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Post by MinnieMom on Sept 9, 2024 10:36:42 GMT -5
Adelard of Bath - yes, that's the real pool. It is amazing; an 8 acre pool. We were there earlier this year to try the spa. It was fantastic!
This trip we are doing one full day just hanging out at the pool. Based on the frustrating experience I'm having getting permit approved for the relatively small 250-person pool for Standing Pines, I am in awe of this amazing pool! Here's a video review by Attractions Magazine. We only made it out to the small part of the pool by the hotel, so it's fun to see so much more in this video.
Guess what? I posted in the local community facebook to see if I can get someone to come do pictures for the Chamber lunch tomorrow. I had 10 responses in an hour and my neighbor called me to say she would love to do it. That's so encouraging! So that takes care of tomorrow and gives me several leads for more photography as we finish different pieces of construction. Nice!
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Post by tomandrobin on Sept 10, 2024 6:56:28 GMT -5
Waiting for the Disney stuff.....lol.
Have a great trip.
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Post by dlwdwdvc on Sept 10, 2024 11:42:53 GMT -5
Hope you have great weather for your trip in October arrival.
I’m trying to figure out if current reservations using DVC points will guarantee a new cabin .
You are lucky to have gotten a reservation in the cabins . I keep following the availability …
They might not be selling but they are booking !
You have a fantastic trip planned ! Thanks for posting and keeping us updated with your busy life .
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Post by JaxFLBear on Sept 10, 2024 12:33:56 GMT -5
Hope you have great weather for your trip in October arrival. I’m trying to figure out if current reservations using DVC points will guarantee a new cabin . You are lucky to have gotten a reservation in the cabins . I keep following the availability … They might not be selling but they are booking ! You have a fantastic trip planned ! Thanks for posting and keeping us updated with your busy life . The DVC Cabins are a separate resort & booking category from the old cabins. The only way you would be able to book an old cabin on points would be as part of the Disney Collection which requires you to call MS. |
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Post by helenabear on Sept 10, 2024 13:24:00 GMT -5
Hope you have great weather for your trip in October arrival. I’m trying to figure out if current reservations using DVC points will guarantee a new cabin . You are lucky to have gotten a reservation in the cabins . I keep following the availability … They might not be selling but they are booking ! You have a fantastic trip planned ! Thanks for posting and keeping us updated with your busy life . The DVC Cabins are a separate resort & booking category from the old cabins. The only way you would be able to book an old cabin on points would be as part of the Disney Collection which requires you to call MS. The old cabins are ceasing to exist anyway. Last I read they were doing about 30 cabins or so a month. All cabins that were old should be gone by April 2025 unless something pops up from the last update that I saw. As you said, any cabin you rent right now will be the new one with DVC points. |
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Post by dlwdwdvc on Sept 11, 2024 16:18:51 GMT -5
Thanks for all the replies… I have a reservation for12/20-12/25 and the points increased for the holidays …
Hope my grandkids will love driving the golf cart since they both just got their drivers licenses !
And holiday decorating the new Cabin !
Thanks again .
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Post by MinnieMom on Sept 17, 2024 16:18:27 GMT -5
Hello again! I need some stress relief today, so I'm thinking about this trip.
Here's the latest plan, still subject to change.
Friday, September 27: pick up rental car, drive to FL. ($347 for a week long rental was too good a deal to pass up!), look for cheap hotel somewhere south of Jacksonville to break up the drive.
Saturday, September 28: Legoland; stay at airport hotel that night Any MO want to try for meet up at Disney Springs late afternoon?
Sunday, September 29: pick up friend at airport at unholy early morning hour; drive to Conrad and stay there playing in pool till room is ready
Monday, September 30: Evermore pool! Maybe some local friends join us. Any MO want to try a meet up for lunch at Evermore?
Tuesday, October 1: morning massages at Conrad after we check out but before we leave. Move over to Fort Wilderness in the afternoon when cabin is ready
Wednesday, October 2: drop friend at airport around lunch; back to Fort Wilderness. Other local friends join for dinner and business discussion that evening. Plus fireworks. Because Disney!
Thursday, October 3: campground morning & lunch, then I-drive for Skywheel. Leave midafternoon, stay the night in Savannah area.
Friday, October 4: drive back home; drop rental car by noon. Optimistically: nap. Realistically: tour Standing Pines to see how much got done in the week away!
Saturday, October 5 forward: Work like mad to make up for a week away!
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Post by MinnieMom on Sept 22, 2024 16:08:20 GMT -5
Minor update to plans - I found a great deal on a newish HGVC near our old vacation place at Regal Palms. So I booked Hilton Vacation Club Aqua Sol Orlando West for Friday and Saturday nights. That's about 45 minutes to/from Legoland and the airport, but only 15 minutes from Disney Springs. So maybe if they are still doing the drone shows, I can catch that one of those nights. Plus I'm very familiar with that area, which is a win.
I thought that I was going to cancel this trip several times in the past week. But DH is pushing hard for me to go. And he's right; there are many reasons this trip is a very good thing. So the trip is still on!
