Been There, Done That and ThenSome:Timandlesley Do Disneyfor18days!11/2 TR IS UP!pg79

At AKL people complain that there isn’t enough room for your clothes which I found totally adequate, at SSR it’s plain ridiculous.

I couldn't agree with you more! The only other times we've stayed at SSR was with just Matt and myself. This past trip, we had all four of us in a studio (for only 4 days, mind you) and we totally had to live out of a suitcase. I do like the hooks by the door, but it certainly doesn't make up for the lack of drawers. BOO!
The room was nice, I’m not complaining but in my honest comparison of AKL to SSR … AKL wins hands down. We loved the beauty of SSR, it is a gorgeous resort, pools are great, but overall AKL wins.

Can't wait til we stay at AKL to make the comparison too.. but you have some very valid arguements!!

Our proximity to the buses was INSANE. Just a short ride downstairs in the elevator, step outside the building and the bus stop was THIS CLOSE!

Niiiiiiiicce!:thumbsup2


Lauren ended up buying one of those Little Pony kids with a TON of Disney dress up outfits shoved into the box

I didn't know they had this! How neat. Shae would DIE!!

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I am saving money already for a trip to this store!

At Goofy’s you can get 3 of their yummy chocolate pretzel sticks with only ONE snack credit, so we each did that. We choose our toppings and filled out our sheets

I think I posted this in an old trip report, but I think the pretzel/rice krispie treat at Goofy's is one of the best deals on Disney property! And SOOOOO delicious!
 
:love:LOVE IT!! This is another thing I had no idea about. We really don't get to DTD as much as we should. Hope to check this out in November when Matt and I are on our own!


We had him before when my parents came down for my 30th birthday. Cousin Greg just doesn’t have any personality.

What are the odds of that happening? And, of course, it has to be a no-personality CM.:sad2:

Then they brought out the pot stickers with the dipping sauces, YUM!!!! Sooze had told us to try the peanut dipping sauce, I did an YUM YUM DOUBLE YUM!!! Great suggestion (thanks Sooze).

You are so very welcome.. I am drooling right now thinking about the pot stickers and peanut sauce...:hyper:

Tyson and Shae enjoyed their light up drinks too:
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You know, as soon as I show this to them, they are going to demand light up drinks on our next trip... :rolleyes:

Then it was time for the limbo. Luke was chosen to hold the limbo stick (lucky guy this trip).

He is a CM in the making!

just so you know she also told me you needed a room key for this and I almost hiked all the way over there without one, so if you are staying there and want a life vest: Community Hall and bring your room key!

Thanks for the tip!
 
All caught up! I got a little behind there. Great stuff! Love love Luke's shirt!

You all had so much fun! Too bad about Tim's knee though!!!
 
Loved the new update!

Luke's shirt is great. :lmao: Can't wait to check out Tren-D, and of course no trip to DTD would be complete without Goofy's! Those pretzels are dangerously good!

Hope Tim's knee is okay. Looking forward to more! :cool1:
 

Hey guys, great update! Love Luke's T-shirt!!
when you guys were doing the Kim Possible missions, were older kids( say like 15 yrs old) taking part?
 
Great update! Luke's shirt is just too funny, and Lauren looks so sweet in her sundress. Glad to hear your positive review of 'Ohana. Even though SSR could not live up to AKL, it looked like it was fun to be there with people you knew.
Glad you liked his shirt- I thought it was funny too and he loves the compliments he's getting on it : )

It will not be THE last time. You own DVC now. You will take many more pictures. (But I know what you mean :laughing:).

I also love AKL. We stayed there last Oct, but we paid for the room. It was well worth the $$.

Being DVC owners, too, we usually stay at Old Key West because the points are lower and the rooms are much bigger. And because it is our home resort. I can't wait to stay at the new portion of AKL, hopefully soon....
You're right, I'll be back (in June actually) but I just hated saying goodbye. OKW is tempting because of the beds and no pull out but I'm hooked on AKL now.

What a great update!!!

Glad you were able to get a nice close room to help Tim out :wizard:


Luke's shirt is hilarious :rotfl:


How fun u were in same building as Diane and her family and got to spend the night together.

So looking forward to another TR from both you and Diane next year...so fun to read them both together :cool1:
Yeah, I was glad about the room location too. Glad you enjoyed Luke's shirt. It was awesome being so close to Diane and their family, looking forward to our trip next year!

