Trip Report -Two Adults- 12/2/05 to 12/7/05

[LoveWDW]

Trip Report 12/2/05 to 12/7/05 – Two Adults

For Dining Reviews go to http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=974799 .

We just got back this afternoon, and my first reaction when I stepped out into the 20 degree weather was "Woah! We're not in Disneyworld anymore, Toto!"

My husband and I are older adults, and we hadn’t been to WDW since 9/11. My husband’s brother lives in Orlando, so it really was time that we got down there. I started making plans in January, and it wasn’t until several months later that I found the DIS boards and my planning really took off. My travel agent never mentioned the Dining Plan, nor the Candlelight Processional nor the Christmas Party, so I really appreciate the help from everybody here.

We stayed at the Yacht Club, where we had stayed once or twice before. Mainly we like the convenience of walking to Epcot or walking or boating to MGM (Disney Studios,) or to the Swan or Dolphin. The YC is also somewhat quieter than some other resorts. I requested non-smoking and lake view and got both. The rooms are a bit small but adequate, and the view was just what we wanted. We could watch the boats, and we could see the Boardwalk. I arranged for the FL Towncars on the recommendation of DIS, and we weren’t disappointed. We were celebrating our 35th anniversary that had been in July, so instead of flowers, I decided to surprise my husband with the Towncar service. I had told him that that is what we were doing, but he didn’t really comprehend. As we got off the plane I told him somebody would be there with our name on a sign- he was impressed! Then he asked how many people would be sharing the vehicle, and he was astounded when I told him it would be just the two of us. Happy Anniversary! We didn’t see our name on a sign, though, so went over and picked up the one suitcase that we had checked. When we got back over to the escalators there was Tony from FL waiting for us. He took us to Publix where we got a 12-pack of water, some yogurt, and some candy to bring back to my students. We were done in less than a half hour and waited a bit for Tony to realize we were ready, but no big deal. The plane landed at 1:20, by 2 we were at Publix, by 2:55 we were at Yacht, and at 3:30 we were in our room and had quickly unpacked the yogurt into the refrigerator and were on our way to Epcot. FL charged $99- I had reserved online- and I gave Tony a $10 tip. He told us they would call the day before our return to verify times. We stopped at the guest Concierge desk and got our Candlelight Processional tickets.

The first thing we did upon arriving at Epcot was to stop at the Rose and Crown CS for fish and chips (see Dining Reviews http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=974799_. Then we felt refreshed enough after our traveling to do some walking around though World Showcase. We got our frozen Margaritas at Mexico and explored Futureworld. At 6:15 we came to the location for the Candlelight Processional. We were wearing our badges and were ushered in. I was surprised that almost half of the seats in the front section, under the roof, were roped off, and we were told we could sit anywhere except for there. So we found a delightful place in the middle but not under the roof- luckily the weather was fine, so it didn’t matter. The roped area did fill up, and I couldn’t tell why others were being seated there but not people with CP badges, but we were very happy with the seats we had. The CP was indeed impressive as the choir entered with their candles. The music was so inspiring and so beautiful. What an experience! And on our first night on vacation! Sometimes the music was too loud – it was actually painful and I had to cover my ears. But the tears that appeared on my cheeks were not from pain but from my emotional response to the beauty of the music. I would definitely go back. We had dinner at 8 at Marrakesh, then we watched Illuminations and walked back to the Yacht.

Saturday, we had yogurt, tea, and dessert from Marrakesh for breakfast and walked to Epcot. My husband rode Mission Space but I waited outside. We explored a bit. Then we walked to the Swan for lunch and then to MGM for the afternoon. The Muppets is one of my favorite shows. We also watched Drew Carey, went on the Great Movie Ride, and we explored Walt Disney’s Dream exhibit. We used 2 Snack Credits for Mickey Bars. Yum! By late afternoon it was time to return to YC to get cleaned up to meet my husband’s brother and his brother’s friend. We walked into the room. I slipped off my shoes and headed to the bathroom to get a shower, and much to my amazement, there were 4 towel animals there. I was just like a kid again! I was so thrilled and laughed and laughed! There was one for each sink stopper handle and one for each toothbrush! I never thought to get one. After we got cleaned up we met our guests in the YC lounge and caught the boat over to Spoodles. We were a little early for our reservations, so we took a look at the Christmas decorations in the Boardwalk Inn. Soon it was time to be seated. I was supposed to ask for a quiet booth in the back so we could talk, but I forgot. However as luck would have it, and we were indeed lucky again and again on our trip, the exact place that I would have picked was to be our table. It was a booth in the corner. We ordered a pitcher of Sangria and met our server who came from the same area of New England as my BIL’s friend. Every time the server had a slow time she came over and visited with us. The food was excellent and the server a delight. Our bill came to $222, not including alcohol! So we were glad to be on the dining plan. We all had a great time. Then we caught the boat back to the YC and talked for a while until our guests had to leave. My husband and I walked around the area for a while after the big meal.

