She's Staying DVC, a September 2018 PTR

GrandCalifornian

Can't Wait To Go Back
Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Hello and welcome to our PTR for our upcoming trip to Copper Creek Villas at Wilderness Lodge for September 6-15, 2018.

If you followed our previous trip report, you'll remember that this trip will be special for us since it is our first as DVC members.

We are are crazy excited about our trip this year!

For those of you who are reading one of our reports for the first time, we both contribute with me (Paul) writing in Blue and Melissa writing in Orange.


We have some previous trip reports and pre-trip reports down there in Paul's signature. You should check out our first one, Allie was so cute!

Since then Marshall has joined us, and he's just getting bigger. He's two now, and still will be for the trip.


It's hard for us to believe he'll be almost as old on this trip as Allie was on our first one. It is a great time to go though, before they turn three and need tickets.

He's a hoot and should be alot of fun on the trip. He's doing pretty good at being two. He has his moments but has an amazing vocabulary and is super articulate which helps with meltdowns I think. He's not potty trained yet, stay tuned to see if we're taking diapers on this trip.

As we mentioned in the prior trip report, for our first DVC stay we decided to split the trip between six nights in a 2 bedroom villa and 3 nights in a Cabin. The cabins are so amazing that it was a bucket list thing we decided to go ahead and to to make the first trip even more special. We'll be sharing the rooms with friends of ours that joined us on previous trips, and became DVC members with us last time as well.

Allie is doing great too, and will be almost 9 for this trip. She still outweighs her brother, but it's only a matter of time till he passes her up because she's small and he well, isn't...


Allie is still in dance classes and doing really well. recitals are next week!

While thinking of what to bring on the trip, we are still working out our stroller plan but I think the double baby jogger will make one more appearance, since Allie still wants to bring it. Last year we brought a City Tour to use in the airport and whenever we didn't want the big stroller, so it likely will come again too. At least we should have plenty of room in our rooms for them.

We have gone round and round about what stroller/s to bring. Allie has been doing great on day trips to the zoo lately but we think 10 days of Disney is just going to zap her. It'll be nice for her to be able to have her spot to sit when she needs it and it's better than a meltdown from her because she's tired and overstimulated.
The most exciting thing stroller related for this trip is that we got a new rain cover for our double stroller. I never really liked the old one and the new one seems so much better.

That was $20 very well spent on Amazon. Other than that we haven't been buying a whole lot for our trip. We had a little drama with our airfare, but we'll write about that fun in another post soon. We are planning on bringing less stuff with us, since we can plan on doing laundry in the rooms.

I don't know why I'm excited about doing laundry on vacation but I am.

I think I am excited about anything that has to do with this trip. It will be another good sized group, since besides the 6 of us in the Villa room, my parents will again be joining us and have a Standard View room at WL.

We weren't sure about writing a pre-trip report for this one, but we're so excited and have been doing lots of fun planning, so we figured it would be a good way to lead into the trip, and eventual trip report as well, so here we go!
 
I found your 2017 August trip searching for what to expect heat-wise in ours coming up soon - :scared: - and enjoyed reading it. Jumping in early for your upcoming one. :)
 
I found your 2017 August trip searching for what to expect heat-wise in ours coming up soon - :scared: - and enjoyed reading it. Jumping in early for your upcoming one. :)
Welcome! We'll have some more PTR posts soon, and we're really looking forward to this year's trip. We have slightly different recollections of the August heat. I didn't think it was too much worse than September, but Melissa thought it didn't cool off as much with the rain. At least with Disney there's always plenty of opportunity to cool off with great air conditioning. Have a great trip, and thanks for joining in!
 
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Welcome! We'll have some more PTR posts soon, and we're really looking forward to this year's trip. We have slightly different recollections of the August heat. I didn't think it was to much worse than September, but Melissa thought it didn't cool off as much with the rain. At least with Disney there's always plenty of opportunity to cool off with great air conditioning. Have a great trip, and thanks for joining in!

Awesome, thanks for the August thoughts.

