Trip report- September 18-24...a good time with a couple of bugs (long read)

[mmaddog56]

Well, it's been about a week since our return from a combo business trip/vacation to WDW for our Disney family....I thought I would hop on and give everyone my comments.

Our trip started with catching a stand-by flight out of St. Louis early the morning of the 18th, instead of our regular flight which didn't leave until 3:30 later that day. Luckily we got one of the last remaining seats (wife, son 12, daughter 8) on a flight full of families going to WDW, most of whom were flying that day from cancelled flights from the week before.

I made the mistake of renting from a certain nationwide discount rental car chain rather than from Hertz as I am accustomed to on business trips. My experience with the desk clerk went from "hi, nice to see you" to "oh well, let's get you out of here" when I politely refused to upgrade to an SUV or Van at their inflated prices, or to buy any of the insurances. Guess that's why I got a Hyundai Sonata.

But from here on out things were to be much better for the most part. We had planned to stay at the Pop Century for Sat & Sun nights then switch to the AKL on Monday when the company was paying for the hotel. We arrived at the PC to find a long line of people waiting to check in at 12:30, but the wait wasn't as long as it appeared it would be. On top of that, a Cast member was greeting people in line and handing out resort info for the parents and Disney magazines to kids waiting in line. Af ter a few minutes the wife took the kids to the waiting area to watch what was on the TV....

We were in the '80's building on the backside....a view of the lake and the building that is to be a part of the additions to PC according to what i was told by a driver. The room was clean, and didn't have that worn look that some of the All Star resorts have by now.

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[mmaddog56]

We soon scouted out the Everything Pop to see what was there both in merchandise and food, then let the kids play at the arcade. After letting them play for about an hour, we literally had to drag them out, we headed to Downtown Disney to shop at WOD, the LEGO place, Team Mickey and the Christmas shop. Since we had a full week to buy what we wanted, this was a scouting trip.

After a couple of hours of shopping and trying to tire out the kids enough to make sure that they would go to be early, we headed off property to one of our favorite fast-food joints that we miss living in the Midwest, Chic-Fil-A. (This is the one place we miss most from living in the Carolinas for about 8 years)

After eating we went back to CP to walk around the resort, take a few pics in front of all the "toys"....the large Mickey Phone, Goofy and his Surfboard, and the cork computer pad near the pool in the "80's" area.

Since i was there on a business trip, I had to carefully plan so that I could enjoy as much of the parks as possible, yet still participate in all that was planned for mthe convention I was attending. Luckily for me, Disney has some convenient tickets for thos attending on business, so I was going to get one of the "After 2" park tickets, but decided against it. We bought the 2-Day Park Hopper pass that is only available to conventioneers for me, and 4 day park-hoppers for the family.

We got up Sunday morning and decided that what we really wanted to do was to go ahead and move to the AKL that day so that we could go to the park on Monday and not have to take up part of the day getting moved. I went to the Front Desk and was very courteously assisted in checking out and getting a room at the AKL at the same rate as I was supposed to get starting on Monday, which was the special rates advertised on their website.
(There was a glitch that did occur at the AKL which i will explain at the end of this trip report that I am sad to report HAS STILL NOT been resolved as of yet by the AKL.)

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[mmaddog56]

We gathered all of our bags and left the Pop Century and moved over to the AKL.....our bags were checked and I went to the Front Desk and got us checked in. (more about this frustration later) We were upgraded to a Poolside room on the 4th floor just down the hall and around the corner from the lobby. Perfect location for us!

Like we always have, we bought the souvenir mug for the free refills and then ate lunch. The prices at the Mara are what you expect, and the dining area is actually pretty well set up, not at all crowded. After lunch my wife and daughter decided to do the "Hidden Mickey" search and found all of them within about 1 1/2 hours then proceeded to the Shop to claim their prize, a certificate and a trading pin. That was the beginning of my daughters new found love...pin trading. While there she and her mom bought a couple of more pins to allow her to start trading. (my son and I were at ESPN watching the Chief get beat by the Panthers)

After my son and i returned to AKL we all decided to go swimming and do some time in the hot tub. We spent the better part of the rest of the afternoon swimming in the pool....it was wonderful, the water was warm and believe it or not it wasn't crowded.

After a few hours we decided to get out, eat some dinner at the Mara, and relax the rest of the evening and get everyone in bed early. The wife and kids were headed out to AK the next morning since that park opened early, and i had meetings that lasted from 8:30 until 2:00 pm.

One thing that was fun for me was getting up early, around 6 Am and doing water aerobics exercises in the pool with the ducks floating around...it was actually pretty wild. A couple of people actually joined me on Tuesday and Wednesday...so I ended up having workout partners to join me in the pool and on my morning run.

