We stayed longer than expected 9/8 - 9/14

[BananaBear]

Hi Everyone!

We (Husband and I, daughters, 4 and 2) just got back from our dream vacation on Saturday. We were to return home to Chicago on Thursday, but well, you know.

We stayed at the Contemporary Concierge 14th floor. We had a deluxe room with a view of Magic Kingdom. If you can every swing it, we highly recommend staying here! The view was fantasic! Our room was spacious, with a huge bathroom and a balcony. There was a refrigerator that they stocked with pop and water every day, and a tv and vcr which we didn't think we'd need but it was a lifesaver on Tuesday. We were one of two rooms filled on the whole floor. The staff was wonderful. They were friendly, helpful, and went out of their way to do things for us. The food they put out was incredible! There was so much and it was delicious!

Sat night in rained and we were upset because our stoller got soaked (and so did we!) But Sun we got smart and bought the ponchos. It rained on and off all week but you just learn to put up with it. If you are going to Fla. this time of the year, you know it's the rainy season. WE did dinner at Chef Mickey's on Sunday and it was great! Prime rib, ham, shrimp cocktail, and all the sides! Yes it is expensive, but so is everything at Disney!

We went back on Tues morning for breakfast and while we were waiting to be seated the host told us what happened. We felt like we were kicked in the stomache! WE just couldn't eat! WE decided to go Downtown Disney so we got on the monorail to TTC and noticed that it was moving very slow. (Usually it moves quite fast!) When we go off, we saw security looking under the monorail with mirrors on long poles (for bombs?) Then they told us the parks were closing and we had to go back to the hotel. Thats when we go scared.

After going back to our floor and the girls were acting up, the concierge offered us our choice of any Disney movie for them to watch. WE proped open the door, which was right off the concierge desk, and sat in the lounge watching the tv coverage for a few hours. The day was so unbelievable and sad, we were just stunned! Finally in the afternoon, we decided to go swimming, but we were in the pool for 15 min when a thunderstorm came in and they closed the pool! At this point, we were upset that the hotel wasn't doing more to keep people busy. Then the concierge told us they were having movies in the convention center for the kids, (they had one side of a conf. room with the movie and the other side with CNN for the adults), they brought in Cinderella, Belle and the Beast, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum for pix and autographs, and had a strolling band for entertainment. Obviously, they were caught offguard and it took some time to do their security checks and decide what they could do to please their guests.

WE had a good time for the rest of the week. We tried to make the best of it for the kids, even though our hearts were no longer in it. But it was very stressful, when we didn't know how we would get home. By Wed night, I asked the concierge what people who were supposed to leave were doing. She said most had extended their visits and that they would comp our room for a few nights (within reason, she said). We ended up staying through Thursday, as the flights were not up yet and then they had a bomb threat. We were booked on a flight Sat morning, (ut it never did leave on time.) So we rented a car (we were lucky to get one) and left Fri morning ( in the hurricane and tornado warnings).

Once we got out of Florida, our oldest daughter got car sick and proceeded to vomit all afternoon. We were seriously low on money and didn't make much progress on Friday, we ended up spending the night in Kennesaw, GA, just north of Atlanta. Woke up at 5am Sat and drove 13 hours the rest of the way home to Lansing, IL! We were never so happy to be home!

We don't have any regrets regarding our trip. We got to do everything we wanted and saw a lot of great things. But we will never forget the horrible events that happened and forever changed us. I will be glad to answer any questions you have. This is my experience and I will definately be back! I hope all of you who are planning trips soon do not have ANY problems and enjoy your dream vacations!

 

[Mackey Mouse]

TO THE DIS!!!!!!!

It must have been very difficult being at WDW during this time.. Sounds like you made the best of it though and hope you get to go back again under different circumstances..

 

[luvmy2sams]

Welcome to the DIS, BananaBear! Glad to hear that your family arrived home safe and sound. Thanks for posting your report! We can't wait to revisit Chef Mickey's next year.

 

[casmanuel]

Thanks for sharing your trip report. It's great to hear such positive attitudes during a crisis. I think it encourages the rest of us to continue on with our trips, which the economy really needs right now. Not to mention my family. If you are up to it, will you consider adding on to your trip report any other reviews, general observations, or stories you think of? Thanks again for posting!

 

[Robin1116]

Welcome to the DIS!!!! I also want to commend your positive attitude and ability to have a great trip through everything!!!! And I am also glad that your family made it back okay (despite some sickness! )

You stay at the Contemporary sounds wonderful, I would love to stay there sometime in the future.... how was the staff at the Concierge?

