VWL Groupies & Lovers Thread (Special Collectors Edition 2.5) updated 2 February 2025

[Granny]

Switching the topic here...anyone else start with the Disney+ streaming service today? I had problems logging on this morning, but now I am able to access their impressive list of movies, etc. I've already put several movies on my watchlist since I haven't kept up with all the new movies in the last few years. Looking forward to getting back up to speed on my Disney movie knowledge!

 

[Corinne]

The 4th would work great!

 

[sleepydog25]

Switching the topic here...anyone else start with the Disney+ streaming service today? I had problems logging on this morning, but now I am able to access their impressive list of movies, etc. I've already put several movies on my watchlist since I haven't kept up with all the new movies in the last few years. Looking forward to getting back up to speed on my Disney movie knowledge!

We, too, got Disney+ going today. Early on, no problems. But, a couple of hours later, it was definitely having issues. I read where the issues and complaints peaked about 9 a.m. or so but have since tapered off. I just finished watching the initial episode of The Mandalorian. Not bad. It is nice to have all the Disney movies and properties in one easy-to-find spot.

 

[twokats]

Switching the topic here...anyone else start with the Disney+ streaming service today? I had problems logging on this morning, but now I am able to access their impressive list of movies, etc. I've already put several movies on my watchlist since I haven't kept up with all the new movies in the last few years. Looking forward to getting back up to speed on my Disney movie knowledge!

Add me to the list. I was not in a rush to log-in, but finally got it going about noonish. I haven't done anything except set it up, but Kati and Clay have enjoyed several shows this afternoon. Neither of them had any issues that they told me. I am looking forward to some of the documentaries on the list.

 

[bluecastle]

Switching the topic here...anyone else start with the Disney+ streaming service today? I had problems logging on this morning, but now I am able to access their impressive list of movies, etc. I've already put several movies on my watchlist since I haven't kept up with all the new movies in the last few years. Looking forward to getting back up to speed on my Disney movie knowledge!

Yes, I joined as well. I'm excited about all the Disney content, but also,very happy to have all of the Simpsons episodes.
I didn't log in til around 11 am and had no problems. There was a fraction of a second of buffering at the beginning of each movie, but it didn't really bother me. I am watching all the old animated movies. I really miss the hand-painted cels and the beautiful backgrounds. It's so nice to just have them all there. Looking forward to watching the Imagineering show and the other documentaries.

 

[MJ NH]

My kids love Disney plus and so do I!

 

[sleepydog25]

Yes, I joined as well. I'm excited about all the Disney content, but also,very happy to have all of the Simpsons episodes.
I didn't log in til around 11 am and had no problems. There was a fraction of a second of buffering at the beginning of each movie, but it didn't really bother me. I am watching all the old animated movies. I really miss the hand-painted cels and the beautiful backgrounds. It's so nice to just have them all there. Looking forward to watching the Imagineering show and the other documentaries.

I watched The Simpsons religiously for the first 10-12 years, then tapered off a bit, and now rarely watch them. However, I do think it's a brilliant show, and I'll enjoy catching up with the past decade or so of shows. I remember their first few shorts on the Tracy Ullman Show and how excited I was when they got their own standalone spot. Now, look how long they've been around!

As for the people having issues, some of that stemmed from those who hadn't checked ahead to see if their streaming service actually was going to work with Disney+, some from those whose systems didn't work well, and some from those who truly had connection issues due to the overwhelming response. We use Roku, and it mostly worked well aside from that brief period yesterday morning. It actually worked more smoothly than I anticipated. I read a couple of industry articles where at least two tech sources reportedly said that Disney could have made the process nearly seamless; however, to do so would have meant losing money. The article went on to say that it less expensive for Disney to fix problems as it went along than to be fully prepared at hour one. A rough analogy would be where you prepare a wedding for 200 RSVP guests knowing that in all likelihood, another 25-30 will show up. Rather than pay extra for those people, you simply try to make things right on the fly. We all know Disney ain't leavin' money on the table.

My first foray into the Disney+ world after watching The Mandalorian was the Academy award nominated documentary Free Solo. Nope, it's not a look behind the scenes of the Han Solo movie that bombed last year but rather a fascinating look at the man who climbed El Capitan "free solo," i.e., without ropes. Spellbinding stuff and with more suspense than most mainstream movies. Extremely educational and gorgeous cinematography. I highly recommend it as a casual watch one free evening. It's part of the National Geographic section you get with Disney+. We already have Nat Geo with our satellite service, but Disney+ highlights things of more interest, I believe.

