A Very Merry November at SSR

[DVC Lindsay]

I can't believe it is the middle of November already! The good news is, it's Disney time! I haven't been to Disney since I was 11, so getting the chance to go back and see everything as an adult is going to be amazing!

I'm a little late posting this first part of my trip report (since we checked in yesterday) but after an awesome first day, I was exhausted!

My plan is to point out all of the neat things I find throughout the resorts - I'll be learning a lot, so hopefully you guys will find a few new things too

 

[DVC Lindsay]

Goodbye Ontario, Hello Disney!

On Monday morning Melissa and I set out for the Detroit airport – Disney here we come! Check-in was very smooth and quick – we even got to go in the TSA Pre-Screen line where no shoes, jackets, belts had to be removed, and laptops stayed in the bag! We had breakfast and made our way to our flight. It was a pretty nice flight until we hit some unexpected turbulence. I’ve flown a hundred times, but this was unlike turbulence I’ve ever experienced. The captain jumped on the PA system and sternly said (with a touch of panic in his voice, if you will) “seatbelts on!” and then click… I was not pleased! After all of that, I will say that our landing was smooth and with the weather in Orlando, I can see why the turbulence was so awful!
It rained all of Monday, but we didn’t let that hold us back too much! We hopped in our rental car (and we had to fight for it – there were only 3 left!) and we were off to Saratoga Springs!

Saratoga Springs is huge! Even through the rain, the resort is green and gorgeous. The buildings are colourful (even the doors to each villa are different colours!).There’s a pond around every turn, and fountains that shoot up from each one. When we checked in, all of the cast members welcomed us home, and I really felt like we were – a home away from home. I even got a “1st Visit” button (as an adult!)



We immediately went into the Artist’s Palette for lunch, which was really neat. In the afternoons, they have stations set up where you can come and draw or paint on the easels provided! There was a little girl painting a masterpiece while we were having our delicious lunch – the Italian Flatbread Sandwich was so good!



After our lunch, we headed off to the room to unpack. Having a rental car, I was quite pleased with the close parking – especially with the rain! We are staying in a two bedroom lock off in The Paddock which I absolutely love. You don’t feel like you’re in a hotel room, you feel like you are in a home. Our room has a wonderful view of the pond and fountain, and as soon as it warms up, I’ll be spending my evenings relaxing out there. After a long day out and about, it’s definitely where I want to be! The details in the room are incredible. The throw pillows and the lamps are my favourite!







I was trying to figure out which movie each horse came from all day. Eventually, I stumbled across an area in the Carriage House that has all of their pictures and corresponding movie roles listed! Now my mind can rest easy! I’ll be doing a lot more exploring throughout the week, and I’ll report back with new and interesting findings!

After unpacking, we were off to our first stop – Animal Kingdom Jambo House! Wow! I was not prepared for how enormous and how amazing this resort is! We were greeted with the “Welcome Home!” that I had already come to love, and then in we walked. The fire pit area in the lobby was being put to good use with the cool weather, which was really neat to see! The lookout areas were pretty quiet, but I still caught a glimpse of the zebras in the savannah I loved the rocking chairs (big ones and wee ones too!) in all of the outdoor areas. I found a waterfall or two in a few different places inside, which really helped the atmosphere. The resort is outdoorsy, and the trickling water really worked! Jambo House is definitely lively, and everything fits with the theme of the resort! My favourite discovery, though, was the mailbox! At the very back of the lobby, to the left, next to the ATM was the most amazing mailbox I’ve ever seen (and I am a postcard and postal service fanatic)! I’ve now made it my mission to locate the mailbox at each resort we visit; we will see if any of them can top this one!



Next, we caught the shuttle van to Kidani Village! It was a really quick ride over, which was awesome. When I walked in, I was immediately drawn to the lights hanging from the ceiling. They look like flames, which is really cool! Although on a smaller scale than Jambo, everything was lively! There were cast members throughout the resort offering all kinds of activities for guests – we saw a drum circle that was really neat, where kids and adults could grab a drum and join in!



Right in behind the drum area was my favourite savannah outlook – it wrapped around the building and the view of the savannah was even better than the one at Jambo House! We made sure to find the mailbox at Kidani, and it was also pretty cool!



