howlongtildisney
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2009
- Messages
- 193
I benefitted from others trips reports so much, I thought I would collect a few of my thoughts and make a mini-trip report. I started writing up a traditional report by day, but that got really boring with no pics. Sorry, Im just not that much of a picture taker. So, I thought Id just write up by topic instead. First, the preliminaries
Cast: It was me (28 and an attorney for a non-profit), my DH (27 and a grants administrator at a different non-profit), my mother (50s and a high school math teacher), and my father (50s and VP of engineering for a small medical device company). My mother, father, and I have all been to WDW several times. In fact, this was my ninth trip. DH had only been on day trips a couple times as a kid, so this was his first full-on Disney vacation.
Dates and location: 12/26/09, Springhill Suites; 12/27/09 01/02/10, Old Key West
Background: My mother discovered the Unofficial Guide before my first trip when I was 6. Ever since then, weve been known to occasionally bow to it from time to time. My family, especially my mother and I, are obsessive vacation planners and we really enjoy going to WDW every few years. I discovered Ridemax while doing research for the trip on the Dis boards, and I also discovered renting points from DVC owners. After that, my mom passed on the planning torch to me. We ditched our reservation for 2 water view rooms at POFQ and rented a 2BR villa for an additional day and the same price.
Ok, on to the reviews.
Springhill Suites: Since we were all driving to WDW, we decided to get a cheap hotel the night before we checked in. Theres no sense in paying Disney hotel prices on a day when you wont be going to the park. I entered a $55 bid on Priceline and we got the Springhill Suites. The rooms were good for the price and gave us a place to crash that night. The staff were all very friendly. I probably wouldnt stay there for more than a night or two, though. The two rooms were both extremely crowded. My parents ended up in the largest room in the place, and all the furniture was jammed up against one wall. It was really strange we could have held a dance party in there! They did have a free breakfast, but we left before it started at 7. The traffic was a nightmare, but I think that was mostly due to the fact that it was Christmas Week.
Jiko: We went to dinner there on the night that we were at the Springhill Suites. We checked in at 7:40 for an 8:05 ADR, and were seated almost immediately. We got the breads and dips as an appetizer for the table. They were delicious! The waiter recommended a lovely red wine. For our entrees, Mom and I had the short ribs, Dad had the lamb, and DH had the fillet with mac & cheese. We all loved the dinner, but felt that they were rushing us just a bit. Plates were cleared before we were completely done with them. I know thats Disney, but it was the only time all week we felt rushed at a meal. We decided to forgo dessert because we had Christmas cookies back at the hotel. Then, as the waiter prepared the check, the computers went down. We waited maybe 15 minutes for the check. Both the waiter and the manager came by and apologized about it, and I understood. Dad said that it would have been nice of them to offer us coffee while we were waiting. Overall, though, it was a great meal. Throughout the week we kept saying that the dining plan is way too much food but if we ever did do the plan, wed probably use all of our table service credits to eat at signature restaurants.
Animal Kingdom Lodge: Love the theming, love the lobby, its on the short list of places to stay on a return visit.
Old Key West Check-In: We checked in at the ungodly hour of 6:15 am because we wanted to be at MK rope drop at 7. Before I got up to the desk, apparently my mom ran into a grumpy front desk CM who was unhappy that anyone would be checking in so early. By the time I got there, we were working with a very friendly Norwegian CM. They had a 2BR available already but it was on the 3rd floor, and thanks to Moms bum knee we really wanted the 2nd floor. So, she found us another villa in building 46 that would be ready later in the day. We figured that was fine because we were going to be at the MK until 1 or 2. Well, it turns out that even though check-in is at 3, the rooms dont have to be ready until 4. We got back from the MK at 2, exhausted, and the room still wasnt ready. 2 drinks at the bar later, and it still wasnt ready. When my mother went to the front desk at 3:50 and pointed out that they had 10 minutes to get us our room, they called housekeeping. It was ready but it just hadnt been logged into the computer yet. By the time that we got to the villa at 4:00 pm, we were exhausted.
Old Key West 2BR Villa: Loved it! Sure the décor is pretty dated, but the place is huge! DH ended up spending our entire first night in the villa up-chucking, so I was extremely thankful for the sofa bed. The living room and the kitchen were so nice to have. None of us are big breakfast eaters, so being able to have some granola or a quick bagel before heading out in the morning was really nice. I dont think Ill be able to stay at WDW ever again without being in a villa. It was just so relaxing and nice. It was pretty cold most of the time that we were there, but we did sit out on the balcony one night, which was really nice.
