Live from SSR: Oct 21-24

[nzdisneymom]

Hi all! We're doing a "live from" trip report from here on the 4th floor of the Springs at Saratoga Springs resort. We are here til Sunday morning and plan to cram in as much WDW fun as we possibly can!

By way of introduction, I'm Cindy D., DH is Gary, boys are Nathan (14) and Zachary (13) - the N and Z that make me a DisneyMom They have a day off school on Friday so we thought we could use a longer-than-usual weekend jaunt to fill up on Mickey-love. This will (likely) be our last trip of the year.

By way of background, we're DVCers since March 2006, owning here at SSR and also at GCV. We usually get a 1BR - which is what we have this time - but the last few times, we've had others with us so we've stayed at the TreeHouse Villas - which we love.

When we walked in to our unit tonight, we all commented on how small it seems - but don't let me get ahead of myself!!

We did the online check-in earlier this week, so when we arrived at 8:26 PM, exactly 4 hours from the time we left home, our room was ready and waiting for us. We did not make any special requests, but were pleased that our room assignment is in the Springs - we've not stayed here before and we think we'll enjoy the proximity to Community Hall and the bus stop.

We brought our laundry with us (Wednesdays are just too crazy and we usually do laundry on Thursdays anyway) and a few groceries to get us through the weekend. The one thing we wish SSR had was the luggage carts that would allow us to load everything on and roll it up, making one trip rather than having to lug everything up in multiple trips from the car. Thank goodness for rolling suitcases, but we still had non-rolling bags and such that needed to come in. Our boys won't sleep together so we also had to bring an air mattress for one of them to sleep on the floor. We sure do like the sleeper-chair like they have at the TreeHouse and at Bay Lake Tower that allow for an extra person to sleep. I wish they had that here at SSR but I don't really see where there would be a good place for it in the living room.

So we got everything in, started a load of laundry, and headed to Community Hall as the boys wanted to get a movie for tonight. It's due back at 10 p.m. tomorrow which is better than the 10 a.m. we've had to return movies at other resorts. We plan to "sleep in" in the morning as the daily 6 a.m. wake-up call isn't necessary on the weekend

Our tentative plan for the weekend (always subject to change) is as follows:

Friday
Magic Kingdom in the morning, 11:30 at Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch
Rest
Animal Kingdom (open til 8 p.m. for resort guests)
Downtown Disney for a Wetzel's Pretzel (which if we weren't staying here at SSR where it is so easy to get to DTD, we'd probably not even have this on our agenda).

Saturday
Hollywood Studios for early entry 8 a.m. so we can get FPs and also ride Toy Story Mania. Boys want to do Tower of Terror which they haven't done in a bazillion years, and maybe even try Rock N Roller Coaster (well, Z might).
Lunch at Beaches and Cream over at the Beach Club
Walk through Epcot
Rest
Magic Kingdom (open til midnight regularly and til 3 a.m. for resort guests). We don't plan to stay that late but do want to catch the 9 p.m. Electrical parade.

Sunday
Breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe
Return home

The room is in good shape, clean, completely stocked. But it sure does feel small after being at the Treehouse. I'm glad we opted for a 2BR when we come back from Spring Break 2011. Coming in here and feeling "smallish" was like when we get into our cabin for the first time on the Magic after being in a hotel room - it's small comparatively. But I think there is enough pixie dust that is spread around that takes care of that feeling of small spaces and makes it adequate!

So that's it for tonight! Thanks for joining us.

 

[dvc at last !]

Sounds like a great plan ! Enjoy and keep us posted. Hope you have great weather. Let us know how the crowd level is, too !

 

[nzdisneymom]

Goooooooood Morning DISers! Time to rise and shine! It's a beautiful day here at WDW. We slept in til about 8 a.m. Well, the boys are still sleeping, but whatcha gonna do when they're teenagers on their first day off school in a while?! DH has gone to run and I'm working on another load of laundry. When he gets back, I'll pop a can of cinnamon rolls in the oven - that'll get those boys up

Here's another thing we like about SSR vs. Treehouse - the ice machine! At the Treehouse, you have to wait for the freezer to make the ice - so you might get a wee bit to start with but it seems like you have to ration out those first few cubes. Here at SSR, just pop down to the first floor around the corner from room 27 and voila! All the ice you can use!

 

[Disney_Mama]

Love live trip reports Can't wait to hear about your day. Have fun.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Thank you!

 

[SusieBea]

More, please!

 

[nzdisneymom]

It's rest time, so I thought I'd post our morning report.

