Congrats on not being sold separately! ~ a 20th anniversary trip report. New TR link 12/21

[vamassey1]

She then added, "I bet if you turned it upside down it would be a really awesome pirate sword!" Not one to miss an opportunity I said "Tink, I bet you could take that sword, defeat Captain Hook and rescue the Lost Boys. Wendy could never do that!" Tink didn't miss a beat and replied "Of course not, she was raised by a dog!!!!" We were dying of laughter! Best character interaction ever!

I love this! I agree "Best Character Interaction".

Well certain other Dis-husbands had gone for haircuts at the Harmony Barbershop and I thought it would be fun for Bill to do too! It was an awesome experience and the stylist did a really nice cut. Of course we had to have the classic picture!

What a fun idea.

So of course I jumped at the chance.....so fun!

Of course!

As we left the barbershop we happened to notice the Dapper Dans gathering for a set. They are one of our favourites and we thoroughly enjoyed having a chance to see them.

Perfect timing. I love catching them.

We were both feeling a bit peckish so decided to go for a little treat.....Dole Whips were the answer! And of course I needed a picture as my treat matched my Magic Band!

A perfect match and so refreshing.

We were ready to head over to Haunted Mansion for our FP with hopes of actually figuring out where the ride photo is...lol! Unfortunately, we still had no idea!

I couldn't wait to get there and see if another piece of anniversary pixie dust had dropped into our laps!

Looking forward to finding out!

 

[Tracy161]

So it was hard to leave with all of that going on but I know she is being well cared for.

So sorry to hear about your mom, I hope she's doing better and better

"Tink, I bet you could take that sword, defeat Captain Hook and rescue the Lost Boys. Wendy could never do that!" Tink didn't miss a beat and replied "Of course not, she was raised by a dog!!!!" We were dying of laughter! Best character interaction ever!

Ha! What a great character interaction, indeed!

We were ready to head over to Haunted Mansion for our FP with hopes of actually figuring out where the ride photo is...lol! Unfortunately, we still had no idea!

If not for the fabulous @kastoney I'd still have no clue! She pointed it out on our overlapping trips last month. I'm known for my ridiculously terrible ride photos, so I was happy to have one I could adequately prepare for

Ooooh, excited to see the new resort and I'm hoping you were right about the room number significance!

 

[afwdwfan]

We were dying of laughter! Best character interaction ever!

That's awesome!!

Splash was awesome as always and we managed not to get soaked.

Always love riding Splash. And did you have to do anything to make sure the hats stayed on?

Our room ready text came as we were waiting for the resort launch. I was so excited when I saw our room number although I didn't want to say anything to Bill in case I was wrong. I couldn't wait to get there and see if another piece of anniversary pixie dust had dropped into our laps!

Sounds interesting! Can't wait to hear what it is!

 

[suse66]

After the bus timing, this shouldn't have surprised you.

Things were definitely going our way!

I've seen that. Not sure if it's something I'd do, tbh.

Bill didn't have time to book a haircut before we left so we thought we would try this out. She did a great job!

Love them.

Me too!

12 books! I'm so impressed. We did "Where the Crawdads Sing" and "Little Fires Everywhere" for Book club. I liked "Little Fires" but loved "Where the Crawdads Sing". I want to read some of the others you have listed too.

I could not put down "Where the Crawdads Sing"....such a great book!

I have yet to try this but it sounds fabulous!

It really was wonderful!

I love this! I agree "Best Character Interaction".

So much fun!

A perfect match and so refreshing.

Nothing as yummy as a Dole Whip!

So sorry to hear about your mom, I hope she's doing better and better

Thanks Tracy! She is getting great care and we hope she will be back home soon.

Ha! What a great character interaction, indeed!

It really was perfect!

Ooooh, excited to see the new resort and I'm hoping you were right about the room number significance!

Coming up soon!

Always love riding Splash. And did you have to do anything to make sure the hats stayed on?

Splash is great.....I guess we were just lucky with our hats.

Sounds interesting! Can't wait to hear what it is!

Coming up!

 

[suse66]

OOP vs dining plan comparison for AKL stay.

