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John and Donna Gross "The Full Mickey - At a Discount!" The Wall Street Journal
Disney Vacation Connection Desktop Widget Serves Up Planning Information in a Fun and Creative Way for Disney-bound Guests Planning that next magical Disney vacation? The newly released Disney Vacation Connection desktop widget is a free application that can be downloaded to a PC or Mac computer to view news, videos, weather, park hours, events and vacation planning tips. Also included is a Disney vacation countdown clock that will tell guests the days, hours and minutes until their next Disney vacation. Content on the app includes Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii. With the Disney Vacation Connection widget loaded on their desktop, Disney guests will be able to:
· Stay up-to-date on the latest news and special offers The widget is a free download. Guests can learn more about the Disney Vacation Connection desktop widget, and download it, by visiting www.DisneyVacationConnection.com. (Press Release, 07/19/10)
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Disney Doesn't Disappoint
Jennifer writes about Pollo Campero replacing McDonald's at Downtown Disney and her recent housekeeping and dining experiences at Walt Disney World: "I wanted to comment on the Disney to close it's downtown Disney McDonald's and being replaced by Pollo Campero. We have them here in MD and I have to say, we've tried them 5 times to give them a fair shot, and they were horrible. The chicken was dry but very greasy and the facilities in both restaurants was not taken care of. Also, we just got back from Disney World today and wanted to let everyone know that they are currently training a whole lot of new employees. While at Cosmic Ray's Cafe to eat, I literally was in line 20 minutes before having someone come over and take over for the poor new girl who did not know what she was doing. I felt bad for her, because she did not have anyone with her during prime lunch hour to help her, resulting in the 20 minute wait. Every time she messed up an order she'd had to find someone to go find the manager who would come over fix it, then leave only to have it repeated again. We don't mind when there is a new person training, but I really think they needed to have someone with her during the lunch time crunch. We had a trainee during check-in and she had someone with her to help her. One other thing I noted was that the housekeeping staff isn't as good as it used to be at Pop Century, where we stayed. The first day, after making the bed, they left the top coverlet laying crumpled on the floor and never gave us new towel animals and I had to call twice to get my son's bday card to the room. Also, a few dining places make a fuss over us for celebrating my son's 3rd bday and our 4th anniversary, then nothing happened at the tables. I don't expect it, but I guess I have gotten used to them bringing a cupcake or something. Chef Mickey's used to bring a 'placemat' signed by the characters, this time the lady realized it was my son's bday after we paid the check and ran over with a cupcake and said here you go....it was crowded and nice that she did remember though. At Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner, the characters are there until Crystal Palace reopens, the wait staff seemed very rushed. Since this is our favorite restaurant, I asked the waitress if it was possible for them to bring my son a cupcake for his bday. She did, but then proceeded to say 'here' and then said something very fast and almost inaudible and plopped it on his plate and walked away. I have to say, we love Disney and I have never, NEVER experienced the lacking service we did this time. I thought since it's not a busy time for them, we would experience the same, if not better, service we get during peak season. I know they are training a ton of new people, I can only assume once the stress of that subsides, everything will resume. We do plan on going back, but we really wanted to share this with you. I hate giving them a negative review, we did have some good times there during this past visit too. Thanks."
Rae writes:
We loved Coronado Springs!
Beth, our travel agent, writes about her visit to Walt Disney World December, 2008: "I'm recently back from my annual trek to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and thought I'd pass on a few comments and observations... CONTEMPORARY RESORT I haven't stayed here for several years so it was nice to go back and try out the renovated rooms for myself. They really are very nice, and you sure can't beat the location. We were in a tower room with a lagoon view, though, and unfortunately assigned a spot as close to the construction of the new DVC building as we could get. The noise starts early in the morning and makes enjoying time on the balcony nearly impossible. It was even distracting out by the pool. You can forget sleeping in. Not good. Plus, the new building blocks about a third of your lake view from that end of the building. At least for the time being, either do a garden wing room with a standard (parking lot view) so you're not paying much and are not facing the construction, or splurge on the tower rooms with theme park view. I never noticed this before, but even when you're staying on the 5th floor (which we were) you can't get to the monorail without going down a floor and then back up! Speaking of the monorail, don't assume that you can leave the Magic Kingdom and hop right on a train back to your monorail hotel. We left one night after a parade (along with a large herd of other people) and had over a half hour wait before we could board! The crowd was really absurd, but after that I started watching more closely and it seems that happens nearly every night after fireworks or a parade. Guess that's a popular time to leave! Won't make that mistake again. DINING We did lunch at the Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney. This is one of the few places you can eat without breaking the bank. Try to get there before 11:30, though, to avoid a long line and increase odds of getting a table easily. Warning: The children's grilled cheese sandwich is on ciabatta bread and did not pass the visual test of my 6-year-old niece. It was delicious, but it didn't 'look' right so she refused to eat it. Skip dessert and instead head around the corner to the Ghirardelli store where they are always giving out free chocolate samples. One square is a perfect morsel for me, but if your sweet tooth is bigger consider going to the other side to share a big sundae with someone. :) The Crystal Palace at 5:20 PM on Mickey's party night is a tradition. The buffet is all-you-can-eat and offers something for pretty much everyone. It's not gourmet, but it's more than edible... and the kids love the kid-sized buffet area with all their favorites (pizza, spaghetti, mac n' cheese, etc.) It's expensive for what you get, BUT it only takes one table service credit if you're on the dining plan. All four Pooh characters stopped by the table at least once in the 70 minutes or so that we were there. The service was pretty slow, but fortunately we only needed the server for beverages. Bonus: we were early - by about a half hour - and had no trouble getting in after just a five minute wait. This was my first trip to the Main Street Bakery - for breakfast or anything else. Yum! I'm on a perpetual diet so I passed on the pastries, but they looked wonderful. I opted for the hot croissant, ham, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. (OK, so that's not dietetic, either, but it's better than a giant cinnamon roll!) It was really good. Also available and equally tasty were a yogurt-fruit parfait, hot oatmeal, and a fruit and cheese bowl. (No, they weren't all for me!) It's a much nicer place to grab breakfast than a food court, although the line was long and getting a table can be hard.. We also hit the early (5:15) performance of the Spirit of Aloha luau dinner show at the Polynesian Resort. I can't tell you how long it's been since I've been to that! The food was served family-style, all you can eat, and was fabulous. Even my picky eater niece loved it. I washed it down with an adequate red wine (included) while my mother opted for white wine and the girls chose iced tea. The show progresses at a good pace and holds the children's attention well. My niece is 6 and my daughter is 11; they were equally fascinated. Two thumbs up all around. I'm convinced that calling at 7AM exactly 180 days prior to the show date to request a category 1 table is what got us front and center. Great location, and probably worth the extra money. The category 2 seats are fine, although a bit removed from the action. The category 3 seats are in the back. You can see, but I'm sure it's not the same as being right up close. One last note: We were told to be there 30 minutes early and I'm a stickler for details so we arrived at 4:45 on the nose... only to be told that we could wait in the garden until seating started at 5:15. There are a total of THREE benches available! They did start letting us in a few minutes early, but I have a theory that the '30 minutes early' thing is a ploy to get you standing there next to the cash bar while you wait. Since you can't even sit down, might as well buy a drink, right? Forget it. Arrive 20 minutes early and you'll still be there in plenty of time. And finally, we tried out the new Contempo Cafe on the 4th floor of the Contemporary resort for breakfast. It was certainly convenient, but given that it's in the same (very open) location as the old Concourse Steakhouse, the noise from Chef Mickey's is more than a little distracting. As mentioned in a recent Affordable Disney newsletter, you can check out the menu board before proceeding to touch screen ordering kiosks where the pricing of the items is revealed. Pricing is changed by what you add (or subtract) from your items. For instance, adding cheese to a burger. When you're done ordering you take your receipt to the self-service area where you can grab additional items, and then onto the cashier to check out. This is a sample of the new trend where you pay, get a beeper, and go sit to wait for your food instead of hanging out at the counter. It's a good system once you get used to it. As with most counter service locations, it's a good (and fast) place to eat - but especially so if you avoid peak meal times. MICKEY'S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY I've gone to this event roughly 12 of the last 14 years. I love that it's usually cool at night and with all the holiday decorations, snow on Main Street, festive shows, etc. it's about the best way I've found to get in the spirit of the season. The event starts at 7PM, but we always make our Crystal palace reservations for 5:20 so that we can get in the park using just our party tickets (no drain on the regular park admission tickets), we can get party wristbands on the way in (they start giving them out around 4 PM), and when we finish dinner we can hit the park running with VERY few people around. Cast members will ask to see your wristbands, but as long as you have them you can go where you want with very short (if any) wait times. This is a nice change from a few years ago when everyone was forced into Tomorrowland until 7PM. Gone are the free holiday photos, but you do get a discount off all PhotoPass shots you order from that night. (40%, I think.) While the incredible Christmas cookies they had 10+ years ago have been replaced with run-of-the-mill sugar cookies, they're still pretty tasty, as is the hot chocolate - both complimentary at many stations around the park. I was happy to see that they have added the healthier option of apple juice and apple slices as well. As usual, the extra-special fireworks are worth the price of admission if you ask me... I'm a big pyro fan! The parade (done twice) is the same as it's been for years, and you still have to grab a spot at least 30 minutes (or more) beforehand if you don't want to stand. A night at Mickey's VMCP cannot replace a full day at the Magic Kingdom if you've never been there (or if it's been awhile), but you can sure see a lot in very little time. If you go often, consider doing the party in lieu of a park that day and instead go hotel hopping to see all the gorgeous decorations. Perhaps it's time to mention once again that I don't live in Orlando. I live in Naples, about 3+ hours southwest, so I don't get to Disney World nearly as often as I'd like - a few times a year if I'm lucky. When I do go, I spend lots of time scouting out area hotels, trying new restaurants, and doing other 'travel agent' things; but I consider the December trips true vacations - short, but all mine. It's my favorite time of year to go, so I focus on fun instead of agent education. Don't hesitate to write if you have questions about holiday trips - or any other time of year for that matter! This weekend I'm off on another cruise, so watch for that report soon!"