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Post by helenabear on Sept 22, 2024 19:53:46 GMT -5
Minor update to plans - I found a great deal on a newish HGVC near our old vacation place at Regal Palms. So I booked Hilton Vacation Club Aqua Sol Orlando West for Friday and Saturday nights. That's about 45 minutes to/from Legoland and the airport, but only 15 minutes from Disney Springs. So maybe if they are still doing the drone shows, I can catch that one of those nights. Plus I'm very familiar with that area, which is a win. I thought that I was going to cancel this trip several times in the past week. But DH is pushing hard for me to go. And he's right; there are many reasons this trip is a very good thing. So the trip is still on! Unfortunately the drones ended on the 2nd. |
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Post by annamaria on Sept 23, 2024 5:13:23 GMT -5
One of my besties is joining for this trip! We combined points for two free nights at the new Orlando Conrad. That's at the new Evermore Resort with the 8 acre pool. We visited this place for my 50th early this year to try the spa. It was a fantastic experience, so this return visit seemed just the thing to celebrate her upcoming 50th. We will do a fully indulgent day split between spa and lounging around pool before moving over to Fort Wilderness.  My friend has no interest in MNSSHP, so that makes the golf cart the clear winner for this trip! That will be fun. We'll spend that evening bouncing between the campfire and entertainment near the main pool and the lake for watching fireworks. AJC - yes. A couple of fairly recent grads of the local college have started a photo/video business with drones that's going fairly well. DH has a drone, which we are using to document construction progress. When the park is completed enough, I think we will do the pro drone footage. Still in discussions for cost and timing, but I suspect that's almost a must do these days. DH is good with his drone. I enjoy taking lots of pictures. Neither of us have the eye of a professional artist/photographer. Wow - pool is the size of a small lake. Looks awesome. What happens when they need to close it for accidents......  is this the only pool? Glad you are still going. Looking forward to your report. We will miss the drones too  . |
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Post by MinnieMom on Sept 24, 2024 9:06:20 GMT -5
Bummer on drone show.
Also bummer - because of course now there is a hurricane on the way to FL! That'll make 3 years, 3 FL hurricanes for me.
Ah well. It will still be a great trip!
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Post by Adelard of Bath on Sept 24, 2024 10:15:53 GMT -5
Also bummer - because of course now there is a hurricane on the way to FL! That'll make 3 years, 3 FL hurricanes for me. We were there for that one at the end of September, was it 2021? Good times. Actually, I was never worried, because I'm not that guy. Not to downplay what people went through in a disaster, but instead here are the memories that pop up in my head when someone mentions "hurricane": birds on the flooded golf courses at OKW; the lady in the store at the front saying they were closing early and then yelling to someone in the back "Get the sandbags!!"; Chip and Dale having an impromptu dance party at the resort; the line all around the local Target of people emptying the shelves of toilet paper and bottled water while I was holding chips, salsa, frozen pizza, ice cream and a bottle of rum; laughing at the guy on the Weather Channel (the guy with the muscles) standing in the street and saying how he was hit by a tree "Did you guys see that?!?!?!" he says as I say "That's a one-inch branch, bumped into your ankle, dude"; and how quiet and still it was the day after. |
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Post by MinnieMom on Sept 24, 2024 12:45:17 GMT -5
Hurricane parties can be fun parties for sure! Tropical Storm Helene looks like it will come through before I leave on Friday. So we may see some winds/rain here at home before I leave. Certainly our lead electrical sub is concerned about this. We have major trench work going on this week for Standing Pines. There is a strong preference to get everything in trenches and get the trenches closed up before any significant rain arrives. Looking at the rain map, we may see 2-4 inches here in SC on Thursday night. Not that big a deal for us in terms of 24 hour rainfall, but I agree about trying to close up trenches when/as possible to get ahead of the rain. I'll keep an eye on Helene, but don't see anything that would suggest changing plans for this trip at this point.  There is another one behind it way out in the Atlantic. That looks like it has an 80% change of becoming a named storm in the the next 7 days. Depending on what it does, I'll keep an eye on it as well. 3 days till hitting the road for FL! While I wish I could have caught the Disney Springs drone show, it looks like my LL pass includes the Halloween party on Saturday night. That includes a drone show. I made the mistake of watching both the Disney Springs drone show and the Legoland drone show on youTube. There's no comparison on story or music - absolutely Disney for the win! Dreams That Soar Lego Monster Skytacular It would be fun to catch a drone show. Maybe. Okay, back to work now. Gotta get a lot done before I leave! |
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Post by Adelard of Bath on Sept 24, 2024 13:05:01 GMT -5
If I was the guy trenching that stuff, I would have nightmare visions of not getting them done and filled in, and coming in the next day with the trenches filled up to the top with water.
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Post by MinnieMom on Oct 5, 2024 10:19:12 GMT -5
Hello again! I'm home from this trip. It was fabulous!
Minor updates before starting TR proper:
Standing Pines had no damage from the hurricane. Helene bypassed us entirely. We did lose several work days due to storm prep and crews being pulled into relief efforts. That's fine; relief efforts are 100% the priority.
Helene's path and the resulting mobilization meant I had the best drive down to Orlando ever. Waiting till 1pm to leave meant the crews had already cleared all the debris off the interstates. It also meant that for the first time I can remember, there was no construction and no construction delay in Jacksonville.
Stopping in Daytona to refuel (Sam's club instead of Buckees though) and get pizza/salad at Blaze is going to become my new thing on the drive. It works out to be great timing for either lunch or dinner, depending on departure times.
The trip was a total girls get away. I spent time with two of my BFFs and saw two other good friends, plus had a couple nights of wonderful solo travel. I did some benchmarking for Standing Pines, indulged in a truly world class resort, and fell in love with Fort Wilderness all over again.
Now I'm going to to just do some posts to eat up space so I can start the photos for the TR on a new page.
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is this the only pool?
.