So, the week that was. I didn't get the pictures I'd planned because, frankly, it was just a really weird time between coordinating around Pandora and all. the. rain. I did, however, get pictures of the view from 5170, which is next door to the lounge and, funnily enough, the same room we had two years ago.
The good: We weren't greeted curbside, but the "captain" in the lobby whisked us right upstairs when I told him we were CL. DS was rather dazzled by that. The room itself was gorgeous. We had two queens, the day bed / couch, and a shower. I've got lower back arthritis, and I wound up asking the CMs at the desk about the mattress brand because, for me, it was THAT comfortable. There were several CMs who were there two years ago as well, and they actually remembered us! They were very attentive, extremely helpful. The lounge is definitely more spacious and comfortable than it was on our last trip. The view for a Standard View is my favorite, and on the second to last night I discovered I had a surprisingly good view of HEA.
The not-so-good: the reason I found out about HEA was the fact that the lounge balcony is next to 5170's and there was a large family on it discussing said fireworks loudly and at length. Bottom line, the room was far FAR noisier than I remembered. Between the service area across the hall, the lounge itself next door, and the thin adjoining room door, it was not good. Fortunately, alex9179 and her family were also there, and they had spare ear plugs (I thought I'd brought some but was wrong). With those, I was fine, but for light sleepers or anyone who can't tolerate ear plugs, this is NOT the room for you.
The lounge food was solid, quite good, but frankly, repetitive. Several of the 5:00pm - 7:00pm hot dishes put in multiple appearances during our 7 night stay, and the late morning / afternoon offerings were exactly the same each day. It was always tasty, and the attendants kept the food fresh, tables clean, but more variety would have been nice. Something else that puzzled me was the fact that they had a moscato, a Riesling, and a Sauvignon Blanc but no chardonnay. The SB was fine, but not my wine of choice. That's a personal quibble, YMMV. The CMs were, it must be said, VERY quick to provide a drink at any time of day, and during the 8:00pm - 10:00pm dessert service, you could pour your own liqueurs.
The awesome: meeting alex9179 and her family. The kids got an afternoon at SAB while the grownups got to drink grownup drinks and have grownup conversation, not something that always happens at Disney.
This actually repeated itself in the lounge a couple of times in the afternoons because RAIN. But it was an absolute delight hanging out with them and seeing DS make some terrific new friends.
Finally, the AC situation. For us, it just wasn't a problem. We left the thermostat on 68, the temperate was consistently comfortable, and the sensor was sensitive enough that if I rolled over during the night the air would kick right on. The kiddo actually wound up using the spare blanket on his bed. Again, YMMV, but I was pleased with the results.
I have no idea to what extent the lobby will be altered, but my personal feeling is that if they spent the money to refurb the globe, then decided its color scheme didn't fit what was planned, they've got something fairly major planned. I could be absolutely wrong, and I hope I am because I do love that lobby.
And that's it! Happy to answer any questions.
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