Congratulations on your first awesome DVC trip. And at Copper Creek AND with awesome digs AND with friends! What fun!

Our upcoming one will be our first DVC as well; we bought at Poly, but are staying at BWV - it was available and seemed like a good choice for access- I will be on my own with thekids this trip.

We were at UO last week and did find the rain cooling, which I figured would not be the case in August. I very much enjoyed restroom breaks for the momentary freezing... :D we will definitely be indoors for the afternoons unless I can find the elusive shade at the pools (if even open given thunder).

Looking forward to both your posts!
 
Awesome, thanks for the August thoughts.

Congratulations on your first awesome DVC trip. And at Copper Creek AND with awesome digs AND with friends! What fun!

Our upcoming one will be our first DVC as well; we bought at Poly, but are staying at BWV - it was available and seemed like a good choice for access- I will be on my own with thekids this trip.

We were at UO last week and did find the rain cooling, which I figured would not be the case in August. I very much enjoyed restroom breaks for the momentary freezing... :D we will definitely be indoors for the afternoons unless I can find the elusive shade at the pools (if even open given thunder).

Looking forward to both your posts!
We talked about it and agree that there was more thunder storm activity in August, and were more pool closures in the afternoon than we are used to from September. On the other hand, our usual September week had a Hurricane this year, so there’s that. The low crowds during the Hurricane might have been nice though.

Boardwalk sounds neat, and has been on our short list since our honeymoon. It is a neat location.

Melissa took the kids to MK by herself for a couple of hours, and that was enough. You’ve got our respect, and we wish you luck.

Congratulations on the DVC purchase too! It’s neat that you got in before it sold out.
 
Loved your last trip report. I look forward to reading this PTR and your TR! This keeps me motivated to keep saving my $$$ for my CCV purchase!
 


We joined DVC at CCV around the same time and will be there for our first DVC stay starting the day after you leave. We are so excited about our trip, too! This will also be our last trip before our little girl turns 3. We love Sept and are keeping our fingers crossed for a calmer weather month this year.

I am looking forward to hearing about your plans and hearing about your stay in the cabins and 2BR!
 
Loved your last trip report. I look forward to reading this PTR and your TR! This keeps me motivated to keep saving my $$$ for my CCV purchase!
Thanks for following along! We are looking forward to the trip so much that we decided to go ahead and write about it with a PTR. It’ll give us us place to share some quick pics during the trip too.
We will gladly promote your fondness for WL and CCV, but can’t be responsible for the money you spend when you can no longer resist...

We joined DVC at CCV around the same time and will be there for our first DVC stay starting the day after you leave. We are so excited about our trip, too! This will also be our last trip before our little girl turns 3. We love Sept and are keeping our fingers crossed for a calmer weather month this year.

I am looking forward to hearing about your plans and hearing about your stay in the cabins and 2BR!

Welcome neighbor! That is such a neat time to bring a child, because they really do enjoy the trip and yet they are more along for whatever than once they get older and have more of an opinion. Saving $ on park tickets is nice too.

This will be our fifth September trip, and we fell in love with the lack of crowds during that time after Labor Day. It means Allie will have to bring homework, but with her school starting mid-August now there wasn’t a good option to avoid that. At least she’ll have space and a table to work at.

Too bad we’ll just miss you at CCV, but we’ll post a few live pics here to help get you through the last few days before your trip.
 
So the first part of our Disney trips are trying to figure out how to get there.

Since we knew we'd be making this trip over a year in advance, we started looking for airfare deals right away. We knew from past experience that the better deals would come up later, but we started shopping even before we booked our rooms at the 11 month mark.

I think I was driving Melissa a little nuts with my fare checking, but by early February we saw a dip in prices and decided to go for it.

He was, I don't really do numbers anyway. I just told him that if we could get all four tickets for under 1000 round trip we should book it.

$1000 is our usual flight price target with three of us, but now with Marshall having his own seat, still meeting that round trip from CA sounded pretty good.

So when we saw round-trip tickets with non stop flights at the times we wanted for under 900 we pounced.

