This is my first time sharing a trip report on these boards, but since I wrote this report for friends and I have been hanging around here for years, I thought this would be a good time to share. Some of it is DVC specific, and MUCH of it is about DDP, so by all means skip the parts that bore you. Anyway, here comes day 1. I hope you enjoy!
I am writing from the patio of my 2 bedroom villa at the Boardwalk. It looks to be the start of a beautiful day and I am here for a few days of R&R with my sister. We are 2 very different middle-aged (isnt that a yucky word?) round women who have had a love/hate relationship for most of our lives. We decided to take this trip since I had holding points I had to use by the end of November, and Sis is going through a very, very stressful time in her life, and I thought this would be good for her. WDW is her safe place and she is almost as addicted to it as I am. I originally booked us a 1 bedroom, but after thinking about spending so much time together, I splurged and went for a 2 bedroom. Yep, a 2 bedroom just for the 2 of us. Crazy?? Maybe, especially considering how I usually hoard my points. But, I figured the more space the better, and besides if we wanted to kill each other before the week was over, I would close the door of the lock off and Voila, Solo Trip
We flew down separately, I from New Hampshire and she from Rhode Island. Our flights arrived about 45 minutes apart, but since I have no patience the plan was for me to come ahead and get us checked in. The flight was great, from the ease of getting to Manchester, checking in at the airport, a beautiful new B737, and the good fortune to have an empty middle seat and a nice quiet woman on the aisle. The only drawback was missing my bottled water, and I felt pretty dry by the time we arrived. I should have grabbed a water (or coffee since I didnt have my morning coffee before I left because of my aversion to airplane restrooms) as soon as I got off the plane. But I was too excited. I raced to ME and there was no line to check in! Woohoo! But there was no one in the Boardwalk line either, so after watching 42,000 Pop busses leave, about 20 minutes later I boarded my ME bus. 15 minutes later we were on our way! Our driver did not speak English too well, and after informing us that his Dix was broken (His what??? Hehe) I figured out the movie wouldnt play. So he sort of sang quietly the same song over and over and over (how long is this ride?) and why did I sit so close to the front of the bus??
The cutest thing happened when we got to Caribbean Beach for the first drop off. I heard a little voice squeal excitedly This is my Castle!!! and an adorable little 4 year old in a Cinderella outfit bounced up the aisle. I could feel her happiness. The Magic was beginning!!
Next stop Boardwalk, and its a little after 11 now. No line to check in! Kenny (earning his ears) checked me in pretty efficiently, but of course had to tell me the room was not ready. Hey, this is BWV, and if my room is ever ready at check in you better get the smelling salts, because I am going to faint! I went out to wait on the porch in a rocker to await the arrival of Sis. Within an hour she was there (why I did not get coffee during this time frame is beyond me), took care of her Dining Plan business, and spent sometime primping in the ladies room (one of the many ways Sis and I differ completely.) After some discussion about the DDP and lunch (I need coffee) we headed out, (Sis with her luggage in tow because she was sure if she put on her ME tags when she left Providence that she would never see her hairbrush again.)
We headed for the bakery for a light lunch/breakfast. I thought the sandwiches looked pretty good, and I was all set to order my coffee and sandwich and start draining my DDP when Sis said she would prefer ESPN.
Okay, I love ESPN, so off we go. We were seated right away and our waiter, Findley, took very good care of us. I am sure he thought I was beyond weird when I ordered a coffee as soon as we sat down, and then a beer with my lunch, and another coffee after lunch, but finally, I got my coffee fix! My batteries were recharged and my brain was going to function We both had the roll up sandwich and a Killians, and it was pretty good. I thought there was an overabundance of bacon in it, so I removed most of that and even then, I could barely eat half of the sandwich. We had decided to pay OOP here because there was no way we were up for the whole appetizer, entrée, dessert marathon, and I wasnt about to waste a TS credit on a roll up and coffee. If there is one thing I am, it is thrifty. I was gonna say cheap, but thats such an ugly word, and doesnt really cover it because I am not cheap about tipping or with my friends. How about, I am a bargain hunter extraordinaire?? I will always at least get my moneys worth. Balancing that trait without eating myself into oblivion is going to make using the DDP interesting at least! Counter that with the fact that Sis never even looks at prices when she shops, and you have yet another interesting dynamic! Anyway, after Sis had another beer, and I filled up on coffee, the sky had turned dark and it was pouring and thundering. I remember my DVC 10% lunch discount (thanks to the coffee recharge) and after getting the wrong bill (oops I wished it was ours since it was half as much) straightened that out and hit the Boardwalk.
