VWL Lovers & Groupies Thread: Meese-ka, Mice-ka MOOSE-kateers

[KAT4DISNEY]

Beautiful pictures as always Kathy. Thank you! Those 5th floor rooms look really nice except for the balconies. I don't think I'd like that wall.

Thank you HL! My preference too is toward the slatted rail balconies but these were not bad. They would get reflections off of the patio door and were much brighter than I would have expected.

Ah Kat4, once again, your photography leaves me breathless! Thank you for posting them.
I felt like I could reach out and touch Santa!

Thanks Muushka!! We were standing on the porch area of the The Diamond Horseshoe which got us up a little closer to the big guys level.

As someone who has a dreadful time taking pictures of the parades, especially the ones at night, I am truly in awe . Now I really really want to be there!

And thank you for the pictures of the one bedroom - I've never seen them to that kind of detail.

Glad you enjoyed them! I have to keep reminding myself that we already enjoyed Christmas at WDW this year but seeing everyone else's pictures still makes me wish we were there now.

KAT4DISNEY ~ I love your night pictures and of course of the 1BR villa you had. Nice to get that visual. BTW... I remember you mentioning a while back that you have two Sony digital cameras. I've been researching for quite some time and interested in the A55 or A65. Could I PM you and get your opinion of the A55 if you don't mind?

Sure! Several of the pictures I've posted recently - including the ones above of the parade were taken with the A55. I've had a Sony DSLR of some kind for a few years and would be happy to answer any questions that I can.

 

[Linda67]

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the great photos

It's put me in the Christmas mood and wishing I was sitting in the WL Lobby with a cup of hot chocolate

Oh well, I'm off to work to earn some 'Disney Dollars'

 

[squitty]

Lovely photos as always Kathy

Thanks for sharing. I wasn't feeling at all Christmassy till I saw them.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Thanks for the photos Granny and Kathy ! Really beautiful !

And Inkmahm.....lucky you on getting that vaulted 5th floor room. Looks awesome. And so wonderful of you to volunteer for Give Kids The World. Look forward to hearing more on that.

 

[jimmytammy]

Happy Birthday TwinkleBug!!!

Sorry Im late

 

[Dizny Dad]

DiznyDi E-Mailed me in the office this morning with "only one more sleep!"

This will be a day that is difficult to focus on, yet a fun one knowing tomorrow brings a new adventure at VWL!

Thanks sweetheart for making the plans and dreaming the dream with me. Hold on, the best is yet to be!

 

[twinklebug]

I interrupt this VWL talk (which I do so enjoy) to make a birthday announcement:

Happy Birthday Twinklebug!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWINKLEBUG!!!!

Happy Birthday Twinklebug!!!

Happy Birthday Twinklebug !!!!

Happy Birthday Twinklebug

Twinklebug ~ Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day!!!

Ditto. Hope it was a very happy day!

Aw Thank you guys. Yesterday was quiet, overall very good. It was a thrill to see all the wonderful graphics and wishes here! My kids all treated me well too.

I'm making a promise to myself to be at the villas this time next year. I never break a promise Hopefully the WL will be good to me and VWL will be home for the long weekend.

A few more pix from the World...

Thought you might enjoy the BWV decorations even though this is a VWL thread.

Lobby decorations...

As Bobbi and I agreed on, BWV does a great job in decorating for the holidays!

Thanks for the BWV shots Granny! 13 days before we check in!

 

[twinklebug]

Happy Birthday TwinkleBug!!!

Sorry Im late

LOL - thank you! You're not that late - just a few hours! ... There are still cupcakes on the counter - would you care for white or green frosting?

 

[twinklebug]

Getting nostalgic here...

Another pic from the last time we were at the lodge in Dec 2009 -
DS (12) is fuming by the fire down there... mad that his sister won't let him put on the movie he wants in the room. I don't like to see the kids fight, but I think this is the moment he learned to slow down and appreciate the lodge (thanks for putting up with the bad quality)

 

[Muushka]

LOL - thank you! You're not that late - just a few hours! ... There are still cupcakes on the counter - would you care for white or green frosting?

