1st Trip Home AKV Adding Pictures page 2

[khomer504]

Have a great tip! Just wanted to mention, we got these laundry drops at Walmart. They have a scent and dye-free version. They travel great!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10390036

 

[Oshawa]

I hope this works right this is my first posting.
I wanted to wish you a wonderful trip from a fellow Canadian!!
I am so jealous I wish we were going.
We just booked our first DVC trip at the Grand Californian for August. I am counting down the days.
We will soon be booking our second trip home to AKV for next January.
Have a magical trip and I can't wait to read your report.

 

[joech]

Our first trip will be booked on Jan 2nd. I'm going bonkers waiting. It will be our first Disney Xmas trip too!

It was seven months ago that we booked and I never thought we would be able to wait. I already dread the fact that we will have to come back to reality in January. I look back and the time really has gone by so fast.

This is our second Christmas trip and first NY trip so we are so excited. You will love it at Christmas. It is just so special to be at Disney at Christmas. They do a wonderful job at getting you into the spirit of it all. Plus, it is kind of nice to leave behind the busy, crazy Christmas shopping, baking, decorating, cooking, cooking, and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. The house is totally clean now and it will be nice to come home to it.

Maliki2, goodluck with all the planning. I've had so much fun reading and planning for this trip.

 

[joech]

I hope this works right this is my first posting.
I wanted to wish you a wonderful trip from a fellow Canadian!!
I am so jealous I wish we were going.
We just booked our first DVC trip at the Grand Californian for August. I am counting down the days.
We will soon be booking our second trip home to AKV for next January.
Have a magical trip and I can't wait to read your report.

Welcome to the dis (Dear Individuals So So Addicted to Disney)

How's your weather! Ours is crazy!!!
Where did you take the picture in your signature? My son would love to take a picture with the Incredibles.

 

[Oshawa]

Welcome to the dis (Dear Individuals So So Addicted to Disney)

How's your weather! Ours is crazy!!!
Where did you take the picture in your signature? My son would love to take a picture with the Incredibles.

We are getting another snow storm today. Third one in four days. We were at -22 with the wind. I think it is getting warmer or I am just frozen and can't feel the difference.

We had that picture taken at MGM (I am still not use to calling it Hollywood Studios). It was near the Imagineering building. Frozone was there too. My boys loved it.

 

[SamSam]

I just wanted to add that the washers and dryers in the laundry room look like you need to put coins in but you don't need to. At least, the old ones were like that, they have some new machines and I'm really not sure about them.

 

[joech]

Good to know about the laundry facilities. The DH and kids helped me pack yesterday and it took me a long time. I always overpack and say next time... and I just overpack again. This time I vowed to change. So we were all packed up as of yesterday and the DH says "Your are NOT going to stuff the outside pockets with stuff you forgot are you!!!" Of course I said NO SILLY!!! (Today I already stuffed in the glow sticks, my daughters exzema soap, and I better not tell you the rest because he will end up reading this too! ) I just hate the thought of forgetting something and having to pay an obscene amount for it.

Anyways, my DH bought the maple syrup that we are giving to the three CM's and Debbi (manager of the Coral Reef that sets up the diver signs and specialized menus) that were so so awesome to us the last time. I sure hope that they are still working at DW.

I know that I am a little under an hour short of changing the thread title to one day left but I'm excited and I'm going to change it now before bed.

 

[joech]

The luggage is by the door and I'm just finishing the kids autograph books. They put stickers on pages and we put tags on the pages to match each character. Hopefully we will actually get signatures of all the charcters. My DH even got all his work done and came home early today and just went out to run the last errands for me.

We even did web check-in this morning which was so easy. We will never line up again to check in.

Now, we just pray that the weather stays good and our flight leaves as scheduled.

 

[joech]

Well, we have never travelled on Christmas day before and thought that we better leave three hours early because so many other flights to the east were getting cancelled. Ours was apparently on time, or so we thought. We fed the kids the only option of Harveys. (yuck in my mind) Someone needs to capitalize and open something good because they would get my business for sure. We get to the gate twenty minutes early and I hear the attendant say to the other. "Do we ask for volunteers or delay?" Well, they were short one flight attendant and needed 16 people off the plane or delay. They chose to delay for another 40 minutes. So we left at 12:50 instead. The kids were so good on the plane. Well, our DH is always good and we never worry about her. Well, our DS on the other hand just needs some food and seems to be in his terrible twos. They had drinks, snacks, drinks, snacks, more snacks, and both had a short nap.

