No Day But Today- FINAL post on page 40!
- Thread starter WDW Poly Princess
- Start date
Tink-in-Training
My DBF calls me 'Princess' like it's a bad thing!
- Joined
- May 24, 2006
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- 108
Subscribing! Great so far! 
I L-O-V-E solo trips to the World and can relate to what you were saying about craving more solo time when traveling with others.
I don't know when I'm going to be able to get back. I'm definitely in withdrawal. My last trip was in January of 2005 (and it was COLD!!!
) I'm hoping to maybe squeeze a solo trip in this year and would like to do a split stay - half at POP and half at the Contemporary or the Wilderness Lodge. My dream is to stay at the Polynesian (I visit it on all my trips and drool, er, look on longingly), but unfortunately my wallet has yet to be 'dream'-sized!
Until then...I live vicariously through your trippie!
I L-O-V-E solo trips to the World and can relate to what you were saying about craving more solo time when traveling with others.
I don't know when I'm going to be able to get back. I'm definitely in withdrawal. My last trip was in January of 2005 (and it was COLD!!!
) I'm hoping to maybe squeeze a solo trip in this year and would like to do a split stay - half at POP and half at the Contemporary or the Wilderness Lodge. My dream is to stay at the Polynesian (I visit it on all my trips and drool, er, look on longingly), but unfortunately my wallet has yet to be 'dream'-sized! Until then...I live vicariously through your trippie!
kristinanderic
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
- Messages
- 608
Wow, the weather must have cooled down after we left...our sweatshirts and jeans stayed in the suitcase the whole trip....until we got on the plane...it was 37 in St Louis when we landed....boo hoo.
Great trip report, I can't wait to read more.
iggbees
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2005
- Messages
- 2,308
And 3) My big discovery- up on the 5th or 6th floor (cant remember which!), I came across this:
Theres a little window in the hallway where you can look down into the restaurant!
How nifty is that? I never knew this little window existed! It makes me wonder how much stuff there is in the resorts that Ive never seen! (Thus the exploration!)
that was on the floor i stayed on, the 6th floor. it was actually about 4 doors down from my room!
were you there the morning of the huge crash on the roof in the courtyard?
apparently some of the scaffolding fell down and made a huge hole in the roof and i think in the ground too. they had to block a big part of the walkway and the grounds near where roaring forks is. it was weird.
WDW Poly Princess
Needs a Disney Fix
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2000
- Messages
- 4,873
Wow, I missed that! What day was it? I must have either already been at another resort, or sleeping REALLY soundly that day!
I am dying to get back to the Polynesian, too! I have to stick with just visiting for now, since even with AP discount in value season, it's about $250/nt. I really want to see the new rooms, though! I probably won't get to stay there for my October trip, but maybe the next trip?
Tink-in-Training
My DBF calls me 'Princess' like it's a bad thing!
- Joined
- May 24, 2006
- Messages
- 108
I, too, come from the hospitality background, though I've moved on (and oh, how I DO miss the discounts - staying at the Dolphin and Swan for a mere $50-$70 a night!). The few times I've been curious to see a room, especially when I was curious about refurbs or suites, I try to stop by the check-in desk at a slow time to see if there's anyone available to let me have a peek. Sometimes it works, sometimes, not so much. 
iggbees
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2005
- Messages
- 2,308
Wow, I missed that! What day was it? I must have either already been at another resort, or sleeping REALLY soundly that day!
it was friday the 12th. really weird to see all of these construction workers looking up at us when we went out to see what had happened. there were also a ton of disney people standing on the artist point balcony taking pictures of the damage. by the afternoon though, the roof was patched and bent back into shape, but the fencing was still there for a couple of days after whatever had happened, happened.
Elmo888
DIS Veteran
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- Nov 27, 2001
- Messages
- 1,955
I realize that I'm a little behind in my reading, but that's beautiful. (Disney should hire you to write their ads.)
I am with you on the Rick Steves travel philosophy.
And I am enjoying reading your travel thoughts!
blue_river
<font color=coral>I do believe in fairies!<br><fon
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
- Messages
- 8,233
Who would have thunk it????
Around 5 I finally decided to go to MK, and headed down to the bus stop. While I was waiting for the bus, I thought I’d kill some time by walking up towards the front of the Lodge for a picture or two. Now, after over an hour purposely spent taking WL photos, I stumbled upon what became my favorite photos!
Very nice shots indeedy!
Finally caught up with your TR and looking forward to more
AussieAngel
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2006
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- 1,318
Yayyyy! I just read all of your trip report so far!! 
