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John and Donna Gross "The Full Mickey - At a Discount!" The Wall Street Journal
Beth, our travel agent, visited WDW in December, 2005: "Back from WDW with more to report. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge in a concierge level room. The security guard phoned ahead to alert them that we were on the way in, so there was a concierge representative on hand at the door when we arrived. He helped us upstairs and checked us in at the special concierge desk so we didn't have to stand in line at the regular desk. The room is identical to a regular room, but is on the seventh floor which is accessible by room key only. We also had nightly turndown service and chocolates each evening, and there were comfy robes in the closet. The Continental breakfast offerings were nice... assorted bagels, pastries, and baked goods; fresh fruit; yogurt; dry cereal; juices, and numerous hot drink offerings. There were plenty of tables to eat at, including one area for children that showed cartoons. I found the concierge employees to be very helpful and readily accessible until about 10 PM daily. USA Today was delivered to the room in the morning, and other national papers (NY Times, Wall Street Journal) were available in the concierge lobby. In the afternoon there were cookies as well as cold beverages (including canned sodas), and this offering expanded later on to included hot soup and an additional hot item as well as assorted beers in the cooler, cheese and crackers, and some nice wines. In the evening there were several dessert items plus cordials (Bailey's, etc.). My only two gripes with the concierge F&B service were that they completely shut down between offerings (so you can't even get a drink), and that they close up around 10 PM. Again, you can't even get a drink. We learned quickly that you need to grab what you can, when you can, and stock the frig in your room. (Our frig, by the way, was the old cube- sized frig you used to have to rent as opposed to the nice large refrigerators in the wooden housing that many of the resorts have now.) We used the boat service to the Magic Kingdom one time in each direction. Going TO the MK we waited nearly 15 minutes for the boat. Coming back, we timed it really well - but then the electrical water parade was heading back and the boats have to go VERY slowly past it so it took extra-long to return to the Lodge. Otherwise, we used the bus service to and from the parks. The outbound service was great. I think 10 minutes was the longest we waited. In all but one case, we went directly to the park we were headed for. The one time we stopped elsewhere, it was to pick up more people at the Grand Floridian. (Amazingly, although the rooms there run considerably more on average than do the Wilderness Lodge rooms, it was we who got to sit and the GF resort guests that had standing room only!) The return bus service was fine except for the one night that we left Epcot. We took our time leaving the park rather than running to the bus stop to stand in line. As we approached the stop, we could see that there was still quite a line so we sat on a bench. Every single moderate and value resort line quickly dwindled, while the lines for Wilderness Lodge and Grand Floridian remained lengthy. (There was a separate bus for each.) We took the last bus out of the park for Wilderness Lodge, and there were STILL people waiting to go back to the Grand Floridian! I have to assume that there was a transportation problem somewhere because that is certainly not the norm. (At least, not in my experience.) One bonus, though, was that we saw around a dozen deer grazing along the roadside as we went back to the resort. The bus driver said there are several small groups of them in the area, and they lead a very protected life at WDW - except that no one can protect them from cars, so be very careful when driving around at night! In short, we had a great time at Wilderness Lodge, and I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again, or to recommended it highly to others. Concierge level would be worth maybe $10-15 per day per person for breakfast if for no other reason than it's relatively quiet and unhurried. If you actually get back to drink the sodas, cordials, wine and/or beer then you might save another $5-20 a day per person (depending on your drinking habits). If you pay anything more than that, it's for the service - and only YOU can decide how much it's worth to you to have the concierge cast members at your service. More later on Mickey's Christmas Party, Turtle Talk with Crush, the Fantasmic dinner package at Hollywood & Vine, and more." |
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Dr. Heatherley is spent three weeks at WDW! He sent us the following email December 5, 2005: "Ordinarily, I would wait until I got home to email this note, but this is a special event. Friday when we arrived at the MK (fresh off the plane) we walked onto Main Street where they were filming the Christmas Parade for 2005 Christmas Day. Crowds were a tad heavy but not too bad. However, on Saturday morning, the floods gates burst with people wanting to be 'on camera' with Regis and Kelly... [We] got to the Emporium and a CM told us the walk to the Hub would take from 30-45 minutes. (I really doubt that, but we took the hint and walked back out of the park. I am sending a couple of pictures that will give you an idea of what the crowd was like on the outside of the train station. Many of these people wanted autographs from Mickey and Goofy, but most of them were jockeying for position trying to get thru the train station. We got on a Monorail, went to the TCC and then took a bus to the AK. There was about 7,000 people there and we had a leisurely afternoon, taking in all but the Tarzan show. The Dinosaur ride is another story and I will tell you about it later. Oh, there IS Broadband at PO French Quarter in some of the rooms. It transfers at 10Mbs. Not great, but better than dialup. The cost is $10 for 24 hours." Dr. Heatherley. sent us some valuable information on ordering groceries at WDW. See below. -------------------------------- Dr. Heatherley sent us this note December 14, 2005: "We are still at the World. It has been a wonderful and Magical 3 weeks. Six days left and still much to do. John, here is a letter I composed and want you to have a copy. It may have some value for you. 'Dear Beth, Thank you for telling us about the Shopping Service that Delivers a grocery order to any resort at Walt Disney World. Here is how it played out: We called Marge Peck at 1-888-737-5710 or email dandmpeck@bellsouth.net or CentralFloridaShop@WeGoShop.com . We gave Marge our order over the phone (we made our grocery list first). She went to Publix, a superior but reasonable Florida grocery store chain. She shopped for our groceries, just like she would her own groceries. (We told her exactly what brands to buy, like buy generic Tylenol and not the name-brand and be sure to get the Gel-Caps.) That is exactly what she bought. Marge called us and said she was in the checkout line, and would be here in about 30 minutes. Then she keyed the Resort into her car GPS unit and called me. She told me within two minutes of when she would be there. To expedite finding my suite at the resort, she asked that we meet her at the front curb, but that was not necessary because she DOES KNOW the property. She got here exactly when she said she would. Together we carried my groceries to the room. Here is how the cost of the service broke down:
The grocery bill was $75.14 She gave me a 10% (on the groceries) discount for being a client of your travel agency.
