I won't bore you with all the details of our 7 days and I don't have time for a monster trip report but here are the details which I think will be the most interesting for DVC members in general. See bolded areas for highlights you're interested in reading.
We left for WDW via Providence on 11/16 via Tampa. It was all we could get 5 months ago when we decide to go for Thanksgiving, but I have to say the ride to WDW wasn't too bad (although 4 was a bit backed up mid-day because of an accident) and the Tampa airport & security were very efficient - especially at 5am today. I would do that route again. We stayed overnight both on the way in and out at two different Marriott suite hotels and both were excellent with respect to price, amenities and location. Beds were comfy too.
Note on Interstate 4....... My DH says it's the only highway in the nation he's driven where it's bumper to bumper at 80 mph.
We had 5 nights at Old Key West and this was the first time we stayed at this resort. We checked in around 4pm on Friday 11/17 and "our" room wasn't ready. Thankfully a manager found us a different 2 BR unit which was available. We weren't going to be back until 1am after MVMCP and I didn't want to have to move luggage and find pj's at that hour.
The rooms were larger than what we're used to at BCV and BWV and that was a pleasant surprise - although I have been reading that for years now on these threads. We liked the resort a lot and the CM's were very friendly. My middle DD kept mocking the guards and others who said "Welcome Home" because of how many times it was said in our first 2 days. My daughter faked crying every time - telling us it just choked her up to hear the words. She was really mocking me.....
Everything worked in our unit 1821 & 1822 and we loved the location just inside the gate to the right (2nd floor). The beds were comfy - but the corners on the queens in the studio were annoying. All of us cut an ankle or bruised a leg at some point during our stay. They just protude too far out.
The OKW pools were warm and we went swimming twice despite the air temp of 40-50 degrees. The lifeguards had parkers and pants on....and we were swimming. Silly northerners. The hot tub at our quiet pool was hot, but I had to clean a ton of tree bark pieces out which was annoying. I couldn't find a net anywhere.
I couldn't understand the layout of the villas with respect to the pool. It took us two days to even find the quiet pool - and yes we can read maps. From Bldg 18 you have to walk up the sidewalk, around the corner and take a left past the bus stop. It seems like access to the pool was an afterthought. Normally the distance isn't a problem...but when the weather is as cold as it was last week - the last thing you want to do is to hike back to your room in a wet bathing suit. I would ask for a different location next time to be closer to the pools.
We checked out of OKW on 11/22 and into the Beach Club. We stopped trying for a reservation at BCV or BWV where we own or at OKW in September. I just got tired of asking...so we took the BC rooms on cash. We've stayed at the YC before and I thought the room there was great.
Either we got bigger or the BC rooms are smaller than I expected (and I'm not answering that first question). We checked in as a party of 5 after my oldest daughter flew back to Boston on Tuesday to go to school on Wednesday for a rally that she was helping to run (which we didn't know about when we were planning this surprise trip in July). The front desk at the BC didn't know that my daughter was not going to be with us until after they assigned the room and gave us the 5 keys. There was no day bed like we had at the YC...just two beds that I really don't believe were queen size.
We knew there was limited if any availability anywhere at WDW so we kept our disappointment to ourselves......but also because they had put us up on the Concierge floor!!! As my DH says, that was our "Year of a Million Dreams" magic. We didn't get tapped for a Dream Fast Pass...but we were pampered for two days.
The whole front wing is currently not available for booking because they are repairing the roof. There were many shingles that I noticed missing and it was apparently damage from last year's hurricanes. They are going to have to rotate what sections of rooms they block out (all this from the Concierges), and the scaffolding and netting around the windows necessitates them keeping the rooms empty. That's a lot of rooms. The resort was FULL I'm told on Wed-Friday at least.
I'm not sure if this is why we were booked up on the 5th floor....but it was a nice surprise. But honestly....I can't do that size room again coming off DVC property. I can do small rooms before DVC (Pop, CB, etc)...but I can't go back wards. I couldn't find anything I wanted the whole time we were there. There weren't enough drawers for us all to unpack even a small number of items and the bathroom area was cramped. And even though there were only 4 of us (not the 5 we're used to) we were literally bumping into each other. It was noisy as well....you can hear right through the walls. There were lots of little kids up there this week.
