Flag Family questions

[yooperfan]

What time do you have to be at the appointed meeting place for flag raising?
What time do you usually finish with flag raising?
How many days ahead do they take names for flag family, in other words, do they list families a week out, 4 days out, etc.
Do you have less of a chance of being a flag family if you don't have kids? Thanks

 

[Belle1962]

I believe the WL has discontinued the Flag Family program. Can anyone else confirm this?

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

I am fairly sure the Flag Family Program has NOT been discontinued. It is just that Ranger Stan is not the only one who does it now. His knees are getting a bit weaker so he doesn't make as many trips as he used to. However, one of the other CM's usually takes care of it.

The Flag Family goes up around 8:00 a.m. after meeting in the lobby. You will be on the roof for about 15 minutes or so, depending on how many pictures you want to take. The only way to be enrolled is to have the CM check the book at the time of your arrival/registration. They will check for availability for the days of your stay. Not having children will not affect your chances. It is simply a first come basis.

Best of all, it is worth it, especially with Ranger Stan - he is the greatest!!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

What time do you have to be at the appointed meeting place for flag raising?
. . . meet at corner of Concierge Desk about 8:15am

What time do you usually finish with flag raising?
. . . takes 30-45 minutes total

How many days ahead do they take names for flag family
. . . the list can go out 10-14 days
. . . it all depends on how many days you are there when you sign-up
. . . this must be done in-person and not by mail, email or phone

Do you have less of a chance of being a flag family if you don't have kids?
. . . no odds either way
. . . there is one family per day
. . . this is regardless of kids or no kids, single or couple

NOTE: There are Concierge CM's who do Flag Family with guests. Ranger Stan is one of the most popular. But, others can be just as entertaining.

 

[Family24]

Our family was the flag family two years ago with our kids then ages 8 and 4. It was a great experience, especially getting to meet Stan. It turned out he knew some people from our home town. When you check in you simply ask them if there is any availability. When we were there they had several days to pick from but we went in January. Anyway, if you do this make sure you take your camera and take lots of pictures. The view is incredible and if it is a clear day you can see everything. There are five flags in all to raise and Stan or whoever does not rush you. Our kids got to raise their own flag and were so proud. Have a great time!

 

[Fionasmommy]

We did it last summer, and it was really neat. It's an amazing view up there too! We had to check in at the concierge desk at 8am, and then we were met by a CM who took us upstairs. I believe the whole thing probably took 30 minutes or so. Afterwards, he dropped us off on the 7th floor to enjoy a complimentary breakfast in the club lounge.

I don't know that there's a certain time frame they book out - I think you just can't book it until you're checked in there. We got it in July at 9 days out, and even then the CM said we got lucky because someone had cancelled. Your best bet is to ask right at check in. I walked up to the check in desk and immediately blurted out, "Hi! Any chance of a room on the north wing, upper floor, MK view, over Otter Pond and are there any openings for Flag Family during our stay???!"

 

[AmyAllan&Eve]

the CM said, "Oh, that's always booked. We do not have any availability." I asked her to double check for me and she pulled out a three-ring binder. They did have one spot open during our stay (on the morning we were checking out). We took it! It was wonderful.

I purposely made my hotel reservation for 10 days, knowing this would be a difficult one to get if we stayed for a short visit.

 

[KristineN]

We did this a few weeks ago, actually on December 24th. I inquired about it when I checked in on the 16th....

My thoughts:

I am not sure if this was because it was such a busy time of year, but the entire process was disorganized.

You are supposed to get a letter the night before with instructions...mine never came, had to ask the front desk again.

You are supposed to meet the ranger in the lobby at 8:15...no ranger, had to get back in line at the front desk again...whereas they all looked at me like I was crazy.

Finally, some woman decided she would do this with us. We climbed up the stairs and did the flags. There was truly nothing special or memorable about this. The ranger we had really didn't offer us any information at all.

Unfortunately it was Stan's day off...and I guess he also doesn't do it as much as he used to. I have heard wonderful things about him...and that he makes the experience worthwhile. For us, I would have rather gotten to the parks on time....the kid's really didn't get anything out of this as I had hoped.

 

[Family24]

KristineN - Thats too bad you did not have a good experience. I know for our kids it was truly memorable. Having Stan helped out alot. He is such a nice gentleman with tons of stories to tell you. He was great with the kids and we were able to take our time. The whole process was very organized when we were there. It looks like you hit a bad day with someone who probably was not used to doing this.

