The next morning we slept in late. DH woke first & I explained to him that he would find coffee & maybe some breakfast goodies at the concierge lounge. 
Now he was starting to be excited about our upgrade too! Coffee in the morning usually has that effect on him. Free coffee was even better! 
He came back with some milk, fruit & a couple of pastries. This got dds excited. Within a few minutes dd#2 had made herself presentable & went to check out the lounge herself. Back to the room with CHOCOLATE MILK and more pastries! OK the family was now all officially excited about WL & concierge.
A few notes about our room. We did have bunk beds, along with a queen bed. The room was spotless and everything appeared in good repair. There was a fridge under the vanity area in the bathroom. I knew that the WL rooms were smaller than the other deluxes, but I was surprised at how much. Our first family WDW visit was at the CB, and I would compare the room size at WL more to that room size. I was traveling with a broken ankle & we would be picking up a rented ECV waiting for me at the front desk that morning fitting it in the room at night for charging the battery was going to be tight. I have heard comments of the rooms being dark at WL, but I would describe it more as calm. Warm wood tones & lighting. The furniture, fixtures and décor were well-themed and fun. Both of my dds said that if they ever have little boys, that this would be the resort to bring them to for a visit. Cool future trips to WDW with future grandchildren!
A first days adventures:
It was very late morning by the time we got out of our room to head for a park. A quick stop by the concierge area revealed cookies! I picked up the scooter from guest services while dh went to get the rental car from the valet. The scooter looked brand new & was quite zippy
(thanks Walker Medical). The gang decided to head over to MGM. The nice thing about having annual passes is that you dont have to be banging on the gates each morning to feel like you get the value out of your days admission. Our 8 day trip in July had been on these passes; dh & I snuck in a couples of days when we were in Orlando in October for a convention, so this trip felt like a bonus.
On arrival at MGM we immediately headed over for FPs at RocknRoller Coaster. This ride is one of our familys favorites on our first trip in 1999 in the old days of Early Entry we managed to ride 9 times in row in about 2 hours time. But this was before we discovered Millionaire Play It. That was our next stop. DH & I had both made it to the hot seat on the same day during on our July trip & I was on a mission to win the cruise this trip! All four of us really have fun at WWTBAMPI, so off we went.
First game, no luck. GMR here we come! I was kind of experimenting & learning with the scooter. On GMR they had me park the ECV by the back of the very last row of the back car. There is an area where wheelchairs can actually be put into the car for the ride, but I am able to transfer. They still put us in the last row since there was no one needed the wheelchair spot. The sound is a little messed up back there you are hearing the soundtrack at different point than the live CM is at, but its not a big deal. When we got off the ride I had to refine my driving-scooter-in-reverse skills because they had lined several of them up together & the flow of people traffic exiting was quite heavy. Not wanting to abuse any innocent toes, I waited for the other riders to clear out. In the future I learned to back the scooter into the parking area to make leaving a ride or show easier.
Next we went back over to RnR to use our fastpasses. The return time when we got them was about 65 minutes & it only took about 10 minutes to get from the FP return area to the ride. (theres no ECV access in the line for this ride so I parked the scooter over by the wall. The hike up the ramp was a little difficult, but I did not want to transfer to a wheelchair & make dh push me up that incline. I have a walking brace on my leg so it was do-able, but slow. Getting into & out of the car was also a little precarious my boot is large (my physical therapist calls it a Darth Vader boot) & I felt really clumsy. Im sure it was sight watching me get in & out, but I had to do it at least once! After we rode once, I zipped over on the scooter to get us all something cold to drink while dh & the girls rode again.
After that we made one more WWTBAM try (I made the top 10 list) & headed back to the room.
Ok the concierge thing could really spoil a person. We had skipped lunch since we had such a late breakfast. The offerings included BBQ Pulled Pork from Whispering Canyon, a soup, sourdough bread, & assorted cheese, crudités & crackers. We had a dinner PS, but we were hungry & couldnt resist indulging a little. Yum! Disney is one of the few places that I can have BBQ because of a food allergy. The pulled pork was a treat.
A nice rest no view from our balcony except for the VWL building, but the WL grounds are lovely. We all have been extra busy the past few weeks, so we planned to have some down time each day during the trip to recharge everyones batteries. Both of the dds are on Spring Break, but had to bring homework thats going to have to be done during the week. I brought a couple of good books & dd brought notes on the new office he is planning & his IPod (his new favorite companion).