continued

 

[LoveWDW]

The next morning we bussed over to AK and were there at opening. We got FP for the Safari, and then we walked on the trails until it was time for the fast passes. We watched Lion King- a show well-worth seeing, had lunch at the Flame Tree and talked with a charming man who was in charge of keeping the restaurant cleaned up then we took a bus to Wilderness Lodge. I had read at DIS about going there to see the Christmas decorations, and we had never been to WL so were curious anyway. It was certainly beautiful, and I’m glad we went. I also remembered that the Mickey Rice Krispy treats were there, and I wanted to use the treats for souvenirs, so we did, and we finished off our Snack Credits. From WL we took a boat to Grand Floridian to see the decorations and the Gingerbread House that we had seen on the Food Network. I bought some gingerbread at the shop in the House, and we admired the decorations. It was in the boat either to GF or the Polynesian that I sat next to a delightful woman. We chatted a bit, and her itinerary sounded so much like ours that I blurted out “Do you happen to belong to a website?” She announced that she did and showed me her LIME GREEN band! Unfortunately the boat had docked at this point and I had to rush off, but it was so exciting to actually meet one of the DIS-ers! What a thrill! And she was so nice! I should mention that I had my lime green Mickey but lost it the first night I was there. I was so sad about that because I am shy and never thought that I’d be brave enough to actually approach anyone. I saw a lot of people wearing lime green but didn’t ask anyone else.

We arrived at the Polynesian and enjoyed the decorations. We were having lunch at Kona and decided to get drinks at the nearby bar. I knew that I wanted the Lapu Lapu, having read about it on DIS. My husband got a Zombie. The Lapu Lapu was tasty, but potent, and is served in a pineapple. The food was excellent, aand the pressed pot of Kona coffee was delicious. The Kilauea torte dessert was another “must have” that I had read about at DIS, and I agree, this is one to be sure to experience.

We took the boat to MK and arrived at 3:45. The wrist bands for the Christmas party were already being given out so we went right to the wrist band entrance instead of the general admission entrance. We went to the Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Swiss Family Robinson, then to Tomorrowland. We were in line at 6 for Twas the Night Before Christmas. The people mover was broken, the carousel of progress wasn’t working. We watched Wishes and got our cookies and cocoa- both were very good. We enjoyed Philharmagic a lot- very clear and sharp colors. We went back to Haunted Mansion and got right in. There was a little girl with a flashlight though who kept shining it around, so it lessened our enjoyment. About 10:30 we decided we’d had a busy day and were tired, so we took a bus back to the YC.

Monday we went to Muppetvision again. Love that show. And we went back and took our time at the Disney story exhibit. We had pretty much done all the “Must Do’s” so decided for our last two days to visit things we had missed earlier. We rested in the afternoon, then we rode the boat to MGM and waited to see the Osborne Lights- wonderful! Then we boated over to Epcot. We showed up for our reservations at Le Cellier early and were told to come back about 15 minutes before the time of the reservation. So we enjoyed the lights between the World Showcase and Futureworld, went to Ice Station Cool- we tried Beverly, btw, and didn’t find it at all bitter, so unless they changed the formula that everyone seemed to be commenting about we just have strange tastes, then we strolled back about a quarter after 7 to Le Cellier. We were sent inside now to wait. And wait we did until about 5 till 8. I had read about waits at the various restaurants, so I wasn’t disturbed about this. But there were people who were very angry and who gave the staff a hard time. I overheard the manager telling at least two people that he would be glad to find them another place to eat that evening if they wanted. I also heard some of the staff tell walkups that there are no openings until after the New Year. Meanwhile I chatted with some of the other people who were waiting, and they were called in, and so were we. We noticed that the order of seating depended not only on the time of the reservation but also on the number of the party. We were shown to our seats, and 20 minutes later our server appeared and apologized for the wait, he said he had to do paperwork. We were not in any great hurry so smilingly shrugged off the minor inconvenience. So the server took our orders. He was up front that lobster was not included in the plan and that if we wanted a salad instead of the appetizer we could do that. I wanted to try the cheese soup, though. Another 20 minutes passed, again the server apologized as he brought us some water and rolls, which we were glad to see since we hadn’t had anything to eat or drink to pass the time. When our meal showed up it was piping hot and very tasty. I ran out of beverage about halfway through the meal and looked around in vain for our server. Eventually he came by and was happy to refill my water glass. He brought the dessert menu. We had enough to eat, but I was curious about the cheese sampler. So we asked for a serving of the cake to take with us, and the cheese sampler. The cheese was very good. I didn’t find out what kind it was until the server slipped past later on to give us the check. We both decided that this was not a magical experience for us. It crossed my mind to wonder if the poor service was because we were on the DP, but I noticed others in the same situation. We walked out when Illuminations was starting, but we decided to move through the crowds back to YC.

