Doug7856
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2003
- Messages
- 2,029
We had a wonderful stay at the THV for Thanksgiving. Our party including my immediate family, my mother in law and my brother in laws family for a total of eight people. The accommodations were fantastic for our party. We used all three rooms and had two boys using the two beds in the living room.
We had groceries delivered by We Go Shop and enjoyed various breakfast options each morning. Well use Marges grocery service again in the future. It was nice not having to grocery shop on vacation.
Weather: The weather was fantastic Monday and Tuesday, but we had two inches of rain on Wednesday. The temps were cool for the rest of our stay, but sunny. Friday night was the coldest getting down to the low forties.
We spent Monday at Disneys Hollywood Studios and enjoyed the EMH that evening. Tuesday included more time at DHS and the evening at Downtown Disney. Our dinner was at Wolfgang Pucks. It was quite good. The Pumpkin Ravioli is our family favorite and a must have each trip.
Wednesday morning started at DAK. The forecast was for a 10% chance of rain in the morning with steady downpours in the afternoon. The forecast was wrong! The downpours started at about 9:00 am. Lets just say Expedition Everest in the pouring rain is not much fun. We ended up back at the THV and had an indoor game day.
That evening we had a marvelous meal at Ohana at 9:40 pm. The time was later than we wanted, but we had the added bonus of Wishes at 10 pm. Our table was in the corner next to the window and it made for a great view! The service was poor but the food was excellent.
On Thursday the ladies in our party used the spa services at Saratoga Springs and all had positive reviews. The guys spent the morning enjoying the thrill rides at Disneys Hollywood Studios. We all met again at Ohana in the afternoon for another excellent meal at Ohana. The traditional Thanksgiving meal was very good and the service was better than the night before. We back to Disneys Hollywood Studios to use a few FastPasses and catch the finale show of American Idol. The show is a great addition to the shows at DHS! All of us loved it. We finished the evening enjoying the Osborne Lights.
Friday was an Epcot day. We caught the presentation at Mexico for Las Posada and really enjoyed it. Kim Possible was a big hit with my seven year old son. We had a late lunch at Nine Dragons as a part of the Candlelight Processional package. It was good, but nothing special.
The evening was very enjoyable with a beautiful sunset. We went to the 6:45 pm Candlelight Procession and it was excellent as usual. It just sets the Christmas mood for the season. Isabella Rossellini was the narrator. Her Italian/Swedish accent were an excellent part of the show; however, it was disappointing that she had not adequately practiced and she stumbled over the script several times.
I really missed the Lights of Winter. So sad that Disney eliminated this festive and special part of the Epcot Christmas experience.
Everyone was tied so my son and I were the only ones who enjoyed the EMH that evening. We rode Test Track, visited the Imagination Institute and the Character Connection. There was still a 45 minute wait for Soarin at 11 pm so we skipped it. Love the atmosphere at Epcot when the crowds disperse. All that was missing were those Lights of Winter.
Our final day Saturday was an enjoyable visit to the Magic Kingdom. We ended the day by eating ice cream while sitting on the curb in town square. A beautiful sunset projected a gold glow on Cinderellas Castle. A very good memory.
We used Magical Express for our 8:45 pm Southwest flight home. Leaving on the Saturday after Thanksgiving really reduces the stress as there are no crowds at the airport.
The Tree House Villas are now a family favorite. Bell services told me that the THV are book at 100% nearly all of the time and we can see why. Great for large family gatherings! Our villa was located right next to the bus stop and trail to the Saratoga Springs which was just about a 10 minute walk to the Carriage House. Prime location in our opinion.
Bus transportation was not too bad. Generally we walked to/from the Grandstand bus stop, but did use the THV transportation several times. It was not a problem and the wait was always minimal. We experienced two 30+ minute waits for bus service from DHS to SSR. This was frustrating, but not a deal breaker for us.
A very satisfying Disney trip indeed! My son and I had a total of 10 days this trip. Our vacation started at Pop Century and included free meals, Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party, joining the Pirate League, all four theme parks with relatively low crowds and an excellent visit to Blizzard Beach.