Jennifer writes about her visit toWalt Disney World December, 2008:
Proof again that castmembers can turn frowns into smiles with a little help of the Disney magic!
Back From Walt Disney World Donna, I and our son, Paul, spent 5 nights at Walt Disney World during Thanksgiving, 2008. Some observations... Weather was very nice compared to the 25's back home: 70 during the day and 45-50 at night. Like last year, Disney had still not finished decorating for Christmas. We stopped by Port Orleans Riverside and they had no Christmas decorations. Looks like Disney is cutting corners to keep their dining plan profitable. Food options were similar everywhere we looked. The quality has sure slipped over the past two years, although you can still find some winners if you know where to look. We don't eat at full-service restaurants, so let's hope that their meals are still worth the price. The pizza served at All Star Music food court is inedible. I watched them put a frozen pizza in the oven where it ran on a track and came out the other end in 10 minutes. The worst pizza we ever ate. Much worse than any frozen pizza at your supermarket. The burgers at ABC Commissary in Hollywood Studios had no flavor. Tasted like the beef patties were boiled. They only came as double cheeseburgers. Ice cream cookie sandwiches at Main Street Bakery in the Magic Kingdom are still as wonderful as ever! Their carrot cake was excellent as well. The burgers at Electric Umbrella in Epcot's Future World are still very tasty. Turkey leg lovers could buy them at all the parks. Ours at the Animal Kingdom was big and tasty! The plato combinacion - quesadilla, taco and burrito - at La Cantina at Epcot's Mexican Pavilion was delicious and afforded us a nice view of Illuminations as we ate. We only ate once at Coronado Springs food court. Their taco salad this year had no salad. Their quesadilla was not filling for $15. The grilled chicken with fries was burnt and the breast was almost too dry to eat. With sodas the bill came to almost $60. Way too much money for that kind of food. We had two vouchers for $15 each at Planet Hollywood since we had two rooms. They refused to accept both vouchers unless Paul ate at a separate table! So we left and they lost $100 we would have spent had they accepted the vouchers. Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney served delicious sandwiches at a fair price - less than we usually pay at Panera. Paul and I ordered the holiday sandwich with turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and mayo. Delicious! Donna's Italian sandwich and tomato soup hit the spot. Ghirardelli still serves the best chocolate. You have to try their chocolate brownie for $2.50. Incredible. Fish and chips at Cookes at Disney's West Side was tasty, but they served one large piece of fish, making it hard for us to share. Nova Era, the classical Italian ensemble that used to play at Epcot, were playing near Fulton's Crab House. They played four shows a night. The cello player said his hands were sometimes too cold to play! Their music was beautiful. Not much going on at Pleasure Island since the clubs closed. Narnia at Disney's Hollywood Studios was a waste of time. They basically showed scenes of the movie and some props. Surprisingly, the Stunt Show at the Studios was very entertaining. The bleachers are steep, so those with knee problems can take the elevator. A castmember will guide you and unlock the elevator for you. Be aware that there were no handrails as you enter the bleachers from the elevator. Toy Story Mania at the Studios had a 90-minute wait. We usually don't like to wait that long, but we had to see it that day and FastPass was not possible. We heard Mr. Potato Head's carnival spiel so many times I was looking for the electric plug to turn him off! The ride was mildly amusing, but what was Disney thinking of using guns with a pull string cord? StormStruck at Epcot's Innoventions was a waste of time. The 3-D glasses make sure you see the logos of the company sponsors up close! Despite the addition of Judy Dench's narration at Epcot's Spaceship Earth and some computer scenes, the attraction hasn't changed much. Mass at Mary, Queen of Universe was wonderful as usual. You have to see this church near the Orlando Premium Outlets.
Cynthia writes: "Dear John, I've been an affordable Disney reader [and member] for a few years now, and would like you to know how much I enjoy leaning back, propping up my feet, and taking a Disney break! We are avid lovers of WDW and have been five times since 1992; the latest trip in 2005. I know that isn't much by some standards, but each trip has been longingly saved for; and lovingly savored through photos and video, as well as, reminiscing at family dinners and holidays; keeping the "magic" alive. :) We know it will be another few years or so before going back because we have two in college right now; a freshman and a sophomore. In the mean time, we'll keep enjoying the affordable Disney updates and dreaming about our next magical trip. Thanks so much for providing such great information and fun for our family. God bless, Cynthia" Thanks again, Cynthia, for your generous comments. You make all the work so worthwhile.
