skylynx
DIS Sponsor in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2003
Just back from our first trip home. Though we are new owners (as of March) at Saratoga Springs and Animal Kingdom, we elected to have our first trip home be at the first DVC resort. We were two adults and two kids in a studio, building 20. We are being a little conservative at first using our points until we can work out our usage patterns (or just buy a bunch more ;-) I think Ive read some negative reports before about building 20 because of the bus stop/bus turnaround/noise but we were the end studio unit, ground floor, overlooking the fountain pond and thought it was lovely and peaceful. We never noticed the buses/noise except when we went to get in the car in the parking area. The only thing I could think of as a negative was that our room was designated for the disabled and it had the zero entry shower which was a bit too reminiscent of a gym locker room shower. But if thats all we have to complain about, Id say that was a pretty great thing!
Wed just come off the 4 day Wonder where we got a bunch of good stuff at the DVC member reception (hats, pins, lanyards, beach towels) and two big Welcome Home cruise magnets making Mickey ears around our stateroom number sign on our door. Since we are still in the DVC honeymoon phase, many of you might excuse us for also going to the non-member presentation wearing our 15th anniversary DVC freebie hats (we were invited by the DVC reps). Okay, well do anything for trading pins (and another Dream book). We did learn something new, however, by going, and we scored a couple of the coveted Stitch DVC pins which we got stalked for by hungry pin collectors back around the World! Wearing those hats around, we found ourselves getting into lots of spontaneous conversations with other members and the DVC reps around the parks and Downtown Disney, which was really nice.
Approaching OKW to check in this past Thursday, we were worried we wouldnt hear the welcome home wed waited so long to hear, but we were not disappointed. The guard at the gate said it, three other people said it as we came into the check-in area, the person checking us in said it, and then when we exited the hospitality house with our KTTW cards, there was a group of cast members in training lined up outside getting their marching orders and EVERY ONE of them said welcome home to us as we walked by.
We checked in in between park hops, so went back out to Epcot after dropping off the luggage. We were happy to have our room assigned and ready upon arrival since it was barely after 12 noon! Wed brought an airbed for DS 11 who is long past sharing a bed with DD, 14, and that worked out perfectly. On the way home from Epcot, wed stopped at the gas station outside Boardwalk and bought some bagels, cream cheese, milk, and two double size bottles of Corona and a lime. The Coronas were delightful to consume out on our patio while we cooled our aching heels while inside the kids watched the same Thats So Raven episode for the hundredth time. Life is good.
I missed the room cleaning service and free extra towels only a little, and really liked not having to time our comings and goings and tidying up based on when the room would be serviced. The first morning there, DH and I sat on our little patio drinking coffee and eating bagels, and within about five minutes we had a duck, two squirrels, six of those big black mobster birds with the yellow eyes, a white ibis, and some other strange kind of bird waiting for handouts. All we needed to complete the picture would be to have a caribou walk by. We laughed at the thought of the critters walking, fluttering, waddling, or hopping from patio to patio to see if the current residents could be charmed. (We were.)
We had intentionally planned this day as a rest day between parks so we could spend some time exploring OKW. We had breakfast part 2 at the marina and took some nice pictures there and at the pool/lighthouse before there were many people there. After some time at DTD and Disney Quest, we came back and went swimming. I loved the pool area, and felt a camaraderie with the other guests that was a little different than what we normally feel like when we stay at non-DVC places like Caribbean Beach or Wilderness Lodge (hotel). I guess you can say weve drunk the Koolaid. Later we went back to DTD and let the kids play out the rest of the night at Disney Quest.
Our last day was another park hop day the old Animal Kingdom/Magic Kingdom combo. It was pretty steamy, with a lot of haze from the drifting wildfire smoke, so we came back to OKW after AK. We dragged the laundry to the quiet pool and I did the most pleasant two loads of laundry ever somewhere between the swimming pool, the chaise lounge, and the hot tub. We left the kids for two hours to keep cool and watch tv while DH and I scooted off to Epcot to see my hero, Davy Jones. Ahhhhhh. Then we picked up the kids and went to MK for the rest of the night. It was pretty crowded, but in the time we were there we got to go on quite a few rides. The whole family had recently read Kingdom Keepers, so we all wanted to see the teepees from the train where Maleficent appeared and to ride Small World to speculate which of those evil dolls was guilty of coming to life and gnawing on the books protagonists limbs. We were so tired we didnt even fight for a spot on Main Street to watch Wishes, but were satisfied sitting on the ground in the garden area by first aid eating our really expensive Caseys Corner hot dogs! Wishes even looks spectacular from there, and the trees really didnt block all that much. We were very, very sad to be spending our last night, but are feeling very fortunate indeed to have the prospect of lots of years of DVC membership to look forward to, as well as cruises #10 and #11 booked for 2008. This Wednesday Ill (hopefully) book our first Animal Kingdom Villas stay for next year, and weve got another DVC getaway at Vero and SSR planned for this November. So I guess you could say, we are counting our lucky stars!
