NEW...DOLPHIN/SWAN..."questions and answers"...tips and hints!

[dreamflight99]

... MOM POPPINS! Sideways..or NOT, you have a lovely family (only made BETTER w/addition of B~Kirk!). Keep posting...I'd love to see more.

Now...for a few more of my PIN~COLLECTION!

*A CLOSE-UP of one of my FAVs...

Pin Bag Backpack cover....

Disneyland Special Eds...

I just can't help myself...

More misc.~

Just PLAIN & SIMPLE...FUN!

This MUST qualify me as a PIN COLLECTOR...SURELY, RIGHT?
I have too many MORE to post...but you get a taste of the collection. Began innocently, and has now reached a FEVER PITCH! LOL....it's all in FUN. There are certainly worse things we could be obsessed with...and "pins" is not one of them!

Hope you enjoy...and pick up a few for yourself on your next visit. They each represent "special times" and memories for all of us. They are Cloissanne photos representing our days in the MAGIC!

 

[dreamflight99]

There's a few more on the disc...so I'll post these now. ^_^

There's no end to the madness...LOL~

It's beginning to OVERLAP into other areas...

I bought the entire CAST MEMBERS MK set!

Anyone up for a stroll down Main Street USA?

More LTD & Passholder editions...

I have a couple more coming....too!

 

[dreamflight99]

These sets have been available EACH YEAR, since 2000...

"2000" special edition boxed theme park set...

"2001" special edition boxed theme park set...

"2002" special edition boxed theme park set...

"2003" special edition boxed theme park set...

I also have "framed" sets...and special sets...etc. TOO FUNNY. I collect a little of everything (or...er....make that a LOT of everything!). DH likes the pins...as they take up LESS room than my other collections!

 

[dreamflight99]

...still waiting to hear the specifics on where to find the DF pin (from Disbug).

DD & DH just came by with another "test drive" vehicle for DD. A Mini Cooper (BMW). I went for a drive with DD at the wheel. What an adorable little car. Very sporty...youthful...and SAFE. Now, she has narrowed it down to the VW or this car. Tomorrow, she takes the driving test!

Here's another pin I nearly left-out. ^_^

One of my FAVORITES...Amex Travel pin~

 

[Disbug]

Actually, DREAMFLIGHT, when I saw that pin... I imagined you just might want it, so I bought it with you in mind! I will PM you with the particulars later today, and you can just reimburse me!

Good day, all! Heigh-ho, heigh-ho...(I think you know to where I go!)

 

[KelliR]

Mouseteacher ... you are not intruding at all! I appreciate your advice, as well as all others. I thought about CR this past trip because the regular Poly concierge building was closed for rehab. But I am glad we did the Poly comcierge, it was great. But my next trip with my younger DD ... I think I will try the CR you recommended. I visited some friends in the wing rooms & those rooms didn't appeal to me. But I see you mentioned to stay away from those.

And DF ... I think the next "whole" family WDW trip will include a side trip to Vero Beach. Although my older DD and I are NOT beach people (We are just a little to fair to be hangin on the beach! ... we end up looking like lobsters) ... we do like the beach activities. We slather on the sunblock and do them in small doses.

Those pin collections are amazing! Just the thought of having to carry them around seems like a job to me!

TGIF Have a great weekend!

 

[#1hockeymom]

WOW! Those pins! Those are amazing! I never realized that they came in so many styles! I have thought about starting a small collection, but have always been afraid that it would become an addiction. Then again, there are much worse addictions to have, eh?

DD and boyfriend. She is 17 almost 18. We didn't let her "date" until she was 16, although dances/group dates to the movies were fine at 15. We are smack dab between two good Universities, University of Michigan-Flint and Oakland University, both being 40 minutes away in opposite directions. She is at the community college taking classes, and that is south of us. There are closer community colleges, but they are in the wrong county and we'd be paying a lot more. She is thinking about going to Oakland, where I graduated!

