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

[DisneyJo]

I'm so sorry about your camera but thank goodness you had switched cards!

Another lovely day, I still can't get over how good LP is

 

[NotSoEvilStepmother]

Tsk, tsk... Losing a camera, Jay.
Oh well. We all do it at one time or another.
Actually, it reminds me of my mom on our trip to WDW. She kept a little steno pad with her at all times to write down prices/reciepts/tips/ etc... while we were there. We drove back to MCO and we realized once we got to security that she had left the notepad in the rental car and they throw everything in the car away after you leave.


What a great update. It sounds like you got some nice quality time with the LP. I'm surprised he's so well behaved on this trip. You generally hear horror stories about bringing an infant but he's the complete opposite. Have you fed him pixie dust, perchance, and that's why he's so cute?
Ok. I'm rambling now so I'd better just say I can't wait for your next installment. 6 days down, 11 to go.

 

[happymommy]

Hi, Jay! Stumbled upon this wonderful report this morning. I have so enjoyed it - and spent way too much time!

Wow - so far you have blown me away! The party with your friends is so awsome - I had goosebumps!

Side note: I know how hard bedrest is, did it twice myself. Thank God for your healthy kids (and mine). Also, my DS has asthma, and also has big problems when we travel. We did the Disney cruise in March (fun!) but he ended up so sick, in their clinic for treatments and steriods as well as antibiotics (lungs got so bad he had bronchitis on top of it, high fever too, missed out on a couple of days including Castaway Cay). Still he's asking to go again!!! We're buying a portable nebulizer for our upcoming trips. So I can totally relate to the cleaning issue - I am sorry that the room was beyond yucky. Also, food allergies, Disney is so great about.

I am curious - were you on free dining and upgraded, or you really splurged? I am wondering how much the lunch and cruise was - can you pm me? I am just being nosy - but maybe one day will plan something special for an anniversary.

Thanks so much for sharing this super trip with us all!

 

[Illini4ever]

Another wonderful day, Jay! I'm so sorry to hear about the camera. That is a relief you had just changed the memory card. Looking forward to hearing more!

 

[disneydusted]

And the fun continues! The interior yacht shots were nice to see, great boat.
I'm so sorry you lost your camera! Major bummer but I am glad you had put in a different memory card so you didn't miss anything you had taken.
Those quiet moments to reflect on life's blessings are so sweet. I can just imagine how you felt while waiting for the guys to get back from BTMR.

 

[Candice30]

whew!! i just read the whole thing. now i am all caught up. what a great trip your family is having (even with the little annoying things). i love surprising my family with things like this too. though my surprises haven't been as big as yours. okay so here is your next task OBIE ONE OF SURPRISES! i am surprising my mom with a trip to AKL next year. she knows we are going to AKL but has no idea that i have booked concierge. i have been working with IPO on our ADRs but i need a really big surprise. any suggestions? it will just be my mom and unfortunately she isn't into spa treatments or anything like that so i am stumped. come on....i bet you have some great ideas.

 

[brookelizabeth]

On our MK day we saw those tikis and I had forgotten what they did, there was a kid standing there, but nothing happened for about 30 seconds, so we just walked away. On our January trip, I'm so going to wait for them to spit! Too funny!

Sorry to hear about your camera! That is awful. We almost lost something on vacation too...that was an ordeal...you'll hear about it soon on my TR (thanks for the plug too! )

It looks like you still did have your camera here in your hand...maybe it was left on the table at CRT?

Like you said though, at least you didn't loose all those pics!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Thank goodness you got the memory card! Sorry to hear about the camera.

 

[happymommy]

whew!! i just read the whole thing. now i am all caught up. what a great trip your family is having (even with the little annoying things). i love surprising my family with things like this too. though my surprises haven't been as big as yours. okay so here is your next task OBIE ONE OF SURPRISES! i am surprising my mom with a trip to AKL next year. she knows we are going to AKL but has no idea that i have booked concierge. i have been working with IPO on our ADRs but i need a really big surprise. any suggestions? it will just be my mom and unfortunately she isn't into spa treatments or anything like that so i am stumped. come on....i bet you have some great ideas.

Sorry, I know this is totally off the main topic (SUPER COOL trip report!) but, we stayed AKL concierge one year, and I wanted to do something special for my family. I like to do something different for DH each time, as he's not super into the whole Disney thing, but does have a great time when we go.