On my solo trips I have always bought gift cards and used for those for all my dining. I was eager to see if this would work for us as a couple too. I really enjoy the flexibility of being able to choose where and what to eat, rather than being tied to the dining plan. I set a budget of $150 per day for us with the plan of having coffee and breakfast in the room most mornings. We also ordered some beer, wine and snacks through Publix using Instacart.

Here's how we did on our first five days......

Sanaa lunch $71.79
La Cava de Tequila $49.53
Uzima Springs pool bar $36.47
Ohana dinner $132.70
Mara breakfast $12.24
Yak and Yeti lunch $81.87
Victoria Falls $40.74
Typhoon Lagoon drinks $26.00
Typhoon Lagoon lunch $23.98
50's Prime Time dinner $84.91
Boma breakfast $55.60
Aloha Isle snacks $10.63
Total $626.46

For this portion of the the trip we were over what the dining plan would have cost by $23.00. If we had have the DDP we would have used 10 TS credits, 5 QS credits and 2 snack credits. We would have had to pay 1 TS OOP, been left with 3 QS credits and 14 snack credits. Even though the cost was very similar , I far preferred the flexibility of eating what and where we wanted, rather than feeling tied to using up our credits. As well our meals at La Cava, Uzima Springs and Victoria Falls would not have been covered under the DDP as they do not accept the plan. So OOP comes out on top for this portion of the trip.​

 

[Tracy161]

Thanks Tracy! She is getting great care and we hope she will be back home soon.

Oh I'm so glad to hear it

Even though the cost was very similar , I far preferred the flexibility of eating what and where we wanted, rather than feeling tied to using up our credits.

I absolutely can relate to this. Sounds like you made the right call

 

[suse66]

The big reveal!!

Coming off the launch from the Magic Kingdom, we strolled along the boardwalk and up towards the resort. We were already in love with the serene feel to the resort. We went to the front desk to get our new magic bands and we were personally greeted by the GM of the resort who was nearby. We shared how excited and happy we were to be staying there and that it had been a long held wish of Bill's to have a chance to stay at Wilderness Lodge. The CMs were absolutely lovely....true Disney friendliness and service at it's best. We were on the 6th floor and once we got directions to the correct elevators we were on our way.

Do you remember the deluxe room/junior suite category that you were able to book as part of a CL stay at Wilderness? Well, they had converted those to an alternate layout studio at Copper Creek and that is what we got!!!! There is only one of these room per floor and they are also bookable as part of a 2 bedroom lockoff. We felt SO fortunate to score this lovely room. Anniversary pixie dust, indeed!!

Hallway, closet and kitchen

Living room and full sized balcony

Bedroom (tons of windows and a standing balcony)

Huge bathroom with tons of storage

Beautiful pool and lake view


We could not believe our luck and were just beaming from ear to ear. We kept walking around and admiring everything in the room. It was so beautiful and so clean! Soon our luggage arrived from AKL and we decided to unpack and settle in. The only thing was that our bag containing our groceries was missing. I called down to Bell Services and asked if it might be there. The CM I spoke with was so helpful and asked exactly what was in the bag and offered to go out personally to replace each item!! I thanked him but said that wouldn't be necessary, I was sure that it just got misplaced and would turn up. Luckily I had packed our wine in my suitcase, so we were able to sit and relax with a glass of wine. It was pouring rain at this point which put our plans to spend the evening at Geyser Point on the back burner. Instead we ended up going down to Territory Lounge which was packed!!! We found the lobby to be very hectic and noisy with so many people going to Storybook Dining at Artist Point. We settled at the bar at first but were sitting beside the most obnoxious guy who was throwing back shots and talking loudly on his phone. Not the atmosphere we were looking for! Luckily a table became available in the corner and we hightailed it over there before someone else noticed it! Soon we had menus in hand and a lovely glass of wine ( an Oregon Cabarnet Sauvignon)

We decided to split a few things but first we both wanted to try the Mushroom Bisque. It was very good but we found the serving size quite small for $12 per bowl.

We went for the Oregon Chardonnay fondue with warm pretzel bread and grapes next.

