DIS Dads The Dis Dad's Club II

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hey Guys,

Haven't been on in awhile - looks like a lot to catch up on. Just wanted to share that I booked our next trip last night. We're going to try out a cabin in Ft. Wilderness in Feb. Any other Dads ever stay in one before? If so, I'd love to hear any thoughts/comments.

Also - I saw some discussion about the origins of screen names. Well the way I got mine was back years ago signing up for my first AOL account or something, I asked for something like "SuperDave" but the name was already taken, so the system gave me something close. It's a pretty dumb-sounding name, but for whatever reason, it has stuck (and it drives my DW nuts, which is probably the bigger reason I keep it around )!

Have a great day, Dads!

Hey Dave,

When I was growing up, my family used to always stay in the Ft. Wilderness cabins (back when they were trailers). Now, I think they're the same double-wide trailers with cabin facades built around them. In any case, we always enjoyed them--having the kitchen helped save money on food, and we liked the rustic theme. Usually had enough room for 6 of us to stay (one bed folds out of the wall). Ft. Wilderness is a lot of fun. I'd say the only downside was that it took forever to get anywhere--you take this bus to get on that bus, etc. It has its own internal bus system just to get you to the regular Disney bus system. On the plus side, there is a boat to the Magic Kingdom!

For the "origin of screenname" thread: Mine's pretty simple. In college, I liked this one girl. Didn't know how she felt about me. One day, she and I were part of a group doing a service project. At meal time, she sits by herself. Others invite her over, but she declines, and says she'll wait for me to sit with her.

I'm standing no more than 10 feet away, yet somehow I DO NOT HEAR THIS REMARK.

Being Mr. Suave, I go and sit with my buddies.

And Captain Oblivious was born.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

I need in to the club. 33yo with DD2 and DD 3 months. My wife thinks I am a Disney freak... Probably because I am.

With Bucky as an avatar, this guy gets in, no matter what.

Welcome to the club!

 

[tutter99]

We were in the unfortunate group of people whose vacation fell within the window for dining reservations when it jumped from 90 to 180 days out today. We spent last night working on the game plan, I'd head into the office around 5:30 so I could start trying the reservations online at 6:00, she'd do the same from home. At 7:00 we would both try to book over the phone and then just cancel whichever res had the worst day/time.

So at 6:00 I check the online system and it lets me pick a date in April, I pick my restaurant, set the number of people, and submit..........and it comes back there was a problem processing your request please try again. So I try again, and again, and again, then after about the 4th try it tells me the system is having issues and maybe I should call instead if I continue to see the message. by 6:10 it just says the system is offline.

At about 5 minutes to 7:00 I start calling the res # and get the offices are closed message, and at 7:00 it immediately switches to "Your call cannot be completed at this time"; it literally took less then 10 seconds to crash the incoming phone system! I was just starting to have visions of eating all my meals at 9pm when an IM from my wife pops up: "Done". Somehow she managed to get through before the system locked up, got the quickest agent we've ever dealt with, and got every reservation we wanted around 6pm each night.

The happy dance just got happier

 

[Poopachino]

We were in the unfortunate group of people whose vacation fell within the window for dining reservations when it jumped from 90 to 180 days out today. We spent last night working on the game plan, I'd head into the office around 5:30 so I could start trying the reservations online at 6:00, she'd do the same from home. At 7:00 we would both try to book over the phone and then just cancel whichever res had the worst day/time.

So at 6:00 I check the online system and it lets me pick a date in April, I pick my restaurant, set the number of people, and submit..........and it comes back there was a problem processing your request please try again. So I try again, and again, and again, then after about the 4th try it tells me the system is having issues and maybe I should call instead if I continue to see the message. by 6:10 it just says the system is offline.

At about 5 minutes to 7:00 I start calling the res # and get the offices are closed message, and at 7:00 it immediately switches to "Your call cannot be completed at this time"; it literally took less then 10 seconds to crash the incoming phone system! I was just starting to have visions of eating all my meals at 9pm when an IM from my wife pops up: "Done". Somehow she managed to get through before the system locked up, got the quickest agent we've ever dealt with, and got every reservation we wanted around 6pm each night.