Judy writes about her recent Walt Disney World vacation:
Thank you, Judy, for your generous feedback. Your comments make all the work so worthwhile. |
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Beth, our travel agent, visited Walt Disney World in June, 2008: "June is the month for my 10-year-old daughter's annual solo trip to Grandma's house. Unfortunately, there are currently no airlines flying nonstop to Raleigh or Greensboro so we had to choose another departure point. For Disney lovers, the choice between Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando is an easy one. We drove to Orlando the day prior to her flight. Despite a short 'leg stretch' break, we still made it to Downtown Disney in an uneventful 3.5 hours and arrived at the Earl of Sandwich just in time for lunch. We were pleased to see that the line was short and seating was still ample - which was not the case a very short time later. The line, however, does move really fast even during peak meal time. Two thumbs up on both the food and the pricing. In fact, the yummy sandwiches are large enough that we could have shared one. Along with our shared dessert and beverage it would have been plenty and we could have come in under $10. As it was, with two drinks, a giant cupcake, and two sandwiches, we were just under $18 and we each had half a sandwich left for later. They were promptly tossed in my thermal lunch bag in the trunk of the car before we headed to Disney Quest on the other side of Downtown Disney. I'll readily admit this was our first time to Disney Quest. It's true! We've been to Disney World more times than we can count and have just never made it over there. Honestly, I was having a hard time imagining that it was going to be worth $40 a person admission so I always seemed to come up with about 300 other things that had higher priority. This time, though, we were just at WDW for one night and I thought it was a good time to try it out. The fact that I had one admission usable from an old ticket helped, too. As you enter the lobby and pass through the turnstiles you're asked if you've ever been there before. If not, you're given a brief explanation of the elevators and told that the Genie will appear on the wall during your short trip up. I'm a tad claustrophobic and I didn't like being shut in that elevator at all... even in the dark when it's easier to pretend the thing is huge. Fortunately, there was no one else in there with us so I could move about a little and it really was a pretty short presentation. Out we popped on the third floor. A cast member greeted us and asked if we had any questions. I requested a map, but was told that there were none available to hand out. We were, however, led to a wall map and that helped. We quickly realized we needed to be on the ground level, but aside from the fact that the elevators were slow I wasn't anxious to get back in one so we took the stairs down. Amazingly, there was no line at all for the Jungle Cruise attraction so we had a very short wait. We were led to a four-man raft where my daughter seated herself in the front and I climbed in the back. We were each given a paddle, and then the raft lifted up as a giant air pillow inflated below us and the screen ahead came alive with animation. The idea is that you 'control' your raft with the sensor-embedded paddles, maneuvering your way through caverns and down white-water rapids in the quest for... well, I'm not exactly sure what - but it was fun! We even got splashed (just a little) each time we went over a drop. This attraction is entertaining and probably won't bother you even if you have a tendency towards motion sickness. It's fine even for the younger set. Then we checked out Pirates of the Caribbean. Long line, long wait. Was it worth it? Well, maybe once. After placing a 3-D apparatus over your head you're led onto the deck of your 'ship.' It really does feel like you're on a boat! One person is the designated captain and takes the wheel while the others man the canons. The captain 'steers' towards virtual pirate ships so that the gunners can fire at them, sink the ships, and take all the gold. It was amusing, I'll give it that. Our next stop was upstairs where we entered a song booth and created our own country western ditty. It was a fun thing to do together, good for all ages, and it's sort of cool to hear how the same lyrics can sound so different when the style of music is changed. We had the option of purchasing a CD of our masterpiece, but we declined and moved on. The animation drawing lessons start periodically and we didn't want to wait for the next class so we passed that one up. The line for the Astroblaster bumper cars was a long one so we just watched. It looked sort of fun, but as soon as my daughter discovered that the video games along the wall didn't require money to play she lost all interest in the bumper cars. I admit that I, too, got sucked into the idea that I could try to get high score on Galaga without digging for quarters. We played for a good 20 minutes or so before setting out to find Aladdin and check out those flying carpets. Sadly, an ill-fitting 3-D helmet made that experience rather uncomfortable for me. If you wear glasses, you might want to take them off (if you can still see well enough) or wear contacts. The attraction doesn't take too long, but I got an amazingly strong case of motion sickness from it and needed a break (and some aspirin) after that one. I think it was a combination of my glasses being smashed against my face, having to hold the front of the viewing thing up with one hand, and then the apparent motion of the virtual reality experience. No more flying carpets for me! Our next stop was the one my daughter had been waiting for: Virtual Space Mountain. There was no line at all for the creation part of the ride. We were shown to a control panel where you are able to design your own coaster. You can make it as scary or tame as you want to. At the end, your coaster is rated for intensity and you are given an idea of what the ride would be like. Then you take your credit card-like ID and head to part 2 of the attraction - and there was a rather lengthy line for this part. Eventually, it was our turn and we were led up a short flight of stairs and down to pod #8 where a cast member swiped my daughter's card and verified the name of her coaster. She was told to empty her pockets into a locker and was given the key on a wrist band. Then she was led into the pod itself and was harnessed in just like a real coaster. (I sat this one out. My tummy was still upset over the flying carpet adventure.) I stood outside the pod and watched my daughter's face on camera as she "rode" her coaster. I could also see what she was seeing on the screen ahead of her, so it was fun. Hers was a tame ride indeed, but I saw a few kids emerging with a distinctive green hue to their faces - no doubt a result of several high-speed drops and inversions. This is a fabulous attraction for serious coaster lovers, and you can purchase a DVD or tape of your ride afterwards if you care to. It can be intense, though, if you design it that way. We didn't get around to Ride the Comix, Alien Encounter, or Pinball Slam, but they all sounded equally fun. We both agreed that this is a really cool and entertaining thing to do on a hot afternoon - or a rainy one, although I hear the placed is packed when it rains. Allow at least 3-4 hours to play. (Yes, you can come back later the same day as long as you have your ticket with you.) The drive up from Naples was long and the virtual flying carpet experience took a lot out of me, so we decided to head to the hotel, Caribbean Beach Resort. Again, this was a first. I've visited, but never stayed there. We parked at the Custom House and found that the line at 4:00 was non-existent so it took mere minutes to check in and get back to the car. NOTE that if you don't have a car you are not allowed to take luggage on the internal bus (or any Disney bus, for that matter) so you'd have to give your baggage to the handlers to take to your room. It's probably going to be too far away for you to lug it by foot. We were in the Aruba section which is one of the closer ones to the check-in building and I was thankful to be driving rather than walking. All buildings are 2-story and there are no elevators. We trudged up the steps with our overnight bag and small cooler of bottled water and leftover lunch sandwiches, quickly found the room, and settled in. As I've said a million times before, the rooms are pretty much the same as in all the moderate resorts. I've heard they are technically slightly larger, but it's surely not enough to be noticeable. The water was tossed into the frig and we plopped down at the table to polish off the lunch leftovers. Yum. We then discussed our options and ultimately decided to drive over to the Winter Summerland miniature golf course. Those that buy a vacation package will find that they receive one pass per person to miniature golf when they arrive at their hotel and it's a nice savings. My daughter chose the winter course and it seemed odd to hear Christmas carols as we played our way through 18 fun holes in the 90 degree heat. Most of the course is shaded, though, and the sun had dropped a bit in the sky so it was really pretty pleasant. On the way out, we were each given a collectable golf ball, a tiny candy cane, and a small Sharpie marker. I have no idea what that was about, but it's always nice to get unexpected presents! Then off we went to Coronado Springs, just a short drive down the street. We started with the gift shop. My daughter was nearly desperate for one of those lollipops in the shape of Winnie the Pooh's head, but it seems Pooh pops are scarce these days so we gave up the search and headed for the Pepper Market, one of our favorite quick service locations on Disney property. After being seated by the hostess we were greeted by our server who quickly took our drink order, but was very slow to return with the drinks. My daughter waited at the table while I wandered over to the food stations to get our dinner. This time, we wised up and shared. We went with the bourbon chicken which is served with a mountain of stir-fried veggies and a great big bowl of rice (or noodles). That and two iced teas filled us both up. Total tab with tax and gratuity: $20 and change. (The food is great here, but pricey - which is what makes it such a good deal if you have the Disney dining plan.) Two changes I noted at Coronado since my last visit: a new (and VERY cool looking) cocktail lounge (Cafe Rix) which is adults only at night, but kids are permitted earlier; and Cafe Rix Cafe which replaced the grab-n-go spot near the Pepper Market entry. It's still grab-n-go, but with a much-expanded menu that includes some made-to-order hot items. Then back to the hotel we went. We changed into our bathing suits and walked to the closest pool. The main pool (with the water slide) continues to be closed while being completely replaced with what will probably end up being the best moderate resort pool area when done. We were fine with the regular pool, though. I'm pretty much always cold so even though the pool is heated it was too chilly for me to be comfortable. My daughter and the 10 or so other people in the large pool looked happy enough, though. After getting our exercise and drying off adequately, we donned our cover-ups and strolled across the bridge to Old Port Royale for the gift shop and food court. We started with dessert - a cupcake each and some iced tea to share (about $6 total) and then a bit of shopping. Still no Pooh pop, so we settled on a different lolly and grabbed some Mickey pretzels to take to Grandma (a real pretzel fan). At under $3 for a good sized bag, those pretzels are a bargain! Warning to parents with Webkinz addicted children: seemingly all the Disney gift shops now carry them so beware! Back to the room for showers and a good night's sleep before pulling out bright and early for the airport. We left at 7:35, and still no express check-out bill under the door. (That's the first time that's happened.) The drive to the airport is an easy one - as long as you have a big pocket of change for all the tolls. The line to check in an unaccompanied minor with Southwest held us up for about 30 minutes, but the lines at security weren't bad at all (which isn't always the case). We had an airport-quality breakfast near the gate (meaning over priced and not real tasty), but the flight was off right on time and I trudged back to the car to shell out my parking fee ($1 per 20 minutes) and start home. Many more tolls and about 4 hours later I was back home in front of my computer, another trip to WDW complete - albeit a brief one. Next scheduled trip: December '08 - but knowing us there will be another visit squeezed in before then."
