First Trip Report, First DVC Stay, Longtime Disney Fanatic

[richjive]

Hello Everyone,

I want to start off this post by thanking everyone who has ever written a TR or contributed to this the forum. I am a fairly recent Disboard member but longtime Disney fanatic. I never knew of the site until I started doing research on DVC properties a visit a took last year during Food and Wine Festival.

History:
I would like to start off with some background on myself. I am currently in my young 30's and have been going to WDW since I was 10. During my early years, I was fortunate enough to visit WDW at least once a year if not twice for our family vacations. I was also lucky enough to experience the true magic and wonder of Disney via the old Gold Key Plans (the orginal Magic-your-way packages, except it was truly all inclusive with rooms, park passes, all onsite entertainment from golfing to firework cruises and everything in between, and most importantly breakfast, lunch and dinner at ANY and all property restaurants with tax and gratuities included). The Disney Gold Key plans were truly amazing and it was when they started changing the packages toward the current Magic-your-way that our family trips started to dwindle.

I had a 10 -15 year break from Disney when I was in High School and college. Life also just seemed to get in the way. The Animal Kingdom was just built when I started my break. I always wanted to visit but just couldn't find the time. During those many years, I found my great DW, got married, found a home and had our first DD whom is turning 2 in a few months.

My first trip back to WDW was last year during Food and Wine Festival. It was the DW, DD and I on our first family trip and what better place then WDW. We stayed 6 nights in a Hilton Grand Vacation room which I got at a steep discount because of the obligatory Timeshare pitch from them. I enjoyed the room, but felt something was missing. We purchased 10 day Park Hopper Water park and fun no expiration tickets back then and only got to use two park day visits on the trip.

This meant we were committed on having to come back and during one of the visits to the parks, I took notice of the DVC stands, took a tour @ Saratoga Springs and immediately loved the idea of DVC (as compared to HGVC or any other timeshares) but thought the prices they wanted for Alunani and GF were too high. Luckily I did my research when I returned, found this site and closed on my DVC property earlier this year.

 

[richjive]

First DVC Trip:
I found the DVC members' website slow at times but everything was well presented. I was able to clear my schedule decided to visit from June 14th to June 19th. I booked the trip about two months in advanced and was glad to find Deluxe Studios available. The only problem was it would be at two different properties. We started our stay at BWV on Sunday, Monday and moved to BLT for Tue, Wed and Thurs.

Since our trip was broken up between the two properties I scheduled all the events around our rooms. I was able to secure our dinner reservations and plan out our trip fairly quickly.

Sunday:
We took the early flight out of LGA and arrived at MCO by 1100. As we were picking up our Rental Car, I got a welcomed text from DVC saying our room was ready (love the online check-in and notification system). It was great to know our room would be waiting for us as soon as we arrived and sure enough we made to our room before 1230. My first impressions of the Studio was how dated the room felt and it wasn't the most welcoming. I found out via the forum there were renovated rooms recently and proceeded to the front desk to request one. The receptionist my have been new because it took her a long time to get an answer and eventually the floor manager had to come over to help. No renovated Studios were available. I then asked the manager if renovated 1BR was available and suggested I would pay the cash or point difference for the upgrade. Another long wait with system, no information available and the manager said he would call me later in the day with my options as he could tell I wanted to get on with my day.

With the disappointment of the room fresh in our heads, we headed to Downtown Disney to do some shopping. It was my first time taking the Disney Bus and I was very surprised at how fast and prompt the service was. If I had known in advanced how effortless the transportation was, I would have saved the money from the car rental. We walked around Downtown and I picked up a Tables in Wonderland card (Great benefits/savings) as well as some small gifts. We had a quick late lunch at Ragland Road (not super impressed by the food, should have gone to Portobello's) and then headed over to Disney Quest. It was my first time in Quest and I wasn't sure if the baby would enjoy it much. It turns out we were able to do a few activities with DD and especially enjoyed the Rowing Raft ride.

We then headed back to our room to get ready for dinner at Yatchsman Steakhouse. The stroll along the Boardwalk was great and checking in at Yatchsman Steakhouse was a breeze. As we were waiting to get seated, I received a phone call from the floor manager and he says a newly renovated 1BR is available and because of the long wait and time wasted earlier in the day, he was upgrading us for free. This was very welcomed news and the perfect way to start off our first dinner.

The service was great but the food was excellent. I ordered the Lobster Bisque and Lamb Chops, DW ordered the Land Salad and Fliet Mignon and we got the grilled chicken dinner for the DD. The Lobster Bisque was amazing but the Land Salad was the star. We were both in agreement it was one of the best salads we have ever had. The ingredients consisted of items harvested right from "The Land" in Epcot, very fresh and tasty. The lamb chops and filet mignon were great and went very well with the suggested wine pairings. We ended dinner with an ice cream sundae, with DD eating the most. I used the TiW card and received the 20% discount (keep in mind they add 18% gratuities and taxes)

We then made our way back to our Studio to pack and as the DW was finishing the packing, I took care of the room change down at the front desk. The service was quick and we were in the newly renovated 1BR shortly after.