Three more days of this work week! Carry on, Groupies!

 

[Granny]

My first foray into the Disney+ world after watching The Mandalorian was the Academy award nominated documentary Free Solo. Nope, it's not a look behind the scenes of the Han Solo movie that bombed last year but rather a fascinating look at the man who climbed El Capitan "free solo," i.e., without ropes. Spellbinding stuff and with more suspense than most mainstream movies. Extremely educational and gorgeous cinematography. I highly recommend it as a casual watch one free evening. It's part of the National Geographic section you get with Disney+. We already have Nat Geo with

Sounds like a good show to watch. I've been watching the Disney+ service on my iPad since I'm having issues with my big screen "smart" TV these days, and Mrs. Granny is using the television with the Roku. Lots of good content. And I can definitely see Disney+ being the "go to" service if my daughters ever decide to bless me with grandchildren.

So, we're almost to the Ides of November. I'm sure there are lots of Groupie plans going on for upcoming trips.

And DDad and Di are in full swing with their big family gathering at SSR...too busy to drop us a note I guess. I see the high temperature for WDW is only 67 degrees today, so yes it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas even there!

 

[twokats]

Wish it was in the 60's here. We had 3 days of fall and now winter has hit our part of Texas with a vengeance. I was not ready.

 

[bluecastle]

I watched The Simpsons religiously for the first 10-12 years, then tapered off a bit, and now rarely watch them. However, I do think it's a brilliant show, and I'll enjoy catching up with the past decade or so of shows. I remember their first few shorts on the Tracy Ullman Show and how excited I was when they got their own standalone spot. Now, look how long they've been around!

As for the people having issues, some of that stemmed from those who hadn't checked ahead to see if their streaming service actually was going to work with Disney+, some from those whose systems didn't work well, and some from those who truly had connection issues due to the overwhelming response. We use Roku, and it mostly worked well aside from that brief period yesterday morning. It actually worked more smoothly than I anticipated. I read a couple of industry articles where at least two tech sources reportedly said that Disney could have made the process nearly seamless; however, to do so would have meant losing money, that it was Disney to fix problems as it went along than to be fully prepared at hour one. A rough analogy would be where you prepare a wedding for 200 RSVP guests knowing that in all likelihood, another 25-30 will show up. Rather than pay extra for those people, you simply try to make things right on the fly. We all know Disney ain't leavin' money on the table.

My first foray into the Disney+ world after watching The Mandalorian was the Academy award nominated documentary Free Solo. Nope, it's not a look behind the scenes of the Han Solo movie that bombed last year but rather a fascinating look at the man who climbed El Capitan "free solo," i.e., without ropes. Spellbinding stuff and with more suspense than most mainstream movies. Extremely educational and gorgeous cinematography. I highly recommend it as a casual watch one free evening. It's part of the National Geographic section you get with Disney+. We already have Nat Geo with our satellite service, but Disney+ highlights things of more interest, I believe.

Three more days of this work week! Carry on, Groupies!

Thanks for the recommendation! My DH loves that kind of show. (he's a big fan of SOS:How to Survive)
I go way back with the Simpsons too, but as soon as my DD went to college in 2004, I stopped watching them. I will give the newer ones a chance, but I plan to start from the beginnng, so it will be a while!

 

[bluecastle]

Thank you sleepydog for your recommendation to watch Free Solo. It was amazing!! My DH loved it, of course.

 

[sleepydog25]

Thank you sleepydog for your recommendation to watch Free Solo. It was amazing!! My DH loved it, of course.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was originally drawn to it because I thought it might have some beautiful cinematography which it did. But, what kept me watching was my fascination with person, his ineffable goal to climb the un-climbable. The feat itself is nothing short of remarkable. Great TV!

Happy Friday, Groupies! It's been well below average in temps here in our neck of the woods, as in 20-30 degrees colder than normal. I've mowed my lawn as late as this date in past years. This year? Two inches of snow and subzero wind chills on Tuesday. Crazy stuff, thus why Luv and I are looking forward to our trip home in just 34 days! And. We've added a 5-day trip back to HHI in early June--we love that place second only to our beloved Lodge.

