*4/5/05--UPDATED:2/06/05-2/10/05--First stay at WL--MORE PICTURES!!!!

[aesalsa]

WELL, HERE IT GOES (VERY LONG START):

CAST:
ME: (aesalsa/Erika)
DH: (Cutie/John)

WE stayed up all night that Saturday, Feb. 5, partly for packing/preparation purposes and a lot for EXCITEMENT. As I was sitting on my bed checking off all the items on my packing list, I kept thinking to myself, "I can't believe that in less than a day I will be at WL and WDW!!!!!"

Our friend drove us to the airport at 3:40 AM for our 5:20 flight, connection on Atlanta. Flights were nice.

We arrived in Orlando at about 10:45 EST, and Andy from FL Tours was waiting for us--he told us that he thought we were supposed to be arriving an hour sooner; I showed him my copy of the confirmation email that he sent: "ARRIVAL: 10:45 AM". He said, everything was okay---I should have taken that bit of confusion a little bit more seriously due to what happened at the end of our trip. ANYWAY, we made a short grocery stop to pick up some Coke and snacks.

Then we arrived at the Wilderness Lodge--I literally stopped breathing, and I could feel my heart skip a beat as we pulled up at about noon. I STILL couldn't believe that we were ACTUALLY going to be staying at this magnificent resort. We were quickly greeted by a CM wishing to take care of our bags and store them---she stated that our rooms would probably not be ready right away. So we took our park supplies (my DIS fanny pack, HIS back pack, camera, etc.), and I headed to check in while DH took care of tipping and such. There were A LOT of people checking in that afternoon---I didn't mind; I just soaked in every second of being at the Lodge--I looked at the totem poles, listened to that great, dramatic "lodge" music, and breathed in that "Disney" smell (it DOES have a distinct smell, you know, for DH and me ).

The CMs that were checking guests in were working so hard and being very patient with everyone, so when my turn came up, I decided that I wasn't going to hint at getting an upgrade (we booked a Woods View/MK view, requested 6th floor Lobby)--I really didn't want to put more stress on them, poor guys, and besides, once I entered the doors, I didn't care what view we received, we were THERE!!

Well the guest who preceded me obviosly was, how shall I say, somewhat of a pain in the a** to this CM, so I was a bit worried when I stepped up, but completely over-joyed. She greeted me with a friendly "WELCOME HOME!" I greeted her and told her that this was our first stay at A Disney resort and that we were checking in, we chit-chatted a bit, and I gave her my AMEX card. At this point my DH returned and couldn't wait to hit the parks--he was so cute. The CM, Jackie I believe, kindly asked us if we had another credit card. My heart sank, but I knew there couldn't be a problem with our card. She said sweetly that with AMEX cards, they take a long time to approve and that another one would probably yield a quicker transaction. But she quickly added that she would gladly run that one, but it would take a while. At first we said "Please try", and then I quickly said, "Wait!" when I saw how many people were waiting behind us.

**THIS IS LEADING SOMEWHERE**

I told her that I had a Visa, and that she could run that one, although I was not sure of the balance on it, and we didn't want to keep the guests behind us waiting any longer than they had to, we were just in their shoes!! Jackie looked relieved and said "Thank You!" with a smile. Then she said how sweet we were. She said that she had a MK view facing the otter pond--there were no Lobby rooms available right now. We said we'd take it! She then gave us our keys and the folder. I just kept thanking her for her patience and kindess with us. She then told us to hurry up give back the cards. She said "You all deserve an upgrade--HOLD ON!"" I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT--I WAS WALKING ON AIR . She said that we would like this view much better, and then she showed us on the map of the lodge where our room was located,: 5th floor, at the very end of the south wing with an unobstructed view of Bay Lake. She said it was very secluded and romantic.

We headed to the elevators, and I told DH to rub Humphrey's nose so that the Magic could could continue. He looked at me kind of funny, and with a huge grin, he joined me in rubbing the ol' bear's nose-- a dream come true in itself!!! I could hardly contain myself, and DH was just beaming! I wanted to explode in the elavator, but someone else was sharing it with us. As soon as she got off, I excitedly squealed to my DH, "The Disney Magic has already started!!! I can't believe it!!!

**MORE TO COME **

 

[msudawgs30]

I can't wait to hear more!

 

[dixipixi]

Hi!

Thanks for the wonderful report! We are staying at the WL in June. It will be our first time there and it is great to hear such a glowing report. I have stayed on site before but my DH never has

I'm a little nervous about staying on site because I want to prove to DH that it is well worth it. Your report puts me at ease on that account - so THANK YOU!

