*** The Official July 2014 thread, join us won't you? II***

[SRUAlmn]

I had to do mine today since I'll have to be back to reality on Monday

 

[think-like-tink]

LOVE ALL YOUR GOODIES!

I thought about getting that Vera bag. LOVES. I swear EVERONE had that bag.

I an not a fan of the soaps. I am a bath and body snob. However, I do love me some Disney Resort soaps and shampoos. I have a collection going on.


It is a dream of mine to get the Mickey kitchen stuff. I am jelly of your's, I should have gotten some. BUT, I do have a Christmas wish list.

I am off to do mines now.

 

[SRUAlmn]

LOVE ALL YOUR GOODIES!

I thought about getting that Vera bag. LOVES. I swear EVERONE had that bag.

I an not a fan of the soaps. I am a bath and body snob. However, I do love me some Disney Resort soaps and shampoos. I have a collection going on.

It is a dream of mine to get the Mickey kitchen stuff. I am jelly of your's, I should have gotten some. BUT, I do have a Christmas wish list.

I am off to do mines now.

I debated the Vera bag so much! Originally I thought I wanted the backpack (which was out of stock everywhere except one store at DHS,) but I couldn't justify the cost for how infrequently I'd use it, so I got this one and told myself it would be my school bag this year With my AP discount it wasn't 'too' bad. I also got the lanyard and pen for school. I thought if I had cute new Disney stuff it would be fun to go back, ha!

I hadn't tried to soaps before but they smelled really good and were cute. They might end up just being decoration

On our last trip I second guessed a couple things and then got home and wished I'd bought them, so this year's theme was 'get it' (within reason )

 

[MamaOfTwoPrincesses]

Love all of your goodies. I really thought hard about a Disney Vera, but didn't do it. We DID get some Alex and Ani bracelets - Tink for 12 year old, Rapunzel for 9 year old, and castle for me. 12 year old also spent her money on the Beautifully Disney makeup collection. She was ecstatic!

I was looking for a certain tea at the tea shopped in the UK, but couldn't find it. I LOVED the Tardis dress in the UK shop, but didn't get it!

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

Here is the link to my dining review. Enjoy!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=51997048&posted=1#post51997048

 

[SRUAlmn]

Here is the link to my dining review. Enjoy!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=51997048&posted=1#post51997048

Yay!!!! Heading over to read it now

 

[think-like-tink]

Vacation is over for me. Back to wrok bright and early this morning Oh how I wish I were getting ready for rope drop!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Hi everyone!! We arrived home yesterday and unpacked right away...it feels good to relax at home today after running around and being on the road.

We left WDW July 30th, after 10 wonderful days there. We did almost everything we had planned...we missed the Animation Academy at DHS because every time we went there to try and do it, the line was so long that we didn't have time to do it...either we had an ADR, or a FP+ that would run out by the time we would finish up there. The boys chose the ADR or FP+ attraction every time and they didn't mind missing animation academy.

We ate at some wonderful restaurants. DH and I enjoyed V&A's sooooo much! We've never eaten food like that in our lives, and we did the wine pairings as well. I say if you go there, splurge on the wine pairings, they are amazing with the food! They really can't do enough for you there as far as service. You definitely don't feel like you're in WDW, and DH thanked me for talking him into going there...the last thing he wanted was to wear a dinner jacket at WDW in July! He is still thanking me for going there. We are both so glad we went...as of August 1st, they no longer take the TIW card so it was great to have the discount while it lasted.

We also went to a few signatures this trip. Jiko was amazing, the Fantasmic dinner at Hollywood Brown Derby was fantastic, and Flying Fish is now our favorite signature restaurant! So glad it was so good, because it's right on the boardwalk and we always stay at BWV, our DVC home. FF has now become a must-do for every trip!

The chefs were so great with DS9's food allergies (shellfish, tree nuts and peanuts). He was able to eat dessert more often than all of us expected, just modified versions like no candy pearls, etc. The chefs were truly amazing and it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be with the nut allergies (we discovered his nut allergies a few months after our last trip, so this was the first time dealing with them at WDW).


