Artist Point for your anniversary meal if you don't have any other plans yet. It was a very romantic meal and they went out of there way to make us feel special on our anniversary.

Last "quick tip" is to use the IPO to set up any sort of surprise you might be hoping for. They have a way of making things happen. Also, if you can think of any special gift for your dh, they can purchase it for you and have it left in your room. An associated tip is to make sure to double check your plans once you are on site. There seems to have been a bit of a break down communication wise between the IPO and the on-site staff in some instances.

Hi Jay! Loving your report so far! I know eventually you will post some pictures on the Concierge/Club Level thread, but I wondered if you would allow me to use these great tips on the thread now (page 1, post #2 "Tips")?



http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1943943

 

[ethansmommy]

Tips and suggestions...ummm...loads of them. The biggest one is to leave a day (or even just a morning or evening if it is all you can manage)open to explore the lodge, it was so much fun, they have all sorts of nooks and crannies with fireplaces, comfy sofas, writing desks, little alcoves to enjoy, it is so much fun to explore the WL.

Another tip, jump right on securing a reservation to eat at Artist Point for your anniversary meal if you don't have any other plans yet. It was a very romantic meal and they went out of there way to make us feel special on our anniversary.

Last "quick tip" is to use the IPO to set up any sort of surprise you might be hoping for. They have a way of making things happen. Also, if you can think of any special gift for your dh, they can purchase it for you and have it left in your room. An associated tip is to make sure to double check your plans once you are on site. There seems to have been a bit of a break down communication wise between the IPO and the on-site staff in some instances.

Great tips, thank you. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed Artist Point, I will see if I can get a reservation for dinner. As far as the IPO goes I must say that thus far they have been pretty hit or miss so I am kind of leary to leave something really important in there "hands". Cant wait to hear about the rest of your trip.

 

[hjohnson6]

Welcome back Jay! Finding your trip report has made my day! Now I have to run off to the Chiropractor, Target, and Awana. I have a busy night ahead of me. I am looking forward to more!

 

[jaycns]

Day 1 continued...on to DTD!

From the time the valet pulled up the van to the time we were pulling into the DTD parking lot only a few minutes elapsed but somehow during that short drive we all seemed to get our second (or third or fourth winds as the case may be). Once we got to DTD we were all ready to have some shopping fun!

Our first stop was to look at the Legos. They have either added some new ones since we were here last year OR (and this could equally be true) we were too blind to notice this stuff last year. The only one I remembered was the sea serpent. But all of the rest (to us at least) were new. Talk about "wow" factor. Can you even believe someone made this stuff from little plastic blocks that click together?!

I loved this Lego creation. It doesn't look nearly as "cool" in the picture as it did in person. It's worth a peek into the Lego store.

My older boys love Bionicles, so seeing a life size one was really a treat for them.

My all time favorite Lego display is the dog one! It looks so realistic and well, it's just plain fun.

After we helped the nice Lego family walk there dogs it was on to do some serious shopping! Who should greet us but some cursed pirates?

Every few moments the pirates would rattle the bars. We stood around for a few minutes watching people get startled. The boys really got a kick out of big burly looking dads jumping when the skeletons started to move.

Loving Capt. Jack Sparrow takes a new level of commitment when he looks like this:

After looking around the World of Disney, we moved on to do a bit more window shopping before making any purchases. I admit, I did drag my "manly men" into some awfully girly shops. I do however claim the right to do this because being the only female in the family, I would always be outvoted otherwise.

This representation of the castle was beautiful! I was instantly in love with it.

Upon seeing the price tag...I figured I my previously mentioned Honda Odyssey was a better deal for that sort of money. Me thinks that castle will be sitting there for a very long time!

After dreaming of a castle that I will never own, I headed over to Basin to buy some (read tons and tons of) soap. I sniffed my way around the entire store. My basket just couldn't help but fill up. I love using this soap at home. It reminds me every day of where I got it from and that brings back many great vacation memories. It might be a splurge, but I think it's worth it for the enjoyment it brings (not to mention people that know me IRL probably like the fact that I don't smell bad ). Being as I usually get to Disney once a year, I make sure to buy enough to last for a year. This year my favorite find was glow in the dark soap. Just yesterday, the boys each took a turn showering in the dark just to try it out. Supposedly "it rocks" (a direct quote from Goofy). But enough about things that suds up in water, after buying enough soap to keep the entire island of Manhattan clean for a year, I let my men off of the hook and headed out to explore more of DTD.

