Sequoia Lodge questions

[diberry]

DD and I have just booked for November and will be staying at the Sequoia Lodge for the first time. (O.K. - I'll admit it - it's a free upgrade!!! ) We've only stayed at the Santa Fe and Cheyenne before so any info or tips about the SL would be very welcome please. Yay - we've booked!!!!!
My wonderful DD (DisneyRGB) noticed in the brochure about the free upgrades - don't know if other people have spotted it before. If you book a package at the Cheyenne on 1st, 3rd or 6th November you get a free upgrade to the SL. Similarly if you book at SL you get a free upgrade to Newport Bay Club and if you book at NBC you get a free upgrade to Hotel New York. This isn't on the website and they don't tell you about it when you book direct with DLP by phone - you have to mention it and then they tell you it is available.

 

[Ware Bears]

Well done, Diana!

It's always better to have TWO holidays to look forward to than one, isn't it!!! That way you don't get depressed when you get back from the first one because the second one is already booked!!!

 

[tmp]

We stayed at SL in January 2004.Had a fantastic time.
SL is lovely.The themeing is great especially during the winter months when they light a huge log fire in the Redwood bar .After a day in the parks it was wonderful to sit in the bar and people watch whilst sitting near a lovely warm fire.You are not obliged to buy drinks there but the seats nearest the fire get taken quickly so be prepared to dart in when someone leaves!
There are two restaurants and if I remember correctly one only opens for dinner.
I'm not sure how busy it got at breakfast in Santa Fe but at SL it was manic.
People were queuing up the stairs(the restaurants are on the lower level)
and it was chaos.If you can rise early and get your breakfast by 8am you should be ok.We went in quiet season and whilst the parks were pretty quiet I couldn't believe the number of people who appeared at breakfast each morning!
The walk from the hotel is very pleasant much easier that taking the bus.
If you can blag an upgrade to a montana lakeside room you will be able to watch the fireworks on Lake Disney from your room!
Hope I've been of some help-writing this makes me desperate to go back!!

 

[diberry]

Elaine - yes indeed!!! I'm so looking forward to California but am thrilled to have another visit to DLP booked too!! As you say, when we get back from DLC it won't be too bad as we'll be off to DLP 2 and a half months later (though Rhiannon's not going to Ca with us so she's got a longer wait!!)
Being greedy I'm already beginning to long to return to WDW too even though I thought after last summer that I'd never want to experience that heat and humidity again! I know you'll have THE most wonderful time!!!

tmp - thank you so much - you've really whetted my appetite now!!! It sounds great. We could really have appreciated an open fire when we went last Christmas - I thought I'd never feel warm again!! It sounds lovely. Thanks for the tip about breakfast. We usually opt for the Fantasyland breakfast which we love so I think we'll be sticking to that! Do you think if we asked nicely they'd upgrade us to a lakeside room? A bit greedy admittedly as we've already got 1 free upgrade, but it won't hurt to ask!!

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi Diana

We stayed at SL when we went to DLRP. We really enjoyed the pleasant lakeside walk to Disney Village and then onto the parks.

I liked the themeing of SL - it seemed cozy and well executed. I recommend the Redwood Bar for a relaxing drink after a busy day at the parks.

Both restaurants were open for dinner when we went - but that was during a busy half term so it may be different in November.

There was a nice little shop with a few sundries (milk, water, beer etc) and lots of Disney merchandise - but I expect there is one of these at every DLRP hotel, LOL.

We thoroughly enjoyed it - we also had the free upgrade thing so I paid for Cheyenne as I wanted SL. I wasn't disappointed!!

Karen

 

[Cyrano]

Well done for DisneyRGB for spotting this
Have only every stayed in Cheyenne at the resort.

Reid

 

[DisneyRGB]

Thanks Reid, I'm not usually very observant!

I love the Cheyenne - we've been there once and Santa Fe twice and I was keen to go to the Cheyenne again, but getting the free upgrade to the Sequoia is GREAT - don't you love it when you get something for nothing!!