We got everyone up, had a quick bite of breakfast, and then headed over to the Magic Kingdom. Our location in the Springs is perfect - we're on the end nearest the main pool and literally just steps away from the bus stop. We take the stairs down and we're right there! And we had excellent bus karma this morning as the MK bus was there within 3 minutes.

When we arrived, the ferry, monorail, resort launch, and several buses had just dumped a load of guests into the plaza area, so it looked like a swarm of people. However, once we got into the park and cleared through Main Street, we found that even arriving at the MK at 9:50, we were still able to ride the Speedway with only a 5-minute wait. Buzz Lightyear was 10 minutes (and we had a FP that we picked up on the way to the Speedway). We did Buzz back-to-back. If you're on the right side of the ride, you're more likely to be able to hit the 100,000 point claw than if you're on the left (coming out of the first room).

We went on the People Mover next - always a good ride for us, and lately we've been listening to some old podcasts about WDW and one was dedicated to the WEDWAY People Mover / TTA so we wanted to ride with an eye toward detail.

When we exited from the People Mover, we came across Stitch and PUSH interacting - it was very fun to watch them!

Next stop, Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress! I am so glad they didn't do away with the CoP like there was thought of several years ago. We always enjoy it and love checking out the detail - someone sees something new to them every time! We had also recently heard a podcast about the 1964 World's Fair so that made this visit with the CoP families a bit more poignant.

Time for lunch. Turns out that I couldn't find my ADR that I made for LIberty Tree a few weeks ago and I couldn't remember which day / what time I had made it for, so I had made a new one for today at 11:30. When we checked in (it was about 11:45 as we were later getting there), I saw my name twice so I had her take one out, so maybe that freed up a spot for someone else.

We love the Liberty Tree Tavern and try to go if not every time, then nearly every time we're here. I had the Colony Salad today and it was really good. DH had his usual PIlgrim's Feast, Z had the mac and cheese, and N had a fruit cup and rolls. We shared the chicken from my salad and the turkey from DH's dinner with the boys as well. We have Tables in Wonderland so we saved $8.

Our after lunch ride was the Haunted Mansion -something new we saw was a hand pointing the way out reflecting on the back of the DoomBuggies.

We had to wait 8 minutes for the bus back to SSR from the MK, and then it was about a 30-minute ride to get back to the Springs.

In our Welcome Home packet, there was a flyer for a free gift from the DVC Info Center in the lobby, so DH and I went by while the boys headed back to the room. The free gift is a print that is a replica of the ones that will be hanging in the rooms in Aulani.

So rest rest rest and then we're heading back out to Animal Kingdom.

Crowd level was medium when we left MK and building - temperature in the 80s. Sunny and a bit hazy.

 

[nzdisneymom]

We headed to Animal Kingdom just after 3 pm. Less than 5 minute wait for the bus and we were there in 15 minutes. Which meant our route to Africa was blocked because the parade was coming but since I wanted to see it anyway, we found a spot up by Pizzafari so the boys and I could watch and there was a place right inside for DH to sit and wait more comfortably. I really liked this parade - we had seen the holiday version of it several years ago, but not the regular one. Love Minnie in her safari outfit!

We threaded our way past the exiting guests up to the safari ride. The wait time said 45 minutes but it was actually 25 and we were on by 4:40 which meant we would (and did) see lots of animals up close. We don't often get to Animal Kingdom so I was glad we did today. Our guide was enthusiastic even after a long day!

We got back from our two-week safari in record time - it was just after 5 pm (LOL) so we headed over to Expedition Everest. I didn't know if the boys would want to ride it or not, but I did. This is my favorite roller-coaster in Florida's Disney theme parks (I like California Screaming best overall). The boys both wanted to do it, so we all four got our KTTW cards out and hopped in line - and about 5 minutes later, we were loading. And then we did it all over again

I liked that for Extra Magic Hours that we didn't need a wrist band - just the KTTW card. We walked down to Dinoland and the boys rode Primeval Whirl and then we called it a day. About a 5 minute wait for the bus back to SSR and another 15 minutes back to the resort (and 8 minutes to get through the resort which must be a record - no one was boarding and everyone besides us exited at Congress Park).

Sandwiches and fresh fruit for dinner, and the boys got another movie from Community Hall that they are watching now. I think we'll head over to do a little shopping and get pretzels in a bit unless we decide we're too settled. The boys still have school work time to put in.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Jealous!

 

[nzdisneymom]

So after dinner, DH and I headed over to DTD via the bus. We had a 7-minute wait for it, but it was nice to just sit and relax a bit. It was just before 8 p.m. and we saw quite a few Animal Kingdom buses returning. The boys stayed behind to finish their movies, get their showers, and do some school work.