Luke's t-shirt is so funny! Very creative.

I love the pictures of Tren-D and our "home" (we have points at Saratoga Springs...we love it there!). It's definitely very different from AKL.
Glad you liked his shirt, he's proud of all the comments he's getting on it.

I LOVE :lovestruc Luke's shirt! It makes me want to create one for our September trip. I actually was against this before and he changed my mind!

Bummer on that small "dresser"...thank goodness you weren't there for the whole trip, right?

I'm SO looking forward to Ohana now! What does the backscratcher have in it? Looks like something DH would like (I'll stick with my Lapu Lapu)

those kids crack me up..."it has HAIR!" :rotfl:

and every time I hear you talk about Matthew and Luke it gives me a chuckle...two famous disciples...
Glad you liked his shirt, thanks for commenting on it, he is LOVING the comments. OHana is SO GOOD! Not sure what the backscratcher has in it but tim loves it and gets it each time!

WOW, just WOW! :worship: So much fun you guys had! Two words - MEZZO MIX!! I grew up on this stuff in Germany and I also love it eventhough I don't drink sodas much. Can you believe we couldn't find Club Cool last time? :rotfl2: We'll have more time there so we'll find it!!

Thanks and I'm enjoying the ride with you guys...

Heather
So glad you are enjoying it. YEAH! Mezzo Mix is SOOOO tasty! I just love it! Glad you are enjoying the ride, thanks for coming along : )

Love your report, it is fantastic, we love the AKL, too. It is our absolute favorite. Love Lukes' t shirt, so adorable !! Can't wait for the next update.
So glad you are enjoying it, AKL is the best! Glad you enjoyed Luke's shirt, he's loving the comments, so thank you!

GREAT update!! O'hana is one of my favorite places to eat at WDW!! YUM!! How fun that you were able to stay at the same resort as your friends AND that you're already planning to go back with them!! Fun times!!
I know, OHana's is wonderful, such tasty food there!!!
Another great update! :thumbsup2

We had a similar experience to yours about moving hotels and being a little disappointed. We spent 10 days at WDW and then went to Sea World on the last day of vacation. I couldn't help but feel a little dissapointed in the park b/c it just wasn't Disney. We decided then that we should have gone to Sea World first. I think we would have had a totally different experience if we had. That made me realize that if we ever switch hotels during a stay, we will do the least favorite (or cheaper) one first. I bet you would have liked SSR a lot better if you had gone there first. I think that is just human nature. It still looked nice though. They have some awesome grass!! Wish I had that in my yard!
Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, I have always said when we do Universal and Sea World when the kids get a bit older I want to do it BEFORE disney, you confirmed that for me. I agree about SSR first, it probably would have changed my view of it, in retrospect I should have booked it that way, but it all worked out.
Hurray another update!!! I know what you mean about Animal Kingdom Lodge -- just seeing your pictures made me so anxious to get back there just as soon as possible!!!

SSR looks very nice, but I am taking your comments about space to heart -- as the kids get older having that space becomes more and more important!

Even though you didn't go to a park that day it sure looks like you had a great time at DtD, Ohana's, and the pool!
Yeah, I just can't wait to get back to AKL, so beautiful! Yeah, space is super tight at SSR in a studio for a family of 4, especially if you are there for a while and have lots of "stuff" like we did.
Lesley

Well I guess I got a little behind on the TR's. Welcome back & I really enjoyed your last 2 updates. Sounds like you had an awesome day with HDDR & wishes & then Spectro!!:thumbsup2 We just loved Hoop Dee Doo!! And Luke getting up there. Very brave!! Such a fun time. I love Luke's shirt!! Very creative. I have NO creativity in me what so ever! Lauren looked sooo pretty in her yellow dress. Very good color on her. Boy they do not give you much room at SSR do they??? Sounds like you had a great time with Diane & planning to go next year together-how great is that?? Cannot wait for the next update!!
Glad you are all caught up now. It was an awesome day for HDDR and Spectro/Wishes, great night! Yes, Luke was quite the brave guy, he's come a long way over the years. No, not much room at all at SSR in a studio. Thanks for reading/posting.

Thanks Lesley for the honest input on the SSR. I found at CSR we struggled with where to put stuff clothes, luggage way more than any other Moderate we have stayed at. And the open balcony way of SSR is different.

Love all the AKL pics--- did you make it down to visit the new Kidani building at all?