Laurie writes about her December, 2007 vacation:
Thank you, Laurie, for the encouragement! Seeing a shooting star is very rare. That truly was a magical start to a Disney dream vacation!
Don writes about his Christmas, 2007 vacation at WDW:
Thanks again, Don, for your generous comments!
Carolyn writes about her December, 2007 vacation:
Thank you, Carolyn, for sharing your story with us. Many of us know how hard it is to lose a pet. Disney can be proud of the way the castmember went out of her way to make your daughter feel better. To email WDW's Guest Services, write: wdw.guest.communications@disney.com
You can also use their online form at:
Here's our trip report from our WDW vacation in November, 2007: Donna and I spent our Thanksgiving vacation at Walt Disney World. The weather was nice all week: 75 high; 60 low. We took Amtrak's Auto train and for the first time booked the sleeper car. The room is very small, but private and quiet. It was nice to have our own shower and toilet, although I can't imagine trying to take a shower in such a small space! We had own server who caters to all of your needs. He served us dinner - surf and turf and wine - and continental breakfast in our room. This is our first vacation in 27 years without our children and we miss them. They call us every day on the cell phone to make sure we're alright and to see what we're doing. SUNDAY Upon arrival, we checked in immediately at Coronado Springs, which is a beautiful resort. Got a room on the first floor and not far from the eatery and bus stop. (Yes, you have to ask!) We had a quick, but quite substantial, lunch at Coronado's Pepper Market. After mass at the nearby beautiful Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine, we wasted no time ordering a Ghirardelli sundae. Having eaten a big lunch earlier at Coronado, and indulged in the sundae, we skipped dinner and finished the evening strolling through the stores at Downtown Disney. MONDAY We had a quick breakfast at the nearby McDonald's and headed for the Magic Kingdom. Disney has not completed its Christmas decorating yet, but what is there is beautiful. Love the garland! Crowds were pretty good size, so some lines had waits of up to 50 minutes. We don't like to wait more than 30 minutes for any attraction, se we return to the busiest ones later in the day. Disney is not running its Christmas parade yet during the day, but the afternoon "Dreams" parade and "Spectro Magic" at night are still very satisfying. Pirates of the Caribbean is a lot more fun since Disney added Jack Sparrow, but the Monsters, Inc show was just lame. The castle is beautiful with its blanket of lights and the nighttime "Wishes" fireworks display was the best we have ever seen at the Magic Kingdom. We had the Disney photographer take our photo in front of the castle and we purchased it during an evening lull at the Camera Center in Exposition Hall. We picked out a beautiful oval frame, and had Disney cut the photo to fit. We thought if they made a mistake they would reprint us another photo. Well, the logo on the photo was half hidden by the frame and Disney reprinted us another photo without the logo and cut that for us - all at no extra charge! Now that's service. We grabbed a hot dog and soda for lunch. While everyone was outside waiting for the afternoon parade to start, we grabbed a table in the Main Street Bakery and enjoyed a decadent ice cream cookie sandwich. We finished the cookie just as the parade started. Perfect timing. After having explored the rides and attractions all day, we found an empty bench outside the package delivery store near the train station and we stayed there to watch the 8 PM Spectro Magic parade - our favorite parade. While waiting we had some popcorn to hold us over until dinner. After the parade we strolled through the stores and positioned ourselves on Main street to see the fireworks show. We left after the show and, although a river of visitors flowed down Main street on our way to the bus depot, we were able to get the first bus back to Coronado! BTW, Coronado's bus stop is the first stop upon exiting the Magic Kingdom! We enjoyed a delicious meal at the Pepper Mill which is open until 11 PM. Donna's taco salad was fresh and tasty; my broasted chicken, french fries and sauteed zucchini was very satisfying. They have the best fries I've ever eaten at WDW! After answering some email on my laptop - cable works well in the room; costs $10 per day to use - we called it a night. TUESDAY We had breakfast at the Pepper Mill and spent half the day in the Animal Kingdom and the other half in MGM. Animal Kingdom was packed. Looks like Expedition Everest roller coaster ride is really increasing business for Disney. It was hot, too! Finding Nemo-The Musical is more for kids than adults, but it was done well. There was standing room only when we arrived. We decided to watch the show standing since we would have had to stand 45 minutes in line for the next show anyway! The Osborne Christmas Light show at MGM is always a holiday treat. The behind-the-scenes look at the making of Narnia is magical. We grabbed a pizza at Pepper Mill on the way back to our room. Tomorrow is a day off from the parks. We'll go shopping and give our tired feet a much needed break! WEDNESDAY We spent Wednesday shopping. Donna purchased some drastically reduced Disney merchandise at the outlets we mention in our book. For example, Donna found a WDW jacket with embroidered front and back for $17. I had to pay $54 at Downtown Disney for a comparable jacket in my size! While we were shopping, we came across a harp player who was wonderful. We had to purchase his Christmas CD. You can learn more about him at his website. We returned to our room in the afternoon for a break. We then visited Pop Century and Port Orleans Riverside to check out the food court prices. Modest price increases are to be expected, but the quality of the food is no longer what it was. The same can be said for the food at the fast food eateries in the parks. On the other hand, food at the Pepper Mill food court at Coronado Springs, although more expensive than your average value or moderate resort food court, offers an above average menu and ample portions. Speaking of Pepper Mill, we ate dinner there and then headed to Downtown Disney. I purchased the jacket mentioned above and we stopped by Ghirardelli to buy candy souvenirs for our children and sundaes again for us! We returned to our room about 11 PM and slept like babies. BTW, on the bus trip back to our room, we noticed that workers were erecting Christmas trees in the resort lobbies just in time for Thanksgiving! THURSDAY Donna and I went to the Magic Kingdom for breakfast. Couldn't resist having a bagel and cookie at the Main Street Bakery! We were disappointed to learn that the Christmas parade with Santa and the reindeer would not be running until December 1. The Christmas tree near the train station was not going to be erected until December 1 as well! So we headed for Epcot, our favorite park. We sure missed visiting Spaceship Earth which was closed for rehab. However, Talk with Crush was a lot of fun. Amazing how that turtle interacts with the audience. Narley, dude! Because it was Thanksgiving, we had to have a turkey leg! Delicious. We loved the new Canada film. They re-recorded the show's title song and it is beautiful. After seeing this new film, Donna and I are thinking about taking a train trip through Canada. Visiting the shops in England is always a treat and the Impressions de France film is as beautiful as ever. To spare our sore feet, we took the launch at International Gateway and switched to the Coronado bus at MGM. A Mears charter bus had to fill in for the regular Disney bus. What a comfortable and pleasurable ride! It was about 8 PM when we got back to our room and we decided to get a good night's sleep in preparation for our last day to be spent at Epcot again. FRIDAY We spent our last day at Epcot. We parked our car at Boardwalk so we could take the launch to Epcot's International Gateway entrance and avoid walking all the way from Future World to the rest of the pavilions we wanted to explore. The architecture, ceramic tiles, and beautiful clothes at Morocco are all worth considering. Not to mention the photo of me in a fez! Donna always likes to take a photo of the lagoon from the entrance level to Japan's Yakitori House. A beautiful vista. We love the show at the American Adventure and Christmas carols sung by the Voice of Liberty singers in the rotunda. An acrobat managed to climb on a stack of chairs without falling and a storyteller entertained the crowd in Italy. They were singing Christmas carols in the Biergarten in Germany. You know you need another stein! China's new film was much improved over the former version. A group of happy travelers was having fun posing in Viking horn helmets in Norway. Donna made me put on one of those large sombreros again for a photo in Mexico! The Gran Fiesta Tour starring Donald Duck was a big hit with the kids. After taking the launch back to Boardwalk and driving to our resort, we had some delicious pizza and chocolate cake at the Pepper Mill. SATURDAY We returned home the same way we came: in one of Amtrak's sleeper cars. It was a very pleasant and quiet trip. We slept soundly all night. The train arrived ahead of schedule and we got home in time to attend Sunday mass. Donna took many photos which she'll place in her new 2007 photo album. This book of memories will take its rightful place alongside all the other Disney photo albums we've created over the years to remind us of the magical moments that await us on our next Walt Disney World vacation!
