We're HERE!

[Lexxiefern]

Wonderful updates! I feel like I am there with you! Glad you ended up getting that turkey

 

[DMKEDM]

Well, our party of six is down to 2...and the last to leave (before me), my son, leaves in 15 minutes...I just told him, when he expressed hope that I'd find a way to enjoy my last day despite his departure, that I shall allow myself one hour to mope and then I'll remember I get to resort hop this morning, to see all the decorations, and and late this afternoon/early evening I'll head to Epcot to end my trip w/the Candlelight Processional...

And, I told him, while I'd rather have the collossal mess with kids in the room, there is a silver lining to the neatness I can enjoy once the kids are gone!

Kid #1 (GF) left at 5 a.m. on ME for her 7:55 flight; S leaves at 7:30 for his 10:30 flight...interestingly, they connect in Phila for their flight to upstate NY...and for that leg of the trip they're on the same flight! Weird...but I made S's reservations in August, and GF wasn't booked til last month...so we're lucky we got what we got!

Life is good, despite the almost-over of this vacation...S will be home for the holidays in 2 weeks...and will be home for 5 weeks. There's the usual stuffed holiday schedule at home and I'll love it...I'm a Christmas nut to the same degree I'm a Disney nut! And thanks to new owner excess, we have another Disney trip planned for shortly after the New Year...so I have non-stop stuff to eagerly anticipate til the end of Jan...no complaints from me!

Once S departs I'm on my own w/the computer and while I may be able to make it work, I may also find myself too frustrated by the process and decide to just wait til I get home to do any more computer stuff...I have mobile email to keep in touch w/home and work and Disboards can wait (I think...I am addicted; don't think I've tried to go 24 hours w/out it yet!) til tomorrow afternoon!

Once again, thanks for sharing this adventure w/me...it's been grand and glorious...happy holiday season to all, and may all your WDW sojourns be as wonderful as this one has been for us!

 

[RachelTori]

Once again, thanks for sharing this adventure w/me...it's been grand and glorious...happy holiday season to all, and may all your WDW sojourns be as wonderful as this one has been for us!

Thank YOU, Dani, for sharing your adventure with US!!

 

[cocoswife]

 

[Parkhopper13]

Wow!!! Thank you so much for letting me join you and your family on your trip. I found myself looking everyday for new updates. I can't wait for my trip now...which is not for over a year. Thanks again and enjoy your holiday season.

 

[jakenjess]

I've really enjoyed reading about your trip. Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[dianeschlicht]

So glad you are having such a good time!

 

[DMKEDM]

Hi, everyone...all of my family has made it back to their respective homes (and schools) safe 'n sound...and already we're all talking about the next time we go...we had SUCH a good time!

First, someone earlier asked about our "bad view" (as I recall, I mentioned we got one of the worst views we'd ever gotten, but that we didn't care)...it was by no means "bad"...it overlooked a parking lot (but we could also see the Congress Park bus stop and lots of green space)...the one and only "bad" view we ever got was last year at the Beach Club (not DVC), where we got a room directly above the flat topped gravel roof at the front of the Inn, and literally could see nothing else w/out "craning"...but even that didn't bother us much...we don't tend to sit and just look out...if we're just sitting and looking, it's more likely to be pool-side or on a bench on the grounds...

I found I enjoyed my day alone at Disney...my son left Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and I didn't leave til 7 a.m. this morning (MOnday)...I spent the morning resort-hopping...took the SSR bus to MK, and from there the ferry to VWL (very, very pretty--but not our "thing"...one less person to compete for those hard-to-get-at-Christmas rooms!)...wandered there for a while, then ferry boated back to the Contemporary where I did a monorail tour of it, the Poly (first time ever there!) and the Grand Floridian...my favorite hands-down was the GF (surprise...if it costs more, I'll like it more, just like if it's high-calorie, I'll like it better than the lower-calorie alternative...sigh!)...all four MK area resorts are special, each in their own way...loved wandering thru them...it was a great way to spend a few hours yesterday morning!

