*OFFICIAL* July 2010 thread! It Was Hot, It Was Crowded...AND IT WAS AWESOME!!

[NewCrew42]

Just back from our week long trip that ended yesterday!! We had the best vacation ever. This was our first summer trip, and we were very nervous about the heat, rain, lines and tour groups. We NEVER waited more than 15 min for any attraction (Peter Pan because it looked like the line was short). We always used fastpasses, went to EMH a.m. parks everyday except for this past Saturday (headed to Magic Kingdom instead, and the park was EMPTY for the first 2 hours). We had no lunch or dinner ADR's, and istead just had counter service or ate at our resort. Never waited for a table, or had any lines to order food. The only rain we got was on Sunday afternoon and this past Friday afternoon. Loved the resort location, busses were a bit slow to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, and VERY slow to downtown Disney, but it would not change our minds about staying there again.

Thanks to someone mentioning the Tom Sawyer paint brushes, my DD found one on Tuesday and we each found one on Thursday (and gave one to another family). We were given fastpasses to Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain for finding it. She was so excited to find them.

Toy Story Mania was so much fun!!! I'm so glad we were able to get fastpasses for it on Wednesday and on Friday!! But they go real fast, so be sure and head there early enough to get some, otherwise you will be waiting 90 min to ride it.

Thanks to everyone on this thread for the great advice and tips, we are already talking about our next trip.

Wow! I had no idea they still did the paintbrushes at Tom Sawyer's Island. I thought that had passed or was part of year of a million dreams or something.

Hmmm.... Now I may need to plan another trip!

 

[SRUAlmn]

Wow! I had no idea they still did the paintbrushes at Tom Sawyer's Island. I thought that had passed or was part of year of a million dreams or something.

Hmmm.... Now I may need to plan another trip!

This was on our TO DO list this trip. We knew TSI opened at 10:00, so at 9:55 we were at the boat dock. I secretly asked the CM driving the boat if the paintbrushes were out and he said yes. I knew from what I had read on here that the two most popular locations were in the fort and by the whitewashed fence. So we got the island and we did the whole, which way, left or right thing. We chose to go to the fort....nothing, so we went to the fence and a family was finding it just as we got there I was so happy for them, but I was bummed that we made the wrong choice. Had I remembered how close the fence was to the boat dock we totally could have gone there first. Oh well, something to try again next time.

Oh, and the strange thing was that, like I said, TSI opens at 10 and we got on the boat to go over at 9:55, but there were already people over there Does it open sooner than 10:00 now?

 

[SRUAlmn]

Anyone know when the booking window online will open up for 2011? Since we got furloughed 2 days in January connected to MLK day I now have a full 5 days in a row that we could go!!! I'd prefer to be able to search online and compare rates.

Oh, and DH put the names of all the resorts in a hat and said whichever one I picked out was where we'd stay. I picked the GF We probably can't do that financially so soon after this past trip, so I picked again and picked the Poly My picker has great taste!!

 

[mdrob214]

Anyone know when the booking window online will open up for 2011? Since we got furloughed 2 days in January connected to MLK day I now have a full 5 days in a row that we could go!!! I'd prefer to be able to search online and compare rates.

Oh, and DH put the names of all the resorts in a hat and said whichever one I picked out was where we'd stay. I picked the GF We probably can't do that financially so soon after this past trip, so I picked again and picked the Poly My picker has great taste!!

Awesome picker!

I know you can call now and get rack rates--no packages or deals out yet. Aren't those usually available sometime in August? After the annual ticket increase.

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

Let's just say that ANYONE can join here and not everyone is here because they love Disney.

As for the TR. I was thinking about doing something like that. On the way home, to pass the time, we wrote a bunch of things like our favorite ride, favorite food, favorite snack, favorite day of the trip, favorite surprise, etc... It was fun!

It sounds like your TR brought about some meanies! Sorry!

I had grand plans for us to discuss the different resorts, slides, etc. and everyone was giving me "I don't knows" or one word answers.

 

[SRUAlmn]

It sounds like your TR brought about some meanies! Sorry!

I had grand plans for us to discuss the different resorts, slides, etc. and everyone was giving me "I don't knows" or one word answers.

Well, not exactly meanies, more like creepies! It was kinda scary and actually kept me off the boards for about a year and a half.

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Well, not exactly meanies, more like creepies! It was kinda scary and actually kept me off the boards for about a year and a half.

Yikes! That sounds scary!

 

[ocalla]

Wow! I had no idea they still did the paintbrushes at Tom Sawyer's Island. I thought that had passed or was part of year of a million dreams or something.

Hmmm.... Now I may need to plan another trip!