Cindi writes: "Hi John I have been subscribing to the Newsletter since the very beginning. I only got the subscription to be able to live all things Disney vicariously. I live in Idaho & although I've wanted to go to Disney World for a long time, I've never really thought I'd be able to with airfare so high. Guess What?? I may just be able to go in September & I'm so excited I can just barely stand myself! I've found a couple of good deals on my own, but I've also contacted Beth to see what kind of magic she can work also...one can never be toooo prepared?? I have a couple of questions for you! First of all, a couple of the deals I've found do not include dining packages, and 1 does. If we opt for not getting the dining plan (I believe you have to book thru Disney to get it), what should I budget for as far as food goes? I was thinking $50 per person per day, but have been told that would be in a fairy tale! There will be 10 of us....6 adults & 4 children ages 5, 9 & two 12 yr old twin girls. It's always been my dream to be able to take my grandchildren to Disney World...boy am I excited. Another question...is it generally cheaper to fly on a Sunday or Monday? Thus far I have scheduled for Mon-Sat (Sept 17 - 22 2007) I have to turn in my vacation request pretty soon, so I can only be flexible till then! Gosh, I'm soo excited. I know I have more questions, but I'll be going thru the info online with a fine tooth comb....so I'll probably be able to find most of my other questions there. Thank you so much for letting me live vicariously thru you and all the other members who have written in. Perhaps I'll be able to send my own travelogue in!!" Beth can book your Disney vacation with or without dining. I see on your reservation form that you are going in September so you get free dining. Without free dining, we spend about $25 per adult. Our children are now adults, but figure $10 per child under 10. How do we spend so little? On most days we bring our own snacks (that we purchased at home) and bottles of water in our backpacks into the parks. For lunch we buy a soda and have our snacks; we eat breakfast and dinner at the food courts. This strategy allows us to dine now and then in a full service restaurant and not break the bank. It all depends on where you eat and what you buy. See our "Affordable Dining" chapter in the book for recommendations.) If you eat every meal in a full service Disney restaurant, bring buckets of money! Flying Mon-Thurs may be cheaper since weekends are busier. I can feel your excitement! We would love to publish your trip report. Thanks for being with us since the beginning. We're rapidly approaching our 400th newsletter. That's a lot of news, deals and stories over the years! Have a safe and fun vacation!
Renea, an Affordable Disney Lifetime Member since 2001, writes:
Thanks again, Renea, for your kind comments. We are happy to have been a part of your Disney vacations for the past six years!
Coleen writes: "John: Here's a quick overview of what happened to me after my recent DisneyWorld visit. I'm not sure how it can help prevent this from happening to other guests. Pop Century has a security person investigating this. Stayed at Pop Century 3/21-3/24. We used the in room laptop computer connection, costing $9.95 per day. I checked email on that connection and also logged into my ebay account to check an item I was bidding on. I used my Chase Bank Disney Visa to pay for the room, and also on 2 purchases at the World of Disney store at Downtown Disney. On Monday 3/26, I got an email from ebay stating I had changed my ebay password and email address, and that the changes were made from IP address 83.229.122.28. I made NO changes to my ebay account, therefore someone had stolen my password and login info and changed it. That IP address is in Nigeria. They changed my address for my ebay account to an address in the UK. Fortunately, I entered "live help" with ebay, corresponded with an ebay account representative, gave him enough information that only I knew, and he changed everything on my account to my own preferences. While I was on the computer with ebay, Chase Bank called and said they had denied 9 of 10 charges on my Disney Visa that day, due to excessive usage that was unlike my normal usage. I ONLY used that Visa at Disney World during the 3/21-3/24 trip, and the people trying to charge were charging in California, Wisconsin, 1-800flowers, so Chase KNEW it wasn't me. They canceled the card and issued a new one, and will be investigating the bogus charges. However, I will NOT be using credit cards or internet at Disney ever again! We normally stay at All Star Music and never have a problem. From now on I will pay cash and refuse to hold the room with a credit card except through AAA. Once burned... My sister and my daughter also used the internet connection, checked their bank accounts online, both accounts were compromised and had unauthorized charges days after we checked out. The one lady with us who did not use the internet or her charge cards at the resort had no problems at all. P. S. They didn't get my bank info, but my sister and daughter had NSF fees due to all the charges the thieves were sending through. Ebay and Chase gave me excellent customer service. I will let you know the outcome of all of this. Chase is also investigating." Coleen, This is very disturbing news. I have two questions that perhaps one of our readers who is well versed in computer security could answer: 1. Can a firewall on our laptop protect us from cyber thieves? (I have one and have never had a problem in all my years online.) 2. If we use a wireless connection, will connecting through a security-enabled wireless network protect us? (I only use my security-enable network connection since Linksys warns me that information processed through an unsecured wireless connection can be seen by others.) If someone would like to address these issues, please email me at johngross@affordabledisney.com and I'll post your comments in the newsletter. Thanks.
Angela writes: "John, I am a lifetime member of your website now. However, I had already booked our vacation with another travel agent before finding your website. I still thought I would write and let you know about our vacation. We had quite an adventure. We were in Magic Kingdom late on our first night at WDW and my 3 year old fell and broke his arm in the Winnie the Pooh Play Area. It was his first trip to WDW. So our week was not starting off very good. Then every member of our family, including the 3 year old with a broke arm, caught the stomach virus on different days. We did not have a single day on our vacation when our whole family felt 100%. On the way home, my parents who had joined us for vacation, caught the stomach virus. My father was very ill and had to be hospitalized for 2 days. In spite of everything, we still had a wonderful time and we can't wait to go back. I am writing to see if you think that WDW would do a little something special for my 3 year old. I just hate that his first trip to see Mickey Mouse was not very 'magical' at all. I thought maybe Mickey could send him a little note or something. What do you think? Thanks for your time." Angela, I'm really sorry to hear that you were all ill at WDW and you son broke his arm! I've been sick myself and it wasn't pleasant. My son had pneumonia on one vacation and I spent a day at the hospital with him! Thank God he recovered quickly. Yes, you should contact Disney and ask them what they could do to make your child - and you too! - feel better about the trip. Click here for Disney contact info. BTW, the letter you sent me is excellent. Use it. Let me know how they respond. Cindy, one of our subscribers, wrote in response: "I am an avid reader of your newsletter. I am writing in respond to the mother who wrote in about her latest Disney trip and her child's broken arm and stomach flu. My husband, daughter and I are headed to Disney a week from tomorrow. I would be more than happy to send her child something from "Mickey" to help brighten his day. Please feel free to forward my email address (and/or this email to this writer). If we can help spread 'the magic,' we'd be happy to." >> I forwarded Cindy's message to Angela and Cindy sent us this note: "I did get in touch with Angela and got her mailing address. We sent her son a package of goodies from Mickey and friends apologizing for his broken arm and asking him to come to Disney World again to have some fun. We were able to find a nice padded Mickey Mouse envelope at the post office, so it really looked like it was from Mickey. Angela said his face was priceless when he got it. We also sent a postcard from Mickey, but she has yet to receive that. My husband and I had a great time spreading the Disney magic and it was wonderful to hear that it made Grayson's day. I had also shared with Angela that we received some bad news while in Disney and she offered to add us to her prayer list. It just goes to show that Disney fanatics are just very warm, giving people. Thanks for making the connection." >> Thanks again, Cindy, for sharing the love!
