UPDATED LIVE REPORT! SSR NYE REPORT and Carriage Ride Report Pg.2.......

[LIFERBABE]

Hi All!! (or Y'all as we say in the south LOL!)

We are here and having a great time!! Happy Holidays!

We arrived a day early so we stayed at SOG Christmas Eve. SOG is really nice after the renovation and the rooms are HUGE!! Nice sofa that converts into a twin size bed. WDW gave SOG the patriotic Mickey Statue and he stands in the lobby. Very nice gesture and adds a little Mickey to a No-Mickey resort.

We had Christmas morning Breakfast Ressies at Kona Cafe, so we checked out of SOG and stopped by BCV to check in. How surprised I was when our CM (Joe) handed me the keys!! I didnt have a room list with me, but I confirmed that the room was nonsmoking and hoped for the best. I just knew this room was HA, Smoking, carpet wet from shampooing, with a view of the road to be ready at 9am at BCV, which never happens! Well it is Perfect, non smoking, and Pool View!! I was thrilled when we opened the door and definitely pixie dusted our Christmas.

The DIS tree was also at the front desk waiting on me and I want to again commend WDWSTAR and LauraBearz for the wonderful effort and process improvements as it gets better each year! Very smooth operation.
Beautiful Tree!

It was our first time dining at Kona Cafe, and it dwas great! I had the Tonga toast which was really different and good. I found the ala carte menu refreshing and the food and coffee excellent. The boys really liked it also and I had to order an extra plate! I asked our server if any discounts were being honored and he said the only discount being honored on Christmas Day was the DVC Discount!! (I also have the DDE) How special is that?

So even on holidays, dont forget to ask your server about discounts.

Monday we walked to Epcot which was very crowded, so we fastpassed Maelstrom as we waited for our PS for Yuckershus, I mean Akershus! LOL! I have my 2 year old niece with us, who loves all things Princesses, so this was her special treat. I am so glad I have boys!! I swear that meal took us 3 hours and we were all ready to go, so we immediately left and walked back to BCV. Any other time I would be upset about wasting a Hopper Day just to dine, but my niece had a great time and we were too tired to do anything else so they can have that one!

Today we skipped the parks and visited BWV CH and playground. They have added a new ping pong table and game table. Lots of scheduled activities like box decorating, bucket hat decorating.

BCV Maintenance Report!! We are on the 4th floor and both days they have had crews painting the interior hallway floor mouldings with a new coat of white paint.

The BCV lobby is very nice and the Gingerbread/Chocolate carousel is really something to see!! I think it is better than last years!

Well, Time to head to the Hot Tub! I will post more later!

Lifer

Oh!! I had to laugh out loud about Dh. He doesnt read the boards and does not get into the details like I do, so after our first night at BCV, he wakes up and as he's walking away he says "Ooh that bed is terrible!" I slept fine, but I couldnt help but to think of the DIS when he said that. He wanted to know why I found it so funny. LOL!! I know they are looking to replace the beds here so Dh was happy to hear that!

 

[disney-super-mom]

Great report! Sounds crowded, but wonderful too!

I hope you and your boys have a terrific time during the rest of your stay at BCV! Enjoy!

(BTW - we have boys too, so no "princess" anything for us either. )

 

[Laurabearz]

Sounds like a great trip so far. Glad to hear the tree is to your liking. We loved the Lights from our balcony the most... soo cool to look up and see 'our home'

 

[bavaria]

Thanks for the report!! Sounds like you are making good plans over a busy week....

Now, for the really important question - did you pass the 'coming soon' DVC billboard on the way to BWV, and has it been 'unwrapped' now that Christmas is over?

Not only could you be in the 2006 guide with your prince, you could also be the one to break the secret to all of here!!!

Have a great vacation!

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

That's great you got the DVC discount on Christmas. We were at the Yachtsman's Steakhouse on Mother's Day and they would not let us use our DDE (not a surprise) or the DVC discount. But .. I will keep asking!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Glad you're having a great time! We arrive in 3 days!

 

[wdwstar]

I am glad your having a great time. See you tomorrow at the BCV !

 

[Lexxiefern]

I love when the room is ready when you check in! Have a great time!!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Isn't that a nice surprise to have your room ready early? So where are you at BCV, what kind of view? Is B&C open again? If so, any noticeable changes? Have some pistachio gelato at the Marketplace for me! And remember-it's WDW-what happens there stays there-until the pictures come out!

 

[DisZip]

LIFERBABE,

Thanks for the report. If you get a chance, take a photo of the view from the room and send it over - I will add it to the other views on my web page.

 

[disney4me4ever]

WOW! Room ready at checkin? I'm hoping we experience that on one of our visits. I'd like to know what that feels like. In all of our BCV visits, it's never happened. Enjoy your trip and your stay!