You seem like lots of fun! (And so does your trip!)
Do you have any photos of the Wilderness Lodge pool? It all looks so pretty!
Whatever happened to the Rent titles? It started with "To days of inspiration..." I was waiting for the next one to be, "Playing hookie, making something out of nothing..." followed by, "The need to express, to communicate..." Perfect!!
PS. I have a little Anthony Rapp crush too!!
You seem like lots of fun! (And so does your trip!)
Do you have any photos of the Wilderness Lodge pool? It all looks so pretty!
Whatever happened to the Rent titles? It started with "To days of inspiration..." I was waiting for the next one to be, "Playing hookie, making something out of nothing..." followed by, "The need to express, to communicate..." Perfect!!
PS. I have a little Anthony Rapp crush too!!
WDW Poly Princess
Needs a Disney Fix
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2000
- Messages
- 4,873
Do you have any photos of the Wilderness Lodge pool? It all looks so pretty!
Whatever happened to the Rent titles? It started with "To days of inspiration..." I was waiting for the next one to be, "Playing hookie, making something out of nothing..." followed by, "The need to express, to communicate..." Perfect!!
PS. I have a little Anthony Rapp crush too!!
I think I do have pool photos! I'll be sure to post some.
I did kind of drop the ball with the Rent titles, huh? That's what happens when I try to write with no coffee!
Let's see what I can work into Day 2! (And for what it's worth, I meant to title the picture of me outside my house with my luggage "I'm looking for baggage that goes with mine". Dude, I can't believe I missed it! I even walked around outside a LOT on the 13th. I must have been waaaaaaay off in my own little world!
Sorry I'm slow! The beginning of Day 2 should be up later today! I am getting impatient with myself- I've got some good stories to tell, and I want to get around to those parts!!!
Belle Amy
There's no place I can be, since I found Serenity.
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2005
- Messages
- 399
I don't know if you've mentioned it but I will ask anyway...what kind of camera do you have? The color is so vivid in your pics....love them!!
Loved this installment, I've never seen the window overlooking Artists Point...and here I thought I had combed every hallway...Disney always surprises me...
Keep the trip report coming!!
Loved this installment, I've never seen the window overlooking Artists Point...and here I thought I had combed every hallway...Disney always surprises me...
Keep the trip report coming!!
WDW Poly Princess
Needs a Disney Fix
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2000
- Messages
- 4,873
Part 5 - Day 2- Making Something out of Nothing (aka WL Tour Day!)
Well, dear trip report readers, Im sitting here drowning my sorrows in a pint of ice cream. Im not sure if I mentioned it, but although Im back from FL, my cell phone isnt I left it in the airport! I got really excited earlier because I had a message from the airport lost and found, but it turned out they didnt have it. Bummer! The real bummer is that since I wasnt due for a new free phone, I had to pay- $175! Yuck! Theres a 30 day return policy, so I am REALLY determined to get my phone back!
But anyway! On with the trip reportings!
The view from my room first thing in the morning. You cant see much, but you get the idea.
So, how many times have you heard on the resort board that the Wilderness Lodge offers a tour of the lobby? A million? Me, too. And how many times have you actually done the tour? None? Me too! Well, actually, now I have!
The only bad thing I have to say about this tour is that the timing is a little bad. The tour takes place at 9am, which is really prime theme park time. I think that if they gave options to go in the afternoon or evening, it might be much more popular! As you probably know, I am anything but a theme park commando, but even I was a little hesitant about missing opening at Animal Kingdom to stick around, but Im glad I did!
The tour meets up in the lobby, near the front desk, by one of the large poles. There were about 8 people in our group, and Stan, aka Stan the Man, was our tour guide. Hes been with the company for 17 years, and at WL since it opened.
Not a very good picture, but its the only one I took!
The WL is now almost 13 years old- its bday is in May. Its hard to believe that it hasnt always been there, isnt it? It certainly feels a lot older than 13! (Not in that it looks old or worn, it just has that presence of having seen a lot!)
One thing that I was really surprised to learn is that most of the lodge really is real wood! (unlike certain non-rock rocks, which will remain nameless!) The towering poles at each corner are lodge pole pine, and actually are the exact same wood used at the Old Faithful Inn. They used wood from Oregon, and only used trees that were already dead- very nice! The exception to the live tree rule are the ones used for the giant cedar totem poles. If you look closely, you can see that the bottom of the pole is bigger than the top- the two bottoms are one huge tree split in half, and the tops also come from the same tree. The bottom one is guessed to be over 1100 years old!
