The New Lizard Lounge

[#1hockeymom]

_about to leave for a hockey tournament, but just wanted to nod my head yes to everything Liz just said about the safari! Your DD and you will love the one on one time together, too! Have a wild time!

Debbie
PS I think Liz and I share the AKL princess crown!

 

[stitchesmom]

_about to leave for a hockey tournament, but just wanted to nod my head yes to everything Liz just said about the safari! Your DD and you will love the one on one time together, too! Have a wild time!

Debbie
PS I think Liz and I share the AKL princess crown!

Thanks Johnsonet and #1Hockeymom

That's exactly what I was thinking. Felt a little guilty about leaving the little one out but he doesn't like to sit still (that's why I call him Stitch) and I was looking forward to the one on one time with my DD.

Thanks for your advice I'll break the news to dad tonight.

Talk to you all soon, I could make a habit of this

 

[Angel16]

Welcome Stitchesmom The lounge is a great place to visit and hang-out. We have some really wonderful people here and an immense amout of knowledge. You will LOVE AKL add in that you will be pampered and well taken care of by concierge. I know you will have a super trip. You may not want to leave. I know I didn't.

Your DD will feel so special having time alone with Mom. The safari is an amazing experience. One I am sure she will never forget.

Angel

 

[stitchesmom]

Welcome Stitchesmom The lounge is a great place to visit and hang-out. We have some really wonderful people here and an immense amout of knowledge. You will LOVE AKL add in that you will be pampered and well taken care of by concierge. I know you will have a super trip. You may not want to leave. I know I didn't.

Your DD will feel so special having time alone with Mom. The safari is an amazing experience. One I am sure she will never forget.

Angel

Thanks Angel

This board is great. We had a snow day here in Mass. and I have been on it ALL DAY.

I am getting so many tips and the excitment for our trip is just growing.

I am really looking forward to the Safari. Sounds Wonderful. :jumping4:

 

[twinmomplus2new]

I am getting my Dad to come for the first time in 10 years. He is confirmed Disney hater! We are staying BWV but for the first two nights. I would like to do club level somewhere. Akl Is my fave. But he would HATE iT! Says african art is **ap... so I need advice and anyone that got an AP rate last week October... what roughly can I expect???

AKL is out..
WL is out...
CR is out....
Poly is out all per my stepmom..


She is calling for Grand Floridian... Am I better off in a regualr room than club. I have seen very few posetive reviews of this.... also mUcho money correct?

Beyond that I would say The YAcht Club and Boardwalk Inn are more thier speed. But Tammy seemed to have a lukewarm response to Yacht club... Any advice Lizards????

 

[QJ411]

Hi everyone,

Ok we made it back from GF/SL...(actually it was about 3 weeks ago )...we had a blast. So...does this make me "official" ? Am I a LL yet? Or am I a semi LL b/c we only stayed at SL? Hee hee...

Thanks for all the advise and help...it was beautiful there!

 

[minniesota]

twinmom- We love the GF - with or without concierge. We had RPC CL in October and December and had fabulous reviews. As I have mentioned elsewhere, the service there isn't all warm and fuzzy (though the CMs in the lounge were as warm and gracious as you can get when you engage them). But it is very professional and efficient - at least that has been our experience. It isn't cheap but we have always felt we are paying a bit for the real estate - it is a gorgeous resort and SO convenient on the monorail. I would definitely consider non-cl at the GF - the resort and ammenities fell so upscale even without the extra service. Can't help you with the AP question as we were in a suite in October so no discount at all. DS and I are staying in a garden view mid-Feb. (non-CL) and our rate is $259 before tax (AP rate). If you are planning to do MNSSHP, there is nothing more convenient than hopping the monorail to the party (MK is 1st stop) and taking the boat back to the GF dock at the end of your evening. And if your dad isn't real thrilled with Disney, I think he'd feel pretty insulated from it all at the Grand. Good luck!