We arrived at around 9:00 Orlando time and got our rental from Budget. We stuffed the full size car and realize that the back car seat doesn't work. He get another car, which seemed to be a luxury Kia and re-stuff the vehicle and we are off. Kids or so very excited at this point.

 

[joech]

We get to AKL and it truly feels like home (yes, I know a cheesy line but I think we are in love) It did seem like we never left and the kids were excited. Well, since we bought DVC in May and were expecting to travel Dec 27- Jan 4 Westjet of course changed our flights. In the end we needed to add two more days and change our reservation to only use the 220 incentive points that we were given. Ends up that our reservation is Dec 25 in a value studio, Dec 26-28 in a standard studio view and the remaining in a savannah view.
We go to our room which is 5026 and it is an obstructed pook view of the pool.

DS gets comfortable right away and take off his shoes like he was at home. They jump around the room and look outside. "No animals mommy" says ds. We already explained to DD that she would need to wait three days to see animals from our room. I tell DS that we can see animals and his response is "No see now!" I tell him that we are upstairs from the pool and the next response is "Me go swimming?" I have to give him the bad news that we need to go eat and will swim another day.

(Obstructed by a large tree with many many branches) We quickly take some pictures (I'll try to load later, too too tired to do it tonight. Plus DH says I need to be in bed by 11:00 tonight because I will burn out)

Head out to WPE at the Market Place (Our favorite counter service by far) Newly renovated and much larger then I expected. Had 2 Rotisserie Ckns and one kids Penne, with 2 creme brulees and one frozen strawberry yogurt. (New and yum yum) Dinner was great and we finished just when they closed at 11:00.
DS is waking up now so have to go. Update more later.

 

[joech]

Well my anal retentiveness habits of planning has be scheduling all of our ADR's six months in advance and just guessing what we should do. I base it on the EMM hours which we just love. We hope others just keep sleeping in. Oh, I forgot but we got our value studio room and I was celebrating in the hallways (DH thought I was but I then told him that we didn't get a parking lot view once I realized what side of the hallway our room was. We are facing the pool (hmmm, I think I may have already wrote this in last night post, I'll stop now) Anyways, it was very difficult getting up this morning. Since my husband hates getting up early (however, here at WDW he seems to get up pretty easily. set the wake up call for 6:00. I dragged myself out of bed while he took a shower) We got to MK for EMM hours at about 7:20 and found a park fairly empty. I guessed that the people must have been boxing day shopping. We took some pictures on the way to Fantasyland because last time all we had were pictures of sleeping children by the end of the night.

(Now that I am looking through pictures I really notice that there are no people in FantasyLand. Pays off to get up early and jump onto rides instead of lining up forever and getting grumpy)

We both vowed to do things better this time around.
I also notice that whenever we hand a photopass photographer our camera to take a picture they play with the lens and we end up with some blurry pictures. We took my DH's NikonD200 and my little Canonsd880.

We got to Fantasyland and started our morning. By the way. my DD was ecstatic and my DS was in shock. We lined up for Dumbo with about ten people in front of us. (yes I did say ten) Got on with the second group and had a great time. DD got a purple one and DS got his blue one (so infatuated with colors they are)(Yikes, sounds like Yoda is talking)

We moved easily onto the Carousel.

Of course DD and I go looking for Cinderella's horse and DS has to find one that looks like a boys one.

Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, and even lined up for autographs with Winnie and Tigger at my DS insistance.

We went into Toontown just as they opened before nine and went to Goofy's Brainstormer. My DS was freaked out on the ride but luckily did not cry.

We got off while DD and DH got to stay on and ride three times without getting off. (See, still not busy) We waited just in the area that people get off and walked back down to ToonTown. I saw two dream team CM's walk up and got butterflies in my stomach knowing that maybe DD and DH could win something. Well, the one answers his phone and tells the other that they are live. He asked me if I could walk behind him. I see DD and DH come around for the third time and wave for them to get off. My DH looks at me like I'm once again but gets off. He and DD got DREAM FASTPASSES. I give him the look and he asked the man if I could get one too. (The family in front of us actualy asked for two more sets for their family. He gives them two more and I asked if I could get one too. He says that DH has to ask him for one specifically) Anyways, that just made our day and we felt so lucky and special. Time to get the kids up now for EMM for AK. I'll try to finish day one tonight.

