Enjoying New York City at the Manhattan Club booked via DVC

[bwvBound]

Greetings from New York City, one and all!

Owning timeshare since 2000 and DVC since 2004 -- this is my first-ever use of DVC points outside the DVC properties. Over the Memorial Day weekend, from DVC's Grand Californian, we booked the Manhattan Club through DVC Member Services to complete a 'bucket-list-combo': (a) Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (on my "to do list" for about 20 years); and (b) exchange into the Manhattan Club (on my "to do list" for nearly 14 years). To get these two lined up together: perfect! Thank you, Disney Vacation Club!

This was booked using DVC's Concierge Collection at 6-months from travel; 200 DVC Points plus $95 for the 6-night stay (Sunday arrival, Sat departure).

Our unit is the Manhattan Club's larger 1BR layout: king bed and ensuite full bath; sleeper sofa with 3/4 bath; mini-kitchenette. Max Occupancy is 4. More room info:

• For those familiar with the room layouts, this unit has the double-doors between bedroom/living room. Our unit is not yet part of the ongoing renovation but is clean, functional and in good order.
• The Kitchenette has mini-fridge, mini-dishwasher, small sink, mini-coffee pot (4 cup), dishes for 4 (real dishes, mugs, stemware and flatware), microwave and papertowels, paring knife, cutting board, can opener multi-tool, pop-corn packet and single-use coffee/decaf packets and ice bucket. Lacking: dish soap, scrubber pad, dish towels, coffee filters, cookware, range top, etc.
• Coat closet in the entry has fairly large in-room safe. We can fit our compact juicing machine, two full-size laptops, two ipads, my purse, our house/car keys, and have room left over. (LOL -- what is that? Do I hear you asking, "Why put the juicer in the safe??" Reason: I read on the TUG forums that this location confiscated one guest's crock pot citing "Fire Code" and didn't want my Juicer to be similarly held by security.)
• Very large closet in the bedroom with two thick bathrobes. These are waffle-cotton on the outside with terry lining -- a comfortable "heavy weight" with impressive gold-stitched M'Club logo on the left breast.
• Set of complimentary toiletries in each bathroom: soap, shower cap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion and shower gel (soap).
• Very generous supply of bath towels, hand towels and washcloths.
• DAILY HOUSEKEEPING! While we tend to make the beds ourselves and leave the unit as tidy as possible -- every day housekeeping takes our trash, replaces our towels, restocks the complimentary coffee packet, perfects our bed and keeps the place looking lovely.
• Dining table and chairs for four.
• Serious black out curtains in both bedroom and living room.
• Flat screen LG TV in both living room and bedroom. Whoo-hoo: ESPN! My husband was in Monday-night-Football heaven! (We don't carry cable TV at home -- so watching TV while on vacation can be a real treat!)
• Lots of storage space! In addition to the two closets, there are plenty of deep drawers: 3 in the living room under the TV, 3 in the bedroom under the TV and 3 under a nightstand. FWIW, we stowed our luggage under the bed. Everything has a place and the unit does not feel cluttered.
• No Resort Fees! If this exchange had been booked via RCI we would have been greeted with in-bound guest fees for housekeeping, etc. Booking through Disney is exempt from both the local fees and inbound exchange restrictions ("1-in-3").

The property also includes:

• Owner's Lounge on 25th floor with a variety of services during the day. Coffee/tea in the morning, some fruit or cookies later in the day, bar at night.
• Fitness center: Very large, lots of stations -- all very "new" feeling. Men's/Women's changing area, lockers, restroom, shower and SAUNA. Sadly, the saunas were in-op at this time and being used for storage.
• Business Center with both Windows and Mac computers, printer, etc. Related, free Wifi throughout as well as in-room wired line. Yeah! Very speedy -- and, so far, very reliable internet service.
• Owner's Services desk, Concierge Desk, etc. Lots of help -- very friendly staff!
• Sales Center. Staff phoned us frequently starting a month prior to our arrival ... and we agreed to schedule a tour for our first morning. The tour was brief, friendly and no pressure. We were shown models of the renovation project and offered some impressively flexible ownership plans: fixed week, floating week, event week, New Years week, split week (3/4, 2/2/3), bi-annual and even tri-annual. Phew! If you plan to visit NYC fairly regularly -- this place has a plan for you!

The location is fantastic! Located just a few streets south of Central Park, kitty-corner from Carnegie Hall, an easy walk to Columbus Circle and steps from the Yellow line.

