Highs and Lows from our August trip...

[Elise79]

We got back on Sunday morning and straight back to work on Monday so haven't had chance to do this yet! We flew out to Newark and spent 4 nights in NJ for a family wedding then flew down to MCO for 12 nights at OKW.

Anyway lets start with the lows:

• Time seemed to fly by and we didn't get done everything we wanted to
• I am 99% sure the housekeeper at OKW walked off with one of my bottles of perfume one day. In all our stays at Disney hotels this is our first problem with housekeeping.
• The beach at Longboat Key as been washed away - literally - really sad to see
• Longboat Key Club has been bought out and the new management has targeted new markets so the place is now filled with people I'd rather not be with. I used to be a nice quiet haven away from the mass tourists in Orlando.
• Hit and miss service in Disney restaurants. I won't miss the DDP at all next year.
• Olive Garden introducing Ziosk - a tablet type thing that seems to reduce the interaction with the server which I think is just sad.
• Our favourite Dive on AMI has changed - the food is still outstanding however the atmosphere has gone.
• BA failed to pass on our preferred number to AVIS so ended up with an hour wait for the car at MCO

Now for the good bits!

• Wedding in NJ was amazing and DD loved being Flower Girl
• We spent our 15th Anniversary with a day in MK and then dinner at YS. It was perfect and dinner was outstanding. Server (who I am not naming as I want to be able to seated in his area again ) was just brilliant
• Weather was great - hot and sunny. Storms really didn't interfere with our plans at all this year!
• VIP Ultimate Day of Thrills tour - expensive but worth every penny. Guides were great - big thumbs up for Tiny and Michael
• Virgin flights - crews both way were excellent. Flew out on the Dreamliner in PE and the new cabin was great plus the Dreamliner is so quiet in comparison to the 747 we flew home on.
• DD chose as her birthday present to get her photo taken with Winter the Dolphin at Clearwater Marine Aquarium - her face was priceless and she was thrilled that Winter touched her
• The Gurgling Suitcase at OKW - spent several nights here with friends having a great time - Ken really is the best bartender in WDW. I also discovered some raspberry flavoured Barcardi which was fab
• Meeting up with Lee (@2Tiggies) and her DH and DD for an afternoon at POFQ - went way too quick!
• Apart from the minor issue with the housekeeper OKW was great again

I will post some photos over the weekend when I have had chance to get them off my phone and onto my computer

 

[micksn]

Sounds great! I'm surprised the weather didn't affect you - we've been hearing aboout terrible storms. It just shows you can usually work around them.

 

[dixonsontour]

sounds great

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Great report, we had brilliant flights with Virgin too.

So what is YS where you had dinner? Racking my brains and all I keep thinking of is Yacht Club, doh!!

 

[Elise79]

Sounds great! I'm surprised the weather didn't affect you - we've been hearing aboout terrible storms. It just shows you can usually work around them.

The storms were usually relatively short and isolated unlike last July (and I believe from friends who live in Orlando this July) there was the prolonged rain that lasted for hours.

Great report, we had brilliant flights with Virgin too.

So what is YS where you had dinner? Racking my brains and all I keep thinking of is Yacht Club, doh!!

Yachtsman Steakhouse

As an addition we also had a great time at:
Nacoossees
Artist Pointe
Hoop Dee Doo
Garden Grill

 

[1andrea]

Sounds like you had a great time xx

 

[tinkerpea]

We had the most amazing meal and server at yachtsman in may!
We even took a pic with him. He was like a tiny little doll, amazingly polite and so attentive. He brought us more bread and told us we was to leave half each so we could finish our meals! Haha.

We will definitely ask to be seated in this persons section next trip,

Pleased to hear the weather didn't impede you trip much. As it's sounded insane lately

 

[2Tiggies]

Nice to see your long list of highs

It was great to get to spend some time with you and your DH and DD, but I agree that the day went way too quickly!! Hurry back ... you know where to find us now

What is the Gurgling Suitcase? I'm liking the sound of raspberry Bacardi!

 

[Elise79]

Gurgling Suitcase is the bar at OKW - next time we'll take you but the best nights are Tuesday and Wednesday evenings when Ken works

 

[2Tiggies]

Gurgling Suitcase is the bar at OKW - next time we'll take you but the best nights are Tuesday and Wednesday evenings when Ken works

That sounds awesome! We'd love to meet up with you again on your next trip

 

[BigMommaMouse]

We got back on Sunday morning and straight back to work on Monday so haven't had chance to do this yet! We flew out to Newark and spent 4 nights in NJ for a family wedding then flew down to MCO for 12 nights at OKW.