New total $87.17 Why would anyone want to eat in the resort room? Well, when we eat at a sit down restaurant at Walt Disney World, the cost is about $25+ per person without alcohol. We were spending $120 average / day for food! Over the 20 days of our trip, we calculated we would drop $2,400 just for food!!!! Okay, we got some healthy meats, cheeses, mayo, whole wheat bread, veggies, and the 'fixin’s,' and paid out less than $100. That savings IS A BIG DEAL!!! And, here is one other tip for anyone who might have an interest... You do have to meet her to pay for your delivery, right? Fine, we did our weekly wash in the hour it took her to buy and deliver our groceries. Oh, BTW... have Marge pick up your clothes soap for you. The resort charges a buck for the little single load boxes of Tide. I am forwarding this to
John & Donna Gross at AffordableDisney.Com, Anyone headed out to WDW should join all three of these websites, PERIOD! These people will save you money, and tell you how to do Disney like a Pro.
Dr. James Heatherley Thanks again, Dr. Heatherley, for the grocery information and your generous comments! -------------------------------- Dr. Heatherley sent us the following review December 27, 2005: "The Terror Rides of the World These rides have gotten some really powerful press, both from the news media and from people who experience them personally. I wanted to test them for myself. Tower of Terror MGM OOOooooooo, The big old bad TOT!! What a non-nightmare on Vine Street! This ride uses electronic devices to accelerate the elevator downwards at a speed greater than free fall. Way faster than freefall! The first drop was not much of a surprise. If your mind is still engaged, you will know when it is going to happen. Since every ride starts with a five story fall, that part is predictable. (I had my fanny pack latched around my leg. I watched as it came up to eye level during this fall). After that, all the motions of the ride are computer controlled...randomly. My overall impression? Incredible preshow and buildup. The use of 'ghost images' and music are a combination Disney has down as an art. Remember: the elevator is only in motion for 41 seconds! No fear, but lots of unpredictable motion. Dinosaur the Ride AK Super Ride!!! Pre-show was interesting and factual. On the Time Machine, the ride is in near total darkness. The vehicle drives over rough terrain past several (not many) excellent animatronic dinosaurs. Disney says these thrillers are some of the best on property. My overall impression? There was just not enough light to appreciate the dinosaurs and settings. We could just barely make out the forms or the action. So, we rode a rough ride in the dark. Test Track Epcot Okay, you have been warned...It’s the end of the ride that will make or break this one for you. The 'tests' the car (and we) are put through are smaller and less dramatic than the movie the rider is shown. Before the end of the ride the car accelerates to 65 mph. That is not fast, right? We do that almost everyday. But remember, you are in a nine seat go-cart right on the ground. My overall impression? Kind of rough when going through the paces, but the acceleration is so low to the ground, seeing the sights is very difficult. It is all more or less a blur. Suggestion: if you are a couple, use the 'Singles' Lane. They WILL split you up, probably in the same car, but the Singles Lane is as good as FastPass!!! Aerosmith’s Rocking Roller Coaster MGM I did not ride this ride. My wife reports loud Music, incredible acceleration, loop the loops, and a screaming adolescent boy sitting next to her. She loves Aerosmith and got laryngitis from singing while riding. Deciding whether to ride or not??? Remember this single fact...a ride in a Disney Theme Park is an ATTRACTION RIDE. It is designed for PLEASURE and NOT TO HURT YOU! These rides are not even designed as a stress test for the human body. They are designed to give the rider an opportunity to experience a new reality by manipulating acceleration, balance, and negative pressures. Think about it for a second, at some level you know these rides are only as dangerous as the rider’s perception. The Imagineers use acceleration (and of course 'sudden stop') to give you the feeling of being out of control (we do like to be in control of our outcomes, don’t we?). They use darkness to disorient (everyone is afraid of the dark. If you are in an unfamiliar place, on a ride you can’t control, and do not know what is going to happen next... see how you could perceive your environment differently?). Disney also uses smells and lighting to MAKE IT REAL. You will react to the rides exactly equal to the threat you perceive. If you go into a ride believing it is a threat to you, don’t go on the ride. You could kill yourself with the fear of the unknown! After all, little kids (40" tall) ride these attractions...and survive. Yes, it is true that some medical conditions can cause problems that a healthy person would not have. But know this: Those rides are a mental response to a physical stimulus. Take your own chances and pay your own dues. There is always a swap-out. There are always consequences. It might interest you to know, I am in my late 50s. One other insight...of course I am afraid of the unknown...just like you, but on every single photograph Disney takes on the rides? I was always smiling or laughing! Disney = Fun."
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