A Magical Anniversary in the WILDERNESS *Pixie Dust Everywhere* Completed 11/19 New TR Link

[missangelalexis]

Getting extra FPs for your anniversary was so sweet! I like the chocolate bar they gave you!

That stinks that the steak was over done! But overall sounds like a nice night at Disney Springs!

 

[bushdianee]

I just found this trip report and started reading. I am originally from Buffalo and when I go back I always try to stop at the Anchor Bar for a last beef on weck or wings! I never knew that Southwest gave vouchers for delayed flights. In May my sisters and i were coming back from a cruise and both of our flights were delayed for a total of about 5 hours. I could have really used vouchers as one of my sisters and I are hoping to take 2 nieces and a nephew to WDW next year.

 

[dvc at last !]

Love your TR. Love all the Pixie Dust.
Love the Wedding pic at the beginning - I know Buffalo City Hall.

 

[Cloe Colton]

Getting extra FPs for your anniversary was so sweet! I like the chocolate bar they gave you!

That stinks that the steak was over done! But overall sounds like a nice night at Disney Springs!

It was so nice to get another set of FPs! Although we only used one of them but that was a result of some missplanning on my part but still was so nice!! I'll be honest the Disney lover in me wanted to save the chocolates but realized it made more sense for them to be eaten! Lol

And yeah the steak was pretty well done. We ended up ordering the rest of our steaks medium rare for the rest of the trip!

I just found this trip report and started reading. I am originally from Buffalo and when I go back I always try to stop at the Anchor Bar for a last beef on weck or wings! I never knew that Southwest gave vouchers for delayed flights. In May my sisters and i were coming back from a cruise and both of our flights were delayed for a total of about 5 hours. I could have really used vouchers as one of my sisters and I are hoping to take 2 nieces and a nephew to WDW next year.

Nothing beats wings from Buffalo!

I'll be honest they definitely weren't advertising the vouchers and were pretty quiet giving them to us. I only asked because they'd offered them up a few years ago when our flight was delayed three hours. My advise is that it never hurts to politely ask!

Love your TR. Love all the Pixie Dust.
Love the Wedding pic at the beginning - I know Buffalo City Hall.

Thank you for reading!! Buffalo has some pretty good photo spots!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I am really impressed with all your pixie dust perks you got, so nice! Your room was the area I was hoping to get on the 6th floor, it is still considered standard on TP but I think the rooms I was looking at are now wood view with firework view, Disney just recently changed this to charge more for these rooms, bummer for us.

I think the only standards are close to the restaurant now.

DS is such a fun place with so many cool places to check out. Love the Steamboat Willy!

 

[amazingact21]

Sounds like it was a nice night in Disney Springs. I love all the different themed bars and have been wanting to visit the Edison since it first opened.

Bummer about the steak not being cooked right; thank goodness all the other food was good so you guys had other stuff to fill up on.

 

[Cloe Colton]

I am really impressed with all your pixie dust perks you got, so nice! Your room was the area I was hoping to get on the 6th floor, it is still considered standard on TP but I think the rooms I was looking at are now wood view with firework view, Disney just recently changed this to charge more for these rooms, bummer for us.

I think the only standards are close to the restaurant now.

DS is such a fun place with so many cool places to check out. Love the Steamboat Willy!

Yeah I'm not sure if they changed them while we were there or not but I have a feeling they realized it was a good view of MK and the fireworks now that they cut down all the trees for the cabins! I had actually requested the hallway next to the one we were in because I wanted to be a little closer to the lobby just for the sake of saving extra steps but we ended up really liking our location!

Sounds like it was a nice night in Disney Springs. I love all the different themed bars and have been wanting to visit the Edison since it first opened.

Bummer about the steak not being cooked right; thank goodness all the other food was good so you guys had other stuff to fill up on.

Yeah we had a really great time! It almost feels like they've brought back a bit of Pleasure Island with all the different bars and atmosphere but in a way that is more manageable than it used to be!

Yeah the rest of the food was definitely a hit! Thankfully our eyes are usually bigger than our stomachs and we always tend to over order anyway so we definitely were filled up!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Hi Cloe! Following along...Love all the pixie dust!!!! I've stayed at the WL 3 times with a 4th trip coming up next May, and it's one of my fav resorts, with POFQ, CR, and GF close behind...Can't wait to hear more...

