brownsoup
Disney Daddy
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 278
9-26 to 10-3-03 Beach Club Villas
Our trip started early on 9-26-03. My wife and I planned our 11th anniversary trip to Disney World. Our last trip included our very young children 1 and 2.5 in age. That trip was about them this trip was for Mommy and Daddy
Leaving children at home to go to Disney is both cruel and necessary. Our kids (now 4 and 2.5) were in good hands with a gaggle of Aunts and cousins who planned more things for the kids in our absence then we could imagine.
We left at 3:30 am on Friday, 9-26-03. I-96 from Maryland to Florida. Hit a Cracker Barrel somewhere in NC and made it to Fernandina Beach, Fl at 3:30 pm. Fernandina Beach is a great stop over for us. We are almost at our capacity for travel and the next day trip to WDW is about 3.5 hours. Fernandina Beach is fun and homey. Great main street shopping and restaurants. Only 12 miles off I-95.
On Sat we left Fernandina Beach bound for WDW. Arrived at Beach club villas at noon.
Walked in and saw Art shook his hand and told him I had heard a lot of good things about him. We checked in, got our resort ids, and headed for Stormalong Bay.
Stormalong Bay is awesome. On our first day we were blasted with warm sunshine for about 1 hour total time . then we were rained on for 20 minutes . then lightning closed the pool for an hour. We loved it! We thought it was funny that heavy rain looks a lot like stalagmites when it hits the water (while you are in it!) I can still feel the rain on me as we swam around the bays hidden coves and falls. This pool is unlike any other. We will return to this resort because of the pool. Our next trip will include our kids and we will surely schedule time for them to play away at Stormalong bay. Great kids section. The sand on the bottom is the coolest thing. The kiddie section is a massive sand pile with the largest 2ft pool I have ever seen. We returned to SAB several times during our trip, but the first day was the best. Some thoughts about SAB the pool is guarded like a Nazi prison camp. Understandably as this pool has nooks and crannies that go in and out of everywhere. They patrol the pool with marked steps and diligence. The lifeguards I admire for there thoroughness. At times the guarding of the pool seems almost odd. At one point in our trip I was one of two people in the pool. I noticed that all 7 lifeguards did there same routine I attempted to talk with one of the lifeguards and he blew me off and kept his guard up not to friendly but quite safe. Also the rising sand section was closed. With all the diligence and a no comment from a lifeguard about why this section was closed I felt as if there had been a drowning or an injury .
Back from the pool
We got into our 1br Villa 546 at about 4pm. Had Epcot view as we requested. Gave us a peek at the Illuminations show, when we were home.
The room was clean, everything was nice. Quiet, comfortable, and felt like home. I hate to say this but the TVs (or most likely the cable) were very bad .I did not plan on watching TV much but ended up watching the weather channel like a farmer!
The elevators at BCV are awesome
The Mouse keepers are friendly and helpful
The feeling of the building is vacation I want to live there!
Found our way around easily a few wrong turns.
The walkway behind the Beach Club is handy to get to Epcot and the Boardwalk
You will (and we did) walk a lot (as you do anywhere at Disney) ..take a few long walks prior to getting to Disney so your legs and feet get prepped.
As I had mentioned earlier we had some sun on our first day. This was the last time we saw the sun and Florida turned into the Unshine state for us for the rest of out trip somewhat of a bummer for the beach/pool but good for the parks. We managed to dodge raindrops for most of our trip.
In the parks no lines few people. We did Mission space. The first time we did it I was in disbelief what an awesome ride! You feel as if you are launching into space very cool!
Most everything else was as expected. Magic Kingdom feels Its a small wordlish all over .but that is what makes it great.
Universal studios Islands of adventure was awesome. Dueling Dragons, The Hulk, and Spiderman were three of the best rides I have ever been on. Once again little wait and few people.
I find it funny that at the Epcot center people visit their on lands dont they live there? United Kingdom had a great feel to it as did Japan.
I have never seen so many three-wheel scooters in my life as in Epcot. I have mixed feelings about these things a necessity for some.
I watched the living statue in Italy touch the hand of an elderly person and bring a smile to her face both my Wife and I blinked back tears.
In departure we saw the alligators and turtles in the pond by BCV and headed out for home the long drive down 95
We did too much shopping and brought too much close but overall a good trip. We will start planning our next trip soon as we promised the kids that this trip was Mommy and Daddys trip to Adult Disney and we needed to do this in order to plan out kids Disney trip for next year (or 05).