Monday morning I went to my meetings, and the wife and kids went to AK. My son has Asperger's Autism, so with the advice that we had seen somewhere on this website, we brought along a letter from his physician and got one of the passes that Disney hands out that allows you to bypass the long lines. (Thank you very much to this website for passing along this info..it made my family's experience much nicer). Once inside they immdeiately went to the safari, and according to my wife, saw many more animals out than we had seen before on our other trips to AK. They spent the rest of the morning doing the Tree of Life, the Dinosaur Ride, The Lion King pageant, gathering a few autographs, and riding the kiddie rides near the Bone Graveyard, whcih was closed, and shopped in the stores(more pins for the daughter). Around lunchtime it began to rain, and didn't appear to want to stop so they left the park around 1 PM and went back to the hotel. I finished my meetings around 2 pm and met them back at the AKL. They had aready eaten so I grabbed a bite at the Mara and we settled in for about an hour then got ready to head to EPCOT.

We got on the bus about 3:30 and arrived shortly thereafter....(love the buses when they are virtually empty). Once inside the gate, we immediately headed to Spaceship Earth and walked right in....from there my son and I took off to ride Test Track with virtually no wait there either. We sat in the front of the car with the couple behind us screaming their lungs out once we got onto the fastest part of the ride...once off Test track my son wanted to ride Mission Space, but my wife and i decided against it due to some concerns about him getting sick with his issues with recent ear infection and his equilibrium. Needless to say he was disappointed. We went from there to Imagination....my daughters favorite ride at EPCOT......she and I ended up riding 3 times while the wife took my son over to "Honey I Shrunk the Audience".....we visited the remaining exhibits as time allowed before they closed then ventured off to the World Showcase.

As part of making the trip educational, and as we read on a suggestion from aonther thread on this website, we made the kids do the Passport and masks, and say "Hello, Thank You, and Good-Bye" in the native language of each showcase. My daughter was a bot more adventurous and had researched a few extra phrases at some of the particular exhibits and had some wonderful small conversations with the Cast Members there.

While the kids were pretty tired by the end of the excursion thru the World Showcase ( the daughter had made 4 pin trades while going thru the showcase) we did manage to keep them pretty busy until 8:30....I never knew 30 minutes could drag so long waiting for the Illuminations show....man that was tough. But it was worth the wait!!! And it was the one thing my wife wanted to do most....

After the magnificent show, we headed quickly to the bu waiting area and we were lucky enough to be the last riders to board the first bus back to AKL....and took 2 weary children back to their room for a shower and bed....after which Mom and Dad sat out on the balcony and enjoyed the view of the pool and Savannah.

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[mmaddog56]

The next morning, I headed back out for my meetings and the rest of the family relaxed in the morning.....I finished my meetings around lunch and met the family back at the AKL....we ate lunch then headed off to the Magic Kingdom around 2 PM.

Once there we immediately headed to the Jungle Boat Ride, Pirates of the Carribbean, and Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. From there I took my son on Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain, while my wife took pics and the daughter got wet on the bridge.....

After that we went to the Haunted Mansion...(my daughter exited with my wife at the last minute)....then took time to relax and plan the rest of our day.

After people watching for about 15 minutes, we headed over and rode Peter Pan, with no wait, thanks to our pass.....then saw that the line for Philharmagic was virtually non-existent. And I must admit...Philharmagic was the most enjoyable experience for me at MK....before the day was over we had seen it 3 TIMES!!! I loved it!!

After Philharmagic, my son and i rode Space Mountain twice (once again, virtually no line) and then the family did Buzz Lightyear, before riding the Tomorrowland ride that goes thru all of the TL area.

From there we headed over to Mickey's Starland to ride Goofy's Barnstormer, see Mickey & Minnie's house, and then catch the train to ride to the front of the park. We spent about an hour browsing the shops, while letting the kids relax on the "bleachers"...one of us would sit with the kids while the other shopped.

By that time it was time for round two of the rides...so we headed back over and let the kids ride Dumbo and the Grand Prix and visited Philharmagic for the second time. After that we rode, the Mad hatter Teacups, Space Mountain (again), and Buzz Lightyear (again). After doing a little bit more shopping at the Cosmic Traders (pin time again for the daughter), we rode the Tomorrowland Express again (for my daughter) and then headed back to Philharmagic for one last time before heading over to get a spot for the Spectromagic Parade.....(my wife's favorite). When Pluto came by my daughter actually growled at him, and he got down on all fours and did a little playful bit for her!! It was great!