So how are we spending our time? Well, first please forgive us for very late-morning starts ... we are on vacation and not pushing ourselves to meet local timezone. We are mostly still on West Coast time and not fretting about it. We were simply exhausted coming in ... and enjoying some downtime.

• Sunday: All day travel. We left our driveway at 3:45a PT and landed NYC at 7p ET. Our pre-booked SuperShuttle brought us to the property most efficiently. The only travel hiccup was a cancelled flight segment (bad weather at DFW) but that was quickly repaired by the gate agent in San Diego. We were slightly delayed from our original plan -- but none the worse for it.
  Check-in was speedy and once we took quick inventory of our room we made a dash to the WholeFoods at Columbus Circle for a few essentials just before they closed.
• Monday: Slept in, started our day with freshly made organic Carrot/Cabbage/Beet juice and took the 11A Sales Tour of the Manhattan Club. Our afternoon was spent walking and shopping. Our first target was the Apple store on 5th (with the iconic glass cube entry) and FAO Schwarz. Gladly, these two are side-by-side. Basically, you could say we were toy shopping all afternoon. It was GREAT FUN. There is a small stuffed animal duckling sitting on my mind from FAO ... I think I'll likely go back at the end of the trip to purchase one before returning home. The duckling is very small ... should fit easily into my luggage?
• Tuesday: Central Park. We toyed with renting bicycles but ended up walking the park after reading signs restricting bicycles from the smaller pathways. We walked a meandering, criss-cross loop of the entire park, from the south end to the north end (mostly along the east side) and then back mostly along the west side. We tried to recall elements from Disney's Enchanted and found many -- but then had a really good time rewatching the movie later that evening.
• Today? Well ... the weather report suggested that today was a "stay inside" type of day and so my darling hubby is still sleeping soundly cocooned in the bedroom with the thick black-out curtains. I think he has finally adjusted to the city-street noises and hasn't noticed my activities in the living room typing this post, completing a full pot of coffee (yeah, all two "coffee-cups" of coffee), etc. I'm waiting a bit before firing up the juicer ... it can be a bit noisy. We are hoping to hit a museum and then later watch the Parade prep activities on West Central Park.

Restaurants? Oh, have I got a good story for you. Next post, I promise.

Happy Thanksgiving Day prep! Hope you are all safe, settled and surrounded by loved ones.

My UPDATES -- see links below to replies w/in this thread for updates. Posts and links are TBD.

• Patsy's Italian Restaurant on 56th. Simply fabulous -- this place is on our "to-do" list for return visits!
• Notes to Self -- reminders on packing, etc., should we return.
• Cheesecake: Benash Deli, just two or three blocks east along 56th. Very generous portion -- rich (thick/heavy) texture and wonderful. We brought "home" a thick wedge of classic NY cheesecake with fresh strawberry topping (they didn't offer cherry?) to enjoy back in the unit.
• Pizza: Still on the hunt. We enjoyed the entire experience of Patty's Pizzeria on 74th after viewing the Parade Prep. Their pizza was good ... but I doubt it is the "best NY has to offer."
• Columbus Circle and what it means to us.
• The Parade.
• The Weather. (Possibly worthy of its own notes?)
• Ted's Montana Grill: Lovely "steak house" look; private booths with tall sides; great food (angus beef and bison); great prices (Entrees $16-$21). The bison is free of growth hormones and antibiotics!
• The Original Soupman: We didn't find this until too late into our visit. It right around the corner -- backside of the same city block at 55th and 8th! Next time, I hope! Yes, there were rules hanging from the shingle.
• Who knows ... we are winging it this trip and having fun every minute.
• Would we come back? Oh, yes -- you betcha!

 

[CocosMeme]

You are living one of my "bucket list" trips! Can't wait to follow along with all the details!! Have fun.

 

[Lorelei528]

Welcome to my hometown! Have a fabulous time!

 

[jade1]

Loved NY-will keep this in mind. Pics would be awesome. Kinda Times Square people-but it's pretty close.

Double Decker folks were very informative (too chilly now I suppose). Gave us many ideas what we wanted to do.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Your trip sounds perfect! Good for you.

 

[rascalmom]

I took my daughters & my mom on a trip to NYC in March (still very cold then btw!) and had a fantastic time! It was a first trip to the Big Apple for all of us - and we will definitely be planning another.