I asked if they could book me an Illuminations Cruise. Well, they did. New Years Eve. On Breathless. I didn't know what Breathless even was! Oh my - it was great! I bought a bottle of champagne at the gift shop at the Yacht Club, then the bartender loaned us a couple of glasses (he wasn't supposed to but did). I should have just brought some plastic ones. Anyway, we showed up at the dock, saw the cool pontoon boats, then the captain said there's Breathless - a Chriscraft (sp?) reproduction little wood beautiful boat! We got a nice ride all around the lakes - saw a bit of Fansasmic, then parked right under the bridge for Illuminations. It was so fun! I think anyone would enjoy a special ride like that. When we left, we just took a cab back to AKL from the Yacht Club. It was so crowded, but we had a relaxing time.

I did hear Breathless was being fixed up or something, so it may not be available. But they have other types of cruises - ask them at AKL now. If you are interested. I think it was about $200 or so. Definitely worth it!

My kids enjoyed it also! They were about 4 and 6 at the time. We did wear life jackets, and it was a bit cool out on the water (we had light jackets on).

Back to the main topic, I can't wait to hear more about this magical trip!!!!

 

[CoP Luv]

Another great report! Too bad about the camera. I tend to lose things too...all the time. Right now, I am missing two chapsticks. Not a good sign for winter. DH says I have too much "stuff" and not enough places to put it. He has a pocket for everything...and it all goes into the same place every day. Impossible for him to ever lose anything. - If it doesn't fit...he doesn't need it. I don't think that will ever work for me.

 

[pmama]

On our last trip we parked the stroller too close to the Tikis and one spit in the stroller the whole time we were gone.

 

[shannn]

I spent the past few hours reading your first 2 TRs, and much of that time was spent with happy tears in my eyes. What a wonderful outlook on life you have! Your boys are truly beautiful, and it's obvious that you've taught them to see the magic in things just like you do. I truly believe that the positive you send into the world comes back to you threefold, and your family is absolutely an example of that!!

Edited 6 hours later when I'm all caught up! I just have to repeat myself that your family is gorgeous-- I could definitely gobble up that little nugget of yours. I have to admit though that I'm a bit partial to your Stitch. I love that little light of mischief in his eyes!

 

[jaycns]

What a bummer losing the camera, lucky you that you had just switched the memory cards out.

That was very good fortune! I would have been heartbroken if I had lost all of the photos. Things are fairly easy to replace, memories/pictures are not!

Jay, Jay, Jay....what is up with you losing or breaking things while on vacation???? Hmmm...you may need some help there...perhaps a PERSONAL photographer to tag along on all your AMAZING WDW adventures!!!!!!! One who would bring their own camera equipment and one who would keep this equipment a significant SAFE distance from one person in particular.....YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (heheheheheheheh)



Pick me...pick me...pick me!!!! Hahahahaha

Seriously though, loved the update, can't wait for the next part already!!!

I know, I have lost or broken a camera the past three trips to WDW! Dh says I must be doing it on purpose in order to get a new camera each year. I guess we all know who NOT to let hold your cameras...ME!

Loved the video of the boys being spit on!!

I can't believe you lost your camera but I'm so glad that you had that memory card!

Your TR and all of your pictures are making DD and I even more excited for our trip and at midnight tonight it will be :::: 8 DAYS!!!!

In one week...WDW! How fun! I was very happy that I had the waterproof camera I bought for swimming and snorkeling. Like last year (when I broke my good camera) having the water proof one saved the day!

What a fun day! Sorry that you lost your camera, but as you said, at least you were able to capture the first six days. CRT is beautiful inside We haven't been there in years....hmmm maybe next year! Oh and I loved the interior pictures of the yacht -- you could almost live there! Can't wait for more fun!

I could for sure live on that yacht! At least for a few weeks at a time! That is one of my "someday" vacation ideas. Us on a yacht sailing from island to island. AHHHH. That's my idea of great. However with dh being so motion sick, I may have to wait until the boys are older and take them for a graduation present or something.

Thanks for the POTC video! I loved hearing "we wants the redhead", being a redhead and all that's my favorite part!

That really stinks that you lost your camera! I'm assuming you checked with guest services to see if anyone turned it in? I'm so glad you had just changed out your memory card, I would have been mortified to loose all of the great pictures you had taken up to that point!

Looking forward to more!

The "We wants the redhead" pharse is why I recorded that part. I love it when they yell that out and find myself randomly thinking/saying it even back at home.