I'll take green (as long as it's not mint!!!). We hope it was happy.

Any Mythbusters fans out there (Mr Muush lives for that show!)? Here is something for your eyes to feast on:

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/12/06/tv-experiment-goes-awry-sends-cannonball-rocketing-through-homes/

 

[Granny]

Muush...I'm a Mythbusters fan (see my current thread title on DVC Mousellaneous) and wow, that's quite a story. Those guys are usually super safety conscious, it's hard to believe they did that. Really, really happy that nobody was hurt.

I see some pretty fat checks getting cut to at least three families coming out of this one.

Twinklebug...great that you are able to put memories and pictures together like that. And yes, it's good that your son learned early how to calmly handle the whims of the female half of this world.

 

[Inkmahm]

Dedicated just means no connecting studio which is nice b/c you don't have to deal with the door and it may be a little quieter. We never heard a peep from the rooms around us. There are 27 or 28 of them on various floors at VWL.

Here's a couple of pics from our 5th floor room:



From the bedroom balcony looking towards the living room balcony and the balcony next door which is a lock-off studio that connects to the 1Br on the other side of it.

Yes, that's exactly what our villa looks like. This picture looks like ours, too, except the middle one is our living room and the far side is the bedroom in the one bedroom dedicated. We really like this room!

 

[Inkmahm]

We are just getting moving today after a great day yesterday. We got to GKTW to do our volunteer work on the train. It took awhile for the engineer to have time to come train us but Dynaguy learned to drive and I learned to be conductor and run the wheelchair lift. We didn't get a map of the place, just once around with the engineer. Not a lot of training!

Things went well until we ran out of gas at an intersection. Oops. They told us the tank was full of propane when we started but it wasn't. A gasket was missing on the coupler so it was leaking out. Got that fixed and then we finally had a family that needed the wheel chair lift. Of course, it didn't work! I got it down just fine but the end thingie wouldn't flip down so the wheelchair could roll on to the lift. ARRRGGG. We had to call for help again. It was near the end of our shift so they said just to bring it back then and the engineer would fix it.

The first half our or so of driving around we had no people who needed us so that was kind of boring. Once people started riding the train so I had people to talk to, it was fun! Met families and kids from different states. They were all so nice, even when we were struggling with the machinery. We will definitely be back to do it again.

The GKTW village itself is amazing. They are side by side condo style buildings and they all have yards and driveways. They look like they are right out of a fairytale/cartoon. Painted in really bright colors, etc. There is a huge playground, pool, water park type water fountains, ice cream shop, etc. All of it is free to the families along with the tickets to the parks.

I even have a tie in to our lodge! Our engineer trainer was telling us his wife works at Disney at the lodge. She's a waitress at Whispering Canyon, has been there since the beginning. I jokingly asked if his wife was the waitress with the propeller beanie hat. She is! She can't wear the hat anymore because a new manager told her it wasn't in line with the theme of the lodge. But his wife is M. T. Wallet, our favorite waitress! What a small world. When we're there for breakfast we're supposed to tell her we met him and he's a crotchity old grouch. I asked if she threw straws and ketchup at him at home and he said no, they just chill out at home. They have two kids, only one still in school. I was having a ball imagining what their dinners were like at home.

 

[suemom2kay]

Thanks for the prayers, everyone! Mom is doing well at home although she still has pain in her chest and can't move very well. She would normally make Sunday dinner for us but we're taking her out instead. I'm trying to get her to keep resting as much as possible.

My mom is off the hook for bad behaviour but my brother is driving me crazy. He can't accept that some times things just happen. He is insisting that mom is having strokes (got his medical degree at Sears.) She had no stroke symptoms at all (both my grandma and dad had strokes, we've seen them first hand). She sat in a car too long for a long trip after having had a knee replacement putting her at risk and she got blood clots. Period. No stroke! ARRRRGGHH.

