3 Generations Wandering the Wilderness from "Cabin" Camping to Club Level-FW & WL

[Sue M]

Wow! Up to your CR & monorail tour! I'm so glad we switched from Poly to GF!! The lobby looks so sad and with pool closing that was a deal breaker!
We did the same thing last Aug while at GF, and went over to CR CS for dinner. I agree, it was quite good. And Gaspys is so much more pleasant without the arcade in it! What were they thinking putting it inside the cs

 

[pas130]

We NEVER got the blueberry! It was only the apple and the berry/peach.

Can you imagine when ALL your kids are on the "adult" prices I'm kinda dreading those days. And your villa stay makes much more sense for your family...lots of extra room for y'all

No blueberry no Bueno..I liked apple too. And Maddie turns 10 this year NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO They eat enough as it is, one of the reasons I am sticking with the villa. So easy to fill them up for breakfast and then for late lunch/early dinner

And I can see that woman's face as you shot pics...you should have said you work for the DIS

 

[Sue M]

We loved looking around the stables too! Our last WL stay we did the FW Segway tour! So much fun.

 

[Sue M]

Marathon read, but all caught up!
When we stayed at GF last Aug we went to CR food court for dinner too. It is good!
Gaspys is so much pleasanter without arcade! Sad they took the lobster salad & lob mac&cheese off menu . But still decent food. I'm looking forward to the shrimp & grits at GF Cafe!!

CBR was our first wdw resort. We were in Jamaica, great location. I loved my morning walks across the bridge to get coffee! Some hidden nooks, and the landscaping is outstanding. My fav was the hammocks on the beach. Nothing like swaying in a hammock with a drink, with Palm trees overhead
Maybe we'll go back after room refurbs. But as you know POR is my fav mod.
CSR has never appealed.

WL new rooms look great. Although not too much change. A soft refurb. Same furniture.
Our second stay we had a dormer room on 6th floor. I have to say, I hated it. Room dark, and is really enjoy sitting on balcony, but not so much with just staring at a solid wall. We had a courtyard view to on north side. I liked being close to elevator down to Roaring Forks. Prob would have gone down to ask for a different room, but youngest daughter liked the balcony so I sucked it up.
I hear WL CL is fabulous, but would be a deal breaker for me.

Our last stay was also inner courtyard in south wing, with open balcony : loved it. We could watch EWP from balcony!

Did you get to be flag family? Also loved the Tour of The Lodge & exploring The Carolwood room in WLV!

Yup, I think it's time for a return for us!! Our last stay was just before the refurbs started. All the CMs were so excited!

 

[Sue M]

Subscribing

 

[hstrickland]

I love your early morning photo's of WL. One of my favorite things about your TR's is that you go on the early morning photo shoots and capture the resort while it's nice and quiet!

Thanks! It's lots of fun for me, and I love sharing the beauty of Disney with others.

Gorgeous pics of the resort! The balcony in your room is quite odd though. Definitely can't enjoy the view sitting down...

I have no clue what they're doing with the pool, are they making it bigger?

Shame on that weird lady! I hope she didn't bother you.

The balcony is weird, and the more I look at the pictures and the more I think about it...the more I really don't like it at all

As far as the pool, they're doing a refurb on the water fall. And they will be adding a kid's splash area where the kiddie pool is now. A much needed addition to the pool.

Yay thanks for the link! Just getting started reading! Can't believe how much the kids grew! Stephen seems to have shot up! Love the old pic of you with sister & mom. Faith looks so much like you!

Stephen is now almost as tall as me....however that's not saying much. I'm short Lots of people say Faith and I look a like. Stephen looks like Bill, and we aren't sure about Jesse

I am pretty new to disboard and am really looking forward to reading your trip report. We are staying at Cabins at FW, too, in mid September. We have 2 adults and 3 children, so I am looking forward to learning from you!

In your opinion, the 2200 Loop is the best spot? Any particular reason(s)?