Because of the rain, it was difficult to get a good look at the outer areas, so we mainly kept indoors. We will head back on Friday to get a good look at the pools and the grounds! I can’t wait!

 

[DVC Lindsay]

Even though it is colder than ever down here in Florida (yes, I wore three sweaters today) it’s still an absolute blast! Today’s agenda included Wilderness Lodge, Bay Lake Tower and the Contemporary, the Polynesian (and Kona Café for lunch!), Grand Floridian and Disney’s Hollywood Studios! It’s been a big day, but it’s been awesome!

I started my day with a bowl of Frosted Flakes at the best seat in the house – the breakfast nook!



After a quick bite to eat, we headed out to start our day at Wilderness Lodge. Melissa encouraged me to bundle up, and am I ever glad I listened to her! It’s freezing out!

When we arrived at the resort, I was immediately struck by how big it was! Everything looks bigger in person I guess, but I was blown away, and even more so when I stepped inside! The totem poles, and the carvings in the lobby are enormous!



We walked from the main lobby down the pathway to the DVC villas and I couldn’t believe how secluded everything felt – it was as though you were really hidden among the trees, far out from the rest of the world! It’s cool how everything here in Disney makes you feel like you’re in a whole other world! I loved the different paw prints in the sidewalks, the hedge carvings and the way that everything smelled like camping, in the best possible way.



In the DVC area, it was neat to see the pieces of the miniature train that used to run around Walt’s property. The seating area here, filled with rocking chairs and a warm fire pit was awfully inviting too! I could’ve lounged here all day!

Next we were out the door and right at the pool – what a quick walk from the villas! I didn’t realize that the pools were so close by, but that was pretty great. We enjoyed a brisk walk through the property and I caught myself a few times wandering around with my mouth hanging open (which I learned later at the Osborne Spectacle of Lights was not the best thing to do, unless you wanted a mouthful of snow soap haha). Even with the construction on the feature pool, everything at Wilderness Lodge was so breathtaking and peaceful.

As we made our way to the ferry to Magic Kingdom, we strolled past the boat and bike rentals! On a nicer day, I’d love to take one of the little boats out for a spin – they look so neat! We made sure, once again to stop for a mailbox photo, before moving along!



The ferry to Magic Kingdom took all of about 5 minutes, and gave us a great view of Bay Lake Tower and The Contemporary! I had no idea that they were so close to Wilderness Lodge, because on a map they look farther out! In all honesty, I wasn’t sure that I was terribly impressed from the outside, but once I got inside, I could definitely see what all the hype is about

We walked to Bay Lake Tower from Magic Kingdom, and timed it for future reference – it takes 9 minutes and 37 seconds to get from point A to point B. Considering how short my legs are, that’s a pretty leisurely pace! I’d stay here too for that kind of convenience! Once inside, I was immediately taken by the modern look. Everything is simple but elegant. Even the air was crisp and clean – I love all of the different smells that Disney infuses! The mailbox, while simple, really worked with the feel of the resort which I found pretty pleasing!



We went up to the 5th floor and enjoyed a great view of the lake and Magic Kingdom. It was neat to see the actual views that we work with on a daily basis, and to see where rooms are located depending on view type!



Down in check-in area, we stopped by Contemporary Grounds and picked up an absolutely amazing eggnog latte to warm us up from the cold walk. If you haven’t had one, you really should

Next we moved along to the Contemporary and all of the wonderful stores inside – what a great place to do a bit of shopping! There was also a giant Frozen-themed gingerbread house set up that caught our attention (and everyone elses!) – it was massive



The monorail was next and it was great! As soon as you start moving there’s a recording that gives information about what you’re looking at on your ride, which I loved! We headed over to the Polynesian for our tour of the resort at to meet David and Cathy for lunch at the Kona Café! We did some exploring, and got a great look at the soon-to-be DVC huts that they are building! They are not even done yet and I’m sold on staying in one – so cool!



Lunch at the Kona Café was delicious! We all enjoyed burgers, and believe me, if we had room, we would’ve tackled the desserts too! They looked so good! Even with the construction, I got such a great feel for the Polynesian. I spent a lot of time exploring while I tried to find the mailbox, which turned out to be pretty cute!