Tuesday was our last day at WDW. So we walked over to MGM on the path past Boardwalk, and got a quick breakfast at ABC. Then we took the bus to Poly and got coffee, then the bus to Epcot where we got to ride on the people mover and to see Energy. We got back to YC about 2. We asked the guest concierge about getting our boarding passes for Southwest printed, the lady cheerfully offered to do it there for us. She said any that she had ever printed had been A tickets. Then we walked over to Hurricane Hanna’s to use up our last two CS credits by getting sandwiches for the next day. We left about 3:30 for MGM again by boat, then by bus to AKL. We walked around the grounds and watched the animals being fed. Then we explored the Lodge. I bought some CD’s in the gift shop because I really enjoyed the music I was hearing. We sat in the lobby overlooking the savannah for a while and a gentleman came in and started leading the children in the area in some drum playing. Very nice! Then we strolled to Boma and were seated about the time of our 5:30 reservations. Our server was very pleasant. We both like sampling different foods, so we had a fine time trying the soups, salads, meats, and vegetables. After our meal we walked outside to catch a bus to Epcot. Then we walked to the Boardwalk and shopped there before walking to YC.

Wednesday morning we were to meet our driver at 8:30, so we ate cake and tea in our room for breakfast and one of our sandwiches from Hurricane Hanna’s, and got down to the pick-up area by 8:15. We were amazed that our driver was already waiting for us! We moved right over to the towncar and climbed in. Too neat! We were dropped at the entrance for Southwest, tipped the driver, checked our bag, and walked to the gate where we sat and read until boarding time. Arriving in Baltimore we found snow on the ground and temperatures in the 20’s. Back to the real world.

What would I have done differently?

I would have made sure my lime green Mickey didn’t get lost.
I would have ground and brought my own coffee as one of the people here suggested.
I would have visited Coronado Springs.
I would have written down the chocolate that people here recommended and where to get Dole Whips.
I wouldn’t have arranged to eat at Le Cellier.

What did I enjoy but wouldn’t do again?

One time at the Christmas party was enough.

What did I enjoy that I would do again?

I’d go again to see the GF, Poly, WL. All of the rides and shows I’d do again.
Most of the restaurants. The Dining Plan for sure. We didn’t get the refillable mugs, and this was a good choice since between the water we bought and the DP we couldn’t use more beverages.
I’d go back to the Candlelight Processional.

How was my packing?

I was very pleased with the zip-lock bag system that you all mentioned. I bought some packing bags but found they were not as good as the zip-lock bags.
I packed an extra outfit the last second, but I didn’t use it, so I wouldn’t do that again.
I took a long sleeved cotton button up shirt, a button-up flannel shirt, two knit pullover shirts, a sweater, a heavy hooded sweatshirt, a windbreaker, gloves, a scarf. It was cold enough two nights for my layers, but after that it was pretty warm. One extra pair of walking shoes. Never used my poncho or umbrella, but they took up so little room I’d pack them again.

Highlights of the trip?

The towncar service.
The towel animals
The visit with my husband’s brother and friend and Spoodles
Boma
Mickey Bars
Meeting the other DIS-er
Osborn Lights
Candlelight Processional
School Bread

Thank you, DIS board for all the wonderful help you gave me in planning our trip. There were quite a few tips that I would not have known about otherwise.


End of report.

 

[kathmzh]

I enjoyed your report. It sounds like you both had a wonderful time, and saw all the highlights. From the sound of it, I would have been disappointed with that dinner in Le Cellier, too, but you had a good attitude!
Thanks for posting.

 

[fizz13]

Thanks for sharing your trip, I loved how you made the most of the transport system on offer and took time to look around the world, not just the parks. A great trip,

Claire xx

 

[LoveWDW]

You are welcome! Thank you, Claire and Kath, for responding! Yes it was a wonderful time with so many pleasant surprises and things working out better than hoped for.

 

[teentoddlermom]

Really nice report! Thanks

 

[DeterminedOne]

Thanks for sharing. We are staying at YC for the first time next year and as always it's just me and DH so I enjoyed reading your report.

 

[LoveWDW]

You are welcome! Thank you for responding, Teentoddlermom and DeterminedOne!

Of all the resorts we visited, YC seemed to be the quietest one - not that it wasn't busy, but that the people there seemed quieter, in general. BWI may have been also, we stayed there once and liked it, but from the quick visit we made this time to see the decorations we couldn't tell whether it was very noisy. One thing we like as a couple is that we can stroll around the hotel walkways and the boardwalk area at any hour.

 

[DaisyGirlAllTheWay]

Great Report!! Sorry for the terrible service @ Le Cellier!

 

[mikesmom88]

Great report - thanks for sharing with us! Sounds like you, like so many others who read these boards, learned a lot and followed our fellow Disers great advice. Sorry to hear about LeCellier. We have tried to get there but it never seems to happen (maybe that is for the best).

Enjoy your holidays