I wound up finding non-stop flights on United with great flight times (arriving about 6:30 PM and leaving Orlando at 7:30 PM, maximizing our time there). The only down side was again dealing with LAX, but for the price we figured we couldn't beat it

We bought our four tickets at $221 each round trip, which caused there to be only "1 more available at that price". Jon and Brandy wanted to book too, and wound up carefully timing their purchase to both get the rate we had.

With us all on the same flights we figured we were booked and good to go, with one less thing to worry about. My parents still had to figure out their airfare, but they decided not to travel with us because they prefer to have shorter flights with a break in between instead of the long cross country nonstop flight.

Plus they could fly out closer to where they live in Arizona without having to travel to LAX first.

They booked their flights out of Las Vegas, and we were all good, until a couple of weeks ago...

While having dinner and talking about Disney fun, Jon mentioned that our flight times had changed. We were now arriving a few minutes later, but were set to leave at 4:00! Even worse, the arrival time at LAX wasn't any earlier.

I looked into it further, and the new flight number had a stop in Chicago.

This was obviously not what we wanted or paid for so Paul was given the task to call Customer Service.

I called United to see what we could do. I had seen on the website that we could likely re-book or get a refund because the time change was so significant, even though we had the cheapest "non-refundable" tickets.
The customer service (and I use that term very loosely) rep who answered the phone explained to me that only the flight time had changed, and that it was still a nonstop. I questioned this, and she clarified that, and I quote, "It is still a nonstop flight, you just have to change planes in Chicago."

She did offer to look for another flight, but the only other option leaving in the evening had a stop in Dulles, and she mentioned that then we'd no longer have a nonstop. I explained to her that I fail to see the benefit of the nonstop flight, when we have to get off and change planes. I truly don't think this concept ever sunk in with her, and she continued to refer to our flight as the nonstop. I actually began to get scared that she expected us to switch planes while they were still moving, because she insisted it was a nonstop flight.

I haven't brushed up on my wing walking but it wasn't something I was prepared to do on the way home. I generally don't wish to come home that bad and I really don't like heights.

Since the conversation was making no progress, I asked about a refund for the return portion of our trip. She said that our only option would be a United travel voucher that we could use to book another United flight home. Having just been through the options, and discovering that they did not have a suitable flight for us, I asked to speak to a supervisor since this did not agree with the policy on the website. She put me on hold, then came back and said her supervisor said there's nothing else we can do.

After two more long waits and another 20 minutes on the phone, I finally got to speak to a supervisor who was willing to issue a refund for half of our airfare. It should have been so easy!

So now we got our money back... theoretically but had no return flight. Not really a problem if we wanted to live in Orlando but at some point I think work would miss me...

We also had Jon and Brandy still booked on the "Chicago nonstop". We spent about a week watching airfare and looking at our options. Since Jon had booked through Expedia, he was dealing with them and they offered him an American flight combination with a return flight leaving at 8:15 PM. The American flight to Orlando was within 30 minutes of the original United one, so we figured we could make it work, since we were not able to refund that portion of our tickets.

So we pulled the plug and booked the American return. All in all it didn't cost us a ton more than the United flight we had originally booked and we are now back on a nonstop.

We're still under our $1000 price target, so we're happy as long as nothing else changes. Shortly after we re-booked, my parents found out their flight time had moved up by a couple of hours as well. They are looking at moving back to a later flight, but it will be hard to get the flights close enough to be on the same MDE bus. Oh well, there's only so much we can do, and we're glad to be going to Disney, and even glad to have a way home as well.

I'm still not sure about being happy about having a return flight home but I guess it's not vacation if it doesn't end.

We'd run out of DVC points really quickly, and it gets hot in Florida without AC...

Next up on our PTR we'll go over our ADR list. It's going to be a great list of food, some old favorites make an appearance but we have several new restaurants on the list too.
 
Following along! I love how excited you guys are about your first DVC trip and how awesome you get to spend some of it in the cabins. They look amazing!