Yep, I checked with the WL lost and found as well as the central lost and found. It never turned up. Which turned out to be okay. I got another new camera out of the mix.

I'm so sorry about your camera but thank goodness you had switched cards!

Another lovely day, I still can't get over how good LP is

We were so happy that our LP loved being there so much. The thought of doing Disney with a fussy little guy in tow seems like it would be so much harder!

 

[jaycns]

Tsk, tsk... Losing a camera, Jay.
Oh well. We all do it at one time or another.
Actually, it reminds me of my mom on our trip to WDW. She kept a little steno pad with her at all times to write down prices/reciepts/tips/ etc... while we were there. We drove back to MCO and we realized once we got to security that she had left the notepad in the rental car and they throw everything in the car away after you leave.


What a great update. It sounds like you got some nice quality time with the LP. I'm surprised he's so well behaved on this trip. You generally hear horror stories about bringing an infant but he's the complete opposite. Have you fed him pixie dust, perchance, and that's why he's so cute?
Ok. I'm rambling now so I'd better just say I can't wait for your next installment. 6 days down, 11 to go.

Maybe we all do it at ONE time or another...I just seem to do it more often than most.

Your mom must have been so upset when she realized that all of that was lost. I know it would have bugged me for a long time.

Our littlest guy is a very mellow baby most of the time. The only thing that gets his dander up is being left alone. Since you don't just sit a baby down and walk away from them at WDW, he was in his own form of heaven...a place where he was never more than an arm's length from his family from sun up until sun down. He loved the attention from the characters and other CMs as well. He is a real people person.

I am currently working on the next update.

Hi, Jay! Stumbled upon this wonderful report this morning. I have so enjoyed it - and spent way too much time!

Wow - so far you have blown me away! The party with your friends is so awsome - I had goosebumps!

Side note: I know how hard bedrest is, did it twice myself. Thank God for your healthy kids (and mine). Also, my DS has asthma, and also has big problems when we travel. We did the Disney cruise in March (fun!) but he ended up so sick, in their clinic for treatments and steriods as well as antibiotics (lungs got so bad he had bronchitis on top of it, high fever too, missed out on a couple of days including Castaway Cay). Still he's asking to go again!!! We're buying a portable nebulizer for our upcoming trips. So I can totally relate to the cleaning issue - I am sorry that the room was beyond yucky. Also, food allergies, Disney is so great about.

I am curious - were you on free dining and upgraded, or you really splurged? I am wondering how much the lunch and cruise was - can you pm me? I am just being nosy - but maybe one day will plan something special for an anniversary.

Thanks so much for sharing this super trip with us all!

HELLO THERE! I am glad you 'stumbled' in! I had goosebumps over and over and over again when I was dreaming of my dream day. I was so happy when life was even better than all of those dreams.

I am sorry to hear that you were on bedrest. The time I spent on bedrest was very hard on me...but like you said...THANK GOODNESS for the healthy little ones we were blessed with at the end!

Make sure that you request a 'VIP' cleaning at any Disney entity (they did it for us on the cruise portion too). They really go all out (usually, our WL experience is NOT representative of the way things are normally handled) and try their hardest to allow those with breathing/allergy/immune issues to have the chance to enjoy their vacations just like everyone else.

Yes, we upgraded free dining (we are big fans of the free dining promotion!) to the deluxe dining plan. Having had it, I would not hesitate to pay for it next time though. Our family does a lot of sit downs and room service so it is a great fit for us.

WELCOME AGAIN!

Another wonderful day, Jay! I'm so sorry to hear about the camera. That is a relief you had just changed the memory card. Looking forward to hearing more!

I hope your autumn is going well. How are your little girls/guy doing? It was a BIG relief to have just changed that memory card out. One of these years, I am going to stop losing/breaking my cameras!

And the fun continues! The interior yacht shots were nice to see, great boat.
I'm so sorry you lost your camera! Major bummer but I am glad you had put in a different memory card so you didn't miss anything you had taken.
Those quiet moments to reflect on life's blessings are so sweet. I can just imagine how you felt while waiting for the guys to get back from BTMR.