Tutto Italia was a huge disappointment for us. It's not that it was bad at all, the food was very good. It was just not as "wow" as I had expected. We felt it was just overpriced food. Definitely not low quality like a chain Italian restaurant, but definitely not worth the price either. My lasagne was delicious and did remind me of the one I had in Florence, Italy, but definitely shouldn't have cost $26, even in NY it wouldn't cost that much. In fact, the same restaurant group (Patina group) has an Italian restaurant in Manhattan and the same lasagne costs $19, which is still pricey for a pasta dish, but it's Manhattan and it's still $5 less than WDW! DH couldn't really find anything on the menu under $30 that appealed to him. He felt bad ordering a $30+ entree in an Italian restaurant but I told him not to worry about it. He settled for the polenta dish with a few different meats, which cost somewhere in the $20s. He liked it but he said nothing to write home about.

DS9 and DH enjoyed the mine train ride. Holy cow, the line for that gets long super fast! On EMH morning MK day, we felt like we had the rest of fantasyland to ourselves because everyone rushed to that ride. We had a FP+ for it, so no worries there. We got more done that day than I had originally planned, all before our lunch at LTT. That made for a much more relaxing second MK day which was good since that was our last full WDW day.

We hit rain a few times, as we always do. The first afternoon we had arrived, it rained at Epcot and DH and DS7 didn't get to go on test track. First the ride broke down. Then with thunderstorms they closed the ride. Then later on they tried again but it broke down again. So having the FP+ for it proved useless on that day even though we got it through the glitch in the system when they changed FP+ tiering at Epcot. Oh well...they did get to go on TT at rope drop on our other two Epcot days so DS9 was very happy. DS7 decided not to go on TT or any roller coasters, so he stayed with me.

We definitely found that out of our 4 WDW trips so far (July 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014), this was by far the hottest at WDW. We were very careful to stay hydrated, especially for the boys. It also felt more crowded at times. We had a wonderful trip, but it's also nice to be home!

Now, time to plan California and Disneyland for next July

 

[think-like-tink]

Hi everyone!! We arrived home yesterday and unpacked right away...it feels good to relax at home today after running around and being on the road.

We left WDW July 30th, after 10 wonderful days there. We did almost everything we had planned...we missed the Animation Academy at DHS because every time we went there to try and do it, the line was so long that we didn't have time to do it...either we had an ADR, or a FP+ that would run out by the time we would finish up there. The boys chose the ADR or FP+ attraction every time and they didn't mind missing animation academy.

We ate at some wonderful restaurants. DH and I enjoyed V&A's sooooo much! We've never eaten food like that in our lives, and we did the wine pairings as well. I say if you go there, splurge on the wine pairings, they are amazing with the food! They really can't do enough for you there as far as service. You definitely don't feel like you're in WDW, and DH thanked me for talking him into going there...the last thing he wanted was to wear a dinner jacket at WDW in July! He is still thanking me for going there. We are both so glad we went...as of August 1st, they no longer take the TIW card so it was great to have the discount while it lasted.

We also went to a few signatures this trip. Jiko was amazing, the Fantasmic dinner at Hollywood Brown Derby was fantastic, and Flying Fish is now our favorite signature restaurant! So glad it was so good, because it's right on the boardwalk and we always stay at BWV, our DVC home. FF has now become a must-do for every trip!

The chefs were so great with DS9's food allergies (shellfish, tree nuts and peanuts). He was able to eat dessert more often than all of us expected, just modified versions like no candy pearls, etc. The chefs were truly amazing and it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be with the nut allergies (we discovered his nut allergies a few months after our last trip, so this was the first time dealing with them at WDW).


Tutto Italia was a huge disappointment for us. It's not that it was bad at all, the food was very good. It was just not as "wow" as I had expected. We felt it was just overpriced food. Definitely not low quality like a chain Italian restaurant, but definitely not worth the price either. My lasagne was delicious and did remind me of the one I had in Florence, Italy, but definitely shouldn't have cost $26, even in NY it wouldn't cost that much. In fact, the same restaurant group (Patina group) has an Italian restaurant in Manhattan and the same lasagne costs $19, which is still pricey for a pasta dish, but it's Manhattan and it's still $5 less than WDW! DH couldn't really find anything on the menu under $30 that appealed to him. He felt bad ordering a $30+ entree in an Italian restaurant but I told him not to worry about it. He settled for the polenta dish with a few different meats, which cost somewhere in the $20s. He liked it but he said nothing to write home about.