We stayed on my many accumulated Marriott Rewards point at a property right on Times Square, but I would definitely consider the Manhattan Club for a future visit! It would be great to have the extra space and the small kitchen amenities.

Like you, NYC for Thanksgiving is on my bucket list. Enjoy!!!!!

 

[bwvBound]

So this story is, at its heart, about Patsy's Italian Restaurant but I need lots of ramp-up on how we got there ...

Tuesday: Given the weather forecast of "light rain" on Tuesday with torrential downpours on Wednesday ... we decided that Tuesday was the better day for Central Park. We figured we'd skip morning showers & grooming, hit the streets and walking paths by day with plans for a long, hot bath in the late afternoon before heading out for dinner. Agreed on our plans, we layered on the outdoor gear, headed outdoors and covered much of Central Park at a brisk and steady walk through whatever the weather threw at us. (Yes, there was weather.)

By 4p we were getting a bit hungry. After all that walking, we earned a NY pizza, right? My husband had received plenty of solid "pre-trip" recommendations from his participation on the FJ Cruiser forum including Patsy's on 56th. Patsy's? Oh -- how fortunate. We recalled seeing the restaurant very near to our home-base the the Manhattan Club. Yes, less than a block away. The FJ Cruiser group told us, "Get your pizza from Patsy's" -- so that was our plan. Eat in or take back to the unit? We were undecided and left that to chance.

We finished our self-guided tour of Central Park at Columbus Circle, made a trip through WholeFoods (a daily visit, thus far) and returned to our unit for a super-quick turnaround. We exchanged wet clothes and cumbersome outerwear for clean/dry cloths and simple overcoats. Since our plan was "only pizza" we didn't dress for dinner and were, umm, on the very low-end of casual. Hubby was in jeans and flannel shirt and I was wearing my black yoga pants with a jazzy sweater top that could "almost" pull off a "dressed" appearance except for the borrowed beanie cap covering my miserable hair. Out we went ...

We arrived Patsy's and were halfway inside the double-door entry when I made an abrupt turn around and led us back to the street. Yikes! This wasn't what I had imagined ... we were seriously underdressed. This appeared to be better dining (perhaps fine dining?!?) and patrons were dressed rather nicely. Men in dark jackets with ties and ladies in lovely dresses or festive attire. No, no, no ... your flannel and my borrowed beanie cap ain't gonna cut it.

We debated outside for a moment and searched the windows for a menu or clues to help us through a decision. Could we order a pizza to-go? Might we be ok for dining "as-is"? My husband re-entered, in his flannel shirt and jeans and asked the Maitre D', somewhat sheepishly, if were were too underdressed. The gentleman was subtle in his gestures and with hushed voice indicated approval, confirmed "2 for dinner?" and directed us upstairs after checking our coats. "Sir, your hat." Uh-oh, darling hubby had forgotten to remove his hat but that was the only reprimand. ;-) (The reprimand was delivered gently and quietly -- not at all like Disney's Prime Time Cafe.) I was inwardly cringing over my beanie cap.

Once upstairs we were immediately shown to a quiet table for two and starting the "best dining experience" of our trip ... still gritty from our day trekking Central Park in weather. Oh, my. We giggled about the irony as we navigated the menu. The staff were absolutely flawless, gracious and spot-on with their recommendations. My husband's choice was "all about the sauce!" and he relished the Bucatini all’Amatriciana with "a classic red sauce with hickory-smoked bacon, prosciutto, onions, and fresh basil." I enjoyed Pork Chops with Vinegar Peppers, described as "oven-roasted rib chops with saute ́ed garlic and vinegar-marinated peppers." Both were excellent recommendations, generous portions and very delicious.

The desert cart had made a few trips around the room while we were enjoying our dinner and we succumbed to the temptation sharing tiramisu served with fresh strawberries. (Every place has its own recipe and style, you understand. Patsy's is made fresh onsite -- scooped from a bowl like a mousse. Very yummy.)

In all, it was both a comical and magical dining experience. We were amused by the paradox of heading out for "just pizza!" and finding ourselves welcomed and cared-for in fine dining. We enjoyed not only the food but also, equally, the service. The staff truly worked as a team. Every staff member on the floor could and did just about everything. There were no hard lines of service - each staff member seamlessly responded to whatever he observed as a customer's need. The head waiter from one table might be later seen filling guest's water glasses at another table across the room. There were no lines of "my role/your role" or "my station/your station" -- every member was eager to give excellent service. Wow -- it was impressive to watch.

