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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 7, 2024 12:53:26 GMT -5
I know this trip report is very late, but following the trip I ran into some critical health issues, which are finally behind me, so now I am catching up! Glad I took a lot of notes on my phone!
First I want to thank everyone here for your advice, hints, tips, and encouragement! I was so nervous about things going well, and you all helped me get through it! Thank you!
We had an amazing trip, and both our DS and DDIL (who are not park or Disney people) enjoyed it thoroughly (wooo whoo!). And of course our DGS and DGD had a blast! Everything went even better than perfect!
So, here we go! I am splitting up the report so it's not so long.
Who: me (Joey) and DH (Mark) (almost retirement age), DS (Brent) and DDIL (Jenny), DGS (Eli) who is 9, and DGD (Lucia) who is 4.
When: DH and I arrived late on 11/30, family arrived Saturday 12/2, with all of us leaving on 12/9
Where: Kidani 2 Bedroom Savannah View Villa
Introduction: As those of you who helped me through this already know, this was a family trip with the goal being to build some great family memories (before we retire and have to be more budget conscious). Additionally, our DDIL is just not a Disney or park person and DS, while growing up with Disney is (as expected) supportive of our DDIL. They have never been negative or judgmental, just not very interested. Turns out really excited grandkids lead to really excited parents!
Thursday 11/30:
DH and I wanted to go a day early and make sure everything was in order before the family arrived. Flights on Friday morning were really expensive so we decided to take the last flight Thursday night from Denver that got in around 11:45 PM and stay at the Embassy Suites by the airport on hotel points. I have stayed there a lot for work and the hotel is clean and well maintained. Everything went great! We got to Denver and found out we had been upgraded, so we had dinner on the plane, then the flight landed 30 minutes early, with a gate available (when you are early into Denver you usually sit on the tarmac waiting for a gate). We had carried on so we called the hotel shuttle when we got on the airport train (not sure what they call it anymore). We only waited outside for about 5 minutes for the shuttle. Was such an easy trip! This was also the flight where my husband crossed 2 million miles on United, so they treated us both like celebrities. Neither of us like attention and it was almost embarrassing, but the flight crew was so gracious, we were too!
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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 7, 2024 12:54:35 GMT -5
Friday 12/1
Slept great, got up, showered, had breakfast there at the Embassy Suites, which was included. We stuck with egg white omelettes and coffee, since we would be spending this one night at Jambo club level. When we decided to go a day early I checked for any rooms at Kidani or Jambo for Friday night. There was only 1 studio available and it happened to be club level so I grabbed it! We eft the Embassy Suites and took the shuttle back to the airport to pick up our rental mini van and were on the way. We went straight to Jambo House to leave our bags. They escorted us upstairs and we found out our room was already available - say, what??? Left our bags in our room and headed out to Walmart and Target. I wanted to make some welcome bags for the grandkids. I had brought some decorations for the door of our room but needed some fun things and snacks. I was overwhelmed at the amount of Disney merchandise available at the Walmart on 192. I was bad though…. when DS was little he would always ask for one of those fans attached to the water bottle that would blow mist. We hadn’t ever gotten him one,as they were really pricey for us back then and we were usually on a tight vacation budget. The ones at Walmart were pretty cheap so I bought one for each of the grandkids. Oh, and our son did notice, and called me out. Being a grandparent is great! (Please note: DS did not get neglected on our Disney trips, he did get souvenirs, just not the fan/water bottle thingy).
We got back to Jambo around 11:30 and munched on some veggies and turkey and cheese pinwheels. Chatted with Jack, one of the concierge folks there, who has been there since the club opened. Many of the folks we had met there in the past had retired, but it was great to see Jack! We were lucky enough (so much good luck this trip) to have a Savannah view room, so we took wine back to the room and sat outside. The weather was perfect, and the animals were out - saw both Giraffes and Zebra’s along with some Anakole cattle.
DH suggested we go over to Animal Kingdom and activate our AP’s, just in case there was an issue. I assured him I had called a couple of times and the passes were good to go. The cast members I spoke with on those calls said we just had to go to a ticket booth to activate them. Decided to go ahead if it would reassure DH and so glad we did! We had bought the AP’s when Disney called us as they were coming out of covid to see if we wanted to buy new ones (based on turning in the remainder of our old ones during covid). I think I may have called and talked to someone during covid, I can’t recall. In any case, they called us and let us buy them. We had decided not to activate prior to this as we had some remnants of several no expiration date passes and we cleared those out on our more recent trips. So we had purchased the APs about 2 years before this trip, back when there was no time limit on activation.
This was the almost bad part of our trip. We took the bus over to Animal Kingdom Park and went up to the open ticket window. Told the cast member we wanted to activate our passes and showed her the passes in MDE, and our id’s, etc. She spent several minutes on the computer and was having trouble so she called in a manager. The manager did a few things then told us the AP’s were no good, they were too old. She said we had to buy new ones which would be several hundred dollars more, each. Since DH’s tolerance for this sort of thing is lower than mine, I did the talking. I stayed calm and asked to speak to another manager. I was told to go to the Guest Services windows and speak to someone there. I thanked them both and we moved on to Guest Services. The cast member there repeated the same message at which I repeated what I had been told on the phone when I double and triple checked. She did not relent so I again respectfully requested a manager. The passes we had purchased were for legacy Gold AP’s (which I had made clear when I phoned before the trip). The manager came and said “We don’t sell these anymore, you have to buy new ones, and it will be “several hundred dollars more, each”. Everyone kept emphasizing that… I now politely asked for the next level of manager…. I was friendly, polite, and considerate, but I did not back down…. FINALLY, they decided to activate the passes as Sorcerer passes, along with the Photopass, which I had forgotten was included with the Gold AP. The process took almost 2 hours…. So thankful DH suggested we activate them early.