Also, what time of year did you go?

to the DisBoards!!! You can find anything you need to know about Disney on these boards. They're great!!

We usually go to Disney in warmer months....always hot but not that big a deal. The reason we liked the 2200 loop is because of location. The 2100 and 2300 would be fine, too, because they are centrally located as well. We were only an 8 minute walk from the main pool and the movie/campfire area. If you check out the link in my signature, it will take you to the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground Thread...tons of info over there, too. You'll really enjoy the cabins simply because of the extra space. My children thoroughly enjoy their FW trips!! Lots to do there! If you have any questions feel free to ask here or over on the FW Thread

Up to campfire & Trails End! Last Aug we tried Trails End dinner, first time. We enjoyed it! I want to try the breakfast!
Your mom looks great! Would love to hear how she got MaHopie name! I'm sure there's a story there

Ya know, Sue...it just came to be...kind of. Her name is Hope, and for some reason, when Stephen began talking he started calling her "Lope" and then "Lopie". Mom said she could NOT be called "Lope" for the rest of her life, so we started making Stephen say "Hopie"....and then she became MaHopie

Wow! Up to your CR & monorail tour! I'm so glad we switched from Poly to GF!! The lobby looks so sad and with pool closing that was a deal breaker!
We did the same thing last Aug while at GF, and went over to CR CS for dinner. I agree, it was quite good. And Gaspys is so much more pleasant without the arcade in it! What were they thinking putting it inside the cs

A crazy sad mess at the Poly! Wait until you see it in person!!!

And yes....why would Disney ever put an arcade inside that quick service??!! Much better now!

No blueberry no Bueno..I liked apple too. And Maddie turns 10 this year NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO They eat enough as it is, one of the reasons I am sticking with the villa. So easy to fill them up for breakfast and then for late lunch/early dinner

Smart move, Pas. Villas might be your best option now that the kids are getting bigger. All the extra room will be really nice!

And I can see that woman's face as you shot pics...you should have said you work for the DIS

That'll work....the Dis Photographer!

We loved looking around the stables too! Our last WL stay we did the FW Segway tour! So much fun.

Ya know, I thought about this, but just didn't book it. Now I'm regretting it totally. Was it really good??? Did I miss too much?

But as you know POR is my fav mod.
CSR has never appealed.

Ours too! And like you, we've never had an inkling to try CSR...not saying it won't happen though. If the price is right...

WL new rooms look great. Although not too much change. A soft refurb. Same furniture.
Our second stay we had a dormer room on 6th floor. I have to say, I hated it. Room dark, and is really enjoy sitting on balcony, but not so much with just staring at a solid wall. We had a courtyard view to on north side. I liked being close to elevator down to Roaring Forks. Prob would have gone down to ask for a different room, but youngest daughter liked the balcony so I sucked it up.
I hear WL CL is fabulous, but would be a deal breaker for me.

Our last stay was also inner courtyard in south wing, with open balcony : loved it. We could watch EWP from balcony!

Did you get to be flag family? Also loved the Tour of The Lodge & exploring The Carolwood room in WLV!

Yup, I think it's time for a return for us!! Our last stay was just before the refurbs started. All the CMs were so excited!

Not crazy about that dark balcony at all. Didn't get to be the flag family. But then I didn't mention it to any CM either Think you might need to make a return visit Soon!

 

[amandaw]

I must say that I'm truly impressed with refurbed rooms @ WL! After seeing your pics, I'm REALLY wanting to stay there again.

Y'all were so close to the lounge! When we stated CL there, we were about as far away as possible.

Your early morning pics are lovely as ever. I especially love the shots of the lake.

 

[Sue M]

the FW Segway tour is so much fun. We booked the early morning one, an easy boat ride from WL to FW. But CM at WL concierge told us it was near the FW boat dock. Well, at that hour there aren't too many people around, I stopped at a few places asking. Turns out it moved. Had to take the internal bus!! We were the only ones on the tour. It was just me & Ashley, and 2 CMs . At first I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, lol. But in 10 minutes I was whipping around! Ashley caught on faster then me!!
They are off road segways, we had a blast. Saw some deer too.
We walked on the trail back to WL. Very nice.