On topic>> DF and anyone else who has information>> Could you please compare the Dolphin CL to the Swan CL? How many days does Thabo work at the Dolphin per week? I need to get us upgraded to CL, but am considering a switch to the Dolphin. As far as restaurant closeness, pool, etc., that doesn't matter to us as I feel they are all so close it really is a negligent issue with our children's ages.

Have a great Friday! Yeah!
Debbie

 

[GoofyinNY]

Hello Everyone,

I was wonderful if the Dolphin King turret rooms have sufficient space for a roll away bed. I just love those balconies.

The pin collection is tremendous!

 

[madge]

DF and anyone else who has information>> Could you please compare the Dolphin CL to the Swan CL? How many days does Thabo work at the Dolphin per week? I need to get us upgraded to CL, but am considering a switch to the Dolphin. As far as restaurant closeness, pool, etc., that doesn't matter to us as I feel they are all so close it really is a negligent issue with our children's ages.

Debbie,

We have stayed on the CL of both properties....honestly, we were underwhelmed at the Dolphin. It was a few years ago (see the signature--I can't remember at the moment, LOL) and I believe things have changed. OTOH, Mama T IS the Swan CL....I have been raving about her for years.

I'm sure there are others that have much more up to date reviews than mine. the last time we stayed on CL was June 2001, at the Swan

good luck deciding!

 

[marymrg]

To tell Lauren and her twin sister Ms. Potatohead how much I enjoyed reading about your trip with your mom. At times it tugged on my heartstrings but in the next breath I couldn't help but LOL. Have you posted it on the trip report board? I think it might help people to realize that having the perfect room or the perfect PS is not what really matters............it's time spent with family and friends.

And speaking of Ms. P'head......I think I could give you a run for your money when it comes to stuffing the box. I will count mine someday...........but I did have to stuff the potato in as well. And, after reading about Christmas accessories........hmmmm

Loubon - I have thoroughly enjoyed the Dis Yearbook. I just about choked on GoofyinNY (no offense to the bearer of that name) It would be even funnier if she were in someone else's backyard

KelliR - you'll love Vero. There are a number of places near the pool that are shaded. We've always had luck in getting a few lounge chairs under the trees, near the mini golf course. Last Spring, we had a little enclave with the same 4 or 5 families every day. We are DVC members and that is our home resort. While we may not go to WDW every year, we certainly can see ourselves going there every year. Our first stay was in the Beach Cottage. That was awesome. Our goal is to do that again in a few years. We're hopefully taking our parents this year. I hope my Dad can make the trip as his health is not so good.

 

[kidk]

Good Luck with flights during April vacation week. NY and NJ schools are on the same schedule as Mass. public schools and it is very difficult to find flights available. Can you leave a couple of days early or stay after the weekend?

I have a couple (a hundred or so!) questions for DF
Here I go
1. Does your daughter bring a friend for any part of your summer sojourn or is it only "family time"?
60 days away from home with a teenager really intrigues me!

2. Is the exec. suite at the Dolphin the largest room available? And if it isn't why isn't the Dolphin upgrading you FREE to the largest room? And I hope you are not paying rack rate! (We Disers can be frugal!)

3. During your stay in Disney how often do you go to the parks?
Actually with the amount of time you stay you are able to enjoy all aspects of the World. It seems like we never have enough time and I usually go home exhausted!

4. How do you not gain weight during your trip? When I'm on vacation I always hit the gym daily (even at WDW!) but I also eat and drink whatever I want and I would be very afraid to weigh myself if I went on vacation for 2 months.

Hopefully I'm not the only one who works hard to keep the weight off! How do others handle this?

One more question for anyone does Starwood have a Visa or Mastercard or only an Amex?

Thanks for all the info.

 

[marymrg]

KidK - not sure if you were posting to me about Easter, but we are actually going the week before and staying until sometime the week after. (depending on flights) Ever since my son started school - he's a freshman this year, we have always vacationed at Easter time because they have 2 weeks off. This is the last year though, as they will be splitting the break in the 2004-2005 school year. I think we'll then be going in February...........which isn't such a bad thing afterall. Of course, a lot depends now on his sports schedule. I hope that he and dh won't have to fly home early, but I'll volunteer to stay longer with the younger two. Oh, the sacrifices we make for our children. I have never had trouble getting flights and usually buy them anytime from July through October. I have decided though to wait it out a bit this year as I really like flying on SWA.