Discovered my unhappy feet were the victim of bad shoes...I could barely walk by the time I got back around 2, and since I wanted to go out again instead of putting on my "magic slippers," I put on a pair of sandals...amazing how much difference it made! I have nine (count 'em NINE) blisters, but it was those goldarned leather walking shoes that did my feet in! The sandals did me just fine, despite the blisters...

Hung around SSR (pool-side) for a couple of hours, and then headed to Epcot...went to the Candlelight Processional at 5, expecting to just hang out "outside" on the walkway...but it hadn't sold out, so about 5 minutes into the program the CMs let us "hangers-on" in to sit...an unexpected, delightful treat...the CP is gorgeous and wonderful and inspiring...LOVED it! Then I wandered over to watch the tree-lighting ceremony/show, and sat and gazed at "my" dancing fountain and the wonderful lit arch between World Showcase and Future World...what a wonderful evening! Back to SSR by 7:30 ... called for a wakeup call at 3 (ME picked me up at 4 for my 7 a.m. flight)...

I can't rave enough about SSR...I loved everything about it (except that I couldn't walk to Epcot!)...and one thing about SSR I haven't noticed anyone else saying (so far): the transportation options it gives you are awesome! It's literally a five-minute walk (from Congress Park) to the bus stop at DTD Marketplace, and from there you can go to any other resort...or, if you want a park, you pick up an SSR Disney bus...we were within a 5 minute walk to 3 different SSR bus stops (and right across the parking lot from the Congress Park stop)...best transportation on site, by a lot...and if you're on DDP, and are using non-park TS restaurants, that transportation flexilibity is great!

I have an "etiquette question" which I discovered at 3:30 this morning! What is "the right thing" to do w/linens when checking out? I wound up leaving the sheets & blankets in a pile (stripped both beds) for Mousekeeping...didn't seem "right" to make beds w/soiled linens! On the other hand, it also seemed "not so right" to leave a pile of dirty laundry in the room! What do you-all do? (I did take out all my trash...but if there's a garbage room/dumpster, I didn't find it...wound up using the big garbage cans around the quiet pool, which was right around the corner from our building)...

Now, we have the holidays and then an early Jan trip to anticipate...life is good...we're happy people in my world...wishing the same happiness to all my friends here on Disboards!

 

[Granny]

Dani...I know I echo everyone's sentiment here when I say that it is great to hear that you enjoyed your trip so much.

Obviously, in your case.....magic is not something that others bring to you, but something you bring along with you where ever you go.

I have an "etiquette question" which I discovered at 3:30 this morning! What is "the right thing" to do w/linens when checking out? I wound up leaving the sheets & blankets in a pile (stripped both beds) for Mousekeeping...didn't seem "right" to make beds w/soiled linens! On the other hand, it also seemed "not so right" to leave a pile of dirty laundry in the room! What do you-all do? (I did take out all my trash...but if there's a garbage room/dumpster, I didn't find it...wound up using the big garbage cans around the quiet pool, which was right around the corner from our building)...

I don't think there is a "right thing to do"....there are just different practices. Many do exactly like you said. Others (like my family) don't bother stripping the beds or taking out the trash. Probably because we are on the road home by 5:30 in the morning and really don't want to mess with that type of thing.

We do "tidy up" when those intrusive mousekeepers show up for cleaning or T&T days. Otherwise, we just keep the place in as good of shape as two teenagers will allow, and leave a nice tip for mousekeeping for getting the villa ready for the next family.

 

[LisaS]

Discovered my unhappy feet were the victim of bad shoes...I could barely walk by the time I got back around 2, and since I wanted to go out again instead of putting on my "magic slippers," I put on a pair of sandals...amazing how much difference it made! I have nine (count 'em NINE) blisters, but it was those goldarned leather walking shoes that did my feet in! The sandals did me just fine, despite the blisters...

Dani - From one blister prone person to another, before your next trip get something called "BodyGlide". http://www.bodyglide.com/skin/skin.html

Apply it liberally to all surfaces that are prone to blisters or chafing (between each toe, to the bottom of your toes and to any part of your feet that rub against your shoes). I have not had a single blister since I started using it on our WDW trips. Best $8 I ever spent!

It's popular with runners so you can find it at sporting goods stores. I found it at EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports).