Rock'n Robin
Disney Queen
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2000
- Messages
- 7,810
Well I put up a couple of updates while we were at SSR last week---but I crapped out after day 2--sorry! I was busy, LOL. Here is a synopsis:
1) we did get our second request, Congress Park. It was ready by 12:45. It seemed to me like Grandstand (which had been our first choice) was the farthest from the Springs once we were there but the pool looked neat. The CP pool was quiet and the girls were out in the sun there a couple of afternoons. We had 4th floor which was good because a big evergreen was in front of our area and probably obstructs the first 3 floors. We had a view of Fultons, World of Disney area from our balcony. At night from the master bedroom we saw the lights of Fultons, the back of the old Pleasure Island sign, and Planet Hollywood. The boat driver said on the last day they are putting rides in PI? But I know sometimes CMs are NOT the best information sources.
2) we rented a car. We took ME to the resort and then went to DD for lunch and called the car care center by MK. The shuttle picked us up. We had an avenger (which the girl mispronounced). It was OK for riding around but if we had been transporting our bags as well we would not have had enough trunk space. We drove to AK, DHS, Epcot and TL. For each one we were there in plenty of time and in a good spot for rope drop to get where we needed to go . On our MK day after much wavering we decided to take the bus. MK opened at 7 and the busses were to start running at 6, so we got to the CP bus stop at 6. Try that with your own 17, 14 and 10 year olds.
The bus did not arrive until 6:35--and I know it didn't take that long to get there from Grandstand as there were only about 8 other people on. No way that bus started at 6, unless it started at 6 from the bus garage. We arrived at the gates at about 6:55. It worked out, but still.... in the meantime, people at the bus stop were waiting for the AK EMH bus when we left, so I imagine they didn't get to AK by 7AM either.
On our last day we got our boarding passes and left our luggage with ME, and our carry ons with bell services, then drove back to MK car care--gassed up ($12--we had gone 120 miles) and dropped the car back off, and got a shuttle back to DD. VERY painless, although lots of folks were checking in and it was crazy for them. I think a car is a great plus at SSR.
3)SSR --I did see lines at ARtists Palette but we never ate there--I had a refillable mug we used and I'd pop in and get iced tea. We used garden grocer and had snacks for evening and water. The main pool was empty on one cool day, but other days it was madness. I had a hydrotherapy massage at the spa with Aimee which was very nice. We went through the AKL/BLT models again. I would stay at AKL Kidani just because we could all fit in a 1BR (Kidani 1BR has 2 bathrooms) but the BLT decor just doesn't do it for me. I'd rather just stay at SSR, but if I go into point saving mode (which I will be for 2010 unless we do an add on) I'll try AKL next. But we LOVED SSR. It is so nice.
4) DVC--one thing that bugged me was that when DH and I started kicking around the addon idea (100 points would only be $93 each at SSR) after the DVC member thing we went to, I wanted 2010 point charts to look at to make sure I added on the right number of points. The preview center did not have them! They said "well, they're online" and "they haven't changed that much really". I didn't want to go online if I could help it, and I kept remembering all the "now I'm one point short" posts lately. I didn't want to buy anything down there without the points in front of me. So now I'll do the online research, but why don't they have 2010 charts out yet? It's kind of silly. We did do the member gathering at the boardwalk on WEdnesday and that was a lot of fun. Now we all have blue hats. DVC is such a blessing, though, with all the room the family gets. No fights over the remote because the girls are in one room and their little brother is in the living room. Don't worry that it takes a week to eat that Mickey rice krispie treat because we have a frig. Waffles on the run because we have a freezer. Privacy for mom and dad! It's wonderful.
Robin M.
1) we did get our second request, Congress Park. It was ready by 12:45. It seemed to me like Grandstand (which had been our first choice) was the farthest from the Springs once we were there but the pool looked neat. The CP pool was quiet and the girls were out in the sun there a couple of afternoons. We had 4th floor which was good because a big evergreen was in front of our area and probably obstructs the first 3 floors. We had a view of Fultons, World of Disney area from our balcony. At night from the master bedroom we saw the lights of Fultons, the back of the old Pleasure Island sign, and Planet Hollywood. The boat driver said on the last day they are putting rides in PI? But I know sometimes CMs are NOT the best information sources.
2) we rented a car. We took ME to the resort and then went to DD for lunch and called the car care center by MK. The shuttle picked us up. We had an avenger (which the girl mispronounced). It was OK for riding around but if we had been transporting our bags as well we would not have had enough trunk space. We drove to AK, DHS, Epcot and TL. For each one we were there in plenty of time and in a good spot for rope drop to get where we needed to go . On our MK day after much wavering we decided to take the bus. MK opened at 7 and the busses were to start running at 6, so we got to the CP bus stop at 6. Try that with your own 17, 14 and 10 year olds.
The bus did not arrive until 6:35--and I know it didn't take that long to get there from Grandstand as there were only about 8 other people on. No way that bus started at 6, unless it started at 6 from the bus garage. We arrived at the gates at about 6:55. It worked out, but still.... in the meantime, people at the bus stop were waiting for the AK EMH bus when we left, so I imagine they didn't get to AK by 7AM either. On our last day we got our boarding passes and left our luggage with ME, and our carry ons with bell services, then drove back to MK car care--gassed up ($12--we had gone 120 miles) and dropped the car back off, and got a shuttle back to DD. VERY painless, although lots of folks were checking in and it was crazy for them. I think a car is a great plus at SSR.
3)SSR --I did see lines at ARtists Palette but we never ate there--I had a refillable mug we used and I'd pop in and get iced tea. We used garden grocer and had snacks for evening and water. The main pool was empty on one cool day, but other days it was madness. I had a hydrotherapy massage at the spa with Aimee which was very nice. We went through the AKL/BLT models again. I would stay at AKL Kidani just because we could all fit in a 1BR (Kidani 1BR has 2 bathrooms) but the BLT decor just doesn't do it for me. I'd rather just stay at SSR, but if I go into point saving mode (which I will be for 2010 unless we do an add on) I'll try AKL next. But we LOVED SSR. It is so nice.
4) DVC--one thing that bugged me was that when DH and I started kicking around the addon idea (100 points would only be $93 each at SSR) after the DVC member thing we went to, I wanted 2010 point charts to look at to make sure I added on the right number of points. The preview center did not have them! They said "well, they're online" and "they haven't changed that much really". I didn't want to go online if I could help it, and I kept remembering all the "now I'm one point short" posts lately. I didn't want to buy anything down there without the points in front of me. So now I'll do the online research, but why don't they have 2010 charts out yet? It's kind of silly. We did do the member gathering at the boardwalk on WEdnesday and that was a lot of fun. Now we all have blue hats. DVC is such a blessing, though, with all the room the family gets. No fights over the remote because the girls are in one room and their little brother is in the living room. Don't worry that it takes a week to eat that Mickey rice krispie treat because we have a frig. Waffles on the run because we have a freezer. Privacy for mom and dad! It's wonderful.
Robin M.