Next up was the Grand Floridian, and even from the water, you can see and feel the elegance. When we stepped into the lobby, we had just come off of the monorail, so we were on the second floor. What a view! This resort had a totally different feel than the others for me. The fine detail in the flooring made me so happy and the whole resort was extra fragrant, smelling of warm vanilla, with the addition of the giant gingerbread house in the lobby!







My two favourite parts of the Grand Floridian are the Alice in Wonderland water area and the penguin fountain in the DVC building – both are awesome! I don’t think the latter is meant to be played in, but it certainly made me want to!





On our way back out, we found the mailbox, and a cast member to give it that extra little touch



We spent the evening at Hollywood Studios, where I rode the Tower of Terror for the first time since I was 11. I was terrified, but it was my first FastPass+ and it actually turned out to be great (yes, it was still terrifying!). Star Tours let me know that motion sickness is a thing I have sometimes, but I kept it all under control! The Osborne Spectacle of Lights was so amazing! Cathy gave Melissa and me the Mickey ears that change colour with the music, which made it even more awesome! We ate Olaf cupcakes, and pizza (although not in that order haha) and finished the night of with a ride on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. A perfect ending to a perfect day!

Tomorrow we are off to see Old Key West, Beach Club, Boardwalk and Epcot! If there’s time, I’m hoping to see some more of my own resort too

 

[DVC Lindsay]

Today was fantastic! We finally had some warm sun, and I only had to wear one sweater! I even got to break out the sunglasses! It was perfect.
I started the day off at the breakfast nook again, with my Frosted Flakes and coffee. I considered eating the bit of my Olaf cupcake that I hadn’t finished yesterday, but I thought it might make a better midnight snack! We took a tour of the Aulani and Grand Floridian models this morning before heading out for the day – really cool! The Aulani rooms have sliding doors into the bathroom which I loved! Did you know that the 1, 2 and 3 bedroom villas have rice cookers included in the kitchens? I didn’t, but I do now! What a cool feature. The surfer Mickey lamps were a cute addition too!
The Grand Floridian model was pretty great. Of course, the TVs in the bathroom mirrors are just awesome, but the best part about the villa for me was the “hidden” fridge! I pulled on what I thought was a cupboard door, and boom – there’s the fridge. Such an elegant setup! Another cool thing I noticed was in the studio. The pull down bed for the 5th guest eliminates a big portion of the storage that you would find in some of the other resorts, but there are drawers built into the bed frame at the Grand Floridian, and sliding doors on the end of the bed to allow for storage of a suitcase or two under the bed!

Next, we took a short drive over to Old Key West – my favourite resort of the day! We were greeted by some Christmas pelicans, and of course the wonderful “welcome home!” that puts a goofy grin on my face!



There are so many palm trees at this resort, which gives it that tropical southern feel. I loved the look of the villas – so colourful – and the winding roads throughout the resort. I would love to stay here! The Hospitality House area was really nice, and definitely convenient, but I really loved the villas that were nestled a bit farther out. I wasn’t aware before today, but there is transportation throughout the resort setup to take you into the Hospitality House area, which is great! We spent some time wandering around the grounds – all of the Christmas decorations were up today (with a few Halloween stragglers too haha) and I just couldn’t get enough! I learned today that the resort gets some inspiration from Ernest Hemingway, which was neat! We found the mailbox pretty quickly (it’s right outside the main lobby) and had a quick look at the main pool! It was still too cold to swim today, but on a better day I’d be the first one down the slide!







Next stop was the Boardwalk where we came across Gingerbread Cones in the lobby! It’s only there for a short time, so if you want it you’ll have to act fast



The roller coaster slide at the pool is another one I’d really like to ride – what a cool place for kids (and some adult kids too!). Once we made it out onto the boardwalk, we had an absolutely stunning view of the Beach Club and the Yacht Club, and the shops along the Boardwalk were great! We stopped in to see a model of the Boardwalk villas, which was great. Such a relaxing and refreshing feel to them, and so brightly coloured. I keep coming back to the lamps, but these ones were so cute too! Disney has great taste in lighting, what can I say!