Sooooo .. bottom line: This restaurant is on our "must do list!" for future visits. We'll likely even return during this visit ... being better prepared.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

What an amazing, fun adventure you are having in NYC!

I am enjoying your report and your writing style. Wishing you more on your Thanksgiving trip!

 

[lisaviolet]

First, I love your writing. I feel like I'm right there. Thank you.

I adore NYC. Have been there many a time and it just seems like magic is around every corner for me.

It is making me smile broadly that you both seem to be having a ball AND going with the flow.

And I loved the simple pizza dinner.

Enjoy, I can't wait to use my points there. For a bit we had that DVC NYC rumour and boy oh boy, I would have loved that. But happy to hear that you're enjoying the Manhattan Club. I would be making great use of that high floor member room that you mentioned.

So JEALOUS, it's killing me. Have an absolutely wonderful time.

My signature is NYC - well the building behind kind of makes that obvious , just before Christmas a few years back. I stare at her and wish and wish and wish that I can get there soon.

 

[DreamerWDW]

Thanks for posting all the details about your trip and the Manhattan Club. I would consider staying there if I do a NYC trip so your info is great! Sounds like a great trip.....Enjoy!

 

[bwvBound]

Notes regarding the Parade and pre-Parade Preparation!

Wed, 3-10p local near/around the Hayden Planetarium
We walked up Central Park West towards 77th Street to view the balloons as they were setup, arranged and inflated on the streets. The city has this area well organized -- don't expect to view at your pace. As we approached we were sorted into queues and led in/around several city blocks to create proper spacing. Following along, we were paraded along the balloon floats stretched out along closed streets in various stages of inflation. Each had a sign with the character's name, a photo of the completed product and the year the float first appeared in Macy's parade. It was great fun watching the teams work to detangle lines, balance the float and fix minor jams.

On a warmer, dryer night we might have lingered to watch Ronald McDonald go from "start to finish" -- but in cold rain we snapped a photo and moved along with the pace of the crowd.

In all, the Parade Prep Preview is well organized and a great experience!

Thurs, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Brrr -- plan for cold! It was ~28 degrees as we left the Manhattan Club at 7:30a. We quickly took our positions on Columbus Circle and prepared for a long standing wait. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr

The Parade itself was a delightful "once in a lifetime" experience. The crowd was thick at the start of the parade but very thin by the middle as viewers retreated from the cold sidewalks to cozy Starbucks and similar comforts. We stuck it out to the very end -- but now I understand why the crowd cheers at the sight of Santa Claus. We eagerly anticipating his arrival ... and with it the hope of shuffling back to our warm hotels, homes, etc.

Tips for "next time":

• Try to find a spot facing the LEFT side of each float. This is the "camera-side" and will provide a better view of the celebrity or group showcased on that float.
• If you are located near the beginning of the parade route -- you can re-watch much of the parade on TV back in your room to pick up the commentary and special acts reserved for the camera zone.
• Play with your camera settings while waiting for the parade to test lighting, white balance, zoom, focus, etc. Take a few test shots with different settings and review them before the parade -- it helps pass the time!
• Keep watching for changes in lighting based on clouds, building shadows, etc. Try to capture the float as it passes through the available light.
• Hand warmers! Have them ready and use them! (For some, foot warmers aren't a bad idea as well.)

I'm hugely glad we did this! We were very blessed with clear skies and no rain! Wind was minimal and everyone around us was friendly. Loved it!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah, everyone!

 

[bwvBound]

Mostly "notes to self" regarding the trip.

Regarding Packing, Personal items and Clothing:

