Eventually that is how Magic Bands are supposed to work. During our trip last month we did a split stay and had two sets of bands. I ordered two different colors to coordinate with outfits and they both worked for me. We have a split stay booked for May 2014 and I plan to get two more colors
What a pain in the behind it was having to pull out the magic bands. It doesn't make sense that they'd send you the booklet and not tell you that you couldn't use it.
As I said before, those room view pictures are. I'm sure that it came as a shock just how ugly it was. Too bad this was one of those "pictures don't do the view justice" scenarios and it was even worse than the pictures you had seen before.
Your husband was sweet to take time to decorate the cookies. I always feel sorry for folks like that and am suckered into stopping.
You are right, the pictures don't really do it justice - you really need to be there to see AND hear it at the same time. 
Wow what a lovely welcome to Disney being shouted at about Magic Bands. We can't get them sent to the UK so we won't have them for the ME bus, they'd better not shout at us and let us on
How sweet of your DH to ice the cookies
I love how pretty Wilderness Lodge looks! But I didn't really realize how the rooms looked.Your view is horrible that's for sure! Please tell me the outside and the lobby are as pretty as they look though!
I haven't had a trip yet with Magic Bands or FP+. Are they are confusing as they sound or pretty easy once you get the hang of it? It makes me a little nervous!
How cute that your dh and son stayed to decorate a cookie. They must not have wanted to hurt her feelings. Aw!
joining in
It would be well worth it in this case!My head is spinning over the Magic Band stuff. What about people who book trips last minute and pick up their bands at the resort?
Bummer of a view. I'm sorry, but WL is a Deluxe Resort and there shouldn't be any room with a view of slush. Yuck!
And offers CL. That's all I can think of!It's to bad when you stay at a deluxe,and it feels and looks like a mod.
To funny about the cookie decorating.
Hope it didn't take you to long to get to AK.
Sent from my iPad using DISBoards
I can't believe they made you get out your MBs for ME??? What the heck? I don't get that. What about people who don't have MBs? We won't have them on this trip but we are using ME twice (one night at WDW before and after our cruise). Now I'm worried I'm going to get pulled out of line! We have old MBs from our last trip... wonder if I should bring them???
I would just hold up your ME booklet and tell them that you don't have any MB's!!
Your poor DH... I feel his pain. I always feel obligated to talk to the little old people too.
I usually do too, but not when it's messing with my Disney time!!
I agree with you on the look of the rooms at WL. I've never seen them firsthand, but I'm not in love with the way they look in pictures. But then again, I'm like you and much prefer the tropical look to the rustic stuff. I do think the rest of the resort looks really nice though.
Even if you have the ME booklet in your hand folded over to the page with the ME barcode and ready to go, like you've done every trip for the last 10 years!! 
I'm so bummed they stuck you in that horrible room. Every time I see those pictures, I get mad!
Me too!!
When we stayed at the WL, we came in at dusk. They were just turning the "lanterns" on outside, and they were flickering beautifully. The air was slightly chilly, crickets were singing, people were roasting marshmallows on the beach while the water was making lazy waves.It was BEAUTIFUL.
It is a beautiful resort.
Not, HUMMING ELECTRICITY BOXES and SWIRLING BUBBLING SWAMP WATER. Bah. I'm so agitated about it.
I know better than anyone that not every resort is "for everyone", but that was a pathetic showing by a GREAT resort. Shame on Disney for letting that happen.
It is a pathetic showing. I still can't believe it when I think about it.
Anyway, I have never seen the cookie lady there. That's too funny. Your DH is so sweet to hold up his plans to throw that old lady a bone. LOL.
Can't wait to hear about AK and what plans your other boys had.
I'm really surprised that they don't let you use the books with the code. They really should put a note in the box with the bands, telling everyone that they HAVE to use the bands for the bus.
.... We traveled to WDW on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and the line was huge. It took an hour from the time we got in line to the time the bus pulled out of the airport. We usually travel on a weekday and have never encountered such a line.
....
That was the longest I have ever seen a ME line. I was shocked - it was January!!
When we traveled on a Saturday we weren't greeted by a CM, either. But we were greeted on our other two trips there. I'm curious to see if we are greeted at the door when we go to the Beach Club next month. We haven't been there since 2011, before the days of iPads and MM+. By the way, we usually only go to WDW every two years, but after a long period of not taking any trips, we decided to splurge a little. I blame the Annual Pass we bought in December. It is just too tempting to use them.
We were greeted last August when we arrived at the YC. I'm pretty sure we have always been greeted at all the deluxe resorts we've stayed at before. But not at the WL.
I agree that the rooms aren't as nice as the other deluxe rooms we have stayed at. They are not as nice as the Beach Club rooms. We love the BC and stayed there many times. But the WL rooms are good enough for us. They are a lot cheaper, so I guess that makes it okay for us. We love the lodge itself and the woodsy feel of the resort. But I can see where it isn't for everyone. We don't like the Polynesian.
WHAT???
That view is worse than I expected the standard view to be. I knew about the noise from the delivery trucks, but I didn't know about the transformers. That would be a deal breaker for me.
.....
That was so nice of your DH and son to stay and make cookies.
Subbing inA winter trip sounds perfect about now. This winter is dragging on way too long. It's either below 0 or snowing out.
The view from your room is awful. Hope you have fun at AK and can use your FP+.