Old Key West Overall: LOVED IT! It was perfect for what we wanted. It was very quiet, and the view from our room on the 2nd floor of building 46 was lovely. The water taxi to and from DTD was very pleasant. It went by our building and it was almost never full. I probably would not want to stay there if I was on the dining plan because there are so few options and because it can be a really long walk or a bus ride just to get to food. We only had to wait more than 5 minutes for a bus once, and it we found out later that was because there had been a wreck that messed up traffic going to the MK. OKW was perfect for what we wanted. While there are several other properties where I would like to stay on the future, Im very tempted to go back. The serenity of the place was just so appealing.
Renting DVC Points: Hands down, fantastic. For the same price as 2 rooms at a moderate, we got a 2 bedroom villa, and we paid just over a third of what Disney would have charged to rent it to us for the week. I dont think Ill ever go to WDW again without renting from a DVC owner. BTW it showed up as a DVC reservation so we were given all owners discounts and perks like free internet.
Christmas Crowds: We combat toured. Almost every day, we were at rope drop or arriving within 15 minutes of it. On our first day, we opened the MK at 7am. By 10:00 am we stopped for a coffee break and we had done over half of the things we wanted to do that day, as well as already collected Fast Passes for 2 rides. I also cant say enough about how awesome it was to watch the sun rise over the Contemporary while I was riding the Astro Orbiter! That was the way things went all week. We would arrive early, see pretty much everything we wanted, collect Fast Passes, and then go back for a nap when it got really crowded. I would not hesitate at all to go back at Christmas. On one morning, we got to AK at 7:30am when it was supposed to open at 8:00. We walked in slowly, thinking we were heading to the rope drop corral. Instead, they had managers along the path telling us that the park was already open! We got fast passes for The Lion King and Nemo, and walked on to Expedition Everest even before the park officially opened. I know that in my planning process, someone (I think Robo) said that unannounced early openings dont happen any more. Hah! If this was an announced early open, it was announced less than a week before we left. Oh, and another Hah! moment was watching IllumiNations on the 28th. The cold kept away the crowds so we were able to browse stores and snack until 10 minutes before IllumiNations started much better than the 45 minutes we had expected!
RideMax: I decided to purchase the program because I liked how you could customize your touring plan so much. I played with it a lot before we left, and it was a lot of fun to see how adding and deleting things would affect the plan. I dont necessarily think that RideMax is the be-all end-all of touring plans, but it was absolutely perfect for us. I love the fact that for most of the week, we didnt have to waste time saying, Ok, now what are we going to do? We didnt stick to the plan exactly every day, but we definitely used it as our plan of attack.
Fireworks Dessert Party: I wasnt sure how much I liked the idea of paying to sit at a place that always had been my favorite MK fireworks viewing spot. However, we shelled out $35 each to go to the Fireworks in the Sky Dessert Party on 12.30.09. Not sure if they were fully booked that night, but it was very quiet and not crowded. We got a first row table and moved our chairs over to the railing just before the fireworks started. The desserts were delicious, and overall it was a wonderful experience. It was wonderful to have a seat and it was wonderful to avoid the crowds. All in all, we would do it again. It was worth the $35 on such a crowded night, and wed probably pay the $20 in the regular times.
Kim Possible in Epcot: I decided to do this on the day that DH was home sick, thinking that it may or may not be any fun. My parents and I had a blast! It is not just for kids at all. I love how I saw corners of the World Showcase that I otherwise would not have visited. We had so much fun that we decided to do it again on a later day when DH was feeling better, and had just as much fun the second time. I highly, highly recommend it!
Dining Reservations: Originally we thought that we would either eat counter service or eat at the villa, so the only ADR I made was for Jiko. Well then one day we found ourselves in Epcot and wanting a table service lunch. Just to see, we decided to call 407.WDW.DINE. We thought there wouldnt be much availability. It was just the opposite we had our pick of restaurants and our pick of times. Granted, Teppan Edo and Le Cellier werent available at all, but we did that for Restaurant Marrakesh and Rose & Crown on two different days. Then, when we got to the restaurants we heard walk-ups being told that it was a 35 minute wait and we were taken right to our table.
Disney Transportation: We used all of it and had a fantastic experience. One day my parents had trouble getting to the MK, but we later learned that there was an accident that messed up traffic. My only minor complaint is how long it takes the bus to load and unload scooters. I used to ride the Washington DC Metro bus system a lot and the loading was much more efficient the ramp and the controls were at the front of the bus so the driver didnt have to get up.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip! It takes some planning and some early hours, but Christmas Week was wonderful. Thanks so much to the Dis Boards, for letting me know about so many things I wouldnt have otherwise: Kim Possible, fireworks dessert party, using fast passes after the stated return time, Ridemax, renting DVC points, the boat from Epcot to DHS, among many, many others.
