Trip Report An OG Anniversary Trip - Completed

And we're back!

We'll be spending our anniversary-ish trip at Walt Disney World. You may remember that we've turned into avid Disney cruisers and have pretty much sailabrated (see what I did there) on a cruise ship for the past several years. Much to our dismay, that won't be happening this year, but cruising will be back, so in the meantime, we will get Disney where we can.

If you've followed our past journeys, we may have mentioned that we had a DLR and cruise planned for mid-September. Cruise was cancelled and it's not looking like DLR is going to open the parks any time soon. We hate that Disney waits until THE LAST MINUTE to cancel, so we've taken it upon ourselves to change our plans.

I called up DVC today (less than 5-minute wait) and changed our Grand Californian stay to a Walt Disney World stay.

Here's the rundown. Jim Halpert needs to take notes.

Who:

What: A rescheduled DLR trip.
When: September 22 - 27
Where: Boardwalk Villas Studio

We converted a 3-day ticket for a visit in February to a 6-day in September, no problem. I made park reservations as well. I'm not going to lie...when this park reservation business began, I thought this was going to be a crazy free-for-all and all the dates would be snatched up. I was wrong. I've had positive experiences both times when reserving parks.

We have our room reservation and tickets in place. Now I'm working on flights and dining reservations.

 

[RememberWhen]

Whelp, we closed out MK and just had to come back to Enchant Rose. @MinnieM123 looks like I'm a liar! We just had to try a few more and they turned out to be just as good as Wednesday!
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Better late than never! For sure, the Inchanted Rhouse should be indoctrinated in to our awesomeness. You and I would only classy this place to pieces. Speaking of which, when we meeting at CSB? Heck well come to you and can do Dry County or Burnt Hickory.

As for BWV, The location has been great for this trip. Our room location, that’s debatable. We are almost the last room on the furthest wing of the DVC building. This is great for walking to HS and to the quiet pool but we are, what feels like, two Kidani houses away from everything else. And what the heck is up with ONE elevator bank for the whole resort!?!? Our room has been very clean but very dated. We realized last night that our ac system is still analog based as our thermostat is the kind with the sliding arm. And then the light switches. Its like you have to have a masters degree in the Da Vinci Code to work the lights in the room. The quiet pool has been great. We will probably try out Pennywise’s pool tonight. Love to stay in a boardwalk view one trip. Still, wed come back. The points per night makes it very attractive. Overall, BWV is very repeatable.

Those hallways are LONG. But the boardwalk view (at least precovid) was really great. We love sitting on the balcony and watching the antics down on the boardwalk. Plus views of epcot are pretty great. The pool is terrible. Creepy clown. Why?!

 

[lostpro9het]

Back at AK today. Already took in Blue Man Soarin, a safari trek, and the gorilla trails. Queued up for EE now. Got to see some great rhino action today.

 

[lostpro9het]

Some more trails to see the gorillas we missed earlier and now back at the bird show, again! Yeah, its that good and my bride loves the animals.

 

[imahistorygeek]

This was taken about an hour after the park opened.

The Boardwalk is really nice lit up a night. It was a little busy on one of our nights, but nothing like when it's at full capacity. The pizza window was steady and the tables were occupied by the water. It's really nice and quiet without the boats running. We really liked staying at the Boardwalk and would stay there again in the future, but just a different location. Either the bed was extremely comfortable or I was extremely tired or a little of both. The temp was good, plus there was a ceiling fan. The only cons of the room were the hot tub right outside our balcony, the light switches, and that dang paper towel holder under the sink. Also, they are still using single-use toiletries.

 

[imahistorygeek]

The Skyliner...

It was fine. It's a convenient way to get around, but every time it hit one of those bumpy towers, I held on for DEAR LIFE. I'll only use it again if absolutely necessary.

This the HS parking lot. There were still a couple of hours until closing and it was a ghost town.

 

[imahistorygeek]

These are some of my favorite birds and I love watching them building their nests.

I love how Sanaa incorporates their nests in its decor. These birds and their nests can be found on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.

 

[imahistorygeek]

Since the real world starts back tomorrow, I want to wrap this up.

