Just back from GKTW

[mrsbornkuntry]

We got home yesterday from ds's wish trip, it was pretty nice except the uncooperative weather . For the first 3 days it was cold (40's) and poured rain on Christmas day, but what saved those days was GKTW. There was so much to do there that when we left the parks early in the afternoon our kids actually had more fun there. One night there was a magic show that my kids enjoyed more than their breakfast at Chef Mickey's. The villas are very nice in my opinion and we were pleasantly surprised to have a full size Christmas tree in it (ds had wanted to bring one with us). And the villa was large enough for everyone to sleep comfortably. They also had videos to borrow so we took advantage of that for some down time for the kids.

As far as the parks go, I wasn't very impressed with Disney I hate to say. I felt like I had to fight for ds to get any priviledges and we had an issue with the monorail. DS wanted to sit in the very front, but there were so many people in the morning that we didn't even ask, instead we waited until we were going home (at night after Spectromagic) when they were nearly empty to ask and they said there were already people in it that had ridden there from their last stop. DS was in tears (he's 5), complete meltdown, so we were going to ask again and just ride back to Magic Kingdom and then back to the parking lot again, but they told us no again. I just thought they could have asked someone who had ridden already from the last stop if they would mind moving so he could have a turn, but they wouldn't. Anyway, Magic Kingdom was packed as we expected so I think the CM's were just too busy to be put out. We did have two or three that were great, but we also had one that told my dh "You have to keep moving, sir, you can't stop here" when he stopped on a sidewalk to pick up our baby's bottle off the ground . Animal Kingdom was our favorite Disney park just because it was more friendly and less busy.

On the other hand, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure were really alot more fun. The kids had a blast and everywhere we went the CM's said Hi, we stopped once to check the map and put on ponchos and a CM named Bill stopped by (we were out of the way) and asked if we needed help, directed us to the kids' areas, explained their child swap, etc.

Sorry this is so long! That was our trip in a nutshell, I'll be happy to answer any questions.

 

[roseprincess]

Sorry to hear about the weather not cooperating and the monorail situation.
My dd's Wish trip was in June of this yr. We also had a couple of issues with the CM's at the monorails. I can't exactly remember what happened one of the nights, we were taking the monorails to or from Epcot I think. One of the times, we showed our GAC card to see if we can sit in the disabled (front) car of the monorail. One CM let us do that. The same night, we showed our GAC card again to the connecting monorail, the CM said " sorry, can't sit in the front car" or something like that. I was so mad because we were so exhausted of walking all day and eve. It didn't make sense to me that one CM at one area of the monorail said it was ok, but another CM says no.
We also were wearing our Make-A -Wish buttons, thinking they(the CMs) would figure out, ok this family is a Make-A-Wish family, their child/ children is disabled, so we should be kind to them, not!
We only had a problem with the CMs at the monorails, not the parks.

I also remember on our trip that a couple of families would make some snide remarks at us at the parks. I can't exactly remember the whole situation, but I was a little upset about it just because we had our Make-A-Wish buttons on and we were a MAW family.

Glad to hear GKTW was a blast as was US/IOA.

Roseprincess

 

[SueM in MN]

Sorry to hear about the weather not cooperating and the monorail situation.
My dd's Wish trip was in June of this yr. We also had a couple of issues with the CM's at the monorails.......We also were wearing our Make-A -Wish buttons, thinking they(the CMs) would figure out, ok this family is a Make-A-Wish family, their child/ children is disabled, so we should be kind to them, not!
We only had a problem with the CMs at the monorails, not the parks.
Roseprincess

I was gone when this was posted and just catching up.
This is not an excuse for the issues you reported at the monorails, but maybe an explanation. Because many people on WISH trips stay at MAW village, not at WDW, it's possible that the monorail CMs seldom see anyone with MAW buttons and are not always as aware as they should be. The park CMs probably see MAW families every day.

 

[roseprincess]

The monorail situation happenend only once during my dd's MAW trip and that was at that connecting monorail area( I don't know the name of it)where you take the monorail from the parks to go to the other parks and the main parking lot. Also, this is the first time my dh, I ,and my kids have ever taken the monorails ( this trip). Never experienced the monorails before until this past MAW trip. I know that I had some high expectations of my dd's MAW trip due to this is the 2nd time of my lifetime that I have been to WDW( first trip for my dd and ds).
Also, I had read somewhere either the Disboards or AOL Disney boards that WDW has been going downhill as of friendliness all around since 10-20 yrs. ago. This is what I've been hearing. Well, for the most part, we had a good trip overall and sounds like some of the other MAW families have had good trips overall.

Roseprincess

 

[noahsark322]

We also had some difficulties at at the world...We found for our sons MAW trip at universal and Islands to be the best...not saying disney wasnt nice, but we really got the most out of universal.

We did the same thing. Going back to GKTW in early afternoon was such a good idea. There was so much to do.