Dodging raindrops and lightening bolts (did I mention I also tend to over exaggerate?) we headed back to the porch to relax and check on our room. Not ready, and its close to 3 oclock. Meanwhile, I had heard from Brian at Garden Grocer a couple of times, starting last night actually, to pin down a delivery time. Since it was my first time using him, I had opted for COD, so leaving it with Bell Services was not an option for him. 4 oclock comes, and my room is not ready. By now I am getting pretty tired, and anxious to get settled. Finally, at 4:25, room is ready. I called Brian and he said he would meet us there in about 20 minutes.
We got to the room, and it met my requests of non-smoking and first floor. I had originally requested 1sr floor Community Hall area, but that didnt show up on my reservation so I was not surprised to get a room by the main pool. Well, we are in a corner not far from the elevator (yay) and our view is of, um, nothing lol. Be careful what you wish for! The patio set up is strange, too in that there is a nice big patio off of the living room that is shared by the studio. The bedroom part of the unit has a completely separate patio. I know I would not be happy if I had that studio and had to share that patio. The shrubbery on the big patio is thick and about 4 feet high, with trees just beyond. It is actually very private sitting here, and quite pleasant since we also have the studio. The patio off the 1 bedroom is much more open, and just off the walkway from a corner door, so the bedroom is not private at all. I will have to keep at least the sheers drawn all the time, and since I normally keep the curtains open, thats mildly disappointing. But I believe I requested a first floor non-smoking unit and that is exactly what I got! After doing a check of things, we realized there was no fridge in the studio. HUH? Although we have a fridge in the kitchen, Sis had planned to keep some beverages in the studio, and besides I thought it was a good idea to let them know (how could they not know?) So we called Maintenance. Meanwhile, Brian delivered all my groceries as promised. I was very pleased with the service he provided, and unlike the previous company I tried, I got everything I ordered and he had sufficient coolers that my cold stuff was cold, frozen stuff frozen, and cleaning stuff was separate from food. It was all good! I will use Garden Grocer again.
Sis and I had each shipped a package before we left. So, we were also trying to get these located and delivered. Unfortunately the package department was closed by the time we got our room, and before they could locate the packages, the Business Dept also closed. There was a lot of confusion, including one less than Magical phone conversation Sis had with someone who was saying there were no packages. Well, Sis had tracked the package, and told her that her package had arrived at 10:43 that morning and also who had signed for it. Shortly thereafter, my package arrived. Sis was getting nervous (you will most likely see this again and again) and annoyed. Anyway, her package finally arrived close to 7pm. It wasnt the time it arrived, but the total confusion of everyone we dealt with that was the problem. In hindsight, if I ship a package again, I will have it transferred from the Package Place (apparently a secret room that requires 42,000 keys and 55,000 passwords to get into by only 2 special Cast Members who passed the Package Control Exam) to Bell Services earlier in the day.
Anyway, it is like a 3 ring circus in our room. Grocery delivery, bell services with my luggage, maintenance to stare at the empty refrigerator space, people with and without packages and long stories about the process. Finally, a dorm sized black refrigerator was placed in the studio (I sure hope they put in a normal one before the next people get here), both boxes were received, the groceries and are put away, we are unpacked and it is time to eat again. Whats the plan?
