drusba
I went to Iowa once, and it was closed.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 1999
- Messages
- 14,853
March 28 to April 4, 2BR boardwalk view, 3009 and 3007, right over the small DVC store (have actually had the same rooms once before). Good time, some points:
1. Checked in at 3:50, no one else in line and did not have on-line check-in, went smoothly and quickly and room was ready--almost. Went to rooms, 3009 (the 1BR) would not open with key. Person who brought up luggage opened it for us with master key, otherwise no key would work on it. They fixed it while we were gone in the evening but they needed to replace the entire key mechanism and were actually just finishing up when we returned about 9:00. Then discovered that two lamps, one in master bedroom and one in living room did not work. Looked and found not that the lightbulbs were burned out but that they had no light bulbs. I could only think, "Did the residents before me actually remove them? Otherwise, how long had it been this way without anyone noticing?" They brought the bulbs quickly but I still don't know the answer to those questions.
2. Room condition was generally good, there was a small gouge in the living room rug. Also, I hope in refurb they replace the washers for the faucets and shower head because all dripped unless you squeezed real hard when you turned them off (this was an issue last time we were there in 2008). Otherwise, everything was clean and worked.
3. Refurb has definitely begun, a few signs are up announcing it. The ground floor standard rooms (front of building) had the "pardon our ..." wall barriers up outside of the rooms and that is where room refurb has begun, otherwise little was really noticeable.
4. One thing I always notice is whether they are keeping up with burned out lights on the boardwalk. They were only a couple out along the long string that runs above the water edge of the walk and the "h" was out on the "Flying Fish."
5. Fireworks: as most know you can see higher fireworks of both Epcot and MK from the boardwalk view rooms. Interesting is that Sunday night, March 29, they both happened at the same time.
6. Spoodles: We will miss you. Had excellent dinner there Tuesday evening. Other Fav in area is Cape May seafood buffet which is going strong as usual -- we usually chug down several buckets of mussels and clams. Salmon and clam chodder was also very good. Can't tell you what any of the meat dishes were like because had none.
7. Weather: generally good all week, no real hot days and actually a couple of fairly cool ones (highs in 70s) and a couple of all cloudy days. Rain for long periods morning of March 29 and April 3, but otherwise just a couple of afternoon showers.
8. Busses: not good this time around and still BWV's sore point. For AK on April 1, mid morning, we waited 45 minutes for an AK bus and then of course you stop at S/D and BB, but that was topped by a 50 minute wait for a return bus from MK on March 30 (got to stop about 7:50, bus came at 8:40, and still kicking myself for not getting on one of the FOUR BC/YC busses that came during that same time).
9. Crowds: crowds were large but to me seemed usual for time of year (when it is not an Easter week) with 60 to 80 minute stand by lines most of the day and evening for the popular rides except we saw Soarin' go to 120. Nothing like the two Easter weeks or Christmas week (where we know those stand-bys go to 2 to 2 1/2 hours and over 3 and sometimes to 4 for Soarin'). Evening of March 28 a breakdown occurred to one side of Tower of Terror (other side continued to operate) and apparently some were caught on the ride for over an hour.
10. Epcot World Showcase Flower Power: This is when you know how old you are really getting. As part of a "Flower Power" celebration, they are having at the American pavilion "seasoned" (my daughter says "ancient") bands on the weekends. Among the headliners: Paul Revere and the Raiders, Herman's Hermits, and the Turtles. We saw Paul Revere on March 29. Lead singer (it never was Paul) is replaced by a somewhat younger guy, who is probably about 50. They still have their colonial type outfits with tights. Music was good and Paul was hillariously, mainly making fun of himself. The real am-I-this-old shock came when he told his age: 71, and he is still running and junping on the stage like he is 20.