Glad you had so much fun with Diane and crew.... and worried about how bad Tim's knee gets at WDW.
You are welcome, AKl is just GREAT! no, we didn't make the trek over to Kidani, wish we had - but talked to lots of people staying there that loved it.
Lesley
 
I LOVE Ohana's!!! Now I am craving those potstickers!! YUM

Luke's shirt is so cute!! Totally reminds me of something my son would say!! LOL
I know the potstickers there are the best (Yak and Yeti has great ones too) Glad you enjoyed Lukes t : )

Lukes shirt is so cute!! Please tell him that my grandson was reading the report with me, (he is 3), and said, "Who is that boy?" When I told himit was Luke, he said, "Tell him I LOVE his shirt!!" He then went on to say, "Remember when I wanted to make my own shirt and you said NO?"

It was our last day there and they said it would be a two hour wait, so we didn't order it.:guilty: I told him that next time we would do it at the beginning of the trip.

Great update!!
I'll tell him, that's halarious!

Your were gone, then I've been gone, just catching up.
Love the review of Askerhus, we are hoping to try that in Dec. A late breakfast.
Love Luke's tee.
I agree on the storage at SSR. I've only stayed at SSR, OKW, and AKL with DVC, and AKL is my favorite. It's more modern and the resort is just beautiful. SSR grounds are really pretty and we had a nice view of DTD. Funny, one of the things I really liked at SSR was the hook shelf by the door. Hung up our backpack and lanyards. :rotfl:
Thanks for the warning on the missions, we will have to save that for later in the trip, or they will not want to do anything else.
So sorry for Tim's knee. A terrible place to have a bad knee at.
Hoop Dee do, looks like tons of fun, we'll have to try that one sometime. I've always wondered if it was worth the extra credits.

Glad you enjoyed the update and Luke's tee. Yeah, the storage at SSR is tough for a family of 4 in the studio. Yeah, I liked the shelf and the hooks too, forgot about those!
Yeah, save the missions for later or they will be OBSESSED! Hoop De Doo is definitely worth the extra credits, loads of fun!
What a lovely relaxing day! There are a few new shops in DTD since we were there in Nov/Dec so that will be nice! The design a t-shirt is a great idea and I think the boys will love doing this - me too!LOL

Carreen
xxx
Hi Careen, yeah, it was a great day. Hope you guys get to make some fun shirts!

Thanks for your comparisons.
For most people, either you like the outside corridor style or you don't. The closet is good for hanging up a lot of your stuff, but the studios don't typically have enough room for your stuff. I think the designers saw this with the prior DVC studios and probably improved that with DVCs after that.

I, too, don't like not having the double sinks...there are a few other DVCs who do not have that in the 1BRs either. The studios, forget it.

As far as SSR location is concerned...yes, it's quite awesome being that close to DTD. I cannot tell you how many nights my husband hopped over there for something for us to eat after we got the kids to bed. It is a great perk!

:rotfl:about the pool monster!!! Kids!
Yeah, outdoor corridor isn't the greatest when you are there in June with the heat/humidity and rain. The double sinks at AKL are awesome! Yeah, I hopped over to DTD for a bite to eat too, that's to come : )

What a day! Not even a park and it was still packed full of fun! Ohana's sounds great and the chocolate covered pretzels sound super yummy!!!!
It was a great day, glad you enjoyed reading about it.
That shirt was priceless - I love it! :rotfl: So creative!

I hear ya on the space in the SSR studios; more clothes storage space would be nice! :thumbsup2

I do love that Grandstand area - we request that area each time we've been there. You can't beat the bus stop AND the pool right there! :cool1:
Yeah, the grandstand area is awesome! Glad you enjoyed the t shirt : )
Sounds like another great Disney day. I can't wait to try AKL ... our last trip we tried the WL after reading your reports and loved it.

Luke's shirt was great !

So sad that Tim's knee was bothering him on vacation. That is great that your family and Diane's family are planning to vacation together next year. Sounds like fun :goodvibes
It was another great Disney day. WL is definitely a second to AKL, VERY CLOSE second, so check out AKL you will LOVE IT!
Lesley, I forgot about something I wanted to mention before....

The pretzels, I had read in someone else's TR that you can no longer get 3 pretzels as a snack credit, just ONE pretzel. They were on basic dining though, I wonder if you can get 3 with the deluxe dining snack credits but only 1 with the basic dining snack credit? :confused3
That is strange, we asked and didn't say what dining plan we were on and they said 3 for 1 credit so they must still be doing it??