We had cancelled a 6:30 reservation for France after hearing about the menu changes (what is up with no duck and $23 hamburgers?), and Sis had gotten us an 8:45 at Alfredos. On our way to Alfredos, we stopped at Spoodles and caved. We called to cancel Alfredos, and were seated immediately. I loved the girls at the podium, and they set the tone for what has to be the nicer group of Cast Members at any restaurant in Disney. Charlie was our server, and he is an absolute delight. Sis has a long time favorite here, and it is the feta dip which comes with Meditteranean Dip appetizer. She was able to get Charlie to substitute extra feta dip for one of the others, so she was in heaven. I ordered the 4-cheese flatbread, and it was indescribably delicious. Knowing that dinners were going to be an endurance event, I ate only one piece but I would have been happy to order flatbread and a Greek Salad for my dinner if I was not on the DDP. After leisurely appetizers (and a lovely Buena Vista chardonnay for me and Sterling cabernet for Sis) it was time for the main event. Sis had ordered the NY sirloin and substituted a side of fettucine Alfredo for the sweet potato fries. (Yet another common theme Sis making special requests.) She cut the steak with a butter knife, and said it melted in her mouth. It was also enormous. I had ordered the Portuguese Seafood Stew which is something I would not normally be brave enough to order, but I will use this opportunity to try new things, sort of like on a cruise ship. It was very good, although there were a few things I wasnt crazy about in the delectable broth. By picking out what I liked, I had more than enough to eat without stuffing myself silly. For dessert we both went for the vanilla crème brulee and coffee. Somewhere in there, we also had a second glass of wine. This meal was absolutely excellent, both service and food wise. I love the fact that the tables are well spaced and although the noise level is high (not a romantic place in my opinion) I was very happy with our first use of the DDP. Our wine bill was $44, and Sis dinner was $49 and mine was $44.
We headed back to the villa, exhausted but triumphant. We had made it to WDW for our first vacation alone, we were settled into our favorite resort, and we were carrying the leftovers from a wonderful and satisfying dinner. We tumbled into our beds, and had a great nights sleep. I will pick this up tomorrow!
This should be the link to Day 2... http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1245820
I am writing from the patio of my 2 bedroom villa at the Boardwalk. It looks to be the start of a beautiful day and I am here for a few days of R&R with my sister. We are 2 very different middle-aged (isnt that a yucky word?) round women who have had a love/hate relationship for most of our lives. We decided to take this trip since I had holding points I had to use by the end of November, and Sis is going through a very, very stressful time in her life, and I thought this would be good for her. WDW is her safe place and she is almost as addicted to it as I am. I originally booked us a 1 bedroom, but after thinking about spending so much time together, I splurged and went for a 2 bedroom. Yep, a 2 bedroom just for the 2 of us. Crazy?? Maybe, especially considering how I usually hoard my points. But, I figured the more space the better, and besides if we wanted to kill each other before the week was over, I would close the door of the lock off and Voila, Solo Trip
We flew down separately, I from New Hampshire and she from Rhode Island. Our flights arrived about 45 minutes apart, but since I have no patience the plan was for me to come ahead and get us checked in. The flight was great, from the ease of getting to Manchester, checking in at the airport, a beautiful new B737, and the good fortune to have an empty middle seat and a nice quiet woman on the aisle. The only drawback was missing my bottled water, and I felt pretty dry by the time we arrived. I should have grabbed a water (or coffee since I didnt have my morning coffee before I left because of my aversion to airplane restrooms) as soon as I got off the plane. But I was too excited. I raced to ME and there was no line to check in! Woohoo! But there was no one in the Boardwalk line either, so after watching 42,000 Pop busses leave, about 20 minutes later I boarded my ME bus. 15 minutes later we were on our way! Our driver did not speak English too well, and after informing us that his Dix was broken (His what??? Hehe) I figured out the movie wouldnt play. So he sort of sang quietly the same song over and over and over (how long is this ride?) and why did I sit so close to the front of the bus??
