The Magic Begins: OKW

[DMKEDM]

Arrived at OKW this afternoon (around 1), w/"almost-daughter" (son's former nanny), her DH and her DD4 and DS16 months...their first time ever at WDW...oh how magical it is! DS and I have never stopped loving WDW, but it has become very familiar...seeing this family of four see it for the very first time is indescribably special...

So far it's been totally smooth..."the kids" studio was ready when we checked in (a very good thing, as the baby really needed his nap!); my studio--directly upstairs from them--took another 90 minutes...but we spent 60 of those minutes enjoying a lovely lunch at Olivia's so it was no big deal...Olivia's has their buttermilk chicken (w/mashed potatoes) back on the menu--they said by popular request from "their DVC members"...that was pretty cool.

Our rooms are in great shape...clean & lovely...we're at Turtle Pond, directly across the parking lot from one of the quiet pools, and about 1/2 block from the bus stop...we're very pleased...

We "did" EMH at Animal Kingdom from 4-ish til 8 or so...loved every hot sweaty minute! Hard to judge which of us enjoyed it more (except for the baby...he was just being his charming baby self...but the four-year-old and her parents were in heaven; it was SO cool to watch!)...

It's VERY hot & humid, but Disney does a great job even w/weather...there are many big, powerful fans at strategic spots throughout the park (at least at AK), some w/water mist, so while we all got very hot & sweaty, we did not get miserable...we did get the predictable t-storm around 3, but we were in our rooms at the time, and just waited for it to blow over before we headed out...

Tomorrow we go to MK...we have reservations at Cinderella's Table...our four-year-old princess loves the Disney princesses, and Cinderella is her favorite...so we're all very excited about that, too...

I'm still blown away by how wonderful Disney CMs are...here at OKW they're terrific...lots of "welcome home's" but mostly just taking that extra minute to make our kids feel welcome and special...

It's altogether grand!

I miss my DS ... it's my first Disney vacation w/out him (he's in his first week of classes at college and really could not break away to join us this trip)...and he misses not being here w/us, too...I think we're just a Disney family! But, DS (w/a gaggle of his college friends--and they are "allowing me" to join the party!) will come for T-giving, and then a double developer points "bonus" vacation in early January, so we'll have our time "later."

Oh...quite a few changes at AK! IN particular, the safari ride was quite different (loved the "geyser fields")...and I've never seen so many animals, so close by (and I've ridden that ride LOTS of times)...

EMH crowds at AK were really light; I was amazed...it was packed, mostly w/people leaving, when we arrived around 4:30...but by 5:30 it was almost like mid-January crowds...for example, Expedition Everest standby line was only 20 minutes! Amazing!

We'll see if it's like that the rest of our time here (we're here to Labor Day)...but it's been a phenomenal beginning...

Have I told you-all recently how much I love WDW and DVC???

 

[magicmommy]

Seeing someone at WDW for the first time is priceless!! ENJOY!

 

[snappy]

Great trip report!!! Thanks for sharing!!

I so love Animal Kingdom, glad your visit was so great!!

 

[spiceycat]

taking first timers -

 

[DMKEDM]

Just returned from 6 hours at MK...buses were great (one arrived w/in 2 minutes of us getting the the Turtle Road bus stop this morning; we waited about 10 minutes for the return to OKW bus)...

LOVED Cinderella's Castle w/our four-year-old princess...an excellent example of Disney "doing it right"...what a magical wonderful experience that was!

Now, some nap & pool time and then we'll go back for SpectroMagic & Wishes...

I'm rather amazed by the crowds...they're as light as they are in mid-January! Wait at noon for Pirates of the Caribbean was 10 minutes! Peter Pan wait: 15 minutes...walked on to It's a Small World and Dumbo was only 10 minutes, too...I guess I now understand why Disney does free dining...based on park crowds, this is a "slow time"...on the other hand, we're "permanently wet"--rain, water rides, pool or sweat...haven't been dry since I put the towel down after this morning's shower!

Life is just about perfect right now...

 

[dizhoni]

I've enjoyed your first two days so much. Hope you'll have time to write everyday. Enjoy!!! Honi

 

[snappy]

Love hearing about the low crowds, one of my online buddies left this am for WDW, I know she will have fun.