 

[Goofy's Muse]

twinmom..., I totally agree with minniesota on this one. We stayed non-CL, garden view at the GF this past December (same rate though it was a public code) and we thought it was a great deal! We had used Dreams Unlimited this trip who secured both our discount rate (while we were on our vacation at WDW last summer) as well as all our PSs (including our Candlelight Processional package on the first day reservations were being taken). So we were all set as far as the pre-planning we needed for this trip.

Once we were at the GF, we found there was a concierge-type desk on the main floor where we picked up our CP package. I'm assuming (hoping) this desk is not just a seasonal amenity as they were helpful in printing our PS itinerary, boarding passes for our flight home, etc. We used these complimentary desk services more on this trip than we did during our BC concierge stay this past summer.

As for the lounge and food snacks... complimentary coffee was available for early risers in Conch Key prior to 8 am (we saw that hour once)! Since we were using our mornings for resort touring to see the holiday decorations (and did breakfasts at the resorts), we would not have taken advantage of CL breakfast fare. And we did not stop back at the resort until later in the evenings. I'd say the only thing we might have liked would have been an assortment of beverages at our disposal, but we found Gasparilla's to be both available and convenient (as well as a wonderful viewing spot for Wishes).

We did pass through the Sugar Loaf building once on our arrival afternoon and the snack spread looked very nice. [Yes, Queenie, I'd defintely say you're "official" now! ] Depending on what your touring/vacation style is (and more importantly your Dad's), you might decide that a concierge stay would be worth it to you.

BTW... we did stay concierge at the BC last summer (which I believe is a lot like YC) and it was worth it to us. We used the pre-planning service extensively and the Epcot IPO Office is stellar! I agree with Tammi that the closing of the lounge between servings (~ 1 hr each time) and the overall closing of the lounge at 10 is a bit unfortunate, especially since many folks like to enjoy Illuminations or Fantasmic and don't necessarily want to bolt back for their nightcap). But the availability of a quick breakfast was important to us and we used this many times -- we like a continental breakfast where we can get cereal AND fruit AND beverage AND MAYBE a donut/pastry for 5 without racking up a fortune going ala carte. Since we were starting our days early, there were also several nights where we turned in around 9:30 - 9:45, so there was still enough time to grab a cordial or snack for the kids to enjoy on our balcony. The lounge itself was smallish and not terribly conducive to hanging out, but I'm not one to hang out anyway so that didn't bother me.

Good luck with your decision...

 

[akghutton]

Happy New Years fellow Lounge Lizards! After our very busy holidays, I am finally getting back to my normal schedule, which of course includes my daily visit to the DIS. I had a tough time finding The Lounge's new location, but now have it marked in my favorites.

I was able to convince my husband to add-on two nights at AKL concierge to our Aug. 2005 trip. Now we are trying to convince my parents to do the same. We are using DVC points for the stay, so it took some discussion with my husband, as it does cost a lot of points. I finally pulled out the trump card, my birthday, which is August 30th, so the reservations are now made...and I will be spending my birthday at AKL concierge, going on the Sunrise Safari and dinner at Jikos


I hope the new year sprinkles all of you with much pixie dust!

 

[TammiMcMan]

Hi everyone,

Well, I am enjoying the last night of our romantic cruise. DH is back in the stateroom packing. I'm already finished, so I thought I would enjoy a coffee drink and hop online. This is definitely the life.

Goofysmuse, I've been instant messaging the kids and they told me about the 7" of snow we got yesterday. I'm worried because we're due to fly into Logan at 1:30 tomorrow and they are predicting another 4-8" for our area starting early in the morning. I have the number for Disney reservations just in case we get stuck. That's the good thing about travelling back on a Saturday. If something happens, we still have that extra day to get home. I'm going to keep a close eye on things and I'll hop back on line early in the morning to see whats up. If we have to, we'll suffer at concierge somewhere. I just hate to pay rack rates for a last minute reservation. We'll see what happens.