DS9 and DH enjoyed the mine train ride. Holy cow, the line for that gets long super fast! On EMH morning MK day, we felt like we had the rest of fantasyland to ourselves because everyone rushed to that ride. We had a FP+ for it, so no worries there. We got more done that day than I had originally planned, all before our lunch at LTT. That made for a much more relaxing second MK day which was good since that was our last full WDW day.

We hit rain a few times, as we always do. The first afternoon we had arrived, it rained at Epcot and DH and DS7 didn't get to go on test track. First the ride broke down. Then with thunderstorms they closed the ride. Then later on they tried again but it broke down again. So having the FP+ for it proved useless on that day even though we got it through the glitch in the system when they changed FP+ tiering at Epcot. Oh well...they did get to go on TT at rope drop on our other two Epcot days so DS9 was very happy. DS7 decided not to go on TT or any roller coasters, so he stayed with me.

We definitely found that out of our 4 WDW trips so far (July 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014), this was by far the hottest at WDW. We were very careful to stay hydrated, especially for the boys. It also felt more crowded at times. We had a wonderful trip, but it's also nice to be home!

Now, time to plan California and Disneyland for next July

Sounds like a great trip. By looking at your past trips we may have crossed paths a time or two. We went July 2009,2010,and this year.

It was super hot. I remember feeling the heat coming from the pavement more this time than ever before. I thought maybe it was because I put on some weight. Glad to know I am not the only one who thought this July was hot. I have to take some of that back...We had 2 really HOT days out of our whole trip. It would start off HOT then rain, and really, really cool down at night. Almost chilly when the wind would blow.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Vacation is over for me. Back to wrok bright and early this morning Oh how I wish I were getting ready for rope drop!

Same here! Reality sure slapped me in the face when that alarm went off this morning Also found out I'll have a new position this year so now I need to switch gears and figure out what I'm doing!

 

[SRUAlmn]

Sounds like a great trip. By looking at your past trips we may have crossed paths a time or two. We went July 2009,2010,and this year.

It was super hot. I remember feeling the heat coming from the pavement more this time than ever before. I thought maybe it was because I put on some weight. Glad to know I am not the only one who thought this July was hot. I have to take some of that back...We had 2 really HOT days out of our whole trip. It would start off HOT then rain, and really, really cool down at night. Almost chilly when the wind would blow.

I agree about the heat. Our last trips have all been in June and July and this was the first time it felt unbearable. My mom and I also had horrible ankle swelling. I'm talking full fledged cankles where we felt like we couldn't walk or bend our ankles. It was miserable. We really tried to stay hydrated to the point where thinking about drinking more water made us sick, but I guess it wasn't enough? The shops and restaurants felt much less cool then they used to, so there really wasn't much reprieve at all.

 

[bangzoom6877]

I agree about the heat. Our last trips have all been in June and July and this was the first time it felt unbearable. My mom and I also had horrible ankle swelling. I'm talking full fledged cankles where we felt like we couldn't walk or bend our ankles. It was miserable. We really tried to stay hydrated to the point where thinking about drinking more water made us sick, but I guess it wasn't enough? The shops and restaurants felt much less cool then they used to, so there really wasn't much reprieve at all.

The swelling could also be due to salt intake. Restaurant food and theme park food tend to have a lot more salt than why we are used to, and that could definitely contribute to at least some of the swelling. My father experienced the same thing one time on a cruise, although it was the only time that happened to him on 20+ cruises. He hadn't been drinking enough water though, and his beverages consisted mainly of caffeine and then there was the alcohol...a frozen drink in the hot Caribbean sun sounds like a good idea but it really isn't. Same goes at Epcot, but I can't help but treat myself to my two faves...the avocado margarita, and the grey goose lemonade slush.