 

[hstrickland]

I must say that I'm truly impressed with refurbed rooms @ WL! After seeing your pics, I'm REALLY wanting to stay there again.

Y'all were so close to the lounge! When we stated CL there, we were about as far away as possible.

Your early morning pics are lovely as ever. I especially love the shots of the lake.

Thanks

Next time, you'll have to request a room on our side...South wing...does that sound right? And I actually would have been ok on the other side of the hall, too. I think that looks at the villas.

the FW Segway tour is so much fun. We booked the early morning one, an easy boat ride from WL to FW. But CM at WL concierge told us it was near the FW boat dock. Well, at that hour there aren't too many people around, I stopped at a few places asking. Turns out it moved. Had to take the internal bus!! We were the only ones on the tour. It was just me & Ashley, and 2 CMs . At first I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, lol. But in 10 minutes I was whipping around! Ashley caught on faster then me!!
They are off road segways, we had a blast. Saw some deer too.
We walked on the trail back to WL. Very nice.

How lucky were you to have a "private" tour!!! I really should have done it. I'm totally regretting it now. I watched a group one afternoon as they were starting and having instructions. Next time for sure.

 

[hstrickland]

Day 6
Fun at the Magic Kingdom!
Part 1




Let me preface this by saying … we (I mean “I”) made some minor mistakes on the trip planning part of this expedition. For whatever reason, I didn’t have a good grasp on the whole FP+ thing.


Mistake #1 - When planning the trip, I planned most of our passes for the afternoon or night. Bad mistake if you like getting to the parks early.

Mistake #2 – I didn’t get a FP for Mine Train or Anna and Elsa. I know….stupid. But when I realized what I had done, all the FPs had vanished.

Mistake #3 – Thinking we could get to the park by Rope Drop and ride the Mine Train. Ha! Joke was on me.




Now, let’s continue.


We had a nice quiet breakfast at the CL lounge (pictures to come). Bill was given the lowdown on the espresso/cappuccino machine. We used this daily…sometimes 2 and 3 times.






We decided to take the boat. And just for your information….the boat takes a bit longer. Once the bus gets to the WL, it’s only a 5 minute ride to the MK. We found it to be much quicker, however the boats are much more scenic.







I tried my best to get a good family picture before heading to the MK. But, really?! What the heck?! Would you look at their faces? No cooperation whatsoever.











As we got closer to the dock, I start freaking out….not outwardly, of course. Check out the crowds!!! I’m dying. We’re always use to arriving way before the masses hit. The park wasn’t open, yet… but we only had 10 minutes.












We had the delusional idea that we were going to sprint back to the Mine Train and ride. Whatever!



Check out Bill’s video…(click on the link)

Video 1


Since we couldn’t ride… might as well get pictures of the castle, right? Unbelievable that the line was so long. Never will I ever stand in line for 2 hours... for - get - it!







Last year, I gave Bill a GoPro camera for Father’s Day. This year, he purchased a head strap that the camera attaches to. It’s quite lovely…







One would think that Bill’s on a coal mining expedition. I believe he purchased this contraption just to embarrass me. He walked down Main Street with this device on his head.



Moving right along to Under the Sea…










Since there was no wait, Faith wanted to see Ariel.







Even Stephen got in on the action! Although a little standoffish…







Jesse would have no part of it!







We rode several rides before heading over to Peter Pan. Do you see these unhappy faces??? Excluding the photo bomber in the back…






It was because of the horrendous wait!!! Not really horrendous – I’m exaggerating. We aren’t use to waiting for more than 30 minutes on a ride, and we had already been in line 35 minutes…and waited another 10 before getting on the ride. Once again, my touring plan was not panning out.