After all this we decided to go into the park just to make sure things worked, and they did. While there, we got in some good walking (after the AP ordeal, I needed it), and afterwards went back to the bus. The first stop was Kidani so we got off there. I wanted to check on our room request for the week. I wanted to make sure we didn’t get the Pembe savannah. At Kidani we always seem to get assigned a room looking onto the Pembe which only has the various grazing type species. My DGD loves Giraffes so we had to have those. They assured us we would not be on the Pembe. Hooray!
We got back to the room about 5:30 and went out for a glass of wine. DH put together a little charcuterie plate to share from the veggies, cheese, sausage and fruit they had. Was a nice variety! We sat at one of the front tables overlooking the lobby. I love this lobby, particularly at night from that top floor. So pretty! Tonight the chef items were tomato soup w/paneer cheese and butter chicken on rice, and the kid friendly items were more turkey and cheese pinwheels, and mealie dogs, There was also some cauliflower salad that was spiced with some of the warm spices. Between us we tried a little bit of everything except the kid’s items. It was all really good! I loved the cauliflower salad! They had a last call at about 5 till 7, so we got a wine refill and sat enjoying the empty lounge and pretty lobby. At about 8:00 Mark grabbed a Mickey Bar (a major weakness of his) and we went back to the room and watched a movie. Except for the AP glitch, it was a wonderful day!
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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 7, 2024 12:55:16 GMT -5
Saturday 12/2 This was the day! I was so excited about the family coming I had trouble sleeping and got up really early.. DH went out about 7 and got us coffee, which we decided to drink out on the balcony. I assumed there would be no animals out, but there happened to be a couple of ostriches just outside the fence below our balcony. Enjoyed watching them while we had our coffee. At about 7:30 we went back in and got ready for the day. Went out for breakfast at about 8:30. It was surprisingly empty, but the breakfast was lovely. They had pastries and breads and berries and melon and lox and bagels and hard boiled eggs and toast. They also had scrambled eggs with goat cheese (one of my favorites), pork sausage as well as oatmeal and sticky buns. I was surprised at how many options they had for breakfast, and with the area being mostly empty it was very relaxing. We lingered over coffee and just enjoyed the time, Jack came by and chatted with us. Told him we were checking out and moving next door to Kidani as our family was coming in in the afternoon. A couple other cast members came by and chatted so I also told them about the family coming. They encouraged us to bring them up later when they arrived. That was a nice option (which we did go ahead and do). We try and not take advantage but we had been telling our DS and DDIL about the club level for awhile and were excited for them to see it. Again, I love that view of the lobby from the 6th floor! We went back to the room at about 10 (we really did linger over our coffee) and packed up. Our plan moving forward, was to hang out in the club until it was time to pick up the family or our new room became available, whichever came first. If we got in before I would decorate the door with a welcome for the grands and place the gift/goody bags, etc. If the room wasn’t ready, DH would go pick them up and I would wait with my fingers crossed hoping to get in before they arrived. We sat on the balcony until just about checkout time then exited the room and checked out. Talked to the concierge person and they double checked the new room, which wasn’t ready, as we expected. She said she would put a note asking them to get it ready since we were waiting. Wasn’t sure this would have any impact but it was a nice gesture just the same. We took our bags to bell services and checked them in and went for a walk. It was cloudy and pretty chilly out. We had hoped to do some pool time when the family arrived, but it looked like it would be too cold. Went back up to the 6th floor around noon, checked on the kids flight and it was landing about 30 mins early, at 1:00 instead of 1:30. While waiting, I read and DH took care of some work emails to get them out of the way. Since we had not heard about the room DH left to go pick everyone up and I stayed behind. I got the room ready message just after he left - we were on the 2nd floor - yay! Got our bags from Bell Services and walked over to Kidani. When I got to the room it got even better, we were in villa 7212, right in the middle of the savannah with lots of animals out already! I think this was the best Savannah View we have ever had! I called for our owner’s locker to be brought up, then went ahead and decorated the door with Disney shaped letters I had pulled and printed before we left. “Welcome Eli and Lucia”. I had also printed some Disney Princess and Star Wars cutouts that I attached to the entry door and inside around the mirror in the 3rd bathroom. I then unpacked us, and the Owner’s Locker. All was ready! The family arrived at about 2:00 and came up to the villa. The grandkids were so excited about the welcome message and bags. Just about all the animals were represented outside…. Giraffe, zebra, cattle, all the various grazing animals, and a bunch of the crowned cranes. Lucia, the 4 year old, was so excited! And Eli, the 9 year old, ran to his suitcase to pull out the binoculars we bought him when we was 5. He remembered and packed them himself. We kept the grandkids occupied on the balcony while DS and DDIL unpacked. In the midst of all this I said I was going to run out to get groceries when my son said “Mom, don’t do that, I have Instacart”. We went online and ordered mostly basics for breakfast and some dinners essentials for the kids. What an easy process! And DS paid,  After ordering we walked over to Jambo and went