Here now..AKL!

[flinkerfrosch]

Quick update cause I really need to get to bed..lol

We spent the day at DHS. Love the boat ride, so relaxing.

We ate lunch at Hollywood and Vine, and loved it! The food was great, so much variety, and the character interaction was amazing. We had a later lunch time (1:55pm), so it wasn't as busy so I think that's why we saw the characters multiple times during our lunch. A CM gets the kids up, and they dance around the restaurant along with the characters, and are very interactive with the kids. My kids had a blast!

Tip: DO NOT get a fastpass for any of the shows if you go during a month that is not as busy. We got a fast pass for the "Lights, Motor, Action" show and the fast pass line flows into the regular line, so it was such a waste of a fastpass The show was great though!!

We missed Fantasmic *tears* and literally by about 1 min! My son had to use the washroom, so when he came out we were told the show was at full capacity..boo

I will say that I am so glad I followed "easywdw" in regards to the "most recommended" park days because he is bang on! We have attended each park on the recommended days except one due to a dining reservation, and WOW, that park that was NOT recommended was sooo busy!!!

We have been very lucky with wait times, and very lucky with all the fast passes we have been able to snag. They still have the paper ones, so you can get your 3 from the My Disney Experience, and then you are still able to get the paper ones at the parks.

Oh, the dance party at DHS last night was so fun, and my boys had a ball! So many characters came out to dance! The EMH was not busy at all and my son and DH rode The Tower or Terror multiple times!

Another TIP: If you purchase the Photopass for the ride pics only (it is 49.99) make sure you take a pic of the back of the card where the code is. If you were to misplace the card, you can still retrieve your pics because all you need is the code. We have some awesome pics, and you can get multiple pics at each ride if you have other family members that go on the ride as well. There is no limit. Now, the card only allows you to add pics at certain ride attractions. You get quite a few, but it is not all rides where pics are taken. If anyone wants or needs to know what ride attractions they offer it, let me know and I can tell you.

I think that's it for now...so nighty night, and chat soon

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

@flinkerfrosch

It is sooooo awesome that you have had so much time at WDW. TWO WEEKS!

What have been the least busiest places you have visited *so far*(parks, resorts, restaurants...etc.) and what have been the busiest?

 

[flinkerfrosch]

@flinkerfrosch

It is sooooo awesome that you have had so much time at WDW. TWO WEEKS!

What have been the least busiest places you have visited *so far*(parks, resorts, restaurants...etc.) and what have been the busiest?

Yes, we are very lucky

We have having an amazing time, and have done so much

I would say the least busiest park was DHS ( we did go on a recommended day) and least busiest restaurant has been...believe it or not, Chef Mickey's! The restaurant was full when we went, but we did not have to wait to be seated. We were seated right away. Sci-fi would be 2nd. Every other restaurant we have been to we have had to take a pager and sit and wait, and we have done a lot of character meals.

So far the least busiest resort has been AKL, but we just arrived to WL this evening, so its hard to comment on WL just yet..that is to be determined

The busiest park was MK with AK being a close 2nd. We did go on recommended days for both, but it was still fairly busy, but not so much that the crowds were overwhelming. We did go to AK on a non-recommended park day, but that was only cause we had an ADR at Tusker House. We did notice a big difference between a "recommended" park day vs a "non-recommended" park day.

Ohana for dinner was by far the longest wait we had for dinner and Hollywood & Vine running a close 2nd.

BC would be the busiest resort so far, but I didn't find it crowded by any means. We always found chairs around the pool, and there was hardly ever a line up for the big slide. The lobby was busy, but nothing that even bothered us or a second.

We have really loved visiting in Oct, and plan to visit in Oct again next year!

The weather has been perfect, and not a drop of rain since we've got here except for tonight, it rained for a short period.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Why did your server "rush" you at the Garden Grill. Certainly it wasn't because it was busy? It has a reputation of being one of the least visited TS restaurants on property.

I wish we knew why it was so rushed, it ruined our experience

He rushed through everything right from the start when we sat down, right to the end!

The restaurant was packed and we had to take a pager and sit and wait to be seated.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Glad you're having a good time at the BC. We loved the BC as it's a beautiful resort and the whole Epcot area is nice, but there are other resorts we prefer as well. We also like BB over TL in that we, too, think the slides are bigger and more fun. Can't wait to hear more of your thoughts on the BC .