You do not want to go down to the common room at 8:30-8:45 am looking for breakfast on the concierge floor. It was a zoo in there with lots of cranky people. I guess if you're paying for the extra service.....you want to have a seat and your food when you want it. We just took our oj and bagels back to the room to eat happily by ourselves.
The CM's up on the floor couldn't have been nicer and more helpful. And the common room was a lovely place from 5-7 for "cocktail hour" with much "happier" guests. They had appetizers and p,b&j's for the kiddos. We could have skipped dinner and just eaten there for the night.
It was overall wonderful to be at the BC for those last two nights. We love the proximity to Epcot and being able to walk right over to our dinner reservations.
Despite the still chilly weather, the kids did enjoy SAB and the hot tub at the quiet pool. Again we were the only ones in the pool while 3 lifeguards sat nearby because they had closed SAB and were touring the other pools to make sure folks were aware of the hypothermia risk. They were all dressed for an artic storm and we looked like refugees in our bathing suits and towels.....but we had fun.
We took advantage of the location and had made a reservation for our DD7 (big birthday on 11/20 at WDW) on the Pirate Cruise out of the YC marina 9:30-11:30 ($30). They went out on a pontoon with a pirate flag, with bandana's on, searched for clues in the lagoon and into Epcot and then had p,b & J's and juice for lunch. They came back with a bag of "booty". She had a great time. I would highly recommend it. My older DD15 drove the Sea Racer for 30 mins and always enjoys that time alone.
We started our trip with MVMCP on Friday 11/17 and it was great. The decorations and the parade were fantastic. The general mood in the park was really fun - many more "happy" faces all around. The crowd was relatively light and we were able to ride several attractions 2-3 times (Thunder Mtn, Buzz, Space Mtn, etc.).
We had lots of dining reservations because I knew from research here on DIS that it was going to be busy and thank goodness we did. Those who had no reservations - especially the past 3 days were in tough shape. I'll post specific reports on the restaurants on the dining board - but we had great meals at California Grill, Alfredo's, Crystal Palace, CRT, Askerhuas Princess Breakfast and Tony's (Yes there is at least one family members who enjoyed themselves at Tony's despite many threads on these boards to the contrary), Spoodles and Teppanyaki. We ate too much is really all that needs to be said. Lots of vegetables and salads will be on the menu this week.
The crowds got heavier each day beginning 11/19. On my DD7's birthday we literally couldn't let her "choose" her rides at MK because it was way too crowded after her lunch at CRT - so we promised her a different night at the MK which was Thanksgiving night (7-12) and she got to dictate the plan. But even that night all the fast passes were gone and the lines were incredibly long - despite the frigid temps. There were reports of snow in Orlando on Wed evening - but it didn't slow anyone down apparently and certainly not us.
Epcot was nuts 11/22-24 as well. We usually go to WDW during spring break and are used to Easter crowds. I have to tell you - this felt much worse than the spring. At AK we practically got trampled going into Bug's Life.
We thought the Nemo musical was great, but the line to get in was very, very long despite the fact that it seats 1700! At Epcot we LOVED Soarin and Turtle Talk with Crush (unexpectedly). We enjoyed the Nemo ride, but wouldn't rush back again. I managed to avoid Stitch, but my DH got suckered in by my DD7 and said it was both boring and a bit scary. We like the newly updated POC, but wouldn't do the lines more than once.
However many folks there were...we still enjoyed our time. We just lowered our expectations on those days and zig zagged as necessary. We are not early risers (I am, but the rest of the girls and my DH could sleep till noon) - but I did manage to get them to the MK on one early Extra Magic hour at MK and we were able to enjoy a few rides in Tomorrowland before the tide got too hard to manage.
We zipped over to MGM just before the end of Extra Magic Hours after a great dinner one night to see the Osborne lights. My DH did not like the loud music (dancing lights)....but my girls and I LOVED it.
