bobbiwoz
I'm happy to dance with you!
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2003
My friends used DME, no complaints. I rented a car and used valet parking, no complaints with Valet Parking! 
I had booked 2 studios, one a SV and the other PV. The SV wasn't far down the hall from the elevators, on the 3rd floor, and my PV was very close to the elevators right on the lobby floor. We had a view of the boardwalk entrance to the hotel. We had a large balcony. One benefit of this room is that because you are facing the "courtyard like" entrance, the sun doesn't hit you first thing in the morning, because of the building across the lawn. You can have some "non-sun-in-your-eyes," quiet time in the morning, just watching the area, while enjoying your morning beverage, breakfast, read, whatever. IF you position your chair just right, you glimpse the Beach Club and the water as well. It was room 2063.
However, I'm the DVC owner, and the guard at the gate DIDN'T have my name on the list of guests as I pulled up to the resort! My name also wasn't easily found at the front desk when I checked in. This was the first time that I ever showed my original hard copy. The CM at the front desk found my DVC information, looked at the ressies I have coming up but said that she didn't see the Sept. 30th check-in! That's when I brought out the paper, the room was discovered under my cousin's name at that point, she had checked in at the airport using ME.
My gripe would be that my name SHOULD have been on the guard's list. At the front desk, the "problem" could be because my cousin had already checked in so the room became "in her name" I guess. Yet, when I suggested to the CM that maybe that was the case, she didn't think it would be on the computer that way. Well, the lobby was not crowded with people checking in, it was around 3PM, and things were solved. The lobby became very crowded about 1/2 hour later as we headed for the MNSSHP!
A CM told my one friend that they don't let you in to MNSSHP until 7, so she was sort of reluctant to go early (was enjoying the pool when I arrived), but in the end, the voice of reason, (mine), won out, and we got there in time to enjoy Philharmagic, It's a Small World, and the Haunted Mansion before being asked to go to the "holding area" where we enjoyed dinner at Peco Bill's. It was a wonderful MNSSHP! We got to do everything we wanted to, saw the parade and the best Halloween Fireworks ever. DH who was not on this trip, mentioned that the fireworks at the MNSSHP weren't as great as Wishes, and I had to correct him, well, he said HE'D have to go and find out for himself. No chance this year, but for sure, he's coming next year. We went on Friday, the first party of the year, and the 4 of us agreed that it was worth the money. We left the park around 11. PofC had broken down earlier in the evening, but we went back to that so we wouldn't be leaving the park right after the 2nd parade. It was not true that the 2nd parade was less crowded, I think many people took that advice to heart, so there were more people watching then, at least where we were watching, by the LTT.
3 of us did the Seas Epcot Tour on Saturday. Swimming in the tank of the Living Seas is an awesome experience.
This was my third stay at WDW in the past month and a half. It was the only time I did not make it on Soarin more than once in a morning half day time frame. The other 2 times, we took a fast pass, waited in the under 20 minute stand by time, walked out, and did the "land" boat tour, then used the fast pass for an encore of Soarin. This time the standby time was over 30 minutes right when we got there, so we got the fast pass, went on the "land" boat tour and Circle of Life movie, then went on Soarin with the FP.
The walk on time to Space was only 10 minutes around 7 PM on Saturday, where as Test Track was always busy, even the single rider line was over 30 minutes then.
The weather was hot with downpours.
There were no problems with the ammenities of the villas. Our studio was a dedicated one, with the extra bench for sitting and just a bit more room than the average studio.
My cousin put the linens on the sofa without opening it, so I don't know about comfort. My friend in the other studio did open it, didn't ask for an egg crate or extra mattress, but I don't think she slept very well. I mentioned the "extra" stuff from housekeeping to her more than once, it was up to her if she wanted to.
If anyone has any questions, please ask. We didn't do any of the special Food and Wine events, but next year we'll have something planned. These friends don't go to WDW enough to feel that they want to plan food experiences at the cost of missing out on the 4 parks in general. I knew that up front. At this time of the year, I only can pencil in a long weekend, and it's just not enough time to do everything you would like to do. Since relaxing at the resort is one of my "must dos," my friends and I were not "attached at the hip." There really were 4 individual touring plans!! Plus another cousin and his wife came up from Naples, and visiting with them was important too!
