DrTomorrow
Your Disney friend from the Future!<br><font color
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2003
- Messages
- 3,498
Greetings!
Got back Saturday 12/11, but reality (boo), starting my own company (yea) and an overdose of Disney walking (ouch) necessitated a brief break from the DIS boards. But (as they say), I'm feeling much better now; and since I've read and enjoyed many a TR myself, I'll repay the favor now. Note that this isn't really a trip report of the 3:48 PM - used restroom at MK; urinal cake 10% worn away variety, just some thoughts on the whole kit and kaboodle. Oh, yes. Participating were Dr. & Mrs. Tomorrow and two dear friends (one an occaisional DIS participant) that we'd met IRL for the first time last year during dual FTP vacations.
Showtime.
We arrived at SSR at around 4:30 Sunday 12/5. Very quiet - only one other person at the front desk. We dealt with Victor, who seemed eager to please. All was going well until he actually brought up the screen of available rooms; he had that look on his face that I've seen (and made myself) when the computer displays an 'unhappy' message. He called to another CM (never a good sign at this stage) and told him that, while I'd requested a NS room, all they had in NS was room XYXY, and that was ..... Yes, he actually tailed off, as if that's where a murder had taken place. I promptly said that NS wasn't a big deal (let someone else take the crime scene
) and we got our 2BR in the first building that opened in May; apartment ::hee:: 2810, fourth floor, all the way to the left as you face the entrance from the parking lot. We had a great DTD view as well as a little of the leisure pool area. One more oddity - they had my address wrong in the system (wrong zip code = wrong city). I know that MS has it right - we'd just got the latest VM in the mail - so I guess that the computer systems don't get along.
This was our first stay in a 2BR - we had a Studio during MH - and we were quite impressed! We let the other couple have the MB, ain't we sweeties? (we'll be in a 1BR in May '05). The whole place was in great shape - not one defect (lights, drawers, dishes left in DW, etc). As we had a dedicated, the studio side had more closet space than our apartment; more, I think, than the MB side. We also had only one balcony, but it was much bigger than the other balconies I could see - it seemed to extend further from the building. The kitchen was quite sharp, not that we used it for more that coffee and snackies.
::Spoodles. We all ate there on arrival night; I was unimpressed, as I am with most Disney "dining experiences" (exception: 'Ohana). The food was OK, but the atmosphere was not the "loud & fun" I'd seen in reviews.
::Jellyrolls was fun that night, but it's important not to get there too early. The place needs time to fill up a bit - and for alcohol to be consumed - or else you'll be the only one standing up and doing the hand gestures to "The Unicorn".
::Crowds. We went to the MK at 4PM on Monday (open until 8 or 9) and I would have sworn that it was an EE day! Standby times for FL rides were all in the 30-60 minute range; and for the first time EVER, we had a wait for the PotC! Still, knowing that we'd be back at WDW in May, we took it easy and enjoyed the park at night. Saw Spectro from up front - that music still gets to me - then we beat the crowds to the busses. Note: crowds were heavier than anticipated throughout our stay - busier than I remembered during our October '03 trip.
::Boarding passes. I addressed this in another thread, but after a few rounds with less.than.up.to.date CMs - and one CM who actually called "The Operations Team" to find out the facts - I learned that every front desk of every WDW resort, DVC or not, can print out airline boarding passes for you.
::Holiday Decorations. Meh. I'm no Scrooge (nor Scrooge McDuck) but the decorations just didn't live up to the hype here on the DIS. Nice, but nothing that a major shopping mall doesn't have. We were impressed with the Osborne lights - we got to see Ozzy changing a few bulbs ::grin::. But whatever that snow was kept getting on - and smudging - my glasses.
::Weather. Luck-y us. We had 70's & 80's all week except Friday, when the four of us went to Sea World, when if rained. Of course, we're all wacky enough to walk though the park in the pouring rain, so it didn't dampen ::rimshot:: our spirits.
::SSR - Gateway To DTD! At the MK SSR bus stop, we experienced something that happened to us 4 times during our trip; people using SSR busses to get to DTD. There was only one young couple at the stop, and they asked us how far of a walk it was from SSR to DTD. It seems that they'd asked another bus driver how to get from MK to DTD, and they were told to take the SSR bus. This happened 3 more times - once from MGM, once from AK, and once was a horde of Pop Warner footballers trying to get to the Sports Complex via DTD; I know, because each time, as we either got on, or off, the bus, people asked us how to get to DTD, and said that they were told by a CM that SSR was the easiest connection point. Don't get me wrong - the busses NEVER had more than 9 or 10 people on them, but when SSR grows, this could cause problems at park bus stops. And while I don't want to put on the Hat of DVC Superiority, it does disturb me that the SSR bus service that (I assume) DVC pays for is being officially recommended as the way to get from park to DTD and back.