The day we went to Legoland was completely unbearable. It was Friday, July 25th. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did the last time we went there in 2012 because of the heat this year. DH felt the same way. Legoland is also different than the WDW parks we go to because there is nothing in the shade, really no indoor attractions, etc. So you're spending most of your day in the baking sun. To top it off, the park doesn't even open until 10:00, so it starts to get hotter very quickly due to the later hour than WDW rope drops even on a morning without EMH. Keep in mind we didn't go to AK though...I know how hot that park can get. Last time we were there was in 2008 and it was definitely the hottest park, although the WS at Epcot comes close! DH and I decided we would rather get something to eat at a WDW resort after driving back from legoland, rather than eat the overpriced food there (it was more expensive than a lot of the CS food at WDW!). The plan was to go and see the Art of Animation resort and eat at their food court. But by the time we got into the car we were so exhausted that DH asked me if we should just go back to BWV, to which I replied that yes, it was a great idea!! Then within a few minutes it started raining anyway! We could just grab a sandwich at the boardwalk bakery if we wanted. DH wasn't even all that hungry (we had gone to Kona for breakfast that morning and he said he just wanted to shower and nap and wait until our Kouzzina dinner to eat). The kids were hungry and wanted burgers and fries so we got those at the Boardwalk To Go stand (they don't take the dining plan or the magic band, but they do take credit cards...we don't use the dining plan so this was fine for us). I wasn't in the mood for anything fried or a burger, so I got the fresh mozzarella sandwich at the bakery. It was to die for by the way, and their lobster roll is also fantastic, and NOT loaded with mayo thank goodness!! I had also called Disney Dining on the way back from legoland to see if we could switch our ADR from 5:30 to 6:30. They had 6:45 available so I grabbed it, and we were all so glad I did because we really needed that nice long nap after being in the hot sun!

We really didn't mind the heat at WDW parks as much though because a lot of what we do are indoor attractions, plus at Epcot the pavilions are indoors as well. And even in the countries there is always a store you can go to in order to get relief from the heat.

Thankfully, Legoland Florida is not a park we will be returning to. We are going to Legoland in California next summer, and then in 2016 when we return to WDW we will be replacing Legoland with Universal. The boys are starting to get into the Harry Potter books, and I think it would be a perfect time to go to Universal orlando in 2 years. I will have to figure out touring plans for that as well, LOL!

 

[SingingMom]

Sounds like a great trip. By looking at your past trips we may have crossed paths a time or two. We went July 2009,2010,and this year. It was super hot. I remember feeling the heat coming from the pavement more this time than ever before. I thought maybe it was because I put on some weight. Glad to know I am not the only one who thought this July was hot. I have to take some of that back...We had 2 really HOT days out of our whole trip. It would start off HOT then rain, and really, really cool down at night. Almost chilly when the wind would blow.

One of the reasons we went this July was I wanted DD to remember how HOT summer in Florida is, since We've been there in January the past few years. She is hoping to get an internship after graduating college this May. I can't believe how hot it was! No sooner had I wiped the sweat off my face, it just reappeared. I was drenched! Luckily, DD didn't mind. Lol

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Yes it was much hotter this year than last July!!! DH doesn't believe me but even our friend who lives in FL said this year was worst than lasts you know it's hot when it's still mid 80s after Wishes. Sometimes I just didn't even want to be there. Usually you have to drag me out of the parks.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[SRUAlmn]

Yes it was much hotter this year than last July!!! DH doesn't believe me but even our friend who lives in FL said this year was worst than lasts you know it's hot when it's still mid 80s after Wishes. Sometimes I just didn't even want to be there. Usually you have to drag me out of the parks.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

That's how it was for us too and I kinda bummed myself out a little. Things felt a little more like a chore because it was so hot, and we'd feel hungry but then sit down to eat and feel too icky to eat. I, too, voluntarily left after Wishes even though I knew the crowd would be awful, and even though you normally have to drag me out of the park as well. We were all just so run down and hot and (like a PP mentioned) it was still in the mid to upper 80s (even higher heat index) and it was 10:15!

 

[anjalee6]

We got back late last night from a wonderful trip.

It started with our flight arriving early. Then our room was ready when we got there at 11:00 am. It was a great room. Exactly what I requested. Perfect.

We had a great first day having Boma for dinner, swimming, and going to DTD.

Our first day at AK it sprinkled a little but nothing big and didn't rain again until the last night of our trip.

Good meals...
Coral Reef-sat near the fish tank and food and device were really good.

Narcoossee's- best meal of our trip. Great filet and lobster tail. Great service.

Teppan Edo- DS requested for his birthday. Food was good. They brought him out dessert and sang happy birthday and gave him a chef's hat which he wore for the rest of the day.

1900 Park Fare- the step sisters and mother were awesome. We told Anaastasia that our DS was in love with her which made for some quick whit and banter. Very funny.

San Angel- my margaritas were awesome....nothing else to say. Lol. No, our food was good. Our kids devoured their meals. They love eating in the pyramid.