 

[SandrainNC]

I am glad to hear that for the most part you had a good trip. I wonder why the CM at the monorail didn't just let you wait on the next monorail. We were there in November and I wanted my son to get to ride up front. The monorails were practically empty and we stood there and waited through 3 monorail cars to get to go up front (there were people in line for the front and then the 3rd one was having mechanical difficulties so they didn't want people up front).

Sandra

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

One of the times, we showed our GAC card to see if we can sit in the disabled (front) car of the monorail. One CM let us do that. The same night, we showed our GAC card again to the connecting monorail, the CM said " sorry, can't sit in the front car" or something like that. I was so mad because we were so exhausted of walking all day and eve. It didn't make sense to me that one CM at one area of the monorail said it was ok, but another CM says no.

If my memory is correct, the "Wheelchair/Disabled" accessible monorail cars aren't in the front, but they're towards the middle of the train ... I've only seen the blue wheelchair decal on the middle cars (not that it's not elsewhere, it's just that the only place I remember seeing it was the middle)

 

[SueM in MN]

If my memory is correct, the "Wheelchair/Disabled" accessible monorail cars aren't in the front, but they're towards the middle of the train ... I've only seen the blue wheelchair decal on the middle cars (not that it's not elsewhere, it's just that the only place I remember seeing it was the middle)

I missed that...
The wheelchair accessible car is toward the middle of the monorail. When the CMs see the wheelchair, they open a gate and allow the group with a wheelchair to wait in a gated section of the monorail waiting area.

When someone had posted a while back on the Transportation Board asking if someone using a wheelchair could ride in the front car, a monorail driver had posted that the front car is not wheelchair accessible, so the person would need to be able to transfer into the monorail seat and have their wheelchair put into another car.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

For us the issue with the monorails wasn't accessibility, my son just wanted to sit up front (he is not in a wheelchair). If I had realized how upset he would be, and knowing how tired he was I should have, I would've just waited for the next monorail, but I thought it would just be one of those things where we would tell him we just couldn't do it and he would say "oh, man" and move on. I was wrong! He cried so hard, it broke my heart, although I'm sure alot of it was just from the long day. So we tried to ride it back to MK just to give him a chance, but when they said no that time we just couldn't go through it again. He cried all the way out to the van and part of the way to GKTW before he finally just fell asleep. At that point if anyone had asked me I would've said that I would never return to MK again!! Of course, now that he and I have calmed down that's not true, but from a dramatic 5 year old's perspective, it really ruined the day for him.

I think the best part of our Disney experience for him was at the Playhouse Disney show at MGM. He had been seeing the commercials on tv and really wanted to go. They led us in and had us sit right up in front of the stage, then during the show when they tell the kids to get up and dance Jamie, the host, pulled Jordan up front and held his hand to dance with him. Luckily my digital camera takes videos!! But there wasn't alot of Disney magic for them this trip (it was our second trip), they really enjoyed GKTW and Universal, IOA, better. I hope it was just because of the Christmas crowds that the cm's seemed so unfriendly. At one point, before Tarzan Rocks started, a cm called out "I still see empty seats in the middle. You all need to move over NOW." Nothing magical about bad manners!

 

[Poohnatic]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience on your MAW trip.

The thing to keep in mind, in addition to perhaps the CM's not being familiar with MAW is that your trip coincided with the busiest week of the year at WDW. That is not an excuse for poor behavior, but my experience tends to be that the busier it is, the less accommodations will be made.

Suzanne

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience on your MAW trip.

The thing to keep in mind, in addition to perhaps the CM's not being familiar with MAW is that your trip coincided with the busiest week of the year at WDW. That is not an excuse for poor behavior, but my experience tends to be that the busier it is, the less accommodations will be made.

Suzanne

That is exactly what we decided, I know it had to be rough to deal with controlling those kinds of crowds. Our first trip to WDW was in October and was more enjoyable, even though the kids were old enough to ride alot more rides this time they didn't like it so I just don't think our family is cut out for Disney at Christmas. My daughter was excited about the snow on Main Street though.

Oh, this is off the subject, but it was so cute. The limo that took us to the airport was black, but the one that brought us back home was white. Well, I guess the day before we arrived home there was a snowstorm in our area (we're in NC so we don't get alot normally). DH and I were pointing out all of the snow on the ground to the kids and my 3 year old ds said "all of that snow made our limbo white! It used to be black, but now it is white!"

 

[SueM in MN]

That's a verry cute story (and I'm sure, quite logical to a 3 year old).

 

[Schmeck]

In the past, you couldn't board the front of the monorail at any place except the deluxe resorts. You wouldn't be allowed to get on at the MK, or EPCOT, or the TTA. They had signs up, etc. Perhaps in your exhausted state, you missed the signs? I know we did one trip. I walked right past the sign at EPCOT and asked the CM if we could ride in front. He very politely told me no, they only board passengers in the front at the resorts. Then I walked back to my famiy and saw the sign

Perhaps the family in the front was another MAW family?

 

[SandrainNC]

In the past, you couldn't board the front of the monorail at any place except the deluxe resorts.

We boarded the front at MK (after waiting in a line for it) in early December. FYI. Sandra