Next up we went to the $10 and under store. My middle two love this store. They like the fact that they have bulk buying power here. To there great delight they found "voodoo" Disney characters. I may need to back up a little bit to explain why they were literally whooping with delight...

This past May, dh and I spent a week (with the boys) exploring the island of St. Martin. We had a great time but being as the boys were not with us, I felt a certain amount of guilt and I really was missing them. That turned out to be a good thing for them, I missed them so much and felt so guilty we were having so much fun without them that I had to buy up a ton of junk to bring back to them. Really, I went overboard. I think we filled up a carry on bag with stuff to bring back. HA But anyways, this does tie into our Disney trip report. You see, while shopping on St. Martin we found little voodoo dolls for Stitch and Goofy. They like to collect Ugly Dolls, Boogilys and other artsy, strange-ish figures and toys. The little Voo Doo Friends dolls we saw on the island looked to be just there style, so even though I don't believe in the power of chicken bones and spells, we loaded up on them and brought them back with high hopes the boys would adore them. We were right. Here is there collection of Voo Doo Friends that we brought back from the island.

And the funny (at least to a non voodoo believer) warning that came with them:

Ever since we got them those dolls they had been looking for more. Obviously, it's not something you find at the corner store. We did find the green one on the far right at a weird comic book place (my boys spotted it through the window as we were out shopping in an eclectic little shopping area and forced me to stop). But only that one in all of our time looking.

SO...loooooong, off course ramble is now done. Back to the trip report. As we entered the $10 and under store I heard Goofy shrieking. Loud whoops of joy. I had NO clue why. But upon seeing what he clutched in his greedy little hands, I understood right away. He had found Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck voodoo dolls (of course they were not marked as such).

Although you see Capt. Jack there, he was not found until much later in our trip. And don't think my boys were not searching high and low for more of those little things. Almost every shop we passed we had to check for more Disney character voodoo dolls. We did see a Minnie Mouse one, but nobody was interested in a "girl" voodoo doll. HA HA HA.

To be continued...

 

[jaycns]

Day 1, DTD continued...

After our great voodoo doll find we headed out and saw the silhouette cutter didn't have anyone lined up. I have had the boys cut on each previous trip and I thought it would be great to kick this trip off doing it again. Here is the finished product.

I really do love those silhouette cuttings! They are among my most cherished of possessions. But on with the report.

By now our boys were getting a bit antsy to get back to the World of Disney and purchase some of what they had fallen in love with before we made the rounds of the other shops (other than the toy store which we were saving for last). So back we went. Shopping really can be a lot of fun! Our boys found the pirate stuff and turned into bucanneers themselves.

After walking the plank, we headed over for some serious hat shopping. We ended up with a Jack Skellington set of Mickey ears for Stitch and a jack-o-lantern set of Mickey ears for Goofy. Of course we had to stop and try on other hats too. Hee hee hee.

Another purchase that was made was the first of Aladdin's many collector-in-the-making finds. Here's a picture of the three small figurines he ended up with by the time our trip was over.

Around about this time we were all getting very hungry so we headed over to one of our very favorite counter service places, The Earl of Sandwich.

Y-U-M!!!!!!

While dh went in with the two middle boys to fight the crowds, I staked out a table outside (we had to wait about five minutes before one emptied) with Aladdin and our Little Prince.

While DTD itself was uncrowded, The Earl of Sandwich was PACKED. I guess that's where everyone who had a car parked there was. About fifteen minutes after they disappeared into the mob they made their way back bearing delicious eats! I had the Caprese, Earl Grey Lemonade and chocolate pudding for dessert. OH YUM, YUM, YUM! I am seriously salivating while writing this. Here is a picture of my meal.

**Totally off topic, but dh thinks I lost my mind, I took pictures of my meals (and when they let me, the rest of my family's too) all vacation long. I hope it doesn't bore you, but I feel the need to show the food we ate.**

After filling up we were good to go for one more store. We headed to Once Upon a Toy and the boys found there own version of heaven. This also happened to be an unexpected magical place for dh and myself. When our Little Prince saw the great big Buzz Lightyear and Potato Head at the entrance to the store, his eyes lite up, he started to coo and he also started to wiggle and squirm and reach his little arms out trying to get to them. It was a really sweet moment that we will never forget. Who knew that the Little Prince was such a big Toy Story fan?! Here are some of the many pictures we stopped to take outside the store.

