It’s a...WDWKOOK LIVE TRIP of FIRSTS! TRIP SUMMARY PAGE 17!

[Lodge Captain]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us! Great pics especially the sunrises (best resort time to be up and about IMHO!!). Bad pic is MCO gate....Ugh!!! Travel safe!!

 

[hbr03]

I echo everyone's sentiments and thank you for sharing your trip with us! I'm a little blue for you that it's over. Safe travels home and settling in to your new normal!

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

KOOK, THANK YOU for taking us along on your Trip of Firsts! It has been such fun following along with you every day! We smiled, laughed and cringed right along with you the entire 9 days. It was fun to check and see what you were up to throughout the day! We loved the pictures and honest thoughts and reviews. In the end, we hope your Trip of Firsts left you with a magical feeling that you will keep with you as your embark on your NEXT first adventure....

 

[jknewberry]

Thank you for all your posts and pictures! I loved following along, and you confirmed my need to have GF on my bucket list- that room and that view were stunning!

 

[mexi]

KOOK, THANK YOU for taking us along on your Trip of Firsts! It has been such fun following along with you every day! We smiled, laughed and cringed right along with you the entire 9 days. It was fun to check and see what you were up to throughout the day! We loved the pictures and honest thoughts and reviews. In the end, we hope your Trip of Firsts left you with a magical feeling that you will keep with you as your embark on your NEXT first adventure....

What Minnie said.

Thank you @WDWKOOK for sharing it all. I really enjoyed reading along.

 

[Ndusmama]

Loved your trip report. You went to resorts I had not seen before and frankly am not sure I want to see now. I did get some yummy food choices to try.... Yup Kona hit the spot.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

Thank you for sharing your trip with us. Your photos were great. Safe trip home.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Yes, THANK YOU for the trip report!

 

[yaksack]

Great report.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Apologies for the big posting delay! You know how it is the day after you get home.

My flight was thankfully on time and uneventful as was my first Ubering adventure home! More on that, some multiquoting, along with final thoughts, observations, a few more photos, and assessments tomorrow. Happy to field any questions, too - this TR, though no longer LIVE from WDW, isn't over yet

 

[Lodge Captain]

Glad trip home was uneventful (?). Randy was always a visible presence at WL CL. Did you see anything similar at CL experiences this trip? I'm guessing not. Maybe that is the part of the problem...

 

[pas130]

Apologies for the big posting delay! You know how it is the day after you get home.

My flight was thankfully on time and uneventful as was my first Ubering adventure home! More on that, some multiquoting, along with final thoughts, observations, a few more photos, and assessments tomorrow. Happy to field any questions, too - this TR, though no longer LIVE from WDW, isn't over yet

Welcome back to reality Glad you've made it home safely, and looking forward to the rest of the TR

 

[WDWKOOK]

I think that window is one of the stops for the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game. I never noticed most of the windows they use in the game until we started to play it.

I love finding the MK empty. That hasn't happened very often, though. I'm glad that you had a good day.

I looked, but didn't see the symbol I've seen at the other windows. My last day, Tuesday, was terrific with such low crowds and overcast and cooler, but not rainy.

WDWKOOK - Thanks for the memories! I loved your trip report.

You're welcome and I'm glad you enjoyed it

These pics of yours are really sealing the deal for me .

I've been struggling where to stay next summer for my big birthday trip. The girls, of course, want to go back to the GF, DH doesn't care where he stays and I've been torn between GF or YC/BC. I originally thought I'd splurge for CL but now I'm leaning towards no CL but splurging for a view instead of going with the standard room thru the agency deal. If I can get a decent BB next month, I may just book the GF . Decisions, Decisions...

I like your plan and make sure you have a good balcony. The nice thing about the CR Tower is that all the rooms (other than the 14th floor which has some double balconies) have the same size balcony.

UGH... Magical DEPRESS

That looks yummy!!

The breakfast "quiche" the last day, Wednesday, was so tasty and substantial. A CM asked me how I liked it and I told her it was flaky and delicious. I got the impression it was new. I asked her if she had sampled it and she said, "Oh, no, we're not allowed to try anything." I know at other CLs, the CMs can sample the leftover food so I think she may have said that for effect.

Have a good trip home and thank you for all your posts. It was such fun to follow along!

I'm glad you had fun and thanks for joining me!

Thanks for taking us along with you.

You're welcome

Safe travels home. Loved your live reports and pics, thanks for taking us along .

It was great having you along daily!

Thanks for sharing your solo trip, it has given me much to think about

The sunrise pictures are beautiful, and that new quiche looks very yummy!

Safe travels home... (and without any hiccups!)