Thanks for your honest SSR review, it kind of reminds me of Grand Floridian, which makes it very pretty but the size is what keeps me away (I also don't have DVC) glad Diane was there because that probably made it 10x better!
You are welcome, I don't think you'd be a huge fan Nicole.
LOVE Luke's shirt! That is so cute that he designed it himself.

Lauren looks beautiful in her little sun dress at the Poly that night. Their dinner is so good. We went last year, but our reservation was not until 8:30 and everyone was kind of tired and not hungry enough to enjoy all that yummy food. We'll have to go again sometime. I love the Poly atmosphere.

Sounds like fun going with Dis friends next year. What's Diane's screen name? I'll have to check out her TR.

Swimming till 11:00 - Awesome!

Alice
Thanks for the Lauren compliments, I'm her mom so of course I thought she looked pretty ; ) Diane's screen name is dddisrunner - her pics of our night swimming are WAY better than mine : )

Loved the updates!!! :thumbsup2

Luke's shirt was awesome, I can't wait to go there and let my kids design their own t-shirts!

Sorry about Tim's knee, it is no fun walking through Disney with continuous pain!
Glad you enjoyed the updates and the shirt, such fun.

Leslie:

I thought I had seen an UP shirt on one of Diane's children and she thinks it was your son. If so, where did you get it? I am looking for other merchandise. Jeremy is going to be Russell for MNSSHP. I bought the tshirt at Disney.com that looks like his scout shirt but I am trying to find the hat (if they even make it). If it was not your son, I guess I will have to go back through the reports I have been reading!

Erika
That was Luke who got the UP shirt (day 2 or 3 of my report, I forget which). They sold UP stuff in World of Disney and the store at Hollywood Studios right outside of the Animation area.

Great update! Looks like you had a nice rleaxing day on resort change day. Great 'Ohana pics too. I agree with you about the drawer/closet space at SSR. We couldn't fit all clothes in the drawers and had to hang up a lot of them. We were in the same building as you but our room faced the Grandstand pool. It's a pretty resort but I liked the theme of many others better. I didn't like Artist Palette at all.
It was a great day, yeah I should have hung more in the closet. Artist Palette is the pits, more on that later!
Yay for Disney.. always trying to incorporate education with their theming.:thumbsup2



Thank you so much for posting so many pictures of AKL and for all of your comments about it. When Matt and I visited, we thought it was stunning, but we were worried about how much we would like it there, since it had SUCH a different feel from other DVC resorts. Your report, pictures, and opinions have me aching to stay there now!



Oh my goodness.. you look SO depressed in this picture!!



When we were there this past month, I watched a really b*#@hy lady giving the CM at the counter crap because their room was too far away from everything. I swear, it's all about HOW you ask them for a switch. Why people find it necessary to be poopy is beyond me!
Thanks for all your awesome comments sooze. Yeah, it is definitely the tone you use in Disney - no one wants to give someone what they want if they treat you like crap!
 
I couldn't agree with you more! The only other times we've stayed at SSR was with just Matt and myself. This past trip, we had all four of us in a studio (for only 4 days, mind you) and we totally had to live out of a suitcase. I do like the hooks by the door, but it certainly doesn't make up for the lack of drawers. BOO!

Can't wait til we stay at AKL to make the comparison too.. but you have some very valid arguements!!

Niiiiiiiicce!:thumbsup2
I didn't know they had this! How neat. Shae would DIE!!

I am saving money already for a trip to this store!



I think I posted this in an old trip report, but I think the pretzel/rice krispie treat at Goofy's is one of the best deals on Disney property! And SOOOOO delicious!
Oh yeah, Shae will LOVE the pony thing, it's in the back of once upon a toy, it's like 19 bucks (maybe less, I forget) and you get a box and you can stuff 2 pony's in there and as many disney dress up stuff as you can imagine, they have every single Disney princess outfit, very cool!
Can't wait for you guys to try AKL too!

:love:LOVE IT!! This is another thing I had no idea about. We really don't get to DTD as much as we should. Hope to check this out in November when Matt and I are on our own!




What are the odds of that happening? And, of course, it has to be a no-personality CM.:sad2:



You are so very welcome.. I am drooling right now thinking about the pot stickers and peanut sauce...:hyper:



You know, as soon as I show this to them, they are going to demand light up drinks on our next trip... :rolleyes:



He is a CM in the making!