Cast: It was me (28 and an attorney for a non-profit), my DH (27 and a grants administrator at a different non-profit), my mother (50s and a high school math teacher), and my father (50s and VP of engineering for a small medical device company). My mother, father, and I have all been to WDW several times. In fact, this was my ninth trip. DH had only been on day trips a couple times as a kid, so this was his first full-on Disney vacation.
Dates and location: 12/26/09, Springhill Suites; 12/27/09 01/02/10, Old Key West
Background: My mother discovered the Unofficial Guide before my first trip when I was 6. Ever since then, weve been known to occasionally bow to it from time to time. My family, especially my mother and I, are obsessive vacation planners and we really enjoy going to WDW every few years. I discovered Ridemax while doing research for the trip on the Dis boards, and I also discovered renting points from DVC owners. After that, my mom passed on the planning torch to me. We ditched our reservation for 2 water view rooms at POFQ and rented a 2BR villa for an additional day and the same price.
Ok, on to the reviews.
Springhill Suites: Since we were all driving to WDW, we decided to get a cheap hotel the night before we checked in. Theres no sense in paying Disney hotel prices on a day when you wont be going to the park. I entered a $55 bid on Priceline and we got the Springhill Suites. The rooms were good for the price and gave us a place to crash that night. The staff were all very friendly. I probably wouldnt stay there for more than a night or two, though. The two rooms were both extremely crowded. My parents ended up in the largest room in the place, and all the furniture was jammed up against one wall. It was really strange we could have held a dance party in there! They did have a free breakfast, but we left before it started at 7. The traffic was a nightmare, but I think that was mostly due to the fact that it was Christmas Week.
Jiko: We went to dinner there on the night that we were at the Springhill Suites. We checked in at 7:40 for an 8:05 ADR, and were seated almost immediately. We got the breads and dips as an appetizer for the table. They were delicious! The waiter recommended a lovely red wine. For our entrees, Mom and I had the short ribs, Dad had the lamb, and DH had the fillet with mac & cheese. We all loved the dinner, but felt that they were rushing us just a bit. Plates were cleared before we were completely done with them. I know thats Disney, but it was the only time all week we felt rushed at a meal. We decided to forgo dessert because we had Christmas cookies back at the hotel. Then, as the waiter prepared the check, the computers went down. We waited maybe 15 minutes for the check. Both the waiter and the manager came by and apologized about it, and I understood. Dad said that it would have been nice of them to offer us coffee while we were waiting. Overall, though, it was a great meal. Throughout the week we kept saying that the dining plan is way too much food but if we ever did do the plan, wed probably use all of our table service credits to eat at signature restaurants.
Animal Kingdom Lodge: Love the theming, love the lobby, its on the short list of places to stay on a return visit.
Old Key West Check-In: We checked in at the ungodly hour of 6:15 am because we wanted to be at MK rope drop at 7. Before I got up to the desk, apparently my mom ran into a grumpy front desk CM who was unhappy that anyone would be checking in so early. By the time I got there, we were working with a very friendly Norwegian CM. They had a 2BR available already but it was on the 3rd floor, and thanks to Moms bum knee we really wanted the 2nd floor. So, she found us another villa in building 46 that would be ready later in the day. We figured that was fine because we were going to be at the MK until 1 or 2. Well, it turns out that even though check-in is at 3, the rooms dont have to be ready until 4. We got back from the MK at 2, exhausted, and the room still wasnt ready. 2 drinks at the bar later, and it still wasnt ready. When my mother went to the front desk at 3:50 and pointed out that they had 10 minutes to get us our room, they called housekeeping. It was ready but it just hadnt been logged into the computer yet. By the time that we got to the villa at 4:00 pm, we were exhausted.
Old Key West 2BR Villa: Loved it! Sure the décor is pretty dated, but the place is huge! DH ended up spending our entire first night in the villa up-chucking, so I was extremely thankful for the sofa bed. The living room and the kitchen were so nice to have. None of us are big breakfast eaters, so being able to have some granola or a quick bagel before heading out in the morning was really nice. I dont think Ill be able to stay at WDW ever again without being in a villa. It was just so relaxing and nice. It was pretty cold most of the time that we were there, but we did sit out on the balcony one night, which was really nice.