The happy dance just got happier

Very cool. I tried online every couple of hours today and it was down all day. I didn't call today because I couldn't find the park hours for April (I found some, but not all), so I figured I'd wait until tomorrow and see if I can find those before I call. As much as they were probably prepared for an onslaught, I think it exceeded what they were expecting by quite a bit!

 

[that's nice]

Never stayed at the cabins, the closest we got was the Hoop Dee Doo revue. That was a lot of fun, I recommend it to any of the Dads out there.

We just went to Hoop Dee Doo a few weeks ago and we had a great time. My DD3 loved the show and she was so into it! If any of you have the chance and like to see a corny but great show, check it out! Plus the food was good too!

We were in the unfortunate group of people whose vacation fell within the window for dining reservations when it jumped from 90 to 180 days out today. We spent last night working on the game plan, I'd head into the office around 5:30 so I could start trying the reservations online at 6:00, she'd do the same from home. At 7:00 we would both try to book over the phone and then just cancel whichever res had the worst day/time.

So at 6:00 I check the online system and it lets me pick a date in April, I pick my restaurant, set the number of people, and submit..........and it comes back there was a problem processing your request please try again. So I try again, and again, and again, then after about the 4th try it tells me the system is having issues and maybe I should call instead if I continue to see the message. by 6:10 it just says the system is offline.

At about 5 minutes to 7:00 I start calling the res # and get the offices are closed message, and at 7:00 it immediately switches to "Your call cannot be completed at this time"; it literally took less then 10 seconds to crash the incoming phone system! I was just starting to have visions of eating all my meals at 9pm when an IM from my wife pops up: "Done". Somehow she managed to get through before the system locked up, got the quickest agent we've ever dealt with, and got every reservation we wanted around 6pm each night.

The happy dance just got happier

Nice job. I was up at 3 then again at 6 trying the online system till it crashed. Started calling at 7 and finally got through at 7:50. I was all done by 8:30 and had everything I wanted! It was a little rough, but really worth it since we are renting a house this time. I doubt I could of gotten all these ADRs if I wasn't staying onsite.

 

[dvczerfs]

Love it when the wife starts the planning process, problem is my wife is always planning a trip......not really a problem except for the "checkbook"...Do they still print checks?



Nice I still have my finger on the trigger...it's getting really hard to hold back.




Congrats on the next trip

Never stayed at the cabins, the closest we got was the Hoop Dee Doo revue. That was a lot of fun, I recommend it to any of the Dads out there.

yes, they still print checks. the checking act. we have i have had since i was 16. im 44 now. my check numbers are in the upper 5 digit range. the new fan dangled machines in our groc. store does not read 5 digit check numbers!! im sorry, this check is no good!! make a long story short, it wont take it if the check ends in a 0 with 5 digit check numbers. modern technology at its best!! its funny, the other couple that goes w/ us to wdw uses there card for everything while on vacation. after they get home, they have a bill to pay. me, my room is on points (dvc) my tickets i mail a check to disney every jan for our aps and when we go, i pay cash,(except for gas, thats $200) but when i get home, the only bill that comes in the mail is the exxon card. i dont even do the auto withdraws! about 10 years ago, my ex car insurance co deducted my monthly payment 10 times in a 2 week period!!! so after that ordeal, i write checks!!

 

[dvczerfs]

Hay any of the DADs around NYC this week, check this out! DW just sent it to me. think I'll try to get there next Sun. and check it out


http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/#/schedule/

ha john, we got something in the mail the other day, its going to be in philly at the 30th street station. did you get anything?

 

[middlepat]

Hey there guys. I've been busy getting things together for the upcoming trek. (10 days till departure!!!)

Disneyphile: Welcome to the club. Although I'll have to have a few words with my good friend FreezinRafiki about Big 10 mascots. (Go Wildcats!)

Tutter & Thats nice: Great job on the ADRs. With the window jumping from 90 to 180 days today, you know that the system was going to be nuts. Sounds like you guys are all set!

ZuperDaave: No experience with the Cabins, but I look forward to hearing your experience. We have done Deluxe, Moderate and Value resorts previously but have yet to do the cabins. If it works out for you maybe we'll have to mosey on over there for a spell.

