MARY-IN-OH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,215
Love Disney in September, it's worth the rain and storms to have non-existent crowds. Love walking on most rides (even multiple times).
Few things to share about our trip.
The new room entry system is having some glitches (from what we were told). For anyone who doesn't know (Like me... I guess i haven't been reading the boards enuf lately LOL), the new system is just where you wave your room key over the entry area and it lights up green, or red. So no more "slot" to put the room key in). I was told they started up this way with Art of Animation and are now expanding replacement access door entries with the other resorts (both BCV and BWV had this).
Our room keys did not work when we arrived at the BCV. The housekeeper let us in. My sister and I walked back down to the lobby while my BIL and my daughter waited in the room. Concierge lady took our cards, we waited about 10-15 mins, and she came back and said she wanted to check them herself. Weird, since we told her the housekeeper's card worked fine so we thought we needed the cards re-coded. She walked with us back up to the room, saying along the way that the batteries keep dying in these things (but the housekeeper's worked fine!). So of course she couldn't make our room keys work, and hers worked fine. So...belive it or not she called maintenance to replace the battery. Well, guess what? Our room keys still didn't work!
We were going to Epcot in the evening for dinner and a new lady was at concierge and re-coded our room keys and all was well...that is, until we went to the Boardwalk.
Boardwalk said our park tickets would be on our new room keys. Told my fam that they should take their old ones just in case (I have an AP). They met me later at the studios and forgot their old cards, and sure enough, no park tickets on the room keys. It was quickly fixed at guest services at the park though.
We were invited to try out that Fastpass+ and decided we'll probably never use it again. Nothing wrong with it, I just don't want to choose a fastpass time before I'm in the park. We missed the first one since the fam didn't want to wake up early enough, then Splash broke down (although they did let us use it later in the day), one we just didn't bother with and one we did use. They have these circle things with a Mickey head in the middle and you wave your card in front of it (like the new resort room doors lol) and it lights up green to let the CM know you are permitted to enter. I thought the "old" fastpasses worked just fine (even letting people in later than the expiration time). Never had issues with it the way it was.
Rooms were fine, didn't get my room requests but that's ok. Requested bottom floor near quiet pool at BCV and got a high floor. And at BWV requested a high floor near elevator and got 4th floor very far from elevator, but we did have an amazing epcot Illuminations view! For the 4 nights at BWV everyone who got on elevators with us was also going to 4th floor. We wondered if the other floors were not (very) occupied. I know that changes with food and wine starting soon. Every evening at bcv and bwv quiet pools there was either no one there at all or just a couple of people (nice!!).
We had a couple of days with huge storms where it rained for several hours straight, but that was ok (except that the outside rides were closed) - MK on Tuesday (9/18) and then several hours at the Halloween party on 9/21. The first halloween parade was cancelled. Felt so bad for those folks who were waiting and hour or more for that parade.
New restaurant for this trip was the Grand Floridian Cafe. Food was very good, and the staff was fantastic, and it was quiet with a very nice atmosphere.
Still the usual stop and go and tech difficulties with rides. My dd had to leave RNRC twice because it broke down and was given FP's both times good till 9/30. Then the 20 min wait went up to 130 mins. Got stuck for a little while on Haunted Mansion (which was fun!). and great movie ride at Cassablanca
Toy Story still a tough one to ride even in slow season. I got right on at 9:30 am, and when I came out the wait time was 50 mins, and we saw it as high as 85 mins.
Of course there were some "not so magical moments" ie, a family that bomb rushed the bus entering the back entrance of the bus with kids and double stroller (after the halloween party) behind a scooter that had just been let on - boy, wast that bus driver upset!)... but I still think there are enough friendly cast members and guests to keep me coming back for a while. First solo trip coming up in February at BWV! - oh, one more thing. My dd and I thought the pull out couch at both resorts were very comfortable!
If any questions, lemme know! (sorry this ended up a little longer than I thought!)
-mary
Few things to share about our trip.
The new room entry system is having some glitches (from what we were told). For anyone who doesn't know (Like me... I guess i haven't been reading the boards enuf lately LOL), the new system is just where you wave your room key over the entry area and it lights up green, or red. So no more "slot" to put the room key in). I was told they started up this way with Art of Animation and are now expanding replacement access door entries with the other resorts (both BCV and BWV had this).
Our room keys did not work when we arrived at the BCV. The housekeeper let us in. My sister and I walked back down to the lobby while my BIL and my daughter waited in the room. Concierge lady took our cards, we waited about 10-15 mins, and she came back and said she wanted to check them herself. Weird, since we told her the housekeeper's card worked fine so we thought we needed the cards re-coded. She walked with us back up to the room, saying along the way that the batteries keep dying in these things (but the housekeeper's worked fine!). So of course she couldn't make our room keys work, and hers worked fine. So...belive it or not she called maintenance to replace the battery. Well, guess what? Our room keys still didn't work!
We were going to Epcot in the evening for dinner and a new lady was at concierge and re-coded our room keys and all was well...that is, until we went to the Boardwalk.
Boardwalk said our park tickets would be on our new room keys. Told my fam that they should take their old ones just in case (I have an AP). They met me later at the studios and forgot their old cards, and sure enough, no park tickets on the room keys. It was quickly fixed at guest services at the park though.
We were invited to try out that Fastpass+ and decided we'll probably never use it again. Nothing wrong with it, I just don't want to choose a fastpass time before I'm in the park. We missed the first one since the fam didn't want to wake up early enough, then Splash broke down (although they did let us use it later in the day), one we just didn't bother with and one we did use. They have these circle things with a Mickey head in the middle and you wave your card in front of it (like the new resort room doors lol) and it lights up green to let the CM know you are permitted to enter. I thought the "old" fastpasses worked just fine (even letting people in later than the expiration time). Never had issues with it the way it was.
Rooms were fine, didn't get my room requests but that's ok. Requested bottom floor near quiet pool at BCV and got a high floor. And at BWV requested a high floor near elevator and got 4th floor very far from elevator, but we did have an amazing epcot Illuminations view! For the 4 nights at BWV everyone who got on elevators with us was also going to 4th floor. We wondered if the other floors were not (very) occupied. I know that changes with food and wine starting soon. Every evening at bcv and bwv quiet pools there was either no one there at all or just a couple of people (nice!!).
We had a couple of days with huge storms where it rained for several hours straight, but that was ok (except that the outside rides were closed) - MK on Tuesday (9/18) and then several hours at the Halloween party on 9/21. The first halloween parade was cancelled. Felt so bad for those folks who were waiting and hour or more for that parade.
New restaurant for this trip was the Grand Floridian Cafe. Food was very good, and the staff was fantastic, and it was quiet with a very nice atmosphere.
Still the usual stop and go and tech difficulties with rides. My dd had to leave RNRC twice because it broke down and was given FP's both times good till 9/30. Then the 20 min wait went up to 130 mins. Got stuck for a little while on Haunted Mansion (which was fun!). and great movie ride at Cassablanca
Toy Story still a tough one to ride even in slow season. I got right on at 9:30 am, and when I came out the wait time was 50 mins, and we saw it as high as 85 mins.Of course there were some "not so magical moments" ie, a family that bomb rushed the bus entering the back entrance of the bus with kids and double stroller (after the halloween party) behind a scooter that had just been let on - boy, wast that bus driver upset!)... but I still think there are enough friendly cast members and guests to keep me coming back for a while. First solo trip coming up in February at BWV! - oh, one more thing. My dd and I thought the pull out couch at both resorts were very comfortable!
If any questions, lemme know! (sorry this ended up a little longer than I thought!)
-mary