 

[Cloe Colton]

Hi Cloe! Following along...Love all the pixie dust!!!! I've stayed at the WL 3 times with a 4th trip coming up next May, and it's one of my fav resorts, with POFQ, CR, and GF close behind...Can't wait to hear more...

We loved WL! I can't wait to stay there again!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Day 3 Part 1

Our first anniversary! Here’s a couple of photos from our wedding <3





I was up first this morning. My sweet hubby at some point after I’d fallen asleep left me a card on the end table so I’d see it when I woke up. I had bought him a card but forgot it at home so I used some of the Disney stationary to write up a little message for him. It was a very sweet start to our anniversary.

I was ready first this morning and Dan needed something from the gift shop so I offered to walk down and get it for him. Stopping to do a little shopping of my own along the way haha I stopped to buy a wilderness lodge pin and also took a minute to browse around the gift shop.



Dan was pretty much ready by the time I got back to the room so we decided to check out the Old Faithful Club (club level) for the first time. I never realized that the top floor of the lobby was club level. It was such a cool view.





I made sure to wear my First Anniversary pin I purchased from Etsy. I feel like Daisy’s love for clothes and style and Donald Duck’s grumpiness embody me and Dan pretty well hahaha



We had just missed breakfast but they offered us some mini muffins and we grabbed drinks from the mini fridge and enjoyed them at a table near the railing.




They had beautiful flowers the whole week we were there. And they happened to match my shirt this day!



On our way out of the resort we stopped by the front desk to grab a Happily Ever After pin. The CM was so nice and asked us if there was anything else they could do to make our day special and they had already done so much for us we didn’t have anything else to ask for!

For lunch we were headed to the Grand Floridian Café. Apparently everyone and their mother was at the Grand that day because both their valet and self-parking lots were both full. I was really disappointed that the valet was full, too because I wanted to use my perk of free valet parking when using TIW! However, they were offering to transport you from the parking lot across the street via golfcart so we turned around and parked across the street in what I assume is castmemeber parking. This was actually a pretty fun way to get to the resort since it was just us on the golfcart!



It was time for lunch!



We were right on time for our reservation and brought right back. At first they sat us at the table like right behind the check in desk but the host had read the receipt wrong so we were actually in the back of the restaurant which is where I prefer to sit.




I went with the Grand Breakfast and Dan had the Café sandwich. We both enjoyed our lunches. We actually found the GFC when we came for a quick weekend trip a few years ago in January. It was colder at night than we anticipated and we just weren’t dressed for the weather (even with a jacket and two hoodies). So we left Magic Kingdom in search of good food and warmth and found this place and have loved it ever since! Growing up and going to Disney my family never really ate in many places, we would always do the 1900 Park Fare Breakfast and that was usually it for sit downs. So once food became more of a priority for me I felt like there was a whole new world in Disney!




While we were at lunch I also initiated our Prime Now order so we would have pop, water and Gatorade for the room and some snacks. For some reason the first order I put through couldn’t be delivered and was cancelled. I’m not sure why but the second time I placed the order it was able to be delivered (I did add “guest” to the end of my name so maybe that was the difference?) But it was fairly easy and was nice to know that our groceries would be waiting for us instead of us wasting precious vacation time to go and buy stuff. I did forget to order the pack of water the second time but we were fine with the pop and Gatorade.

At the end of our meal they were so nice and gave us a cupcake for our anniversary. Pixie dust!




One of my main reasons for booking GFC for lunch was to be close to our special anniversary present, a couples’ massage at Senses Spa! But since lunch was over a bit earlier than our scheduled massage time we took a walk through the lobby and out to the beach.






After our walking tour of the Grand it was time to head over for our appointment!



It was so relaxing and beautiful in the spa. I would highly recommend to anyone to spend the money if you can spare the time to enjoy some sort of service here. I do wish that they had a co-ed area to relax prior to the massages because it would have been nice to be able to relax and chat with Dan but it was also nice to just sit in the comfy robe and relax! I enjoyed some of their refreshing fruit water before being called for my massage.

