BethC1952
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2001
- Messages
- 3,949
As promised in a previous thread, here are somewhat more detailed reviews of the various resorts we stayed at during our early December trip. Reviews and comments on resorts we visited (but did not stay at) will be posted within a couple of days.
Enjoy!
Beth
Characters: Jim Age 52, veteran Disney visitor; Beth Age classified, but older than 49, trip planner and arranger, Disney veteran visitor; Grandpa Age 76, never been anywhere, his only experience with WDW is what hes seen on TV and video.
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The Plan: Bus to Orlando
One night at All Star Music
Four nights at Port Orleans Riverside
Four night Wonder Cruise
Two nights at Port Orleans Riverside
We didnt tell Grandpa that we would be returning to WDW after the cruise, or that we had reservations for the Luau for the night we returned.
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About one month before we left, my travel agent called to tell us the Disney Cruise Line had offered us an upgrade to the Dolphin Hotel. After some consideration (Port Orleans Riverside is our favorite resort), we decided to accept the offer.
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Im not going to bore you with all the tiny details. This report will be an overview of what was truly a wonderful trip---in spite of truly awful weather!
RESORTS:
All Star Music: We were pleasantly surprised. While the actual size of the room is somewhat smaller than the moderates, the useable space seemed to be fairly close. The lost space is in the bathroom areaonly one sink, and not nearly as much room to move around there, or to hang your clothes, and some near the entrance to the room. I had asked for a room in the Jazz Inn, and got a third floor corner room overlooking the fountain in the courtyard. It was a very nice location, quiet, and still close enough to the main building. The pools looked very nice, but it was much too chilly to swim! You can see our pictures from the All Star Music here.
Port Orleans Riverside, Oak Manor : This is our favorite resort. We arrived just after 11 AM, and our room was ready! We were in Oak Manor, room 9064, which once again faced a courtyard with a fountain. Grandpa said that this building made him think he was staying at the White House! One of the quiet pools was right behind us, but, once again, it was just too chilly to swim. You can see pictures here.
Dolphin:
Dolphin: As mentioned at the beginning of this message, we received an upgrade through Disney Cruise Line to the Dolphin. We decided to accept it to see what its like to stay at a Deluxe resort. The Dolphin is a very nice hotel. We arrived just after 11 AM, and checked in for the cruise, and then into the hotel itself. The staff was very pleasant and helpful, and, once again our room was ready! We would be in on the 11th floor in the West Tower in room 163. The décor in the Dolphin is definitely interesting. Our room was very spacious and comfortable. We faced the Swan, and to the right we could see Disney MGM studios and to the left we could see part of Epcots World Showcase. Our upgrade included everything, even a refrigerator in our room! We had unlimited access to the Health Spa, which charges an additional fee, although we never used it. We didnt get to use any of the pools or hot tubs either. By the time we checked in, the deluge had begun, and continued through much of our stay. When it wasnt raining, it was just to chilly for swimming. The location of the Dolphin is wonderful, especially if youre Epcot lovers like us. We took the boat and entered through the International Gateway. We also took the boat to Disney-MGM Studios, which was great.
Now that Ive said all that, I will also say that I wasnt particularly impressed with the hotel (other than the location). Maybe Im just not a deluxe kind of girl, but if I dont think Id stay there for the full price (or for anything more than I paid for it). Yes, there are some nice restaurants, but we dont go for fancy, expensive meals when were on vacation. Theres nothing wrong the Dolphin, I just didnt think there was anything special about it, either. You can see our pictures of the Dolphin here.
Port Orleans Riverside, Alligator Bayou: Our absolute favorite resort. We love the landscaping, we love the atmosphere, we even love the food court. We checked in directly upon our return from the cruise, and once again our room was ready much earlier than the regular check-in time. When I got to the check-in counter, I asked the Cast Member if we could be in Alligator Bayou this time. He warned me that the Pop Warner cheerleaders were there, but that wasnt a problem for me (and didnt become a problem. We found them to be very well-behaved kids who were having a great time in spite of the weather). We were assigned to Bldg. 17, room 1754, which is a second floor room overlooking a garden, and only a couple of minutes walk from the main building. Theres a quiet pool right beside this building, but, once again, the weather was awful so we didnt have a chance to use it. Grandpa had no idea that we would be staying here until I actually handed him his room key. He was thrilled! You can see pictures of our stay in Bldg. 17 here.