I can't express how glad and amazed we were with the 1BR. The newly redone room looked GREAT and made a huge difference. It had a soaker tub which my DW quickly filled took a bubble bath in. The bath was a great way for my DW to relax as I gave my DD a shower and put her to bed. The bed was super comfortable and we were both asleep within minutes.

Monday
We all wake up fairly early and get ready for our long day. We have Epcot planned and decide on walking over to start it all off. It was an enjoyable walk but with the sun and heat starting, we decided to not walk back and take the ferry. We Fastpassed Test Track, Spaceship Earth and Character spot. This made the morning very efficient as we made our way over to the attractions from international gateway. We were also able to take advantage of the Chase Visa character greeting (which happened to be Pluto and Minnie).

After the rides we started our way around the world showcase. We stopped in Norway, China, France and UK before we headed to the Ferry. After a quick ride we were back at the Boardwalk and into our room. The ferry was very convenient and I was happy to not have to drive. We got back to the room around 1600 and didn't have dinner until 1900 at Flying Fish. We decided to use the pool and spent the next few hours playing in the sun. The water slide was small but fun and to my surprise, my DW tells me it was her first time on a water slide. I couldn't believe it. Looks like I will have to take her to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach soon. Too bad River Country no longer exists. It was my favorite water park.

We wash up and head over to Flying Fish for dinner. I loved how quick and easy it was to get to the restaurant. Our table was ready upon arrival and we were seated and ordering food within minutes. We had the Clam Chowder(good but a bit salty) Mixed Field Greens Salad(great but not better than yatchsman steakhouse) Tuna Tartare(loved it) Yellowfin Tuna Filet (great if you like Tuna) and Sea Scallops (great as well). Our DD got the fish sticks and goobled everything up fairly quickly(food must have been great because she is usually a slow eater). We skipped dessert and once again took advantage of the TiW discount. After a short walk we were back in our room. We quickly showered and then started packing, as we were checking out and moving over to BLT.

Tuesday
Today is a R&R day for my DW as I have a spa package booked for her at VGF from 1200-1715. We also have a character breakfast at 1900 Park Fare @ 1030 and dinner at Narcoosee's @1730.

We sleep in until 0900, check out of BWV and head over to BLT. When we arrive at BLT, it was still early and the receptionist mention we will get a text when our room is ready. We get back in the car and head over to VGF for breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. It was our first Character meal together as a family and our DD loved it. She took pictures with Mary Poppins, Alice, Mad Hatter, Pooh and some others. A very nice facility, good selection for breakfast and great family atmosphere. I highly recommend a character meal if you have kids with you. After breakfast, my DD and I walk my DH over to senses spa. I originally booked the "me time" package which I was told got a DVC discount. Upon arriving and looking at the receipt I noticed the price was higher then expected. The receptionist explained the DVC discount didn't apply to the package because it was already discounted. I asked if it was more beneficial to book all the items separate and after working it out, the price turned out to be almost $100 less. The lady then changed the reservation to have everything separate and I was able to save some more money with the DVC card.

Since I had the DD and our BLT rooms still were not ready, I decided to go and visit AKL. After a short drive we arrived at AKL. I headed over to Kidani, took a short tour of the rooms available and then walked around and animal watched. The facilities are very nice and there were many view spots which my DD and I both enjoyed. I finally get a text for DVC informing my BLT room is ready with the room number. We head back over to BLT and go directly to our room. It was a pleasure to see my magic band already setup and very convenient for me to get into the room. I used the bell hop service and waited for the luggage to arrive. I placed my DD down in bed while waiting and sure enough, within 5 minutes, she was snoring like a little pig. After the bags arrive, I joined my DD in a quick nap.

I get my DD ready around 1630 and we head over to the monorail and take it back to VGF. We meet up with my DW at 1700 in the main lobby. We love ambiance of the lobby. The pianist was on the grand piano and he sounded great. Perfect family moment. We promptly head over to Narcosee's and are the first to be seated.

We order the Lobster Bisque(perfect flavor) Debby's Salad(great but still not as good as Yatchsman) Calamari(love the jalapenos), Alaskan Halibut(great flavor) and Key West Shrimp and Garganello Pasta(good dish) and the Candy Bar desert(Yummy). I was able to once again use my TiW card and received a nice discount. We trek back to the monorail and head back to our room. Another great day in the books, what will Wednesday hold? Stick around to find out

 

[richjive]

Wednesday
Today was the day we took care of all the shopping and gifts. Since we had the car, we decided to visit the two outlet malls. It was refreshing to see how things have changed outside of Disney, especially down international drive. We first visited the orlando vineland premium outlets, which was very close to WDW. I especially liked the Disney Character store which had many items heavily discounted (some of them were last year's merchandise). We were able to pick up most of our gifts from this store and it cost us less then $100. Very good value and highly recommend a visit if you are looking for authentic disney products at a discount. Since the products were so highly discounted, the DVC merchandise discount was not accepted. We spent a few hours shopping and then hit the road towards the Orlando International Premium Outlet, which was located near Universal Studios at the end of International Drive.