Cheers! Have a great weekend!

 

[TCRAIG]

Opinion Groupies - I had some points left in holding so I extended our WLV trip by 1 day to checkout 12/20. Dec 19 will be a no park day as we have the Gold AP and blackout dates start 12/19. I’m wondering if I should switch that last night from WDW to Hilton Head? They have availability, it’s less points, we’ve never been, and we need to be in Charleston in 12/20 anyway so that puts us closer...
Those that have been to HHI - worth it’s for 1 night?

 

[Granny]

Opinion Groupies - I had some points left in holding so I extended our WLV trip by 1 day to checkout 12/20. Dec 19 will be a no park day as we have the Gold AP and blackout dates start 12/19. I’m wondering if I should switch that last night from WDW to Hilton Head? They have availability, it’s less points, we’ve never been, and we need to be in Charleston in 12/20 anyway so that puts us closer...
Those that have been to HHI - worth it’s for 1 night?

If you have holding points, you have to use them or lose them right? So saving points with the switch won't help you with points, will it?

One night at HHI in December? Basically you will be able to visit the ocean, explore the resort and get a good meal at one of the many fine restaurants on the island. I know that @sleepydog25 can provide some tips on that.

But I'd probably go for this option for three reasons:

1. You can't get into WDW parks with your extra day.
2. You've never been to HHI so you can scout it out to see if you want to plan a future trip there on a more extended basis.
3. The requirement to be in Charleston on 12/20 will make your trip a lot easier if you go to HHI. You'd only have about a 2 1/2 hour drive to make on 12/20.

Good luck with the planning!

 

[TCRAIG]

If you have holding points, you have to use them or lose them right? So saving points with the switch won't help you with points, will it?

One night at HHI in December? Basically you will be able to visit the ocean, explore the resort and get a good meal at one of the many fine restaurants on the island. I know that @sleepydog25 can provide some tips on that.

But I'd probably go for this option for three reasons:

1. You can't get into WDW parks with your extra day.
2. You've never been to HHI so you can scout it out to see if you want to plan a future trip there on a more extended basis.
3. The requirement to be in Charleston on 12/20 will make your trip a lot easier if you go to HHI. You'd only have about a 2 1/2 hour drive to make on 12/20.

Good luck with the planning!

Thanks! And to make up for loosing the day at the end - I was going to add to the front of my trip (12/12) - SS has availability

 

[sleepydog25]

Opinion Groupies - I had some points left in holding so I extended our WLV trip by 1 day to checkout 12/20. Dec 19 will be a no park day as we have the Gold AP and blackout dates start 12/19. I’m wondering if I should switch that last night from WDW to Hilton Head? They have availability, it’s less points, we’ve never been, and we need to be in Charleston in 12/20 anyway so that puts us closer...
Those that have been to HHI - worth it’s for 1 night?

Absolutely worth it. Best CMs anywhere, and the laid back vibe there is infectious. Granny has some excellent reasons, too.

My wife had never stayed there when we decided to book a trip for HHI during July (our anniversary) about 5 years ago. Getting a room then is nigh unto impossible at that time of year unless you own. So, we drove over to it just to look around. Luv was smitten with the charm of the resort and friendliness of the staff. Two different years yielded the same availability issues, so we would always drive over just to sample Mickey waffles, chat with the staff, and wander the grounds. Finally, last year, we managed to cobble together a few days, and next year, we got five nights during June. All that to say, it's such a fun, relaxing resort. It's well worth staying just for one night for the reasons Granny explained above, and I believe you'll find it to be a relaxing, peaceful respite--even compared to our beloved VW--after having spent the crowded holidays at WDW. There are numerous activities you can do, but for one night, I'd simply wander around and get a feel for it. For eats, there are good spots within a five minute walk (just over the bridge to the marina) and great spots within a 5-10 minute drive. I always warn people who've not been before: be prepared to fall in love with Disney again. . .just a different type of Disney than what the World gives you. If you have any questions, there is a thread devoted to the HHI resort, or feel free to ask me.

 

[jimmytammy]

We are in Asheville NC for a long weekend
Been in NC for 54 years and never been too Biltmore
Thought I would share a few pics

 

[jimmytammy]

Along with the house and grounds a Downton Abbey exhibit was included with props and scenes
from the show

 

[jimmytammy]

 

[jimmytammy]