Anyway lets start with the lows:

• Time seemed to fly by and we didn't get done everything we wanted to
• I am 99% sure the housekeeper at OKW walked off with one of my bottles of perfume one day. In all our stays at Disney hotels this is our first problem with housekeeping.
• The beach at Longboat Key as been washed away - literally - really sad to see
• Longboat Key Club has been bought out and the new management has targeted new markets so the place is now filled with people I'd rather not be with. I used to be a nice quiet haven away from the mass tourists in Orlando.
• Hit and miss service in Disney restaurants. I won't miss the DDP at all next year.
• Olive Garden introducing Ziosk - a tablet type thing that seems to reduce the interaction with the server which I think is just sad.
• Our favourite Dive on AMI has changed - the food is still outstanding however the atmosphere has gone.
• BA failed to pass on our preferred number to AVIS so ended up with an hour wait for the car at MCO

Now for the good bits!

• Wedding in NJ was amazing and DD loved being Flower Girl
• We spent our 15th Anniversary with a day in MK and then dinner at YS. It was perfect and dinner was outstanding. Server (who I am not naming as I want to be able to seated in his area again ) was just brilliant
• Weather was great - hot and sunny. Storms really didn't interfere with our plans at all this year!
• VIP Ultimate Day of Thrills tour - expensive but worth every penny. Guides were great - big thumbs up for Tiny and Michael
• Virgin flights - crews both way were excellent. Flew out on the Dreamliner in PE and the new cabin was great plus the Dreamliner is so quiet in comparison to the 747 we flew home on.
• DD chose as her birthday present to get her photo taken with Winter the Dolphin at Clearwater Marine Aquarium - her face was priceless and she was thrilled that Winter touched her
• The Gurgling Suitcase at OKW - spent several nights here with friends having a great time - Ken really is the best bartender in WDW. I also discovered some raspberry flavoured Barcardi which was fab
• Meeting up with Lee (@2Tiggies) and her DH and DD for an afternoon at POFQ - went way too quick!
• Apart from the minor issue with the housekeeper OKW was great again

I will post some photos over the weekend when I have had chance to get them off my phone and onto my computer

First New Jersey, my home state. What a great way to start a vacation.
Housekeeping - we had a issue last year that still has left me a little rattled. - For this trip we bought a in room safe, locks, belt locks.

 

[DLPDreams]

Welcome back!

We got back on Friday morning after our 3 week stay.

I'll do a separate thread of my highs and lows when I have a good think about it all. I'm still feeling pretty tired but a bit more life in me today! Agreed about the Dreamliner - it's a lovely plane, PE was fabulous and well worth the money we paid for it.

OKW is beautiful but if I'm totally honest, it wasn't as great as I'd hoped - not sure at this moment what it was about it, but I don't think I would stay there again. We ate at lots of other resorts and I'd try somewhere different to stay. Our housekeeper was fab - we even left ipads out after the first few days (with 6 of us we struggled with 1 safe), and everything was where we left it. She was really nice and did a very good job! Actually, long story, but we moved rooms 4 days into our stay, and it was our second housekeeper who was fab, our first was OK although the place wasn't as spotless as the second one.

Anyway, I'll leave it there and post myself properly later!

 

[Elise79]

OKW is beautiful but if I'm totally honest, it wasn't as great as I'd hoped - not sure at this moment what it was about it, but I don't think I would stay there again. We ate at lots of other resorts and I'd try somewhere different to stay. Our housekeeper was fab - we even left ipads out after the first few days (with 6 of us we struggled with 1 safe), and everything was where we left it. She was really nice and did a very good job! Actually, long story, but we moved rooms 4 days into our stay, and it was our second housekeeper who was fab, our first was OK although the place wasn't as spotless as the second one.

We had MacBooks and iPads out and TBH we always do and it is our first issue with housekeeping in 19 stays on Disney property. We seemed to have different housekeepers every day this trip which doesn't help.

OKW is kind of unique in its atmosphere and it's certainly not for everyone. We love it as we know several of CMs there now and walking in its nice to have people say hello that actually know you.

 

[jothp]

It sounds like a great trip. It is worrying about the housekeeper though. We were lucky not to have any issues like that. Our meal at YS was one of the highlights of our trip too.

 

[Mummycat]

Glad you had a great time . We got back yesterday after 3 weeks away which included 3 nights at Longboat, a trip to Olive Garden and 2 week at Disneys OKW. We absolutely love OKW (have stayed there once before) and would gladly stay there again. No issues with housekeeping but def some days the place was cleaner then others. Thankfully longboats beach was back and apart from the first day (Saturday) the place was fairly quiet although there were a few more Brit accents around. Also Olive Garden was fine with no evidence of the new system you mentioned so please don't give up on your favourite things/places maybe just an off time