::SSR location. We loved it! The walk to DTD was short and quite pleasant, although this won't be the case for the Paddock buildings. We had a car, and went off-site for groceries, meals, etc. quite a bit - the ease and quickness of getting off Disney property or to the parks was wonderful. When we stayed at the Polynesian, it seemed like a 10-15 minute drive just to get off property. Note: the second exit to SSR is open - can leave, but can't get in - which let us avoid driving all the way back to the guardhouse.
::SSR in general. We still love it. The exterior corridors are so much better than the "endless hallways" of the hotel-style resorts; you get fresh air & sunshine (not dim lighting and mystery.smells) as you walk to/from your room. We walked around a little, and the main area still has the feel of a small town / college campus - I think that the maturing of the landscaping will go a long way to enhance that feeling. No shortage of "Welcome Home's" at SSR - guards, CMs, even some of those speedy folks in the golf carts. The construction didn't bother us one iota; yes, you might hear a saw once in a while and see scaffolding, but we're not "Princess and the Pea" types. And we think that the place will be a delightful "destination resort" (sorry to disagree, Dean) when it is all done; when the days of frenzied park-hopping fade away a bit, SSR will be a grand place just to relax, walk around a bit and serve as a prime located base for Central Florida activities.
::SSR crowds. We've been there twice, and we rarely see a lot of people anywhere on SSR grounds. Never did the Congress Park bus stop have more than 4 or 5 people; most times it was the two/four of us. Even on a hot day, the pool was almost empty; so far, the SSR common area facilities seem much more than what is needed. We'll see as the number of buildings grows, but I remain skeptical about the doom.and.gloom predictions of massive overcrowding.
Well, that's enough outta me; if you have any questions or comments, I'll do my best to answer or ignore as appropriate ::wink::. Still glad that SSR is our home resort; I guess that size really does make a difference!
Got back Saturday 12/11, but reality (boo), starting my own company (yea) and an overdose of Disney walking (ouch) necessitated a brief break from the DIS boards. But (as they say), I'm feeling much better now; and since I've read and enjoyed many a TR myself, I'll repay the favor now. Note that this isn't really a trip report of the 3:48 PM - used restroom at MK; urinal cake 10% worn away variety, just some thoughts on the whole kit and kaboodle. Oh, yes. Participating were Dr. & Mrs. Tomorrow and two dear friends (one an occaisional DIS participant) that we'd met IRL for the first time last year during dual FTP vacations.
Showtime.
We arrived at SSR at around 4:30 Sunday 12/5. Very quiet - only one other person at the front desk. We dealt with Victor, who seemed eager to please. All was going well until he actually brought up the screen of available rooms; he had that look on his face that I've seen (and made myself) when the computer displays an 'unhappy' message. He called to another CM (never a good sign at this stage) and told him that, while I'd requested a NS room, all they had in NS was room XYXY, and that was ..... Yes, he actually tailed off, as if that's where a murder had taken place. I promptly said that NS wasn't a big deal (let someone else take the crime scene
) and we got our 2BR in the first building that opened in May; apartment ::hee:: 2810, fourth floor, all the way to the left as you face the entrance from the parking lot. We had a great DTD view as well as a little of the leisure pool area. One more oddity - they had my address wrong in the system (wrong zip code = wrong city). I know that MS has it right - we'd just got the latest VM in the mail - so I guess that the computer systems don't get along.This was our first stay in a 2BR - we had a Studio during MH - and we were quite impressed! We let the other couple have the MB, ain't we sweeties? (we'll be in a 1BR in May '05). The whole place was in great shape - not one defect (lights, drawers, dishes left in DW, etc). As we had a dedicated, the studio side had more closet space than our apartment; more, I think, than the MB side. We also had only one balcony, but it was much bigger than the other balconies I could see - it seemed to extend further from the building. The kitchen was quite sharp, not that we used it for more that coffee and snackies.