Heading over to the Haunted Mansion…










Since our first FP was between 11:30-12:30, we wanted to have an early lunch and beat the crowds. My dear friend Erin (DisneyDoc5) recommended this restaurant last year when we were at Disney for Christmas.






And it was a hit for our family!




Fish n Chips…





Notice the cobbler like dish in the corner of the picture. Don’t bother wasting your money. Wasn’t good…nothing like the cobbler at the WL!!!




The Lobster Roll….





We enjoyed all with the exception of the apple cobbler.




Continued to next post…



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[hstrickland]

Continued from previous post...



Day 6
Fun at the Magic Kingdom!
Part 2



Lunch was good, now it was time for our favorite ride….Splash Mountain!!!



Once again, the Coal Miner was ready for action ….















Bill videoed the big drop, but his camera was titled too far up….so no good. He did however capture the after effects.




Video 2




I couldn't believe he actually removed the device from his forehead. Now he says he needs a monopod for the GoPro so it will be easier to hold.




And would you look at this ridiculous shot?!! Really, Bill??! That’s almost obnoxious. I am in the picture….just hidden by the arm.







On to Thunder Mountain…. Dad captured this fantastic shot (sarcastically stated). Photo bombers strike once again. Bill was out of control on this particular day.







The 3rd FP was for Space Mountain. As we trekked across the hot park, we captured another picture of the castle.







We lost mom for a brief moment. But then found her snapping pictures of this nice family







And here’s more construction at WDW….







By the time we ventured over to Space Mountain, it was down!! REALLY?! Now what? We asked several CMs what we could do since we had FPs. We received several different answers. One of the CMs said we could ride anything, another said we could come back when the ride reopened even if our time had expired, and the third CM said those other 2 options didn’t sound right. Hmmmm…. Mom took it open herself and got in the FP line with Faith and Jesse at Buzz Lightyear while I waited in the kiosk line. They got on the ride without FPs!











Space Mountain was going to be down for a while. We decided to head back to the WL, but not before seeing Mickey Mouse...the talking Mouse.
















On our way back via the boat. You can’t tell by the picture, but the rain clouds are moving in!


Even with the crowds, we really did get lots done....maybe not in the order I wanted....but plenty.







By the time we arrived….








Torrential downpours!!! Thank goodness we had the CL lounge to enjoy a few drinks and check emails on the laptops.





So…. The next time we plan a trip to WDW, we’ll definitely be getting FPs for the 'hard to get rides' first thing in the morning. Then, after all 3 have been used, we’ll be able to get more!





Up next….. Dinner at Ohana!





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[ProudMommyof2]

Ok, I get why you hated Bill wearing the GoPro. But it really made me smile, especially the Splash ride photo! He looks like a hoot!

 

[disneyquilter]

Watching your husband with his coal miner GoPro was cracking me up My husband would do the same thing and be just as obnoxious with it. Thanks for the head's up on the FP+. I was going to do exactly what you did and make all my FP reservations for the afternoon/evening. Once again, the OFC will work out fabulous for us if there is rain. Enjoying the rain with a drink, indoors, sounds fantastic!

 

[FancyNancy]

Oh my goodness Bill was out of control! What came over him? LOL

Looks like you had a good MK day even if it didn't go exactly as planned.

 

[kastoney]

Woohoo you're finally in the parks! Can't believe mine train was a 2 hour wait at rope drop. Crazy. Glad we got a couple of FPs for our September trip.

Love the hubby's camera gear. I must never show this TR to my husband or he will have one prominently displayed as well. I think sometimes their primary mission in life is to embarrass their long suffering wives ; )

 

[Wood Nymph]

Even though the bus to/from MK was faster, we always took the boat. It was so much nicer. One of the few times we took the bus they had to load an ECV first. It took the CM forever to load it.

Back when fp+ first came out, and when only resort guests were able to schedule fp+, it seemed like getting the fp's a little later in the day was the best plan. But now that you can get more fp's after the first three are used, it seems to work better to schedule them early in the day. The one thing that remains the same, as far as the fp suggestions go, is to make sure you have a fp for your must do rides.