 

[pooksma]

Looking forward to hearing more

 

[CindyD]

Erika,
I was there same time same place. How did I not recognize you from your
pic???? We also received an upgrade!!!! Cannot wait to hear the rest of
your report and I know everyone on the WL thread has been asking about
you!!! Looking forward to the rest of your report and I wonder how you found the crowds to be. CindyD

 

[caitycaity]

i can hardly wait to read more. we'll be staying at the wl for the first time in may.

 

[wirki]

I am so glad that your trip started out Magical.
I can not wait to read more. Just reading your report about WL brought a tear to my eye.
Debbie

 

[aesalsa]

Dh and I stopped on the 5th floor. We walked, made a few twists and turns, and walked down about 2 long, long hallways----man, we thought, this view better be worth this expedition; we were already a bit tired from the walk! We made a final left and we were there: Room 5167! One of 4 on that floor with that unobstructed lake view. I put the key in the key in a few times before I realized I was doing it backwards (this is what I get for being gitty).

I must admit, with some reports I've read, I planned our stay with the concern that these rooms my be tiny--we're used to staying in at least 400 sq. ft. spaces. With the size being one of our primary concerns, I was so relieved to open our doors and to find the room very comfortable for the two of us. Room 5167 was bright and very clean . Two queen beds were perfectly made, and I noticed that the carpet looked brand-new! I just stood in the middle of the room staring at everything, wide-eyed--it was really a dream come true for me. I told my DH that I wouldn't believe we were staying here until we actually slept in the beds; I also gave him a ton of kisses for helping make one of my dreams come true . After that little interlude, I quickly called Housekeeping to request a frige and turn-down for the duration of our stay---I wanted to enjoy that little (free) splurge having never experienced that before . I placed one of my Tip envelopes on the pillow, and DH and I headed to our balcony. WOW!!! Absolutely beautiful. The lake was was right there. We could see Teton Boat Rentals, the beach, Trout Pass Bar, the boat launch dock, and the geyser!!! If we bent over a little and looked to the left, we could see part of the children's pooland room 5166, too. We noticed that the old Discovery Island was right there in front of us on the lake, and some strange, gangly tree about 75 feet to the right of the island. We discovered this peculiar tree's secret the last day of our stay.

Everything was so magical already---it really was. At about 1:30, DH was bugging me to move my butt so that we can head to our first park---EPCOT!!!

**This is all just the first day--more to come**

 

[ktink]

I'm so glad you had such a wonderful trip. But the anticipation is killing me. Tell me more, Tell me more! Our first trip to WL will be this September and I can't wait. I'm hoping for an upgrade too!

 

[wirki]

I can not believe how close you were to us. We were in room 5163.
Looking forward to reading more!!
Debbie

 

[aesalsa]

I can not believe how close you were to us. We were in room 5163.
Looking forward to reading more!!
Debbie

Did you happen to have a six pack of 8 oz. Cokes outside your door on the 10th of Feb.? As we had to check out that morning and had no where to put those drinks, we decided to sprinkle a little of our pixie dust on some other guests.

 

[aesalsa]

DH and I took one more look at our fabulous room before heading to one of our favorite parks--EPCOT. We stopped at one of the vending machines and grabbed some M&Ms and Snickers (A.K.A Power Food) to fuel up after our hike to the room. We headed straight for the bus stop and waited no more than 10 minutes for the bus. It was very sunny and mild outside while we were waiting; we admired the butterfly bushes and a cute,tawny bunny hiding off a path nearby.

The bus ride was enjoyable and uncrowded--a good sign for us! In no time we were there in front of EPCOT. We jogged over to the turnstiles--this was my first opportunity to try our the new biometeric sysyem in place for the MYW ticket--I bought a 10-day Park Hopper with No Experation and DH used some left-over ones we had from our last trip in October 2003. The process went off smoothly for me, although there were some people to right of us who were confused about the finger procedure. I just thought to myself, "I am so glad I am hooked on the DIS---it prepared me for this situation!"

When we got there, there was no line again. EPCOT had just enough people to feel like we were all sharing some Disney magic, if that makes any sense.

We headed straight for Spaceship Earth; DH hesitantly but pleasantly followed me up the ramps---ABSOLUTELY NO LINE. We walked straight on. I love this ride, and if I don't do this ride first in EPCOT, I feel like I'm cheating myself out of the WDW experience somehow. DH says it's a great place to smooch or take a nap; this trip he opted for the nap.

We then raced to M:S for a Fast Pass. . This was our second experience with this attraction---last time I felt terrible afterwards, not usual for me. This time, although I loved it, it felt like it could have been more intense. DH loved it the first time and was convinced that "they took the edge off the ride." One of the bus drivers later in our trip confirmed this assessment: M:S went from 4 Gs to 2.5 Gs because of all the sicknesses on the attraction.