Our last day we went to the first Candlelight Processional at 5pm and it was a great way to end the trip. We had a wonderful meal at Alfredo's and then joined the "reserved" line at 4:15. We ended up in the front row so our youngest DD could see the action up close. The music was lovely and fun. I loved the long trumpets (forget the name?) and the percussion section was right in front of us. David Robinson was the narrator and did a good job...although he was a bit tentative because it was his first show and first time. John Sinclair, the guest conductor from Rollins College, was wonderful. Loved his energy. He would literally jump forward in the air 2-3 feet.
Edited: Forgot to mention that the gingerbread creations were up and delightful at BC, BW and GF. I forgot to check the YC to see if they had one there. They were very impressive. At the GF they told us that the dough for the houses was made in June and sat for 3 months in the fridge!
The Grand Floridian was sooooo beautiful. They had an orchestra playing there on Thanksgiving Day on the 2nd floor. There were benches set up on either side of the gorgeous tree. It was clear that many came prepared to take their holiday pictures on those benches. Their coordinated and/or dressed up attire gave them away. It was fun to just watch the crowd before and after our dinner with Cindy and friends. My DH was not amused that we were having Thanksgiving with rodents! But of course my DD7 was over the moon. She even swooned when Prince Charming came over.
Wonderful trip overall - lots of magic - lots of laughter. One night my girls said that we hadn't giggled so much in years. And that's why we go - to gigle like crazy on Buzz and Thunder Mtn at 11pm at night when most folks are home watching the news in their pj's.
We hated to leave and can't wait to get back. We have culture shock today and I had to go to the grocery store - YUK. Tomorrow I have much work to do for a Holiday House Tour that I'm running next weekend - REALITY creeps back in.
But we are so very thankful that we are DVC owners and can afford to do these kinds of trips and share them with our kids.
I got stopped several times last week by folks who read the "DVC Member" logo on the wind breaker I had to buy for extra warmth (found my lined jacket in an outside pocket of a suitcase last night in Tampa - my husband thinks I knew where it was all along). The questions were from folks considering DVC purchases and I was thrilled to answer from our experience. And whenever I saw someone at a DVC desk....I had to restrain myself from running up and telling them how wonderful DVC ownership is. It's not right for everyone, but it's very "right" for us.
We left for WDW via Providence on 11/16 via Tampa. It was all we could get 5 months ago when we decide to go for Thanksgiving, but I have to say the ride to WDW wasn't too bad (although 4 was a bit backed up mid-day because of an accident) and the Tampa airport & security were very efficient - especially at 5am today. I would do that route again. We stayed overnight both on the way in and out at two different Marriott suite hotels and both were excellent with respect to price, amenities and location. Beds were comfy too.
Note on Interstate 4....... My DH says it's the only highway in the nation he's driven where it's bumper to bumper at 80 mph.
We had 5 nights at Old Key West and this was the first time we stayed at this resort. We checked in around 4pm on Friday 11/17 and "our" room wasn't ready. Thankfully a manager found us a different 2 BR unit which was available. We weren't going to be back until 1am after MVMCP and I didn't want to have to move luggage and find pj's at that hour.
The rooms were larger than what we're used to at BCV and BWV and that was a pleasant surprise - although I have been reading that for years now on these threads. We liked the resort a lot and the CM's were very friendly. My middle DD kept mocking the guards and others who said "Welcome Home" because of how many times it was said in our first 2 days. My daughter faked crying every time - telling us it just choked her up to hear the words. She was really mocking me.....
Everything worked in our unit 1821 & 1822 and we loved the location just inside the gate to the right (2nd floor). The beds were comfy - but the corners on the queens in the studio were annoying. All of us cut an ankle or bruised a leg at some point during our stay. They just protude too far out.
The OKW pools were warm and we went swimming twice despite the air temp of 40-50 degrees. The lifeguards had parkers and pants on....and we were swimming. Silly northerners. The hot tub at our quiet pool was hot, but I had to clean a ton of tree bark pieces out which was annoying. I couldn't find a net anywhere.