We've seen Peter Pan get long lines first thing in the morning on all three of our past trips - last December, January and March. I'm not sure why it is so wildly popular, but it has become a fp ride now. Actually, 35 minutes in standby wasn't too bad for Peter Pan, The crowds must have been in the Seven Dwarfs line.

I love the pictures of Faith, Jesse and your parents with talking Mickey.

 

[Pinkocto]

Bill looks like he's having tons of fun at MK with his beloved family!


You still got a lot done! Glad you had the CL to enjoy, and that you weren't caught in the rain.

 

[hstrickland]

Ok, I get why you hated Bill wearing the GoPro. But it really made me smile, especially the Splash ride photo! He looks like a hoot!

Glad you got a laugh Anything to embarrass me!

Y'all are at HHI, right?! It's raining here today? How's the weather there?

Watching your husband with his coal miner GoPro was cracking me up My husband would do the same thing and be just as obnoxious with it. Thanks for the head's up on the FP+. I was going to do exactly what you did and make all my FP reservations for the afternoon/evening. Once again, the OFC will work out fabulous for us if there is rain. Enjoying the rain with a drink, indoors, sounds fantastic!

Well go ahead and buy the hubby a GoPro for Christmas so he can join in on the fun


The lounge was awesome. In fact it was really great when Loyda (one of the CMs) showed me an outlet that I could use for my laptop. There were several days that it rained in the afternoon, and we grabbed one of the tables by the window....watched the rain, had a drink, and uploaded pictures on the computer. Life was good!

Oh my goodness Bill was out of control! What came over him? LOL

Looks like you had a good MK day even if it didn't go exactly as planned.

I always love MK even when it's crowded.

When in public, Bill takes every available opportunity to embarrass me. For example, if we're at Target, and he picks me up at the entrance, I'll try to get in the vehicle and he pulls forward....I make another attempt, and he pulls forward again. As you can imagine, people always get a laugh. Me?? Not so much...

Woohoo you're finally in the parks! Can't believe mine train was a 2 hour wait at rope drop. Crazy. Glad we got a couple of FPs for our September trip.

I had delusions when I originally started planning this trip. I was going to get there early and ride the Mine Train (no FP) and use the FPs for other stuff. Dumb!! Be glad you snagged two!!! How about the Anna and Elsa meet and greet was up to 240 minutes at one point!! Got a picture to prove it. Absolutely ridiculous.

Love the hubby's camera gear. I must never show this TR to my husband or he will have one prominently displayed as well. I think sometimes their primary mission in life is to embarrass their long suffering wives ; )

I concur!! Read my reply above to FancyNancy....and that's just one example.

Even though the bus to/from MK was faster, we always took the boat. It was so much nicer. One of the few times we took the bus they had to load an ECV first. It took the CM forever to load it.

We prefer the boat, also. Much better. And oh geez....those ECVs can take a long time. We had a similar experience at POR...but had 2 to wait on.
The CMs do seem to take forever, like they have all the time in the world.

Back when fp+ first came out, and when only resort guests were able to schedule fp+, it seemed like getting the fp's a little later in the day was the best plan. But now that you can get more fp's after the first three are used, it seems to work better to schedule them early in the day. The one thing that remains the same, as far as the fp suggestions go, is to make sure you have a fp for your must do rides.

One would think that as much time as I spend on the Dis, I would have known this I was clueless! Much better to use them quickly and get more.

We've seen Peter Pan get long lines first thing in the morning on all three of our past trips - last December, January and March. I'm not sure why it is so wildly possible, but it has become a fp ride now. Actually, 35 minutes in standby wasn't too bad for Peter Pan, The crowds must have been in the Seven Dwarfs line.

You're totally right...35 minutes isn't long. But compared to what we usually do it seemed like an eternity. And once again, I KNOW that this ride gets crowded. Not sure why I waited to ride it.