Wed just come off the 4 day Wonder where we got a bunch of good stuff at the DVC member reception (hats, pins, lanyards, beach towels) and two big Welcome Home cruise magnets making Mickey ears around our stateroom number sign on our door. Since we are still in the DVC honeymoon phase, many of you might excuse us for also going to the non-member presentation wearing our 15th anniversary DVC freebie hats (we were invited by the DVC reps). Okay, well do anything for trading pins (and another Dream book). We did learn something new, however, by going, and we scored a couple of the coveted Stitch DVC pins which we got stalked for by hungry pin collectors back around the World! Wearing those hats around, we found ourselves getting into lots of spontaneous conversations with other members and the DVC reps around the parks and Downtown Disney, which was really nice.
Approaching OKW to check in this past Thursday, we were worried we wouldnt hear the welcome home wed waited so long to hear, but we were not disappointed. The guard at the gate said it, three other people said it as we came into the check-in area, the person checking us in said it, and then when we exited the hospitality house with our KTTW cards, there was a group of cast members in training lined up outside getting their marching orders and EVERY ONE of them said welcome home to us as we walked by.
We checked in in between park hops, so went back out to Epcot after dropping off the luggage. We were happy to have our room assigned and ready upon arrival since it was barely after 12 noon! Wed brought an airbed for DS 11 who is long past sharing a bed with DD, 14, and that worked out perfectly. On the way home from Epcot, wed stopped at the gas station outside Boardwalk and bought some bagels, cream cheese, milk, and two double size bottles of Corona and a lime. The Coronas were delightful to consume out on our patio while we cooled our aching heels while inside the kids watched the same Thats So Raven episode for the hundredth time. Life is good.
I missed the room cleaning service and free extra towels only a little, and really liked not having to time our comings and goings and tidying up based on when the room would be serviced. The first morning there, DH and I sat on our little patio drinking coffee and eating bagels, and within about five minutes we had a duck, two squirrels, six of those big black mobster birds with the yellow eyes, a white ibis, and some other strange kind of bird waiting for handouts. All we needed to complete the picture would be to have a caribou walk by. We laughed at the thought of the critters walking, fluttering, waddling, or hopping from patio to patio to see if the current residents could be charmed. (We were.)
We had intentionally planned this day as a rest day between parks so we could spend some time exploring OKW. We had breakfast part 2 at the marina and took some nice pictures there and at the pool/lighthouse before there were many people there. After some time at DTD and Disney Quest, we came back and went swimming. I loved the pool area, and felt a camaraderie with the other guests that was a little different than what we normally feel like when we stay at non-DVC places like Caribbean Beach or Wilderness Lodge (hotel). I guess you can say weve drunk the Koolaid. Later we went back to DTD and let the kids play out the rest of the night at Disney Quest.
Our last day was another park hop day the old Animal Kingdom/Magic Kingdom combo. It was pretty steamy, with a lot of haze from the drifting wildfire smoke, so we came back to OKW after AK. We dragged the laundry to the quiet pool and I did the most pleasant two loads of laundry ever somewhere between the swimming pool, the chaise lounge, and the hot tub. We left the kids for two hours to keep cool and watch tv while DH and I scooted off to Epcot to see my hero, Davy Jones. Ahhhhhh. Then we picked up the kids and went to MK for the rest of the night. It was pretty crowded, but in the time we were there we got to go on quite a few rides. The whole family had recently read Kingdom Keepers, so we all wanted to see the teepees from the train where Maleficent appeared and to ride Small World to speculate which of those evil dolls was guilty of coming to life and gnawing on the books protagonists limbs. We were so tired we didnt even fight for a spot on Main Street to watch Wishes, but were satisfied sitting on the ground in the garden area by first aid eating our really expensive Caseys Corner hot dogs! Wishes even looks spectacular from there, and the trees really didnt block all that much. We were very, very sad to be spending our last night, but are feeling very fortunate indeed to have the prospect of lots of years of DVC membership to look forward to, as well as cruises #10 and #11 booked for 2008. This Wednesday Ill (hopefully) book our first Animal Kingdom Villas stay for next year, and weve got another DVC getaway at Vero and SSR planned for this November. So I guess you could say, we are counting our lucky stars!