We walked right into Energy Adventure. Again I loved it, and DH took a nice nap about a quarter through it. I hoped that the Wonders of Life Pavillion would be open since neither DH nor I have entered it before. It was closed. We then ran to the Electric Umbrella for a quick snack of chicken fingers and french fries to hold us over until our PS at Restaurant Marrakesh at 6:15. We decided to eat out on the patio area, which we shared with a father and young daughter two tables away, and THOSE BIRDS. You know the ones I'm talking about. They have a lot of squawk and no fear. As we're munching our deep-fried finger food, we were entertained by an EPCOT "Flight of Wonder": the father and daughter are vigorously looking for something in his camera pack/back pack, their food is laying unprotected on the table behind them. All of a sudden. . .SWOOP-SWOOP!!! One of thos flying rats swishes over their ususpecting heads and steals some french fries--twice!! We alerted rightful owners to the crime, and they looked at us kind of strangely. They quietly thanked as we started walking over to the Living Seas after finding out that Test Track was experienceing "technical difficulty".

While we're walking speedily over, we noyiced the construction going on at The Land. No more fountains. And No Land this trip. DH was Majorly bummed: he LOVED Living with the Land. The Living Seas was very nice, although the ride portion that I remember of it isn't there anymoreDidn't do the Crush thing. I guess we spent about 45 minutes there. While there was a scheduled feeding going on at the big tanks, we saw a different type of feeding. My DH directed my attention to a huge rock on the bottom of the . "But that's not a rock, " he said, "It's a turtle." It sure was--a big one with a lot of fish swimming around it. As we were about to move on, that turtle stretched out its neck and snapped in a blink of an eye; he caught a large fish, and it appeared to try to escape even though a quarter of its body was gone already. That was one of the coolest, and grossest, live things I've ever seen. The circle of life is a beautiful thing to witness when you're at WDW.

Well that got us started thinking about dinner. It was only 4:30, so we checked out Canada, Great Britain, and France to help pass the time. This is our favorite activity in EPCOT, just enjoying the ambience in each of the countries and checking out the neat shops.

5:30 rolls around, so we decide to try to get seated early at Marrakesh. We did. DH and I were really looking forward to this meal; it's gotten great reviews here on the boards, and it was a new place to try. Well, I thought that the food wasn't as exotic as I expected and craved, and DH said he would never want to try this place again. I ordered the Night in Casablanca, I think, and DH ordered a meal with salmon (dry), shrimp (palin), and some other seafood tidbit. Mine was better than his, so we shared my lamb shank. The quality of the food was great (freshness), but the flavors were lacking. On a brighter note, we both enjoyed that talents of the belly dancer: she was great!!! I'd love to learn to move like that !

After the disappointing dinner, we explored Morrocco, Japan (DH's fav), and ate dessert in France. At 8:15 we staked out a spot for IllumiNations: we were right near the lagoon across from Italy. . .best spot we ever had! No one there in the park to compete for prime viewing areas. Lte me say that I really never enjoyed this show as much as others, but being at that location changed my mind! It was so magical. . .the music, the globe, the fireworks, the lasers, and being there with my Cutie, hugging me from behind. . .what a perfect first day!!

We slowly walked to the front of the park and enjoyed the sounds and sights of EPCOT at night. Our bus wisked us away to our lodge and wonderful lake view. When we arrived in our room, our refrigerator was there under the left sink, and our bed was turned down beautifully, complete with a Native American "words of wisdom" card, WL mint chocolates, and a towel doll!! We called for our luggage to be brought up, enjoyed our view of the lake, and slept like babies in that very, very comfortable bed. Completely and truly magical, and we still have four days left.

** More to come. . .hopefully before next weekend **

 

[wirki]

Did you happen to have a six pack of 8 oz. Cokes outside your door on the 10th of Feb.? As we had to check out that morning and had no where to put those drinks, we decided to sprinkle a little of our pixie dust on some other guests.

We did not but saw it sitting across the hall from us and wondered about it. How funny!!

Debbie

 

[agotta]

You sound like you had so much fun! What a beautiful bride!!!

Amanda

 

[aesalsa]

I'm so happy that I'm giving good feelings to those who are a little worried about the Lodge. It seems that every nook and cranny in that place is stunning!

As I'm writing, I'm reliving my trip. . .wish I could do it all again starting NOW!

DEBBIE--Too bad it wasn't y'all!! But how crazy is that! I was sleeping that close to a DISer and never met one during our trip.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Erika

Up early booking a Illuminations Cruise for our May Trip.... I got the cruise on the first try...tomorrow a.m. I'm going to try for breakfast PS for CRT. Saw your post and had to jump over here to read the reports, great report can't wait to read more.