And of course we had to try the famous berry cobbler!


Overall it was a great first night in our new resort and we were so excited to explore it more in the morning!

​

 

[disneyAndi14]

I love your interaction with Tink and your husbands hair cut at the barbershop shop awesome. One good deal still at WDW.

Was your rental at CCV a one bedroom? Where you upgraded to that?

I’m glad you found a more quiet spot to enjoy a few drinks and small bites!

I hope your mom is doing okay after her fall, that was a nasty one. My mom has fell x 2 in the past month, yikes. She, thankfully, didn’t break anything. Her BP was to low, is better now.

 

[DLo]

It also use gift cards for my food/beverage as well as small souvenirs. I feel like it helps me stick to a budget in a way .

Great room and view. Pixie dust !

 

[Tracy161]

Anniversary pixie dust, indeed!!

How exciting! The pictures are just beautiful!!!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

What a gorgeous WL room!

I also love how you kept track of dining...

 

[suse66]

I love your interaction with Tink and your husbands hair cut at the barbershop shop awesome. One good deal still at WDW.

Was your rental at CCV a one bedroom? Where you upgraded to that?

I’m glad you found a more quiet spot to enjoy a few drinks and small bites!

I hope your mom is doing okay after her fall, that was a nasty one. My mom has fell x 2 in the past month, yikes. She, thankfully, didn’t break anything. Her BP was to low, is better now.

Yes, Tink was so much fun....I love her! Our Room was one of the alternate layout studios. It was a little over 600 sq feet which was lovely!

Sorry to hear about your Mom. Hope she is doing better now. We are hoping my Mom gets home this week.

It also use gift cards for my food/beverage as well as small souvenirs. I feel like it helps me stick to a budget in a way .

Great room and view. Pixie dust !

Thank you! We just loved our room.

How exciting! The pictures are just beautiful!!!

Thanks Tracy! It was such a nice room.

What a gorgeous WL room!

I also love how you kept track of dining...

Thanks Jenny.....I always want to be sure I am getting the best deal, especially with our brutal exchange rate. We certainly loved our room!

 

[Djjsperry]

I’m so glad to find your trip reports. Our kids are grown and we are now taking trips without them. We will be celebrating anniversary #36 in November. We are staying at Grand Floridian for the first time. Happy dance. We usually stay at BC or Yacht Club. We are taking time out of our trip to look at houses in the area.

 

[ariane37]

Let me just say I love absolutely everything about this update because it's WILDERNESS LODGE

The CMs were absolutely lovely....true Disney friendliness and service at it's best.

Love hearing this! And we have also found teh CL CM's to be extraordinary.

Do you remember the deluxe room/junior suite category that you were able to book as part of a CL stay at Wilderness? Well, they had converted those to an alternate layout studio at Copper Creek and that is what we got!!!! There is only one of these room per floor and they are also bookable as part of a 2 bedroom lockoff. We felt SO fortunate to score this lovely room. Anniversary pixie dust, indeed!!

YAY! This is also what we got last year when we stayed at CCV! We had the boys too so it was awesome, so much room!! I'm trying to remember if we were also on the 6th floor

Instead we ended up going down to Territory Lounge which was packed!!! We found the lobby to be very hectic and noisy with so many people going to Storybook Dining at Artist Point.

The one negative I can think of - how crowded the lobby is now and overrun with kids. Sorry people but it's true; the sereneness of the lobby has been lost most night with it getting so busy due to Storybook dining. Territory Lounge too as it was rarely full and while it's fine to bring kids in - we've taken the kids in to lounges there before - now there is often tons of kids running in and out of there unless it's later in the evening.

We settled at the bar at first but were sitting beside the most obnoxious guy who was throwing back shots and talking loudly on his phone. Not the atmosphere we were looking for!

@kastoney @Jenny Sanders @pepperandchips @fallonkendra - Terry????

but first we both wanted to try the Mushroom Bisque.

What did you think?? I adore this! So happy you can still get this here

We went for the Oregon Chardonnay fondue with warm pretzel bread and grapes next.

Mmmm we tried this for the first time in May, so good!