For me, it's the small moments that really count. It took losing someone I loved to teach me to slow down and smell the roses. After paying such a high price, I know it is a lesson that I will never forget.

whew!! i just read the whole thing. now i am all caught up. what a great trip your family is having (even with the little annoying things). i love surprising my family with things like this too. though my surprises haven't been as big as yours. okay so here is your next task OBIE ONE OF SURPRISES! i am surprising my mom with a trip to AKL next year. she knows we are going to AKL but has no idea that i have booked concierge. i have been working with IPO on our ADRs but i need a really big surprise. any suggestions? it will just be my mom and unfortunately she isn't into spa treatments or anything like that so i am stumped. come on....i bet you have some great ideas.

I have SOOO many ideas. Seriously, I am addicted now to planning specail things at WDW (and here at home too). I don't know for sure they can do this...but I had a real flower lei/invitation to our dream day delivered to our friends at check in at the Poly...I bet that AKL could have a boquet of flowers or a favorite character stuffed animal or some African art or ???? something else ready to hand to your mom at check in. Maybe something like an African mask with a few flowers and a card?

You can ask them to shop for you in advance and surprise your mom throughout your trip with little gifts waiting back in the room.

AKL also has amazing edible goodies. My two favorites were the zebra cake we ordered as a surprise for our kids last year. The cake said "It's a boy!" and it's how they learned the sex of their sibling to be (our Little Prince). Another great item was a chocolate giraffe / chocolate dipped pretzel rods / chocolate AKL sign (even the holder was chocolate) / zebra striped chocolate covered strawberries. That platter totally rocked! You can ask to look at a booklet at the concierge desk. I bet the IPO could even fax you or scan the pictures in and email you the choices in advance.

If you can possibly work it in, the Wanyama Safari at AKL itself (a sunset safari on the grounds of AKL followed by dinner at Jiko) is worth every penny of it's cost...and then some. It was one of the most special things I have ever done at WDW (or anywhere). It is truly amazing.

Here is a link to my trip report from last year. It will give you some ideas for surprises at AKL hopefully! AKL is one of my very favorite places in the world! I wish you a very magical stay!

On our MK day we saw those tikis and I had forgotten what they did, there was a kid standing there, but nothing happened for about 30 seconds, so we just walked away. On our January trip, I'm so going to wait for them to spit! Too funny!

Sorry to hear about your camera! That is awful. We almost lost something on vacation too...that was an ordeal...you'll hear about it soon on my TR (thanks for the plug too! )



It looks like you still did have your camera here in your hand...maybe it was left on the table at CRT?

Like you said though, at least you didn't loose all those pics!

I had the camera after CRT (I remember taking more pictures). I am such a goof when it comes to cameras at WDW!

I am looking forward to reading more of your TR! Lil' Henry is cute as anything! I love seeing him seeing WDW for the first time!

Thank goodness you got the memory card! Sorry to hear about the camera.

Thanks for the sympathy...but I know it was all my own fault. Which makes it even worse.

Sorry, I know this is totally off the main topic (SUPER COOL trip report!) but, we stayed AKL concierge one year, and I wanted to do something special for my family. I like to do something different for DH each time, as he's not super into the whole Disney thing, but does have a great time when we go.

I asked if they could book me an Illuminations Cruise. Well, they did. New Years Eve. On Breathless. I didn't know what Breathless even was! Oh my - it was great! I bought a bottle of champagne at the gift shop at the Yacht Club, then the bartender loaned us a couple of glasses (he wasn't supposed to but did). I should have just brought some plastic ones. Anyway, we showed up at the dock, saw the cool pontoon boats, then the captain said there's Breathless - a Chriscraft (sp?) reproduction little wood beautiful boat! We got a nice ride all around the lakes - saw a bit of Fansasmic, then parked right under the bridge for Illuminations. It was so fun! I think anyone would enjoy a special ride like that. When we left, we just took a cab back to AKL from the Yacht Club. It was so crowded, but we had a relaxing time.

I did hear Breathless was being fixed up or something, so it may not be available. But they have other types of cruises - ask them at AKL now. If you are interested. I think it was about $200 or so. Definitely worth it!

My kids enjoyed it also! They were about 4 and 6 at the time. We did wear life jackets, and it was a bit cool out on the water (we had light jackets on).

Back to the main topic, I can't wait to hear more about this magical trip!!!!

I am planning on booking an Illuminations cruise on the Breathless very soon. Maybe even on our next trip! Thanks for the info!

Another great report! Too bad about the camera. I tend to lose things too...all the time. Right now, I am missing two chapsticks. Not a good sign for winter. DH says I have too much "stuff" and not enough places to put it. He has a pocket for everything...and it all goes into the same place every day. Impossible for him to ever lose anything. - If it doesn't fit...he doesn't need it. I don't think that will ever work for me.

