skylynx
DIS Sponsor in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2003
- Messages
- 1,280
It was snowing in Chicago when we left Midway Airport Saturday March 20
the first day of spring. Orlando weather was much better! We made our traditional first stops at the Character Wearhouse for bargains and the Walmart on 535 for snacks and drinks before heading over to VWL. We had done the online check-in; everything was ready and we were in the room by 3. The five times we have stayed at VWL since becoming DVC members (4 times in studios, once in a 1 bedroom) we have always been in the wing that goes off to the right of the main entrance to the villas, and overlooking the front (so away from the lake). Why is that? Weve never had an odd number room facing the pool/lake or even the forest on that side. Is that something you need to request? An odd-number room? Seems weird 5 out of 5 rooms have been in almost exactly the same location. Our room was a handicapped room. Did not like the gym locker room feel of the bathroom or shower, or that there was no place in the bathroom to put toiletries except the tiny place between the faucets on the sink. Well ask for a non-HA room next time. One other minor annoyance was that you had to get out of bed and go into the galley kitchen to reach the switch to turn off the bedside lights. The refrigerator top was a bit banged in, but overall everything was clean and working well and we were happy to be there in the pines!
On Sunday it was early to rise and off to Epcot. Surprise Disney bonus on many counter service receipts was a coupon for 20% off most merchandise at the main souvenir stores at each park (Emporium, Mouse Gear, etc.) plus World of Disney up til 12 noon. The coupons are good until April 17. That beat the pants off our DVC/annual pass discounts anywhere!
It started to downpour while we were walking around International Showcase. This happened because due to the no-rain Orlando weather forecast before we left, the family collection of ponchos stayed home. I should know better anytime weve left them home it pours, and when we cart them along not a drop will fall. In no time, our sneakers and shoes were completely saturated. Squish, squish, squish.
Had our singular non-Disney moment when DHs newly purchased (like five minutes) poncho split up the side where the snaps are when he reached up to adjust the hood. Wed bought it in the UK (where they Know Rain) and were heading back to Future World, so we stopped at the small standalone hat store to exchange it. The older lady cast member scowled at us and demanded to see our receipt, which we provided. Then she said shed never heard of Pringles (the UK store). As if wed gone through the trouble to counterfeit a receipt for a poncho just so we could recklessly rip it and then exchange it. Finally she tossed us another poncho and then said shed have to keep our receipt for everything else and that if we did this again we wouldnt be able to exchange it for another. She said we must put the poncho on gingerly because the plastic is very flimsy. Then maybe they shouldnt charge seven odd dollars for it. Only NDM (non-Disney moment) of the trip. J
Went back to VWL and joined our neighbors trying to dry soaked socks and shoes and clothes in the laundry room. Talked to one nice lady who was renting points and am pretty sure I convinced her to join DVC without even trying! Although the forecast for the evening was something optimistic like 100% chance of torrential downpours, we hopped a bus to MK anyway, and am I glad we did! It was around five and all the soaked to the bone guests were abandoning ship in droves as we were just entering. It never did rain again, and we enjoyed a couple hours going on our favorite rides over and over because there were no lines.
One thing we had planned to do on this trip was maximize our time at WL by just BEING there, and we did get to do it. Each night we sat an hour in the gorgeous lobby or up in the little den with a fireplace over the main entrance doors. Despite the spring break crowds, there was never anyone in that little hidden spot. Weve stayed in the real Old Faithful Lodge and plan to build our own log home on our land in Colorado in a couple of years, so just hanging out in WL is a favorite way to enjoy our vacation. We made a point of sitting still long enough to notice all the details around the main fireplace, the hardware, the lighting, the log supports, and the patterns in the upholstery and carpets. We got to sit in the rocking chairs outside the villas entrance, and enjoy the rustic western soundtrack. What fun!
Now, the armadillos. I have been coming to WDW since 1973. While I may have seen an armadillo on one of those trips and just forgot about it, I know for sure I did not regularly see 10 or 20 each time we went driving around! At one point we were traveling from DTD to WL and at the base of each of six monorail supports in a row was an armadillo, like they were assigned there! They are cute little critters. Just couldnt figure out why so many this trip!