Allie looks so pretty in her ballerina costume. My dd5, Brynn, just had her recital last weekend. She really enjoys dance and gymnastics which is great but I'm also glad that it's over until Sept. Well if you don't count this week's dance camp. We leave for Disney on Friday and I'm so ready for a break. We might stop by your favorite resort (WL) for a quick service and a quick look around the grounds. Your pictures always make it look so beautiful. We did eat at Whispering Canyon last trip but didn't do much exploring besides the lobby which was pretty amazing.

I look forward to hearing more about your upcoming trip plans!
 
Following along! I love how excited you guys are about your first DVC trip and how awesome you get to spend some of it in the cabins. They look amazing!

Allie looks so pretty in her ballerina costume. My dd5, Brynn, just had her recital last weekend. She really enjoys dance and gymnastics which is great but I'm also glad that it's over until Sept. Well if you don't count this week's dance camp. We leave for Disney on Friday and I'm so ready for a break. We might stop by your favorite resort (WL) for a quick service and a quick look around the grounds. Your pictures always make it look so beautiful. We did eat at Whispering Canyon last trip but didn't do much exploring besides the lobby which was pretty amazing.

I look forward to hearing more about your upcoming trip plans!
Hello again, and thanks for joining in! We are right between dress rehearsals and the recitals now, but things should calm down soon. Congratulations on getting to head to Disney THIS WEEK!

I would highly recommend taking a boat ride over to WL to walk around the grounds and grab some QS food. We enjoy both Geyser Point and Roaring Fork, depending on what you're in the mood for and whether you prefer a nice view or some Air Conditioning. Have a great trip!

I think someone needs to look up the definition of nonstop. Such a strange argument to be having.
It was the strangest argument I've ever had. She was certain that she was right, and couldn't understand my point of view. The time change is how we finally got it refunded, but the call still leaves me scratching my head wondering where they found this person to handle phone calls...
 
I am looking forward to your pre-trip report. The cabin and 2 bedroom villa will be a lot of fun. It is okay to look forward to having a washer and dryer. I always used them when we stayed in a villa. They are especially handy to have in rainy weather.

I am impressed with your cheap airfare. We have gotten some pretty low fares on Southwest out of Chicago but the average round trip can be over $300 if we fly on a Sunday. I’m glad that you found a good solution to the nonstop flight to Chicago. :)

We are going back to the WL September 19th to 23rd with the bounce back discount. At first we had to take the YC because there wasn’t anything at the lodge. But I called back a few months ago and a courtyard view was available.
 
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I am looking forward to your pre-trip report. The cabin and 2 bedroom villa will be a lot of fun. It is okay to look forward to having a washer and dryer. I always used them when we stayed in a villa. They are especially handy to have in rainy weather.

I am impressed with your cheap airfare. We have gotten some pretty low fares on Southwest out of Chicago but the average round trip can be over $300 if we fly on a Sunday. I’m glad that you found a good solution to the nonstop flight to Chicago. :)

We are going back to the WL September 19th to 23rd with the bounce back discount. At first we had to take the YC because there wasn’t anything at the lodge. But I called back a call months ago and a courtyard view was available.
Hello and welcome to another report! We’re glad you’re here.:)

That’s great that you get to visit the lodge in September! It is such a nice time of year to visit. Too bad we’ll just miss you. We’ll leave some food for you at the Food and Wine booths in Epcot (unless we wind up eating it all...)

My parents had a tough time getting their room this time too. At first they could only get Courtyard View, but at quite a premium. Then they got Standard View, but only with two separate reservations since a single room wasn’t available for the 9 nights. Eventually they got a single reservation for Standard View, so everybody is happy.

We are really looking forward to having the bigger rooms. Basically for the 6 nights in the two bedroom we figure we will each have as much space as we are used to, plus another whole room in the middle to share. Then getting to spend a few nights in a cabin will truly be a bucket list experience. We couldn’t believe how nice they were when we toured one last year, but are even more surprised that we get to stay in one. We arranged our schedule to get to spend most of a whole day hanging out at the Cabin.

We’re still happy with the airfare too, and fortunately we were still able to get a nice deal. Flying from LAX really helps with the fares, since it would be almost double to fly from an airport that’s about an hour closer to our house, and we’d have to connect somewhere.
 