I wonder if it will get crazy crowd wise over the weekend?

 

[DMKEDM]

Guess what!!!?

We had a bus driver (Angel) from OKW to MK this evening who kept up a running "travelogue" the whole ride...when we passed the Contemporary, he pointed out the construction and said it was Disney building "more of our very popular vacation club villas"... !!!!

So, there's some good fuel for the CRV rumor "fire!"

Anyway, MK at night (not an EMH night) was MUCH more crowded than any park time so far (two days into our five day trip)...70 minute wait for Dumbo, 60 minutes for Ariel, 40 minutes for Peter Pan...(can you tell this trip is being built around our four-year-old!?)

We did walk through Tomorrowland, and "the kids" rode Carousel of Progress while I watched the baby...otherwise, no stops there...Toontown was not a "hit"...very long lines for the characters, and the store was a mob scene (altho outside was pleasant)...our four-year-old didn't want anything to do w/a roller coaster...not even Barnstormer...maybe next year.

On the other hand, I now have someone to ride Peter Pan with (my favorite ride)...my college-age son hasn't been willing to do Peter Pan w/me for years...but my four-year-old princess loves it as much as I do! She keeps asking to do it again (and we will)...very cool...

Ate at Pinocchio's...not great, but filled the "hole in the tummy"...tomorrow we're going to MGM and I think we'll "splurge" on either Sci Fi or Prime Time...my "almost family" should love either or both of those places...

Very very tired right now...it's been years since I spent 10 hours in a park! Tomorrow we'll get up whenever we wake up...no early start for us tomorrow~ we all need some extra sleep time...our 16-month old baby is on particularly short rations...he's so cute, watching him fight valiantly against sleeping...talk about sensory overload! But he's still the sweetest tempered overtired baby I've ever encountered!

Yes, this is definitely heaven on earth~

 

[justjudy]

I agree -- WDW and OKW in particular are, indeed, heaven on earth! Glad you're having a magical time. One more thing in common -- Peter Pan is my favorite ride too! Enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

[DMKEDM]

Back from MGM, where another grand time was had by all...I left the family in the middle of a rainy spell around 3...haven't heard from them (it's near 6 now)...either they came back and kids are napping or they're still there...they were loving it...

We ate at Prime Time and had so much fun...Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground was a huge hit w/the little ones...my "almost son-in-law" is a Star Wars fan and so he really enjoyed Star Tours...he's also in to movies & Indiana Jones, so the Great Movie Ride and the Indiana Jones stunt show also thrilled him...my "almost-daughter" just loved walking around looking at things...she & our four-year-old did the Muppet show and she loved that, too...

Had a fun "encounter" w/a CM on our way to Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground...the road we took was closed due to construction of a new Toy Story attraction, coming next spring...the CM advised us to extend our stay til April (grin a big grin) so we could participate in the "soft opening"...that will be fun!

All in all, a lovely time, from around 10 til around 3 for me...came back to OKW to do a bit of work (the life of the self-employed: on the good side; I can pick up & go for 4-5 days quite frequently; on the bad side, I always have to bring my laptop and do bits of work here & there on regular work days while I'm gone)....just ran a load of laundry...I'm going thru 2-3 t-shirts/day, it's so hot & humid (and the kids take some "running" to keep up with)...so I needed those clean clothes...will take them from the dryer in about 15 minutes and will be good to go til Monday morning when we return north...

Crowds are picking up...MGM was "comfortably crowded" and noticeably busier than AK and MK had been Wed and yesterday...tonight we were thinking of heading over to DTD, and possibly to SSR for dinner (SSR is my "home" and I "have to" visit each trip, even if I'm staying elsewhere!)...

Another heavenly day in the neighborhood...

 

[LindaBabe]

Love your positive upbeat trip report!

 

[ccigliano]

Sounds great. I can't wait to do our now 10 year traditional Christmastime trip. I have spoken to several people from the northeast that say the last two weeks in August are fantastic for Disney crowds wise. Most of the country is already back to school with the exception of the northeast who go back after Labor Day so crowds are always light. If you can take the heat - then it must be great. Love reading the posts - I can't wait to take my niece and nephew for their first times. Enjoy the rest of the trip and definately do Peter Pan again - it's my number 2 after Soarin.