Thanks for the tip!
Sorry about the light up drinks and your kids : ) You will love Tren D, sooooo cool!!!

All caught up! I got a little behind there. Great stuff! Love love Luke's shirt!

You all had so much fun! Too bad about Tim's knee though!!!
Thanks for reading/posting - yeah his shirt is awesome, glad you liked it

Loved the new update!

Luke's shirt is great. :lmao: Can't wait to check out Tren-D, and of course no trip to DTD would be complete without Goofy's! Those pretzels are dangerously good!

Hope Tim's knee is okay. Looking forward to more! :cool1:
Yes, dangerously good INDEED! Thanks for reading/posting.

Love your report! Looking forward to more!!!
Thanks!!!
Hey guys, great update! Love Luke's T-shirt!!
when you guys were doing the Kim Possible missions, were older kids( say like 15 yrs old) taking part?
Glad you enjoyed the update and his shirt. Yeah, I saw kids AND adults of all ages doing the missions - such fun!
 
Hey everyone!
I am so excited. I am a huge fan of the Dis podcast team and they had a call in show yesterday AND I GOT THROUGH!!! It was amazing, I am so excited. The show should be up today or tomorrow if you want to listen. I was so nervous I don't remember all I said, hopefully I don't come off stupid. Let me know if you hear it?
Lesley
 
Great comparison of resorts. I am so happy we're starting off at SSR then moving to AKL, sounds like we're gonna love it:lovestruc

How nice that you were able to spend time with Diane and her family....to be in the same resort at the same time.....all the stars were aligned;)

Love Luke's shirt...made me laugh out loud. Great review of O'Hana's, one of my fav's:cloud9:

I think we're going to do the cab thing too, just seems to make things easier than wasting time catching buses:cool1:
 
Hey, Lesley!!!'
I'm sad to hear that SSR isn't your favorite resort. I was really looking forward to hearing what you thought about it, especially since it's our home resort. The storage situation stinks. Are there not any closets there? We'll be staying there for the first time in March (for the Princess 1/2), so it's nice to hear your thoughts. It definitely helps me to know what to expect as far as the locations, etc!
'Ohana looked SOOOO good. I cannot wait to eat there for the first time!
 
Awesome Day indeed! I am going to have to check out that Kim Possible thing! Thanks for the ideas and as always, I love your tr!!! :thumbsup2
 
Great update Lesley! So sad to leave AKL, I'm so glad we're starting at Saratoga, it can only get better from there. WE've requested GRandstand too, hope we get it! Love all the downtown disney shopping, can't wait to try the t shirt store. Love O'hana's, drooling looking at the pictures:lmao: So glad you get to vacation next year too with new friends.:banana:
 
What I can’t understand is why people don’t give up their seats sometimes. Now, me and my kids are older and we’re perfectly capable of standing, no problem, it happens. But there was this poor guy carrying his toddler child that was obviously very heavy and the poor guy was STRUGGLING to stay on his feet as the bus was twisting and turning. There were men in their 20’s and 30’s and teenage boys sitting all around him who didn’t even care, COME ON PEOPLE, give up your seat for this poor guy!!! (sorry, rant over!)

Totally understand what your saying!! We stayed at Kidani and SSR on our last trip in June and I only sat on the bus once. Being a teenager and able to stand I always gave up my seat! Some people really need to use their brains!!
 
YAY..Im late but Im here! I LOoOooooOooVe your TR's..Im so glad I found you. I read the whole thing tonight and cannot wait to see what you do next. :)

We are headed back to WL the first week of Decemeber...you were right I LOVE IT THERE!:thumbsup2
 
Lesley, we started our trip out at SSR and since we were moving to BCV 1 br in 3 days we totally lived out of suitcases and our purple locker. We've stayed at SSR in a studio a couple times before, once a couples trip and the other 2 times just the 3 of us. I agree, not the best for storage. We were on 5 night trips so we really didn't have too much stuff.
Just a word of warning, if you ever make the move to a 1 br it will totally ruin you for a studio, I was warned.....amd now I'm ruined.

So glad you had so much fun with Diane, Brian and the boys! Love the fact that you all are planning next year together!
 
Just a word of warning, if you ever make the move to a 1 br it will totally ruin you for a studio, I was warned.....amd now I'm ruined.
:confused3

I too am ruined!!!:rotfl:
 















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