Monday was our break day DS 14 spent the entire day in Disney Quest. DH and I went to the outlet mall, and then took the BLT member tour. Contemporary style and fabrics leave us cold, but although wed toured the BLT model at our Chicago area Doorway to Dreams store, I tried to keep an open mind about the real deal. About 40 members met in the Top of the World lounge for the usual incentives talk and trivia game. Just a couple prizes like keychains and logo bags were given away. They had some nice finger food and coffee/soda. The big incentive was with a 100 point add on, you had a choice of a cash discount or free 3 day cruise in a non-verandah stateroom. I had to laugh that they tried to pass off as a special incentive that theyd pro-rate the dues on any backdated points you got as a bonus. Id certainly hope you wouldnt have to pay dues on points you didnt have and couldnt use!
The big disappointment for us on the tour was the lounge itself. With that piece of real estate and view, why oh why did they build a view lounge with no view of MK? You cannot see MK unless you go outside. You cannot see it at all in the lounge if you sit down, and from a standing position all you can see is the top of the castle and Space Mountain spires over the solid concrete fortress walls. What the heck? Why sink the lounge? Why not have it elevated with floor to ceiling windows so you could really have a look at the World from head to toe? Or have clear plexi walls instead of concrete around the perimeter? The view from outside is great, but only if you walk over to the edge. Im trying to imagine the architectural meeting where a bunch of people decided it was the right thing to sink a view lounge behind solid concrete walls, so no one can even glimpse what they all came there to see unless they leave it! Things that make you go hmmm.
After the trivia and sales pitch, we got to look at a ground floor model which was ok as an owner of those maintenance fees, Id worry about how long all that vinyl and veneer and plastic would hold up to heavy usage. And that bathroom sink/kitchen combo in the studios still makes me wonder why anyone would think it a wise design to have people blow drying their hair, brushing their teeth, and making toast in the same space.
To us, the whole building felt too much like an airport Hilton with a better view, but again, we run the other way from modern styling. The location cant be beat with a stick, however! I can see why people who like that styling would love it, though. It is whats so compelling about DVC ownership what some members find attractive leaves others completely cold thats why there are choices for everyone-we wont compete with you for rooms at BLT if you dont compete with us for rooms at VWL!
After the BLT tour, it was off to Kidani to check out where well be staying after a cruise in August. Weve stayed on points at Jambo House, but not Kidani yet. We loved the way the firepit is nearly surrounded by the savannahs. The animals came so close! The new pool area is nice even though depending on where your room is it could be quite a hike will be even better when the tree growth provides more shade. I think Disney did a pretty good job hiding the parking garage. Ate dinner at Bahama Breeze in Kissimmee and then walked around DTD until we were able to forcibly extract DS from Disney Quest. Grieved over the demise of the Adventurers Club in Pleasure Island, as always.
The next park day was Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. The weather was cool and sunny. It is much easier to tolerate masses of humanity when you are not sweating bullets. DS had never seen the Indiana Jones stunt show, so we made that a must. A big thrill for me was getting my picture taken with the Up characters in the Animation building. Dug the dog is my current favorite Disney character (Along with Tigger and Stitch). To my chagrin, there is hardly any merchandise for Dug (and believe me, we looked everywhere. There are a couple of things on the Disney Store website and eBay, but nothing in the parks!) We have two golden retrievers and Dug is the exact caricature of one of them. So we waited 45 minutes to have our picture taken. It was worth it. J Back to Epcot for the third park hop of the day and Illuminations. I never tire of it.
The next day I herded DH and DS out early to MK because DD17 was performing with her high school band. It was so cool to see her marching in a parade there on Main Street. It hardly seemed that long ago she was picked from the crowd to dance in the 3 o clock parade on Main St. in her princess outfit (when they used to stop the parade every so often and invite guests to interact with them). Is it possible that was over ten years ago? We rescued her for an hour or so from the teen pod she was required by school rules to stay with at all times (except when with parents) so she could eat lunch and go on a ride or two drama-free. Zipped back to WL, went for a dunk in the main hot tub, left it because people were letting their small kids jump in and out of it like a kiddie pool, moved to the villas hot tub, same thing there, so headed back to Epcot to watch the fountains and drink in the last evening of Disney magic before returning to gritty Chicago.