::Spoodles. We all ate there on arrival night; I was unimpressed, as I am with most Disney "dining experiences" (exception: 'Ohana). The food was OK, but the atmosphere was not the "loud & fun" I'd seen in reviews.
::Jellyrolls was fun that night, but it's important not to get there too early. The place needs time to fill up a bit - and for alcohol to be consumed - or else you'll be the only one standing up and doing the hand gestures to "The Unicorn".
::Crowds. We went to the MK at 4PM on Monday (open until 8 or 9) and I would have sworn that it was an EE day! Standby times for FL rides were all in the 30-60 minute range; and for the first time EVER, we had a wait for the PotC! Still, knowing that we'd be back at WDW in May, we took it easy and enjoyed the park at night. Saw Spectro from up front - that music still gets to me - then we beat the crowds to the busses. Note: crowds were heavier than anticipated throughout our stay - busier than I remembered during our October '03 trip.
::Boarding passes. I addressed this in another thread, but after a few rounds with less.than.up.to.date CMs - and one CM who actually called "The Operations Team" to find out the facts - I learned that every front desk of every WDW resort, DVC or not, can print out airline boarding passes for you.
::Holiday Decorations. Meh. I'm no Scrooge (nor Scrooge McDuck) but the decorations just didn't live up to the hype here on the DIS. Nice, but nothing that a major shopping mall doesn't have. We were impressed with the Osborne lights - we got to see Ozzy changing a few bulbs ::grin::. But whatever that snow was kept getting on - and smudging - my glasses.
::Weather. Luck-y us. We had 70's & 80's all week except Friday, when the four of us went to Sea World, when if rained. Of course, we're all wacky enough to walk though the park in the pouring rain, so it didn't dampen ::rimshot:: our spirits.
::SSR - Gateway To DTD! At the MK SSR bus stop, we experienced something that happened to us 4 times during our trip; people using SSR busses to get to DTD. There was only one young couple at the stop, and they asked us how far of a walk it was from SSR to DTD. It seems that they'd asked another bus driver how to get from MK to DTD, and they were told to take the SSR bus. This happened 3 more times - once from MGM, once from AK, and once was a horde of Pop Warner footballers trying to get to the Sports Complex via DTD; I know, because each time, as we either got on, or off, the bus, people asked us how to get to DTD, and said that they were told by a CM that SSR was the easiest connection point. Don't get me wrong - the busses NEVER had more than 9 or 10 people on them, but when SSR grows, this could cause problems at park bus stops. And while I don't want to put on the Hat of DVC Superiority, it does disturb me that the SSR bus service that (I assume) DVC pays for is being officially recommended as the way to get from park to DTD and back.
::SSR location. We loved it! The walk to DTD was short and quite pleasant, although this won't be the case for the Paddock buildings. We had a car, and went off-site for groceries, meals, etc. quite a bit - the ease and quickness of getting off Disney property or to the parks was wonderful. When we stayed at the Polynesian, it seemed like a 10-15 minute drive just to get off property. Note: the second exit to SSR is open - can leave, but can't get in - which let us avoid driving all the way back to the guardhouse.
::SSR in general. We still love it. The exterior corridors are so much better than the "endless hallways" of the hotel-style resorts; you get fresh air & sunshine (not dim lighting and mystery.smells) as you walk to/from your room. We walked around a little, and the main area still has the feel of a small town / college campus - I think that the maturing of the landscaping will go a long way to enhance that feeling. No shortage of "Welcome Home's" at SSR - guards, CMs, even some of those speedy folks in the golf carts. The construction didn't bother us one iota; yes, you might hear a saw once in a while and see scaffolding, but we're not "Princess and the Pea" types. And we think that the place will be a delightful "destination resort" (sorry to disagree, Dean) when it is all done; when the days of frenzied park-hopping fade away a bit, SSR will be a grand place just to relax, walk around a bit and serve as a prime located base for Central Florida activities.
::SSR crowds. We've been there twice, and we rarely see a lot of people anywhere on SSR grounds. Never did the Congress Park bus stop have more than 4 or 5 people; most times it was the two/four of us. Even on a hot day, the pool was almost empty; so far, the SSR common area facilities seem much more than what is needed. We'll see as the number of buildings grows, but I remain skeptical about the doom.and.gloom predictions of massive overcrowding.
Well, that's enough outta me; if you have any questions or comments, I'll do my best to answer or ignore as appropriate ::wink::. Still glad that SSR is our home resort; I guess that size really does make a difference!