Take care,
Tammi

 

[twinmomplus2new]

I am in such a state over this... I have no desire to stay at Grand flordian.. The bad reviews seem to out pace the good.... Maybe I am a being a big baby because I just love the AKl club lounge so much....

AS.... for my Dad he has no touring style the last time he was there was over 10 years ago. He drove for the day from Long Boat key.. and hated every single second of it. ( He had by the way.... never been prior to that) so anyway.. I would anticipate maybe 1 night at MNSSHP. and the rest of the time maybe Food and Wine?

I think I am going to have to be sneaky here... It looks like the INN keepers Club at the Boardwalk is going to be the choice. I am going to have to say there was no availability at The Grand....

Why??? because I know he is going to do alot of wandering and hanging out at the resort. He owns a resort in New Hampshire and likes to check things out....So I guess i am going be crafty here.... I will let you know how it all pans out

 

[VAgal76]

I hope everyone's holidays were fantastic. I thought I would've had more time, but it looks like I just opened my schedule up to more family visits and overtime at work. I've been lurking here and there, but obviously not able to keep up. I hope everyone is doing well, especially the mommies that are expecting.

I have a weird question...I want to see if I am in the minority here because I feel like I work my TA too much. How often do you change your reservations? I haven't changed them in a while, but I keep changing my mind about where I want to stay and the dates.

 

[Steffy]

I'm back!!!

Actually I've been back for 2 weeks, but couldn't get here. Long story.

Anyway, we had the time of our lives. I am a very offical lizard now, with 11 days at the Poly. Loved it. The IPO was amazing. Just wonderful. Couldn't have been nicer. A wonderful, wonderful trip.

The highlight was the Illuminations cruise. I told my daughter that my internet friends told me about great seats for Illuminations. It was quite cool that night and she really didn't want to go. My DGD said she wanted to go on rides. My DSIL said it was cold. My dear grandson just smiled. We took the monorail to the GF and then the bus to the Yacht Club. I stalled by telling them I had to take pictures of the Christmas tree. Then I had to take pictures of the Beach Club's candy horses. And train set. Then we just sat in the lobby for about 15 minutes. They were all quite sick of me.

I told them to come on, we had to be in the seats an hour before Illuminations. As we are walking on the boardwalk, my daughter said, "Mom, I don't know what your friends were talking about. You can't even see EPCOT from here."

I walked up to Scott at the marina and said" I think I've been given some bad information. I was told the very best seats to view Illumination in all of Disney World were right here. And like my daughter says, you can't even see EPCOT from here."

And he smiled and said, "Well, you really can't see Illuminations from this spot right here, but there are 6 boats that will take you to the best seats in all of Disney World. But this is a really hard ticket, even harder than breakfast with the Princesses."

And my daughter just told me, "I'm so sorry Mom. I know how much you we're looking forward to seeiing Illuminations." And I told Scott my name. And he said "I have a boat with your name on it!"

Well, the look on my daughter's face was worth the price of the trip. My poor son-in-law, his very first trip to Disney and here he was, staying at the Poly conceirge level. The first time he saw EPCOT was from a boat. The first time he saw Illuminations his daughter got to blow out the torch to start the fireworks. He drove a car at the Richard Petty Rookie Experience. His daughter got to do the pirate cruise and the Grand Adventure in Cooking (which wasn't but that is another story)

They went to Disney Quest and Pleasure Island. Had breakfast with the Princesses at Cinderella's Castle. Had brunch with Pooh and friends at Crystal Palace. It was just the perfect trip. Amazing trip. Lifetime memories.

A big shout out to Chelsea at the Poly. I love you. And I will write a letter as soon as I get my breath. We had so many magical moments. So much pixie dust. It was all that I dreamt it would be.

And it has to sustain me for a while. My Dad had a heart attack last night. He's 89. Nuff said on that.

So sorry for your loss Floridifam, Goofy's Muse and nrsldy. Hugs to you all.

Happy birthday to #1hockeymom!