As far as I know, Starwood only has the AMEX. One of the experts here will confirm that though. As far as eating too much, some of our meals are cooked at our DVC resort(when not staying at a regular resort) and some are eaten in the parks. I can't eat huge meals everyday, so sometimes a Cobb Salad (or similar) is enough. I think all of the walking and drinking extra water helps too. Sometimes I'll just have a snack for lunch if I know we're eating at a favorite restaurant that night. The saddest part is when I'm too full from dinner and can't order dessert - WAH. Next time, I think I'll order the dessert first

 

[joshua4]

marymg -- Thanks for your kind words. No, didn't post on the trip reports board. The folks on this thread have been following along with my planning of the trip and my angst over whether or not we would get to go for a long time. I just felt better sharing with this crowd who knew the background of the story and didn't really want to recount the whole "mom has terminal brain cancer" story in my post. I know it's weird but the folks on the trip reports board are more "strangers" to me than all of my "friends" on this thread.

If you count your pieces and have more than 74, don't tell my sister -- she will make me go back there to try again! By the way, she did have a potato in her box as well, she just didn't count it as part of the 74 (and boy was that potato jammed full of pieces!)

DF -- Great pin collection. My son would be so jealous. I only let him get one or two pins each trip. Little does he know that I have a huge bag of pins from when the Disney Store was selling them for .75. I give him one occasionally for random acts of kindness -- like reading his little sister books without anyone asking him to.

Lauren

 

[marymrg]

Lauren - I know what you mean. Everyone here was so helpful when I was going to the Swan last May for a quick birthday/anniv. weekend with my dh. They are the best! Prior to that trip, I stayed at the Swan several years ago with a 3 y.o. while my dh was attending a conference there. (kind of the opposite type of trip!) We never even made it to the pool (well - it was November and felt too cool for me at night) so I needed to get updated info.

PS - I'll get back to you on the Potatohead thing Also, you share my daughter's name!

 

[potatohead]

Hi All!

Thanks so much for the warm welcome!!! I guess the great potato race is on! Aside from shoving earrings and ears in-- I cannot imagine how anyone is getting more pieces in. I look forward to your response. I will gladly go back to stay the potaohead champ-- sorry Lauren-- start packing for next Sept 7th!!! Happy belated Loubon!

Allison

 

[dreamflight99]

Originally posted by kidk
Good Luck with flights during April vacation week. NY and NJ schools are on the same schedule as Mass. public schools and it is very difficult to find flights available. Can you leave a couple of days early or stay after the weekend?

I have a couple (a hundred or so!) questions for DF
Here I go
1. Does your daughter bring a friend for any part of your summer sojourn or is it only "family time"?
60 days away from home with a teenager really intrigues me!

2. Is the exec. suite at the Dolphin the largest room available? And if it isn't why isn't the Dolphin upgrading you FREE to the largest room? And I hope you are not paying rack rate! (We Disers can be frugal!)

3. During your stay in Disney how often do you go to the parks?
Actually with the amount of time you stay you are able to enjoy all aspects of the World. It seems like we never have enough time and I usually go home exhausted!

4. How do you not gain weight during your trip? When I'm on vacation I always hit the gym daily (even at WDW!) but I also eat and drink whatever I want and I would be very afraid to weigh myself if I went on vacation for 2 months.

Hopefully I'm not the only one who works hard to keep the weight off! How do others handle this?

One more question for anyone does Starwood have a Visa or Mastercard or only an Amex?

Thanks for all the info.

HERE GOES....