upstairs. The adults all had mimosa’s and the kids had fizzy water. They love fizzy water and were so excited that there was a spigot where it was unlimited. We all munched on veggies and the kids had some of the PBJ triangles as well as a little bag of snacks from the jars that were out. The jars contain little snacky items with little cellophane bags to fill. We thanked everyone (who insisted we all come back for the evening offerings) and went down to the lobby. There were kids doing rubbings on the floor medallions and the cultural rep invited DGS and DGD to join them. From here we went to see if there were any animals nearby, but ran into another cultural rep teaching about drums and rhythms. Here we learned about the beads the kids can earn for a necklace at each of the cultural stations at both Kidani and Jambo. We returned to the villa and all the animals seemed to still be out - what a treat! We all sat outside and animal watched - was really fun! We stayed outside until it was almost dark. At about 6:00 we went back over to Jambo and the club and were welcomed back. So nice! Once again there was a variety or cheeses and sausage, veggies and hummus, fruit, and this watermelon feta salad which we all really liked. The hot items were seafood stew over rice, sweet corn pudding with Durban chicken and talk about luck, the kids offerings were macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets. Two of their favorites! We each had a glass of wine, charcuterie and veggies, and we all tried the hot dishes, The grands had unlimited fizzy water (let’s just say they were well hydrated), and chicken nuggets with mac n cheese. Everyone was happy!. It was really cold out so we lingered after they put things away, Before we left they wheeled oui the freezer with the Mickey Bars. So DH, DS, and the grandkids each had one. We didn’t stay for the rest of dessert but it was so much fun to show the family club level! We returned to the room and somehow DGS and DGD knew about the pull out sofa and chair…. Hmmm…. I think DS and DDIL had something to do with this…. The kids wanted to sleep in the living room, so we set them up and tucked them in. I stayed with the kids and sent the other adults over to Victoria Falls for a drink. They all love bourbon, so I suspect they had their vacation kick off drink! Our room had one of those “Hey Disney” things, which I did not think much of, but the grandkids loved it. DGS especially loved that it told jokes, dad jokes. All week he would listen and then repeat the jokes to us. DGD really loved that you could ask it to tell a story. And there was also an option for music to put the to sleep. It was an unexpectedly nice feature. |
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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 7, 2024 12:56:28 GMT -5
Sunday 12/3
First Disney Day! Today the plan was for DH and I to take the grandkids over to Magic Kingdom for rope drop, do some rides, grab a little breakfast somewhere, then meet DS and DDIL over at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for DGD’s appointment. (Thanks again to all the great MagicOwners advice I was able to get her an appointment!)
Well, our plans changed as DS and DDIL decided to come along in the morning. As a result, we didn’t quite make rope drop. I didn’t mind as this was a very nice surprise and I was excited they wanted to join us. We figured out early DS and DDIL’s strategy around the kids sleeping in the living room. Really early… at 6:00 AM (4:00 AM to them, and us), DGS and DGD came running into our room ready to start their day. Ugh…. I made coffee and around 7:00 pulled together breakfast for the kids. It was a beautiful day, and the animals were unexpectedly outside at around 7:00 as well. I have never seen animals on the savannah that early, but what a fun way to start our first morning. We went outside and the kids ate their breakfast while we had coffee with all of us (DH, DGD, DGS and me) watching the animals. Afterwards we got the kids dressed and ready to go.
We all finally got out at about 8:30 and walked right onto a bus to MK. I wasn’t too worried about it being overly busy since it was a Mickey Christmas party day and the park closed early. We headed straight back to Fantasyland and were able to do several rides pretty quickly, We all started with the Carousel, then It’s a Small World, which DGD really loved, then Mad Tea Party and then the Dumbo’s. Afterwards DS and DDIL were hungry so we thought we would grab a quick lunch before DGD’s 12:45 BBB appointment. We did a mobile order from Cosmic Ray’s and walked over there. Went very smoothly! It was a beautiful, warm day! Our plan had been to leave DS, DDIL, and DGD at BBB and DH and I would go off with DGS to do some rides he wanted. BBB only allows 2 folks along with the child and I assumed it would be the parents. DS told me to stay as he was just going to go in and snap some photos, not planning to stay, etc and then we could swap. Hahaha…. They went in and he did not come out…. I guess you go into the one area and pick your outfit, see the Fairy Godmother n the mirror and then change into your chosen princess outfit. We were wondering which outfit DGD would choose, since she has really been into Cinderella lately but she chose Elsa. I finally saw them when they switched from the shop (where you choose your options and get dressed in the outfit) to the salon where they do the hair, etc. My son apologized and said how much fun it was to watch DGD choose. She is a daddy’s girl, haha. He said he was going into the salon and would be out shortly to swap. This time he did, but asked if I would switch back after seeing her. She was really soaking up this princess thing…. So glad I was able to get her in. What an amazing experience she had! She did not look like herself at all to us, but she was thrilled! Afterwards, there is a little photo studio across the courtyard where they take photos and you have access through the PhotoPass. Was glad at this point that Guest Services had added it in.