Old Key West Overall: LOVED IT! It was perfect for what we wanted. It was very quiet, and the view from our room on the 2nd floor of building 46 was lovely. The water taxi to and from DTD was very pleasant. It went by our building and it was almost never full. I probably would not want to stay there if I was on the dining plan because there are so few options and because it can be a really long walk or a bus ride just to get to food. We only had to wait more than 5 minutes for a bus once, and it we found out later that was because there had been a wreck that messed up traffic going to the MK. OKW was perfect for what we wanted. While there are several other properties where I would like to stay on the future, Im very tempted to go back. The serenity of the place was just so appealing.
Renting DVC Points: Hands down, fantastic. For the same price as 2 rooms at a moderate, we got a 2 bedroom villa, and we paid just over a third of what Disney would have charged to rent it to us for the week. I dont think Ill ever go to WDW again without renting from a DVC owner. BTW it showed up as a DVC reservation so we were given all owners discounts and perks like free internet.
Christmas Crowds: We combat toured. Almost every day, we were at rope drop or arriving within 15 minutes of it. On our first day, we opened the MK at 7am. By 10:00 am we stopped for a coffee break and we had done over half of the things we wanted to do that day, as well as already collected Fast Passes for 2 rides. I also cant say enough about how awesome it was to watch the sun rise over the Contemporary while I was riding the Astro Orbiter! That was the way things went all week. We would arrive early, see pretty much everything we wanted, collect Fast Passes, and then go back for a nap when it got really crowded. I would not hesitate at all to go back at Christmas. On one morning, we got to AK at 7:30am when it was supposed to open at 8:00. We walked in slowly, thinking we were heading to the rope drop corral. Instead, they had managers along the path telling us that the park was already open! We got fast passes for The Lion King and Nemo, and walked on to Expedition Everest even before the park officially opened. I know that in my planning process, someone (I think Robo) said that unannounced early openings dont happen any more. Hah! If this was an announced early open, it was announced less than a week before we left. Oh, and another Hah! moment was watching IllumiNations on the 28th. The cold kept away the crowds so we were able to browse stores and snack until 10 minutes before IllumiNations started much better than the 45 minutes we had expected!
RideMax: I decided to purchase the program because I liked how you could customize your touring plan so much. I played with it a lot before we left, and it was a lot of fun to see how adding and deleting things would affect the plan. I dont necessarily think that RideMax is the be-all end-all of touring plans, but it was absolutely perfect for us. I love the fact that for most of the week, we didnt have to waste time saying, Ok, now what are we going to do? We didnt stick to the plan exactly every day, but we definitely used it as our plan of attack.
Fireworks Dessert Party: I wasnt sure how much I liked the idea of paying to sit at a place that always had been my favorite MK fireworks viewing spot. However, we shelled out $35 each to go to the Fireworks in the Sky Dessert Party on 12.30.09. Not sure if they were fully booked that night, but it was very quiet and not crowded. We got a first row table and moved our chairs over to the railing just before the fireworks started. The desserts were delicious, and overall it was a wonderful experience. It was wonderful to have a seat and it was wonderful to avoid the crowds. All in all, we would do it again. It was worth the $35 on such a crowded night, and wed probably pay the $20 in the regular times.
Kim Possible in Epcot: I decided to do this on the day that DH was home sick, thinking that it may or may not be any fun. My parents and I had a blast! It is not just for kids at all. I love how I saw corners of the World Showcase that I otherwise would not have visited. We had so much fun that we decided to do it again on a later day when DH was feeling better, and had just as much fun the second time. I highly, highly recommend it!
Dining Reservations: Originally we thought that we would either eat counter service or eat at the villa, so the only ADR I made was for Jiko. Well then one day we found ourselves in Epcot and wanting a table service lunch. Just to see, we decided to call 407.WDW.DINE. We thought there wouldnt be much availability. It was just the opposite we had our pick of restaurants and our pick of times. Granted, Teppan Edo and Le Cellier werent available at all, but we did that for Restaurant Marrakesh and Rose & Crown on two different days. Then, when we got to the restaurants we heard walk-ups being told that it was a 35 minute wait and we were taken right to our table.
Disney Transportation: We used all of it and had a fantastic experience. One day my parents had trouble getting to the MK, but we later learned that there was an accident that messed up traffic. My only minor complaint is how long it takes the bus to load and unload scooters. I used to ride the Washington DC Metro bus system a lot and the loading was much more efficient the ramp and the controls were at the front of the bus so the driver didnt have to get up.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip! It takes some planning and some early hours, but Christmas Week was wonderful. Thanks so much to the Dis Boards, for letting me know about so many things I wouldnt have otherwise: Kim Possible, fireworks dessert party, using fast passes after the stated return time, Ridemax, renting DVC points, the boat from Epcot to DHS, among many, many others.