Parks were less crowded then in mid July trips we have taken, far less tour groups they we have experienced in the past, very humid though. My DH got really dizzy one day and was sick to his stomach. He couldn't stop sweating. It kind of ruined our Hoop de Doo night but he still enjoyed the show, minus eating.

On our bus ride home, another man was sick on the bus. It was just a really hot day. I felt horrible for the man, who was extremely embarrassed. The CMs kept telling people to stay hydrated that day. Even though DH drank a lot, it still took a toll on him and heat doesn't get to him. Please be careful and drink often.

My DH and DD got stuck on ToT for an hour. They had to send the maintenance crew to get them. But my DD loves the ride and decided to ride again anyway and we got two free family Fast passes for the trouble. It made traveling around the park that day very easy.

Frozen fireworks were very fun. The kids also loved the sing along and the Wandering Oaken Trading post. They loved playing in the "snow" which was more like shaved ice, but fun. It was interesting to watch people who obviously don't see snow very often. Lead to some cute people watching moments.

DD loved meeting Elsa and Anna. fast pass + was definitely the way to go with that one. And we were able to get her an Anna coronation day dress which she doesn't want to take off.

We found Fast Pass + was very easy to get extra passes for in MK. We used ten extra one day before we left at 8:00 pm. There were tons available for the little rides (no mine train in afternoon at all) and we didn't wait very long in any line using fast pass +.

The other parks were harder to come by simply because they don't have as many rides, but we were still able to get several extras at each park.

Going to AK one late afternoon was awesome. Road several rides multiple time. Park really clears out after 3. We had a late diner at Yak and a Yeti and walked out of the park after closer....so peaceful.

Only negative- Our meal at Hoop de doo was just ok. Could have been from DH feeling sick. The food was decent. The show was fun, but all of us agreed, we would rather do something else next time.


Sorry this post was long, but we really enjoyed this trip. Spending 9 days really helped us to slow down and not rush things. Our kids were far less tired and we were more energized. Was a great trip.

 

[bangzoom6877]

We got back late last night from a wonderful trip. It started with our flight arriving early. Then our room was ready when we got there at 11:00 am. It was a great room. Exactly what I requested. Perfect. We had a great first day having Boma for dinner, swimming, and going to DTD. Our first day at AK it sprinkled a little but nothing big and didn't rain again until the last night of our trip. Good meals... Coral Reef-sat near the fish tank and food and device were really good. Narcoossee's- best meal of our trip. Great filet and lobster tail. Great service. Teppan Edo- DS requested for his birthday. Food was good. They brought him out dessert and sang happy birthday and gave him a chef's hat which he wore for the rest of the day. 1900 Park Fare- the step sisters and mother were awesome. We told Anaastasia that our DS was in love with her which made for some quick whit and banter. Very funny. San Angel- my margaritas were awesome....nothing else to say. Lol. No, our food was good. Our kids devoured their meals. They love eating in the pyramid. Parks were less crowded then in mid July trips we have taken, far less tour groups they we have experienced in the past, very humid though. My DH got really dizzy one day and was sick to his stomach. He couldn't stop sweating. It kind of ruined our Hoop de Doo night but he still enjoyed the show, minus eating. On our bus ride home, another man was sick on the bus. It was just a really hot day. I felt horrible for the man, who was extremely embarrassed. The CMs kept telling people to stay hydrated that day. Even though DH drank a lot, it still took a toll on him and heat doesn't get to him. Please be careful and drink often. My DH and DD got stuck on ToT for an hour. They had to send the maintenance crew to get them. But my DD loves the ride and decided to ride again anyway and we got two free family Fast passes for the trouble. It made traveling around the park that day very easy. Frozen fireworks were very fun. The kids also loved the sing along and the Wandering Oaken Trading post. They loved playing in the "snow" which was more like shaved ice, but fun. It was interesting to watch people who obviously don't see snow very often. Lead to some cute people watching moments. DD loved meeting Elsa and Anna. fast pass + was definitely the way to go with that one. And we were able to get her an Anna coronation day dress which she doesn't want to take off. We found Fast Pass + was very easy to get extra passes for in MK. We used ten extra one day before we left at 8:00 pm. There were tons available for the little rides (no mine train in afternoon at all) and we didn't wait very long in any line using fast pass +. The other parks were harder to come by simply because they don't have as many rides, but we were still able to get several extras at each park. Going to AK one late afternoon was awesome. Road several rides multiple time. Park really clears out after 3. We had a late diner at Yak and a Yeti and walked out of the park after closer....so peaceful. Only negative- Our meal at Hoop de doo was just ok. Could have been from DH feeling sick. The food was decent. The show was fun, but all of us agreed, we would rather do something else next time. Sorry this post was long, but we really enjoyed this trip. Spending 9 days really helped us to slow down and not rush things. Our kids were far less tired and we were more energized. Was a great trip.