1. No friends on our trips...or any "part" of it. She has never asked to bring anyone, as She LOVES spending time with us (alone). She also READS, and IM's Her friends back home via the Vaio laptop. This past summer, we had her GM at the Dolphin with us for 4 days. We went around "commando" style, and exhausted ourselves! We needed a few "down" days to recover...LOL. We also spent time together with our "neighbors", whom live two doors away in our cul de sac. They stayed on the same floor, down the hall in a 2 1/2 w/bay for three weeks. SO, we DID share time with friends and family while there. Next summer, our friends will be at the Dolphin for a week, so again, we'll get to spend some time with dear friends. Yet, no one travels/stays with us.

2. The exec. suite is not the largest available at the Dolphin, yet it is what we prefer. They do not offer any FREE upgrade to this suite, only the Jr. suite (as we are PLAT SPG). I pay the AP rate for this suite, which is still costly, but a bargain as compared with other resorts exec. suites on CL. I've never asked to be upgraded free to the largest room, as there are only "three" of us! It would be too rapacious to suggest. We are quite comfortable in the Exec. suite, and love the location/view. Of course, I certainly RACK-UP the pts. with our stays. We have well over 100,000 SPG points in our account. We work hard, and save all year to be able to SPEND on vacation! As I say, "PLAY...is VERY SERIOUS WORK!"

3. We have premium annual passes to the parks. We take our time, and usually stay up each eve until 2-3 am, and sleep in until 12 noon or even later. We are on CALI time while in the magic, which is three hours behind! So...we ACTUALLY go to be at 11/12, and awake at 9/10. We usually do not leave for the parks until the afternoon. We do lots of other things during the day, and then spend the eves in the parks. It's less crowded at night, and much cooler too. We are well-rested when we go home.

4. I work out daily, whether I'm home or on vacation. I also eat LESS when on vacation. I do not (obviously...I'm asleep!) eat breakfast, and eat a very meager lunch. I usually only eat dinner, and I do not worry about what I order. I either run/walk a couple miles per day, and lift too. DH runs 5m per day, and lifts daily as well. We sometimes walk outside (around the lake) in the late eve, as the breeze is wonderful. We also DRINK LOTS and LOTS of water. This is one of the secrets to health.

5. There is only an AMEX card for SPG. It's a great card, with lots of bonus features, and a low annual fee (For an AMEX card). I use mine all the time. I also use my Skymiles card, for the FF miles.

Hope this helps you!!

marymrg~I had NO IDEA you were DVC @ VERO! We are not DVC...but still frequent VERO. We LOVE the place, Nicole and Debbie are fabulous...and the place just never changes. Kudos to you for making a wise choice. I'm thinking of buying a VERO resale. Just to cover our annual trips!

#1hockeymom~Apples and Apples! They are both the same to moi, although some prefer one or the other. Thabo "floats" when needed. MAMA T never leaves the Swan. Denise sometimes works the Dolphin too...but I missed her this past summer. I would think you would LOVE the Dolphin CL, and the change. Give it a try. ^_^

Kelli~ You will LOVE Vero, as there are so many things to do...and lots and lots of SHADE! There are even umbrellas/chairs to rent at the beach, to keep you covered while on the water. The activities are endless...it will become a favorite spot after just one visit.

I do not plan to carry these pins anywhere...LOL! I have had them on Lanyards for the past four years, and just recently decided to place them all in these albums, bags, etc. I have no intentions of showing them to "pinheads", or selling any! So...they are all staying right here in the house, safe and sound.

Lauren~What a great idea. I used to give DD a treat each Friday, as she completed all her chores/tasks for the week. She was able to reach into the Disney bag, and pick out a selection (sight unseen) from the assortment. There were beanies and pins and other gadgets in there. It's one of her favorite memories.

Speaking of collections...here's another of mine. DISNEY STEIFF! Boy...do I HAVE IT BAD...anything DISNEY, and I'm THERE!

The Complete DISNEY STEIFF collection~

The Crew at the TOP~

Complete set of POOH and CO.~

Fantasia~

Part of the Gang~

More DISNEY friends (including bears from the Annual TBADC/Teddy Bear and Doll Convention)...

They make me SMILE...and give me tons of pleasure. We all enjoy them...as does every guest visiting our home!