All rested & freshened up we headed over to the Dolphin for our PS at Shulas. Im the planner in the family and wanted to try a few new restaurants this trip. After reading some reviews, I booked Shulas because dh & I both enjoy a good steakhouse. When I was telling dh about it I got a memory lapse on the location and I told him I wasnt sure if it was at the Dolphin or the Swan. What was the name? he asked. Shulas it has a sports theme. Boy, did dh chuckle he told me that he would bet good money that it was at the Dolphin. Then educated me as to who Mr. Shula was & his relationship & record with the Miami DOLPHINS! Ok I know WDW, not sports!
We were seated immediately upon arrival & the menu was presented. Cute menu printed on a football. All those commemorative game balls from the winning season displayed in a case next to our table. Then the waiter pulls up this little cart to tell us about the dinner offerings. Were all kind of sitting there wondering why its necessary to display this shrink-wrapped raw beef to explain the menu. Were from Oklahoma, we know what steak looks like. Then he starts to tell us about the lobster. DD#1 is sitting closest to the cart. She had not been impressed with the shrink-wrapped beef either. Kind of bored, blah-blah.
Then he picks up the lobster I swear it was trying to grab dd! The look on her face!!!! Priceless. 
None of us had expected the lobster to move I think the kids just thought it was a plastic prop. I had seen the bands on the claws, so I knew it was real. But I have never seen a bigger, more active lobster! After we got dd calmed back down & convinced that the lobster wasnt going to eat her, we all ordered. No one ordered the lobster! He had definitely won over the compassionate side of my family. Either that or they were afraid the big guy would retaliate if we ordered one of his buddies for dinner!
After we ordered, the waiter parked the cart just across from our table. The dds spent the rest of the meal monitoring lobster movements. He never jumped off the cart which surprised us all.
Shulas was good, the best steaks we have had at WDW (but not as good as the Oklahoma-raised Black Angus steaks I can get at our local meat market). The sides were okay. Service was VERY slow. We had planned to go back to MGM to catch Fantasmics late show that night, but by the time we were done there wasnt time. Thankfully, the lobster had provided a great deal of dinner entertainment (and we still made it to Illuminations)!
Now he was starting to be excited about our upgrade too! Coffee in the morning usually has that effect on him. Free coffee was even better! He came back with some milk, fruit & a couple of pastries. This got dds excited. Within a few minutes dd#2 had made herself presentable & went to check out the lounge herself. Back to the room with CHOCOLATE MILK and more pastries! OK the family was now all officially excited about WL & concierge.
A few notes about our room. We did have bunk beds, along with a queen bed. The room was spotless and everything appeared in good repair. There was a fridge under the vanity area in the bathroom. I knew that the WL rooms were smaller than the other deluxes, but I was surprised at how much. Our first family WDW visit was at the CB, and I would compare the room size at WL more to that room size. I was traveling with a broken ankle & we would be picking up a rented ECV waiting for me at the front desk that morning fitting it in the room at night for charging the battery was going to be tight. I have heard comments of the rooms being dark at WL, but I would describe it more as calm. Warm wood tones & lighting. The furniture, fixtures and décor were well-themed and fun. Both of my dds said that if they ever have little boys, that this would be the resort to bring them to for a visit. Cool future trips to WDW with future grandchildren!
A first days adventures:
It was very late morning by the time we got out of our room to head for a park. A quick stop by the concierge area revealed cookies! I picked up the scooter from guest services while dh went to get the rental car from the valet. The scooter looked brand new & was quite zippy
(thanks Walker Medical). The gang decided to head over to MGM. The nice thing about having annual passes is that you dont have to be banging on the gates each morning to feel like you get the value out of your days admission. Our 8 day trip in July had been on these passes; dh & I snuck in a couples of days when we were in Orlando in October for a convention, so this trip felt like a bonus.On arrival at MGM we immediately headed over for FPs at RocknRoller Coaster. This ride is one of our familys favorites on our first trip in 1999 in the old days of Early Entry we managed to ride 9 times in row in about 2 hours time. But this was before we discovered Millionaire Play It. That was our next stop. DH & I had both made it to the hot seat on the same day during on our July trip & I was on a mission to win the cruise this trip! All four of us really have fun at WWTBAMPI, so off we went.