Welcome back, and I'm so glad you had a wonderful trip! DH and I are also huge fans of longer trips to WDW. We stay 10 nights and it is much more relaxing that way. We spent 7 days at WDW parks this time including arrival day at Epcot, a day at legoland and we had 2 resort days without a theme park and no alarm clock! The first resort day we went to the big pool at Boardwalk Resort. DS9 just kept going on the clown slide and he was a happy camper. DS7 is not very comfortable yet in the water, although he has taken beginner swimming lessons. But he's getting more and more comfortable as the summers pass. My big one, on the other hand, is like a fish! We go to my cousin's house upstate and they have a huge pool with diving board...he spends the day diving into the pool and swimming. We're going there this Saturday and he can't wait to do that again! We last went the weekend before our trip.

I love the food at San Angel. I know a lot of people don't give it good reviews, but we love going there for lunch. I also usually have a margarita there. I still had my beloved avocado margarita on arrival day at Cava del Tequila, but the day we went to SAI for lunch I had sangria instead. Holy cow did that knock my socks off, only one glass! It was a huge glass they gave me...like the same size as a glass of soda! Let's just say I reeeaaaalllly enjoyed that lunch!

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

One of these days (probably when I have no kids in the house anymore) my DH and I will go to WDW at off times in the year and stay for like 2 weeks and just do anything and everything that WE want to do on our vacation! I love having my kids with me, but we do 85% what they want and the rest us. Now some of that 85% is stuff we want to do, but not all of it. Some day my dream will come true, sooner if I could win a big prize lottery.

 

[NJdadof2]

We returned home late on the 4th. I've been catching up on sleep since then.

Last year, we did 5 days at on off property resort after our Disney week, and that was so relaxing. This year we had a week with the in-laws and then our week in Disney, so my time to relax is now as I get ready for the start of school.

As many of you have mentioned, it was hotter this year than the past few. Very little afternoon rain to cool things off. In fact, both kids got sick on our last night in MK, mostly due to the heat.

Great trip overall. BWV was nice. We had a 1BR, which is great . DW and I get some time to ourselves at night. Watched a lot of True Blood.
We liked the sandwiches from the Boardwalk Bakery. The performers at night we very entertaining and made for a great atmosphere. Walking to DHS and EPCOT is nice, especially in the morning. The bus to MK and AK isn't that bad, but we did have to stop at the Swan and the Dolphin.

What made us appreciate BWV more was our last night stay at POP Century. POP was very chaotic and not relaxing at all, not that I thought it would be. While we only stay at DVC properties for the bulk of our trips, I do like adding a day or day at a non DVC resort. POR was awesome in the past, but I doubt I will try the values again, just not our style I guess.

We spent 3 days at MK. DD got to ride Splash Mountain, BTMRR and 7DMT for the first time. She loved them all, especially the mine train. I was amazed at how quiet it was. The only thing you could hear were the people giving the occasional scream as the train went by.

We spent a lot of time doing Sorcerer's of the MK. In fact, after our first day of doing all of our "must do's", we made our way around MK as we played the game. We took our time, took in some dance parties, and rode whatever rides were on the travels between portals.
Highlight: both myself and DS were picked to pull the sword from the stone in Fantasyland. I couldn't make it budge, but my DS was able to pull the sword and save fantasyland. That was fun and a new experience.

We spent our first and last park day at DHS
We rode Star Tours about half a dozen times, and DD got the be the rebel spy. DS rode RnRc for the first time. And while his picture would say otherwise , he said he loved it and can't wait to go on it the next time we go. All of the Frozen stuff was fun and added something new to DHS, which it needs. One great outcome is that I think it helped DD get over her Frozen obsession. It has become too much even for her. I have even been banned from singing "Let It Go" in the house Highlight: We went to Characterpalooza at 6:10 in the Streets of America. When we arrived, we saw Belle trying to get into the library. DD went up to her to help, and Belle took her by the hand to ask the other characters if they had a key. She was eventually joined by Jessie from Toy Story. DD was in her glory.