I am laughing so hard it hurts! I should own stock in Chapstick. I lose mine almost daily (and I am addicted to the stuff, so I always have to have one). Dh says he cannot imagine how I can possiblly lose the amounts of stuff that I do lose. He is forever making fun of me for it.

On our last trip we parked the stroller too close to the Tikis and one spit in the stroller the whole time we were gone.

That is hilarious! Was it soaked by the time you got back to it?

I spent the past few hours reading your first 2 TRs, and much of that time was spent with happy tears in my eyes. What a wonderful outlook on life you have! Your boys are truly beautiful, and it's obvious that you've taught them to see the magic in things just like you do. I truly believe that the positive you send into the world comes back to you threefold, and your family is absolutely an example of that!!

Edited 6 hours later when I'm all caught up! I just have to repeat myself that your family is gorgeous-- I could definitely gobble up that little nugget of yours. I have to admit though that I'm a bit partial to your Stitch. I love that little light of mischief in his eyes!

Thank you! You are too sweet!! Welcome to my big fat trip report! I hope my boys do learn to find the magic in life...not just at WDW but everywhere. Life is too precious to waste overlooking the wonders and instead focusing on the oppisite.

Your comments put a huge smile on my face tonight. THANK YOU! And once again...WELCOME!

 

[mymainmouse]

Hi there. I've been lurking along through your trip report and I just wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed it. Your family is adorable (which I am sure you know ) and you have done such a great job of surprising them thus far in the trip. It is so sweet. I also appreciate how you have included your friends in the surprises. I can't wait to see what else you have in store for your family and friends.

 

[jaycns]

Day 6...An Evening Snack

By the time we made our way back to the WL, we were getting hungry again. I am so glad that calories consumed on vacation don't count!

We figured that since we had the extra credits (LOVE that deluxe dining plan! ) we would order up a snack.

We chose to have fruit with yogurt dip. It was simple but very good. The fruit was crisp and refreshing. It really hit the spot.

A cheese plate. I don't really have any in depth descriptions because I am not a lover of strong cheeses. Goofy was actually the person who wanted this ordered and also the only person to enjoy it. He is my little foodie. On our next vacation, I am thinking of taking him for a mom and me date at the chef's table at Victoria and Albert's. He will be old enough to dine there and the only other person in my family who would enjoy being there with me. Dh is much more of a steak and potatoes (hold the everything else) kind of guy.

We also had a carrot, celery and dip tray. We enjoyed that, but I didn't snap a picture of it since it was gone before I got the chance.

We also had some more of the tasty fried chicken wings with a sweet chili glaze.

Up next, southwest chicken soup. It wasn't my favorite soup ever, but it was hearty, filling and good.

The only main course we had was grilled tilapia (very good) with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Of course we were happy to see more of that great cornbread! That stuff was addictive!

And as promised earlier in my trip report, I did get a picture of the great dessert, the caramel apple pie! This was such a good dish! The thin slices of apple in the pie were delectable! The last time I baked a pie, I remembered this dessert and sliced my apples instead of cutting them into chunks. MMMMMM.

We also had another two pints of ice cream (one chocolate and one vanilla). We shared two slices of the above pie with half of our vanilla ice cream scooped on top. It was really good!

Here is the bottle of the water that we got when we ordered water with our meal. We were also given that same huge bottle of water when we asked for water to bring back to our room in the club lounge!

After we got the kids settled into bed, dh and I made our way out on to the balcony and sat talking late into the night. Sometime after midnight, dh broke into the chocolate ice cream and we enjoyed a second late night snack. Sitting out there with dh, a pint of chocolate Hagan Daas and two spoons was one of my favorite moments of the trip! For just a little while, it felt like we were back in college sitting outside talking in the middle of the night. Back then we sat there without a care in the world or any real responsibilities and our entire lives just waiting for us to start living them together. Although we now have more than a few "cares" to look after and a lot more than a few responsibilities, I got that same feeling of giddy anticipation of what life has in store for us together.

Lucky for us night owls, we didn't have an early morning planned for the next day.

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

[DisneyJo]

Although we now have more than a few "cares" to look after and a lot more than a few responsibilities, I got that same feeling of giddy anticipation of what life has in store for us together.

Awwww that sounds so beautiful and romantic, it's often the simple pleasures in life that are the best

 

[29apr00]

so sorry you lost the camera!! Oh my i'd be devasted!! so lucky that you had switched out the memory cards!!!