What I liked:

• Reduced crowds - It was nice. Wait time were reasonable.
• New things - Narcoossee's was amazing! We had surf and turf and I swear it was some of the best lobster I've ever had in my life. The entire meal was excellent from start to finish. We will definitely be eating there again.
• Skipper Canteen - It was way better than expected. We had a couple meals in the past that were just fine. I know all there is to know about fried chicken and I'm particular. Skipper Canteen fried chicken was excellent. The breading was crunchy and flavorful, and most importantly, it stayed on the chicken. That's important.
• Riding three new rides!
• Being able to hop, skip, and jump over to HS. I believe this helped get us to almost front of the line to get in the park and the ability to walk on Runaway Railway.
• The biggest surprise was Runaway Railway. You just start smiling in the beginning and you don't stop! It's fun and Disney knocked it out of the park.
• I saw a lot more blue nametags and years of service pins on CMs. Maybe they brought their best CMs back to work.
• Room was ready by 10:30 am.
• The bird show at AK was really good. No UP! and no Brazilian Tourist theme. Jokes were corny, but I still laughed.
• Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom. It's fun and I like the ability to keep using the cards to increase their power. This is a great game for everyone.
• There is still a small preshow for FoP. It's the perfect length and I think it should be the final version from here on out. Most importantly, there are no "ums." All of them have been cut out of the preshow.
• We liked sitting by the pool with more activity, like games and a bar.
• Enchanted Rose
• Regal Eagle in the American Pavilion. It's really good (better than Flametree) and it's a solid addition to the World Showcase.
  
  What I didn't like:
• Dang it was hot!
• Having to stop to drink and eat. I get it, but I still didn't like it.
• Paying full price for tickets for less experiences.
• Skyliners

Overall, it was a great trip and we had a great time. We did make the decision that we will not be back until the mask mandate has been lifted and park reservations are not required. It's miserable in a mask in this heat. We are no longer park commandos. Our usual MO is reserve evening FPs, rides in the AM, go back to resort, and then return to same/different park for evening FPs. It's just the way we like to do Disney.

Hopefully our next Disney trip will be in March on the Disney Wonder sailing out of San Diego!

 

[MinnieM123]

It's really nice and quiet without the boats running.

Regarding the Boardwalk area at night -- are the Friendship boats not running at all? (Or have they just cut down the hours that the boats run.) Haven't kept up with all the various details since the parks went into shutdown, so I wasn't sure if all the transportation (including watercraft) was operating. (I know that the gondolas, monorail and buses are back online.)

 

[imahistorygeek]

Regarding the Boardwalk area at night -- are the Friendship boats not running at all? (Or have they just cut down the hours that the boats run.) Haven't kept up with all the various details since the parks went into shutdown, so I wasn't sure if all the transportation (including watercraft) was operating. (I know that the gondolas, monorail and buses are back online.)

They are not running at all.

 

[imahistorygeek]

I have more pictures to share, but I wanted to share this one real quick.

I'm sure DCL is trying to unload a lot of 2020 merchandise. I was so happy to find this in a resort shop.

 

[wdisney9000]

Whelp, we closed out MK and just had to come back to Enchant Rose. @MinnieM123 looks like I'm a liar! We just had to try a few more and they turned out to be just as good as Wednesday!
View attachment 500831View attachment 500832View attachment 500833View attachment 500834View attachment 500835



Better late than never! For sure, the Inchanted Rhouse should be indoctrinated in to our awesomeness. You and I would only classy this place to pieces. Speaking of which, when we meeting at CSB? Heck well come to you and can do Dry County or Burnt Hickory.

As for BWV, The location has been great for this trip. Our room location, that’s debatable. We are almost the last room on the furthest wing of the DVC building. This is great for walking to HS and to the quiet pool but we are, what feels like, two Kidani houses away from everything else. And what the heck is up with ONE elevator bank for the whole resort!?!? Our room has been very clean but very dated. We realized last night that our ac system is still analog based as our thermostat is the kind with the sliding arm. And then the light switches. Its like you have to have a masters degree in the Da Vinci Code to work the lights in the room. The quiet pool has been great. We will probably try out Pennywise’s pool tonight. Love to stay in a boardwalk view one trip. Still, wed come back. The points per night makes it very attractive. Overall, BWV is very repeatable.

Glad to hear y'all enjoyed the Boardwalk. Our last two stays we had a room at end of the DVC hallway as well. I agree that it's great for hitting the pathway to HS. As far as getting to the lobby, I just a bring a beer for the walk.

We sold the house in Kennesaw 2 months ago and kept C's mom house up here in Cherokee county. We went back and forth for months over which house to sell and then we had someone make us a very good cash offer for the Kennesaw house ( we hadn't even listed it), and that pretty much settled it. We are close to Highway 20, and right near Reformation Brewery which has quickly become our favorite spot. Huge patio, good selection of beers and food trucks on the weekends.