Then all too soon we were packing and finding phone chargers and driving to the airport. We feel so fortunate we have another trip coming up soon, as it sure takes the sting out of going back to reality. And we feel very lucky to have our DVC, which ensures a long string of trips are always floating nearer on the horizon, even if we dont know exactly when yet.
On Sunday it was early to rise and off to Epcot. Surprise Disney bonus on many counter service receipts was a coupon for 20% off most merchandise at the main souvenir stores at each park (Emporium, Mouse Gear, etc.) plus World of Disney up til 12 noon. The coupons are good until April 17. That beat the pants off our DVC/annual pass discounts anywhere!
It started to downpour while we were walking around International Showcase. This happened because due to the no-rain Orlando weather forecast before we left, the family collection of ponchos stayed home. I should know better anytime weve left them home it pours, and when we cart them along not a drop will fall. In no time, our sneakers and shoes were completely saturated. Squish, squish, squish.
Had our singular non-Disney moment when DHs newly purchased (like five minutes) poncho split up the side where the snaps are when he reached up to adjust the hood. Wed bought it in the UK (where they Know Rain) and were heading back to Future World, so we stopped at the small standalone hat store to exchange it. The older lady cast member scowled at us and demanded to see our receipt, which we provided. Then she said shed never heard of Pringles (the UK store). As if wed gone through the trouble to counterfeit a receipt for a poncho just so we could recklessly rip it and then exchange it. Finally she tossed us another poncho and then said shed have to keep our receipt for everything else and that if we did this again we wouldnt be able to exchange it for another. She said we must put the poncho on gingerly because the plastic is very flimsy. Then maybe they shouldnt charge seven odd dollars for it. Only NDM (non-Disney moment) of the trip. J
Went back to VWL and joined our neighbors trying to dry soaked socks and shoes and clothes in the laundry room. Talked to one nice lady who was renting points and am pretty sure I convinced her to join DVC without even trying! Although the forecast for the evening was something optimistic like 100% chance of torrential downpours, we hopped a bus to MK anyway, and am I glad we did! It was around five and all the soaked to the bone guests were abandoning ship in droves as we were just entering. It never did rain again, and we enjoyed a couple hours going on our favorite rides over and over because there were no lines.
One thing we had planned to do on this trip was maximize our time at WL by just BEING there, and we did get to do it. Each night we sat an hour in the gorgeous lobby or up in the little den with a fireplace over the main entrance doors. Despite the spring break crowds, there was never anyone in that little hidden spot. Weve stayed in the real Old Faithful Lodge and plan to build our own log home on our land in Colorado in a couple of years, so just hanging out in WL is a favorite way to enjoy our vacation. We made a point of sitting still long enough to notice all the details around the main fireplace, the hardware, the lighting, the log supports, and the patterns in the upholstery and carpets. We got to sit in the rocking chairs outside the villas entrance, and enjoy the rustic western soundtrack. What fun!
Now, the armadillos. I have been coming to WDW since 1973. While I may have seen an armadillo on one of those trips and just forgot about it, I know for sure I did not regularly see 10 or 20 each time we went driving around! At one point we were traveling from DTD to WL and at the base of each of six monorail supports in a row was an armadillo, like they were assigned there! They are cute little critters. Just couldnt figure out why so many this trip!
Monday was our break day DS 14 spent the entire day in Disney Quest. DH and I went to the outlet mall, and then took the BLT member tour. Contemporary style and fabrics leave us cold, but although wed toured the BLT model at our Chicago area Doorway to Dreams store, I tried to keep an open mind about the real deal. About 40 members met in the Top of the World lounge for the usual incentives talk and trivia game. Just a couple prizes like keychains and logo bags were given away. They had some nice finger food and coffee/soda. The big incentive was with a 100 point add on, you had a choice of a cash discount or free 3 day cruise in a non-verandah stateroom. I had to laugh that they tried to pass off as a special incentive that theyd pro-rate the dues on any backdated points you got as a bonus. Id certainly hope you wouldnt have to pay dues on points you didnt have and couldnt use!
