WDWKOOK
NOW WITH LESS TAG!
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2009
- Messages
- 18,106
This was the last weekend before we leave for WL
, so lots to do. We packed toiletries, etc… last weekend and clothes yesterday. I didn't think I would overpack, but I'm seeing quite a wide temperature variance between morning and night so while capris/shorts might be fine during the day, they might not be so great at night. I'm so glad we drive so I can always squeeze in extras. We're all very excited to be arriving Sunday
).
I wonder if Bell Services are still contractors? If so, this could be why you often hear of some negative experiences with them as it relates to offering guests information. They are often your very first point of contact on your vacation, so it would be better if some of them were either better informed or automatically deferred to a CM.
I wonder if stopping the marshmallow roast 15 minutes prior to the start of the movie is new or has it always been that way? I feel like in the summer I've seen them roasting even a bit after the movie has started
Dee is wonderful and it is a shortened version of her given name. I am really going to miss the wonderful CL staff this trip, but I keep telling myself, at least I'm still at WL
So you're already booked? You'll have to post your dates so I can add you to the LL
. Interesting about the mugs.
to the DIS and the WL/VWL, Kerry! I feel as you do about Christmas weather. We've spent Christmas in very cold climates like ND and have also spent them in Key West, Korea and points in between and no matter where we are, it's still Christmas to me. But, I can appreciate those who like a chill in the air and some snow to get in the spirit. I'm just not a big fan of either of those.
, so lots to do. We packed toiletries, etc… last weekend and clothes yesterday. I didn't think I would overpack, but I'm seeing quite a wide temperature variance between morning and night so while capris/shorts might be fine during the day, they might not be so great at night. I'm so glad we drive so I can always squeeze in extras. We're all very excited to be arriving SundayAre you there yet? I hope you have a wonderful vacation!
What a great TR! Thank you for covering all the highlights (and a couple of lowlightsWell we made it home last weekend so I'm a little late with my trip report but better late than never. Another week at the WL CL never fails to disappoint. Most of the distractions/issues were minor - certainly nothing to detract from the magic.
We checked in on Saturday morning and I was surprised that there was no one else checking in. As we wheeled up and had the bell service unloading the car I asking if the concierge from the CL was coming down because I didn't see anyone else around. He said that the CL guests check in with everyone else downstairs now and no one comes down to meet them. I said I found that hard to believe. He then said they also stopped doing free valet for CL (which I wouldn't know anything about because I always park the car myself). I asked how long he had been there and he said a year. They did all that last year and I figured if they had stopped it someone on the board would have mentioned it.
I finally did see a cast member wandering around with an iPad and I told him what the bellhop said. He said the bellhop was wrong and he would take me up to our room which was ready. He took us up and started the check in process. Eventually the concierge took over. I was disappointed that we didn't get most of our room requests. We got bunk beds but we were on the south wing with a woods view. We wanted north wing inner courtyard, but we didn't get it. She was surprised the request wasn't met but they were pretty much all booked up. A room was coming available the next night so she said we could move the next day if we didn't mind. So we did. The room we got was on the south wing the closest to the lounge. I will say - since we hung around the hotel that day - it was pretty awesome being that close to the elevators and lounge. Even though there wasn't much a view, that was a nice room - quiet and convenient.
Everything was hooked up to our Magic Bands and we starting wandering around. Problems arose when I tried to buy something at the Mercantile. The band didn't work and was saying I was over the charging limit which wasn't possible since I had just checked in. In short, it took literally half a dozen trips up and down to the Mercantile and meeting with the concierge downstairs, his manager, and the CL concierge to figure out they had never charged me the room balance upon check in which prevented me from charging anything.Fortunately I got a gift basket, the items I tried buying from the mercantile for free, and a sizable credit applying to my account for the hour inconvenience. Nice! Rubbing Humprey's nose paid off.
By the way - the Magic Bands are AWESOME. We got everything tied to them (except the Photopass+ which I decided to keep separate). The Disney Experience app was hit or miss. The good was that the ability to change the Fastpass+ selections on the fly. When we were lounging by the pool and decided to go to the park a couple hours later - whip out the cell phone and move them back a couple hours. I can't overstate how great that is. The downside is that I was completely unable to cancel any dining reservations through the app, which resulted in me getting charged for them. The concierge said that seemed to be a common problem and she backed the charges off my account. They are still working out the kinks in the app, but I think they will have hit a homerun with everything once they get all the bugs worked out.
One night we waited about 30 minutes for a boat from the Contemporary back to the WL on the one night it was cold and windy. People were there before us complaining so I'm not sure how long it took the boat to actually come since the last one. All the boats we took to MK were very quick. Little to no waiting at all. I can't comment about the buses because we always drive over to Epcot and the Studios. I would recommend doing that (if you have your car) over the bus.
The only other hiccup was the concierge told us they roasted marshmallows on the beach until 7:00 when they have the movie. My wife took the kids down there at 6:45 and as the CM just handed out the marshmallows to another family she told my wife and kids they were done at 6:45 and she wouldn't be giving out any more marshmallows even though she just handed some out and the fire was still going. The kids were disappointed. My wife didn't get the name of the cast member unfortunately. I told the concierge about it afterward and she said she would get with management to see who was working that night. We weren't asking for anything special or over the top. It certainly would have been no big deal to give the kids two marshmallows with plenty of time to finish everything before the movie. That was probably the only black mark of the entire trip that didn't have some positive resolution although in the grand scheme of things it was insignificant.