Our trip started early on 9-26-03. My wife and I planned our 11th anniversary trip to Disney World. Our last trip included our very young children 1 and 2.5 in age. That trip was about them this trip was for Mommy and Daddy
Leaving children at home to go to Disney is both cruel and necessary. Our kids (now 4 and 2.5) were in good hands with a gaggle of Aunts and cousins who planned more things for the kids in our absence then we could imagine.
We left at 3:30 am on Friday, 9-26-03. I-96 from Maryland to Florida. Hit a Cracker Barrel somewhere in NC and made it to Fernandina Beach, Fl at 3:30 pm. Fernandina Beach is a great stop over for us. We are almost at our capacity for travel and the next day trip to WDW is about 3.5 hours. Fernandina Beach is fun and homey. Great main street shopping and restaurants. Only 12 miles off I-95.
On Sat we left Fernandina Beach bound for WDW. Arrived at Beach club villas at noon.
Walked in and saw Art shook his hand and told him I had heard a lot of good things about him. We checked in, got our resort ids, and headed for Stormalong Bay.
Stormalong Bay is awesome. On our first day we were blasted with warm sunshine for about 1 hour total time . then we were rained on for 20 minutes . then lightning closed the pool for an hour. We loved it! We thought it was funny that heavy rain looks a lot like stalagmites when it hits the water (while you are in it!) I can still feel the rain on me as we swam around the bays hidden coves and falls. This pool is unlike any other. We will return to this resort because of the pool. Our next trip will include our kids and we will surely schedule time for them to play away at Stormalong bay. Great kids section. The sand on the bottom is the coolest thing. The kiddie section is a massive sand pile with the largest 2ft pool I have ever seen. We returned to SAB several times during our trip, but the first day was the best. Some thoughts about SAB the pool is guarded like a Nazi prison camp. Understandably as this pool has nooks and crannies that go in and out of everywhere. They patrol the pool with marked steps and diligence. The lifeguards I admire for there thoroughness. At times the guarding of the pool seems almost odd. At one point in our trip I was one of two people in the pool. I noticed that all 7 lifeguards did there same routine I attempted to talk with one of the lifeguards and he blew me off and kept his guard up not to friendly but quite safe. Also the rising sand section was closed. With all the diligence and a no comment from a lifeguard about why this section was closed I felt as if there had been a drowning or an injury .
Back from the pool
We got into our 1br Villa 546 at about 4pm. Had Epcot view as we requested. Gave us a peek at the Illuminations show, when we were home.
The room was clean, everything was nice. Quiet, comfortable, and felt like home. I hate to say this but the TVs (or most likely the cable) were very bad .I did not plan on watching TV much but ended up watching the weather channel like a farmer!
The elevators at BCV are awesome
The Mouse keepers are friendly and helpful
The feeling of the building is vacation I want to live there!
Found our way around easily a few wrong turns.
The walkway behind the Beach Club is handy to get to Epcot and the Boardwalk
You will (and we did) walk a lot (as you do anywhere at Disney) ..take a few long walks prior to getting to Disney so your legs and feet get prepped.
As I had mentioned earlier we had some sun on our first day. This was the last time we saw the sun and Florida turned into the Unshine state for us for the rest of out trip somewhat of a bummer for the beach/pool but good for the parks. We managed to dodge raindrops for most of our trip.
In the parks no lines few people. We did Mission space. The first time we did it I was in disbelief what an awesome ride! You feel as if you are launching into space very cool!
Most everything else was as expected. Magic Kingdom feels Its a small wordlish all over .but that is what makes it great.
Universal studios Islands of adventure was awesome. Dueling Dragons, The Hulk, and Spiderman were three of the best rides I have ever been on. Once again little wait and few people.
I find it funny that at the Epcot center people visit their on lands dont they live there? United Kingdom had a great feel to it as did Japan.
I have never seen so many three-wheel scooters in my life as in Epcot. I have mixed feelings about these things a necessity for some.
I watched the living statue in Italy touch the hand of an elderly person and bring a smile to her face both my Wife and I blinked back tears.
In departure we saw the alligators and turtles in the pond by BCV and headed out for home the long drive down 95
We did too much shopping and brought too much close but overall a good trip. We will start planning our next trip soon as we promised the kids that this trip was Mommy and Daddys trip to Adult Disney and we needed to do this in order to plan out kids Disney trip for next year (or 05).
Not my idea of fun