Loved the BC and so happy we tried it! We will return to the resort in the future for sure!
AKL is still our fav though but SAB was so much fun and I got some great pics and videos

BB is so fun, and we plan on doing it one more time which would be 3 times for us on our trip

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Sounds like an awesome trip so far!

It has been SO magical and such wonderful memories have been made

 

[crazyfordisney2000]

How has moving from one resort to another? Do you have a car to do this, I don't remember.. Right now we are thinking of a Beach CLub / Wilderness Lodge split so I'm really curious on your WL review. Your reports have been awesome, I will be sad when you leave!

 

[icicleVT]

How has moving from one resort to another? Do you have a car to do this, I don't remember..

I was wondering about this as well. We'd like to split our next stay between AKL and another deluxe or mod but we won't likely have a car to move ourselves. Does anyone know if there is Disney transport between lodgings for this?

 

[dansdad]

I was wondering about this as well. We'd like to split our next stay between AKL and another deluxe or mod but we won't likely have a car to move ourselves. Does anyone know if there is Disney transport between lodgings for this?

There is no Disney transportation directly between resorts unless both are on the monorail loop. Disney will however transfer your luggage for you, though it won't be at your new resort until the afternoon. People usually do one of these two options:

1. Check out of resort 1 and take a cab to resort 2 to check in.

2. Check out of resort 1 take bus/boat/monorail to a park for the day. Then take bus/boat/monorail to resort 2 and check in.

We much prefer option 2 as we feel we don't loose any park time that way.

 

[Magic2000]

We usually pack up our stuff, head to a park, and then go to the new resort for our afternoon break and check in. One time, we checked out of Pop, went to Typhoon Lagoon, then went over to the Dolphin. Our room was ready, and within minutes of getting in the room, they brought up our luggage.

It really is very easy!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

How has moving from one resort to another? Do you have a car to do this, I don't remember.. Right now we are thinking of a Beach CLub / Wilderness Lodge split so I'm really curious on your WL review. Your reports have been awesome, I will be sad when you leave!

I will be sad too...lol

The moves has been super easy! We do have a car, so what we have been doing is getting the resort to move our luggage to the next resort, and we keep only what we need.
We've made each move day a pool day, so we would check out at 11am (say at AKL-our 1st resort) have Bell services take all our luggage, and then we would hang out and swim around the pool at AKL till about 2:30-3pm, and then move over to the next resort which was BC. When we checked in our luggage was waiting for us and they brought it up to our room right away (our room was always ready when we arrived at the resort around 3pm)
We then would get settled a bit and then headed to enjoy SAB.
We did the same thing when we moved to WL yesterday. We spent the day at SAB, had bell services move our luggage, and checked into WL about 4pm. Room was ready, and our luggage was brought up right away.
Disney makes it very easy for you

We did AKL/BC/WL and LOVED it! AKL is still our fav, but we haven't been at WL long yet, so that's still TBD..

 

[flinkerfrosch]

I was wondering about this as well. We'd like to split our next stay between AKL and another deluxe or mod but we won't likely have a car to move ourselves. Does anyone know if there is Disney transport between lodgings for this?

The other's are correct! We have a car, so we just jump in and drive, but I think the easiest option if you don't do a park on your move day is to get Bell services to move your luggage and then take a cab over to the next resort.

 

[I Run Long]

Just loving your trip report. We are doing our first split stay next August so this has all been extremely helpful.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

I am going to wait a few days before I post a full review only so I can see and experience the Lodge