On our way over we stopped by Chili's for a quick bite to eat. There was an interesting Go Kart facility located right next to Chili's which had this multi layered track. We didn't have time to check it out but I will be adding it to our list of things to do for the future. We preferred the layout of Orlando International Premium Outlet to Vineland. We did some more shopping and started heading back around 1700.

When we arrived back at BLT we realized it was still early (dinner was at 1900). So with a hour to kill, we headed down to the Marina and rented a boat. It was a nice time and ride from Bay Lake to Seven Seas lagoon. It was also the first time my DW ever drove a boat. After the boat ride, we drove over to Wilderness Lodge to have dinner at Artist Point.

It was my first time dining at Artist Point and I was unfortunately not impressed. The Wilderness Lodge is not easily accessible and in order to have dinner you would either have to stay on property or make a special trip just for the food. I felt the food was good but not particularly worth the trouble. The good part is our TiW discount applied and we didn't spend too much on the food.

After dinner, we headed back to BLT and went right up to the Top Of the World to relax and wait for the fireworks. We had a great view and the fireworks were spectacular as usual. It seems as if the hotel was cracking down guests whom are allowed up. We had to check in at the lobby and were escorted to a dedicated elevator just to get upstairs. DVC membership seems to be a requirement now. If anyone happens to be staying at BLT but is not a member, the next best thing would be the sky bridge that connects BLT to Contemporary. The view from the bridge has not obstructions and is high enough to take in the whole show.

Thursday
Today was a day which I let the DW plan. I originally wanted to go to Typhoon Lagoon and play miniature golf but my DW wanted to visit the parks. She took care of the Fastpasses the night before and found out the Extra Magic Hour was at Magic Kingdom. So we woke up early and took a nice stroll from BLT towards Magic Kingdom. We arrived just as they were opening the gates and off we went. Our day was centered on heading over to Frontierland first and riding Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Railroad, but when we made the turn out of Liberty Square towards Frontierland, we were informed it was not open during the Extra Magic Hour.

This was a curveball to our plans but we were hungry and decided to get breakfast. We didn't think we could dine at Be Our Guest but I approached the front and asked if there was seating available. To our surprise they were taking walk ups and so went on in. It was my first time dining at Be Our Guest and I was pleasantly surprised. The enchanted castle's dining room was spectacular and we really enjoyed the atmosphere. The touchscreen for ordering was very straight forward but there was a loop hole/glitch. If you are placing an order for an adult, the meal is $20 which includes a drink. However when you are ordering, once you get to the drinks menu, you will see 0.00 as the price for all the BOTTLED drinks. The glitch is the machine does not limit the drink order. Since it was my first time, I decided to add a few more to the cart and see what would happened. Well to my surprise my receipt printed up an itemized list with our breakfasts and the numerous bottled drinks I had selected. (TIP: load up a few more water bottles, it will come in handy for the rest of the day.) So with our two adult meals, and one child meal, we got 4 water bottles, 2 OJ, 1 Chocolate Milk 1 Apple juice and 1 kid apple juice. I originally thought the system worked as it was suppose to but did not find out it was glitched until when our server brought our meals over. She originally only wanted to give us one drink a piece, but I showed her my itemized receipt which has me paying for all the bottled drinks(all be it 0.00). She reluctantly handed everything over and advised us it should have only been 1 drink a piece. We enjoyed the breakfast and headed on out to continue our day

We did Tomorrowland's Speedway, Space Mountain and Peter Pan's Flight with the fast passes. After using my 3 passes, I was lucky enough to get an additional Fastpass to Dwarf's Mine Train. We waited for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Railroad, and ended the visit with the Dwarf's Mine Train. It was about 1400 and so we headed back to the room to recharge. Our dinner was the second showing of the Luau over at the Polynesian so we had some time to kill. We decided to take a quick trip over to Hollywood Studios to do Tower of Terror and Aerosmith. Fortunately the lines were not very long and we were able to do both as well as the great movie ride. We headed back to BLT at about 1830 to got ready for dinner. Did I mention how easy the Disney Transport has become. We loved it and never wasted much time on the traveling. We took the monorail over to the Polynesian and checked into the dinner with plenty of time to spare.

I have never been to Hawaii(another furture destination for sure) and thoroughly enjoyed the show as well as the atmosphere of the Polynesian. I was afraid our DD would not be able to stay awake for the whole show since it was the later showing. To our surprise she not only stayed up for the whole thing, she was dancing and clapping along the whole time. The pure happiness and enjoyment she exuded made the whole thing that much more special. I haven't seen her that happy before and of course it took some Disney magic to make it a reality.

We took the first flight out the next morning and our family vacation was over

Overall we had a spectacular experience. DVC made things simple and WDW made things magical. It was hard returning to the real world but just makes me look forward to our next trip.

Thanks for reading!