There were no hiccups at all and let us know when you've booked a solo

Great photos! Great report! I've been following every day and really enjoying the details. Really appreciate hearing all the good and not-so-good. So sad about that BC room - I love the new decor but would not be good with the little balcony. Also, I now know to stick with atrium club or a regular room at CR. We enjoyed our RPC stay last year and love the room decor. Although once we started observing some fellow guest behavior and chatting with a couple CMs, the reason for the vibe became apparent. So we're not likely to return, especially for the cost. Honestly, we're more on the fence regarding CL than ever before. Our older boys could do without it for all the reasons you mentioned. And they don't like to feel like their snack consumption is restricted to CL food or timeframes! mateojr, on the other hand, is all about it because breakfast is easy, he loves to make friends in the lounge and the kids' TV area gives him some of the down time he really needs. We'll see what happens when those January 2017 discounts pop up.

I think you kind of get "used" to CL, but when you go Club Level-less, you realize there are actually some advantages and for me, I didn't miss it. I miss the old Old Faithful Club and WL experience, but I know that's just a really terrific memory now, and that's okay.

I've enjoyed your photos and following along so much. Your photos are awesome and can't believe you lucked out with so many rain free days for a September! I hope you've had a good solo adventure despite the CL disappointments. Do you think you'd do another solo trip?

Safe travels home and thanks for taking us along

ETA: Just noticed I didn't answer you - sorry!

I'm so glad you've enjoyed the TR and photos. I can't believe the weather either. Everyday I kept thinking that TODAY would be the day of the deluge, but it never happened. Then, my departure day, TS Julia formed on land out of no where, but that didn't impact my trip either.

I would definitely do another solo trip with just some minor changes such as fewer resorts and a day or two less.

I love your views. You are making me very excited about our upcoming GF staff. We got a free upgrade via the magical agency and will be in a garden view, outer building room in December. I could not be more pleased.

Thanks for taking us along on your trip.

You're welcome, @Wood Nymph.

Did you mean you were upgraded to Lagoon View? GF only has Garden View, Lagoon View and Theme Park Views.

Safe travels and thanks for taking us along. Enjoyed every picture and every post!

Aww, thank you for that.

Thanks so much for sharing your trip. The views of GF sunrises are breathtaking! It is one of my favorite memories of our stays there (and I took pictures EVERY morning )

Bucket list items are always awesome to check off! Love all the pictures. It's the next best thing to being there! Walking on attractions makes it way more enjoyable too.

I'm really sad at the state of Disney Resorts and CL in particular. We have elected to stay off site (we jumped off that cliff and will be departing for a Disney Halloween cruise in 46 days!!) instead of a Disney resort. Not long in the past I would never have considered off site!

I learned to love cheese at Disney on our first DDP back a few years ago. I always got the cheese app and loved how the servers always explained what the cheese was and what it paired best with. YUMMY!!

I am not much of a bread eater but that looks YUM!

Again, thanks for the photos and sharing your trip. Safe travels home!

Liz

The view is much better in person. I really love the Bay Lake sunrise from CR and WL because there aren't too many distractions, mostly water, of course that's all changing at WL.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us! Great pics especially the sunrises (best resort time to be up and about IMHO!!). Bad pic is MCO gate....Ugh!!! Travel safe!!

Always great having a new poster! You are exactly right about sunrise - so peaceful and quiet, just you and the trees, and armadillos, and the pool guy, and some bunnies, a bird or two, another crazy early-riser or two...It truly is the most magical time and great for taking photos and trying out pretty much every chair throughout the resort

I echo everyone's sentiments and thank you for sharing your trip with us! I'm a little blue for you that it's over. Safe travels home and settling in to your new normal!

Normal started the minute I stepped foot in the house and started up the ol' washing machine! I always have to get everything put away and freshened - like the trip never happened! I'm glad you experienced my trip right along with me

KOOK, THANK YOU for taking us along on your Trip of Firsts! It has been such fun following along with you every day! We smiled, laughed and cringed right along with you the entire 9 days. It was fun to check and see what you were up to throughout the day! We loved the pictures and honest thoughts and reviews. In the end, we hope your Trip of Firsts left you with a magical feeling that you will keep with you as your embark on your NEXT first adventure....

It was a pleasure having you and Mr. CuteAsMinnie along for this FP to fun! My ToF absolutely met my expectations, and when it didn't, I made some minor resort adjustments - I was flexible and did have to do some tweaking, but no twerking

Thank you for all your posts and pictures! I loved following along, and you confirmed my need to have GF on my bucket list- that room and that view were stunning!

You're very welcome and BTW, that was "Deluxe Room 4420." It can't be booked online, but the King Deluxe can. The two Queen is only available by calling and it's what they had available with the military rate. I think the King Deluxe books-up faster.

What Minnie said.
Thank you @WDWKOOK for sharing it all. I really enjoyed reading along.

I'm glad you enjoyed my adventure

Loved your trip report. You went to resorts I had not seen before and frankly am not sure I want to see now. I did get some yummy food choices to try.... Yup Kona hit the spot.

Thank you! Is your vacation over now? If so, you'll have to tell us more about your "Tree/Squirrel View."

Thank you for sharing your trip with us. Your photos were great. Safe trip home.