Beckie

 

[exwdwcm]

I'm so happy that I'm giving good feelings to those who are a little worried about the Lodge. It seems that every nook and cranny in that place is stunning!

As I'm writing, I'm reliving my trip. . .wish I could do it all again starting NOW!

DEBBIE--Too bad it wasn't y'all!! But how crazy is that! I was sleeping that close to a DISer and never met one during our trip.

really enjoying your report and wish to stay at the WL sometime too! we spent a great night visiting with an old roommate of mine that still works at disney- we sat upstairs on the second floor near some fireplaces in a great sitting area and talked for hours- there are some great nooks/crannies and sitting areas to just relax at WL. keep up the report, can't wait to hear about the rest of your stay!

 

[aesalsa]

Erika

Up early booking a Illuminations Cruise for our May Trip.... I got the cruise on the first try...tomorrow a.m. I'm going to try for breakfast PS for CRT. Saw your post and had to jump over here to read the reports, great report can't wait to read more.

Beckie

Congrats, Beckie!!! And I saw the you got your PS at Cindy's. Sounds VERY magical already!

I'm happy that you're enjoying the reports, Beckie and Michelle!

 

[aesalsa]

DH and I wanted to wake up early that Monday to take advantage of EMH at EPCOT. We ended up waking up at 7:30 and decided it was too late in our books to go to EPCOT. SO, we decided to head to the MK!

Weather was sunny and mild again . We took a bus to the TTC and hopped on the monorail. . .our vacation is never really complete without a trip on the monorail !

Man, it was crowded ! For us, at least. . .but it was manageable since we made use of Fast Passes all day.

We enjoyed our usuals: All the Mountains, TTA, Philharmagic, HM, PotC, Swiss Family Tree House, walking around and enjoying WDW details.

We did "new-for-us-things"-- Tom Sawyer Island, MK Railroad, Snow White's Scary Adventure-->

A LOT of green walls up everywhere : Around the hub, around the old 20K Leagues area, near Tomorrowland.

We had a PS for 5:00 at a new place: Liberty Tree Tavern. The only other sit-down meal DH ever had at MK was at CRT on our honeymoon in 12/2002.

LTT is a definite MUST for us now! All the food was delicious; I especially enjoyed the Mac & cheese, ham, and literally to-die-for Apple cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream. This happened to be a character meal; iit's not the reason I decided to eat here, but the characters were great! I hammed it up with all of them whle DH sat back, laughed, and took pics of the celebrities and me. Great service and great atmosphere. . .and very Disney. DH was skeptical about LTT at first, but this ended up being his favorite dining experience for our whole trip (excluding Palio, of cousrse).

After a wonderful dinner, we strolled around the MK as twilight faded into night. We did Philharmagic and Snow White at this time.

At about 7:20 we staked out a spot for SpectroMagic and Wishes; we stood right near the railed in garden along the street to Liberty Square (I think). Because of the green wall around the hub, Spectro was re-routed to go around the left side of the hug if facing the front of the castle. We met quite a few fellow Louisianians right there! Spectro was great, but DH and I noticed something was missing: the float with that demon creature from Fantasia that can fold up into a volcano. I was a little disappointed in this, and I hope this isn't a permanent change in the parade . . .this is my favorite float! WISHES was just the best as always .

After that light-filled entertainment, we joined the throngs that were leaving the MK, however we did it at a more leisurely pace. As we exited under the train station, we heard a familiar and famous voice. We looked up at the train station and saw Mickey himself waving to everyone and wishing that everyone had a great stay, to come back, etc.! DH and I had never seen this before, and I was delighted by that magical touch!

We took a resort monorail to the TTC, and caught a bus to the WL. When we arrived, DH went up before me. . .I wanted to wander throught the Lodge a little. I took a look and walked over Silver Creek Springs (no trees or shrubs around it, though), sat for a moment in the Lobby, just to look up at he beautiful chandeliers and poles, and then headed to the Mercantile to window shop.

We arrived upstars, DH was in the shower. The bed was again turned down, we had 6 chocolates, and a towel dog and heart sitting next to the towel doll. . .justso sweet and magical. I looked out from our balcony and saw the last float of the EWP pass, and a few moments later I saw the geyser erupt. It was another purely magical day !

** Three more days of our trip to go---sorry it's taking so long **

 

[wirki]

Where are you I can not wait to hear more about your trip. I hope you are well and the kids are working you too hard. (I know how it goes. We have parent/teacher conferences this week)


Debbie