Everything else was fantastic. The CL food was excellent as always. It seemed they had the apple cobbler for 4 or 5 nights in a row until they bust out with a flavor I hadn't had before - peach with strawberry. Not sure if Kook has got to try that one yet, but it was IMHO the best there - even better than the blueberry. The CM noted that he thought it might be new because it wasn't something he had seen very often. If you see it - I recommend a sample.
Of the CM's on the CL, we dealt mostly with Dee (I can't remember her actual name but that is what she goes by). Each year there always seems to be one CM who goes above and beyond or who is the one we deal with who always really makes us feel at home and this year it was her. Everyone was very friendly there this year. Some years some have not been overly friendly, but everyone on this go around was in full Disney mode.
We did get a few cute towel animals although in previous years we got a different one every single day. This time we got one every 3 days. They were pretty amazing. The kids always look forward to seeing the neat creations and the "scene" that Mousekeeping creates with them when we come back to the room from a day in the park and I guess the expectations have been set a little high.
Weather being in the 80's wasn't the greatest for the overall Christmas spirit as we always hope it will be cold, but at least there was no rain (or if there was we slept through it). And the heat did give us a few opportunities to enjoy the pool which wasn't crowded.
Overall again - I only pointed out the few hiccups. Everything was really fantastic - no one will remember the blips in a few months. WL never fails to disappoint and is always the best. The parks were great - not busy and the new Fastpass+ made the waits for the major rides non existent. Already booked for next year!
). I wonder if Bell Services are still contractors? If so, this could be why you often hear of some negative experiences with them as it relates to offering guests information. They are often your very first point of contact on your vacation, so it would be better if some of them were either better informed or automatically deferred to a CM.
I wonder if stopping the marshmallow roast 15 minutes prior to the start of the movie is new or has it always been that way? I feel like in the summer I've seen them roasting even a bit after the movie has started
Dee is wonderful and it is a shortened version of her given name. I am really going to miss the wonderful CL staff this trip, but I keep telling myself, at least I'm still at WL
So you're already booked? You'll have to post your dates so I can add you to the LL
It's great to hear that you and your family are happy at VWL and it's also great to hear that you've been able to pull some paper FPsWell folks we are here now!
The lodge is BEAUTIFUL and I can't imagine anywhere better to stay for a Christmas trip. The lobby is bustling and busy but not in a bad way. The villas are quiet and serene.
We spent the entire day at Epcot. We've had zero issues with the Magic Bands and find the bands themselves convenient. The crowds were not bad today at all, and waits were minimal. We were issued KTTW cards at check in, and tested them at Test Track for legacy fastpass and they worked fine. That was all we used them for but they do still work.
I just came back from Roaring Fork where I got our refillable mugs. They said they just got a new shipment. They only had two colours, which were purple and green. I didn't mind because it was nice to see some new colours. They do say "Rapid Refill" on them, but they aren't the RFID chip ones yet.
Tomorrow we are really going to explore the lodge as we aren't going to a park until it's time for MVMCP. We plan to do the hidden Mickey hunt, and to go swimming and have lunch at Roaring Forks.
Overall, I could not be happier to be here and it is cozy and Christmasy everywhere you look. The whole family loves WL!
. Interesting about the mugs.I have been a long time reader of these forums, but am a new poster!
I live in Tampa, so we have Annual Passes and use them about once a month, more in the summer and when the kids are out of school.
We just got back from a weekend trip, and stayed at the Wilderness Lodge for the very first time....and I have to say, we are hooked on this place! It's our new favorite, for sure! The Christmas decorations are amazing and we felt very much at home there. While it is, of course, a deluxe resort, it didn't have the "stuffy" feeling that we experienced at the GF. So we breathed a sigh of relief, for sure.
We used the wristbands for the first time this weekend, and they worked perfectly. No issues with payment in the parks, room entry, and the Fast Pass+ feature was a real godsend to us for the major attractions. I really believe it will be VERY useful at the busier times of the year when the crowds are larger!
As far as not being in the holiday spirit while in shorts and a t-shirt....well, many people in the world do just that every year, and being cold would be foreign to them, too! Embrace the different, and be glad you have different experiences to share now! I was personally raised in NYC, where we obviously had cold for the holidays. I have lived in Florida for the past 12 years and would not trade the warm weather for the cold-even at Christmas-for all the pixie dust in the world. I love cooking Christmas dinner in capris and flip flops
Anyway, love reading everyone's experiences. Glad to share mine!
Kerry
to the DIS and the WL/VWL, Kerry! I feel as you do about Christmas weather. We've spent Christmas in very cold climates like ND and have also spent them in Key West, Korea and points in between and no matter where we are, it's still Christmas to me. But, I can appreciate those who like a chill in the air and some snow to get in the spirit. I'm just not a big fan of either of those.