Enjoy!
Beth
Characters: Jim Age 52, veteran Disney visitor; Beth Age classified, but older than 49, trip planner and arranger, Disney veteran visitor; Grandpa Age 76, never been anywhere, his only experience with WDW is what hes seen on TV and video.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Plan: Bus to Orlando
One night at All Star Music
Four nights at Port Orleans Riverside
Four night Wonder Cruise
Two nights at Port Orleans Riverside
We didnt tell Grandpa that we would be returning to WDW after the cruise, or that we had reservations for the Luau for the night we returned.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About one month before we left, my travel agent called to tell us the Disney Cruise Line had offered us an upgrade to the Dolphin Hotel. After some consideration (Port Orleans Riverside is our favorite resort), we decided to accept the offer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Im not going to bore you with all the tiny details. This report will be an overview of what was truly a wonderful trip---in spite of truly awful weather!
RESORTS:
All Star Music: We were pleasantly surprised. While the actual size of the room is somewhat smaller than the moderates, the useable space seemed to be fairly close. The lost space is in the bathroom areaonly one sink, and not nearly as much room to move around there, or to hang your clothes, and some near the entrance to the room. I had asked for a room in the Jazz Inn, and got a third floor corner room overlooking the fountain in the courtyard. It was a very nice location, quiet, and still close enough to the main building. The pools looked very nice, but it was much too chilly to swim! You can see our pictures from the All Star Music here.
Port Orleans Riverside, Oak Manor : This is our favorite resort. We arrived just after 11 AM, and our room was ready! We were in Oak Manor, room 9064, which once again faced a courtyard with a fountain. Grandpa said that this building made him think he was staying at the White House! One of the quiet pools was right behind us, but, once again, it was just too chilly to swim. You can see pictures here.
Dolphin:
Dolphin: As mentioned at the beginning of this message, we received an upgrade through Disney Cruise Line to the Dolphin. We decided to accept it to see what its like to stay at a Deluxe resort. The Dolphin is a very nice hotel. We arrived just after 11 AM, and checked in for the cruise, and then into the hotel itself. The staff was very pleasant and helpful, and, once again our room was ready! We would be in on the 11th floor in the West Tower in room 163. The décor in the Dolphin is definitely interesting. Our room was very spacious and comfortable. We faced the Swan, and to the right we could see Disney MGM studios and to the left we could see part of Epcots World Showcase. Our upgrade included everything, even a refrigerator in our room! We had unlimited access to the Health Spa, which charges an additional fee, although we never used it. We didnt get to use any of the pools or hot tubs either. By the time we checked in, the deluge had begun, and continued through much of our stay. When it wasnt raining, it was just to chilly for swimming. The location of the Dolphin is wonderful, especially if youre Epcot lovers like us. We took the boat and entered through the International Gateway. We also took the boat to Disney-MGM Studios, which was great.
Now that Ive said all that, I will also say that I wasnt particularly impressed with the hotel (other than the location). Maybe Im just not a deluxe kind of girl, but if I dont think Id stay there for the full price (or for anything more than I paid for it). Yes, there are some nice restaurants, but we dont go for fancy, expensive meals when were on vacation. Theres nothing wrong the Dolphin, I just didnt think there was anything special about it, either. You can see our pictures of the Dolphin here.
Port Orleans Riverside, Alligator Bayou: Our absolute favorite resort. We love the landscaping, we love the atmosphere, we even love the food court. We checked in directly upon our return from the cruise, and once again our room was ready much earlier than the regular check-in time. When I got to the check-in counter, I asked the Cast Member if we could be in Alligator Bayou this time. He warned me that the Pop Warner cheerleaders were there, but that wasnt a problem for me (and didnt become a problem. We found them to be very well-behaved kids who were having a great time in spite of the weather). We were assigned to Bldg. 17, room 1754, which is a second floor room overlooking a garden, and only a couple of minutes walk from the main building. Theres a quiet pool right beside this building, but, once again, the weather was awful so we didnt have a chance to use it. Grandpa had no idea that we would be staying here until I actually handed him his room key. He was thrilled! You can see pictures of our stay in Bldg. 17 here.