I missed the mailbox while we were here, but I managed to catch it on our way back tonight. It’s the same as the one from Wilderness Lodge – our first repeat! Still great.

http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/dvcrentals/media/Lindsays Trip/076_zps884ddc91.jpg.html

 

[DVC Lindsay]

We grabbed a hot chocolate on the boardwalk, and headed for the Beach Club. A really quick walk (which we opted for) or a ferry ride away only, which was nice! The DVC villas are a gorgeous green colour. As we walked around the outside, there is a bridge right by the parking area that looks out over the water. Turtles! They swim up because they are accustomed to being fed – so so cute!



The feature pool really is all that it’s cracked up to be! It was cold and I was ready to jump right in! The water slide from the shipwreck, back across to the pool is awesome, and the small pool and slide right in the base of the shipwreck was perfect! The arcade at the Beach Club is the best one I’ve come across (yes, I’ve made a brief stop in all of them! Pinball calls ) so far. Not only is it big, but it’s got a prize hub in it, so you have fun and also get to pick prizes – awesome! The mailbox is in the lobby, off to the right of the check in counter. Such a great colour!



My favourite part of the resort though, was actually the beach. The bench swings, and the waterside fire pit look just heavenly. Movies under the stars here? Yes please!







Epcot was next, and yet again just a brief walk over. Good thing, because we spent the rest of the day walking through the park, and enjoying everything it had to offer. For lunch, we headed to the Germany pavilion for a bratwurst and some nudel gratin – the best macaroni and cheese ever! If you haven’t had this, your life is not complete! Much to my surprise, we also found that Epcot still does the Passports, where you get a stamp and a message from each pavilion in the World Showcase!



I don’t remember very much from my first trip in 1996 but I do still have my Epcot Passport! I know it’s for kids (you have to get your stamps at the Kidcot in each pavilion) but I did it anyways, and loved every second of it! I can’t wait to compare my new passport to my old one – how cool! We did some rides, which were nice and relaxing, and also very neat. I loved Living with the Land – I had no idea that Epcot had greenhouses and fish farms. If you’ve eaten in The Land restaurants, you’ve probably had some of the stuff that’s been grown! I’m not too sure what a Peanut Butter Tree is, but I found it today, so it exists and is awesome!



Spaceship Earth was great too – the interactive features make it a lot of fun! Melissa and I, in the future, are quite thrilled, as you can see!



We finished off the night with dinner in the China Pavilion at Nine Dragons. I had the General Tso Chicken – absolutely delicious! It’s actually not on the menu, but if you ask for the special, you might get lucky!



Back at Saratoga Springs, I decided to explore the Paddock pool and hot tub. After 9.5 hours of walking, I was ready for a relaxing soak! The air was chilly but the 104 degree hot tub made it all worthwhile! There were some guests using the big swirly slide in the freezing cold – crazy! The poor lifeguards must be so bored these last few days, but they are always there and always ready if you want to take a quick dip!

Tomorrow is Downtown Disney, Magic Kingdom and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!

 

[yarlenna]

Loving your story

 

[nrexxma44]

Great report!! I can't wait to read more...We arrive at OKW on Dec23, your report is making me think about our plans and how I am going to fit in resort tours

 

[DVC Lindsay]

Hi everyone! Sorry for my delay in posting about Thursday and Friday’s events! Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day while at Disney I know you all know what I am talking about! Melissa and I are home safely now, and I’ve got some time to write (mostly because I haven’t found the time to unpack yet )

So, let’s back up to Thursday! What a great and exciting day! As per usual, I started my day at the breakfast nook before heading off to explore Downtown Disney! I knew that it was close to Saratoga Springs, but I didn’t realize just how close! From our room in The Paddock, we crossed through Congress Park, walked along the water (with a fabulous view of Downtown Disney) crossed the bridge into the Marketplace and voila! It was maybe a 7 minute walk! I think it was at this point when I realized that as massive as Saratoga Springs is, it’s a complete illusion. You feel like everything is so spread out and so far from everything else, but the walk to any part of the resort is never more than 10 minutes (and I wandered around a lot)! I am amazed!

