Trip Report *COMPLETED* Once Upon a Christmas Time...A Very Merry Trip Report

Hello Everyone!

We just returned from yet another WDW visit this past weekend and with the holiday season quickly approaching I wanted to make sure I at least started our report before Christmas knowing that I would easily let this slip into January if I didn't.

Just to refresh your memory, this was the first trip we planned as DVC members having joined the club in March. Something we should have done years ago but better late than never, I guess! For those of you who may want to do some pre-reading, here is a link to the pre-trip report that started early this year and now seems so crazy to think the trip has already come and gone.

With that short preamble...let's start the show!

The Main Characters
My wife, Kelly, and I, along with our two Disney Princesses, Ella (7), and Lennon (5).

Here we are on our summer 2016 visit.

The Script
Once our DVC membership was completely finalized in March and we had access to the booking system we started thinking about our next visit. Kelly and I had spent Christmas in WDW way back in 2009 and we loved how the parks looked and felt decorated for the holidays. We figured this would be a great opportunity for us to head back around Christmas time and give the girls their first taste of a Disney Christmas.

Originally we booked accommodation for December 7-16 at our home resort, Saratoga Springs, and waited for the 7-month window to open to have access to other DVC options. Once the window hit we made our move. Our intention was to try and get the Grand Floridian knowing it would be next to impossible with a backup plan of either the Beach Club or Wilderness Lodge. Both BC and WL were available and we eventually decided on the BC because of the great Boardwalk location.

After we secured a one-bedroom villa at BC we decided to add another day to the trip because...well, why not! The 6th was not available at the time at BC so we ended up booking the additional night at AKL. I would periodically check back to see if the BC was open and one day, to my surprise, a one-bedroom lake view at the GF popped up. I quickly called the member line and made the switch from AKL to the Grand thinking this was likely the only chance we'd ever get to stay there so might as well take advantage.

Now we were all set and all that was left to do was wait out the remaining months and for once look forward to winter!

We planned and planned and planned as the days ticked by. Kelly and I escaped kid free to Denver in November to watch the GOAT, Tom Brady, crush the Broncos...something I have always wanted to do and finally was able to check it off the bucket list.


Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on FlickrUntitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on FlickrUntitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on FlickrUntitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on FlickrUntitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Once we returned it was all Disney, all the time as we were now less than a month away!

 

[DAKOTADISNEY]

Great photo of your stash! Looks like you could open up your own store. I'm jealous.

 

[amjt660]

Very enjoyable read @Matty30. Still sorry our paths didn’t cross!

I am sorry your paths did not cross
I am not sorry that your Pats lost!!!

Great report Matty
Looking forward to the wrap up

Max

 

[Rista1313]

I figured since @dizfan917 called out my problem with hoarding toiletries, I would give a better idea of just how bad it’s become. Don’t judge me!

That's the most awesome collection! I bow down to you!

When we were in Chicago this past weekend... the hotel had paul mitchell products in our room.... I wanted to go find and raid the maids cart... but I didn't... I was a good girl.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Great photo of your stash! Looks like you could open up your own store. I'm jealous.

It's a little out of control and I'm sure Kelly would like to see me start to thin it out but for the time being I'm happy to keep adding to it!

I am sorry your paths did not cross
I am not sorry that your Pats lost!!!

Great report Matty
Looking forward to the wrap up

Max

Thanks, Max! Was a fun report to write. Appreciate you following along. As for my Pats, as long as Belichick and Brady are still around, there's always a chance next season. For now though, my focus is back on the CFL with the season starting in just a few short months. Go Eskimos!

That's the most awesome collection! I bow down to you!

When we were in Chicago this past weekend... the hotel had paul mitchell products in our room.... I wanted to go find and raid the maids cart... but I didn't... I was a good girl.

HAHA thanks! It's way out of control but I love it. Like you, I would have been searching for the maids cart as well. Good self control on your part.

I will say, the stuff you get in the villas was great but no match for what they put out in the Cape Coral suite. Some really cool luxury items like peppermint foot scrub, after-sun gel, and instant hand moisturizers. I made sure to scoop that stuff up right away!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Before I add the "completed" label to the title of the thread I thought I would share some closing thoughts on anything that stuck out to me during the trip. I'd once again like to thank you all for reading along and commenting throughout. Made these last three months of writing the report a lot of fun.

These are likely just a series of ramblings but you've bared with me this long, what's one more post, right?

First off, this was our first time flying Delta and we were thoroughly impressed. Options are pretty limited here, it's either United (which we hate and try to avoid at all costs if possible), Delta, or our Canadian options in Air Canada and Westjet. Even though I was a little nervous flying through Minneapolis in December, the travel plan was super smooth both arriving and departing and I was a big fan of the Delta app. It was a big relief to land and know that our luggage arrived simply by checking the app. It was then on Disney to make sure it found us, which it eventually did some six hours later.

I'd have no hesitation booking Delta again though it looks like Westjet is doing a lot of work trying to include more direct flights to and from Edmonton to Orlando so that would be most convenient for future trips.

