What a lovely trip!!!

[Aliceacc]

We got back LATE Wednesday night after a weeklong stay (and a 2.5 hour flight delay. Ouch.) And I have to say, this was a trip for the record books. Some impressions:

- We stayed, for the first time ever, Club Level at the Boardwalk. I've got to say, the staff there was incredible. They were kind, they had what you needed before it occurred to you to ask. Absolutely phenomenal service.

- We always get the DDP. This year we did more buffets than ever before, and not a single meal disappointed. We ate at Chef Mickey's, Tusker House breakfast, Coral Reef, Cape May dinner, Crystal House Breakfast, Le Cellier, and BOG. Every single meal was wonderful. And a shout out to Candace, our server at Le Cellier-- she was an absolute standout.

- We missed the Jungle Book show. We were at AK for the day, and came back for a break and dinner at Cape May, with intentions of returning for the evening safari and the show. As we got off the bus at the Boardwalk, a real thunderstorm kicked in, and the skies never really cleared. We opted to spend the night wandering around at Epcot instead. I would have liked to see the show, but it was one of those decisions that worked out for the best in spite of what it cost.

- We met the BEST people on the single rider line at Test Track. We were on that line several times, and always came off the ride laughing. One was Max, a 7 year old from Australia and his dad-- we went on as a party of 6. Max was a total delight. Another was 2 grown sisters and their sons, who shared a car with myself and my daughter. They were a total hoot, yelling and slipping in the occasional 4 letter word as they went through the ride. I would have gotten on that line over and over simply for the people we met.

- I LOVE the new Soarin. I also LOVED the old one, but I think this one is my preference by a hair.

As I posted on another thread, I was underwhelmed by Frozen. I'm glad I saw it, but would NOT wait for more than a few minutes to see it again.

- We did the Pirates and Pals cruise for the first time. My daughter had tears in her eyes as she watched Wishes from the lagoon. Our Pirate was a total hoot as he led us through Pirate songs and endless renditions of "Where are you FROM?" as we met our fellow cruisers. What fun!

- We loved the fact that our Photopass pictures showed up on My Disney Experience within minutes. It was so very much easier to get the kids to stop and pose for a picture, knowing they could pull it up on their phones right away. There's something to be said for immediate gratification. MY sister, her daughter and son in law and their family joined us on our last day for their first trip, and also saw the value of Memory Maker-- and of asking for trick shots.

- With the exception of our return flight, our timing was incredible. We never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus or boat, and never waited on a line of more than 10 minutes. We saw everything we wanted to, numerous times. Can I repeat one more time that Rope Drop is worth getting out of bed for???

Absolutely a trip we'll remember forever. Yes, it was VERY HOT. But it will warm my heart next winter when my son is away at college and the temperatures drop. It was an incredible family vacation.

 

[kayemgi]

Sounds like a most magical trip! It was nice to read something so full of positives. Made me wish we were there. How lucky that everything worked out so well for you across the board!

 

[swansong1001]

I'm glad you had a good time. We have noticed, overall, that the lines are shorter this summer at all the theme parks. We have a son with autism and get annual passes each year to all the theme parks because it helps with his socialization. He doesn't speak, but truly enjoys the theme parks. So, the shorter lines are a godsend to us.

 

[iheartbelle87]

Sounds like a fabulous time, especially the impromptu evening at Epcot

 

[Aliceacc]

Yeah... gotta love Parkhoppers for the freedom they give you.

 

[aretha30]

Sounds like a great trip!

 

[RLGNC]

Wow, this is awesome! What a special trip. I can tell from your words that you will remember it fondly for many many years to come. Thanks for sharing!

 

[pd1138]

I am so happy for you!! Sounds like great memories were made!! These just back threads keep me going as I count down these last couple of weeks until our trip! We are also doing the DDP and have a lot of the same buffets booked! Glad to hear you had great experiences!! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[glvsav37]

glad you had a blast.

we normally do the pirates cruise as well...I love the amount of things to do around the resorts that are NOT sitting on hot pavement for an hour waiting for the fireworks. Yes, I know they are an extra charge, but they really do them right with the dessert parties and things to occupy your time. Sometimes we go really nuts and get pirate makeovers before we go at the Pirate's League

 

[KaSe]

Sounds like an awesome trip! So glad for you!

 

[DisneyFive]

Thanks for posting! Glad you had an awesome time! Makes me REALLY look forward to being there in 5 days!

Besides rope drop, did you have a strategy that allowed you to have such low wait times, or was it just experience in general of knowing where to be, and when?

Dan

 

[KerryCM]

Have to agree with you about the cast at the Innkeepers Club! They are by far the best around. We will be back in December and cannot wait to see them all again. Jackie, Linda, Anita, Pete, JJ, Scott, Lorenzo and many others are like family to us.

 

[heidijanesmith]

Great report! Totally agree with you about BWI CL, we had a great time and thought the staff was fantastic. We also thought the CL food was the best we have had at CL level.

 

[lustergirl]

Sounds like a great time!!

 

[momtotwo]

Do you think two adults would enjoy the Pirates and Pals Cruise? It's just myself and my husband with no children. Thanks.

 

[jade1]

Awesome report. Exactly why we keep going. No place like it.

 

[Avery's mom]

We are staying CL at the Boardwalk for the 1st time in September. Any more tips/details you can share about your experiences there?

 

[Aliceacc]

In the interests of full disclosure:

Long story short: In April, my husband was supposed to accompany his school on the Senior Trip to WDW. The Friday night before their Thursday morning departure, he had a series of Seizures, his first ever. He ended up in the ER with pneumonia, AFib episodes, and on life support. He was released after 11 days in the ICU. When I asked the doctors what I should be most afraid of, should he even pull through, the answer was "brain damage." I had the life insurance policies out, and was pulling together black clothes for the kids. His classes were covered for the remainder of the year, and his principal was with me at the hospital at 9 am on Saturday morning.

Needless to say, he missed the WDW trip.

His Juniors and Seniors, in an act that still makes me cry, pulled together between Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon and collected $4000 to send us to WDW.

My husband wrote to WDW, to tell them of the generosity of his kids. To be totally honest, he was hoping for some sort of a perk for next year's trip.

Instead, we were showered with perks from Disney. They included an upgrade to Club Level, and some extra FPs each day. We were, and still are, humbled by all that Disney did to make this trip a magical one.

It served as closure for all of us, most especially for my 16 year old daughter, who still has nightmares that her dad died. With any luck at all, those will stop now. My husband, who can't legally drive until October, hopes to return to the classroom in September.

So those minimal waits were a combination of rope drop, knowing the ins and outs (like the TT single rider line) and incredible generosity by Disney.

To answer some of the other questions:
The cruise was lots of fun. If you're able to channel that inner child, then yes, I would think 2 adults would enjoy it.

We left home pretty sure that this would be our last WDW trip for a while; our oldest starts college in a month and we'll be looking at 10 years of tuition.

But this trip changed that. We'll find a way to get back to WDW. It won't be Deluxe, and we'll probably never again enjoy all the bells and whistles that we enjoyed this trip. But after all they did for my family, there's no way we're NOT doing Disney for a whole decade.