We do have a fabulous location! We are in the North Wing, 3rd floor. We have a woods view (I did ask if we could get courtyard view, but none were available) and we have bunk beds. Our room is 2 doors away from the elevator (Room 3030) so we are SUPER close to Roaring Forks for food and to refill our mugs. We are also very close to the pool and boat dock.
The only downfall about being this close to the elevator is the noise in the am. I was woken up a few times early hearing kids yelling and running down the halls. At least it didn't wake my kids, so it was all good!
The room is probably the smallest out of all 3 resorts, but it is clean and in great condition!
I would save my FAV bed has to be at the BC. LOVED the bed, sooo comfy! WL has the smallest beds out of the 3. My DH is 6 "3" so he noticed right away cause his feet dangle over..lol
We went on the Pirates & Pals firework cruise last night, so I am not sure if we are able to view MK fireworks from our balcony as of yet, but my guess is we probably can!
The Pirates & Pals fireworks cruise was a lot of fun. I am glad we did it for the 1st time, but I am not sure it is worth $161 (that is US, so a bit more in Canadian dollars- I am Canadian
Our guide was awesome and so funny, but I found the 1/2 hour you were in the room while waiting to get pics with Hook and Smee was boring. You could get drinks and some snacks, but I thought games went on for the kids etc, but all anyone did was sit or the kids just ran around.
I am not picky by any means, but for the $$ I thought they could have done more. I think my biggest peeve was the pic you had taken with Hook & Smee you had to pay for!? I had assumed that would be included, but nope. I guess I should never assume anything
The view for the fireworks and EWP was awesome! Best view you can get!
TIP- If you do the cruise, sit on the left side of the boat. You can see everything from both sides, but the left side faces all the action
We were actually given row 11, but everyone just sat wherever they wanted, and from my research here on the Dis, I knew to sit on the left side..lol
I am sitting on my balcony as I type this, listening to the boat horns. LOVE the sound!
My boys wanted to sleep in today, and in fact, they are still asleep right now! Lazy buggers..LOL
I think we are either heading to MK later or DHS..not sure yet...They want to swim in the pool first for a bit, and then head to a park.
I will post more about WL soon!
Cheers

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Just loving your trip report. We are doing our first split stay next August so this has all been extremely helpful.

I am so happy I am of help

Have an awesome split stay, you will love it! I am super organized, so it does make it easier to move around, but we really loved moving from resort to resort. Felt like a new vacation each time we moved, and we were all very excited to try something new.
After Disney (on the 27th) we are actually going to Treasure Island to stay for 8 days. Our 2 bedroom condo we rented is right on the beach, so we will have a full week of relaxing after a fabulous, amazing vacation here at WDW

I wish you all the best, and a Magical vacation!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

If you request north wing, high floor you will most likely have a view of the Contemporary and possibly the monorail. Some of the rooms also have a view of the castle and the high fireworks from Wishes. It all depends on whether or not there is a tree in your way. The 6th floor rooms have an enclosed balcony, which means that you have to stand to see out. The fifth floor and lower in the north wing have open balconies, which are normal balconies. There are lots of pictures of the balconies and views over on the Wilderness Lodge facts thread.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3111366

The north wing is also very convenient to Roaring Forks counter service and the boat dock.

I just wanted to thank-you so much for your help with the room location at WL. Our location is perfect! 3rd floor, North Wing and SO close to Roaring forks, pool and boat dock!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Well, I have been stuck in the room all afternoon because my poor little DS 3 has a low grade fever. My DH and DS6 are at Hollywood Studios enjoying fast passes to 3 rides that I set up this am.
As for my DS3..this is actually his 3rd fever since we've got here, but they have only lasted half a day or so and then he bounces right back.
My DS6 had a fever yesterday as well, but it broke after some Motrin and a good nap around the pool.
Last Fri both boys also had diarrhea. My DS3 had it all day, but my DS6 only had it a few times and then he was fine.
I honestly believe it is from the pool water. I say this because they are never ever sick like this, and they have been swimming non stop since we got here. They also seem to swallow a lot of water when they swim which we have been reminding them MANY times NOT to do!
Another reason why I say this is because I have noticed A LOT of ducks that swim in the pools. We have kicked them out whenever we see them, but they poop in the pools. In fact, I saw one do it at the BC, told the lifeguard, and they closed down the specific section of the pool to clean it and re test the chlorine levels.
It made me question how much bacteria could actually be in the pools. I know they keep the levels high to kill off bacteria from all the people etc, but I can't think of any other reason as to why they keep getting these little bugs here and there...
Thankfully it has not put a damper on our trip, and we have not had to change any plans (other then today being in the room right now) but only because all my sweet little boy wants to do is sleep. I could have had him sleep in the stroller, but I thought it would be better if he had a really good nap!
Another TIP has just come to me...MAKE SURE if you have smaller children that can not ride a certain ride, but you have older ones that can, TOTALLY utilize the "rider swap" My 3 yr old is tiny, and he unfortunately can't ride a lot of the rides, so we get the rider swap each time which means my other son gets to ride most things twice!
My DH goes first with my DS 6, then when they return I get to go on with my DS 6 and we enter through the fast pass line. It really is a great thing!
My DS 6 has rode soooo many rides multiple times because of the rider swap, and fast passes of course!