I hope to add some pictures of our trip later. Thanks for reading!
We had groceries delivered by We Go Shop and enjoyed various breakfast options each morning. Well use Marges grocery service again in the future. It was nice not having to grocery shop on vacation.
Weather: The weather was fantastic Monday and Tuesday, but we had two inches of rain on Wednesday. The temps were cool for the rest of our stay, but sunny. Friday night was the coldest getting down to the low forties.
We spent Monday at Disneys Hollywood Studios and enjoyed the EMH that evening. Tuesday included more time at DHS and the evening at Downtown Disney. Our dinner was at Wolfgang Pucks. It was quite good. The Pumpkin Ravioli is our family favorite and a must have each trip.
Wednesday morning started at DAK. The forecast was for a 10% chance of rain in the morning with steady downpours in the afternoon. The forecast was wrong! The downpours started at about 9:00 am. Lets just say Expedition Everest in the pouring rain is not much fun. We ended up back at the THV and had an indoor game day.
That evening we had a marvelous meal at Ohana at 9:40 pm. The time was later than we wanted, but we had the added bonus of Wishes at 10 pm. Our table was in the corner next to the window and it made for a great view! The service was poor but the food was excellent.
On Thursday the ladies in our party used the spa services at Saratoga Springs and all had positive reviews. The guys spent the morning enjoying the thrill rides at Disneys Hollywood Studios. We all met again at Ohana in the afternoon for another excellent meal at Ohana. The traditional Thanksgiving meal was very good and the service was better than the night before. We back to Disneys Hollywood Studios to use a few FastPasses and catch the finale show of American Idol. The show is a great addition to the shows at DHS! All of us loved it. We finished the evening enjoying the Osborne Lights.
Friday was an Epcot day. We caught the presentation at Mexico for Las Posada and really enjoyed it. Kim Possible was a big hit with my seven year old son. We had a late lunch at Nine Dragons as a part of the Candlelight Processional package. It was good, but nothing special.
The evening was very enjoyable with a beautiful sunset. We went to the 6:45 pm Candlelight Procession and it was excellent as usual. It just sets the Christmas mood for the season. Isabella Rossellini was the narrator. Her Italian/Swedish accent were an excellent part of the show; however, it was disappointing that she had not adequately practiced and she stumbled over the script several times.
I really missed the Lights of Winter. So sad that Disney eliminated this festive and special part of the Epcot Christmas experience.
Everyone was tied so my son and I were the only ones who enjoyed the EMH that evening. We rode Test Track, visited the Imagination Institute and the Character Connection. There was still a 45 minute wait for Soarin at 11 pm so we skipped it. Love the atmosphere at Epcot when the crowds disperse. All that was missing were those Lights of Winter.
Our final day Saturday was an enjoyable visit to the Magic Kingdom. We ended the day by eating ice cream while sitting on the curb in town square. A beautiful sunset projected a gold glow on Cinderellas Castle. A very good memory.
We used Magical Express for our 8:45 pm Southwest flight home. Leaving on the Saturday after Thanksgiving really reduces the stress as there are no crowds at the airport.
The Tree House Villas are now a family favorite. Bell services told me that the THV are book at 100% nearly all of the time and we can see why. Great for large family gatherings! Our villa was located right next to the bus stop and trail to the Saratoga Springs which was just about a 10 minute walk to the Carriage House. Prime location in our opinion.
Bus transportation was not too bad. Generally we walked to/from the Grandstand bus stop, but did use the THV transportation several times. It was not a problem and the wait was always minimal. We experienced two 30+ minute waits for bus service from DHS to SSR. This was frustrating, but not a deal breaker for us.
A very satisfying Disney trip indeed! My son and I had a total of 10 days this trip. Our vacation started at Pop Century and included free meals, Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party, joining the Pirate League, all four theme parks with relatively low crowds and an excellent visit to Blizzard Beach.
I hope to add some pictures of our trip later. Thanks for reading!
