Just back, quick breakdown of our trip. Oct 1 to Oct 9

[Pammy_from_WI]

I'll be posting a full report(s) starting today or tomorrow, but thought I'd give a fast rundown of our trip.

Oct 1- Arrival. AKL took our breath away, staff, service, food, hotel, bus transportation, all excellent!!!! Got upgraded from standard to savannah view.

Epcot was dead when we got there, we arrived about 4 or 5 pm and all the rides on the FW were walk-ons. Ate at Beachs and Cream, AWESOME!!!!

Illuminations cruise!!! WOWZERS!!! Thanks so much to Schanna and her family to share with us. I'd do this again!!! What a nice way to see the show.

Oct 2 - AK, park was dead. I was shocked. We walked in and had about 8 characters all to ourselves. My two girls were in heaven. We got several group pics, which is pretty unusual. Rides were walk-ons- or at most 10 min. waits. Weather was warm, but not hot and it was over cast which held the temps down.

1900 Park fare - Fantastic!!! The chef did a great b-day cake for g-gran that was with us. Food outstanding, service fast and friendly.

Oct 3rd - Half of us did Epcot in the am, just to shop or bum around, half stayed back at AKL to rest, relax and swim. We had the pool pretty much to ourself this day, hotel was very quiet the first half of our trip.

MNSSHP - Loved it!!! Two thumbs up again. Tons of characters out and about, more group photos, play time with them, several were picking on my teen which she loved. One followed my MIL all the way down the street and was tapping her shoulder every few min. I think she wanted to punch him after a while. LOL My littlest was in character heaven. Rides, most walk-ons. Our youngest got picked on several times on rides and she was eating up all the special attention. We found the lines for special things to be short to only a small wait, maybe 5-10 min. We started in Adventureland and I think we were the only ones there and it was that way all night as we made our way around the park. Only ran into people at Fantasyland, still short lines tho.

Oct. 4th - Loved AKL so much some of us stayed at AKL for the day and just swam and enjoyed the pool bar. Some went shopping again at Epcot.

Noticing the crowds at the AKL are starting to pick up, lines for check in are pretty long in the mid afternoon.

MK - Only night for us to do Spectro. We got there about 5pm and went to eat at Cosmic Rays, since some had eaten there the night before and were requesting more cheesesteak subs.

Worked on FL after dinner, but found the crowds to be sort of heavy so we kind oif wandered about looking at stores and hopping on short lined rides.

Saw the fireworks from there and after it seemed like the crowds really died down, there was a Spectro at 8pm, FITS at 9pm, and another Spectro at 10pm. We did a ton of rides between 9 and 10. We even grabbed a last min front row spot for the parade about 5 minutes before it started.

Oct 5th - Half our party was leaving this day, so we decided to take it easy, some wanted to go over to AK to do the safari, so we all did that. Crowds a lot heavier then on the 2nd, but still not terrible. Used FP and did shopping or eating or character greetings while we waited. Weather is getting worse, heat and humidy is picking up and still no rain. I'm one of those wacky people that hope to get rain while on vacation in WDW.

Then we headed back to AKL and went swimming and used the pool bar and just relaxed until half of our group left.

Then the 4 of us headed over to MK for the party again! Woot more fun times, pretty much finished MK in the 3 nights we spent there and we were not in commando mode, took time to just wander around, shop, eat, character greet and ride when we passed one. The only bad thing is we spent 3 nights at MK and my 3 year old, then thought everynight was party night at the MK and got upset when we didn't head there to see the witches and bats and junk. I wear my dress mama, please, please, please. Hard to explain why it isn't a party like that all the time. LOL

Oct. 6th - Off day, ok so we had a lot of those already, but went to TL, the place was so packed it wasn't funny. The wave pool looked like a sea of heads. We only stayed a few hours and got outta there.

Used our pool the rest of the day, but we're really noticing the crowd levels really increasing now. Our pool was also packed most of the day.

Dinner at Boma, WOW!!! Double WOW!!! Food, service, everything was excellent. My yougest got picked to be a jr. chef. Didn't even know they did this here. We all got to go into the kitchen and watch her make chocolate covered strawberries. Really fun!!

Oct. 7th - I took my oldest to MGM for the morning and afternoon, hubby stayed with youngest and swam. It was super hot out. Most rides had huge waits, 60 or more min. We used FP when we could and did shopping.

Did Epcot this night, light rain, so I think that kept some of the folks away. Focused on WS so the girls could do their masks and passports. Caught Illuminations. Headed back and swam.

Oct 8th - Did MGM in the am, did things my little one would like. Left and went back to AKL, MGM was a mob scene!!! Hot, Hot Hot!!!! Swam, rested, went over to Epcot for dinner and Illuminations again.

Oct 9th - Left early, since I had a convention yesterday to go to.

We got very spoiled the first 5 days that it made the last 4 torture for us. We had nice weather and crowds were so low and then BAM look out! The heat moved in with the summer like crowd levels. But since we've been there before and will be going back again we didn't care and just used the AKL pool and activites instead, worked out great for us, but it would have been bad if this was a one and only trip for us, since we didn't see everything and then some. LOL We just did our favs and a few others and then left to relax.