Bobbi
I had booked 2 studios, one a SV and the other PV. The SV wasn't far down the hall from the elevators, on the 3rd floor, and my PV was very close to the elevators right on the lobby floor. We had a view of the boardwalk entrance to the hotel. We had a large balcony. One benefit of this room is that because you are facing the "courtyard like" entrance, the sun doesn't hit you first thing in the morning, because of the building across the lawn. You can have some "non-sun-in-your-eyes," quiet time in the morning, just watching the area, while enjoying your morning beverage, breakfast, read, whatever. IF you position your chair just right, you glimpse the Beach Club and the water as well. It was room 2063.
However, I'm the DVC owner, and the guard at the gate DIDN'T have my name on the list of guests as I pulled up to the resort! My name also wasn't easily found at the front desk when I checked in. This was the first time that I ever showed my original hard copy. The CM at the front desk found my DVC information, looked at the ressies I have coming up but said that she didn't see the Sept. 30th check-in! That's when I brought out the paper, the room was discovered under my cousin's name at that point, she had checked in at the airport using ME.
My gripe would be that my name SHOULD have been on the guard's list. At the front desk, the "problem" could be because my cousin had already checked in so the room became "in her name" I guess. Yet, when I suggested to the CM that maybe that was the case, she didn't think it would be on the computer that way. Well, the lobby was not crowded with people checking in, it was around 3PM, and things were solved. The lobby became very crowded about 1/2 hour later as we headed for the MNSSHP!
A CM told my one friend that they don't let you in to MNSSHP until 7, so she was sort of reluctant to go early (was enjoying the pool when I arrived), but in the end, the voice of reason, (mine), won out, and we got there in time to enjoy Philharmagic, It's a Small World, and the Haunted Mansion before being asked to go to the "holding area" where we enjoyed dinner at Peco Bill's. It was a wonderful MNSSHP! We got to do everything we wanted to, saw the parade and the best Halloween Fireworks ever. DH who was not on this trip, mentioned that the fireworks at the MNSSHP weren't as great as Wishes, and I had to correct him, well, he said HE'D have to go and find out for himself. No chance this year, but for sure, he's coming next year. We went on Friday, the first party of the year, and the 4 of us agreed that it was worth the money. We left the park around 11. PofC had broken down earlier in the evening, but we went back to that so we wouldn't be leaving the park right after the 2nd parade. It was not true that the 2nd parade was less crowded, I think many people took that advice to heart, so there were more people watching then, at least where we were watching, by the LTT.
3 of us did the Seas Epcot Tour on Saturday. Swimming in the tank of the Living Seas is an awesome experience.
This was my third stay at WDW in the past month and a half. It was the only time I did not make it on Soarin more than once in a morning half day time frame. The other 2 times, we took a fast pass, waited in the under 20 minute stand by time, walked out, and did the "land" boat tour, then used the fast pass for an encore of Soarin. This time the standby time was over 30 minutes right when we got there, so we got the fast pass, went on the "land" boat tour and Circle of Life movie, then went on Soarin with the FP.
The walk on time to Space was only 10 minutes around 7 PM on Saturday, where as Test Track was always busy, even the single rider line was over 30 minutes then.
The weather was hot with downpours.
There were no problems with the ammenities of the villas. Our studio was a dedicated one, with the extra bench for sitting and just a bit more room than the average studio.
My cousin put the linens on the sofa without opening it, so I don't know about comfort. My friend in the other studio did open it, didn't ask for an egg crate or extra mattress, but I don't think she slept very well. I mentioned the "extra" stuff from housekeeping to her more than once, it was up to her if she wanted to.
If anyone has any questions, please ask. We didn't do any of the special Food and Wine events, but next year we'll have something planned. These friends don't go to WDW enough to feel that they want to plan food experiences at the cost of missing out on the 4 parks in general. I knew that up front. At this time of the year, I only can pencil in a long weekend, and it's just not enough time to do everything you would like to do. Since relaxing at the resort is one of my "must dos," my friends and I were not "attached at the hip." There really were 4 individual touring plans!! Plus another cousin and his wife came up from Naples, and visiting with them was important too!
Bobbi