I love the pictures of Faith, Jesse and your parents with talking Mickey.

Last Christmas was the first time we saw the "talking" Mickey, and we had no idea when we went in that he actually spoke. Our jaws dropped when he started speaking. Almost strange....but cool. Is this the only character that talks like this???

Bill looks like he's having tons of fun at MK with his beloved family!


You still got a lot done! Glad you had the CL to enjoy, and that you weren't caught in the rain.

While it always rains in Florida, these afternoon showers weren't showers...they were thunderstorms!! With lots of lightening. Fortunately it didn't hinder our park visits (with the exception of DHS).

 

[hstrickland]

Day 6
Dinner at Ohana
Part 1





"Ohana means family!" One of our favorite places to dine.




(forgot to get a shot of the sign so I’m using an old pic)





Before we left for the Poly, we did take advantage of the CL offerings. Since it opens at 5, we couldn’t pass up a few appetizers. We weren’t going to have dinner until 8ish, so this worked out perfectly!



Since the skies were still gray, we decided to take the bus to the MK then hop on the monorail to the Poly.



Saige decided to join us for dinner…










As you know, we’re all about family photos. You can never have too many







Luckily it wasn’t pouring when we transferred from the bus to the monorail. Running in a dress would not have been fun for me!






Even as an adult, I still get a little excited to see the monorail.







No more messy construction photos of the Poly ….instead, dad got shots of the future resort. Really looking forward to a stay here once all refurbishments are complete.











Now…can you really go to the Poly and not have one of these little treats??!!






But be warned….a Lapu Lapu will sneak up on ya!



Our dinner ressie was set for 8pm, but we arrived early hoping to get seated. We wanted to make sure we were done by 10 – Wishes on the beach!!!


Surprisingly, it wasn’t crowded at all. Where were all the people??? We were seated in the middle of the restaurant which was a perfect location for the activities. And, our server was outstanding! He had such a fun personality and laughed at all dad’s corny jokes.








Speaking of corny and silly…..dad and I do these kind of shots from time to time. No reason why. Just because.







More family moments….







Check out the photo bomber in the pic! He was cracking me up!















This lovely lady was a great hostess with a beautiful smile….very easy to listen to her sing and talk to the guests.








Continued to the next post….




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[hstrickland]

Continued from previous post...



Day 6
Dinner at Ohana
Part 2




Now for some food pics…


First, we start with the bread and salad….both of which is outstanding.








Followed by one of my favorites….Pot Stickers.







And then there’s more…








If you can’t get enough to eat here, I don’t know what to tell ya….



While we were dining, I roamed around the restaurant snapping pictures (big shock, right?)


















Very cool to see them cooking the meat over the open fire.









When I returned to the table, there was grilled shrimp waiting of me!









During dinner, Ohana always has the coconut races for the kids! Fun for everyone!









And notice the lei! We were given an overabundance these....tons!








So what do you do with 15 of these things???








Don’t’ think I would forget to post a picture of my most favorite thing at Ohana….the Bread Pudding!!!







As my dear granddaddy use to say so many years ago, “That’s so good it’d make a tadpole slap a whale!!” Now that’s good, folks!!!



Look at Stephen’s face carefully. This is what you call an expression of gluttony. He was literally almost sick from all the food he gorged on.







The food just boosted the energy level in these two!











We moseyed outside to get a chair for the fireworks while Stephen sat inside in one of the more comfortable chairs trying to recuperate. Pop brought his tripod to get some shots of Wishes. And he got quite a few!











The fireworks were beautiful as usual; unfortunately it was very hard to hear the music. And when the music can’t be heard, Wishes just isn’t the same.



We headed over to the boat dock to make our way back to the MK.






Unbeknownst to me, Jesse had rearranged his “man purse” (aka pin bag) and leis. Not exactly sure what look he was going for….







….but it wasn’t working.










Up next… A Club Level Review!!!!




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