The massage was great and so relaxing. Dan and I both really enjoyed them. We took some time after our massages to enjoy the complimentary drink they offered (he had a blue moon and I had a glass of champagne) and to use some of their spa amenities. I wish I had remembered to bring a swim suit because I would have loved to use their hot tub!



After our massages we made our way back to the main building assuming that would be the best spot to get a golf cart lift to our car across the street but apparently no one was aware of the situation earlier? We were told that they don’t offer rides like that and that we would have to walk. I found that pretty strange and a little unDisney like since they had implied we'd have rides both ways earlier but we just brushed it off and hoofed it back to the car rather than trying to find someone to bring us.

When we got back to the resort we decided to stop by the club level to grab a drink and chill.





We had some time to kill before we needed to get ready for dinner so we decided to go and hang by the pool for a bit. Except, the weather had different plans for us and as we were walking by the pool the lifeguards closed the pool for thunder. So we decided to go and sit at the bar at Geyser Point instead.



We got to talking with a guy at the bar about dvc since his family owns dvc and they were staying in the Copper Creek cabins. I was jealous of his accommodations and he was jealous of our club level access haha. It's funny how the grass is always greener, even when in Disney! It was a nice conversation; I enjoy being able to talk to someone about specific Disney things when they understand what I’m talking about and don’t act like Im speaking another language! Haha

And I will stop the day here for now! More to come!​

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like a wonderful start to your anniversary day! Love the button you bought!

 

[balty74]

So glad to read your tip about bringing a bathing suit along to Senses Spa! I have a massage there in November and I'll definitely throw a bathing suit in my bag

 

[Woth2982]

Joining in! Sounds like such a great trip so far despite the mishaps! So much pixie dust! I am heading down on Friday for a "Minnie-moon" and your report is getting me excited!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Sounds like a wonderful start to your anniversary day! Love the button you bought!

It really was! And thanks! I planned on getting the resort one but since they don't have the anniversary pins anymore just the Happily Ever After pins I definitely wanted something more specific!

So glad to read your tip about bringing a bathing suit along to Senses Spa! I have a massage there in November and I'll definitely throw a bathing suit in my bag

Oh yeah! Definitely bring it! I had thought about it and was like why would I need a bathing suit and then I got there and was like oh the jacuzzi and sauna. Thats why lol Although I did manage to wrap myself in a towel for the sauna there was just no real way to accomplish that for the jacuzzi so definitely bring it! Also if you're an AP you get a discount on spa services!

Joining in! Sounds like such a great trip so far despite the mishaps! So much pixie dust! I am heading down on Friday for a "Minnie-moon" and your report is getting me excited!

Thanks for joining in!! I hope your minnie-moon is just as magical!

 

[disneyAndi14]

How nice for the two of you to have a nice relaxing lunch and massage for your Anniversary!

That is odd about the golf cart ride, they should have had the ride both ways.

I find much miscommunication with CM’s at WDW especially the more times I go, like you I am Disney savvy!!

 

[Cloe Colton]

How nice for the two of you to have a nice relaxing lunch and massage for your Anniversary!

That is odd about the golf cart ride, they should have had the ride both ways.

I find much miscommunication with CM’s at WDW especially the more times I go, like you I am Disney savvy!!

Yeah it was really strange! The only reason I truly cared was that I promised Dan it would be such a relaxing day and I think it wound up being the day we walked the most whoops!!

 

[amazingact21]

Your anniversary sounds relaxing and indulgent and wonderful all at the same time. What a perfect day. I love the concept of spending some time at Senses Spa intermixed with dining at some of the deluxe resorts.
Your anniversary pin was too cute! Love the Daisy/Donald combo.

 

[KirbyLouWho]

Loving this TR & having so much following along. I was SO SO excited when I opened the thread because my daughter's name is Cloe as well, and I NEVER see anyone else who spells it without the H!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Your anniversary sounds relaxing and indulgent and wonderful all at the same time. What a perfect day. I love the concept of spending some time at Senses Spa intermixed with dining at some of the deluxe resorts.
Your anniversary pin was too cute! Love the Daisy/Donald combo.

Thank you! It really was a relaxing start to our anniversary! As much as I wanted to head to a park it was nice to be in air conditioning and not melting into the ground! haha plus the massages were amazing!

