Hi, friends & neighbors--
We are happily settled in at SSR, so happy to be here...we (myself, my friend and her two early-teen (14 and 12) kids) arrived yesterday, around noon...we're here til Friday...we are all SO happy to be here!
"Warning": the ongoing computer "enhancement" is bringing with it all the predictable glitches and challenges...but as I told one of the CMs dealing with one of our glitches yesterday, we love Disney enough to forgive them for their rotten horrible computer system! I couldn't get in to "view vacation details" at dvcmember.com all day Sat or yesterday morning--emailed DVC about that and got an email back saying they've forwarded notice of the problem to the IT people who will work on fixing it as soon as possible...haven't checked this morning...fortunately for my peace of mind, I'd already done online check-in (for myself and for my friend; we're in two separate studios), so didn't worry about our reservations on the way here...
Turned out to be a really good thing, because at check-in, they couldn't find my friend's reservation. Fortunately, my friend/guest had her confirmation from online check-in with her...so we were never worried about not getting a villa...just frustrated by the screwed up system...it took about 45 minutes for both of us to get checked in (and that's with having done online check-in!)...they finally found the reservation, right where it was supposed to be--don't know if the computer went zooey or if it was a particularly incompetent CM)...my friend's villa was ready (once they found her reservation!)...mine was ready about an hour and a half after we checked in (got here around noon--took til about 12:40 to get checked in due to the computer (or CM) glitch; my room-ready text showed up at 2:19)...
The second computer glitch was the dining reservation system--but we got around that by simply giving up and going over to Downtown Disney to eat instead (not a lost reservation--don't panic all you ADR holders! We wanted to eat at Turf Club, but when I called (from my villa) to see if they had room for us, they couldn't find me/my reservation in their computer (altho why they needed to remains a mystery) and couldn't/wouldn't look for available reservation times til they found me...after 10 minutes, I just gave up)...On a separate call, they did find me and they did make two reservations for us for later in the week...so it's clearly a "spotty" computer glitch issue...
Everything else is wondrous...we're in Grandstand; went to Animal Kingdom yesterday afternoon (wait for the bus was about 7 minutes) and walked on all rides except Expedition Everest, which had only a 20 minute wait...the bus back to SSR was at the bus stop when we got back to it...so basically no bus waiting time so far!
We had a good lunch at Artist Palette and a good dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express...
Weather is perfect; SSR is sold out but as is usual at SSR it doesn't feel crowded...Downtown Disney was "comfortably crowded"...only one person in line ahead of us at Wolfgang Puck Express at 6:30 for dinner!
Today we're going to the Studios first thing this morning, and then over to Epcot (my friends are more "commando" style than I am...but as they tell me, I come here a lot more frequently than they do (this is their second time here)...I'll keep up with them til I get tired (and when I have to work)...then I'll head back to SSR to chill til I'm reenergized enough to join them again...cell phones and text messaging are great for that!
Tomorrow night we have tix to the MNSSHP...first time ever for me (and of course for them, too)...they're a Halloween family--it's their favorite holiday and they do it to the max, so they're SO excited about the party--so far, the Halloween decorations are "not so much"...a couple of big and fun pumpkin "scenes" at Downtown Disney (which they LOVED)...can't wait to see their reaction to MK...it's "done up well" for Halloween (or at least it was when I was here over Labor Day; I imagine by now it's either the same or even better)...
Life is good. I have to work, off and on, all week...but I'm fortunate to have work that I can do from here...otherwise I wouldn't be able to come...now, I'm off to the pool for an exercise swim...
Happy day everyone!
We are happily settled in at SSR, so happy to be here...we (myself, my friend and her two early-teen (14 and 12) kids) arrived yesterday, around noon...we're here til Friday...we are all SO happy to be here!
"Warning": the ongoing computer "enhancement" is bringing with it all the predictable glitches and challenges...but as I told one of the CMs dealing with one of our glitches yesterday, we love Disney enough to forgive them for their rotten horrible computer system! I couldn't get in to "view vacation details" at dvcmember.com all day Sat or yesterday morning--emailed DVC about that and got an email back saying they've forwarded notice of the problem to the IT people who will work on fixing it as soon as possible...haven't checked this morning...fortunately for my peace of mind, I'd already done online check-in (for myself and for my friend; we're in two separate studios), so didn't worry about our reservations on the way here...
Turned out to be a really good thing, because at check-in, they couldn't find my friend's reservation. Fortunately, my friend/guest had her confirmation from online check-in with her...so we were never worried about not getting a villa...just frustrated by the screwed up system...it took about 45 minutes for both of us to get checked in (and that's with having done online check-in!)...they finally found the reservation, right where it was supposed to be--don't know if the computer went zooey or if it was a particularly incompetent CM)...my friend's villa was ready (once they found her reservation!)...mine was ready about an hour and a half after we checked in (got here around noon--took til about 12:40 to get checked in due to the computer (or CM) glitch; my room-ready text showed up at 2:19)...
The second computer glitch was the dining reservation system--but we got around that by simply giving up and going over to Downtown Disney to eat instead (not a lost reservation--don't panic all you ADR holders! We wanted to eat at Turf Club, but when I called (from my villa) to see if they had room for us, they couldn't find me/my reservation in their computer (altho why they needed to remains a mystery) and couldn't/wouldn't look for available reservation times til they found me...after 10 minutes, I just gave up)...On a separate call, they did find me and they did make two reservations for us for later in the week...so it's clearly a "spotty" computer glitch issue...
Everything else is wondrous...we're in Grandstand; went to Animal Kingdom yesterday afternoon (wait for the bus was about 7 minutes) and walked on all rides except Expedition Everest, which had only a 20 minute wait...the bus back to SSR was at the bus stop when we got back to it...so basically no bus waiting time so far!
We had a good lunch at Artist Palette and a good dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express...
Weather is perfect; SSR is sold out but as is usual at SSR it doesn't feel crowded...Downtown Disney was "comfortably crowded"...only one person in line ahead of us at Wolfgang Puck Express at 6:30 for dinner!
Today we're going to the Studios first thing this morning, and then over to Epcot (my friends are more "commando" style than I am...but as they tell me, I come here a lot more frequently than they do (this is their second time here)...I'll keep up with them til I get tired (and when I have to work)...then I'll head back to SSR to chill til I'm reenergized enough to join them again...cell phones and text messaging are great for that!
Tomorrow night we have tix to the MNSSHP...first time ever for me (and of course for them, too)...they're a Halloween family--it's their favorite holiday and they do it to the max, so they're SO excited about the party--so far, the Halloween decorations are "not so much"...a couple of big and fun pumpkin "scenes" at Downtown Disney (which they LOVED)...can't wait to see their reaction to MK...it's "done up well" for Halloween (or at least it was when I was here over Labor Day; I imagine by now it's either the same or even better)...
Life is good. I have to work, off and on, all week...but I'm fortunate to have work that I can do from here...otherwise I wouldn't be able to come...now, I'm off to the pool for an exercise swim...
Happy day everyone!