Next is my thoughts on the resorts. Our first stay, albeit short, at the Grand certainly didn't disappoint. Just stepping into the lobby and knowing we would be guests here even for one night was a real treat. With the amazing added surprise of being moved to the Cape Coral Suite for the evening was the absolute best way to kick off our trip. I'm sure we will never get that lucky again but it was such a treat to have that experience. The staff at the Grand was beyond amazing and we will always look back at that short stay as one of the most memorable we've had in all the years going to WDW.

The food options at the Grand were terrific as well. Between the club access, the selection at Gasparilla's and breakfast at 1900 Park Fare, we ate very well in only 12 hours.

Moving to the Beach Club may have been a bit of a let down simply because of the lodging itself but the resort was terrific. The location made it super easy to move between the parks and the ride DS was fairly simple as well. I loved the feel of the main resort and the villas and the decoration for the holidays was tastefully done.

Both pools were the highlight for the kids but we all really enjoyed he sand bottom pool at Stormalong Bay. I think we would choose to stay here again simply because of the pool.

My one critique of the Beach Club is the poor options for quick service meals. The Marketplace was awful and Hurricane Hanna's was only slightly better. The sitdown options are great, but it was quite disappointing to see what quick options a "deluxe" resort had to offer. Thankfully we had enough planned for meals that we didn't have to worry too much about it.

I should say it was super cool to be visiting for the first time as DVC members. It really felt like we were "home" and I am very much looking forward to many more trips and adding to our adventures.

This was our first experience with the dining plan and having read about the pro's and con's we figured we might as well try it. While we didn't end up suing every single credit we had, we thought the plan was terrific value, especially when it came to character meals. Not having to worry at all about what we wanted to order or having to carry around cash or anything like that was a massive convenience and at the end of the trip, when we did some rough calculations, we saved quite a bit of money which was a huge bonus.

I'd have no issue using the dining plan again on our next trip but we may have to weigh the option a little more based on the new structure.

The parks looked as good as I've seen them with all of the holiday decoration. MK really was magical, especially at night, and even with all of the expansion/construction going on at other parks, they looked terrific and made for some awesome photo opportunities. My one regret was the lack of time spent in Animal Kingdom and the amount of time we actually spent at Hollywood Studios. I wish we had at least one more visit to AK as most of our time was spent in Pandora and not the rest of the park.

Pandora, by the way, is stunning and I cannot wait to get back and dig a little deeper into the area. We didn't eat or drink there and we really want to do that next time.

DHS, for as much time as we spent there, is not a full day park (obviously) yet and likely wasn't really worthy of all the time we spent there, but that seems like it is going to change by the time we come back. Once Toy Story and Star Wars are complete, I can't wait to see how that transforms the park.

We did use the Minnie Van service a few times and we really liked it. It was tough to get a ride during busier times, which was frustrating but understandable, but simple enough during non-peak times. At $20/ride I was fine with the cost but now that they have added an extra $5, I would be thinking twice about flagging one down before using Uber or a regular Lyft unless we were needing to get to MK quickly. I'm curious to see how the service continues to expand.

And finally, at least for now, every interaction we had with CM's of all varieties (servers, hotel, rides, etc.) was extremely positive. I know this likely isn't the feeling for many who visit but we've always been fortunate to not have had a negative CM experience during a WDW visit. It really add to the trip and is a big reason we continue to return because we know what to expect and we're always treated really well.

If I think of any other post-trip thoughts I'll continue to add them but for now that's about all that's top of mind. Thanks again for following along. I look forward to continuing to interact with you guys and read all about your Disney adventures. It will help Kelly and I get through the gap until we are visiting again and will likely give us some great ideas of things we should be trying during our next trip!

 

[amjt660]

Great wrap up for a great trip and a great trip report

Thanks for sharing

I hope your winter ends soon
Looks like we are fingers crossed pretty much done here in souther Ontario

Thanks again @Matty30

Looking forward to the next one - you should post the DLR report if you do decide to go

Max

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Great wrap up for a great trip and a great trip report

Thanks for sharing

I hope your winter ends soon
Looks like we are fingers crossed pretty much done here in souther Ontario

Thanks again @Matty30

Looking forward to the next one - you should post the DLR report if you do decide to go

Max

Thanks again, Max!

Nice to hear your weather is looking good. Hopefully we aren’t too far behind. Forecast calls for more snow next week but fingers crossed things change.

I may have to do a DLR report if we do end up making the trip. Things are kinda leaning that way but still nothing official...I’ll keep you posted!

 

[mlegerto]

This was our first experience with the dining plan and having read about the pro's and con's we figured we might as well try it. While we didn't end up suing every single credit we had, we thought the plan was terrific value, especially when it came to character meals. Not having to worry at all about what we wanted to order or having to carry around cash or anything like that was a massive convenience and at the end of the trip, when we did some rough calculations, we saved quite a bit of money which was a huge bonus.

I'd have no issue using the dining plan again on our next trip but we may have to weigh the option a little more based on the new structure.