Tell your brother that blood clots in your legs, head to your lungs. Clots in your hearts (and sometimes arms head to your brain). Nursing Degree from college.

Glad your Mom is doing well. PE's are SCARY!

 

[jimmytammy]

Keep those pics and trip reports coming folks!! Enjoying living through your trips.

Twokats Glad Kati liked the hug. She is such a sweetheart.

Inkmahm Love that room! We have stayed in it twice. I recognize the roofline, its what makes it stand out. We love the 5th floor. So quite
Also, that story about MT at WCC reminds us of our encounter with her. She waited on us once and it was def. memorable. She picked on our very shy DS who was maybe 10-11 at the time. She was telling him to meet her by the pool at 4 when she got off work and they would go on a date, she would bring her bikini. She was a hoot and still to this day we rib him about his girl MT.
If you have a pic of her or happen to see her this trip, please get a pic, would love to show her to my DS. She is so funny. I remember telling T how she could have been a standup comedian.

 

[Inkmahm]

Tell your brother that blood clots in your legs, head to your lungs. Clots in your hearts (and sometimes arms head to your brain). Nursing Degree from college.

Glad your Mom is doing well. PE's are SCARY!

Thanks! I will remember that. He finally talked to my mom's doctor when he went with her to her appointment yesterday. The doctor is being very patient with him and said he will look up all the tests mom had back in 2009 when she fell the first time and broke her neck. He said they DID check for stroke (I knew that) and there was none. My brother still won't believe the doctor, I'm sure, when he calls to tell my brother all the tests and their results.

To me, it makes perfect sense that the clots came from the leg after the knee replacement. The doctor told her she is very lucky that they are numerous but small so they aren't smack in the middle of her lungs causing her more breathing trouble. She says she can feel her breathing getting easier when she takes a deep breath so the medicine is working. She's just really tired. I keep telling her not to worry about getting things done for Christmas. All that matters is that she is here, not whether she gets her cookies baked or not.

 

[Inkmahm]

Keep those pics and trip reports coming folks!! Enjoying living through your trips.

Twokats Glad Kati liked the hug. She is such a sweetheart.

Inkmahm Love that room! We have stayed in it twice. I recognize the roofline, its what makes it stand out. We love the 5th floor. So quite
Also, that story about MT at WCC reminds us of our encounter with her. She waited on us once and it was def. memorable. She picked on our very shy DS who was maybe 10-11 at the time. She was telling him to meet her by the pool at 4 when she got off work and they would go on a date, she would bring her bikini. She was a hoot and still to this day we rib him about his girl MT.
If you have a pic of her or happen to see her this trip, please get a pic, would love to show her to my DS. She is so funny. I remember telling T how she could have been a standup comedian.

I don't have a picture of her but I will take my camera to the groupie breakfast meet tomorrow to see if I can catch her. I'm not sure if she works breakfast or not. I've only seen her at lunch time but I've never eaten at WC for breakfast before. She and her husband could have been a stand up comic team! He was just as funny.

 

[etemplet]

***moved Post ***

 

[suemom2kay]

Thanks! I will remember that. He finally talked to my mom's doctor when he went with her to her appointment yesterday. The doctor is being very patient with him and said he will look up all the tests mom had back in 2009 when she fell the first time and broke her neck. He said they DID check for stroke (I knew that) and there was none. My brother still won't believe the doctor, I'm sure, when he calls to tell my brother all the tests and their results.

Well then, you're brother is a lost cause... just let him spin.

I keep telling her not to worry about getting things done for Christmas. All that matters is that she is here, not whether she gets her cookies baked or not.

That is the best advice you can give. We lost my Mom right before Christmas 2 years ago and she is so missed that words can't describe it. Glad you're Mom is doing so well.

 

[tea pot]

That is the best advice you can give. We lost my Mom right before Christmas 2 years ago and she is so missed that words can't describe it. Glad you're Mom is doing so well.

So Sorry
Christmas time can be hard when we miss loved ones we have lost
I thinks esp our mothers.