While I was just hanging around outside BBB, DH and DGS were able to get several rides in. They did Tomorrowland Speedway, Astro Orbiter, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates. Once DGD was finished we all stood in line for the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger ride. After that we decided to call it a day at MK and headed back to the bus and the hotel. What a fun time!
Once back it was still really warm so we all headed to the pool for some pool time. DGD did her best to preserve her hairstyle while DGS went down the pool slide over and over. Lucia wanted to do the slide but only if someone would catch her at the bottom and keep her hair from going under. DDIL and I figured out it didn’t matter ihow wet her hair got, they put so much stuff in her hair that it wasn’t going anywhere even with the pool water….
After the pool we all went back upstairs and changed and decided to see if the big table in the Sanaa bar was available. It was about 7:00 and we figured if the bar was not busy we would try to go there or we would do the Sanaa-To-Go and bring it upstairs. The bar was surprisingly empty so we sat at the big table there. We started with the bread service and a bottle of wine, and ordered the kids their meals (they both got pizza). The adults got a couple of the entree’s that we all shared. After dinner we went back up to the room sent DS and DDIL out to Victoria Falls and we put the kids to bed. What a great first day we had! Couldn’t tell at all that DDIL is not a park person! Once the kids were down we sat in our room and just chilled. Another wonderful day!
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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 7, 2024 12:57:12 GMT -5
Monday 12/4 Today’s plan was for Hollywood Studios, with DH, DGS, DGD, and I going early to spend the first part of the day catching some rides. Then meeting DS and DDIL at the Droid Depot for DGS’s 11:45 reservation to build a droid. After that we had a lunch reservation at Prime Time Cafe. Since Hollywood Studios is always so crowded the plan was to leave after lunch and catch the majority of rides on Wednesday during the VIP tour we had scheduled. Once again, DS and DDIL decided to join us for the entire time (yay!). Everyone was up today and we had a quick breakfast and were on our way. Got to HS about 8:30 and the waits were already pretty long. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad only showed 15 minutes so we went there. I hadn’t been on this ride before. It was cute but I loved the Great Movie Ride and missed it! The grands liked the ride, and it was really fun that we were all doing it together. We went from there to Star Tours, as it was a short wait, I stayed behind with DGD while the rest rode this one. DH and DGS rode it twice, At this point we walked over to Toy Story Land and saw that the Alien Saucers did not have a very long wait, so we did that ride too then headed over to Galaxy’s Edge. Our DGS LOVES Star Wars anything. DS bought a Blue Milk for DGS which he did not like. Neither did any of the rest of us. We all tried it but no one was excited about it. It was early but we went over to Droid Depot anyway and they took DGS right away. He went into the area where you actually get your parts and then build the droid. DS and DH and I stayed to watch while DDIL took DGD outside. Before our trip DGS had watched some YouTube recordings that people made building their droids. He knew exactly the parts and colors he wanted. He must have seen an older version of the droid build as the parts he had decided on were not available. So he had to regroup. It took him a really long time to decide on what he wanted but he built an R-series (?) droid.. While we were waiting I was chatting with one of the cast members who was working in that section. He was very much in character and he said to me “I sense he is guided by the spirit of indecision”. I thought that was pretty funny! Well, DGS finally decided, built the droid and went through the process of activating it. He was in heaven, so excited about it! Afterwards we went to the outdoor area where you can test your droid and play with it. We found this was where DGD and DDIL had been all this time. Apparently the cast member here had taken a liking to DGD and she had been operating a BB-8 the whole time. To be fair it was pretty empty there and DDIL said she was watching DGD and would have had her hand it off if anyone else wanted to try it out. So DGS and DGD were able to play there for quite awhile. After all this we thought DGD would want a droid too, but she didn’t. She was just so excited about her big brother having a droid, she was just happy for him! Once they were done playing we headed over to Prime Time Cafe for our lunch reservation. The grands were at first overwhelmed by the noise level and activity here. Our server was great at his role, which initially added to their uncertainty. They are pretty quiet and low-key in general so I felt a little concerned. But it didn’t take them long to figure out it was the adults that were all getting picked on. Once they figured that out they really enjoyed the time there. We all had so much fun! DS, DDIL, and I all had the Caesar Salad with Chicken and DH had Aunt Liz’s Fried Chicken which he still says is some of the best. Of course it could be because he hasn’t had fried chicken in like 5 years . The salads were all fresh and crisp and the chicken was juicy and flavorful. I am low protein because of my kidneys so I reluctantly gave most of my chicken to my son. The kids both had chicken strips with DGD choosing mac n cheese for her side and DGS was able to get some raw carrot sticks for his side even though they weren’t a choice on the menu. He loves raw carrots! He was the only one of us to order a milkshake…. and he drank it all. He did offer to share with DGD but she preferred fizzy water, haha. They both got the kid cupcakes for one of their sides and they were huge. They packed them up for us since the kids were ready to move on. It was a fun family meal! And we got to show them what kitchens looked like when we were kids. Well, kind of, haha. After leaving the restaurant we headed back to the bus and hotel. We chilled on the balcony watching the animals for awhile, and then the kids played inside while we got ready for our night out. One