You and the bride should take one of those new fangled trolleys out this way and meet your boy for a cold sarsaparilla.

 

[wdisney9000]

Cheers from Reformation Brewery (Canton location).

 

[wdisney9000]

I'm just gonna go ahead and continue to hijack this thread. I only do so because I think @lostpro9het would be soooo proud that I actually ordered a porter. And old favorite of his....Dragons Milk. But there's a caveat.

It's Dragons Milk White. So my question is, do I still get credit Professor Prophet?

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

I'm just gonna go ahead and continue to hijack this thread. I only do so because I think @lostpro9het would be soooo proud that I actually ordered a porter. And old favorite of his....Dragons Milk. But there's a caveat.

View attachment 502698

It's Dragons Milk White. So my question is, do I still get credit Professor Prophet?

I’m intrigued by the idea of this white version.

Love the original and have some in the fridge right now in fact.

 

[Doc Disney]

I enjoyed reading everything !!!
Thanks for bringing a little Disney Magic to me

I had in my mind that it was a Beauty & the Beast theme. I couldn't be more wrong. It's elegant and beautiful on the inside. We made our way to the bar and ordered our two drinks. We watched Sheila, the bartender, make our drinks. They were heavy on the good alcohol. Beautiful presentation of the drinks and they were good. I think they were well worth the $. You could definitely taste the alcohol in these drinks whereas the drinks at Tambu tasted watered down. Enchanted Rose is upscale and the quality of the drinks reflect the setting. This may be our new watering hole.

I love Enchanted Rose! I think I paid $20 for a French 75 but it was indeed top of the line liquor and I had a bunch of drinks at Trader Games beforehand so....I don't think I cared

 

[lostpro9het]

You and the bride should take one of those new fangled trolleys out this way and meet your boy for a cold sarsaparilla.

Throw out a day and we’re down! The weather has been perfect for some outdoor sipping.

I'm just gonna go ahead and continue to hijack this thread. I only do so because I think @lostpro9het would be soooo proud that I actually ordered a porter. And old favorite of his....Dragons Milk. But there's a caveat.

View attachment 502698

It's Dragons Milk White. So my question is, do I still get credit Professor Prophet?

Im just happy to see that you put the WhiteClaw down for a minute(true story I have your contact in my phone listed as WhiteClawKeith). Still, that DMWhite only gets you partial credit. To be fair, I’ve only had one porter this weekend and need to up my game. I did pop open a bottle of strong ale that I got in last year’s beer exchange that has been cellared since 2017, it was excellent and sits at 11%. I also got into the holiday season with some atomic pumpkin brewed with chili peppers. I’m going to dive into another cellared bottle tonight from the cruise, an 18% stout by Dogfish Head.

I enjoyed reading everything !!!
Thanks for bringing a little Disney Magic to me



I love Enchanted Rose! I think I paid $20 for a French 75 but it was indeed top of the line liquor and I had a bunch of drinks at Trader Games beforehand so....I don't think I cared

Thank you for joining us! Yeah, I think ER will be a one drink a trip for us and we too pregamed at the Poly. It was just nice to see a different drink menu than the standard one the other bars run with.

 

[imahistorygeek]

I enjoyed reading everything !!!
Thanks for bringing a little Disney Magic to me



I love Enchanted Rose! I think I paid $20 for a French 75 but it was indeed top of the line liquor and I had a bunch of drinks at Trader Games beforehand so....I don't think I cared

I think the Old Fashioned was $20 and probably the best I'd ever had.

 

[imahistorygeek]

What's next for us? Well, we currently have two Disney (one cruise and one WDW) trips planned and non-Disney cruises.

February - WDW, but we don't have tickets and I hate having to pay for tickets again.

March - Disney Cruise out of San Diego and hoping for a short stop at Disneyland.

Thanks for following along!

 

[RememberWhen]

What's next for us? Well, we currently have two Disney (one cruise and one WDW) trips planned and non-Disney cruises.

February - WDW, but we don't have tickets and I hate having to pay for tickets again.

March - Disney Cruise out of San Diego and hoping for a short stop at Disneyland.

Thanks for following along!

Hoping all your plans work out! Maybe just a resort visit in February? Or maybe they’ll finally open up AP sales...

 

[PacNWTigger]

I have my fingers crossed for you that your March plan for DLR work out for you guys. We are definitely going through Disney withdrawals in our household, and DLR was our go-to being on the West Coast. I haven't even seen a date for opening for them that has stuck yet.