 

[KristineN]

My good friend had Stan with her family, she raved about how touching and memorable the experience was.

Oh well, maybe someday we'll try again.

 

[mumom95]

We were chosen to be the flag family this past November, Thanksgiving week. We checked in on Nov. 16th and I immediately asked if there were any dates available. And the only day that was available was our last day, Saturday Nov. 24th (which worked out to be the best day to do it for us, since we were up so early and at the parks the other days).

It was a great experience. And Stan is wonderful. It made the last day of our already magical trip even more amazing. All the info the poster gave earlier is true, 8:15 am, last 20-30 minutes (depending on how long you talk with Stan). You also get to have breakfast in the concierge lounge if you want (or at least Stan told us he was buying us breakfast, and that's where he took us).

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

My good friend had Stan with her family, she raved about how touching and memorable the experience was.

Oh well, maybe someday we'll try again.

Here is an example of why Stan makes it special. It is an article I wrote a few years ago and was printed in the local newspaper. Stan has a framed copy!!
=====================================

"Honor of the Flag , a simple lesson

My family and I recently had an enjoyable vacation at Walt Disney World. The days were filled with the expected park visits, food, and fun. My six year old daughter met with Mickey, Minnie, and more characters than I could name. (She can!) My hopes and expectations were fulfilled in this year’s visit even though there was some apprehension about the hurricanes and damage. (Disney survived remarkably.) However, I never dreamed my six year old would also gain a simple patriotic lesson of respecting the American Flag.

Our adventure included a stay at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Simply picture the grand lodge of Yellowstone National Park with the Disney twist. The facility is remarkable in every aspect and the staff went beyond expectations to meet our needs. One particular staff member is well-known as Ranger Stan. Ranger Stan is an icon around the Lodge and I had read about him as I searched the internet for details on the Lodge. He stands proud in his ranger attire and beams with the kind of joy that would make Walt Disney himself proud. While I don’t know his age, I would presume that Ranger Stan is a retired gentlemen who is living his second childhood through his work at the Lodge. He is undoubtedly the most knowledgeable source of any information regarding the Lodge. Through my vacation planning I discovered that families staying at the Wilderness Lodge could request to be the “flag family” for the day. Although not advertised, this privilege is still sought by many. If selected, your family will receive a notice to meet Ranger Stan at the front desk early on your selected morning to begin your adventure. I had a basic idea what may occur but didn’t yet have the appreciation.

My wife, daughter, and I met Ranger Stan early Thursday morning. He immediately connected with my daughter and asked her if she would accept the privilege of carrying the American Flag on our journey. She beamed with delight at the honor and he placed her small hands around the Flag and she held it tight. He then handed the other flags to my wife and I and we began the journey to the top of the Lodge. After an elevator ride and a climb of 66 steps, (Ranger Stan provided the detail), we were on top of the Lodge, beholding the lands of Disney. The view was awesome but it wasn’t our mission. Ranger Stan guided my daughter to the center flagpole and kindly instructed her on how they would work together to raise the colors. He told her the American Flag was in the center because it deserved respect from the other flags and all those who viewed it. My daughter joyfully assisted him in preparing the colors and pulling the rope to raise them for the day. It was then that it occurred to me this was more than simply a gimmick. As we watched the wind unfurl the Flag over the kingdom, I’ll admit, I swelled with pride at what I had just observed. Ranger Stan then asked us to line up and face the Flag. I was expecting a photo-op but he asked my daughter to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. She proudly started and he snapped to a salute as we pledged our allegiance. My six year old had just received a valuable lesson in flag respect that too many children and adults have not. In the simple minutes of our adventure with Ranger Stan, she had learned how to carry, honor, and care for the colors. I’m sure she has heard some of this taught in school or hopefully even from me. However, the memories and pictures with Ranger Stan will undoubtedly be the lasting lesson for her.


How many others need the privilege of a few minutes with Ranger Stan? Simply attend a local ballgame and you will find your answer. As we visited for the next few minutes and completed our tasks of raising the other flags, I was able to appreciate the additional knowledge and kind demeanor of Ranger Stan. Later in the day, while swimming in the pool my daughter pointed to the Lodge roof and said, “ Look Daddy, my Flag is still flying!” Yes sweetheart, your Flag flies proudly! While there may be some things about the Disney Corporation that Mr. Disney may not be proud of today, I’m sure old Walt would be thankful for the work of a ranger named Stan.....I sure am."