Granny
Yeah, I'm a guy
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2001
- Messages
- 14,432
This was our first trip to WDW outside of the summer season and all I can say is that Christmas at WDW, and especially while staying at VWL, is spectacular! 
Ill try to keep this focused on the DVC aspect of our trip, and not make too many mentions of bad weather, heavy crowds, etc.
Our trip was from December 23-30..
Check-in: We checked in at 7:30 a.m. and our room wasnt ready. No surprise there. We checked back a few times during the day and the room was ready at 4:15, which we had planned for. Our requests (non-smoking, upper floor) were met.
We received a 15th Anniversary DVC pin at check-in. Its a big pin, about 2-3 wide so I cant imagine actually wearing it. Still, it was another nice memento and an unexpected bonus.
Room cleanliness: Excellent. No unclean dishes, no mildew, no leftover anything from the previous guests. And the maid had created a Mickey Head from three towels and laid them on the master bed for our arrival. We give Mousekeeping an A+
Room maintenance: Very Good. No noticeable wear and tear on the furnishings. Had a bad switch on one of the bedroom lamps and the handle on the sliding door was loose. Both addressed quickly with a call to maintenance. Id give room condition an A- at worst.
Transportation: Outstanding. Considering how many people Disney had to transport during the time we visited they were simply superb. The boat to MK ran often and we had a 10 minute wait at the longest. Twice it was pulling up just as we got to the dock. The buses ran very smoothly too and our longest wait was 20 minutes once. Most times it was less than 10 minutes waiting for transportation both to and from the parks. We were expecting some longer waits and were very pleased by the expediency of the transportation. Even sharing with FW for EPCOT and MGM and Grand Floridian for AK, everything went as well as possible. Fortunately, the AK bus didnt stop at Blizzard Beach which always adds 10 minutes or more to the trip. All in all, wed give the transportation an A+.
DIS Meet: I was able to meet up with Happy Birthday Cat after Candlelight Processional one night. It was a short meeting, but very glad to have the chance to meet such a nice member of the DIS family. And always nice to put a face with a name. HBC a real pleasure shaking your hand.
Roaring Fork: This is the counter service food area at WL. This was our first chance to see it after it has been renovated with new menus. All I can say is that they took a good thing and made it even better! By clearing out the space in the food service area, putting windows in the dining area and expanding the outside seating, they really made it more user friendly. And the food menu additions were excellent while hanging onto some of my families favorites such as the personal pizza and chicken fingers. Weve said it a thousand times, but we really wish that every DVC resort had access to something like this. Specifically, BWV needs something like this instead of just the Spoodles pizza window or the food kiosks on the Boardwalk. Great job Disney on the Roaring Fork re-work.
Parks/Crowds: Yes, they were crazy-crowded, but thanks to the good people on these boards we were prepared for that and mostly did a lot of sight seeing. We didnt leave our villa before noon on any day and were able to visit the Grand Floridian and BWV to see the decorations. Mostly just took in the sights and went at a leisurely pace. Watched parades and went on very few rides. Had really good meals. Especially notable was Le Cellier for the CP package which was a nice treat for the family. And eating at Liberty Tree Tavern on Christmas Day in MK was just perfect! We also enjoyed a day at Sea World which was properly adorned and a lot of fun.
Parks/Cleanliness: Based on some threads Ive read here recently, I took special note of park and restroom cleanliness. I must say that I didnt see any trash in the parks and all restrooms were in very clean condition. Maybe they had increased staff for the traffic but I thought the parks were in great shape from a cleanliness and decorative viewpoint.
All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas at WDW. We hadn't stayed at VWL for a couple of years and realized how much we have missed it. Again, I must thank everyone who provided advice on how to cope with Christmas at WDW, and wish all of you a wonderful 2007!
Ill try to keep this focused on the DVC aspect of our trip, and not make too many mentions of bad weather, heavy crowds, etc.
Our trip was from December 23-30..Check-in: We checked in at 7:30 a.m. and our room wasnt ready. No surprise there. We checked back a few times during the day and the room was ready at 4:15, which we had planned for. Our requests (non-smoking, upper floor) were met.
We received a 15th Anniversary DVC pin at check-in. Its a big pin, about 2-3 wide so I cant imagine actually wearing it. Still, it was another nice memento and an unexpected bonus.
Room cleanliness: Excellent. No unclean dishes, no mildew, no leftover anything from the previous guests. And the maid had created a Mickey Head from three towels and laid them on the master bed for our arrival. We give Mousekeeping an A+
Room maintenance: Very Good. No noticeable wear and tear on the furnishings. Had a bad switch on one of the bedroom lamps and the handle on the sliding door was loose. Both addressed quickly with a call to maintenance. Id give room condition an A- at worst.
Transportation: Outstanding. Considering how many people Disney had to transport during the time we visited they were simply superb. The boat to MK ran often and we had a 10 minute wait at the longest. Twice it was pulling up just as we got to the dock. The buses ran very smoothly too and our longest wait was 20 minutes once. Most times it was less than 10 minutes waiting for transportation both to and from the parks. We were expecting some longer waits and were very pleased by the expediency of the transportation. Even sharing with FW for EPCOT and MGM and Grand Floridian for AK, everything went as well as possible. Fortunately, the AK bus didnt stop at Blizzard Beach which always adds 10 minutes or more to the trip. All in all, wed give the transportation an A+.
DIS Meet: I was able to meet up with Happy Birthday Cat after Candlelight Processional one night. It was a short meeting, but very glad to have the chance to meet such a nice member of the DIS family. And always nice to put a face with a name. HBC a real pleasure shaking your hand.
Roaring Fork: This is the counter service food area at WL. This was our first chance to see it after it has been renovated with new menus. All I can say is that they took a good thing and made it even better! By clearing out the space in the food service area, putting windows in the dining area and expanding the outside seating, they really made it more user friendly. And the food menu additions were excellent while hanging onto some of my families favorites such as the personal pizza and chicken fingers. Weve said it a thousand times, but we really wish that every DVC resort had access to something like this. Specifically, BWV needs something like this instead of just the Spoodles pizza window or the food kiosks on the Boardwalk. Great job Disney on the Roaring Fork re-work.
Parks/Crowds: Yes, they were crazy-crowded, but thanks to the good people on these boards we were prepared for that and mostly did a lot of sight seeing. We didnt leave our villa before noon on any day and were able to visit the Grand Floridian and BWV to see the decorations. Mostly just took in the sights and went at a leisurely pace. Watched parades and went on very few rides. Had really good meals. Especially notable was Le Cellier for the CP package which was a nice treat for the family. And eating at Liberty Tree Tavern on Christmas Day in MK was just perfect! We also enjoyed a day at Sea World which was properly adorned and a lot of fun.
Parks/Cleanliness: Based on some threads Ive read here recently, I took special note of park and restroom cleanliness. I must say that I didnt see any trash in the parks and all restrooms were in very clean condition. Maybe they had increased staff for the traffic but I thought the parks were in great shape from a cleanliness and decorative viewpoint.
All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas at WDW. We hadn't stayed at VWL for a couple of years and realized how much we have missed it. Again, I must thank everyone who provided advice on how to cope with Christmas at WDW, and wish all of you a wonderful 2007!
. I have been waiting for your report! 