The cutest thing happened when we got to Caribbean Beach for the first drop off. I heard a little voice squeal excitedly This is my Castle!!! and an adorable little 4 year old in a Cinderella outfit bounced up the aisle. I could feel her happiness. The Magic was beginning!!
Next stop Boardwalk, and its a little after 11 now. No line to check in! Kenny (earning his ears) checked me in pretty efficiently, but of course had to tell me the room was not ready. Hey, this is BWV, and if my room is ever ready at check in you better get the smelling salts, because I am going to faint! I went out to wait on the porch in a rocker to await the arrival of Sis. Within an hour she was there (why I did not get coffee during this time frame is beyond me), took care of her Dining Plan business, and spent sometime primping in the ladies room (one of the many ways Sis and I differ completely.) After some discussion about the DDP and lunch (I need coffee) we headed out, (Sis with her luggage in tow because she was sure if she put on her ME tags when she left Providence that she would never see her hairbrush again.)
We headed for the bakery for a light lunch/breakfast. I thought the sandwiches looked pretty good, and I was all set to order my coffee and sandwich and start draining my DDP when Sis said she would prefer ESPN.
Okay, I love ESPN, so off we go. We were seated right away and our waiter, Findley, took very good care of us. I am sure he thought I was beyond weird when I ordered a coffee as soon as we sat down, and then a beer with my lunch, and another coffee after lunch, but finally, I got my coffee fix! My batteries were recharged and my brain was going to function We both had the roll up sandwich and a Killians, and it was pretty good. I thought there was an overabundance of bacon in it, so I removed most of that and even then, I could barely eat half of the sandwich. We had decided to pay OOP here because there was no way we were up for the whole appetizer, entrée, dessert marathon, and I wasnt about to waste a TS credit on a roll up and coffee. If there is one thing I am, it is thrifty. I was gonna say cheap, but thats such an ugly word, and doesnt really cover it because I am not cheap about tipping or with my friends. How about, I am a bargain hunter extraordinaire?? I will always at least get my moneys worth. Balancing that trait without eating myself into oblivion is going to make using the DDP interesting at least! Counter that with the fact that Sis never even looks at prices when she shops, and you have yet another interesting dynamic! Anyway, after Sis had another beer, and I filled up on coffee, the sky had turned dark and it was pouring and thundering. I remember my DVC 10% lunch discount (thanks to the coffee recharge) and after getting the wrong bill (oops I wished it was ours since it was half as much) straightened that out and hit the Boardwalk. Dodging raindrops and lightening bolts (did I mention I also tend to over exaggerate?) we headed back to the porch to relax and check on our room. Not ready, and its close to 3 oclock. Meanwhile, I had heard from Brian at Garden Grocer a couple of times, starting last night actually, to pin down a delivery time. Since it was my first time using him, I had opted for COD, so leaving it with Bell Services was not an option for him. 4 oclock comes, and my room is not ready. By now I am getting pretty tired, and anxious to get settled. Finally, at 4:25, room is ready. I called Brian and he said he would meet us there in about 20 minutes.
We got to the room, and it met my requests of non-smoking and first floor. I had originally requested 1sr floor Community Hall area, but that didnt show up on my reservation so I was not surprised to get a room by the main pool. Well, we are in a corner not far from the elevator (yay) and our view is of, um, nothing lol. Be careful what you wish for! The patio set up is strange, too in that there is a nice big patio off of the living room that is shared by the studio. The bedroom part of the unit has a completely separate patio. I know I would not be happy if I had that studio and had to share that patio. The shrubbery on the big patio is thick and about 4 feet high, with trees just beyond. It is actually very private sitting here, and quite pleasant since we also have the studio. The patio off the 1 bedroom is much more open, and just off the walkway from a corner door, so the bedroom is not private at all. I will have to keep at least the sheers drawn all the time, and since I normally keep the curtains open, thats mildly disappointing. But I believe I requested a first floor non-smoking unit and that is exactly what I got! After doing a check of things, we realized there was no fridge in the studio. HUH? Although we have a fridge in the kitchen, Sis had planned to keep some beverages in the studio, and besides I thought it was a good idea to let them know (how could they not know?) So we called Maintenance. Meanwhile, Brian delivered all my groceries as promised. I was very pleased with the service he provided, and unlike the previous company I tried, I got everything I ordered and he had sufficient coolers that my cold stuff was cold, frozen stuff frozen, and cleaning stuff was separate from food. It was all good! I will use Garden Grocer again.