Loving this TR & having so much following along. I was SO SO excited when I opened the thread because my daughter's name is Cloe as well, and I NEVER see anyone else who spells it without the H!

Thanks for following along!! How exciting! I don't think I've ever met anyone who spelled it without the H either!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Day 3 Part 2

When I left off we were grabbing a drink from Geyser Point and hanging out. The plan had been to try and swim for a little bit but the Florida summer thunderstorms had other plans for us! It was okay though, we still enjoyed our time. It was probably for the best anyway because we didn’t spend too much time there because soon it was time to get ready and head to dinner!

We leisurely showered and got ready and decided that we would first make a quick pit stop in the Club. I had planned to get a glass of wine and the cheese plate at dinner so instead I got it for free in the club!



Dan seriously LOVED having club access. He loves all inclusive vacations (I do too but nothing beats my love of Disney!) and for him the club level access gave him that feeling. I'm pretty sure it would be cheaper for us to just pay for what he would want to drink and still fall way under the cost of the club level rooms but we could definitely see the appeal! He really loved the beers on tap and even the other varieties of beers that they offered. And the chilled glasses!




The staff who worked in the club were so nice every time we were there. This night they asked us all about our plans for the night and our anniversary. They were even nice enough to take a picture of us.



We enjoyed our drinks and snacks and then headed down to take the boat over to the Contemporary for our anniversary dinner at the California Grill! We had great boat luck this day and one was pulling up as we arrived. We had about one minute to grab a couple of photos on the dock before boarding haha





Sidenote: So Dan's shirt was one of the special Mickey Mouse line Target had this summer. When it first came out my sister had suggested I get it for Dan but I thought there was no way he'd ever wear it because it was just too "Mickey". But then it went on clearance and I was able to get it for under $10 so I figured why not! And it ended up being his favorite shirt of the whole trip, it was comfortable, Disney themed and looked nice!

There were quite a few people in front of us but we still managed to get a spot on the boat. It was such an enjoyable boat ride over to Fort Wilderness, see Discovery Island along the way and then back over to the Contemporary.





I think its so cool that you can take a boat from Wilderness Lodge to the Contemporary. When we got off the boat Dan took some candids of me on the dock.





I wanted to take some pictures with the Mickey topiary on our way in but DH was way too intrigued by portrait mode to capture the reason I wanted the photo in the first place!



He eventually got it though (kinda)



Thankfully someone walking by offered to take a photo of the both of us by the Mickey topiary (they knew what I was trying to get at )



We made our way up the escalator. My Mom has ingrained in me to always take escalator selfies!



When we were brought up the elevator to California Grill there was a Happily Ever After frame that we HAD to get a picture with!



The CM Colin who took the photo offered to take our picture outside with the view of the castle which was so nice.




And then it was time for dinner!



When Colin escorted us to our table he noticed the Happily Ever After button we received from the front desk at the Wilderness Lodge on my bag (I had lost my personalized one from Etsy at some point during the day ) and he jokingly told us we had the wrong button. We didn't think much of it when walked away and about five to ten minutes later he came back with one of the discontinued Happy Anniversary pins and wrote 1 “Ear” on it for us! I was so excited to get one of these. He also said that a magic eraser would remove the 1 and we could use it in the future and update it! Pixie dust!



For dinner we started with sushi. I usually love sushi but I didnt love the flavor of this one. Dan loved it though so I guess that was good at least! I think it was the Spicy Kazan roll but Im not 100% sure.



For our meal we split the cowboy steak and this was one of the best steaks we have both ever had (this steak was only beaten by one other later in our trip) and it was MORE than enough food for the two of us!



There was a beautiful sunset during dinner. It was amazing.




After we finished dinner Colin (the amazing CM from earlier) offered us complimentary champagne for our anniversary and we toasted to one year!



We chose to skip dessert because our night was still far from over! After dinner we were heading to the After Hours party! Since I wanted to leave as soon as HEA was over we paid our bill before heading out onto the balcony. The balcony definitely filled up fast with people who had come up from earlier reservations but we ended up with a pretty great spot.





I love watching the fireworks from the top of the Contemporary. It’s such a unique experience.





I'm sure most of you have but if you haven't watch HEA from California Grill I highly recommend it! And I will leave it there for now! But like I said our anniversary still hasn't finished!! ​