DisneyDaddy-O & DVCZerfs: Talking about checks, a few years ago I was working as a technology consultant for a bank. I was presenting our on-line services to a group of bank officers and was asked the question, "Do you use bill payment on-line?" My manager at the time (one of the Bank officers being presented to) answered for me and "Oh absolutely". Today I use it occasionally, but I still like paper checks when possible.

GoHerd: I hope that the 2nd day back was a little easier. Good luck getting back into the swing.

I can't wait to hit the road next Friday!!!!

 

[itJeff]

Hey Guys,

Haven't been on in awhile - looks like a lot to catch up on. Just wanted to share that I booked our next trip last night. We're going to try out a cabin in Ft. Wilderness in Feb. Any other Dads ever stay in one before? If so, I'd love to hear any thoughts/comments.

Also - I saw some discussion about the origins of screen names. Well the way I got mine was back years ago signing up for my first AOL account or something, I asked for something like "SuperDave" but the name was already taken, so the system gave me something close. It's a pretty dumb-sounding name, but for whatever reason, it has stuck (and it drives my DW nuts, which is probably the bigger reason I keep it around )!

Have a great day, Dads!

I knew a SuperDave... at least that's what we called him.

We stayed at the Ft. Wilderness cabins in 2001 with my wife's parents. It's a nice setup. There's a murphy bed (full size I think) in the living room, a set of bunk beds and another full size bed in the bedroom. I don't remember if we actually fixed any meals there or not, but the kitchen had a regular size fridge and had enough pots/pans/utensils etc. to do whatever we needed.

It's very peaceful and quiet out there. We were there in Sept, so it was pretty slow anyway. But, I don't remember ever hearing anything from outside.

There's a marina there on property that you can rent watercraft at, if you're into that. There is also a boat that transports you directly to MK. We would catch the bus, and get off at the marina, then ride the boat to the MK. Much easier than going to the TTC. But, the transportation to everywhere else seemed to take forever. We don't do a lot of public transit where we're from, so it may just be that we we're used to it! We drove to the world last time we went (2007) and drove ourselves instead of using the DisneyTransportation... so I can't compare it to anything else.

We considered staying there again next year. But we decided we wanted to try a new one. Maybe we'll work our way through them all.

If you have any specific questions I'll try to answer what I can.

 

[MiJo]

Hey, Dads: Don't forget about DU. Our DU "agent" made our ADRs for us for our recent trip and it worked out great. And, it's free!

 

[DisneyFed]

Twenty Two days

22 days

Veinte Dos days



And tickets to MVMCP on 17DEC that WIFECOM doesn't know about yet

It's a surprise!!!

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

yes, they still print checks. the checking act. we have i have had since i was 16. im 44 now. my check numbers are in the upper 5 digit range. the new fan dangled machines in our groc. store does not read 5 digit check numbers!! im sorry, this check is no good!! make a long story short, it wont take it if the check ends in a 0 with 5 digit check numbers. modern technology at its best!! its funny, the other couple that goes w/ us to wdw uses there card for everything while on vacation. after they get home, they have a bill to pay. me, my room is on points (dvc) my tickets i mail a check to disney every jan for our aps and when we go, i pay cash,(except for gas, thats $200) but when i get home, the only bill that comes in the mail is the exxon card. i dont even do the auto withdraws! about 10 years ago, my ex car insurance co deducted my monthly payment 10 times in a 2 week period!!! so after that ordeal, i write checks!!

Funny, I can't remember the last time I wrote a check. We pay all our bills on line and do all our banking on-line as well. We use one Visa card for our entire trip, this way we collect a 1% rebate on all our purchases with the card, then pay it off at the end of the month. We have been renovating the house this year and it has already paid off using the card. We don't do any auto bill payments tho, had a similar situation happen and now let them bill me first then pay.

 

[1Grumpy John]

ha john, we got something in the mail the other day, its going to be in philly at the 30th street station. did you get anything?

Nothing in the mail but spotted it on an other thread. did you get to go to Philli?

 

[Emma's Dad]

I need in to the club. 33yo with DD2 and DD 3 months. My wife thinks I am a Disney freak... Probably because I am.

Yep... we're all freaks here... welcome aboard! You are member # 375!

WELCOME TO THE DIS DAD'S CLUB!

