Hi all...just back for a glorious 10 days. Hope everyone is well and safe after all the weird weather lately.
I'll start by saying...DH is no longer interested in selling our points.
We started out at AKV - our first stay- and it was terrific. We were savannah view and it did not disappoint. We managed to get in to Sanaa - also a first - and did the MK after hours event. Just a great way to go. Longest wait was 30 min for SDMT. Most rides were walk on.
From there we moved to BWV - our first stay on our points. Another great stay. We got a same day reservation for Cape May and enjoyed our meal. We hopped from AK to EP which worked out really well. Rope dropped Navi River Journey, got to see Festival of the Lion King and managed to get in immediately to Nomad Lounge - another first. Thoroughly enjoyed our time there. We did the food booths at F&G during the day then went back for EEH to ride some rides.
Then we moved to our beloved lodge. Let me just say they hit it out of the park with the refurb. We were in a studio and everything is just so beautiful. I didn't even mind the gray chairs. They play better in person than in a picture. The other lobby furniture in the Villas was also redone and just looks so bright and cheerful.
We didn't miss the table and chairs, using the coffee table pulled up as a table. We did miss the extra chair and wondered where the 3&4th person would sit when chilling in the room. Seating 3 on the couch is crowded, 4 would be impossible.
We're bummed they took out the ceiling fans but were prepared due to someone here. DH always travels (and he travels a lot for work) with a small fan. That really helped. The trash can/recycling was also an awkward box not like a normal trash can. It's small and divided, one side for trash, one for recycling. Interesting thing is, we were there when a Mousekeeping came to collect it and they put it all in the same trash bag.
Those were really the only 2 things we really minded. The sings bathroom sink wasn't that big of a deal because we never get ready at the same time. We usually take shifts.
We did the after-hours even at HS and really enjoyed ourselves. We rode RotR and loved it. Even got a last minute reservation at Ogas. Most rides were walk on or very short wait with the exception of RotR and SR.
We also snagged a same day reservation for Steakhouse 71. It was VERY good.
We left home with zero dinner reservations and managed to tick off quite a few boxes. It can be done if you're flexible and persistent. I was checking several times a day to see if something opened up that worked for us.
Overall, one of our best trips yet. The magic is still there. It's not the suits making boneheaded decisions that bring the magic and make WDW special; it's the cast members. And they're still the best in the world at what they do.
I'll start by saying...DH is no longer interested in selling our points.
We started out at AKV - our first stay- and it was terrific. We were savannah view and it did not disappoint. We managed to get in to Sanaa - also a first - and did the MK after hours event. Just a great way to go. Longest wait was 30 min for SDMT. Most rides were walk on.
From there we moved to BWV - our first stay on our points. Another great stay. We got a same day reservation for Cape May and enjoyed our meal. We hopped from AK to EP which worked out really well. Rope dropped Navi River Journey, got to see Festival of the Lion King and managed to get in immediately to Nomad Lounge - another first. Thoroughly enjoyed our time there. We did the food booths at F&G during the day then went back for EEH to ride some rides.
Then we moved to our beloved lodge. Let me just say they hit it out of the park with the refurb. We were in a studio and everything is just so beautiful. I didn't even mind the gray chairs. They play better in person than in a picture. The other lobby furniture in the Villas was also redone and just looks so bright and cheerful.
We didn't miss the table and chairs, using the coffee table pulled up as a table. We did miss the extra chair and wondered where the 3&4th person would sit when chilling in the room. Seating 3 on the couch is crowded, 4 would be impossible.
We're bummed they took out the ceiling fans but were prepared due to someone here. DH always travels (and he travels a lot for work) with a small fan. That really helped. The trash can/recycling was also an awkward box not like a normal trash can. It's small and divided, one side for trash, one for recycling. Interesting thing is, we were there when a Mousekeeping came to collect it and they put it all in the same trash bag.
Those were really the only 2 things we really minded. The sings bathroom sink wasn't that big of a deal because we never get ready at the same time. We usually take shifts.
We did the after-hours even at HS and really enjoyed ourselves. We rode RotR and loved it. Even got a last minute reservation at Ogas. Most rides were walk on or very short wait with the exception of RotR and SR.
We also snagged a same day reservation for Steakhouse 71. It was VERY good.
We left home with zero dinner reservations and managed to tick off quite a few boxes. It can be done if you're flexible and persistent. I was checking several times a day to see if something opened up that worked for us.
Overall, one of our best trips yet. The magic is still there. It's not the suits making boneheaded decisions that bring the magic and make WDW special; it's the cast members. And they're still the best in the world at what they do.
Kathy maybe we can plan a Groupie meet!
(although some letters like X will be hard)