11. Room Cleaning: we ordered full cleaning for two of our days there. Now I understand members' complaints about housekeeping. First time, I saw person who was going to do room because was leaving just as she was coming. Returned in evening and rooms were half done. Master bed was not made, dishes were not put into dishwasher, trash was not emptied. I thought, "How could the CM miss such obvious things?" Second time also saw person who was going to clean room, again arrived just as we were leaving, and it was a different CM from the one before. Came back in evening and bed in second bedroom not made, living room not vacuumed and bathrooms were not cleaned except she removed all the towels and replaced none of them. Called to inform housekeeping both times. I can only think, with this happening twice from different CM's in the same week, is that there is something wrong at the supervision level.
12. Golf and THV: used DVC discount for early morning golf (and this "prime" time of year it is still expensive even though it is a larger discount dollar wise than any other season). Courses were in excellent shape. For Osprey Ridge lovers was told it will still be open through 2010 and possibly 2011 because Four Seasons is already about 10 months behind in its planned construction and going slowly--noticed a lot of ground work had been done but nothing is going up yet. Saw many of the THV units while playing Lake Buena Vista -- they line up all along the 17th hole. They look very nice (that seemingly "ugly" brown color actually fits in nicely with the wooded area) and have very large porches with long but not sharpely pitched stairways leading to the porches. Saw little work going on mainly because the ones I saw all looked done including having the furniture in the rooms and little mouse ears pasted on some of the windows. It looks like you will not park right at the unit as they had long walkways (but no driveway) leading to the road, where likely parking will be available.
13. Fantasmic: this can be described as the Disney "suits" worst I-will-save-money-no-matter-the-consequences-on-the-guests decision. During this prime season, they are having Fantasmic only three nights a week, Mon, Tues, and Thurs, and apparently they plan to continue doing that at least through summer. Net result: many are being turned away from the shows because they fill by about 45 minutes before showtime. Also, Fantasmic dinner packages are becoming almost impossible to get unless you call the allowed 90 days out.
14. Prince Caspian: This is for the women out there (I have three of them in the family). The younger daughter wanted to see Prince Caspian at the Studios so we all went. They have him hidden away in a back room that many don't even realize is there so we had no wait at all. I considered him a pleasant fellow with a fine English accent who was very nice and attentive. The women's reaction: he is the best looking male they have ever seen. Swooning over him only half describes what they were like.
1. Checked in at 3:50, no one else in line and did not have on-line check-in, went smoothly and quickly and room was ready--almost. Went to rooms, 3009 (the 1BR) would not open with key. Person who brought up luggage opened it for us with master key, otherwise no key would work on it. They fixed it while we were gone in the evening but they needed to replace the entire key mechanism and were actually just finishing up when we returned about 9:00. Then discovered that two lamps, one in master bedroom and one in living room did not work. Looked and found not that the lightbulbs were burned out but that they had no light bulbs. I could only think, "Did the residents before me actually remove them? Otherwise, how long had it been this way without anyone noticing?" They brought the bulbs quickly but I still don't know the answer to those questions.
2. Room condition was generally good, there was a small gouge in the living room rug. Also, I hope in refurb they replace the washers for the faucets and shower head because all dripped unless you squeezed real hard when you turned them off (this was an issue last time we were there in 2008). Otherwise, everything was clean and worked.
3. Refurb has definitely begun, a few signs are up announcing it. The ground floor standard rooms (front of building) had the "pardon our ..." wall barriers up outside of the rooms and that is where room refurb has begun, otherwise little was really noticeable.
4. One thing I always notice is whether they are keeping up with burned out lights on the boardwalk. They were only a couple out along the long string that runs above the water edge of the walk and the "h" was out on the "Flying Fish."
5. Fireworks: as most know you can see higher fireworks of both Epcot and MK from the boardwalk view rooms. Interesting is that Sunday night, March 29, they both happened at the same time.
6. Spoodles: We will miss you. Had excellent dinner there Tuesday evening. Other Fav in area is Cape May seafood buffet which is going strong as usual -- we usually chug down several buckets of mussels and clams. Salmon and clam chodder was also very good. Can't tell you what any of the meat dishes were like because had none.