Thanks so much again for posting about your trip!!!

 

[BrerMom]

Congrats on a wonderful first post!

Your positive attitude during a difficult situation saved the vacation for your family. Glad you made it home safely. I understand the "seriously low on money." I wonder how many families had a very hard time staying extra days.

 

[BananaBear]

Hi again guys!

Thanks for all of your feedback to my report.

I just love the whole "Disney atmosphere" that you experience when staying on property. I also love how the rest of the world just "goes away" while you are there. Jumping on the mororail or the Disney busses isn't always easy with two kids and a double stroller, but it sure beats a car, parking, and car seats! That is why we stay at the Contemporary, because of the easy mororail access, as well as the proximity to the MK. You can easily take the 10 min walk back when everyone else is fighting for space on the mororail at closing time.

My one big complaint would be that MK closed at 7:00 pm every night. That made it hard to take that afternoon break and get back in time to finish up the park. But if you do stay close to MK, and you have young kids like we do who don't want to go anywhere else, I reccommend going a few times for a few hours at a time. We did MK 4 times and never for more than 4 or 5 hours. We tried to go first thing in the morning and the crowds weren't bad. Also, after 4:00, Fantasyland was quite empty.

If there is rain in the forcast, please, please buy ponchos right away. They aren't that expensive $6.00 and you can get them right in the hotel gift shops or any shop in the parks. Also, buy one for your stroller or get one of those plastic covers for a stroller. It poured our first night at MK and we got soaked and so did our stoller. I was trying to dry it with the hotel hair dryer that night!

The concierge at the Contemporary was excellent! Every person who worked while we were there helped us. It was the concierge who pulled some strings and got us a rental car. Otherwise, I don't think we would have gotten one. They gave us movies for the kids when we wanted to watch the news coverage in the lounge. This was great for keeping them busy when we were stuck in the hotel. (Also a good idea for when you have a rainy day). They all kept asking us if there was anything they could do to make our trip better. They made dinner reservations for us whenever we needed them and encouraged us to take the food they had up there. (which was delicious everytime and even included pb&j sandwiches with the crusts cut off for the kids) Wed. was older daughters b-day and they knew. That morning, they brought her a present with a photo album, coloring book and crayons, balloons, and a birthday card signed to her by Mickey and Minnie! She was thrilled! The fridge in our room as stocked everyday with pop and water and the maid came in at 9 pm to turn down the bed and left us chocolate covered oreos! I tipped her $5 a day using those Mousekeeping envelopes (there is a link to that website somewhere on the DIS) and she would do cute things with the kids stuffed animals and dolls. They couldn't wait to come in to see what she did that day. That last night we were there, the concierge made us a Mapquest map and directions to get home because we didn't have a clue.

One tip my husband said to give (If you have little kids), go to the back of the Exposition Hall (on Main Street), they have lifesize cutouts of 101 Dalmations, Snow White, and some other great photo ops that the kids just loved. And there was never anyone back there. I don't think most people even know it's there.

One other note: Bear in the Big Blue House (MGM) was closed, but scheduled to reopen soon. In MK, the Hall of Presidents was closed and so was It's a Small World (but they opened Thurs) Be prepared for some closures at this time of the year.

It's getting late guys, so please forgive me for cutting off here, but please ask any questions you want, I'll be happy to answer!

God Bless America!
BananaBear

 

[dan-tot]

I know what you went through I went to Disney last year for Christmas. My sister had an eye operation about two weeks before we were to fly out. The friday before our flight she had to see her eye surgen for a green light. There was a bubble in her eye to keep the retina stable so that it would mend. If he said that she couldn't fly I had a rental all lined up. He let her go but when we hit crusing altitude she started to throw up this was dune to the pressure on her eye. Soon as she was down on the ground she was ok. We arrived on a saturday and went to universal because she likes Barney and he was there so we went Sunday. We went to disney monday through wedsney before she got sick. She was admitted to Florida hospital and we didn't see disney until the day for us to leave. When we got on the plane the same thing happened when we were at crusing altitude she started throwing up again later I founf out was because of the bubble in hear eye was causing pressure on her eye. Just like you I was glad to get on the ground and my sister home. We will be going back this december we will not be detered from being able to experience disney. If fate isn't going to deter us no radical will either.


Dan-tot