DISNEY CRUISE TRIP REPORT Beth, our travel agent, writes: "You'll never guess what I did last weekend (June 17)... I went on a Disney cruise! It's important that I first point out that Disney treats travel agents well, but traditionally not as great as some other suppliers. For instance, I get invitations for free trips to Jamaica, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Las Vegas all the time. Disney has picked up my bill exactly once in all the years I've been selling their products - and that puts me miles ahead of most agents. So when they offered a 'special' agent rate on a Disney cruise it caught my attention. The normal agent rate for a 3-night cruise in an ocean view cabin in June would be about $450 p/p. The offer I got last week was $215 p/p! And that's the cruise fare, the port charges and fees, AND the prepaid gratuities! Couldn't say no to that! So I quickly packed up my 8-year-old daughter and myself and we drove the 4.5 hours to Cocoa Beach. A half hour stop along the way made it not too bad. We checked into the Radisson Resort at the Port - one of my favorites in the area - and then changed for a quick swim in their nice pool. My daughter LOVES that she can swim under the waterfall there, and since she had no idea why her mother had dragged her to the other side of the state yet, that alone made her decide it was worth the journey. After changing, we walked next door to a family restaurant for a decent, albeit casual, dinner and then headed back to the room to enjoy one of the real perks of this resort. We booked a 'king suite.' The main room had a living area complete with TV, sofa bed, chair and ottoman, desk hooked up for free high-speed internet access, a dining table for four, and a small kitchenette (sink, microwave, frig, coffeemaker, plates, utensils, mugs and glasses). It's separated from the bedroom by curtained French doors. The bedroom had a king Sleep Number bed and really comfy bedding, a nice large shower in the bathroom, and - here's the real treat - a big whirlpool tub in the corner of the bedroom. The room was clean and well-maintained and very cheery, and it also comes in a version with two beds so you can potentially get up to 6 people in these suites. In the morning, we walked across the street to McDonald's for a quick breakfast, and then drove the two miles or so to the port. You need to produce a photo ID to get into the unloading area, and your name has to appear on the manifest. Then you can pull around and drop off your luggage before heading across the street to the parking area. When we arrived there was only one parking lane open and there were two cars ahead of me. I could see an elderly man in the booth, but he sure seemed to be taking his time! It was about 10:15 by then and cars were starting to back up onto the street. As the first booth finally opened, a second man showed up to get the other booth going. You can't reach the booth from your car window so you have to get out and conduct your business standing at the window. After five minutes or so the first car moved on and we all pulled up. Then we waited and waited for the second car. When it was our turn I found out what the problem was... The credit card machine wasn't processing in either booth. Now, I had some cash on me, but not a lot. Cruising is, after all, a cashless vacation. I was given the option of pulling aside indefinitely or coming up with the cash, so I handed over $36 for the three-night stay. At least I got a good spot! You again have to show your photo ID and appear on the manifest once you've crossed back to the terminal side of the street. Then you go through security - similar to an airport - and head up the stairs where you are stopped by someone who wants to review all your documents before you get in line. If there's anything you were to sign or fill out and missed they'll catch it there. There are separate lines for people staying in suites, Castaway Club members (repeat cruisers), and everyone else. We got in the Castaway line, but got called in under a minute to one of the windows that was open. I thought it was funny that I was asked to sign a cast member agreement because I was traveling on an agent rate. It basically said that I agreed to be OK with the fact that full-fare paying passengers would get preferential treatment and that I could be asked to change cabins, dining tables, etc. to accommodate others. For the price I got, I'd have been OK with sleeping in the lobby so I signed. The monitors which usually show Disney movies to entertain the children were not working, so the hour-long wait for boarding dragged a bit. DCL now boards using a system similar to many airlines. When you arrive you get a card that tells you what group you're with, and then around noon they begin calling those groups. Although we arrived pretty early we were in group two - but groups one and two were boarded at the same time. We smiled for the photographers and then boarded the ship and were welcomed aboard with the announcement of our names. Then we headed up to the Parrot Cay dining room for a wonderful buffet lunch. (Lunch was also being served at the Beach Blanket Buffet.) We were forced to drag along all our carry-on bags (camera, laptop computer, small duffle bag) since all of the cabin areas are roped off with signs that say they will be open at 1:30. They were serious. We spent about 25 minutes after lunch sitting on the steps outside the passage to our cabin before the ropes were dropped promptly at 1:30. Note to self: limit carry-on baggage next time. Our category 9 oceanview stateroom was great for just the two of us... plenty of space and a huge, round window (think giant porthole), and it would be OK for three people as well, but if there are four of you then seriously consider the somewhat larger category 4 option if your budget can handle it - especially for a longer cruise. I unpacked everything in our carry-on bag and then started looking through the printed materials left in our room while my daughter checked out what was playing on TV. She was thrilled to find out that the new Disney-Pixar movie Cars had opened in the movie theater at the same time it opened cross-country. Our status as repeat cruisers had also earned us a nice beach bag which she had fun checking out. Time flew and it wasn't long before the announcements for the mandatory drill started. When we opened the cabin door to head to our assigned position, there was our luggage! We tossed that inside and hiked up two flights of stairs to the main theater where we sat in our bulky orange vests until we were cleared (only a few minutes). Then back to the cabin to finish unpacking. Then we went up to deck 9 to check out the bon voyage celebration and get a drink. It is SO nice to have that soda station up there now, free for all. Way better than having to buy a special mug. Before long we were underway, and after exploring the ship a bit more we headed back to the cabin to clean up for the evening. I'd have preferred early dining, but wasn't given an option and was assigned to the 8:15 seating. As we changed, the maitre d' called and informed me that he'd changed our table to accommodate a family that had been split up. So I corrected my dining card to the new table number and then we headed to the theater for the evening's big show. On most ships, you need to show up about a half hour before show time if you want to sit front and center. You'd think that parents would be even more anxious to get those seats when their children are involved, but not the case here. We showed up at 6:00 for a 6:15 show and had no trouble getting great seats on the aisle near the front. The opening night show, Hercules - The Muse-ical, was a big hit. It's a little bit slap-stick for my taste, but the kids love it and it's very well done. (This is an older show and I've seen it before, but I have to say I liked it better this time.) I find it amusing that Disney's managed to work some rather adult humor into the show in such a way that it goes right over the heads of the little ones watching. It's brief and subtle and it will throw you off a little when you first hear it, but once you realize your kids missed it completely you'll relax and have fun listening more closely to the dialogue. After the show we had about 45 minutes to kill before dinner so we headed to the Oceaneer's Lab, filled out a little paperwork, and got a beeper assigned for the cruise. My daughter was given a wristband to be worn throughout the weekend as well as a badge that showed both her name and some codes that are apparently helpful to the staff. You're supposed to have these badges on your children whenever you bring them to play, and from time to time over the weekend they stuck color-coded dots onto the badge to further assist them in keeping the kids sorted out. (Nothing bad happens if you forget the badge; they will come up with something temporary.) At 8:15 it was time to hit Animator's Palate for dinner. Our new table assignment paired us with another travel agent (from Virginia) and her 5-year-old son. Both children were VERY tired by then, and it didn't help that the service that evening seemed exceptionally slow. In fact, it seemed very slow to me all weekend - but I can't be sure that it wasn't tied to that piece of paper we all had to sign. Perhaps the servers had been informed of who the travel agents were (apparently there were plenty onboard) and were simply serving everyone else first. In any case, the food was excellent and Animator's Palate is always a fun restaurant to dine in. It was nearly 10:00 by the time we left the dining room, and my daughter had a new burst of energy and begged to go to the Oceaneer's Lab to play for a bit. I conceded, and dropped her off there before heading to the internet cafe to sign up for the unlimited high-speed access plan ($39 for unlimited use on 3- and 4- night cruises, $89 for 7-night cruises). The ship now has wireless access in several locations as well, and I'd have loved to be using my laptop on deck instead of sitting at the sometimes crowded computer area; however, the wireless access is considerably more expensive and since I had to work while on board I went with the more economical choice. I have to say, though, that except for one time when access seemed to just crawl at a snail's pace, the internet speed was reasonably close to high-speed on land. We arrived in Nassau early and the ship emptied fairly quickly with everyone headed off