 

[mickeynut1]

We have really enjoyed our stay at the BC. The pool is AWESOME and my boys have really enjoyed the slide. Even my 3 yr old went down it which I couldn't believe!!!
Love the boat to DHS, we have used it twice!
We loved Cape May as well, great breakfast and the character interaction was great as well!
I would love to try dinner, but my DH is allergic to a lot of seafood, so we had to avoid it (for now...hehe) I LOVE seafood, so I will admit I was sad not to do it, but maybe next year!
We move onto WL tom, so I will update soon! We plan on spending the day tom (today now since it is 1:30 in the morning now) at SAB, and then move over to WL around 3 or 4pm.
I am glad you have enjoyed the updates, and I also thank-you for all your help, and wonderful advice

You're welcome.....glad I could help .

Glad you enjoyed the BC....it really is a beautiful resort . Sorry your DH is allergic to seafood and you couldn't do Cape May for dinner, but hopefully you can try it next time because it really is good (at least we love it ).

Quick update cause I really need to get to bed..lol

We spent the day at DHS. Love the boat ride, so relaxing.

We ate lunch at Hollywood and Vine, and loved it! The food was great, so much variety, and the character interaction was amazing. We had a later lunch time (1:55pm), so it wasn't as busy so I think that's why we saw the characters multiple times during our lunch. A CM gets the kids up, and they dance around the restaurant along with the characters, and are very interactive with the kids. My kids had a blast!

Tip: DO NOT get a fastpass for any of the shows if you go during a month that is not as busy. We got a fast pass for the "Lights, Motor, Action" show and the fast pass line flows into the regular line, so it was such a waste of a fastpass The show was great though!!

We missed Fantasmic *tears* and literally by about 1 min! My son had to use the washroom, so when he came out we were told the show was at full capacity..boo

I will say that I am so glad I followed "easywdw" in regards to the "most recommended" park days because he is bang on! We have attended each park on the recommended days except one due to a dining reservation, and WOW, that park that was NOT recommended was sooo busy!!!

We have been very lucky with wait times, and very lucky with all the fast passes we have been able to snag. They still have the paper ones, so you can get your 3 from the My Disney Experience, and then you are still able to get the paper ones at the parks.

Oh, the dance party at DHS last night was so fun, and my boys had a ball! So many characters came out to dance! The EMH was not busy at all and my son and DH rode The Tower or Terror multiple times!

Another TIP: If you purchase the Photopass for the ride pics only (it is 49.99) make sure you take a pic of the back of the card where the code is. If you were to misplace the card, you can still retrieve your pics because all you need is the code. We have some awesome pics, and you can get multiple pics at each ride if you have other family members that go on the ride as well. There is no limit. Now, the card only allows you to add pics at certain ride attractions. You get quite a few, but it is not all rides where pics are taken. If anyone wants or needs to know what ride attractions they offer it, let me know and I can tell you.

I think that's it for now...so nighty night, and chat soon

Sounds like you're having a fabulous time . Thanks for the tip on the photopass .

Loved the BC and so happy we tried it! We will return to the resort in the future for sure!
AKL is still our fav though but SAB was so much fun and I got some great pics and videos

BB is so fun, and we plan on doing it one more time which would be 3 times for us on our trip

I think it's great that you are there for so long and are able to experience 3 different resorts in one trip and stay long enough at each one to really get a feel for them . Have fun at BB again.....we love it too .

I am going to wait a few days before I post a full review only so I can see and experience the Lodge

We do have a fabulous location! We are in the North Wing, 3rd floor. We have a woods view (I did ask if we could get courtyard view, but none were available) and we have bunk beds. Our room is 2 doors away from the elevator (Room 3030) so we are SUPER close to Roaring Forks for food and to refill our mugs. We are also very close to the pool and boat dock.
The only downfall about being this close to the elevator is the noise in the am. I was woken up a few times early hearing kids yelling and running down the halls. At least it didn't wake my kids, so it was all good!
The room is probably the smallest out of all 3 resorts, but it is clean and in great condition!

Glad you like your room and location .