Following along...Your PTR's and TR's always make me smile and I love how both of you give your thoughts and opinions. I'm looking forward to hearing about staying in your DVC for the first time too...
 
Following along...Your PTR's and TR's always make me smile and I love how both of you give your thoughts and opinions. I'm looking forward to hearing about staying in your DVC for the first time too...
Thanks for joining in again, we’re glad to have you following along. We tend to have no shortage of thoughts and opinions.
We are looking forward to writing about Copper Creek and sharing more of our fun.
 
Following along! That flight drama is crazy! I really think they need to train them on what "non-stop" actually means! I am glad you were able to get it all worked out!
 
Following along! That flight drama is crazy! I really think they need to train them on what "non-stop" actually means! I am glad you were able to get it all worked out!
Thanks for joining in. Non-stop must mean different things in different countries... Oh well, we think we have everything booked now.
 
We both agree that one of the biggest and best parts of Disney trips for us is the Food. Seriously, we enjoy it more than the rides, the parks, and maybe even the resorts, although that last one is subject to debate. We have always had the dining plan, and it has allowed us to eat at some great restaurants that I otherwise might not have spent the money on.

This time we are going without the dining plan which is kinda scary. I’m worried Paul is going to worry about how much everything costs on the menu and that his angst could negatively impact his trip. Does anyone know if you can request menus with no prices?

I have used the distripplanner calculator and since we are planning on some signature meals which would take two credits it will save us money to pay out of pocket, and that isn’t even considering DVC discounts. That still doesn’t help take the sting out paying $30 for a burger...
We are already saving up for food, and will probably buy Target gift cards to save a little more, and I will do my very best to not think about the actual cost. :)

I’m a little excited about the flexibility it will offer as far as the kids go and being able to share and such not being on the plan.

I do think we are all going to miss our snack credits though, especially at Food and Wine.

At least Marshall will still be free at the buffets.

Ahh yes, another free before three benefit.

We might need to pack a birth certificate because he's a giant

So, where will we be eating? Let's start with what's new this time. With our freedom from the dining plan, we are going to try three new to us signature restaurants.

First up, since Brandy loves steak, we are finally going to eat at LeCellier!


I am crazy excited about this restaurant. The cheese soup was delicious at Food and Wine last year, I'm looking forward to my own bowl this time.

I enjoyed the steak samples at Food and Wine, and the atmosphere looks pretty neat too. Is this one where they will even cut it for you?

Yes I think it is! I'm so excited about this meal. I think I'm excited about all of them but I've been wanting to eat at this one since our honeymoon.

Next we have Jon's pick, Boathouse.


Allie and I enjoyed watching the Amphicars there last year, and it looks like they have a huge variety of food, so it sounds good to us.

Plus I think I'm just going for the Baked Alaska. That looks amazing.

That is one dessert we've been talking about since it opened, and with 6 of us at that meal I think we can tackle it.

Finally there's Jiko, which we are trying based on Pete Werner's (from Dreams Unlimited Travel and the Disboards) recommendation.


If he says it is one of the very best restaurants anywhere, we might as well try it.

This one should be fun because the menu is so different from our every day cuisine. I'm looking forward to trying something new though and I love visiting AKL.

We really like Boma, and Melissa generally prefers ordering from a menu to a buffet, so Jiko should be fun. We'll have to stop by Mara and get some Zebra Domes though.

For sure! Before dinner too so we aren't too stuffed.

Finally, that fourth "new to us" meal will be Sci Fi Drive in.


We always can use an ADR at Hollywood Studios, and this just seems neat. We looked at adding it last year but we were too late, so we decided we would try it this year.

With the addition of Toy Story Land I imagine we'll want to spend some time over there. I think Marsh is going to love the cars and the TV going. I really want to try a milkshake there too

As a car guy, I really can't believe we've never done this restaurant. It will be fun, and a nice cool break from Toy Story Land.

So that's what's new food wise. In our next post we'll cover our returning favorite dining locations!
 

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