Downtown Disney was decorated for Christmas, which only increased my excitement for the Christmas party later that night



Our first stop was at the Christmas store as soon as we entered Downtown Disney. I had been commissioned by a good friend of mine to bring home a personalized ornament for her daughter’s first Christmas. The cast members go to great lengths to ensure that everything you ask for is not only perfect, but looks the best it possibly can. Once you get through the line to personalize and pay (yeah, that one can be a doozy) the wait for pickup is pretty mild. My ornament was ready within an hour, but I certainly wasn’t back in time for that

Cathy, Melissa and I spent the day perusing the shops and exploring all that Downtown Disney has to offer. I absolutely loved that the view to the right was Saratoga Springs, and a giant “Welcome Home” sign! It was another great perspective on the property that you don’t get to see while you’re standing in it!



We had a fabulous lunch at the Rainforest Café, with some boisterous gorillas entertaining us through it all. I had the Blue Mountain Chicken Sandwich which was absolutely to die for. The portions are huge. If you’re heading over for a bite to eat, you definitely will want to try it!

There’s a lot of construction going on in the Downtown area right now, as they prepare and build the Disney Springs for 2016. Even still, we had a great walk and did lots of shopping throughout the afternoon. We decided to hop on a ferry boat to bring us back to the entrance so that I could pick up my ornament, which turned out wonderfully! The artists are quite talented, and of all the ornaments I saw people picking up, no two personalizations looked the same – it was neat!

As I was leaving Downtown Disney, the volcano at the Rainforest Café erupted, which was quite the thing to see! I was glad I caught it!



The walk back to Saratoga Springs was beautiful. I stayed along the waterfront for the view, and for the opportunity to see what else the resort had to offer. In front of the Congress Park pool area, there is a gorgeous fountain and waterfront rocking chairs for guests to enjoy.





Next, it was finally time to head to Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! We decided to take the bus, which was an excellent idea! We hopped right on at the bus stop across from our room, and 18 minutes and 11 seconds later, we were inside the Magic Kingdom! Can’t beat that!



We walked in just in time to see the Flag Retreat Ceremony which was neat – I had no idea that this was a thing that happened. The veteran of the day, carrying the flag out, was really moving. Melissa and I both were quite touched. I’d never seen anything like that before, so it was an awesome start to an even more amazing evening.

 

[DVC Lindsay]

The decorations were up and everything was festive. Christmas was in full swing! The castle was magnificent. The only other time I was in Disney as a child, it was made up as a birthday cake for the 25th anniversary in 1996. So, my first look at the actual castle was really great! Melissa had to keep reminding me that we would be here all night and that I could continue to take pictures of it I won’t show you them all, but how about a few?





The party didn’t start until 7pm, so we rode the rides in Tomorrowland (Space Mountain was my favourite!) and then headed back to Main Street for dinner at Casey’s. In honour of DVC Kelly, it was corndog nuggets and fries, and it was heavenly! Even before that, though, was a quick stop at the complimentary cookie station for some sugar cookies. As I always say (yeah, I stole it from a movie) “dessert before dinner, in case of apocalypse”! When the party started, I probably shouldn’t have been first in line for more cookies and hot chocolate with marshmallows, but I certainly was!



We spent the evening riding the rides, and being festive with our light-up mouse ears and the strand of Christmas light necklaces I insisted on buying!



The Jungle Cruise ride became the Jingle Cruise for the party, which pleased me! All of the boats were festively named, which made it even better! We thought we were going to get onto Candy Cane Connie, but we missed her by a few guests and took our cruise on Brrr Bertha! Everything was all done up in the holiday spirit, and the cast member’s speech was altered for the occasion too! While a little bit cheesy, I was really impressed! She didn’t miss a beat with any of the new scripting and I thought she did a great job! We got stuck on the Pirates of the Caribbean while they fixed some issues, but after a long day of walking it was a welcomed rest!

Around 9pm, we positioned ourselves in front of the castle for the fireworks presentation, and also the parade afterwards. We found a great spot and stayed put! The fireworks were insane! I have never seen such an elaborate and truly amazing display! The fireworks from all sides lit up the sky like I’ve never seen. The finale was the biggest and most spectacular ending ever. To truly appreciate how high of praise this is, I’ll tell you now that I do not like fireworks (okay, I like them, but I am terrified of them – I’ll admit it).