Well, I have been stuck in the room all afternoon because my poor little DS 3 has a low grade fever. My DH and DS6 are at Hollywood Studios enjoying fast passes to 3 rides that I set up this am.
As for my DS3..this is actually his 3rd fever since we've got here, but they have only lasted half a day or so and then he bounces right back.
My DS6 had a fever yesterday as well, but it broke after some Motrin and a good nap around the pool.
Last Fri both boys also had diarrhea. My DS3 had it all day, but my DS6 only had it a few times and then he was fine.
I honestly believe it is from the pool water. I say this because they are never ever sick like this, and they have been swimming non stop since we got here. They also seem to swallow a lot of water when they swim which we have been reminding them MANY times NOT to do!
Another reason why I say this is because I have noticed A LOT of ducks that swim in the pools. We have kicked them out whenever we see them, but they poop in the pools. In fact, I saw one do it at the BC, told the lifeguard, and they closed down the specific section of the pool to clean it and re test the chlorine levels.
It made me question how much bacteria could actually be in the pools. I know they keep the levels high to kill off bacteria from all the people etc, but I can't think of any other reason as to why they keep getting these little bugs here and there...
Thankfully it has not put a damper on our trip, and we have not had to change any plans (other then today being in the room right now) but only because all my sweet little boy wants to do is sleep. I could have had him sleep in the stroller, but I thought it would be better if he had a really good nap!

I'm sorry your little guy is sick and that both have taken turns with fevers over the course of your trip . I hope he feels better soon . Glad it's not putting a damper on your trip......I hope your remaining days they are well and they can enjoy the rest of their trip .

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Well, I have been stuck in the room all afternoon because my poor little DS 3 has a low grade fever. My DH and DS6 are at Hollywood Studios enjoying fast passes to 3 rides that I set up this am.
As for my DS3..this is actually his 3rd fever since we've got here, but they have only lasted half a day or so and then he bounces right back.
My DS6 had a fever yesterday as well, but it broke after some Motrin and a good nap around the pool.
Last Fri both boys also had diarrhea. My DS3 had it all day, but my DS6 only had it a few times and then he was fine.
I honestly believe it is from the pool water. I say this because they are never ever sick like this, and they have been swimming non stop since we got here. They also seem to swallow a lot of water when they swim which we have been reminding them MANY times NOT to do!
Another reason why I say this is because I have noticed A LOT of ducks that swim in the pools. We have kicked them out whenever we see them, but they poop in the pools. In fact, I saw one do it at the BC, told the lifeguard, and they closed down the specific section of the pool to clean it and re test the chlorine levels.
It made me question how much bacteria could actually be in the pools. I know they keep the levels high to kill off bacteria from all the people etc, but I can't think of any other reason as to why they keep getting these little bugs here and there...
Thankfully it has not put a damper on our trip, and we have not had to change any plans (other then today being in the room right now) but only because all my sweet little boy wants to do is sleep. I could have had him sleep in the stroller, but I thought it would be better if he had a really good nap!
Another TIP has just come to me...MAKE SURE if you have smaller children that can not ride a certain ride, but you have older ones that can, TOTALLY utilize the "rider swap" My 3 yr old is tiny, and he unfortunately can't ride a lot of the rides, so we get the rider swap each time which means my other son gets to ride most things twice!
My DH goes first with my DS 6, then when they return I get to go on with my DS 6 and we enter through the fast pass line. It really is a great thing!
My DS 6 has rode soooo many rides multiple times because of the rider swap, and fast passes of course!

Ooooohhhh...so sorry to hear this!



You've given us Disney fans such a gift with this live report! Only post when you feel like it sweetheart!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Ooooohhhh...so sorry to hear this!



You've given us Disney fans such a gift with this live report! Only post when you feel like it sweetheart!

Awww..thank-you

I really enjoy doing the trip report and helping any diser's

My DS3 perked back up around 5pm, so off we go to Hollywood Studio's to see Fantasmic for our 2nd try (my DH came back from HS to pick us up) and on the way my DS3 throws up in the car, so back to the hotel we go! I swear I'm not meant to see Fantasmic..LOL
Turns out it was the chocolate milk he drank that made him sick, and he was fine once we got him back and cleaned up, thank-god!
So, we missed Fantasmic, so we took the book over to MK and spent 3 hrs in the park. We actually got a lot of rides in which was great and watched the fireworks of course

Tom we have a Character Breakfast at Ohana, swim at the resort (maybe rent a sea racyer) and then we will be attending the MNSSHP! Yay!!

We are really enjoying WL, and I just realized while laying in bed that our room is actually bigger then the regular room at AKL. Not by much, but it is a bit more spacious.

No towel animal today, but that was only because I was in our room when housekeeping came, and my DS was asleep due to not feeling well. She did a great job though cleaning etc, and was very sweet.

Anyhow, better get to bed. I'm a big night hawk, and funny enough I'm always the first one up as well, go figure!