 

[suse66]

I’m so glad to find your trip reports. Our kids are grown and we are now taking trips without them. We will be celebrating anniversary #36 in November. We are staying at Grand Floridian for the first time. Happy dance. We usually stay at BC or Yacht Club. We are taking time out of our trip to look at houses in the area.

, thank you for joining in! Congrats on almost 36 years.....that is amazing! I hope you have a fabulous trip at the Grand!!

Let me just say I love absolutely everything about this update because it's WILDERNESS LODGE

We loved the Lodge!!!!

YAY! This is also what we got last year when we stayed at CCV! We had the boys too so it was awesome, so much room!! I'm trying to remember if we were also on the 6th floor

Such a great room!

The one negative I can think of - how crowded the lobby is now and overrun with kids. Sorry people but it's true; the sereneness of the lobby has been lost most night with it getting so busy due to Storybook dining. Territory Lounge too as it was rarely full and while it's fine to bring kids in - we've taken the kids in to lounges there before - now there is often tons of kids running in and out of there unless it's later in the evening.

The hecticness of the lobby was a real downside for us. I think it was made worse that evening as it was so crowded due to the rainstorm.

@kastoney @Jenny Sanders @pepperandchips @fallonkendra - Terry????

Maybe his cousin?????

What did you think?? I adore this! So happy you can still get this here

Delicious! I just wanted more.........

 

[Jenny Sanders]

@kastoney @Jenny Sanders @pepperandchips @fallonkendra - Terry????

Umm, he's definitely stalking the Dissers one ny one...

 

[afwdwfan]

OOP vs dining plan comparison for AKL stay.

Thanks for the summary! I always try to compare our "expectations" when we decide on the dining plan or not (and getting free dining the past couple of trips has made it moot) but it does help to see how others come out and use one method vs the other.

We shared how excited and happy we were to be staying there and that it had been a long held wish of Bill's to have a chance to stay at Wilderness Lodge

Ah... Love it!!!!

The only thing was that our bag containing our groceries was missing. I called down to Bell Services and asked if it might be there. The CM I spoke with was so helpful and asked exactly what was in the bag and offered to go out personally to replace each item!! I thanked him but said that wouldn't be necessary, I was sure that it just got misplaced and would turn up.

That's great service! Hopefully it did turn up eventually!

Overall it was a great first night in our new resort and we were so excited to explore it more in the morning!

Definitely a nice relaxing evening. Well, once you got away from obnoxious drunk guy.

 

[missangelalexis]

Beautiful room! Sounds like a lovely, low key night at the resort!

 

[buzzrelly]

Do you remember the deluxe room/junior suite category that you were able to book as part of a CL stay at Wilderness? Well, they had converted those to an alternate layout studio at Copper Creek and that is what we got!!!! There is only one of these room per floor and they are also bookable as part of a 2 bedroom lockoff. We felt SO fortunate to score this lovely room. Anniversary pixie dust, indeed!!

Perfect! You room looks so pretty

Luckily I had packed our wine in my suitcase,

Phew!

I hope they found the rest of your groceries though.

 

[suse66]

Thanks for the summary! I always try to compare our "expectations" when we decide on the dining plan or not (and getting free dining the past couple of trips has made it moot) but it does help to see how others come out and use one method vs the other.
Ah... Love it!!!!
That's great service! Hopefully it did turn up eventually!
Definitely a nice relaxing evening. Well, once you got away from obnoxious drunk guy.

I like to keep track of things too. Especially with our yucky exchange rate....I definitely want to feel I am spending wisely. Luckily when we got back to the room there was a call waiting from our very nice Bell Services CM who had tracked down our missing groceries. He brought them up personally so I was able to give him a good tip for being so kind and helpful. Yes, we were certainly much happier once we were at our nice quiet table.

Beautiful room! Sounds like a lovely, low key night at the resort!

It was perfect.....I love resort time.

Perfect! You room looks so pretty





Phew!

I hope they found the rest of your groceries though.

Thanks, we just loved it! See how I was sure to pack the essentials.......LOL! Our groceries were brought up just after we got back from Territory Lounge. We were so thankful they were found.