LIVE from OKW - Photos added on Page 2, 3 & 5

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

Have a great time. I love Davy Jones. He puts on a nice show. Wish I was there.

 

[abk96]

Sounds lovely. We were in building 24 last Nov. and we loved it.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[rkdahl]

Hey Doc,
I'm over at SSR and have been since the 6th when we checked in. I still am getting the "old" internet message if I want to access it it will be 24 hours at $9.95 etc. I called the front desk and they said I should be getting a message asking if I'm a member select one option, not a member select another option. I said that is not showing up, just the old one option message.

They then connected me to the Internet help desk and they said just select that $9.95 option and I will not see that on my bill. So I have done that the last 4 days. I went down to the lobby last night and asked to see my bill, sure enough there was not an Internet charge on it.

So maybe what you are seeing at OKW has not rolled out to all the resorts yet. Not sure how they are determining my member status. And my home resort is OKW by the way.

 

[RobDoc]

Here are a few CR photos taken last night from Narcoossees at the GF. I'll get some more up in a week after our dinner next Sat at CA Grille. The walkway between the CR Tower and the new construction is really making progress, as well as the upper floors.

I also have some photos from the DVC Preview for Toy Story Midway Mania taken this morning that I'll post later.

Just click on any image for a larger view.

 

[RobDoc]

We went over to HS this morning to try to get into the Toy Story Midway Mania preview now open for DVC members and AP holders. We arrived about 9:20 and got right into the queue for the new attraction. We were almost up to the doorway at 9:35 when they announced there was a stoppage and they were closing the attraction until "later". They emptied the queue and had everyone leave the area.

We went thru One Man's Dream and checked again afterwards - still closed - so we went on TGMR and checked again. There was a crowd of guests milling around, but no sign of any reopening. We waited about 5 minutes and they opened the attraction. We were in the first 20 guests to get thru the security (where they look at your DVC card and required photo ID) and were quickly moved thru the queue line to the doorway again. After holding there for a couple of minutes, they let us inside the attraction. It is very brightly colored and the decor is all sorts of toys and games (as you would expect for the theme). Eventually the queue ends in a boarding area where guests are seated in midway "cars" - 2 on each side. There is a scorecard on the dashboard and each rider has a midway cannon - operatied by a pull string. The ride has many similarities to Buzz Lightyear - and many differences.

The cars wind their way thru a number of game stations where guests score points using the cannon - shooting at all sorts of digital targets. The cars ride on a clever track, weaving their way thru the attraction. At the end is a "prize" station where your total score is announced before heading to the disembark area.

In our case, we were in the prize station and the ride shut down. After several "Please Stay Seated" and "This ride will commence momentarily" announcements, they eventually shut everything down and had to manually open each car to off load the guests. They then escorted us out of the attraction in a group - pausing at each car along the way to offload more guests into the group.

As we exited the ride, each guest was given 2 FastPass tickets good thru 5/24/08 to ride again.

We enjoyed the ride and are eager to go back again. As of an hour after it closed, it had still not reopened. We'll try again tomorrow.

Here are some photos - click on any photo for a larger view.



















more Toy Story photos to follow.

 

[RobDoc]

 

[bobbiwoz]

Great! Can't wait to experience the ride. Thank you.

Bobbi

 

[AKV707]

Doc, thanks for the pics and the reports! I Hope you have a great vacation. How was Narcoosees? DW and I have an ADR there on our next trip.

Hey, we were in building 24 on our fall trip to OKW. We were in a studio, room 2424. Great location!

 

[BCV23]

Glad you made it on Toy Mania after all. DS1 and his wife rode it yesterday and our son said it was great.

We're having dinner at CG next Saturday as well! I guess I won't need to take pictures as you will have it covered. Might do so anyway though just to have.

I second AKV707...how was Narcoossee's last night? We dine there a week from tonight for the first time since last May.

Have fun!

 

[WDWLVR]

Great pictures Doc - thanks for sharing!

 

[iluvdisney]

Looks like fun Doc - can't wait to try it when I get a chance to go back to WDW - thanks for sharing your pics and all the info! Enjoy the rest of your time at OKW.

 

[ChelleinNC]

Toy Story Mania looks like a lot of fun! Can't wait to try it in June

Thanks again for the updates!

 

[rlduvall]

Thanks for the live report, Doc. We will be there in early June at BWV. Hoping it's not Africa Hot by then.

 

[tigger2on]

When are the previews for DVC members on Toy Story Mania???

 

[RobDoc]

When are the previews for DVC members on Toy Story Mania???

I think that tomorrow (Monday - 5/12) is the final day of the DVC/AP preview. If this attraction follows past history with soft openings, it will quickly continue with general soft opening where it will be open at unannounced times until it has the "grand" opening in early June.

Narcoossees was great as usual. We had the tilefish and it was excellent. The restaurant is one of our favorites and we try to dine there on every trip. This was our 3rd time so far this year.

The next 3 days are supposed to be dryer and back into the upper 80's before a return to 90+ at the end of the coming week.

We just returned from the Davy Jones concert - excellent show, even in the 92 degree heat and humidity. Click on an image for a larger view.

 

[las3888]

I'm so envious!!! Hmmm...80/90 and humid? Sure beats Chicago weather...was 48 today, cold, dreary, rainy, very blustery. Do ENJOY!!!!

 

[RobDoc]

There are some great exhibits at the Flower/Garden at Epcot.

Here are a few from the Butterfly exhibit (just past MouseGear as you head toward WS).












In addition, the lighthouse at OKW is still keeping it's record intact. Since it began protecting the rocky shoreline, no ships have wrecked at the OKW coast.


Tonite, just before dusk, a large river otter trotted across the fairway behind our villa on it's way to the nearby pond. It's a bit blurry since I was using a handheld telephoto lens.

 

[GGOOFY1]

Thanks for the report Doc. can't wait for trip.

 

[maciec]

Doc,

Could you please take a picture of the new decor in the Villas?

Davy Jones looks like he was freaked out about something in the last picture! I bet that was a fun concert. Enjoy the rest of your stay!

 

[jimmytammy]

Great photos! Thanks for sharing. Keep on enjoyin'