of my friends had recommended a babysitter to us who she has been using at Disney the past 7 or 8 years, When they first met her she was working for a service to pay for college. Now she is graduated, working and married with 2 kids and babysits by referral. She was excellent! She came around 6:00 so the kids could get to know her and they connected right away. While she took them to the campfire, we got a Lyft and headed over to Disney Springs. We had a 7:00 PM reservation at Wine Bar George and thought it better to have someone else drive. We all had a great evening! Wine Bar George has great wine, fun cocktails, small plates, and entrees to share. The atmosphere is comfortable, a bit rustic, softly lit, inviting. The service was great the entire time we were there. We like small plates because we can try new things, share, and not overdo it! We started by all ordering drinks. DH’s drink was made with a whiskey none of them had heard of before, Hooten Young American Whiskey, so everyone tasted his drink, They were intrigued and asked the server about it. She explained that it is George, the owners, whiskey brand. They produce several different variations, proofs, rye, wine barrel aged, etc. She then sent the manager over, who was excited to share his knowledge of the whiskeys. He brought tastes of several of the whiskeys that all could share. Then they ordered a second round of drinks made with various versions. I am not supposed to drink spirits but I tasted a bit and we all had a fun time. With the drinks, we ordered the Burrata (comes with heirloom cherry tomatoes in balsamic and sourdough slices) and cauliflower buds (nice and spicy). All thought they were good. I liked the cauliflower a lot. The burrata was wonderful but it is a classic and always good. We could have ordered more small plates but had heard a lot of good things about the “Family Style Skirt Steak with Caramelized Carrots, Parsnips and Potatoes” to share so we ordered that for dinner. And a nice bottle of wine also recommended by the manager. I was a little disappointed in the presentation as the photo I saw showed it all beautifully arranged on a long cutting board. It was still beautifully arranged but on a large platter not the board. Haha…. The menu said it fed 2-4 but after our appetizers there was plenty left over. The guys went ahead and polished off the meat so it wasn’t wasted. Great time! From there we walked around Disney Springs for awhile, it was not crowded at all and most of the shops were still open. DDIL was interested in some dessert so we went into The Edison . Hadn’t been here before. It was pretty empty and they seated us down in the lower level where there was a live cover band playing. They were good and we were still be able to hear each other. We all shared a piece of Dulce de Leche cheesecake and talked until they were closing, Had a great time! Grabbed a Lyft and went back to Kidani. The kids were fast asleep…. Another wonderful day! |
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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 7, 2024 12:57:48 GMT -5
Tuesday 12/5
This was one of our non-park days. The kids were up really early (again). They shared how much fun they had with the babysitter. I fed them some breakfast and DH took them out on the balcony to watch the animals while I got 5 miles in over on the elliptical. DDIL and DS slept in (you can do that when your kids sleep in the living room and hone in on the grandparents). When I got back DH went for a run while I hung out with the kids (and heard all the dad jokes DGS had been saving up from “Hey Disney”). I got them dressed and ready for the day - that 3rd bathroom in the Kidani 2 bedroom is really handy! DH came back and while he was cooling down I showered and got ready. Then he did the same. DS and DDIL got up during this time and took off for the pool. We planned for this to just be a chill day for all of us and some time out for them. We had an early lunch reservation for us and the grands at Whispering Canyon. We thought they’d really enjoy it - wrong, hahaha. As mentioned earlier both kids are quiet and low key and the noise alone in the restaurant just about did them in. They each ordered a hot chocolate and watched wide eyed as all the cast members ran around acting crazy. The kids each got a kids meal, and Mark and I had salad. When they brought the food out DGS made the mistake of asking for ketchup…. This time they did laugh but I was nervous. The rest of lunch went smoothly but the kids didn’t waste any time scrambling out…. I thought they would at least join in when the stick horse rides happened but, wrong again! Oh well…. We walked through the lobby and looked at the Christmas tree and decorations. That was fun! From there we took the boat over to MK and the monorail over to The Polynesian where we checked out the tree and decorations there. We took the path over to the Grand Floridian - it was a nice day and the water was calm and pretty. We checked out the decorations there and spent a lot of time admiring the gingerbread house and of course had to take back some gingerbread for mommy! We took the monorail back to MK and the boat back to Wilderness Lodge and drove back to Kidani.
It was about 3:00 when we got back and the weather had turned beautiful. We texted the kids and told them we were back, then DH and the grands joined them at the pool. I cleaned up the villa, collected toys and worked on cleaning up DGD’s Elsa dress. This was day 3 of her wearing it and we had spot cleaned it every night but it needed more! I washed it by hand in the sink then added it to the laundry while it was on the spin cycle and hung it up to dry. I knew she would want it for the ViP Tour we were doing the next day when she was hoping to meet Elsa. Even though the tag recommended not washing it, it came out great with the hand washing.
When they came back we had the spaghetti, meatballs, and salad I had made. We opened wine and had dinner and all played cards and just laughed. Lucia is still learning about card games so she was my little partner. Another wonderful day!
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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 7, 2024 12:59:58 GMT -5
Wednesday 12/6
VIP Tour Day! We saved for this and wow was it worth it! I don’t even know what to say! What an amazing day!