Personally it was the most relaxing trip I've done at WDW, most trips I come home dead. I'd do this same sort of trip again, we found a good balance for us, fun, lots of fun, but also wonderfully relaxing.

Pammy

 

[audflash]

Thanks Pammy,

we leave on wed. and I hope those crowds clear out a bit! We are so excited about our first trip to WDW and staying at the AKL!

Does the rain keep the crowds down? I am looking at the 10 day forcast and most days seem to be thunderstormy...

Any last minute advice? We have two teens and I am hoping to do some relaxing, too. We are at that stage where its open to close at the parks - doesn't faze them, but it wears me out!

 

[Pammy_from_WI]

YVW

Well I know most of the press people were leaving on Sat and Sun, so that should really help with the crowds, but I'd still prepare for larger then normal crowds. What we did is figure out what days at EE at which parks then I planned to do the parks the day after their respective EE days. So if EE was on a Tues for MK we'd do a Wed. Worked well for us, but everyone has their own types of touring.

As far as rain, don't count on it. We had 30 to 50 % chance of rain every day there and only got rain on Tues night. We did notice the crowds tended to drop off that night though, so we always hope for rain, just didn't get much of it this trip.

The teen thing can be tricky, with mine I made sure she got one on one time. We have our 17 yr old and a 3 yr old, so some times I'd take her off and to thrill rides or shopping which she loves and dad would stay back at the AKL and swim, he's not into thrill rides, so it worked out great for us. Then we'd do things together, that we all could enjoy and just be a family. It was a different type of trip for us this time, since this was dad's first time and so I had to switch our normal touring to a more laid back relaxing one.

I'd suggest that if you trust your teens and they are older, like 16 or 17 or at least one is, let them go off sometimes on their own. Plan on family time and then let them take the bus to DTD to do Disney Quest or shop while you stay back and enjoy the AKL, it is one of the most laid back resorts I've ever stayed at on WDW property, it didn't even feel like I was in WDW. Or split up at the parks if you'd rather they not do the buses alone, let them ride rides til they drop and you and your hubby go at a slower pace.

I think it's pretty safe there to let them ride the buses to a park or DTD or just explore on their own for a few hours. Take two cells with and just check with them every so often. We also had walkie talkies, but they only work within a certain range and we found the two cells worked much better.

You will love the AKL, there are so many things to do there. Make sure to get the hidden Mickey sheet and have the teens go off in search of them, some are easy others took a long time to find. My teen loved doing that. We also did a few tours they offered that are free, but the dining one was great, learned so much about the hotel, the African culture and more, great for you and hubby will teens venture out for a while, or if they like that sort of thing have them come too, my daughter loved the culinary one.

And be sure to check out both hottubs at the AKL, some of the CMs think there are only one, but there is two!!!! The one behind the pool bar is very quiet and relaxing!!

Also be sure to eat at least once at either Boma or Jiko, both are very different, but oh my stars is the food there great!!! Also Mara the food court was way above avg. for WDW food courts, we were very pleased with Mara.

I think that covers the questions you asked, if you or anyone needs more info just let me know!

Have a safe and great trip to WDW!!!
Pammy

 

[aesalsa]

I think you're the only other poster that I've seen who'll be leaving the same day we are!!! Have a wonderful time!!

 

[audflash]

aesalsa-

Have a great trip! We are at the AKL - where are you staying?

 

[aesalsa]

I'm staying at the Wyndham Palace near DTD. It had a pretty good rate that we could afford on our long stay--it's not Disney magical ,but it is very nice. I told my husband that next time we plan a trip (this one was rushed!) I 'd love to stay at a WDW resort like BC/YC(never been to ANY of them), and he asked me why I didn't book it! I told him that thier rate was something like 3 times what we're getting our room for ! We need to start saving!!

Do WDW resorts (like AKL) reduce the daily rate the longer your stay is? Wyndham does that.

Have fun on your vacation! We're going to MK tomorrow when we arrive. I may be sporting a DIS fannypack!

 

[audflash]

Originally posted by aesalsa

Do WDW resorts (like AKL) reduce the daily rate the longer your stay is? Wyndham does that.

I don't know - I doubt it! We got the FTP - that's how we afforded this trip!

Have a super time and try to get some sleep tonight -

 

[craig]

Was there any explaination for the increase in crowds?

 

[Pammy_from_WI]

Craig - Yes, it was do to several things. One was the press event, one was that there were 4 large conventions, one was the fact several schools in the south had there 2 week break starting Mon the 6th and of course the FTP.

Hopefully the crowds will start to drop off a bit, now that the press is gone, I'm sure that had a lot to do with things, at lot of them were staying at the AKL, we had cameras everywhere.

I would plan for a larger then normal Oct/Nov crowd, but I think things will get better as the month goes on.

Have great trips everyone!

Pammy

 

[zurgswife]

Sounds like a great discription......I love AKL...