 

[dreamflight99]

Each trip to the WDW Dolphin...includes some kind of treasure-hunting and collecting. Whether it's pins, train/monorail pieces, Steiff, Arribas Bros., or some other item...I have a difficult time leaving it behind. These items conjure instant memories of our times shared together in the MAGIC. Here are a couple more pics, which include the Minaudiere K. Bauman bags I wrote about some time ago. I bring the MM or MM with me, as well as a couple others. They travel well, in a suede bag in my Carry-on. I consider these to be "wearable" art...and enjoy them immensely. This pic. reflects some of the ones I currently have in my collection. There are others...Kermit, Ms. Piggy, Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore, Cinderella's coach, etc. They are colorful and "whimsical"!


Another Curio...with a few more DISNEY items...

In 3-D...just too hard to resist!

The miniatures are coin purses, which fit inside the larger bag...

One more of the Steiff...I nearly forgot GOOFY!

My office is FULL DISNEY...and I'll post pics of it some other time. Our arribas collection is also extensive. The pieces are so colorful and endearing. We have a "playroom" full of Disney plush...from beanies to large figures. My "addiction" knows NO BOUNDARIES! LOL. Enjoy your FRIDAY!

TTFN...DF99

 

[kidk]

Thanks for all the great info! As you can tell a 60 day vacation is my goal!
Since we always go to Disney during vacation weeks we only stay for 7 nights. How long do other people stay at the Dolphin?(I'm trying to stay on topic but it's so easy to stray!)

 

[MOM POPPINS]

WOW DF ~ That is a wonderful collection of pins and steiff's etc. I know they must bring you joy and memories as you look at each piece. Thanks for sharing them with us

Kidk ~ We are going to the Dolphin for 9 nights and CR for 2 nights (crossing my fingers for an AP rate) in February and March.

Wave ~ to all the sorority sisters and brothers.

TGIF Have a great weekend

 

[ww52]

I haven’t posted in a while, though I’ve tried to keep up. Time has been very tight lately and I haven’t been able to jump in until now. You’re over twenty pages on this new thread and this is my first post. I did some digging and saw that this is the fourth thread on S/D tips, though the “original” was not started by dreamflight99 (and was actually shut down by a moderator for straying off-topic.) DF – give us some history on the thread. Who besides you are from the original and still contribute today?

Lauren, your trip reports were very enjoyable and touching to read. And DF, your story of your daughter’s expression of appreciation to you and your husband as parents was also heart-warming. These both hit close to me - thanks for sharing.

Welcome (belated) to Lauren’s “twin” sister, Ms. Potatohead. (Or is it Potatoehead?) I assume you’re part of the Sigma – Deltas now. Lauren – I know what you mean about not having a cool screen name – mine is just my initials and a not so random number.

I put a birthday wish for Lou on the Community Board, but let mebelatedly wish you a Happy Birthday here as well!

DF – when we buy a digital camera, you’ve sold me on the Sony. Your pictures are always very clear and professional looking.

Ozzie – I was as surprised as I imagine you were disappointed that the Cubs took 4 of 5 from the Cards. Now I hope your Cards can help put my Cubs by taking 3 of 6 from Houston. (But then, if the Cards do better than that, then they’re back in it. This is complicated – and being a Cub fan I have very little experience in such foreign matters as a pennant race!)

My daughter is putting together a video “production” of our trip this summer. Complete with titles, dubbed in music (from our own Disney CDs, not illegally downloaded), and adding still pictures, guide map pictures, etc. Actually, it’s a bit overproduced, in that she’s taking out a lot of the crowd noise audio in favor of Disney songs overlaying it. So I may ask her to do one that is just the basic tape. But she’s really enjoying it, and I’m impressed with what she can do.

On-topic: WDW has many resorts to choose from, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. But if you want to judge a resort by the overall spirit of its fans, as evidenced by the Sigma Delta Sorority, you can’t do better than the Swan/Dolphin.

Have a great weekend, from one of the “honorary brothers” to Sigma-Delta..

Bill