It must've been so nice to fly from snowy PA to sunny and warm Florida!
It was!!
Yes, your view at the WL was horrible. They shouldn't even have rooms that look onto a view like that. The two times we've stayed at the WL we paid for a courtyard view and now I'm glad we did. I know for the future to at least book a woods view room given the poor view you received.
It was a lesson learned I suppose. I just never dreamed it would be that bad.
Your DH and DS were good sports for decorating cookies. I would've done like you and bolted. Hope you make it in time for your FP+ time.
Are you getting snow today? We are supposed to be getting anywhere from 12-16+ inches. I am officially over winter. No school today and I'm almost positive school will also be closed tomorrow. Today is snow day number 6. We are all grumpy and going nuts! Actually kids are fighting now so I'd better go put out that fire!
I think it is more out east. We didn't get anything yesterday and today we are getting a few flurries. Mine are the same way. Everybody gets so grumpy and tired of being cooped up in the house together.
Hope you enjoy!!Hi Shelly!
So glad you're here for another TR! Eventually that is how Magic Bands are supposed to work. During our trip last month we did a split stay and had two sets of bands. I ordered two different colors to coordinate with outfits and they both worked for me. We have a split stay booked for May 2014 and I plan to get two more colors
Creatures of habit I guess.
Wow the start of your trip sounds similar to our December trip with the winter storm and the magic band/FP+ drama. And what's with the the snappy CM at the DME?
Oh no, sorry to hear you had the same experience!!
Excited to see how your week at the WL went. This resort has been on my bucket list for years and I FINALLY got the chance to "visit" on our last trip when we had a ressie for WCC and while the lobby was amazing I thought everything else was kind of meh. We walked around and while we did not get to see a room, obviously, the hallways that lead to the rooms seemed very disappointing. That is interesting about the rooms though in comparison to the moderates. And your poor view, lol. Maybe some rooms do not need balconies? Ah well at least you're in Disney right?
That was about it. The lobby is beautiful. We enjoyed the pool area. But yeah, the hallways and rooms were just kind of plain. Definitely not a new favorite for us!
But yes, as least we were in Disney!
That is funny about your DH feeling bad for the cookie lady. Poor cookie lady. I love how you were like no time gotta go sorry! This past trip for us was a first with the FP+ and I had the same issues with trying to change our times and experiences. It was like having a mini panic attack trying to get it to load on my smartphone and a race to change the times...ugh. Between all of that being scheduled in advance and the dining ADR's I felt like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland the whole trip....good grief!
Anyways sorry I tend to ramble sometimes (I'm southern after all) but enjoying your posts so far
Feel free to ramble anytime! Well, not that I fly to FL much, but I'll have to remember that I should have those MBs handy! Sheesh - what's with the yelling?
I think they are trying to get people used to this, but they really don't have to act like that. A simple - we are going to be using only the MB's in the future, so please have them out and ready next time - would have done the trick!
So sad about the icky room view/noise. LOL at your DH caving at the cookie lady! How were the cookies?
WOW - what a deal at the Poly in August!!! I've never seen a room there for less than $300! I need to get in on this action (except I think we're going in June and December).
It is an amazing deal!!
I know I could look it up, but I'm lazy and you have all the answers fresh- how far in advance can you make the FP+ reservations? 60 days? If we go in June I better get serious - I could make ADRs already! YIKES!
I meant to say something about this too! GREAT DEAL!!! Is that just for TA's, or is that a special your agency offers to the public? I would definitely rent out my DVC points, and stay there for that price!
We have super great deals at BC, YC, Poly, and GF in late August!!
I already have 45+ clients going in August!
I'm glad they aren't all going in September.
That is seriously a great deal Shelly's agency is offering. We have a wedding to go to in Sept (late) so we can't take advantage, but you'll never see it any cheaper.
:
It was hard to even find where the FP entrance was. And it was 3:00, right when our FP ended. We finally found it, but it was huge as well. People everywhere and a super long line just to get up to where you scan your FP and enter. I know they will let you in a little late, past your FP time, but I wasnt sure exactly how late. Plus by the time we would actually get up to where you scan your band, it would have been well after the time. While I was curious as to how they handled such a thing (actually being in line before your FP expired, but the FP line being so long that by the time you got to scan your band the FP wouldnt be good anymore), we knew that the line was huge and would take awhile to actually get to the ride, and then the ride itself is fairly long, and it was now after 3:00. If we stayed we ran the risk of missing our FP for EE, that was for 3-4pm. So, we left. Disappointing, but we didnt want to miss EE and we could tell that it was a busy day at AK. 
I had never rode it before, I dont really like spinny. But I didnt want to be a party pooper. The wait time said 20 minutes so we got in line. A few minutes after getting in line, they make an announcement due to technical issues, one side of the ride has been closed and your wait time might be longer than expected. I told DS its going to be twice as long!! He really wanted to ride, so we stayed. It ended up being one of the most painful waits ever. The couple in front of us was making out the whole time. As in I said to DS once if I see his tongue one more time I am going to rip it out of his head!!! 
And there was a party of 5 behind us. The one lady insisted on being in my space. As in right up against my back. With each step I took, so did she. I was about to scream!!! When we got up to the front the CM asked if there were 3 in our party. Yeah, he thought she was with us!!! And, to top it all off we ended up having to ride with her. 
I cant really say Ill be asking to ride it again anytime soon, but it was okay. 