for shore excursions and touring the town. (You can walk right off the ship into town.) My daughter only wanted to go back to the Oceaneer Lab - which is open even in port - and I had emails to tend to, so after a quick breakfast at the Beach Blanket Buffet that's how we spent the morning. At lunch time I picked up my daughter and we headed to Triton's for lunch. We were seated at a table for two and had a very pleasant meal - after which my daughter begged to head back to Lab. Those commercials you see with the kids 'dumping' their parents for the duration of the cruise are pretty accurate, much to the astonishment of most adults. Disney really does an amazing job with their children's programming, and the kids really DON'T want to have anything to do with you. Still, given that it's supposed to be a 'family' vacation, I always feel obligated to ruin my daughter's day by forcing her to spend time with me. This day, though, she really had no desire to head into Nassau, so I went off the ship alone. (Yes, the beepers work even off the ship.) Town is right there, so little walking is required. I spent about 45 minutes wandering through stores before deciding that it was way too hot and humid and heading back to the ship. I collected my daughter and we went swimming at the 'Mickey' pool. Warning: the deck gets really hot on bare feet. Be sure to take flip-flops with you! I learned my lesson from the day before and insisted on naps for us both after that. That worked out really well, since it gave us both enough energy to get through a longer-than-usual evening. The show was again at 6:15, this time the Golden Mickeys. The show's musical numbers highlight many popular Disney movies and characters and was, once again, very well done. The children's group was off doing something my daughter wasn't interested in after the show, so we went to a lounge to have pre-dinner cocktails (a Shirley Temple for my daughter), and then proceeded to Parrot Cay for dinner. Once again, great food, great staff, slow service - but better then the previous night. Once again my daughter begged to go back to the Lab afterwards, only this time her age group was off watching a movie that she didn't care to see. An older group was in the Lab making flubber, and although my daughter only wanted to sit at the computers and play, she wasn't permitted. (They said if she'd been a little closer in age to the group there they'd have considered it, though.) So we hit the shops instead. Not a bad way to spend a few minutes before heading to the deck party. As you might guess, even DCL is into promoting the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, and we were all given pirate bandanas to wear on our heads (or necks or wherever) at dinner. One gift shop also sells a lot of pirate-related costumes and accessories. We trudged up to deck 10 thinking we'd just sit at the back and wait for the fireworks, but the whole back part of the ship is closed off and secured by a safety crew. Instead, we found a good spot just ahead of the rope lines where we could look down on the stage - and it was the perfect location to watch Mickey literally fly down from one of the smoke stacks. Pretty cool. Then the fireworks started. Yep, fireworks shot right off the top of the ship. Our evening, the fireworks were shot to the starboard (right) side, but that might change depending on wind direction... not sure. It's really surprising to me that they do it at all given that shipboard fire is one of the most dangerous and feared events at sea. I noticed, though, that when one round of fireworks seemed to misfire, going nearly straight out from the ship instead of upwards like all the others, a little army of safety people quickly ran to the side of the ship and examined all areas to be sure that there was nothing amiss. It was a crowded, but fun, way to end the evening. Now, many people wonder why on earth everyone is so crazy about Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. I mean, nearly every major cruise line has a private island. Some are better than others, and for those that don't live near water a day at the beach is a thing to look forward to, but Disney cruisers like Castaway Cay so much that Disney now has some itineraries that stop there TWICE on the same cruise! What makes it so special? Well, first of all, the ship ties up right there. No tenders needed to reach the island and that's a big plus. Second, Disney has paid as much attention to detail with the island as they do everything else. The landscaping is meant to look lush and natural, although there's nothing very natural about it... it's all perfectly trimmed, and every bush and tree is placed to achieve the desired effect. The gorgeous colors of bright tropical flowers are everywhere, and the breeze blows softly through palm trees. The facilities are extensive and well thought out. Excuse me for saying so, but it is, well, a very magical place. There are dedicated areas for both children and teens, and there are enough beach chairs in the family area to accommodate everyone who wants one. They rent bicycles and snorkel equipment and boats and flotation mats and about anything you could want. They even offer special shore excursions here. Everything from fishing to feeding rays. When it's time for lunch, there are numerous lines to speed up the BBQ buffet process - and it's all (of course) very yummy. Plenty of picnic tables (under cover) to accommodate all. Don't feel like taking the 7-8 minute walk from the ship? Not a problem. A tram runs back and forth. Towels are readily available, as are Disney characters in swim attire for photo ops. If you really want to splurge, though, you'll do it the way I did. I dropped my daughter off at the children's beach site at 10AM and took the tram over to the adults-only area known as Serenity Bay. The water is perfectly calm and crystal clear. You can plop down in a hammock for two, lie on a chaise under an umbrella, or do as I did and drag one of the numerous small chairs into about a foot of water to create the perfect way to read that book you've been trying to get through. There's a bar and a place to eat as well, but no need to go get those drinks... Every few minutes a server wanders past to see if you need anything. About 10:45 I dragged my chair back to the sand and grabbed my gear, heading just around the corner to the massage cabanas. There are outdoor body and foot showers there to rinse off the sand, and chairs where you can wait for your name to be called. At 11:00, several young women appeared with small pieces of paper, each calling out the names of who they were looking for. My designated massage artist led me to the first cabana, and after closing the door she had me hop up on the table and talk to me about the pressures of my daily life. (I had to complete a questionnaire and bring it with me, so she at least had a place to start.) Then she left the room and instructed me to undress 'as far as I felt comfortable' and then lie face down on the massage table covered with a large scarf-like sheet. Now, I'd heard that this undressing part could be a bit, well, unnerving to those who might be a bit bashful, but nothing could be further from the truth. I suppose if someone had been out there on the beach with binoculars and had looked at exactly the right time and place they may have gotten an eyeful, but it really was surprisingly private. My masseuse reentered and quickly kicked off her shoes and removed her socks so she could really get into the job at hand, and what a job she did. Boy, you haven't had a massage until you've had one at Serenity Bay. They do try to sell you products at the end, but it's easy to say no. Plan on spending about $150 for the hour-long treatment and gratuity. I tracked down my daughter in a different play area, and because it looked like rain we headed back to the ship. She'd already eaten, so she was happy to lounge in the cabin and watch TV while I ran off to Parrot Cay for a quick bite at the buffet there. Then we cleaned up and took naps before getting dressed in our 'formal wear' for the last show and dinner. Here's a warning to all of you that have ever done a non-Disney cruise... People do NOT dress up for the most formal dinner. Well, a few do, but for the most part the clothing looks a lot like what you'd see on a regular night on other ships: everything from fairly casual to suits and dresses. My daughter wore a skirt and blouse with sandals and looked as 'in place' as I did with my little black dress and heels. We stopped by the Castaway Club repeat cruisers reception first where we were offered a nice selection of hot and cold hors d'ouvres and a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. The cruise director and the captain both stopped in for a few words, and senior officers wandered around making small talk. Then we headed back to the theater for the final show of the cruise, Disney Dreams. It's an oldie, but a goodie. Emily got in a few more minutes in the Lab afterwards, and I got another chance to work my emails before dinner. This last night was in Triton's, and I found the food that evening to be exceptionally good as did my adult table mate. The service was still slow, but I mentioned that my daughter needed to be in the Lab by 9:30 for her shot at making flubber, and they managed to time it perfectly. (I ran her up there after ordering dessert and made it back before the dessert was delivered.) The last evening was spent, as on most cruises, packing up and sticking the luggage outside the door. Our carry-on bag came in handy in the morning for hauling away our nighttime essentials, although it was again a bit awkward to have to take it to breakfast. One advantage of being on late dining is that you also get to eat a late breakfast (about 8:15 if I remember right), and then you can leave right from there. Luggage is staged inside in a very organized manner and it's easy to locate your bags and drag them over to customs and immigration. The majority of passengers are waived through quickly and after going down the escalator (or elevator) you're set to head home. Unfortunately, it was raining torrentially when we left so the walk over to the car, although covered much of the way, still left us pretty soaked. I didn't cover everything, but I'd be more than happy to give Affordable Disney Members more details if you're interested. I've also done the 7-night Eastern itinerary, so I have plenty of information to share."