Our goal was NOT to get in as many rides as possible, but to just have a relaxing, fun, stress free, memorable day. DS and DDIL were not particularly interested in doing the VIP Tour because they thought it was too much for us to be spending, but we didn’t give them a choice. They also though DGD would only last a couple hours and were worried I would be disappointed. If that happened I planned to just peel off with DGD and go back to the hotel. Turns out that never happened and within 30 minutes of starting out, DS and DDIL were as excited as the kids. Everything fell together nicely!
We had originally thought we would meet the tour guide over at Animal Kingdom park but instead decided to just let them pick us up at Kidani since it would be a bit of a scramble to get everyone and everything collected and on the bus. It ended up being a good choice as it was really cold that morning when we started out and it made it easy to have jackets, stroller, and such readily available. DDIL had rented a stroller to kind of help DGD if she got tired. Turns out she didn’t mind the stroller and was in it quite a bit.
Anna was our VIP guide and for the day she became Anna to Lucia’s Elsa. She was THE BEST! The kids loved her and so did all of us adults. A couple months prior to the trip I bought the grands a “Walt Disney World for Kids” guide which they poured over iand made a list of all the rides that interested them. I also got a list from DS and DDIL about what they wanted to ride. When we met Anna I gave her the list by park but said we were not locked into any of it, we just included everything of interest so we could play it by ear.
Some highlights of our experience:
*Everything was so well run and organized! After reviewing our list Anna gave great advice on rides that were generally no wait and would be a waste of VIP time, and suggested others that were usually long waits.
* We visited all 4 parks that day, with just 2 rides at Animal Kingdom to start the day and 3 or 4 at the end of the day at Magic Kingdom, We spent the majority of time in Hollywood Studios.
* We were able to do all the new rides, including Tron.
* We did not really wait for anything. In general we were brought into the Lightening Lane, but if it was backed up we would be guided through anther entrance to the front of the lines.
* Anna took complete control of the stroller - pushing it, parking it, finding it, helping Lucia in and out of it. Made it so easy!
* 2 or 3 times Anna did a Starbucks run (included in tour price) while we were all on a ride and was waiting for us as we all got off. Jenny loves Starbucks so that was a hit, especially in the morning when it was so cold.
* DGS and Anna had a running contest to see who could tell the worst dad jokes.. He was thrilled. They also had an ongoing competition over who could find the most hidden Mickey’s which gave him a reason to enjoy the rides he didn’t pick.
* We all rode the Millennium Falcon together and DGD loved it so much we did it a second time. DGS was able to ride all the Star Wars rides, a couple of them twice. He also loved Mission Space in Epcot which surprised me.
* When there was a ride that DGD was too small for or was nervous about, Anna would get DGD and I into the lightening lane for another ride and take the rest over to what they were riding, then swing by for us afterwards.
* DGD got to meet Elsa and Anna - this was so special to her! We were initially glad to just not have to stand in line, but it was so much more than that. When we got to the place where the meet and greet was, we went in through a side door and waited a few minutes. They cleared the room and Lucia had one on one time with them. The wonder on her face will stick with me forever. And they took photos for the photo pass.
* A couple of times when we parked behind an attraction a concierge met us with with drinks and snacks.
* Anna had learned how much the kids liked pop tarts so when we were all on a ride in Toy Story Land she got homemade pop tarts from Woody’s Lunch Box and surprise them with them.
* We finished with the “Jingle Cruise” and a captain that was non-stop jokes (to DGS’s delight) .
* We originally planned for a 7 hour day (with DGD in mind) but it extended to 10. DGD didn’t want to stop….
* DS and DDIL have not stopped talking about how much fun that day was!
The highlights just don’t do the tour justice. It delivered everything we had hoped for and more! So thankful we had the opportunity to do this! No stress and lots of laughter all day!
Anna dropped us off at Kidani and we carried the kids in to sweet dreams!
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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 7, 2024 13:00:37 GMT -5
Thursday 12/7
After the long fun day on Wednesday, this was another chill day. The plan was to take DDIL to breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe, then for the two of us to go over to the spa where we had appointments for facials and pedicures. The guys planned for a pool day.with the kids. We also had lined up the babysitter for the evening and had reservations at The California Grill.
The day started out warm and beautiful with bright blue skies! I made sure the kids had some breakfast and were in their swimmers before we left. We took a Lyft over to the Grand Floridian and checked in about 10 minutes before our reservation. After 30 minutes we were still waiting and I went to the desk to check. I was very nice (despite not having had any coffee yet) and they were grumpy, grumpy, grumpy…. We waited about another 15 minted and were seated. We were way in the back in a cozy corner with the nicest server who immediately reversed our negative start. We started with a pressed pot of coffee and mimosas. DDIL had the avocado toast that looked perfect when it arrived. I had toast with a side of berries, which wasn’t on the menu but she didn’t blink when I asked about it. We had the best time! With kids and jobs and the distance between Denver (were they live) and Colorado Springs (where we live) DDIL and I rarely get a chance to talk one on one so it was great to catch up!