Plus, we get to look forward to going to the Cheyenne again on the following trip!!!

Rhiannon

 

[jodyb]

You will really love the SL!

A tip about breakfast. When you check in you'll be asked to take breakfast cards for particular times. TRUST ME - you can ignore the time written on these! Simply show up for breakfast WHENEVER YOU WANT. They NEVER look at the time and even if they do, you can simply say you can't come at a different time. THEY WILL NOT turn you away from breakfast. ALSO, if you don't bother to get these cards, your pink hotel ID will get you into breakfast - again, at whatever time you want. The whole breakfast appointment thing is simply an attempt to spread the folks out, which is a great idea theoretically, but I feel that on vacation you should not have to decide days in advance what time you'll have breakfast! And as long as I'm ranting... the system doesn't work! As someone has already mentioned, the lines for breakfast at the SL are simply frightful! On our second trip we stayed 5 nights at the SL and had breakfast there only once. The whole scene was just too scary for me! That said, however, if you do come down before 8, or after 10, you'll have a quiet breakfast, no worries.
Sorry this got so long but as you can see breakfast is one of my pet peeves!
As for the rooms, I've never been much of a view person - I figure I'll see everything from outside and it's mostly dark when I'm in the room. But if you can manage to get a Montana room in the main building, I do feel they are a lot better than the out-lying rooms... we were upgraded to MOntana on both trips - once we didn't even know it was an upgrade, and once because the manager saw I was out of sorts at having to trek the distance to the out-lying room ... and he nicely offered the upgrade...

I do love the Sequoia and I know you'll have a wonderful holiday!!

 

[diberry]

Thanks for that Jody - I must look back at your recent trip report.
A Montana room would be great!!!
Well done on becoming a "Cast Member" by the way!!

 

[DisneyRGB]

Hi

Would it be worth asking for a room upgrade when we get there? Or is that just too cheeky since we're already getting a free hotel upgrade? I imagine it may be quite quiet in early November and perhaps there may be some Montana rooms available. Would they automatically tell us that there were rooms available and upgrade us for free? Or is it worth asking if there are Montana rooms available and hope they don't expect us to pay the difference???!!!

Rhiannon

 

[Cyrano]

You can only ask.
It be worth it especially if they were to put you in one of the outer lodges.
You can always say you are frighten at not being part of the main block

Reid

 

[jodyb]

Well, when I was there in January 2004, it was the slowest season of the year, and we were upgraded without asking. In fact, I didn't even know we had received a "montana" room! I just assumed it was the type of room I'd paid for!! Actually what had happened is that because it was so slow, they'd closed most of the outer lodges and were just putting everyone in the main lodge.

Then this year, we were there again in slow season, but for some reason the hotel was a lot more crowded (actually I know the reason - there were conventions). We were assigned a room in the farthest lodge, and at the moment it happened to be raining and very cold, and I was a bit upset, since I hadn't pictured this... I expressed my disappointment - saying I had looked forward to having a quiet drink in the lounge once in a while, but that I couldn't see leaving my daughter alone that "far away"....
Anyway, they were extremely nice, and upgraded us to the room right next to the one we'd had last year!

So, this is my long-winded way of saying I certainly do not think it can hurt to ask for the upgrade, and from my experience, if they do have a Montana room available they will certainly give it to you.

One more comment - I do think that in the warmer months the outer lodges can be just fine, especially if you get one that's recently renovated. (That might also be something to ask for at check-in.) I really do think that whatever room you end up in at the SL, you are going to have a glorious time!!
(Do you have room for me in your suitcase?)

 

[Cyrano]

Come on now Jody you've been before
If there is space in a suitcase, then the others should have first shout

Reid

 

[DisneyRGB]

There won't be any space in our cases anyway - we are women after all!

Thanks Jody and Reid for the suggestions about upgrades - it's not going to hurt to ask is it?