• Remember, "Your hair loved the water!" It was shiny, silky, mostly straight with lots of body. It held its shape all day long and never went frizzy even in rain!! It survived using the in-room blow dryer, so rest easy and leave the ionic home.
• You did just fine in the cold! For days with lots of walking, you were comfortable wearing shirtsleeves over turtleneck with a vest, scarf, hat and mittens. Yes, your fingers get cold. Remember to bring those convertible mittens/gloves again -- they worked great.
• Footwear presented difficult challenge for you when packing. You lived in mostly two pair: (a) the Tevas with socks; and (b) the black boots. The boots were uncomfortable due to noise (clip/clop) and the squared off heel. Look for something that cuts under and is easier to walk in. You complained, "These boots walk slowly!" You are thinking to leave the boots behind ... so be on the prowl for better replacements. You felt very silly wearing the Tevas with socks in mid-30's temps -- but they were silent and moved quickly. They provided great grip while scrambling rocks in Central Park's Ramble. You loved them in spite of feeling silly. You only wore the brown loafers once (so far) - but, yes, they looked great with the right outfit.
• Narrow black leggings are "in" and very versatile. You could have lived in these all week!
• Remember to pack Dr. Spot laundry soap for rinsing items in the bathroom sink. (No laundry)
• If repeating an event with long standing wait times in cold weather (Macy's Parade, NYE, etc.), you were pretty toasty in the skiwear. Remember to bring handwarmers (for you) and footwarmers (for hubby). There were a big help on fingers exposed to the elements while operating the camera.
• Pack clothes with lots of zippered pockets. You enjoyed having everything tucked away in secured pockets and not carrying a purse.
• Remind hubby to pack a second pair of shoes. He was miserable wearing wet shoes in the cold. He should also bring a pair of warm slippers for use inside the unit.
• Bring lots of scarves. You lived in these and loved them!
• Remember to pack nylons. You were glad you remembered this time and certainly used them ... but they'd be easy to forget. When was the last time you wore these goofy things in CA?

Surviving the TMCNY mini-kitchen:

• We purchased a few items that might be packed for next time:
  • Deep bowls for cooking hot cereal, soup, etc.
  • Scrubber pad and dish soap.
  • Coffee filters, round, flat bottom, #4.
• You brought a few items along ...
  • Good knives for veggies and cheese. Yes, bring these again.
  • Juice maker -- might be ok w/out it if you test and like the Juice Generation offerings.
• Next time ... try to bring ...
  • Electric Kettle? (Or ask front desk if they have one to loan?)
  • Some type of heating element ... one of those single-burner electric "not hot to the touch" types with proper pan/saucer?
• Remember to check any processed foodstuffs for "microwave-ready." Don't repeat the error of attempting to microwave those yummy Saffron Road Turkish Figs and Goat Cheese Bites!
• NYC has juice shops! It might be possible to skip the juicer and purchase either fresh-to-order (centrifugal) or ready-to-go (cold-pressed) juices from Juice Generation near Columbus Circle.
• Bring tall, microwave-safe coffee mugs. Send hubby upstairs to the Owner's Lounge in the morning to "fetch" the coffee. He said he would do that -- right?

About the room/property:

• Turn OFF the heater immediately on entering the room. You were fine through the coldest days without it.
• Turn ON the mini-fridge immediately on entering the room. It took two days to regulate itself and FROZE everything even on low settings while adjusting.
• Front desk told you that most owners tip housekeeping at the end of their stay. Easy!
• The Concierge desk found Theatre tickets discounted below that which you could find yourself online. Waiting in line for "same day" might have been better -- but not in the cold, rainy weather. Do check dinner/theatre specials from Restaurant.com. They had some really great deals advertised on either side of the holiday week ($69 dinner/Newsies).
• You walked mostly everywhere!
• If returning, ask if the saunas are working and plan accordingly.
• SuperShuttle rates from LGA were $15/pp; to JFK $19/pp. Easy!!!!

 

[CarolMN]

Best trip report EVER! Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

It's got me thinking about adding TMC & Macy's Thx Day parade to our bucket list.

 

[lisaviolet]

Mostly "notes to self" regarding the trip.[/list]
About the room/property:

• Turn OFF the heater immediately on entering the room. You were fine through the coldest days without it.
  
  
  [*]You walked mostly everywhere!
  
  

Isn't it the best? The joys of living in a city - you can walk everywhere. I just love it. I would prefer to be in NYC but I'll take downtown Toronto.

The first point above made me smile. So true. I just turned on my heat in my suite for the first time this week. Didn't even need it before that. And I have floor to ceiling windows straight across.

__________________________

As for your trip report, as I've already said, I just LOVED it. Thank you so much.

Pictures later? Pretty please. Smiling.

 

[bwvBound]

Thanks for the comments and encouragement!

We are now preparing for departure and eating our "last breakfast" of various leftovers. Having finished off all our fresh produce yesterday, and packing away my juicer, I had an opportunity to try a bottle of cold-pressed 'Supa Dupa Greens' from Juice Generation. It passed my test and tasted much like the green juices I make at home using my big-daddy, Norwalk juicer. The question then remains cost and convenience. Juice Generation charges about $7 for freshly made (centrifugal) juices and $10 for the bottled (cold-pressed) varieties vs lugging my horribly inefficient travel centrifugal unit.