We always enjoy AK. We took our time and walked the Pangani Exploration Trail and the Maharaja Jungle Trek. FOTLK was great in the new location.

EPCOT is the hottest place on Earth! I know some people complain about AK, but at least there is shade there. EPCOT is just a concrete heating pad. An while I believe future world is out dated and Soarin is overrated, I still love being there. Having a beer or some whine in World Showcase is always enjoyable. DW loves the avocado margaritas too.. We ended our night there with Test Track. It was DD's first time, and it was her favorite ride. Highlight: DS and I got to talk with Crush during the show. He picked my son for his first question which then led him to me for a follow up. I love that show along with the Laugh Floor, and this made it extra special. Of course DD was upset that Crush didn't call on her even though her hand was raised the whole show.

As far as food goes, DW still loves character meals, so we did a few of those. Hollywood and Dine(L), 1900 Park Fare (D), Cape May Cafe (B), and Crystal Palace(L). The food was good at all places, nothing to complain about. The character interaction was the best at PF. I think we've done just about every character meal by now, hopefully we can do fewer in future trips. Non character meals were Be Our Guest (D), Yak and Yeti (L), Via Napoli (D), and Brown Derby (D). We had dinner at both the lounge and the main restaurant at the Brown Derby. The sliders at the lounge are awesome and are highly recommended. We love the flavors at Yak and Yeti as well and always have a good meal there.

We are eying up Disney's Hilton Head Resort for 2015, so no parks next year. We will probably be going in July though, so I hope I can still be part of the next July Group. This is always a nice entertaining escape when I need it. Thanks to everyone who shares their experiences on this thread

 

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One of these days (probably when I have no kids in the house anymore) my DH and I will go to WDW at off times in the year and stay for like 2 weeks and just do anything and everything that WE want to do on our vacation! I love having my kids with me, but we do 85% what they want and the rest us. Now some of that 85% is stuff we want to do, but not all of it. Some day my dream will come true, sooner if I could win a big prize lottery.

Same here!!! Every vacation revolved around the kids, even though it's also activities we could and know we will enjoy together. But the first thing DH and I always say to each other is, "where should we take the boys this time?" And when it's our every-other-year WDW trip, the first thing we say is, "what will they want to do most?" Lol, this time I told everyone that we were going to make it to Beauty & The Beast Live at DHS since I've been trying to see it since our 2008 trip, and this was our 4th WDW trip! We got to see it, and everyone else enjoyed it...lol, I told them all, "OK guys, this one's for me, I've been waiting for this for 6 years and it's always been on my list!"

Yes, a big lottery prize! I figure DH and I have plenty of years though to enjoy WDW just the two of us once the boys are older. We're only 37, and the boys are already 7 and 9. Not all that many years left of them wanting to vacation with us when we think about it. So we savor every single second with them now!

I would also love to go in the off season when other events are going on, like MNSSHP and Food & wine, and see the parks decorated for Christmas without the crowds of Christmas week that I wouldn't ever even attempt, but DH and I are both teachers so that will have to wait for retirement! We do talk about doing a long weekend at F&W when the boys are grown up though, like Columbus Day weekend so we are off...just fly down on a Friday night and return Monday morning! And no worries because it would be a 3-day weekend from work. Perhaps in like 10 years or so! Otherwise, we will enjoy the off season during our retirement!