The big disappointment for us on the tour was the lounge itself. With that piece of real estate and view, why oh why did they build a view lounge with no view of MK? You cannot see MK unless you go outside. You cannot see it at all in the lounge if you sit down, and from a standing position all you can see is the top of the castle and Space Mountain spires over the solid concrete fortress walls. What the heck? Why sink the lounge? Why not have it elevated with floor to ceiling windows so you could really have a look at the World from head to toe? Or have clear plexi walls instead of concrete around the perimeter? The view from outside is great, but only if you walk over to the edge. Im trying to imagine the architectural meeting where a bunch of people decided it was the right thing to sink a view lounge behind solid concrete walls, so no one can even glimpse what they all came there to see unless they leave it! Things that make you go hmmm.
After the trivia and sales pitch, we got to look at a ground floor model which was ok as an owner of those maintenance fees, Id worry about how long all that vinyl and veneer and plastic would hold up to heavy usage. And that bathroom sink/kitchen combo in the studios still makes me wonder why anyone would think it a wise design to have people blow drying their hair, brushing their teeth, and making toast in the same space.
To us, the whole building felt too much like an airport Hilton with a better view, but again, we run the other way from modern styling. The location cant be beat with a stick, however! I can see why people who like that styling would love it, though. It is whats so compelling about DVC ownership what some members find attractive leaves others completely cold thats why there are choices for everyone-we wont compete with you for rooms at BLT if you dont compete with us for rooms at VWL!
After the BLT tour, it was off to Kidani to check out where well be staying after a cruise in August. Weve stayed on points at Jambo House, but not Kidani yet. We loved the way the firepit is nearly surrounded by the savannahs. The animals came so close! The new pool area is nice even though depending on where your room is it could be quite a hike will be even better when the tree growth provides more shade. I think Disney did a pretty good job hiding the parking garage. Ate dinner at Bahama Breeze in Kissimmee and then walked around DTD until we were able to forcibly extract DS from Disney Quest. Grieved over the demise of the Adventurers Club in Pleasure Island, as always.
The next park day was Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. The weather was cool and sunny. It is much easier to tolerate masses of humanity when you are not sweating bullets. DS had never seen the Indiana Jones stunt show, so we made that a must. A big thrill for me was getting my picture taken with the Up characters in the Animation building. Dug the dog is my current favorite Disney character (Along with Tigger and Stitch). To my chagrin, there is hardly any merchandise for Dug (and believe me, we looked everywhere. There are a couple of things on the Disney Store website and eBay, but nothing in the parks!) We have two golden retrievers and Dug is the exact caricature of one of them. So we waited 45 minutes to have our picture taken. It was worth it. J Back to Epcot for the third park hop of the day and Illuminations. I never tire of it.
The next day I herded DH and DS out early to MK because DD17 was performing with her high school band. It was so cool to see her marching in a parade there on Main Street. It hardly seemed that long ago she was picked from the crowd to dance in the 3 o clock parade on Main St. in her princess outfit (when they used to stop the parade every so often and invite guests to interact with them). Is it possible that was over ten years ago? We rescued her for an hour or so from the teen pod she was required by school rules to stay with at all times (except when with parents) so she could eat lunch and go on a ride or two drama-free. Zipped back to WL, went for a dunk in the main hot tub, left it because people were letting their small kids jump in and out of it like a kiddie pool, moved to the villas hot tub, same thing there, so headed back to Epcot to watch the fountains and drink in the last evening of Disney magic before returning to gritty Chicago.
Then all too soon we were packing and finding phone chargers and driving to the airport. We feel so fortunate we have another trip coming up soon, as it sure takes the sting out of going back to reality. And we feel very lucky to have our DVC, which ensures a long string of trips are always floating nearer on the horizon, even if we dont know exactly when yet.
.