The parade was a perfect ending to our evening! We sat with the castle behind us (and like to epic photographers that we are, took a lot of pictures trying to encompass all of our surroundings) and enjoyed every last second of the parade like little kids. The floats were great and the music was awesome. I was hot just watching them dance around in the costumes that they were wearing.



Melissa and I walked out of Magic Kingdom with childish grins on our faces as they covered Main Street in “snow”. We hopped on the bus back to Saratoga Springs and in 20 minutes we were home! No line up for our bus, and lots of seats for everyone! Fantastic night!

Up next – Friday’s trip to Animal Kingdom Park, Kidani Village (for the outside views) and more exploring in Downtown Disney!

 

[DVC Lindsay]

The last day of the trip was Friday! I was really excited to visit Animal Kingdom, and I wasn’t at all disappointed! After the festivities on Thursday, we had a bit of a slow start, and it was the only day I didn’t make it to my breakfast nook! We stopped for breakfast in Animal Kingdom, after riding Expedition Everest twice in a row (probably my favourite ride of the trip – loved it!) and doing some of the dinosaur rides! Cathy joined us for our 11:00 FastPass+ on the safari – we were there at the perfect time. The sun had started shining and the animals were all out and about! The only ones that we didn’t see were the lions, and I hear they are hard to come by. The hippos were fantastic, laying out in the sun. Apparently they also sleep under water, if they feel like it – cool!



We had some traffic on the roads as we made our way through – Mr. Giraffe and Mr. Ostrich took their time while crossing, which was actually awesome, because they came so close to us!





After the park, we made a quick stop at the resort to look at the outer areas of Kidani Village. They’ve got an awesome pool there, gorgeously surrounded by trees. It’s like a little wilderness playground!



It was actually warm enough to swim while we were there, which was great, because people were in the pool and having a great time!

We had planned to do a little more in Magic Kindom in the afternoon, but with another Chistmas party happening, the park was closing early. We decided to take in more of Downtown Disney instead, and saw the Hunger Games 3 – Mockingjay at the AMC Dine-In Theatre. I saw a movie in the comfiest seat possible, with an absolutely delicious entrée fruit salad to boot!





In the evening, I made a stop in the Saratoga Springs lobby to get a few last minute things from the gift shop, and of course, I located the mailbox – the last one for my collection



The lobby was all decorated for Christmas, which was awesome – it wasn’t this way when I arrived, so it was neat to see it all done up! As I left the Carriage House, I happened upon a bus to Downtown Disney and decided I may as well go back and do some more shopping and exploring! The bus ride, while great for my feet, was longer than it would’ve been to walk, but it was a good learning opportunity as far as timing is concerned! I did some extra shopping, and finished the night with a treat I had been eyeing all week – Ghirardelli’s Mint Bliss!



I made the walk back to the resort, ice cream in hand, and took in the nighttime view which was stunning. It was time to pack and head back to the snow.

Saturday morning, we did the airline check-in right outside of the Carriage House. We checked our bags here, and they were taken to the airport for us! The next time we saw them was (much) later that night, when we landed in Detroit (that’s a whole other story right there – weather delays like crazy, but a safe flight, and we made it home)!



I had an absolutely amazing time in Disney, learned more than I could’ve imagined, and am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to go.

Thanks again to everyone who has followed along, and I’ll

 

[a742246]

I enjoyed reading your trip report, glad you had a great time.

 

[lucy0558]

It sounds like you had a wonderful trip! I love the "little things" at WDW and never would have thought to look at the mailboxes. Thanks for all the detail and taking the time to post.

 

[JackDiznee]

Enjoyed your report - the mailbox photos were a good idea.

 

[disney ny]

It sounds like you had a great trip. So fun getting to see all the different resorts. Whenever I see people at a resort I want to try it but then I am torn because I have my favorites I want to go back to. Great report!!

 

[WALTSAGOD]

Thanks for sharing

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Thanks for sharing all about your trip. I love that you found all of the mailboxes at the resorts you visited! It shows that Disney doesn't leave anything out with their theming.