After a leisurely time we walked over to the spa and checked in there. We were not as early as we had planned to be, but DDIL did get time to spend in the steam/whirlpool room while I hung out in the relaxation room. When we checked in they said as a DVC member we could choose an enhancement for free. We both chose the scalp massage. Along with the facial, it was amazing. I felt like a noodle. We met up in the relaxation room and then had the pedicures at the same time. It was a very nice time!
When we were done and back in the relaxation room, I texted DH. They were all back from the pool and DS had taken the kids over to participate in the cultural activities and earn more beads for their necklaces. So DH came and collected us. After we got back we sat out on the balcony watching the animals. So many visible at this location on the savannah!
The babysitter came at 6:00 PM and we called a Minnie Van to take us over to the Contemporary. We were excited for the dinner, even though it was the prix fixe menu. We chose the Minnie Van because we could not get a Lyft or Uber for awhile. Glad we chose the Minnie Van as the driver was in the know! When we all got in the van the driver said ‘I hope you are not going to the Contemporary for dinner?”. He said he just got a text that all the restaurants were closed due to some unexpected circumstance. He pulled over while we decided what to do All dressed up and nowhere to go, haha. The driver/cast member told us his son was a manager at Toledo’s and he offered to call and see if he could get us in. We took him up on his offer and he called and we were all set. He dropped us off and we went up to the restaurant, which was crowded as was the waiting area, bar and the outdoor bar seating. We went to check in at the podium and they said they would seat us shortly. We went into the bar and found a seat and scrounged some other chairs and ordered some cocktails. Because of our experience with the canceled reservation they comped us the drinks - guess the driver did have clout! How very nice of them! While we were having our drinks I received a text from Disney apologizing for the restaurant inconvenience and saying to look later for a Disney gift card. Nice of them to let us know, I thought.
As we were finishing our drinks they came and seated us at a nice table with a great view out the windows. We had a great time! We ordered a couple of apps and a couple of entrees and a bottle of wine (and another) and we all shared. The server was really fun, the food was good, and we had a great time! When we were done we ordered a Minnie Van and got the same driver/cast member. We thanked him again and let him know how well we ere treated, to let his son know. He also had more information about the emergency - apparently there was a fire in the main kitchen that served all the restaurants. That seemed odd to me when the restaurants there are all pretty good sized , on different floors, and seemed to have their own kitchens…. Oh well, I think we ended up having an even more relaxed time at Toledo’s! Once again a wonderful evening!
After we got back I checked my email and found a Disney Gift Card. I was expecting $25 and an apology…. Instead there was indeed an apology, but the gift card we for $360 - the prix fixe price times 4! What a nice surprise! More than paid for our dinner and wine at Toledo’s with plenty left over!
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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 7, 2024 13:01:12 GMT -5
Sadly this was our last full day at Disney! DS and DDIL didn’t have any days left on their tickets but the grands had one day left on theirs. Our plan was to take the grandkids back to do some of their favorite things. We got up early, fed the kids and went to take advantage of the early entry. DH took DGS over to Hollywood Studios to do more Star Wars and I took DGD over to Magic Kingdom to do more of the rides for the little ones. It was good for us to get some one on one time for each of us with one of the kids. We were both able to get them on several of their favorite rides. We then met up at the Animal Kingdom park and went to the various exhibits and areas with animals. They really wanted to see the tigers and gorillas so we made sure to see them, as well as the monkeys and other animals in the enclosures. It was a fun way to finish the day. While we were away DS and DDIL slept in and then went to Disney Springs for lunch and a little shopping. We all returned to the villa around 5:00 and hung out there. The adults had wine and the kids fizzy water. We sat outside and watched the animals till close to 6:00 when it was getting dark. We decided we would order Giordano’s for dinner, but to time it in such a way to do the campfire. We called and found it would be about an hour for delivery. At 6:30 we ordered dinner and went down and did the campfire - the grandkids just love s’mores! That was enough to hold them over until dinner. We sat around eating pizza and enjoying each other’s company. We all did some packing (and moping, haha). What a great last day! Well, except for the moping….
Saturday 12/9
This morning we all were up early. I made some breakfast sandwiches and we all had those and finished packing. DS and family had a noon flight home, and we had a 3 PM flight back. Since we were going to be going in opposite directions from the Denver airport it made sense. At 9:30 Mark took them to the airport while I stayed behind and cleaned up, collected the trash, stripped the beds, and packed up the owners locker. I called bell services and they grabbed the owner’s locker. Mark got back a little before check out time and took our bags down to the car. We went over to Old Key West for what used to be our traditional last day lunch. We had no idea (our fault) that the menu was so different. We saw that our favorite salads were no longer on the menu and decided to skip Olivia’s altogether. Looked through the shop, then left for the airport stopping at Panera for some salads.
We had such an amazing time! Thanks again to all of you for your great advice!
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Post by tomandrobin on Mar 7, 2024 13:28:34 GMT -5
Love Love Love you Family trip!!!
Sounds like a really great time was had by everyone. Lots of pixie dust and magical moments throughout your stay.
We love the VIP tours and the right VIP guide will take it to a higher level.
Toledo's is one of our "hidden" restaurant gems. It never gets enough credit for how good it really is.
Thanks for sharing!!!
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Post by melk on Mar 7, 2024 16:53:00 GMT -5
Wow, what a great trip and wonderful memories were made. Your VIP tour sounds amazing and I love how you had one on one time with both the grands and the adults. Thanks for sharing!