We've been here a couple of times in the last several weeks and each time, DTD has been packed with people so we've mostly just gotten our pretzels and left. The crowd was pretty thick again Friday night, but as a party of two, it was easier to manuever through the stores. We got off the bus at the Marketplace and stopped in my favorite two stores - the Christmas one and Mickey's Pantry. I've decided when my boys have gone off to college, I'll give them all of our regular plates and bowls and I'll replace them with Mickey ones We popped in at Ghiradelli's for a pumpkin-spice caramel filled chocolate (mmmmm) and then to Basin to do a hand wash. I had learned about Basin a couple of weeks ago on a girlfriends' trip where we pooled our money to be able to stay at the Grand Floridian - they have a Basin shop there, too, so the girls taught me about it. So I took DH in and had him do a salt scrub on his hands followed by some Florida Sunshine lotion. He was a good sport about it.

Next stop - the World of Disney - we just wandered through but it was so packed, you couldn't even look at anything. My advice is to go early in the week and early in the day if you want to do any actual shopping. They had many of the same things we saw at Mickey's Pantry and I think that you can get discounts at WoD while the other more "specialty" shops don't necessarily offer them - that used to be the case anyway, so it might be worth checking that out if you're doing any shopping. It also reminded us that we want to make a stop at the Character Premier store at the Outlet Shops on our way home.

We went through the Lego store just to see what's happening and were able to see models of a couple of things one of our boys has marked in the Lego catalog as a suitable gift from Santa It was cool to see things set up. Oh, I also saw in the newspaper yesterday that Legoland tickets are now on sale - they are scheduled to open next fall.

We saw where the McDonalds has been removed and Pollo Campero is coming in (opening this fall). We wondered if the closing of McD's is why the lines at both Ghiradelli (which is always busy but seemed busier on the ice cream side than previously) and the snack stands were longer.

We strolled through Pleasure Island which was getting busy but not too packed yet, and got our Wetzel's Pretzels for DH and the boys. I opted for popcorn as I love it but one boy has braces so he can't really eat it so I don't get it when he's around. We then took the boat back over to SSR which is a nice way to return to the resort.

The boys had done what they needed to do, so we were able to just hang out in the room til bedtime. Which had to be earlier than we might've had since they want to get to DHS for early entry this morning... which means I need to finish this post and get them up. Someone has "thrown down" a challenge about Toy Story Mania so we need to make sure we're there in time for a shorter wait line and reasonable return time on our FPs.

Thanks for following along! See ya real soon!!

 

[Candy Orlando]

Wow! Your so lucky, you go to Disney a lot.
I live in New England so we fly down. There's five of us so air fare is high. We go three times a year now but if we lived closer we would go more often.
Thanks for the live trip report. It's fun to read each day.

 

[Sandisw]

Great report! Your posts reminds me of why I love being a DVC member. You can hit the parks, do things that you want and not feel rushed to see it all.

It sounds like great fun! We have about 9 1/2 months until we return and your report makes me wish I was going in February when I visit my parents in Bradenton...maybe I can convince them to do just a day!!!

 

[dizney4us]

Enjoying your trip report. We just gt back from a week at BWV. We stopped in at SSR for a wonderful lunch at the Turf Club, and decided our next trip we would stay at SSR. We love both SSR & BWV and always miss the one we are not staying at! Have a great stay!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Back for our afternoon rest. Gosh, I love DVC and the ability to not only be "on property" but having the space in the room that afternoon rest time is actually restful rather than all of us on top of each other!

We made it to DHS about 10 minutes til 8 - the bus was right there when we came out of the stairwell at the Springs so we didn't even have to wait this morning. Once at DHS, the park "opened" within a few minutes of us having entered and we, like a thousand other people, headed straight for the Toy Story Mania FP line. I got in the FP line while DH and the boys got in line to ride the ride. The line was queued all the way back to the Back Lot tour, and I had about a 15 minute wait just to get FPs. By the time I got them, the guys were almost up to where there were ropes and chains to corral the queue so I was able to easily hop in line. Our FP return time was 10:05 and the standby time was 50 minutes. It was 30 minutes from when I got in line with them. We hadn't been on TSM since they made some modifications to incorporate Toy Story 3 into it, so it was fun. We like Dino Darts better than the Bo Peep segment they had before.

We finished at TSM just before 9 a.m. and the return time for FPs was already 2:50, so those "regular folk" just arriving were going to have to either stand in the 80 minute line or stay all day for the ride. Seems like they could figure something else out to handle the crowd for this ride.