We returned home late on the 4th. I've been catching up on sleep since then. Last year, we did 5 days at on off property resort after our Disney week, and that was so relaxing. This year we had a week with the in-laws and then our week in Disney, so my time to relax is now as I get ready for the start of school. As many of you have mentioned, it was hotter this year than the past few. Very little afternoon rain to cool things off. In fact, both kids got sick on our last night in MK, mostly due to the heat. Great trip overall. BWV was nice. We had a 1BR, which is great . DW and I get some time to ourselves at night. Watched a lot of True Blood. We liked the sandwiches from the Boardwalk Bakery. The performers at night we very entertaining and made for a great atmosphere. Walking to DHS and EPCOT is nice, especially in the morning. The bus to MK and AK isn't that bad, but we did have to stop at the Swan and the Dolphin. What made us appreciate BWV more was our last night stay at POP Century. POP was very chaotic and not relaxing at all, not that I thought it would be. While we only stay at DVC properties for the bulk of our trips, I do like adding a day or day at a non DVC resort. POR was awesome in the past, but I doubt I will try the values again, just not our style I guess. We spent 3 days at MK. DD got to ride Splash Mountain, BTMRR and 7DMT for the first time. She loved them all, especially the mine train. I was amazed at how quiet it was. The only thing you could hear were the people giving the occasional scream as the train went by. We spent a lot of time doing Sorcerer's of the MK. In fact, after our first day of doing all of our "must do's", we made our way around MK as we played the game. We took our time, took in some dance parties, and rode whatever rides were on the travels between portals. Highlight: both myself and DS were picked to pull the sword from the stone in Fantasyland. I couldn't make it budge, but my DS was able to pull the sword and save fantasyland. That was fun and a new experience. We spent our first and last park day at DHS We rode Star Tours about half a dozen times, and DD got the be the rebel spy. DS rode RnRc for the first time. And while his picture would say otherwise , he said he loved it and can't wait to go on it the next time we go. All of the Frozen stuff was fun and added something new to DHS, which it needs. One great outcome is that I think it helped DD get over her Frozen obsession. It has become too much even for her. I have even been banned from singing "Let It Go" in the house Highlight: We went to Characterpalooza at 6:10 in the Streets of America. When we arrived, we saw Belle trying to get into the library. DD went up to her to help, and Belle took her by the hand to ask the other characters if they had a key. She was eventually joined by Jessie from Toy Story. DD was in her glory. We always enjoy AK. We took our time and walked the Pangani Exploration Trail and the Maharaja Jungle Trek. FOTLK was great in the new location. EPCOT is the hottest place on Earth! I know some people complain about AK, but at least there is shade there. EPCOT is just a concrete heating pad. An while I believe future world is out dated and Soarin is overrated, I still love being there. Having a beer or some whine in World Showcase is always enjoyable. DW loves the avocado margaritas too.. We ended our night there with Test Track. It was DD's first time, and it was her favorite ride. Highlight: DS and I got to talk with Crush during the show. He picked my son for his first question which then led him to me for a follow up. I love that show along with the Laugh Floor, and this made it extra special. Of course DD was upset that Crush didn't call on her even though her hand was raised the whole show. As far as food goes, DW still loves character meals, so we did a few of those. Hollywood and Dine(L), 1900 Park Fare (D), Cape May Cafe (B), and Crystal Palace(L). The food was good at all places, nothing to complain about. The character interaction was the best at PF. I think we've done just about every character meal by now, hopefully we can do fewer in future trips. Non character meals were Be Our Guest (D), Yak and Yeti (L), Via Napoli (D), and Brown Derby (D). We had dinner at both the lounge and the main restaurant at the Brown Derby. The sliders at the lounge are awesome and are highly recommended. We love the flavors at Yak and Yeti as well and always have a good meal there. We are eying up Disney's Hilton Head Resort for 2015, so no parks next year. We will probably be going in July though, so I hope I can still be part of the next July Group. This is always a nice entertaining escape when I need it. Thanks to everyone who shares their experiences on this thread

Sounds like a great trip except the sick part. I know what it's like dealing with that on vacation, it is no fun. DS7 felt sick one morning in the middle of our trip and I thought it was going to be a repeat of last time, but he just needed more water and he felt fine. Then he made sure to drink extra water all the time, and those were some of the hottest days!

I agree about having a drink in Epcot. I also love avocado margaritas. And grey goose lemonade slushes too.

I totally agree about Pop Century too. We stayed there on our first trip and while the theming was cute, we just needed more space and to be closer to the parks. That's why we chose BWV as our DVC home. We really love it there and every time we check in there and get into our 1-bedroom villa, DH and I look at each other and say that DVC was the best vacation money we could have spent for our family! We always walked to DHS and Epcot and we never took the boat there or back on this trip. Walking is faster for us, and we especially find the walk to and from DHS to be very quiet and peaceful. Just beautiful.

We are going to a Disneyland next year, so I will be looking for a July group on the DL board. But I would like to visit next years WDW July thread as well. We will be returning to WDW in July 2016 for another 10-night stay at BWV.