I couldn't weed any of the pictures out (sorry) because each one reminds me of our Little Prince cooing and ahhing and oohing over the figures. He was so happy and that really made my entire day! If I had to pick a top moment from our first day at Disney World, this was it! Seeing him entranced with larger than life Disney characters was a truly magical moment.

We did actually make it past the entrance and do some shopping. Once inside the boys loaded up on toys they "had to have" and even stopped to take a few more pictures.

After our time in the toy store, we were seriously dragging. So, we started to head back to to the WL in hopes that our room would now be ready.

After a quick few minutes in the van we drove back under the WL sign and past this cute little sign as well.

Was our room ready? That will be answered in my next installment.

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

[momoftriplets]

Am I first to respond? No Way, Man!!!! I'm so easily amused!

I agree with you about those huge Lego creations. I am totally in awe that someone can turn those little blocks into those amazing creations. I like the dogs, too.

OK - just how many voodoo dolls does one family need? Remind me to stay on your good side!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the silhouette of the boys. SOOOOOO sweet! ETA: What detail, too. I just noticed the little tuft of hair on the back of Prince's head & the tuft sticking out of Aladdin's bangs, too. wonderful, simply wonderful.

Great report, Jay. 'Course, I knew it would be!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Looks like you had a lot of fun in DTD! I adore those pictures of your little guy with the Toy Story characters - you can totally see how happy they made him! Could it be that the "Little Prince" is going to morph into "Buzz"?

I've yet to try Earl of Sandwich, even though I've heard nothing but good things about it, the crowds always scare me away! I'm so glad you took pictures of your food, I love food porn!!

 

[LindaBabe]

Bring on the food! But the photo of the day is Baby prince w/Buzz. (You couldn't pay me enough to lie, Jay, and you don't need to pay me to tell the truth, lol. You ARE thinner.)

 

[Figment's Friend]

I got a kick out of the boys and those voodoo dolls!! They really are cute!

Earl of Sandwich is going to be our first Disney meal of our trip, too! As somebody already said, bring on the food pictures, nothing wrong with that!!

The Little Prince looks so precious awing at Buzz Lightyear! Too adorable for words, he's already in the Disney spirit!

I remember seeing that $37500 castle last year I'm startled just by looking at the price tag!!

Your TR is great, Jay! Can't wait for more.

 

[jaycns]

Hi Jay! Loving your report so far! I know eventually you will post some pictures on the Concierge/Club Level thread, but I wondered if you would allow me to use these great tips on the thread now (page 1, post #2 "Tips")?



http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1943943

Sure thing. You know I love talking about Disney, any time, any place, any how!

Great tips, thank you. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed Artist Point, I will see if I can get a reservation for dinner. As far as the IPO goes I must say that thus far they have been pretty hit or miss so I am kind of leary to leave something really important in there "hands". Cant wait to hear about the rest of your trip.

I know what you mean about the hit or miss nature. I had good experiences with Denise. You might want to address your emails to her and ask if she is available on the phone. She seemed to be "with it" as far as keeping things straight and me feeling as if they would be done. HTH

If you are going to have an anniversary dinner at AP, may I suggest looking into doing something romantic before or after? We ended up going to see the BLUE MAN GROUP (totally NOT romantic but PERFECT for us). I was planning on heading over to Fort Wilderness to do a carriage ride or you could set up a Wishes cruise afterward or even head to DTD to see Cirque. Other people suggested doing a couples spa treatment over at the GF, heading over to the Poly to watch the fireworks from the beach, renting jet skis before dinner, a bike ride. Even just a soak in the hot tub. I LOVE celebrating anniversaries at WDW and have done so for almost every year since 1999. I have tons of ideas. If you are interested, I would be happy to share.

Welcome back Jay! Finding your trip report has made my day! Now I have to run off to the Chiropractor, Target, and Awana. I have a busy night ahead of me. I am looking forward to more!

WOW, you are busy! Tonight we spent most of the evening watching Aladdin's soccer game (they won and are undefeated as of right now) and then I pulled some winter clothes out of storage and started packing up summer clothes. I totally understand busy!

Looks like you had a lot of fun in DTD! I adore those pictures of your little guy with the Toy Story characters - you can totally see how happy they made him! Could it be that the "Little Prince" is going to morph into "Buzz"?

I've yet to try Earl of Sandwich, even though I've heard nothing but good things about it, the crowds always scare me away! I'm so glad you took pictures of your food, I love food porn!!

He may just end up as Buzz. He reminds me of Dumbo (and I promise it's not the ears)...but something about using the name Dumbo doesn't quite come across as lovingly as I mean it.