Next stop, Tower of Terror. The boys haven't done this in several years so both were eager to try it again. DH said "no, thanks" and waited for us. It was a 20 minute line that was really more like 15. We were in the front row of the elevator. One boy said "never again" while the other said "ok, but not again now." I loved it. Rock n Roller Coaster was down this morning so we didn't get to do it.

A friend had asked if I would look for a Kermit the Frog antenna topper for her son - he had one before and wanted a replacement, so DH and I looked around for one while the boys went to see Muppet Vision 3D. No luck for us.

Then our FP round of Toy Story Mania and we were done at DHS. Friendship boat was just coming in so our transportation karma was still in good force. We rode over the the Beach Club where we were able to be seated immediately at a booth at the Beaches and Cream. We love that place. Burgers, grilled cheese, fries, milkshakes, soda... mmmmmmm. Loaded up the jukebox with lots of song requests.

After lunch, we took a leisurely stroll to Epcot where we stopped at Canada to get an item they have for Food and Wine Festival (the chocolate bar). EPCOT was packed with people today, and the line at Canada was wrapped. The boys wanted to do at least one attraction while there, so they headed off to Spaceship Earth while DH and I stopped for a couple of photo ops and some "window" shopping.

By the time the boys were done, it was about 1:15 and we were ready for naps, so we headed out. The bus wait was less than 10 minutes and we had an easy ride back to SSR.

Now DH is zzz'ing, the boys are watching tv, and I'm updating here on DIS. Our plans are to go to MK later this evening.

 

[nzdisneymom]

The Magic Kingdom was scheduled to stay open til 3 a.m. for resort guests, so we enjoyed a restful afternoon at SSR. One of the things we love the most about being DVCers is that we don't feel the urgency to spend the whole day out in the parks... we are content to stay at the resort and relax and enjoy it, too. My dad used to say if he was going to spend $XX for a room, then by golly, he was going to actually spend some time in it.

So naps, snacks, hanging out and then out to the MK around 5 p.m. There were a lot of folks leaving as it was the dinner hour but a pretty steady stream of people entering as well. DH and Z stopped at Casey's for their traditional hot dog meal while N and I went to see about FPs for Peter Pan - nope, not til 11 p.m. which was too late for us, but we did see that Small World had opened up. We went back through Fronteirland and by the Dole Whip stand and called DH/Z to tell them to just meet us by the Treehouse. N did the treehouse while I stood in the Dole Whip line (we had already gotten him an ice cream bar). The line wasn't too long but it seemed like it took a while to get the folks served ahead of me. Anyway, I was ordering when DH/Z came up behind me and DH wanted one, too, so that was good timing.

While DH and I enjoyed our Dole Whip floats, the boys were going to ride Aladdin but it was 20 minutes so they did the Tiki room instead. Then we were all off to the Country Bear Jamboree which we haven't seen in ages and really enjoyed. Fronteirland for FPs for Big Thunder (8:35) and Splash Mountain (8:25) to use after the parade. Down to the Jungle Cruise which we absolutely love at night - the wait was 20 minutes (we had skipped Pirates because it was 25 minutes and decided if we were waiting 25 minutes for something, we'd rather it be the Jungle Cruise). Then we got churros for the boys, found a spot for the parade and waited. DH went back to the resort We were placed around 8:30 near the Country Bear Jamboree. The parade got to us about 9:15 and then was 20+ minutes. The boys didn't remember having seen this parade before, although we might've at Disneyland two summers ago - we just couldn't remember. They kept thinking about SpectroMagic, so now they know for sure they've seen the Electrical Parade.

After the parade, Splash was a 5 minute wait so they went on it twice. I had a nice conversation with one of the cast members and was able to watch the fireworks from Wishes from there as well. Great view of the big ones and since I knew the "story" and could hear some of the music, it was nice.

The CM did tell me that the reason Rock N Roller Coaster was down is that there were some issues with some of the harnesses, so it's been down since Thursday. The manufacturer is coming to deal with it.

Big Thunder had apparently been down some during the day and that was made evident by the masses of people returning in the FP line after the parade - and the stand-by people who entered with a 20 minute wait that ended up being over an hour. The boys, however, were pretty lucky and their FP experience took about 20 minutes in all. They were both pretty wet from Splash, so we headed back to the resort - of course it was already after 11 p.m. and we're checking out today, so I didn't want to stay out super late.

Back to the resort, showers, last load of laundry in, zzzzzz...

This morning we're packing up and meeting friends for breakfast at the Whispering Canyon Cafe... mmmmm.... love that skillet breakfast!

Thanks for joining us.

 

[Candy Orlando]

Thank you for sharing!

 

[disney1474]

Great trip report!!