I couldn't understand the layout of the villas with respect to the pool. It took us two days to even find the quiet pool - and yes we can read maps. From Bldg 18 you have to walk up the sidewalk, around the corner and take a left past the bus stop. It seems like access to the pool was an afterthought. Normally the distance isn't a problem...but when the weather is as cold as it was last week - the last thing you want to do is to hike back to your room in a wet bathing suit. I would ask for a different location next time to be closer to the pools.
We checked out of OKW on 11/22 and into the Beach Club. We stopped trying for a reservation at BCV or BWV where we own or at OKW in September. I just got tired of asking...so we took the BC rooms on cash. We've stayed at the YC before and I thought the room there was great.
Either we got bigger or the BC rooms are smaller than I expected (and I'm not answering that first question). We checked in as a party of 5 after my oldest daughter flew back to Boston on Tuesday to go to school on Wednesday for a rally that she was helping to run (which we didn't know about when we were planning this surprise trip in July). The front desk at the BC didn't know that my daughter was not going to be with us until after they assigned the room and gave us the 5 keys. There was no day bed like we had at the YC...just two beds that I really don't believe were queen size.
We knew there was limited if any availability anywhere at WDW so we kept our disappointment to ourselves......but also because they had put us up on the Concierge floor!!! As my DH says, that was our "Year of a Million Dreams" magic. We didn't get tapped for a Dream Fast Pass...but we were pampered for two days.
The whole front wing is currently not available for booking because they are repairing the roof. There were many shingles that I noticed missing and it was apparently damage from last year's hurricanes. They are going to have to rotate what sections of rooms they block out (all this from the Concierges), and the scaffolding and netting around the windows necessitates them keeping the rooms empty. That's a lot of rooms. The resort was FULL I'm told on Wed-Friday at least.
I'm not sure if this is why we were booked up on the 5th floor....but it was a nice surprise. But honestly....I can't do that size room again coming off DVC property. I can do small rooms before DVC (Pop, CB, etc)...but I can't go back wards. I couldn't find anything I wanted the whole time we were there. There weren't enough drawers for us all to unpack even a small number of items and the bathroom area was cramped. And even though there were only 4 of us (not the 5 we're used to) we were literally bumping into each other. It was noisy as well....you can hear right through the walls. There were lots of little kids up there this week.
You do not want to go down to the common room at 8:30-8:45 am looking for breakfast on the concierge floor. It was a zoo in there with lots of cranky people. I guess if you're paying for the extra service.....you want to have a seat and your food when you want it. We just took our oj and bagels back to the room to eat happily by ourselves.
The CM's up on the floor couldn't have been nicer and more helpful. And the common room was a lovely place from 5-7 for "cocktail hour" with much "happier" guests. They had appetizers and p,b&j's for the kiddos. We could have skipped dinner and just eaten there for the night.
It was overall wonderful to be at the BC for those last two nights. We love the proximity to Epcot and being able to walk right over to our dinner reservations.
Despite the still chilly weather, the kids did enjoy SAB and the hot tub at the quiet pool. Again we were the only ones in the pool while 3 lifeguards sat nearby because they had closed SAB and were touring the other pools to make sure folks were aware of the hypothermia risk. They were all dressed for an artic storm and we looked like refugees in our bathing suits and towels.....but we had fun.
We took advantage of the location and had made a reservation for our DD7 (big birthday on 11/20 at WDW) on the Pirate Cruise out of the YC marina 9:30-11:30 ($30). They went out on a pontoon with a pirate flag, with bandana's on, searched for clues in the lagoon and into Epcot and then had p,b & J's and juice for lunch. They came back with a bag of "booty". She had a great time. I would highly recommend it. My older DD15 drove the Sea Racer for 30 mins and always enjoys that time alone.
We started our trip with MVMCP on Friday 11/17 and it was great. The decorations and the parade were fantastic. The general mood in the park was really fun - many more "happy" faces all around. The crowd was relatively light and we were able to ride several attractions 2-3 times (Thunder Mtn, Buzz, Space Mtn, etc.).