 

[Tinkerbellcrafter]

Awesome report....congrats on the Dream Fast Passes!! Did you get to use them? Have fun at your Hollywood and Vine Fantasmic Package! We did that on Dec 8th....

 

[tea pot]

Great thread and what a Great Disney Mom you are
Love the calendar
Looking forward to more..
Thanks a Bunch

 

[ccigliano]

Great trip report. Can't wait to read more. Calgary to Florida, your bones must still be thawing out. Enjoy the warm weather and the AKL villas. We are VWL owners but I do plan to stay at AKV and BLT, and BCV, and BWV one of these days as we've already stayed at OKW and SSR. Have fun!!

 

[PutnamDS]

We even did web check-in this morning which was so easy. We will never line up again to check in.

How do you do this? I didn't even realize you could check in online!! Guess I am way behind the times!

Deb

 

[joech]

Awesome report....congrats on the Dream Fast Passes!! Did you get to use them? Have fun at your Hollywood and Vine Fantasmic Package! We did that on Dec 8th....

We almost got to use all of them but the Big Thunder broke down while we were in line and two others we had fastpasses for already or went on the ride twice.
We are looking forward to Fantasmic except my DS is little bit of a chicken with loud noises. We'll see

 

[joech]

Great thread and what a Great Disney Mom you are
Love the calendar
Looking forward to more..
Thanks a Bunch

Not Great but definitely crazy! Wait till I post a picture of the kids autograph books. Another story I'll save for later when we get home.

Thanks for the nice comments though.

 

[joech]

Great trip report. Can't wait to read more. Calgary to Florida, your bones must still be thawing out. Enjoy the warm weather and the AKL villas. We are VWL owners but I do plan to stay at AKV and BLT, and BCV, and BWV one of these days as we've already stayed at OKW and SSR. Have fun!!

People don't actually believe us when we tell them that we came from -35 below. The weather is amazing here and of course I packed some of the wrong clothes.
We are currently booked for Kidani in July and just love this place.

Thanks and have a great new year to everyone!

 

[joech]

How do you do this? I didn't even realize you could check in online!! Guess I am way behind the times!

Deb

HI Deb,
I didn't know it could be done either.
On the website you go to web check-in. It asked us for our passport information and we were even able to change our seat selection. When we got to the airport we got into line with other that had pre checked-in and the line went so much faster. This will be our only way to travel and save time now.

 

[joech]

Okay, I'll try to update as much as possible but so so tired. I just don't want to fall behind.

So my original plan for first day in park was to only stay in MK for a couple of hours. Since we got the dream fastpasses we stayed longer to use them up.

Went on Buzz Lightyear once in ten minute wait in line and then used our dream FP. Got a pretzel with cream cheese snack for breakfast and slurpies.

Had a great time but Big Thunder broke down while we were in line. On our way to Jungle cruise I noticed a Photopass person standing and taking the Captain hook picture. DS was cranky and needed a nap and refused to do it. So my DD got the picture. We'll see if it works. After jungle cruise we wanted to head out to get to the Merry Mixer in time. Of course it was getting hot and I told DH that I would not leave Adventure land without a Dole Whip Float. When I post pictures you will not see one of the float because we ate them too fast.
We took some pictures at Beach Club before heading to the Merry mixer.

Got to the Merry mixer by 2:30 and lined up behind about 25 people. DD had fun making the crafts and dancing with Goofy and Mickey.

We had fun but have nothing else to compare it too. I know others have said that they didn't enjoy it. On our way out the CM did give one ornament to my husband and myself. I saw another family behind us get four (one for each family member)

Went to Sci-fi for the first time and DS and DD loved the place.

We ended up in a car near the kitchen (Which meant a little extra light) I see why people think it is too too dark in their.

Did take pictures of the food though and our CM Michael was really good and funny. We had Butcher steak, ribs, pasta, mac and cheese, and strawberry shakes. Took our desserts pack up. It was cheesecake with popcorn and mm's on top and mixed fruit.

Decided to go home and get the kids to bed early. DS fell asleep in the stroller by about 8:20 and slept until we woke him in the morning at 7:00. DD came back and watch Little Mermaid 2 for about ten minutes before crashing.