Sounds like a very wonderful evening!! I can't believe you got so much food with the snack credits!! Great score!

 

[jaycns]

Hi there. I've been lurking along through your trip report and I just wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed it. Your family is adorable (which I am sure you know ) and you have done such a great job of surprising them thus far in the trip. It is so sweet. I also appreciate how you have included your friends in the surprises. I can't wait to see what else you have in store for your family and friends.

Hello there! It's great to have you posting. The posts of others are a big part of the fun of writing a trip report, so...THANK YOU!

I had a few more surprises up my sleeve during this trip and we all had plans for a lot more fun!

Awwww that sounds so beautiful and romantic, it's often the simple pleasures in life that are the best

Hello Jo! YOU WILL BE A DISNEY MOM IN LESS DAYS THAN YOU HAVE FINGERS! How awesome! ENJOY ever nano second of it...and be ready to tell us all about it!

You are very right, the simplest pleasures in life aremost often the very best. I loved that moment because after dinner everry Sunday when we were dating in college we would start off our week by going to a local frozen custard stand (totally off topic, but frozen custard ROCKS it is so good and much tastier than ice cream, I wish we had it here) and getting a half pint to take back and share. We would sit out by the bluff along the shores of Lake Michigan listening to the waves crashing on the shore and seeing the seemingly unended water and cuddling each other eating the ice cream. Those memories are very dear to me...so sharing ice cream with dh out on the balcony really struck a sweet cord with me.

so sorry you lost the camera!! Oh my i'd be devasted!! so lucky that you had switched out the memory cards!!!

Sounds like a very wonderful evening!! I can't believe you got so much food with the snack credits!! Great score!

I guess I am getting used to breaking or losing cameras. How sad is that!

And although it was a snack to us, we didn't just use snack credits. Sorry for not being more clear. We used meal credits but they were good enough to let us substitue appetizers for two of our main courses. We used three meals worth of credits for that late night snack.
But it was still really worth it!

 

[jaycns]

Day 7...DVC Disney Vacation Club or Don't Value Clocks?

We all slept in this morning. All of us except Aladdin that is. When I woke up, I found him outside reading a book he had gotten while on vacation. What a great way to start a Disney day! Doesn't he look like the poster child for a relaxing vacation?!

I let the boys and dh hog the shower first while I joined Aladdin out on the balcony and we talked about our vacation (what had happened and what was to happen) and how his soccer team was doing this season. **Proud mom moment: Aladdin's select soccer team came in first place in the state at the highest level of competition. I am so excited for him and happy that he was able to have one of his own personal dreams (one that he has worked very hard for) come true. I am also happy that the season is over and he now only plays soccer twice a week! It's much easier on Mom's Taxi Service. **

By the time I was done showering and getting ready, I came out to find our Little Prince cuddled up in Aladdin's lap. The missing baby toy from our toy surprise had finally arrived and they were playing with it together. I love the following pictures. They really capture the special bond that our Aladdin and Little Prince share. And how cute is that Dumbo toy? I think it's adorable! And YES, that is a river flowing out of our LP's mouth! He was pouring forth buckets (almost ) every hour while he was teething!

We made our way up to the club lounge once again and feasted (or nibbled depending on the person) on the breakfast offerings. It is so relaxing to sit up in the peaceful lounge and look down on the bustling lobby below.

Once done with our breakfasts, we were ready to hit the road. A van was meeting us at 10:00 AM to drive us to our DVC informational meeting. When we walked out a few minutes before, he was waiting to drive us there. As we hopped on board, I crossed my fingers that dh would come to understand why we should buy into DVC. The big boys headed down to the lobby first so that I could snap a picture of them from up above.

We arrived at about 10:15 and they checked us in and offered us pastries, coffee, tea, water and juice. We took a pass on everything since we had just enjoyed breakfast in the club lounge back at the WL. We signed the three older boys into the kid's club there (sort of like any of the other Disney kid's clubs but free during the DVC tour and presentation). The club was for kid's ages 4 and up so we kept our LP with us.

We had planned on being back at the WL at about noon (they told us to leave two hours including travel time for the DVC presentation and tour). So as we sat down to wait, we didn't think we were going to need to eat again before it was time to head back for lunch.