7. Weather: generally good all week, no real hot days and actually a couple of fairly cool ones (highs in 70s) and a couple of all cloudy days. Rain for long periods morning of March 29 and April 3, but otherwise just a couple of afternoon showers.
8. Busses: not good this time around and still BWV's sore point. For AK on April 1, mid morning, we waited 45 minutes for an AK bus and then of course you stop at S/D and BB, but that was topped by a 50 minute wait for a return bus from MK on March 30 (got to stop about 7:50, bus came at 8:40, and still kicking myself for not getting on one of the FOUR BC/YC busses that came during that same time).
9. Crowds: crowds were large but to me seemed usual for time of year (when it is not an Easter week) with 60 to 80 minute stand by lines most of the day and evening for the popular rides except we saw Soarin' go to 120. Nothing like the two Easter weeks or Christmas week (where we know those stand-bys go to 2 to 2 1/2 hours and over 3 and sometimes to 4 for Soarin'). Evening of March 28 a breakdown occurred to one side of Tower of Terror (other side continued to operate) and apparently some were caught on the ride for over an hour.
10. Epcot World Showcase Flower Power: This is when you know how old you are really getting. As part of a "Flower Power" celebration, they are having at the American pavilion "seasoned" (my daughter says "ancient") bands on the weekends. Among the headliners: Paul Revere and the Raiders, Herman's Hermits, and the Turtles. We saw Paul Revere on March 29. Lead singer (it never was Paul) is replaced by a somewhat younger guy, who is probably about 50. They still have their colonial type outfits with tights. Music was good and Paul was hillariously, mainly making fun of himself. The real am-I-this-old shock came when he told his age: 71, and he is still running and junping on the stage like he is 20.
11. Room Cleaning: we ordered full cleaning for two of our days there. Now I understand members' complaints about housekeeping. First time, I saw person who was going to do room because was leaving just as she was coming. Returned in evening and rooms were half done. Master bed was not made, dishes were not put into dishwasher, trash was not emptied. I thought, "How could the CM miss such obvious things?" Second time also saw person who was going to clean room, again arrived just as we were leaving, and it was a different CM from the one before. Came back in evening and bed in second bedroom not made, living room not vacuumed and bathrooms were not cleaned except she removed all the towels and replaced none of them. Called to inform housekeeping both times. I can only think, with this happening twice from different CM's in the same week, is that there is something wrong at the supervision level.
12. Golf and THV: used DVC discount for early morning golf (and this "prime" time of year it is still expensive even though it is a larger discount dollar wise than any other season). Courses were in excellent shape. For Osprey Ridge lovers was told it will still be open through 2010 and possibly 2011 because Four Seasons is already about 10 months behind in its planned construction and going slowly--noticed a lot of ground work had been done but nothing is going up yet. Saw many of the THV units while playing Lake Buena Vista -- they line up all along the 17th hole. They look very nice (that seemingly "ugly" brown color actually fits in nicely with the wooded area) and have very large porches with long but not sharpely pitched stairways leading to the porches. Saw little work going on mainly because the ones I saw all looked done including having the furniture in the rooms and little mouse ears pasted on some of the windows. It looks like you will not park right at the unit as they had long walkways (but no driveway) leading to the road, where likely parking will be available.
13. Fantasmic: this can be described as the Disney "suits" worst I-will-save-money-no-matter-the-consequences-on-the-guests decision. During this prime season, they are having Fantasmic only three nights a week, Mon, Tues, and Thurs, and apparently they plan to continue doing that at least through summer. Net result: many are being turned away from the shows because they fill by about 45 minutes before showtime. Also, Fantasmic dinner packages are becoming almost impossible to get unless you call the allowed 90 days out.
14. Prince Caspian: This is for the women out there (I have three of them in the family). The younger daughter wanted to see Prince Caspian at the Studios so we all went. They have him hidden away in a back room that many don't even realize is there so we had no wait at all. I considered him a pleasant fellow with a fine English accent who was very nice and attentive. The women's reaction: he is the best looking male they have ever seen. Swooning over him only half describes what they were like.