I actually read about the paintbrushes here on the Dis. Our first EMH day at MK, we rode and fastpassed several rides, then at 10:00 I told my DD13 about finding them. This was her birthday week, so I was SOOOO hoping that she would find one. We got on the island and split up (along with all the other people trying to find one), I was looking all over the place as was DH, and low and behold my DD comes to meet us with a HUGE grin!!! She found one. they gave us fastpasses for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. She has so much fun that on Thursdays EMH day she wanted to try again. We did the same thing and both she and I found one, so we gave one to a family that was still looking.

She talked about that the entire trip!!!

 

[Marshay]

Anyone know when the booking window online will open up for 2011? Since we got furloughed 2 days in January connected to MLK day I now have a full 5 days in a row that we could go!!! I'd prefer to be able to search online and compare rates.

Oh, and DH put the names of all the resorts in a hat and said whichever one I picked out was where we'd stay. I picked the GF We probably can't do that financially so soon after this past trip, so I picked again and picked the Poly My picker has great taste!!

I love your picks!! I stayed at Poly 3x and love, love, love it!!!

 

[Marshay]

So, we just booked a new trip today for November!! We found out that there are 3 furlough school days before Thanksgiving plus T-day and Black Friday off. So my first thought (like you SRUAlum!!!) was, let's go to WDW!!

I checked and the only availability for DVC 1BR was SSR for 3 nights...but that's perfect since this is just a quick trip to use our Annual Passes and enjoy the Christmas decorations. We will drive down and take the Autotrain back home again, but this time we got a Family Room (beds!!). I saw it was 1/2 what it normally is and booked it. When I went back 2 hours later to check again, it had already increased by over $200!

 

[trinaweena]

Maybe we can semi plan our trips out at the same time It would be awesome to have someone to share my excitement with!

Yeah def! We have nothing 'definate' yet but we are hoping. We should def keep in touch!

 

[Kurby]

I'm so upset right now i'm beside myself.

Last night I took my rings off to have a shower and put cream on (this sun is sucking every last drop of moisture out of me) and put them in a glass beside another glass we have change in. I do it at home so it's just habit.

this morning we were kind of rushed to get to HS for it's EMHam opening and I forgot to put my rings on.

By the time i realize it we had already left the park and were in Orlando picking up a few things

when we got back to the room the rings were gone. My engagement, wedding and a family ring




I called housekeeping to say my rings had gone missing and was it possible that the glass got knocked over then the rings vacuumed up by mistake


the duty manager called me back and said he would start looking into it for me.

i told him that the glass with the money in it was still there but all the other glasses (3 more) were turned upside down.

he thought what might have happened is that the housekeeper just picked up the glass without looking thinking it had been used and put it on the cart for cleaning

I'm in a panic.

he did say that all the glasses from today will be washed tomorrow and he would check the 2 or 3 places the trays are kept over night

i'm so upset right now but apparently not as upset as my poor daughter how burst into tears when she saw me start to cry and jumped on me and wouldn't let me go.

she's so sensitive

even hours later just before she went to bed she teared up and asked what about my rings.

 

[Marshay]

Oh, I'm so sorry about the rings!! Hopefully, they can find them tonight or tomorrow.

 

[SRUAlmn]

So, we just booked a new trip today for November!! We found out that there are 3 furlough school days before Thanksgiving plus T-day and Black Friday off. So my first thought (like you SRUAlum!!!) was, let's go to WDW!!

Yay for you!!! We went for Thanksgiving the year of our wedding. When you book a WDW wedding you get free APs and we wanted to get as much value out of them as we could It's a great time to go!!! Make sure you do the Candelight Processional and the Osbourne Lights!


Kurby: I am SO sorry about your rings! I always take mine off to shower and put on lotion too and I always fear when I am away and don't have my 'usual spot' to put them in that that's what will happen. Here's hoping they find them!!!

 

[mdrob214]

I'm so upset right now i'm beside myself.

Last night I took my rings off to have a shower and put cream on (this sun is sucking every last drop of moisture out of me) and put them in a glass beside another glass we have change in. I do it at home so it's just habit.

this morning we were kind of rushed to get to HS for it's EMHam opening and I forgot to put my rings on.

By the time i realize it we had already left the park and were in Orlando picking up a few things

when we got back to the room the rings were gone. My engagement, wedding and a family ring




I called housekeeping to say my rings had gone missing and was it possible that the glass got knocked over then the rings vacuumed up by mistake


the duty manager called me back and said he would start looking into it for me.

i told him that the glass with the money in it was still there but all the other glasses (3 more) were turned upside down.

he thought what might have happened is that the housekeeper just picked up the glass without looking thinking it had been used and put it on the cart for cleaning

I'm in a panic.

he did say that all the glasses from today will be washed tomorrow and he would check the 2 or 3 places the trays are kept over night

i'm so upset right now but apparently not as upset as my poor daughter how burst into tears when she saw me start to cry and jumped on me and wouldn't let me go.

she's so sensitive

even hours later just before she went to bed she teared up and asked what about my rings.

I sure hope they find them!