Do try Earl of Sandwich, it is worth fighting the crowds! And I am glad that someone doesn't think I am crazy for taking pictures of my food.

Bring on the food! But the photo of the day is Baby prince w/Buzz. (You couldn't pay me enough to lie, Jay, and you don't need to pay me to tell the truth, lol. You ARE thinner.)

As always, you are just too sweet.

I got a kick out of the boys and those voodoo dolls!! They really are cute!

Earl of Sandwich is going to be our first Disney meal of our trip, too! As somebody already said, bring on the food pictures, nothing wrong with that!!

The Little Prince looks so precious awing at Buzz Lightyear! Too adorable for words, he's already in the Disney spirit!

I remember seeing that $37500 castle last year I'm startled just by looking at the price tag!!

Your TR is great, Jay! Can't wait for more.

I get a kick out of them with those little voodoo dolls too. They are anything but normal when it comes to the toys they fall in love with.

Seeing him looking at Buzz was one of my favorite moments of the entire trip.

 

[jaycns]

Am I first to respond? No Way, Man!!!! I'm so easily amused!

I agree with you about those huge Lego creations. I am totally in awe that someone can turn those little blocks into those amazing creations. I like the dogs, too.

OK - just how many voodoo dolls does one family need? Remind me to stay on your good side!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the silhouette of the boys. SOOOOOO sweet! ETA: What detail, too. I just noticed the little tuft of hair on the back of Prince's head & the tuft sticking out of Aladdin's bangs, too. wonderful, simply wonderful.

Great report, Jay. 'Course, I knew it would be!

HA HA HA, according to my boys, one can never have enough voodoo dolls. They play with them all of the time. Not as voodoo dolls of course...we took the pins away so that nobody got hurt.

I almost bought a book at the silhouette cart about how to cut them...then I thought about and realized, I cannot even trim hair so there is no way on earth I could cut silhouettes. I am just amazed at how with a pair of scissors, a small black sheet of paper and a few minutes they can produce such wonderful keepsakes.

Can you imagine how much patience you need to work on those huge Lego creations?! While I totally enjoy them, building them is definitely not for me!

 

[jaycns]

Day 1 continued...

Upon arrival we found out that our room was indeed ready and we could not wait to see it. The room number that we had was 4166. We were staying in a deluxe junior suite (or something like that, I cannot remember the official name). I had hoped for a room in another area of the resort...I am glad I didn't get what I had hoped for!! What follows are a few (well more than a few really) pictures of the room. I will let the pictures do most of the talking on what our room was like.
One of the beds in the separate bedroom area.

The cool scene on the headboard.

As I started to snap pictures the boys called me out on to one of the two balconies we had. The one off of the bedroom is where I took this next picture. It was basically a standing balcony as there was not room for much out there (a single chair would have fit but left very little room). The bigger balcony had two chairs and a small table and you entered that one from the sitting room area. Just take a look at what was right outside of our window...what a GREAT view!

More inside shots. Notice the windows in the bedroom area. We had TONS of windows in there. Some of them were mini windows...but still, the light and the views were great!

I love the detailed toppers on the headboards!

 

[NotSoEvilStepmother]

Wow. I'm loving your trip report so far. You're pictures are great and your sons are SO cute!!!! Your little Prince honestly reminds me of my oldest nephew when he was just about that age. So adorable!!! I can't wait to read more of your TR and go on this 17 DAY (wow is all I can say...) vacation along with you!

 

[jaycns]

More "view shots" out of the bedroom windows.

And now on to views from the main balcony off of the sitting room.

The sitting room area.

A really neat detail on the entry hall wall.

Looking into the sitting room from the hall area.

Looking into the bedroom from the hall (through the sink area of the bathroom).

The couch pulled out into a double bed.

The mini bar area.

By the time we were done exploring our new digs and taking a short rest break, it was time to head down for our first meal at the Whispering Canyon Cafe.

Here is one of the Native American artifacts we passed while making our way down.

To be continued...

 

[SoonerGirl]

Great views!!

 

[jaycns]

Wow. I'm loving your trip report so far. You're pictures are great and your sons are SO cute!!!! Your little Prince honestly reminds me of my oldest nephew when he was just about that age. So adorable!!! I can't wait to read more of your TR and go on this 17 DAY (wow is all I can say...) vacation along with you!

Hi there!! Awww, thanks, we think they aren't too awful on the eyes either.

It was a LONG vacation, but I could have stayed longer. I really enjoy discovering new things and revisiting old favorites.

Thanks for stopping in!