Rhiannon

 

[Renate_do]

You will really love the SL!

A tip about breakfast. When you check in you'll be asked to take breakfast cards for particular times. TRUST ME - you can ignore the time written on these! Simply show up for breakfast WHENEVER YOU WANT. They NEVER look at the time and even if they do, you can simply say you can't come at a different time. THEY WILL NOT turn you away from breakfast.

Hi Jody,

sorry, but people acting in the way you describe it are the reason why there are the long lines for breakfast.
Why do they give you these cards? And what gives you the right to ignore the time written on?
Okay you can say its the mistake of the CM, but I really go upsate about those people.

Greets Renate

 

[diberry]

I feel that on vacation you should not have to decide days in advance what time you'll have breakfast!

I think Jody's right - you really don't go on holiday to be regimented and told when to have your meals. If they can't handle the flow they need to rethink it. On holiday you pay a lot of money to have the right to do what you want, when you want.

 

[Renate_do]

I think Jody's right - you really don't go on holiday to be regimented and told when to have your meals. If they can't handle the flow they need to rethink it. On holiday you pay a lot of money to have the right to do what you want, when you want.

They dont TELL you when to go, YOU choose from the available times.
And what is worse? To go at the time you choose or to go on the time you want and you have to wait for a long time??
The SL has 1011 rooms so there are about 2000 to 3000 people to have breakfast every day. Please tell me how you would like to handle that?

Okay, you pay a lot of money, but that dont give you the right to "jumpt the queue" cause everybody did pay a lot of money.

If you dont like to decide the breakfast time in advance...stay at the HNY or DLH !

Renate

 

[diberry]

I was simply trying to make a general point - that most people, on holiday, prefer to please themselves how they spend their time. For the money I pay I don't want to be told when I can eat. I recall that when we first stayed in DLP we had to decide at the beginning of our stay what times we wanted breakfast for the whole of our stay and you can't always know that several days in advance. Also you have to take what's left as far as times go and if only very early or very late times are available then it's not really acceptable. You can't always choose the time you would prefer. There is always the alternative of having a Fantasyland breakfast, which we always do. The Chalet de la Marionnette is huge and can take an awful lot of people and you don't have to go at a specific time as long as it's before 10.30. I'm afraid I don't know how it could be handled better - I'm not in the catering business, but there must be a better solution for those who do prefer to have breakfast in their hotel and can't afford to stay in the more expensive ones.

 

[tmp]

Last year we were given time-slots of 7-7.30am.We had no choice that was all that was available(this was in January).So I spent the night frequently waking up in fear of our missing breakfast slot!Had forgotten to take an alarm clock-thought I was supposed to be on holiday.Woke the kids and DH at 6.45 am-it was still dark!!Appeared at breakfast with three VERY grumpy boys and was told by the CM on duty that we needn't have rushed down we were welcome to have breakfast whenever we wanted as no-one checks your timeslots just that you are entitled to have the breakfast.DH was not pleased at being dragged out of bed 'in the middle of the night' for a continental breakfast!!
Knew what to do for the next two days.
I think maybe one solution would be to have holidays on a 'room only' basis and let people choose if they want to breakfast at their hotel or in the Village-ensuring that there was plenty of eating options open for breakfast.
WDW copes well on the room only basis so why not at DLP.
People will wait for a ridiculous amount of time because they have paid for it and no-one likes to pay for something and not get it!

 

[Bonnie]

I have a question related to breakfasts, actually. Maybe someone will know the answer.

We've booked to have the Good Morning Fantasyland breakfast on one of the days we'll be there in June. What exactly happens with that? Are you given tickets to use when you check in at the start of your holiday, or do you just turn up at the park?

Also, is says in the brochure that you go into the park an hour early. The park will be opening at 10am on that day, so does that mean that breakfast is at 9am, or that breakfast is earlier than that and we'll be let into the park to go on rides at 9am? I'm a bit confused about that!