 

[edk35]

I'm so upset right now i'm beside myself.

Last night I took my rings off to have a shower and put cream on (this sun is sucking every last drop of moisture out of me) and put them in a glass beside another glass we have change in. I do it at home so it's just habit.

this morning we were kind of rushed to get to HS for it's EMHam opening and I forgot to put my rings on.

By the time i realize it we had already left the park and were in Orlando picking up a few things

when we got back to the room the rings were gone. My engagement, wedding and a family ring




I called housekeeping to say my rings had gone missing and was it possible that the glass got knocked over then the rings vacuumed up by mistake


the duty manager called me back and said he would start looking into it for me.

i told him that the glass with the money in it was still there but all the other glasses (3 more) were turned upside down.

he thought what might have happened is that the housekeeper just picked up the glass without looking thinking it had been used and put it on the cart for cleaning

I'm in a panic.

he did say that all the glasses from today will be washed tomorrow and he would check the 2 or 3 places the trays are kept over night

i'm so upset right now but apparently not as upset as my poor daughter how burst into tears when she saw me start to cry and jumped on me and wouldn't let me go.

she's so sensitive

even hours later just before she went to bed she teared up and asked what about my rings.

I am so sorry. I do hope that they are found and some MAJOR PIXIE DUST comes your way.

 

[trinaweena]

I'm so upset right now i'm beside myself.

Last night I took my rings off to have a shower and put cream on (this sun is sucking every last drop of moisture out of me) and put them in a glass beside another glass we have change in. I do it at home so it's just habit.

this morning we were kind of rushed to get to HS for it's EMHam opening and I forgot to put my rings on.

By the time i realize it we had already left the park and were in Orlando picking up a few things

when we got back to the room the rings were gone. My engagement, wedding and a family ring




I called housekeeping to say my rings had gone missing and was it possible that the glass got knocked over then the rings vacuumed up by mistake


the duty manager called me back and said he would start looking into it for me.

i told him that the glass with the money in it was still there but all the other glasses (3 more) were turned upside down.

he thought what might have happened is that the housekeeper just picked up the glass without looking thinking it had been used and put it on the cart for cleaning

I'm in a panic.

he did say that all the glasses from today will be washed tomorrow and he would check the 2 or 3 places the trays are kept over night

i'm so upset right now but apparently not as upset as my poor daughter how burst into tears when she saw me start to cry and jumped on me and wouldn't let me go.

she's so sensitive

even hours later just before she went to bed she teared up and asked what about my rings.

Oh my gosh! I really hope you find them! I'm sending lots of pixie dust your way!

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Oh Kurby! I'm so sorry! That totally sucks! I reeeally hope that Disney can pull through on this one and find those rings!

 

[Kurby]

got a message last night from the duty manager ...... no luck


he left a message for the head of housekeeping who apparently gets in early in the morning to do a comprehensive search before anything gets washed.

we're heading to MK for EMH this morning then breakfasat with mickey

i'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hoping for some good news when we return around 12

 

[bangzoom6877]

We arrived home last night!!! We checked out of BWV on July 23rd then headed home on our long drive.

We had a WONDERFUL trip!!!!!!!! We loved BWV and are so glad we chose this as our DVC home resort! It was our first trip home so our first time staying there. We had a 1-bedroom standard view with a view of the Epcot fireworks at night!! So beautiful and the boys enjoyed themselves!!!

I have 84 food pics to upload once I get myself a photo bucket account. We leave on Friday for a few days up in Ottawa, Canada to visit some relatives also so once we get back I should be able to get going more on my dining reviews!

We had good weather overall, and a couple of adventures in the rain of course!! On our first DHS day, DH was going to ride Rock 'n' Roller Coaster with his FP while I was going back to the resort with the boys. DS3 was asleep in the stroller and I asked DS5 if he had to use the bathroom before we left the park. He said no. We left the park, and it looked like rain so we decided to take the boat back to BWV instead of walk. As soon as the boat pulled up, it started to rain AND DS5 informed me that he needed to use the bathroom! We went back into the park and used the bathroom, by then it was raining pretty hard. We put on our ponchos and went back to the boat and waited for the next one and took it back to the resort. DH got back before we did and met us at the dock! And he walked back after riding the roller coaster!

On our first MK day (with all the rest of the family!), the weather was great early in the day and then we went back to BWV for an afternoon break. We had dinner at the castle that night, so we took the bus back to MK. As soon as we arrived at the bag check, it started pouring and it was so windy it was raining sideways! We had our ponchos on but they didn't do much good because of the wind. So my shorts look all wet in our photo with Cinderella!

On our second Epcot day, we were returning for dinner at Le Cellier and it started raining as soon as we entered the park. We put on our ponchos and ducked for cover for a little bit. It only lasted about 15 minutes and we stayed dry under the ponchos!

Overall it was a wonderful trip!!!