And hello to all of my fellow lizards. I missed you all more than I can say. I have to fix my counter. The best thing my son-in-law said was "when we come back....." He finally gets it. And he loved it.

All of it, execpt for the Family Magic Tour. I should have skipped that. It is not for newbies. His hands never left the stroller handlebars. My daughter said, "How would you feel, your first time at the MK making a total fool of yourself??" Oops. My bad.


Anyway, I'm back. And really ready to plan another trip. Thank you for helping me make this truly, a trip of a lifetime.

 

[vikame]

hi all-
the info here is great. quick question-
do all the bwi garden suites have concierge access?
how far to lounge & the elevators? minniesota-saw your
post about the stairway-how many flights? my concern is that
it'll be a treck to lounge, therefore a pain. we did that last jan at the wl-
we had a deluxe suite w/concierge access. the only issue was we were
4 floors beneath it & a mile from the elevators. with our then 3yo it was a
a long walk. the deluxe suites at the wl are all the way at the ends of the
floors-the concierge lounge was in the middle. wasnt worth it.
want to book tomorrow at aaa & any insight will be
a big help. tia

 

[minniesota]

vikame - I'll try this again. Tried to post a reply and it evaporated! Welcome to the lounge! Yes, the suites do include concierge service. The garden suites are a bit of a hike to the lounge. We were in 1206 which was actually right below the lounge but we had to go outside and walk to the back entrance of BWI (a 3-4 minute stroll), up a set of concrete steps, and through the hotel doors. The elevators were right inside - and you take those to the 4th floor - then basically backtrack down the hotel's hallway to the lounge. The service stairway was about halfway between our suite and the back entrance with the concrete steps. It's 4 flights of steps so we usually only used it coming down! While the garden suites are spacious, we felt they need updating - they seemed pretty worn. And we had a bad experience with noise that kept us up for 2 nights before we asked to be moved to another resort. Our neighbors were affected too. Management though it was Spoodles power washing their duct system. If it were me I'd look into a deluxe concierge room on the 4th floor. They look pretty spacious and it would be nice to just step out to the lounge, especially with your little one. Good luck!

 

[vikame]

thanks minniesota.
im not too thrilled with having to walk. we want 2 rooms-like we
had in the wl deluxe room.
how is the beach club cl-i know they have 1 bdrm suites.
are the deluxe rooms at the bwi 2 rooms w/2 tv's?

 

[KerryCM]

The deluxe rooms are only 1 large room with 2 tvs. The sitting area has a queen size pull out sofa. We had one of these rooms in Oct. and I loved it. The BWI is my fav. place to stay. They do have 2 bedroom suites here that are on the 4th floor near the lounge. You cannot beat the IPO and the cast of the Innkeeper's club. They are all fantastic. I liked the lounge here better than the YC or BC also. It is roomy and very comfortable.

 

[minniesota]

vikame - I have only seen pictures of the Deluxe concierge rooms. II know a standard room is 434 square feet and a deluxe is 644. From what I can tell, there are 2 queen beds, table and chairs, armoire, etc. and them beyond the room towards the balcony is another sitting area with a queen size sleeper sofa, coffee table and a second armoire. So while they are not separated by a door, you do have a separate reading/tv area. Not sure if there are 2 tv's - I bet the concierge desk at BWI could answer that question. I've included a link that has some great photos of BWI - just follow the resorts thread. From what I've been able to get from these boards, most posters LOVE the BWI CL and have been ok with BC/YC. I do know the planners for all the Epcot concierge hotels are great! Here's the link:

http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/asp/pix.asp?resort

 

[minniesota]

Hi KerryCM- I was hoping you would chime in - you are the one person I know who has enjoyed those deluxe concierge rooms. Good to "see" you!

 

[dreamflight99]

Just popping in to say HELLO to everyone! I nearly fell over when I came across this thread! It reminded me of a "happier" time on the Resort thread. Hope everyone is doing well...and enjoying the NEW YEAR!



TTFN...DF99