Thanks for the report Matt! Such a wonderful trip for your an your family and I swear your girls get cuter each trip!

I found your above thought on the Dining Plan interesting. We've done it once before on a 4 day trip (just a party of 2) and we enjoyed the convenience of it all being pre-paid and not having to carry around money. To be perfectly honest, it was booked because my husband (just a new boyfriend at that time) surprised me with a visit for my bday and didn't know my family well enough to approach them about using our DVC points, so the package he purchased came with the dining plan. At the end of the trip, we thought that it was just too much food as brushed it off as "pointless".

We have just booked another short trip for the September long weekend (only 3 nights, 4 days). We grabbed tickets for MNSSHP for that weekend, but other than that plan on having a relaxing weekend away - figured we'd treat a Disney resort like our get away cottage for the weekend. Since we aren't planning to do much in terms of parks, we have booked ourselves quite a few dining reservations. After looking at the cost of the dining plan for the short trip (being a grand total of $228 USD a person) and the cost of items on the menus for places we've booked/want to book....we are reconsidering the dining plan. Simply because it would be pre-paid and just SO convenient. I'm waiting on making the final decision to add it onto our DVC booking because I want to ensure the restaurants we want stay on the eligible participant list LOL, but I just found your post (and the timing) interesting.

Thanks for all of your tips!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Thanks for the report Matt! Such a wonderful trip for your an your family and I swear your girls get cuter each trip!

I found your above thought on the Dining Plan interesting. We've done it once before on a 4 day trip (just a party of 2) and we enjoyed the convenience of it all being pre-paid and not having to carry around money. To be perfectly honest, it was booked because my husband (just a new boyfriend at that time) surprised me with a visit for my bday and didn't know my family well enough to approach them about using our DVC points, so the package he purchased came with the dining plan. At the end of the trip, we thought that it was just too much food as brushed it off as "pointless".

We have just booked another short trip for the September long weekend (only 3 nights, 4 days). We grabbed tickets for MNSSHP for that weekend, but other than that plan on having a relaxing weekend away - figured we'd treat a Disney resort like our get away cottage for the weekend. Since we aren't planning to do much in terms of parks, we have booked ourselves quite a few dining reservations. After looking at the cost of the dining plan for the short trip (being a grand total of $228 USD a person) and the cost of items on the menus for places we've booked/want to book....we are reconsidering the dining plan. Simply because it would be pre-paid and just SO convenient. I'm waiting on making the final decision to add it onto our DVC booking because I want to ensure the restaurants we want stay on the eligible participant list LOL, but I just found your post (and the timing) interesting.

Thanks for all of your tips!

Can't thank you enough for following along and commenting throughout! I always enjoy writing these things and it's just that much more fun when people are willing to read/comment as I post.

I certainly agree that the amount of food that you get throughout any given day can be tough to consume, which is why we did pass up on some desserts and still had several snack credits left over at the end of the trip but it was super convenient having everything pre-paid, not having to worry about looking at prices on the menu and knowing that we were getting terrific value on our character meals and places like 'Ohana.

I think because we do like to frequent multiple character meals during our stay, the dining plan is even more attractive to us, but I can see the other side as well.

Hopefully all works well no matter what you decide to do for your upcoming trip! I'm sure you guys will have a great time and fingers crossed you get all the restaurants you're hoping for!

 

[DisneyJeff]

@Matty30 Sorry I'm late catching up with your TR, but a trip of my own kinda had me tied up for a while!! (Still hoping to do a TR on that one.)

Anyway, it looks like you had another great trip and congrats on your first DVC trip. It's crazy to see your girls growing up so quickly, and the "look mom, no hands" pictures on 7DMT were great!!

I don't know if you were aware, but you could have spent your last remaining food credits either at your resort or at DS. We did the dining plan once and had a couple of QS credits left over, we were able to convert them to snack credits and get some muffins, candy bars, sodas, etc from the shop at the resort.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

@Matty30 Sorry I'm late catching up with your TR, but a trip of my own kinda had me tied up for a while!! (Still hoping to do a TR on that one.)

Anyway, it looks like you had another great trip and congrats on your first DVC trip. It's crazy to see your girls growing up so quickly, and the "look mom, no hands" pictures on 7DMT were great!!

I don't know if you were aware, but you could have spent your last remaining food credits either at your resort or at DS. We did the dining plan once and had a couple of QS credits left over, we were able to convert them to snack credits and get some muffins, candy bars, sodas, etc from the shop at the resort.

Hope you had a great trip, Jeff!

Thanks for following along! I look forward to reading your report when you get the chance to share it with us.

We did end up using a bunch of our remaining credits at the resort to load up on snacks and treats to bring back with us just before we made our way to the airport. We were able to give away some of the treats to friends and family when we returned. I still have some bags of candy left that I should really dip into sooner or later.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

One thing I totally forgot to post was the "Thank You" we received from Disney a few weeks after we returned from the World. We received a Mickey sketch after our 2016 visit but this one made Lennon very, VERY happy!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/233MAuu]Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/233MAwy]Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]