Sis and I had each shipped a package before we left. So, we were also trying to get these located and delivered. Unfortunately the package department was closed by the time we got our room, and before they could locate the packages, the Business Dept also closed. There was a lot of confusion, including one less than Magical phone conversation Sis had with someone who was saying there were no packages. Well, Sis had tracked the package, and told her that her package had arrived at 10:43 that morning and also who had signed for it. Shortly thereafter, my package arrived. Sis was getting nervous (you will most likely see this again and again) and annoyed. Anyway, her package finally arrived close to 7pm. It wasnt the time it arrived, but the total confusion of everyone we dealt with that was the problem. In hindsight, if I ship a package again, I will have it transferred from the Package Place (apparently a secret room that requires 42,000 keys and 55,000 passwords to get into by only 2 special Cast Members who passed the Package Control Exam) to Bell Services earlier in the day.
Anyway, it is like a 3 ring circus in our room. Grocery delivery, bell services with my luggage, maintenance to stare at the empty refrigerator space, people with and without packages and long stories about the process. Finally, a dorm sized black refrigerator was placed in the studio (I sure hope they put in a normal one before the next people get here), both boxes were received, the groceries and are put away, we are unpacked and it is time to eat again. Whats the plan?
We had cancelled a 6:30 reservation for France after hearing about the menu changes (what is up with no duck and $23 hamburgers?), and Sis had gotten us an 8:45 at Alfredos. On our way to Alfredos, we stopped at Spoodles and caved. We called to cancel Alfredos, and were seated immediately. I loved the girls at the podium, and they set the tone for what has to be the nicer group of Cast Members at any restaurant in Disney. Charlie was our server, and he is an absolute delight. Sis has a long time favorite here, and it is the feta dip which comes with Meditteranean Dip appetizer. She was able to get Charlie to substitute extra feta dip for one of the others, so she was in heaven. I ordered the 4-cheese flatbread, and it was indescribably delicious. Knowing that dinners were going to be an endurance event, I ate only one piece but I would have been happy to order flatbread and a Greek Salad for my dinner if I was not on the DDP. After leisurely appetizers (and a lovely Buena Vista chardonnay for me and Sterling cabernet for Sis) it was time for the main event. Sis had ordered the NY sirloin and substituted a side of fettucine Alfredo for the sweet potato fries. (Yet another common theme Sis making special requests.) She cut the steak with a butter knife, and said it melted in her mouth. It was also enormous. I had ordered the Portuguese Seafood Stew which is something I would not normally be brave enough to order, but I will use this opportunity to try new things, sort of like on a cruise ship. It was very good, although there were a few things I wasnt crazy about in the delectable broth. By picking out what I liked, I had more than enough to eat without stuffing myself silly. For dessert we both went for the vanilla crème brulee and coffee. Somewhere in there, we also had a second glass of wine. This meal was absolutely excellent, both service and food wise. I love the fact that the tables are well spaced and although the noise level is high (not a romantic place in my opinion) I was very happy with our first use of the DDP. Our wine bill was $44, and Sis dinner was $49 and mine was $44.
We headed back to the villa, exhausted but triumphant. We had made it to WDW for our first vacation alone, we were settled into our favorite resort, and we were carrying the leftovers from a wonderful and satisfying dinner. We tumbled into our beds, and had a great nights sleep. I will pick this up tomorrow!
This should be the link to Day 2... http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1245820