Nancy

 

[LIFERBABE]

I really didnt notice anything different except the benches had been reupholstered, which is a really good thing! We sat at a table and it was as tight as ever, with a 1 hour wait. We hung out at SAB today, so no problem.

The To-Go line wasnt out the door because of the burgers being sold at Hurricane Hannas and now you can order a burger poolside from the poolside servers so that was a good fix. I even saw the poolside server refilling mugs so the move looks like it was a good one, although B&C didnt pick up any square footage.
Mudslide was Awesome as ever! We are using the last of our Q&C vouchers. I sure am going to miss those.

Simba's Mom, LOL!! Im incognito this trip. I hope the Papparazzi leaves me alone!! LOL!! I think the Prince is avoiding me! Now I know how Camilla feels! LOL! I will have to stop into the Marketplace and sample the gelato. I have not tried it yet.

Most shocking sight of the day: A young man at SAB with a T-shirt that read Female Dog (the B-Word) Magnet!! Lets say people were pointing and the next thing I know, he walked past me and his shirt was inside out. Good for whoever said something to him, totally inappropriate. I must be getting old because I failed to see the humor, it was wrong on so many levels.

Finally!! I was able to book the SSR Carriage Ride!! We will be the first family on January 2nd! It has to be booked thru Fort Wilderness Kennel, not Play. I have been calling daily and today was the first day somebody knew what I was talking about! I will post a Carriage Ride Report upon my return.


Bavaria, I will be sure to look for the Billboard on our way to DTD this evening.

DisZip, as soon as I figure out the technical aspects, I will send you a photo of our view. LOL!!

My Public Service Announcement of the day: Cancel those unwanted PS's! We were the fortunate recipients of a cancelled PS for PSB and today we decided to stay at the pool, so I called to cancel our Le Cellier lunch. The Dine CM thanked me profusely and said people have been calling nonstop for LC and thanks for calling to cancel. I know how crowded Epcot is today, so I would not have felt right not cancelling. Another PSA: Dont bother asking at the restaurant podiums about seating. Those people are not giving out real time info. They just stick to the same line, "we are booked until June" LOL!! Call Dine!! and if they don't have anything and you really want to eat there, give them 10 minutes and then call back! Make those ADR's, but if your plans change, dont give up!

Dine has been great and more than helpful this trip, even staying on the line with me to ensure Akershus didnt charge me for a no show because we found the earlier ressie thru Dine.

TTFN......I will report more later.

 

[katallo]

Having your room ready when you arrive is the best. We are renting points in April and are really looking forward to our stay. We alwats thought about becoming a member so we'll see how it goes. I've read that they may be upgrading the sofa beds soon. Any news on it? Sounds as if they are uncomfortable.

 

[Sammie]

Having your room ready when you arrive is the best. We are renting points in April and are really looking forward to our stay. We alwats thought about becoming a member so we'll see how it goes. I've read that they may be upgrading the sofa beds soon. Any news on it? Sounds as if they are uncomfortable.

I don't imagine BCV will replace their sofa beds until they are old enough for the replacement. I would not think they would do this early just due to comfort.

 

[bavaria]

Another PSA: Dont bother asking at the restaurant podiums about seating. Those people are not giving out real time info. They just stick to the same line, "we are booked until June" LOL!! Call Dine!! and if they don't have anything and you really want to eat there, give them 10 minutes and then call back! Make those ADR's, but if your plans change, dont give up!

We did this the week before Christmas - the CMs at LTT were shooing away long lines 'no tables open today!!!' but we called WDW Dine while riding the TTA and made a booking for 15 minutes later.

Overall, the dining podiums seem really crazy - I went to the restroom at LTT which is located above the podium, and heard them calling us so that we could be seated (my friend has a very distinctive last name, and they call you by name AND state/country, so I know it was us). We had already been seated and were eating dessert at that point.

And I would add that if you can't reach the dining line from your guest room phone due to long hold times, calling WDW Dine and pressing the 'in Orlando now' option gets you through faster....

 

[BCV23]

Really enjoying your report. Thanks for checking out the sign for everyone.

That is really a treat to get in a room so early isn't it. It has happened to us as well and feels so good!

Sounds like the changes at HH are good.

Have a great vacation.

 

[donmil723]

Thanks for letting us all enjoy BCV vicariously through your live reports.

Wow! Servers at SAB refilling mugs for you! I'll be a bigger SAB bum than I already am.

How was the hot tub? Were the jets working properly? Any sand in the bottom? Love the hot tub at night but have never seen the jets very strong and the last time, there was sand in the bottom.

Thanks!

