Just back! 10/27 - 11/05

[MinnieGi]

Wow, you saw the Wiggles!! Very cool!! We just got back 11/8, but while down there a cm told me she had met them while they were there.

I'm glad to hear your time leading up to Jersey week was very pleasant as far as the crowds go. I'm already thinking I'd like to do late Oct. for next year so we can hit MNSSHP. I will definetly not do Jersey Week again and find out when exactly it is from now on!!!! We were in the thick of it and it was the most crowded we'd ever seen. Now we managed just fine by using EE and Fastpass and we were out of the park by 12:30 everyday for DD's nap.

We also enjoyed OKW a whole bunch!!!!!! We also loved having some adult time to ourselves after putting DD to bed, although quite a few nights we didn't last to much longer than she!!

Thanks for the report!
Gi

 

[Cindy & Belle's Mom]

Erika Erika Erika!

Thank you for that WONDERFUL trip report! I was wondering if you had ever considered staying in the Fort Wilderness Homes? Your little ones are a great age for this since they would probably love the petting zoo and the Belgian horse stables, the pony rides, the hay rides and the campfire movies. You'd probably want to rent an "electric pony" (golf cart)...but you'd LOVE the convenience!

The medium-size ferry boat (minimum wait times) takes you directly to the Magic Kingdom. I believe it makes one stop at the Lodge sometimes...but the ride in itself is refreshing and free...it always loosens up those tense muscles! Your time is both saved and pleasantly spent! If you have rented a golf cart, you just park it, plug it in and it is waiting to take you to your door the minute you disembark.

Oh, did I mention they have fishin' pole rentals? You throw back the fish...but what a thrill for your 3-year old! They also have a white sand beach with hammocks for snoozin'...and a playground within spittin' distance of the porch outside The Trail's End and Crockett's Tavern that has rockin' chairs and a rail to put your feet up....

Buy a refillable mug for $10 and you have free refills of coffee and/or soda at the resort (plus if you come back you can use them again!) Your AP can get you good discounts on your accomodations etc...especially if you are flexible about when you come.

Check it out. Oh...and most of what I described is free...the hayrides are $6 and $4 I think...and the pony rides are $4. The Hoop de Doo is right there also. Chip and Dale come to the free campfire/movie every night and also do a birthday thing with the birthday kids. It's a singalong and...well, I can't tell you everything.

If you really consider this...email me. I can answer specifics...and yes, there is room for Grandma to stay...plus she can have fun taking the kids to places within the resort...there is a mini-ferry direct to the Contemporary (and monorail which will take you to MK and/or all the other monorail resorts and/or EPCOT...did I say EPCOT for romantic adults only nights out) if Grandma is willing to stay with the kids.

When we stayed the maids made the beds each day (and more) and also did the "animal"/washcloth things. We saved a ton because the kids really only ever wanted cereal/fruit for breakfast...and they actually ate it because it was familiar...so we could usually do a later park lunch...or come back and eat at Trail's End for lunch and then a nap.

There are other surprises...

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Actually we did stay in a Wilderness Home/Cabin a few years ago. It was nice, but not really my cup of tea. I've never been the outdoorsy type... I feel more at home being pampered in a luxury hotel. LOL But other members of my family sometimes stay there... they like it a lot.

 

[jwwi]

Erika
I enjoyed your trip report. We were there 10/29-11/3 POR. I spoke to you on the phone about the extra ticket for MNSSHP. We tried to sell it back to the guest sevie desk at POR, someone on the boards told me this could be done. The CM said that all tickets are nonrefundable, and resale is also prohibited. We asked a few people at the resort if they needed an extra ticket, no luck. Had to be careful didn't want to be arrested at Disney. Once we got to MK we were so excited to be there that we forgot! LOL
We had good bus service while we were there most of the time, but I know what you mean about moving vs waiting. On our way to MK the bus, one of the newer handicap buses broke. There were quite a few people waiting, and the driver didn't seem to know how to remidy the problem. We took a bus to Epcot-I didn't know the only way to MK resorts from there is by monorail. We had a few strange looks-we were dressed as mouseketeers!! LOL Not sure it was quicker, but we were moving.
Again leaving the party, after midnight, the bus was broke. I felt very sorry for the party already on the bus, one member in a wheelchair. Some very thoughtful CM's brought two buses over to take us back to POR.
I would not stay at disney for more than one or two nights without a car. It took us less than 10min from our room to go to the POLY. This really is the only way to resort hop. We even took it to the Boardwalk one night, spent 1hour in Epcot, went to ESPN, and then shopped and ate a wonderful crepe on the boardwalk.
I agree with you about the amount of room at OKW, stayed there in 1994-two bedroom villa. It was huge. I toured the vacation club this trip, the room models are tiny compared to OKW. Although the model for the new villas are beautiful. Now if I just can convince my husband!
Lastly, luckily we checked out before onslaught of the New Jersey group. We found the waits minimal, to noexistent, rarely used fastpass-kept them for scrapbook souvenirs. No return trip planned

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

You were lucky to have a car. We had one last April and it was so nice. We always drove to dinner or to DTD... very convenient. The bus service was so miserable for us on this trip that we decided to go with a monorail resort for our next trip. We spend most of our time at MK because our children are young, so it makes sense.

Thank you so much for offering the ticket to us. We tried to talk my father-in-law into coming with us, but he hates crowds so he wouldn't go. It's probably good he didn't because it was pretty crowded.

Good Luck talking your husband into the DVC and another trip to WDW soon! I guess I'm lucky because my husband is as obsessed as I am. LOL

 

[crazyaboutdisney]

Erika, I'm glad you had such a nice time on our points, Ha Ha!! Just wondering if you liked okw or the boardwalk area better. We love both. Your airplane trip down is my worst nightmare, we took our dd at age 7 months and at 1 year. Both trips were fine except for the spit on the bald guys head!!! With your love for Disney you must be considering buying in to the dvc.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Oh yes! We had a great time on your points! LOL

I really love OKW... but we really enjoyed the YC also. It's hard to say which is better... they each have pluses and minuses. We'll probably just switch on and off with different resorts for every trip. It makes it more fun that way.

 

[anne60]

Have you tried earplanes?? I'm not sure if they are made for ones as little as yours, but they have worked wonders for my youngest. she used to be "blocked" for hours after a flight, and now, no problems!! I wonder if the "jersey week" is something that disney is not prepared for and so the parks seem more crowded than they really are (rides arent' running at full throttle, fewer CMs than during holidays), or if there are really as many people as in the summer/holidays? My daughter and I went last year over Veteran's day, but the crowds weren't that bad because of 9/11. This year we went Columbus day, and MGM was VERY crowded on its EE day... the wait for RnR was 60 minutes by 9:15 a.m., I think it was a British school holiday? Glad you had a good time.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I have heard of earplanes and I'm going to get some before our next trip! I was really unprepared for what could happen because my kids are always great flyers. They've been on a dozen plane trips and never had a problem. They came down with colds about a week before we left and I knew it might be a problem, but had no idea they would be in such horrible pain. The look on my 16 month olds face was heartbreaking.

I agree with you about not enough CM's. On our last park day we saw one CM working THREE turn-style entrances to MK. He was trying his best to help everyone get through... but it was not working. DH and I were standing on the inside and our stroller with our kids in it was still on the outside! I kept saying to him, "My kids need to come in" "Please open the stroller gate", but he was so confused he didn't know what he was doing. Heck, 3 people could have snuck in and he wouldn't have even noticed. What a stupid place to make a cutback.