First game, no luck. GMR here we come! I was kind of experimenting & learning with the scooter. On GMR they had me park the ECV by the back of the very last row of the back car. There is an area where wheelchairs can actually be put into the car for the ride, but I am able to transfer. They still put us in the last row since there was no one needed the wheelchair spot. The sound is a little messed up back there you are hearing the soundtrack at different point than the live CM is at, but its not a big deal. When we got off the ride I had to refine my driving-scooter-in-reverse skills because they had lined several of them up together & the flow of people traffic exiting was quite heavy. Not wanting to abuse any innocent toes, I waited for the other riders to clear out. In the future I learned to back the scooter into the parking area to make leaving a ride or show easier.
Next we went back over to RnR to use our fastpasses. The return time when we got them was about 65 minutes & it only took about 10 minutes to get from the FP return area to the ride. (theres no ECV access in the line for this ride so I parked the scooter over by the wall. The hike up the ramp was a little difficult, but I did not want to transfer to a wheelchair & make dh push me up that incline. I have a walking brace on my leg so it was do-able, but slow. Getting into & out of the car was also a little precarious my boot is large (my physical therapist calls it a Darth Vader boot) & I felt really clumsy. Im sure it was sight watching me get in & out, but I had to do it at least once! After we rode once, I zipped over on the scooter to get us all something cold to drink while dh & the girls rode again.
After that we made one more WWTBAM try (I made the top 10 list) & headed back to the room.
Ok the concierge thing could really spoil a person. We had skipped lunch since we had such a late breakfast. The offerings included BBQ Pulled Pork from Whispering Canyon, a soup, sourdough bread, & assorted cheese, crudités & crackers. We had a dinner PS, but we were hungry & couldnt resist indulging a little. Yum! Disney is one of the few places that I can have BBQ because of a food allergy. The pulled pork was a treat.
A nice rest no view from our balcony except for the VWL building, but the WL grounds are lovely. We all have been extra busy the past few weeks, so we planned to have some down time each day during the trip to recharge everyones batteries. Both of the dds are on Spring Break, but had to bring homework thats going to have to be done during the week. I brought a couple of good books & dd brought notes on the new office he is planning & his IPod (his new favorite companion).
All rested & freshened up we headed over to the Dolphin for our PS at Shulas. Im the planner in the family and wanted to try a few new restaurants this trip. After reading some reviews, I booked Shulas because dh & I both enjoy a good steakhouse. When I was telling dh about it I got a memory lapse on the location and I told him I wasnt sure if it was at the Dolphin or the Swan. What was the name? he asked. Shulas it has a sports theme. Boy, did dh chuckle he told me that he would bet good money that it was at the Dolphin. Then educated me as to who Mr. Shula was & his relationship & record with the Miami DOLPHINS! Ok I know WDW, not sports!
We were seated immediately upon arrival & the menu was presented. Cute menu printed on a football. All those commemorative game balls from the winning season displayed in a case next to our table. Then the waiter pulls up this little cart to tell us about the dinner offerings. Were all kind of sitting there wondering why its necessary to display this shrink-wrapped raw beef to explain the menu. Were from Oklahoma, we know what steak looks like. Then he starts to tell us about the lobster. DD#1 is sitting closest to the cart. She had not been impressed with the shrink-wrapped beef either. Kind of bored, blah-blah.
Then he picks up the lobster I swear it was trying to grab dd! The look on her face!!!! Priceless. None of us had expected the lobster to move I think the kids just thought it was a plastic prop. I had seen the bands on the claws, so I knew it was real. But I have never seen a bigger, more active lobster! After we got dd calmed back down & convinced that the lobster wasnt going to eat her, we all ordered. No one ordered the lobster! He had definitely won over the compassionate side of my family. Either that or they were afraid the big guy would retaliate if we ordered one of his buddies for dinner!
After we ordered, the waiter parked the cart just across from our table. The dds spent the rest of the meal monitoring lobster movements. He never jumped off the cart which surprised us all.
Shulas was good, the best steaks we have had at WDW (but not as good as the Oklahoma-raised Black Angus steaks I can get at our local meat market). The sides were okay. Service was VERY slow. We had planned to go back to MGM to catch Fantasmics late show that night, but by the time we were done there wasnt time. Thankfully, the lobster had provided a great deal of dinner entertainment (and we still made it to Illuminations)!
!! I'm really enjoying your report. I am so sorry about your FIL 
. Sounds like he was a very special man in your lives. I am sure that Illuminations will always be even more special to you from now on. 
. How exciting! And now for another little commonality we have - I am also a WWTBAM addict. Towncrier and I joke about how the music to the show makes our hearts beat faster because of the pressure 
.