We then stuck around for the "Wishes" fireworks display whcih was awesome!!! (We actually watched it from the parking lot of the Contemporary Resort the rest of the week)

While the rest of my week was fully consumed with meetings, i did have one more highlight on Thursday. As part of our closing dinner we were bused from the Contemporary Resort (where the convention was being held) to the American Showcase in EPCOT for dinner. (Also a time where I had a small complaint I will explain later) Desserts were provided by the French World Showcase and served to us on the lower level of the terrace that juts out into the Lake. We got to watch the Illuminations display from there...everyone should have the opportunity to experience it that closely!!!

Fortunately for my family and i we were scheduled to leave on Friday evening, just a day before Hurricane Jeanne was scheduled to make it's appearance. We made it to the airport a couple of hours early to ensure that we weren't going to get caught up in the mad rush of those trying to leave early. Our flight left just 30 minutes late, and we made it back safely, but sad that we didn't have more time there.

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[mmaddog56]

Now, a bit of summation......

Good points!!!

1) Disney magic!!!- No matter where you turn, someone is always making your visit a 'magic' one. The Front Desk clerk at the Pop Century, the bus driver, the gals at the Mara, the Safari Driver in the Animal Kingdom, the Security Guards at the Front gate at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and a host of others....

2) My daughter turned into a Pin Trader Extraordinaire....but had a little help. To the Cast Members that made my daughters first Pin trading foray a blast, a very heartfelt thank you from her dad. It's been a week since our visit and she still has that big grin when she shows her friends her pins.

3) My daughter actually got a valuable Pin while at WOD. She was trading at the pin trading spot in the Jewelry area in WOD and while trading with the Cast Member there, she took the "surprise" pin, which turned out, we are told, a very valuable pin that is not sold, but can only be obtained by trading with a Cast Member.

4) Animal Kingdom Lodge- What a great place to stay, and what a nice room we got. Our room overlooked the pool, and had a perfect view of one of the Savannahs!!!

These are just a few of the great things about out trip....now, to register my small complaints.

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[mmaddog56]

I don't usually have complaints about Disney, but this trip I did.

1) When we checked in I gave the desk clerk, who was training a new Cast Member, the original Reservation number, and the information I had received from the Desk Clerk at the Pop Century, to assist in making sure I wasn't charged the "rack' rate. Needles to say, he didn't pay attention and I was charged full rate for the Sunday night. When I discovered it later that evening, I went to the Front Desk and tried to get it cleared up. Once I did get it straightened out, i was promised that a credit would appear on my bill. It never happened. I mentioned it again as I left on Friday, and was told that if it didn't get fixed by Monday I should call the number on the receipt and they would fix it for me.

I waited until Tuesday of this week, hoping to give them enough time, but no credit appeared on my Credit Card account. So I called the number listed and was connected a Cast Member. I promptly explained what had happened and after a few minutes that it took him to see what had happened, he advised that he would correct it and a credit to my account would appear. here it it Friday evening and still nothing!!!!! Now.....my phone call Monday will be less pleasant!!!

2) As I recounted in my trip post, the convention I was attending held a Closing Night dinner at the American Pavilion in the EPCOT World Showcase. The Contemporary Resort catered the event, and unfortunately for me, they had a bit of a problem. I am not sure of all what transpired, but myself and 3 other gentleman were not served dinner until about 10 minutes before we were to head to the French Pavilion Lower landing Area for dessert. When we complained to the Cast Member in charge (I have her business card) she promised to make amends for the fact that they had erred in serving us (or not serving us). (We were later told that in transporting the dinners the driver had dropped 4 of them, thus creating the shortfall)

We were told that we would receive something no later than Monday or Tuesday of the past week, but I have received nothing to this point. Due to the fact that i am sure that they affected in some way by the hurricane, I am giving them a bit of a leeway until Monday. If I do no hear from them by then I will be calling this Cast Member to voice my disappointment.

 

[Nanajo1]

It sounds like you were successful combining your business trip with your family trip. I hope all your problems get resolved. Thanks for posting.

 

[mmaddog56]

Just as an update:

I received a package from the Cast Member at Disney for the mix-up at EPCOT....I must admit that when Disney wants to make you happy....they go out of their way to make amends...

Thank you very much to that special Cast Member!

The credit to my account for the incorrect charge fo my room has been adjusted and credited to my card.

mmaddog
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[Laralyn]

Great trip report!

We changed our hotel reservation from Value to Moderate, and our travel agent said it would be easier to cancel the earlier reservation and make a new one. It took about two weeks for the credit to appear on my account. I think Disney's credit process is slow regardless of whether it's to correct an error or as part of a routine cancellation.

 

[kathymc]

thanks for posting
c'mon - tell us - what did they send you to make amends?

 

[mmaddog56]

Originally posted by kathymc
thanks for posting
c'mon - tell us - what did they send you to make amends?

Let's just say that it compensated a family of 4 for a day....

mmaddog
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