 

[CarolMN]

Enjoying your reports - thanks for taking the time to do them!

 

[DMKEDM]

Today was Epcot...my favorite park and clearly a huge hit w/my 'almost-daughter'...she loved-loved-loved it...and I predict will love it even more after Illuminations tonight (we're going back after a a 3-hour nap/quiet time)...

Lots of new stuff seems to be happening over at Epcot...DS and I were here (stayed at BCV) in May, and since then a bunch of construction "walls" have gone up at Epcot...plus a "Project Tomorrow" sign is prominently displayed near Spaceship Earth...very intriguing! Will be curious when we come back for T-giving to see what has developed...there's construction in lots of different spots, both in World Showcase and in Future World...no signs indicating what's planned...very interesting...

But for now, Epcot is dear and familiar and wonderful...w/a four-year-old and a 16-month old, favorites like Soarin and Test Track and Mission Space are not in the cards...but there's so much else to see & experience, it hasn't been a problem...my first encounters with "Kidcot" spots...never had a little one w/us before who was young enough to be interested...our two loved the ones in Germany & France...we did the Norway Akershus storybook princess b'fast this morning...what fun! Not quite as wonderful as Cinderella's Castle, but close! Our four-year-old princess donned her Cinderella gown (she also wore it Thursday at Cinderella's Castle) and added the tiara we bought for her yesterday and was in absolute heaven...so cool...

It's hotter than blazes here today...and very rainy...hot enough that getting drenched by the rain really made no noticeable difference--we were already drenched from sweat! Not my favorite weather, but who cares...it's still my favorite spot on earth!

Crowds at Epcot were VERY light from about 9, when we arrived, til 3:30, when we came back for naps/quiet time...over at World Showcase after our b'fast we were virtually alone...Jane (from Tarzan) and Cinderella (hanging out by France) actually came and got us for pix and interaction (which our princess adored)...there's a lovely breeze off the water; in the shade, the weather's almost tolerable...but in the sunshine (what little there's been of that today) it's pretty miserable...

Still loving this trip, sad to see the end in sight (tomorrow's our last day; we leave before dawn Monday)...tomorrow I think we'll go back to MK tomorrow, and then to DTD for dinner...and then start planning our next trip back...

Happy Labor Day everyone...

 

[Lisa Anne Colling]

You are making me "home sick". We just returned last night from a 2 wk stay in #3724 at Turtle Pond in OKW. We has so much fun. It was our first time there. We had all my husbands family come for a week (we used our points for 2- 2 bd's and 1- 1 bed). They loved it so much that 2 of the families went on the DVC tour and are now looking into purschasing a membership. My 4 year keeps asking if we can go back now! We miss how warm the pool is! And what a dissappointment last night to drive in the drive way without security to say "Welcome Home".lol
Enjoy the rest of you trip!

 

[Checkers]

Thanks you so much for sharing your vacation! I am so homesick for WDW I can hardly stand it. Our next trip is in 54 days and we will be staying this time at our timeshare offsite. Since we bought into DVC, we haven't stayed offsite so thought it was time we check out our "other investment".

Thanks again for sharing and have a safe trip home. Happy Labor Day all my fellow Disers .

 

[DMKEDM]

Just about time to go...ME comes for us in about an hour...it's sad to leave, but also time to return to the real world.

We did MK and DTD yesterday and it was as wonderful as it's been since we arrived, altho "sensory overload" finally caught up w/our princess...she's a tired and overwhelmed little girl whose sweetness, even in the midst of melt-down, is remarkable. She's ok...just couldn't handle any more last night...so we bought our souvenirs and headed home early...not such a bad thing w/a 5:45 ME pick-up!

Now, on departure day, it's time to start thinking about our next arrival! (T-giving, w/DS)...OKW has been great, but it'll be terrific to get back "home" to SSR in November...and then to BCV in January...one thing I will not miss is FL in August/early Sept!

Happy day to all...

 

[Pootle]

Thanks for sharing your lovely trip. It's so good to read something trouble-free and pleasant but they also disappear fast too!

OKW is my main 'home' and I just love it, so I'm pleased you all enjoyed your visit