We had lots of dining reservations because I knew from research here on DIS that it was going to be busy and thank goodness we did. Those who had no reservations - especially the past 3 days were in tough shape. I'll post specific reports on the restaurants on the dining board - but we had great meals at California Grill, Alfredo's, Crystal Palace, CRT, Askerhuas Princess Breakfast and Tony's (Yes there is at least one family members who enjoyed themselves at Tony's despite many threads on these boards to the contrary), Spoodles and Teppanyaki. We ate too much is really all that needs to be said. Lots of vegetables and salads will be on the menu this week.
The crowds got heavier each day beginning 11/19. On my DD7's birthday we literally couldn't let her "choose" her rides at MK because it was way too crowded after her lunch at CRT - so we promised her a different night at the MK which was Thanksgiving night (7-12) and she got to dictate the plan. But even that night all the fast passes were gone and the lines were incredibly long - despite the frigid temps. There were reports of snow in Orlando on Wed evening - but it didn't slow anyone down apparently and certainly not us.
Epcot was nuts 11/22-24 as well. We usually go to WDW during spring break and are used to Easter crowds. I have to tell you - this felt much worse than the spring. At AK we practically got trampled going into Bug's Life.
We thought the Nemo musical was great, but the line to get in was very, very long despite the fact that it seats 1700! At Epcot we LOVED Soarin and Turtle Talk with Crush (unexpectedly). We enjoyed the Nemo ride, but wouldn't rush back again. I managed to avoid Stitch, but my DH got suckered in by my DD7 and said it was both boring and a bit scary. We like the newly updated POC, but wouldn't do the lines more than once.
However many folks there were...we still enjoyed our time. We just lowered our expectations on those days and zig zagged as necessary. We are not early risers (I am, but the rest of the girls and my DH could sleep till noon) - but I did manage to get them to the MK on one early Extra Magic hour at MK and we were able to enjoy a few rides in Tomorrowland before the tide got too hard to manage.
We zipped over to MGM just before the end of Extra Magic Hours after a great dinner one night to see the Osborne lights. My DH did not like the loud music (dancing lights)....but my girls and I LOVED it.
Our last day we went to the first Candlelight Processional at 5pm and it was a great way to end the trip. We had a wonderful meal at Alfredo's and then joined the "reserved" line at 4:15. We ended up in the front row so our youngest DD could see the action up close. The music was lovely and fun. I loved the long trumpets (forget the name?) and the percussion section was right in front of us. David Robinson was the narrator and did a good job...although he was a bit tentative because it was his first show and first time. John Sinclair, the guest conductor from Rollins College, was wonderful. Loved his energy. He would literally jump forward in the air 2-3 feet.
Edited: Forgot to mention that the gingerbread creations were up and delightful at BC, BW and GF. I forgot to check the YC to see if they had one there. They were very impressive. At the GF they told us that the dough for the houses was made in June and sat for 3 months in the fridge!
The Grand Floridian was sooooo beautiful. They had an orchestra playing there on Thanksgiving Day on the 2nd floor. There were benches set up on either side of the gorgeous tree. It was clear that many came prepared to take their holiday pictures on those benches. Their coordinated and/or dressed up attire gave them away. It was fun to just watch the crowd before and after our dinner with Cindy and friends. My DH was not amused that we were having Thanksgiving with rodents! But of course my DD7 was over the moon. She even swooned when Prince Charming came over.
Wonderful trip overall - lots of magic - lots of laughter. One night my girls said that we hadn't giggled so much in years. And that's why we go - to gigle like crazy on Buzz and Thunder Mtn at 11pm at night when most folks are home watching the news in their pj's.
We hated to leave and can't wait to get back. We have culture shock today and I had to go to the grocery store - YUK. Tomorrow I have much work to do for a Holiday House Tour that I'm running next weekend - REALITY creeps back in.
But we are so very thankful that we are DVC owners and can afford to do these kinds of trips and share them with our kids.
I got stopped several times last week by folks who read the "DVC Member" logo on the wind breaker I had to buy for extra warmth (found my lined jacket in an outside pocket of a suitcase last night in Tampa - my husband thinks I knew where it was all along). The questions were from folks considering DVC purchases and I was thrilled to answer from our experience. And whenever I saw someone at a DVC desk....I had to restrain myself from running up and telling them how wonderful DVC ownership is. It's not right for everyone, but it's very "right" for us.