Thoughts for follow-up at later time:

• My 1st disappointment: Rockefeller Center. Ice Skating on the rink: $40 pp. We passed up at least 3 better locations waiting for this specific opportunity. Oh, well. Just not my cup-of-tea. (More later)
• My 2nd disappointment: Hot pretzel from a street cart vendor ($4). It was stiff (stale) and mostly cold. I had hoped it would be equal to my childhood memories of street-cart-pretzels from Philly ... but the first bite told me, "No, way!" Most of it went into the trash ... no big deal.
• Next time: bring a small set of binoculars both for birding in Central Park and for looking at ceilings, corners, building details. Very cool stuff! Don't forget to "look up!"
• We really enjoyed Grand Central Station.
• We really enjoyed both Apple stores.

Update from the airport gate at JFK:

• TSA PreCheck: We were selected for the new TSA PreCheck and it worked well! Tap your finger at one station, a palm wand at the next and sail through an abbreviated version of luggage and person scans. Just a quick Zip-Zap and found ourselves cleared. Nice!
• Both Pure Energy (cold pressed juice) and The Defender (Juice Pharmacy) were successes. Now, I use a good measure of ginger in my home juice recipes but The Defender takes ginger to a new level. I'm going to up my game! I was also glad to get 1oz of wheatgrass from Pure Energy. I'm all set for the long flight to LAX.
• We had great cell signal strength on both AT&T and T-Mobile phones.
• Whoo-hoo! I booked our flights to Costa Rica yesterday (Black Friday) at great rates. I've been tracking this upcoming trip for at least six months ... and finally pulled the trigger yesterday. Oh, nevermind ... that is a different trip report for a different forum
• We've had a blast. It has been a very long time since our last visit to NYC (Sept 6, 2001); our longest stay in NYC (typically we tag a night or two on either end of another trip while passing through); our first in this area of town (we normally book The New Yorker hotel); and the only trip where NYC was the intended destination. We enjoyed it thoroughly and hit that moment of saying, "I'm ready to go home," right on schedule late yesterday afternoon. The wind down and packing came very naturally and easily. We have great seats for our return flight and are looking forward to picking up the dog and bird from their respective kennels and hugging the horses. California: Here we come!

A YouTube Video link that helped me prepare for this trip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LmPBPWHJu4
Enjoy!

 

[LSchrow]

fantastic TR

did you get to eat at carmine's? (yum!)
how was newsies?

btw, not all street vendors are the same - some have great pretzels, dogs, & knishes, some don't

i really enjoyed your fresh view of the city, & all the fantastic details - sometimes, we forget how fortunate we are to have so much, so close.....(but then again, so do you - love San Diego!)

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

A YouTube Video link that helped me prepare for this trip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LmPBPWHJu4
Enjoy!

What a fantastic video, thanks for posting the link.

I've traveled to NY a few times this year for work but haven't had much of a chance to see the city. Love reading your tips, and hoping for the opportunity to get to see and do things one of these days. No more TGI Fridays for me; Patsy's is now on my must-do list!

 

[jekjones1558]

How crazy that I happened upon your trip report. I had just posted on Facebook that I have had the Macy's parade on my bucket list for too long. What a great idea to book Manhattan Club and see the parade! Thanks for sharing.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Great trip report, enjoying it immensely! I took my son to NYC for the 1st time when he was 10, 4 fabulous days! The 1st day facing the traffic, the cabs, the hoards of pedestrians, he was apprehensive, even a bit terrified. By the second day, the street food, the stores (he's a shopper, yikes) the subway, lunch at Ellen's Stardust Diner, dinner at Patsy's, he was hooked! He's 17 now, and applying to Cooper Union and Columbia.

Thank you, your vivid descriptions and reviews make me nostalgic, time to plan a trip to scout colleges!

 

[bwvBound]

Interesting tid-bit I picked up from the Sales Tour regarding the agreement between TMCNY and DVC: Owners at TMCNY are always booked into DVC's Saratoga Springs Resort when booking directly through the TMCNY/DVC exchange vehicle. The sales staff inferred that there are some number of units set aside at SSR specifically for owners at TMCNY.

I'm guessing the reference to "units set aside" was an oversimplification of the agreement appropriate for table-talk. Just a simple "framework."