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Post by jedimom3 on Mar 7, 2024 21:50:12 GMT -5
Sounds like such a wonderful trip. So many fun experiences! We enjoy Giordano's too when we can work it into a trip.
Thank you for sharing the TR all the fun!
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Post by bakerworld on Mar 8, 2024 9:51:03 GMT -5
Good TR... and now I'm tired. LOL
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Post by baymaxfan on Mar 8, 2024 10:39:39 GMT -5
Wednesday 12/6 VIP Tour Day! We saved for this and wow was it worth it! I don’t even know what to say! What an amazing day! Our goal was NOT to get in as many rides as possible, but to just have a relaxing, fun, stress free, memorable day. DS and DDIL were not particularly interested in doing the VIP Tour because they thought it was too much for us to be spending, but we didn’t give them a choice. They also though DGD would only last a couple hours and were worried I would be disappointed. If that happened I planned to just peel off with DGD and go back to the hotel. Turns out that never happened and within 30 minutes of starting out, DS and DDIL were as excited as the kids. Everything fell together nicely! We had originally thought we would meet the tour guide over at Animal Kingdom park but instead decided to just let them pick us up at Kidani since it would be a bit of a scramble to get everyone and everything collected and on the bus. It ended up being a good choice as it was really cold that morning when we started out and it made it easy to have jackets, stroller, and such readily available. DDIL had rented a stroller to kind of help DGD if she got tired. Turns out she didn’t mind the stroller and was in it quite a bit. Anna was our VIP guide and for the day she became Anna to Lucia’s Elsa. She was THE BEST! The kids loved her and so did all of us adults. A couple months prior to the trip I bought the grands a “Walt Disney World for Kids” guide which they poured over iand made a list of all the rides that interested them. I also got a list from DS and DDIL about what they wanted to ride. When we met Anna I gave her the list by park but said we were not locked into any of it, we just included everything of interest so we could play it by ear. Some highlights of our experience: *Everything was so well run and organized! After reviewing our list Anna gave great advice on rides that were generally no wait and would be a waste of VIP time, and suggested others that were usually long waits. * We visited all 4 parks that day, with just 2 rides at Animal Kingdom to start the day and 3 or 4 at the end of the day at Magic Kingdom, We spent the majority of time in Hollywood Studios. * We were able to do all the new rides, including Tron. * We did not really wait for anything. In general we were brought into the Lightening Lane, but if it was backed up we would be guided through anther entrance to the front of the lines. * Anna took complete control of the stroller - pushing it, parking it, finding it, helping Lucia in and out of it. Made it so easy! * 2 or 3 times Anna did a Starbucks run (included in tour price) while we were all on a ride and was waiting for us as we all got off. Jenny loves Starbucks so that was a hit, especially in the morning when it was so cold. * DGS and Anna had a running contest to see who could tell the worst dad jokes.. He was thrilled. They also had an ongoing competition over who could find the most hidden Mickey’s which gave him a reason to enjoy the rides he didn’t pick. * We all rode the Millennium Falcon together and DGD loved it so much we did it a second time. DGS was able to ride all the Star Wars rides, a couple of them twice. He also loved Mission Space in Epcot which surprised me. * When there was a ride that DGD was too small for or was nervous about, Anna would get DGD and I into the lightening lane for another ride and take the rest over to what they were riding, then swing by for us afterwards. * DGD got to meet Elsa and Anna - this was so special to her! We were initially glad to just not have to stand in line, but it was so much more than that. When we got to the place where the meet and greet was, we went in through a side door and waited a few minutes. They cleared the room and Lucia had one on one time with them. The wonder on her face will stick with me forever. And they took photos for the photo pass. * A couple of times when we parked behind an attraction a concierge met us with with drinks and snacks. * Anna had learned how much the kids liked pop tarts so when we were all on a ride in Toy Story Land she got homemade pop tarts from Woody’s Lunch Box and surprise them with them. * We finished with the “Jingle Cruise” and a captain that was non-stop jokes (to DGS’s delight) . * We originally planned for a 7 hour day (with DGD in mind) but it extended to 10. DGD didn’t want to stop…. * DS and DDIL have not stopped talking about how much fun that day was! The highlights just don’t do the tour justice. It delivered everything we had hoped for and more! So thankful we had the opportunity to do this! No stress and lots of laughter all day! Anna dropped us off at Kidani and we carried the kids in to sweet dreams! I am curious about the VIP tour, as I have considered this several times. What is the etiquette for meals? Does the cast member stay with you during meals? Do you pay for his/her meal? How about gratuity at the end? I've never done a private tour for such a long period at such a high price. Is the cast member allowed to accept a tip? What is a suitable range? |
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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 8, 2024 12:03:19 GMT -5
Love Love Love you Family trip!!! Sounds like a really great time was had by everyone. Lots of pixie dust and magical moments throughout your stay. We love the VIP tours and the right VIP guide will take it to a higher level. Toledo's is one of our "hidden" restaurant gems. It never gets enough credit for how good it really is. Thanks for sharing!!! Thank you so much! It was a magical time. We really liked Toledo's and yes, it was quite the hidden gem! We will definitely be back! |
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