Donna

 

[wdwstar]

Hey LIFERBABE dd saw you dec.29 leaving the SAB pool, she said she didnt know it was you because you had a little girl with you in a stroller, i told her it was your neice. Sorry we missed you, i have been looking around the resort everyday for you. leaving early today for the Cruise. I did see a little christmas tree in a room facing the pool on the second floor. we are also on the second floor by the elevators facing the fireworks at epcot.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Hey LIFERBABE dd saw you dec.29 leaving the SAB pool, she said she didnt know it was you because you had a little girl with you in a stroller, i told her it was your neice. Sorry we missed you, i have been looking around the resort everyday for you. leaving early today for the Cruise. I did see a little christmas tree in a room facing the pool on the second floor. we are also on the second floor by the elevators facing the fireworks at epcot.

I was on the lookout for you too!! How Funny your DD saw me! LOL!!
Hope you are having a great time on the cruise!

 

[LIFERBABE]

Hi All!!

We are having an AWESOME time and I have not had time to log on since last Thursday!

We were in studio unit 412 (pool view) at BCV and spent a great 5 nights there. We saw Art the Greeter twice, so it was good to see him in good health and back on the job.

On to SSR.......

I checked in early Friday morning and our room was ready before noon. It's a Congress Park, courtyard view with a view of DTD Cirque and DisneyQuest. The view is awesome and our balcony is a really nice size, so we have been enjoying the incredible view.

This lockoff studio is HA modified with switches being lower,clothes line in the tub lower and french doors on the patio instead of sliders. The bed is firmer than I prefer but still comfortable, so we are pretty pleased. SSR was at 100% capacity for NY weekend, so I think we did excellent on the room assignment.

Except for our day after Christmas Akershus PSB dinner, we have avoided the parks. We aren't big park people anyway, and 2 park days out of 14 is about normal for us. Friday, MK had EMH until 4am and special Fantasy in the Sky fireworks at 11:50 pm. I really wanted to see FITS from the CR but traffic was so bad (we drove) getting there and I definitely didnt want to be stuck in it getting out, that we scrapped that idea and returned to SSR.

SSR had lots of CH activities planned for NYE so we stayed around the resort.
10:30 Scrapbook. Create a page with your NY resolution ($)
12:30 Create a pair of NY 2006 shaped eyeglasses (Free) "we did this and it was really fun! I wore mine to the Congress Park party as a headband.
2:00 Ceramics ($)
5:00 Pool Games
7:15 Party Hat
10:00 NYE Party at Congress Park Pool.

We dined at Turf Club for lunch on NYE. I had the Buffalo Chicken Tenders and Dh had the Cheeseburger. I really enjoyed mine (and so did my DS's) but Dh didnt care for the Focaccia bun his burger was served on. It had seeds in it. The drink menu has been expanded and many offerings are from PI clubs. I had a virgin Sour Apple drink and it was excellent. I used my DDE.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at DTD.

The Congress Park NYE party given by the CH/Recreation CM's was alot of fun! There was popcorn, party hats, beads, noisemakers, music, trivia contest, hot tub and swimming. My Ds's swam, I played the trivia and Dh soaked in the hot tub.
There was quite a crowd at CP! The viewing area was packed and we watched the PI fireworks from the hot tub. They were really Awesome and we could also see the Epcot and MGM fireworks that occurred before midnight. Kudos to the SSR staff as we had a great time they worked really hard and it was awesome!! We even had the music piped in!

Sunday was the last nite this week for MK EMH so we got a late start after all that NYE partying and took the bus to AK. We arrived at AK around 2pm. The Lion King is EXCELLENT!! We have seen it before, but the new theater makes all the difference! I think they added some things too. We stayed at AK until close (6pm) and then back to SSR for a break. The busses were great and we didnt have any issues. MK had EMH until 3am, so we made it there just in time to catch the 10 pm WISHES. It wasnt that crowded and we were able to take my niece on Dumbo, Philharmagic, Pooh, Small World, and Buzz and a couple others. Again, no problem with the busses, even at 2am from MK!

CARRIAGE RIDE REPORT!!!
We are the First Family!! LOL!! Mike, the Mgr of SSR CH was there to greet us as we were the first family to take the SSR Carriage ride! He took our photo, so again, the paparazzi has found me! LOL!
The Carriage is Beautiful!! I thought it was going to be like a hayride so I felt terribly underdressed, when I saw the nice upholstered carriage with blankets waiting. Fritz was our horse. The ride took us from the boat launch, down the Paddock walkway, past the footbridge, down the main street and right past the DVC sales center, back to the boat launch. It was a nice 25 min ride and I taught my 2 year old niece the Princess wave because many people were out on balconies or walking by and waving at us! LOL!! The paparazzi was in full force too! If this keeps up, Im gonna have to add security!
It was a really magical ride, and really romantic, except for the 3 kids!

We ended our evening with a shuffle board rematch and a visit to CH.

The weather the last 2 nights has been great, really warm and light winds.

COMING SOON sign outside of Bonnet Creek still reads COMING SOON! I did hear today, that it will be the CRV and they will break ground soon.

Any questions, I will try to answer, No Pictures please!

Lifer