It took less than 2 years to build the Lodge, and it was built on 60 acres of Fort Wilderness land. Im sure that anyone who has ever seen a house built would be impressed that the whole lodge only took 2 years! (And even more so if youve walked all around inside and know how huge it is! I always considered it a small resort until I tried walking all of the hallways! Its mammoth!) The main reason that the construction went so quickly is that they cut all the wood into the right pieces before shipping it to FL, so when it got there, they just had to fit it together like Lincoln logs!
Youve probably noticed that there are 4 sets of poles in the lobby (like the ones below)
Theyre all real wood (the lodge pole pine mentioned above), except for the tall center one, which is cement, because it provides support for the building.
One interesting thing we discussed is how a Native American creation legend is portrayed on the lobby floor. The creation story says that when God/the Great Spirit wanted to create the world, He started out by making four pillars on the corners of the Earth (the four sets of poles above.) From those four pillars came lightning bolts of energy, which created everything else. If you look at the floor design, you can see the bolts coming out from each set of poles, to meet in the middle:
There are a lot more details to the story that explain the rest of the design, but I dont remember half of them, and hey, if I told you everything, you wouldnt want to take the tour yourself!
I was a little bummed to learn that all of the Native American artifacts in the WL are replicas. It makes sense, of course, but I had always assumed that the ones under glass (like the headdresses) were real! Theyre still neat to look at, though.
I did finally learn the answer to something Ive always wondered about! Have you ever noticed these stairs?
I always assumed they were part of one of the suites- no idea why. It turns out that theyre the stairs that the flag family uses to go up on the roof! (I really wish a stop on the roof to check out the view was included in the tour!!!)
The tour is about 45 minutes long, and most of that (probably at least half an hour) takes place in the lobby. We did go up to the 4th floor (I think!) near the end, though. Stan pointed out the balcony where most WL weddings take place, and also told us a few things about the Iron Spike room over at VWL, suggesting that everyone check it out.
If youre a fan of the WL, I highly suggest the tour! Its a chance to learn a little more about the resort, ask any questions youve had, and if youre like me, walk away with an even greater appreciation of the Lodge! (For instance, we learned that during the hurricanes, despite almost every tree outside coming down, the lodge never even creaked!) Plus, its free- cant beat that!
Im going to pause our tale here- Greys Anatomy is on soon, and I still need some input from Katie before I can write the latter part of Day 2 (feel free to nag her.)
Soon, youll hear the full story behind that parking lot picture I posted while I was gone, all about our big adventure on Buzz, and be forced to look at a whole lotta pictures of gorillas.
And you know, Im sitting here at home, missing the WL a lot as I type this up. Maybe we each have more than one home in this world- especially if home really is where you hang your hat.
Well, dear trip report readers, Im sitting here drowning my sorrows in a pint of ice cream. Im not sure if I mentioned it, but although Im back from FL, my cell phone isnt I left it in the airport! I got really excited earlier because I had a message from the airport lost and found, but it turned out they didnt have it. Bummer! The real bummer is that since I wasnt due for a new free phone, I had to pay- $175! Yuck! Theres a 30 day return policy, so I am REALLY determined to get my phone back!
But anyway! On with the trip reportings!
The view from my room first thing in the morning. You cant see much, but you get the idea.
So, how many times have you heard on the resort board that the Wilderness Lodge offers a tour of the lobby? A million? Me, too. And how many times have you actually done the tour? None? Me too! Well, actually, now I have!
The only bad thing I have to say about this tour is that the timing is a little bad. The tour takes place at 9am, which is really prime theme park time. I think that if they gave options to go in the afternoon or evening, it might be much more popular! As you probably know, I am anything but a theme park commando, but even I was a little hesitant about missing opening at Animal Kingdom to stick around, but Im glad I did!
The tour meets up in the lobby, near the front desk, by one of the large poles. There were about 8 people in our group, and Stan, aka Stan the Man, was our tour guide. Hes been with the company for 17 years, and at WL since it opened.
Not a very good picture, but its the only one I took!
The WL is now almost 13 years old- its bday is in May. Its hard to believe that it hasnt always been there, isnt it? It certainly feels a lot older than 13! (Not in that it looks old or worn, it just has that presence of having seen a lot!)