We were WRONG! We waited. And waited and WAITED and W-A-I-T-E-D!! By the time we even led back to a meeting room it was almost 11:00. YES, we waited for forty-five minutes to even be led back to meet with someone. As annoying as that was, they had apologized and told us that they were really backed up because of the "Come in and see what it's all about and get $100 in gift cards" promotion. Being as we were interested in that as well, we cut them some slack (and really, they were so nice about it, it was hard to get upset).

We then sat for almost 35 minutes in a little meeting/sales room. YES, that would be 11:35 AM without us even talking to anyone other than the people that checked us in. I was mad. Not mad but happy to be at WDW but just plain mad. Our time is valuable. Our time on vacation is even more valuable. Sitting in a little room with NOTHING to do stinks at the doctor's office, knowing I could be home cooking or cleaning or running errands. I always get annoyed at long waits there. Sitting in a little room with NOTHING to do at WDW really rots. I was missing out on a lot more than cleaning or running errands. So, I walked out in search of someone to help us get our gift cards (we had already given them the full time they told us it would take) and give us our children back. The hallways were winding and I didn't make it back to the front desk, but I did see a CM who promised us that our sales rep would be in ASAP. I went back to the room (although it took me a few tries to find it) and who was there with dh but the missing sales rep. Now, he did apologize profusely and then he offered to give us the condensed version of the presentation/tour. So, we said fine, we were after all, there and I really did want dh to hear more about DVC in hopes that he would jump on board with my desire to buy into it.

As soon as we said fine, he said he needed to check on one thing and would be right back. ANOTHER HALF AN HOUR LATER...he comes back. We are fuming again at this point. I told him that if he left us again, we would not be there when he got back. He apologized again, give us a bunch of DVC trading pins (from AKV) and asked us if we could bear with him while he just stepped out to make one quick call. At this point dh and I said we would rather just leave. He apologized again and requested that we please stay. Dh surprised me and said fine (I would have much rather walked out at this point). By the time he was actually talking to us it was 12:30. By the time we left the meeting room (without buying) it was 1:45! That would be over an hour and a half AFTER we were thinking we would be back at the WL. UGH.

NO, we didn't buy into DVC. Being left to sit and sit and sit and sit is a BAD sales ploy. I understand that they were slammed but it was ridiculous. And that's what we told him when he asked us what we thought about the whole idea. We told him that although we would revisit the idea of DVC in the future, we definitely weren't interested in buying into right then. I felt badly for him, it wasn't his individual fault that they had overbooked his time and he had a couple purchasing that he was working with while trying to juggle us at the same time but the whole thing didn't lend itself toward rosy "I want to buy that" sort of feelings.

When we went to pick up our boys they hadn't missed us at all! They had loved the club and the only thing bugging them (and one of the things bugging us as well) was how hungry they were. They left the club with a handful of coloring pages and smiles on their faces. However, we were all starved. The small breakfast in the club lounge had been digested hours ago. The ice cream they offered us while we waited for the shuttle van to take us back to the WL hit the spot. Although it still didn't take the sting out of our wasted time.

We did however leave with $100 in Disney gift cards, six scoops of ice cream, six AKV trading pins and a small stuffed Mickey Mouse for our LP...which totally was NOT worth the time we wasted on vacation. We had spent over F-O-U-R hours of our day on something we thought would be done in just under half that time. By the time we got back to WL, we had missed our earlier lunch reservation at WCC. Lucky for us, they were able to squeeze us in for a late lunch.

We want to hear more about DVC in the future and I would still love to call WDW home, I think we just need to let the sting our our sales presentation wear off before we revisit that idea again.

But once again my belief that time is too precious to waste (no matter where I am but especially at WDW with my family) kicked in and I promptly made myself forget about our extended wait and focus on what fun could still be had during our day of relaxation. We had planned to have an earlier lunch, take a swim and then head out to play some mini golf before coming back to get ready for our Goofy's birthday dinner at the Wave. As it turns out, we didn't have time to do all of that, but we did still manage to have an awesome afternoon!

First up, we had our late lunch at the WCC. Once again, we had a lot of fun and got some good filling eats. We all chose to have the skillet for the second time. It was that good the first time! Here are the boys waiting for us to be called. More fun with Lincoln Logs! Something about being in a huge log structure makes playing with them even more fun than usual.

Our LP enjoys his own brand of lunch cocktail. Hee hee hee.

These two were happy to finally be eating!

Stitch really enjoyed eating his worms in dirt dessert! He really got into it!

To be continued...