Renea writes about her trip to WDW in July: "Hello John! We just returned from our 6 day trip to Disneyworld on Sunday, July 16, 2006. We stayed the first night at the La Quinta Inn & Suites on Polynesian Isle Blvd in Kissimmee. This stay was on a 'free night certificate' because 2 years ago we stayed at the La Quinta on Jamaican Court, International Drive and it was awful! The place was dirty and a woman was getting beat up in the room behind us. The La Quinta in Kissimmee was awesome. We payed $30 more and were upgraded to a kids suite. The property was clean and the employees were very nice. I would recommend this property to someone who didn't want to spend a lot of $ in Orlando. There is also a new Walmart within walking distance. We checked in to the Grand Floridian (this was our 6th time there) on Wednesday. We had a lagoon view room but they upgraded us to the Main building. If anyone can afford to stay here I highly recommend it. The hotel is a 5 star and is immaculate. The cleaning people were actually polishing the door jams on the floor at 1 a.m.! The food in Concierge is non stop and the service is outstanding! Anything you need they give you. FYI: the other concierge building (the Sugarloaf) will be closed in January for refurbishment. We are hoping to go back in February of 2007, we will see. That’s all for now."
Jen writes about her recent trip to WDW from June 1 - 5, 2006: "My husband and I just returned from our 2nd trip together to Walt Disney World. We loved it. I have got to say that if you are on the borderline of whether or not to go with the dining plan.... GO FOR IT!!! We weren't sure about it, but since we had it we were able to try many of the places and foods that we didn't before due to price. The first day we would have spent over $200 per person for the whole day. We made sure to make reservations at Le Cellier [at Epcot] for lunch and it was amazing! Every day we tried to go to a 'table-service' restaurant that had good reviews and we did try to get the ones that were more money since we wanted to milk our dining plan... lol. We did 4 character meals and they were all great: O'Hana's [at the Polynesian] was our first and I was weary due to some reviews of it saying that it was hard to get the characters to come over before you were done eating. Well, we had a 7:30 am reservation and literally within 2 minutes we were visited by Pluto and Stitch... shortly afterward followed by Lilo and Mickey... Mickey sat at our table and told us the reason for his big eyes was because he drank so much coffee that day. I have to add during this whole trip that we were a party of 4 adults... all in our late 20's and early 30's and we were still visited by all the characters and had the same amount of time spent with us. Breakfastosaurus [at Animal Kingdom] was our second character meal and my husband and I have been here before and the food is great. Again, the characters came by and were very animated. They were very fast, but still made you feel like they spent enough time with you and we did see them many times after that. Liberty Tree Tavern [at the Magic Kingdom] was our last character meal and, again, the meal was fabulous! The characters came by quickly and over and over again and our waiter, while not overly friendly, was attentive and courteous. Pluto even licked me when I called him cute and rubbed his belly. After every table service I always said I am glad I had the meal plan... otherwise there would be no way I could have done all the meals I did. And by-the-way, it is a lot of food. It may not sound like a lot when you hear it, but the portions are plentiful and when you sit down you think... I still have a counter service left and I am too full... lol. But, if you are creative or if your room has a fridge in it, this is a great way to have snacks for the next day. There was one problem we had while at WDW. I have been here myself plenty of times and never encountered this, but the ladies restrooms in several locations over the 5 days we were there were dirty and some even smelled pretty bad. I was really surprised at this since I am used to Disney being clean. Every other time there was always someone in there cleaning. I may have just hit the bathrooms at the wrong time. It was June and crowded after all... but I have seen worse too... lol. There is a new tip for those going who want to make sure they get all their water in... buy a water bottle with a filter built in or even the culligan replacement filter for their water bottle. I bought 2 from waterfilters.net. The product I purchased was the SB-2R replacement filters as they fit on most 16 oz. water bottles. It saved me money since a good sized water in the park is a reasonable $2 but I figured how much water myself and my husband would need would be a lot so we bought these. It's not that bad of a price as we did comparisons and the ones out there right now can cost up to $70-100! The only 2 bottles that were cheap are the brita water bottle and the culligan... I would strongly recommend you give it a shot... especially if traveling with little ones... you want to make sure they stay hydrated. Plus, the tap water here is not great and you can definitely taste the chemicals. We stayed at All-Star Music and it was good. It is a value resort and nothing special. But, we really only needed it to sleep in. Some of the buildings are pretty far from a parking lot and we ended up in one of those. We were at the very far side of the Country building and it was quite a haul to our room and it was even harder at the end of the day, but it was worth it. The pool by our room was the piano pool. The theming here is well done and it was clean. Downtown Disney was also pretty good. We were able to use our dining plan at our favorite restaurant... Wolfgang Puck's cafe where, I might add, I got the $35 steak! We also had to make a stop in all the stores, but we love the World of Disney store. If you ever get a cast member who you think went above and beyond, just go to the customer service desk in any location and ask for a 'fan fanatic' card. While I was in this store a cast member saw I had pins on a lanyard and asked if I wanted to trade... I only collect Pluto pins and he said he had a special one that he did not have on but if I came back in 30 minutes he might be able to help me out. I came back in 30 minutes and he said he couldn't find another one but then asked another cast member to help him out. They asked if I minded waiting, which I didn't... it was for Pluto!... lol. I waited for about 20 minutes and they came back with it. This is a very rare Pluto pin that was made for Disneyland and they didn't make too many of them. I felt that these 2 cast members went well above and beyond the norm and told them that and had said to someone else I wish I had a thank you card. I was told to go get a fan fanatic card... I did. You fill out the cast member's name and why you want to thank them and put just your name on it. They do receive these cards and I have no idea if they get anything for it, but I felt better letting them know in writing how much I appreciated it. I also left one for a lady at the Magic Kingdom guest relations. We needed to print our flight boarding passes. She said, 'I can let you into the back office on one of our computers and you can log in and print them out.' We thought this was awesome... we got to go behind the counters and behind locked doors! This is Disney Service at it's best. I want to go again and soon... now all I have to do is work on my husband wanting to spend the money again... lol" |