One thing that I was really surprised to learn is that most of the lodge really is real wood! (unlike certain non-rock rocks, which will remain nameless!) The towering poles at each corner are lodge pole pine, and actually are the exact same wood used at the Old Faithful Inn. They used wood from Oregon, and only used trees that were already dead- very nice! The exception to the live tree rule are the ones used for the giant cedar totem poles. If you look closely, you can see that the bottom of the pole is bigger than the top- the two bottoms are one huge tree split in half, and the tops also come from the same tree. The bottom one is guessed to be over 1100 years old!
It took less than 2 years to build the Lodge, and it was built on 60 acres of Fort Wilderness land. Im sure that anyone who has ever seen a house built would be impressed that the whole lodge only took 2 years! (And even more so if youve walked all around inside and know how huge it is! I always considered it a small resort until I tried walking all of the hallways! Its mammoth!) The main reason that the construction went so quickly is that they cut all the wood into the right pieces before shipping it to FL, so when it got there, they just had to fit it together like Lincoln logs!
Youve probably noticed that there are 4 sets of poles in the lobby (like the ones below)
Theyre all real wood (the lodge pole pine mentioned above), except for the tall center one, which is cement, because it provides support for the building.
One interesting thing we discussed is how a Native American creation legend is portrayed on the lobby floor. The creation story says that when God/the Great Spirit wanted to create the world, He started out by making four pillars on the corners of the Earth (the four sets of poles above.) From those four pillars came lightning bolts of energy, which created everything else. If you look at the floor design, you can see the bolts coming out from each set of poles, to meet in the middle:
There are a lot more details to the story that explain the rest of the design, but I dont remember half of them, and hey, if I told you everything, you wouldnt want to take the tour yourself!
I was a little bummed to learn that all of the Native American artifacts in the WL are replicas. It makes sense, of course, but I had always assumed that the ones under glass (like the headdresses) were real! Theyre still neat to look at, though.
I did finally learn the answer to something Ive always wondered about! Have you ever noticed these stairs?
I always assumed they were part of one of the suites- no idea why. It turns out that theyre the stairs that the flag family uses to go up on the roof! (I really wish a stop on the roof to check out the view was included in the tour!!!)
The tour is about 45 minutes long, and most of that (probably at least half an hour) takes place in the lobby. We did go up to the 4th floor (I think!) near the end, though. Stan pointed out the balcony where most WL weddings take place, and also told us a few things about the Iron Spike room over at VWL, suggesting that everyone check it out.
If youre a fan of the WL, I highly suggest the tour! Its a chance to learn a little more about the resort, ask any questions youve had, and if youre like me, walk away with an even greater appreciation of the Lodge! (For instance, we learned that during the hurricanes, despite almost every tree outside coming down, the lodge never even creaked!) Plus, its free- cant beat that!
Im going to pause our tale here- Greys Anatomy is on soon, and I still need some input from Katie before I can write the latter part of Day 2 (feel free to nag her.)
Soon, youll hear the full story behind that parking lot picture I posted while I was gone, all about our big adventure on Buzz, and be forced to look at a whole lotta pictures of gorillas.
And you know, Im sitting here at home, missing the WL a lot as I type this up. Maybe we each have more than one home in this world- especially if home really is where you hang your hat.
__disneygirl
well, all that's left now is the happy ending.
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2005
- Messages
- 3,528
Wow... that was a great installment. I love you for always focusing a lot on the resorts in your trip reports! I'm a huge fan of the resorts and visiting all of them and such, and not a lot of people write about them in their reports. So thanks!
resol37
<font color=royalblue>Tower of Terror, here I come
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2005
- Messages
- 972
Ah hah! Someone caught the title! Well done!
I do love me some Rent!I have a big ol' girly crush on Anthony Rapp- I just finished reading his book, which was amazing! I have grand plans to edit my vacation videos together to music when I get back, and you can bet there will be some Rent in there!
Okay, I've been reading this and just got to page 3, so I'll have to post again when I get to the end, but I had to say it. I've met Anthony Rapp! When I was a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he came to promote his band. I couldn't afford a ticket to see his band's performance, but he did a free Q&A with autograph session. Got to meet him, very nice and very cute, and had him autograph my copy of Dazed and Confused. At the time, I had seen Rent, but only the touring company when it came through Charlotte so I had no idea that he was even associated with Rent (I've been to NYC twice, but never seen anything on Broadway - I'm deprived). I just knew him from his movies. This was after he had filmed A Beautiful Mind, but before it had been released, so he talked a lot about that. Good times...wish I had gotten a picture, though.
I'm a huge Rent fan now and it's what caught my attention to read this pre-TR. Good stuff so far, looking forward to reading the rest!
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