Thanks for the kind comments and I did have a safe trip home - phew.

Yes, THANK YOU for the trip report!

You're welcome. Where are you staying on your next trip? You seem to go often since you live in GA.

Great report.

Thanks!

Glad trip home was uneventful (?). Randy was always a visible presence at WL CL. Did you see anything similar at CL experiences this trip? I'm guessing not. Maybe that is the part of the problem...

Nope, nothing similar and yep, that's a big part of the problem. The concept of a manager being present in the lounge and interacting with the guests is dead or it was only ever at WL with Randy from '10-'14. Since Randy left, the manager's office was moved all the way downstairs. And, since Randy, I think they are on CL manager #2 or #3 now. And, the most recent one just moved on to BWI, along with the Resort GM.

It's a shame and I even talked to a GF CM about this. She said they're behind the scenes at CR at GF and so she agreed they miss so much and they don't really know what the CMs are doing. I did see the manager a couple of times at RPC, but he was just pulling alcohol out of the closet that was right next to my room. He didn't even greet anyone either time I saw him. He was on a mission and it wasn't to mingle with the guests nor the CMs.

BTW, I did see Randy at CR and expressed to him how much we all miss him and how WL-CL won't ever be the same.

Welcome back to reality Glad you've made it home safely, and looking forward to the rest of the TR

Thank you!

 

[mickeynut1]

I'm glad you had fun and thanks for joining me!

I loved checking in and reading about your daily adventures .

You are exactly right about sunrise - so peaceful and quiet, just you and the trees, and armadillos, and the pool guy, and some bunnies, a bird or two, another crazy early-riser or two...It truly is the most magical time and great for taking photos and trying out pretty much every chair throughout the resort

I agree! Early morning is a magical time as it's very peaceful .

Normal started the minute I stepped foot in the house and started up the ol' washing machine! I always have to get everything put away and freshened - like the trip never happened!

I'm the same way.....as soon I step foot in the door I'm emptying the suitcases and starting the washing machine .

 

[WDWKOOK]

While I did manage some multi-quoting today, I don't think I'm going to be able to get to the "few more photos and assessment/observations/summary" stage, but I will tomorrow. Thanks for sticking around

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

Oh, don't worry... We're not going anywhere!

Nope, nothing similar and yep, that's a big part of the problem. The concept of a manager being present in the lounge and interacting with the guests is dead or it was only ever at WL with Randy from '10-'14. Since Randy left, the manager's office was moved all the way downstairs. And, since Randy, I think they are on CL manager #2 or #3 now. And, the most recent one just moved on to BWI, along with the Resort GM.

It's a shame and I even talked to a GF CM about this. She said they're behind the scenes at CR at GF and so she agreed they miss so much and they don't really know what the CMs are doing. I did see the manager a couple of times at RPC, but he was just pulling alcohol out of the closet that was right next to my room. He didn't even greet anyone either time I saw him. He was on a mission and it wasn't to mingle with the guests nor the CMs.

BTW, I did see Randy at CR and expressed to him how much we all miss him and how WL-CL won't ever be the same.

!

Maybe, just maybe Randy's next move will be WL GM

 

[Wood Nymph]

The view is much better in person. I really love the Bay Lake sunrise from CR and WL because there aren't too many distractions, mostly water, of course that's all changing at WL.

I love Bay Lake. One of the only reasons that I would consider staying at the CR would be if I could have that view.

Did you mean you were upgraded to Lagoon View? GF only has Garden View, Lagoon View and Theme Park Views.

Our free upgrade to GF GV was an upgrade from Beach Club standard view. We were asked if we were willing to switch to the GF because the BC was overbooked.

 

[BlueFairy]

Ok. Late to the party and I have to chime in.

Great report! I can't wait for CR now. 62 days out! You suggested that I request Bay Lake view, 3rd floor for my GW room. But then I saw those construction pics of WL and remembered the north side villas going in on the canal. I do NOT want a view of that. Thoughts? Should I ask for pool view instead?

Everything you've posted makes me excited for CR as a potential replacement for what appears to be my long-gone-beloved WL.

Also, I feel the need to be the party-pooper on the yogurt train. It is in fact perfectly safe to store yogurt at room temperature. It is cultured at warm temps over a length of many days. I do prefer the experience of serving it chilled and in a sanitary container. But in theory there's no problem with leaving it out on the counter.

Thanks for all the eye candy! Maybe I'll get to do the same soon.

 

[MinMou]

Thank you for taking us with you on your Bucket List trip. I was sad to read about the poor receptions you received at CR and GF, and it's made me rethink CL on our upcoming trip. Do you think they ignored you because you were by yourself? Still not acceptable, imo, but maybe you looked like you knew where you were going, so they felt they should take care of lost lambs instead? I would hate to be a first time visitor with toddler in tow, and have the CMs blow me off.

I really appreciate you sharing your favorite views and tables with us! I would never have known that CHH was such a good choice otherwise