You have been added to the DIS Dad's Club list

 

[Emma's Dad]

180 days!

 

[zuperdaave]

Congrats on the next trip

Never stayed at the cabins, the closest we got was the Hoop Dee Doo revue. That was a lot of fun, I recommend it to any of the Dads out there.

Thanks. I actually just booked Hoop Dee Doo and we're looking forward to it.

I need in to the club. 33yo with DD2 and DD 3 months. My wife thinks I am a Disney freak... Probably because I am.

I love the cabins! Fort Wilderness is a great place to stay. It has so much to do outside. We always like to rent a golf cart and cruise around the grounds - it is worth the $. We also check out both trading posts because they are great places to hang out and relax.

First, welcome to the club! Thanks for your thoughts on FW; I'm pretty sure we're going to do the golf carts too - everyone says that's the way to go and my DW really wants one.

Hey Dave,

When I was growing up, my family used to always stay in the Ft. Wilderness cabins (back when they were trailers). Now, I think they're the same double-wide trailers with cabin facades built around them. In any case, we always enjoyed them--having the kitchen helped save money on food, and we liked the rustic theme. Usually had enough room for 6 of us to stay (one bed folds out of the wall). Ft. Wilderness is a lot of fun. I'd say the only downside was that it took forever to get anywhere--you take this bus to get on that bus, etc. It has its own internal bus system just to get you to the regular Disney bus system. On the plus side, there is a boat to the Magic Kingdom!

For the "origin of screenname" thread: Mine's pretty simple. In college, I liked this one girl. Didn't know how she felt about me. One day, she and I were part of a group doing a service project. At meal time, she sits by herself. Others invite her over, but she declines, and says she'll wait for me to sit with her.

I'm standing no more than 10 feet away, yet somehow I DO NOT HEAR THIS REMARK.

Being Mr. Suave, I go and sit with my buddies.

And Captain Oblivious was born.

Thanks for the FW info. As for your screen name, that is fantastic. I think there is just something about guys that we ARE totally oblivious half the time, right? It's part of our charm I know sometimes my DW will capture every detail of an event and then ask me tons of questions and I don't seem to have a clue! Just part of being oblivious - but I like it that way!

 

[zuperdaave]

I knew a SuperDave... at least that's what we called him.

We stayed at the Ft. Wilderness cabins in 2001 with my wife's parents. It's a nice setup. There's a murphy bed (full size I think) in the living room, a set of bunk beds and another full size bed in the bedroom. I don't remember if we actually fixed any meals there or not, but the kitchen had a regular size fridge and had enough pots/pans/utensils etc. to do whatever we needed.

It's very peaceful and quiet out there. We were there in Sept, so it was pretty slow anyway. But, I don't remember ever hearing anything from outside.

There's a marina there on property that you can rent watercraft at, if you're into that. There is also a boat that transports you directly to MK. We would catch the bus, and get off at the marina, then ride the boat to the MK. Much easier than going to the TTC. But, the transportation to everywhere else seemed to take forever. We don't do a lot of public transit where we're from, so it may just be that we we're used to it! We drove to the world last time we went (2007) and drove ourselves instead of using the DisneyTransportation... so I can't compare it to anything else.

We considered staying there again next year. But we decided we wanted to try a new one. Maybe we'll work our way through them all.

If you have any specific questions I'll try to answer what I can.

Hey thanks a lot for the info. It really sounds like getting a golf cart is the way to go to avoid the lengthy internal transportation.

Where are you staying on your next trip? I think we're like you, in that we try to "make the rounds" and try out different places on each visit.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

We're down to single digits! Naturally, my son is now on antibiotics and my wife has a sinus infection. Sigh...

 

[Emma's Dad]

We're down to single digits! Naturally, my son is now on antibiotics and my wife has a sinus infection. Sigh...

Oh Man! That sucks! Cutting it close.... but better to get sick BEFORE the trip than during. We'll keep you family in our prayers.

 

[zuperdaave]

ZuperDaave: No experience with the Cabins, but I look forward to hearing your experience. We have done Deluxe, Moderate and Value resorts previously but have yet to do the cabins. If it works out for you maybe we'll have to mosey on over there for a spell.

Well, maybe I will be inspired to do my first Trip Report when we get back to help you make your decision!