Get out of the pool!! - Nine Nights, Three Resorts, and a Surprise Upgrade, July 2019 TR - Final Update 1/22

Ah the parks during the holidays. I am hoping to get to Disneyland during the holidays at some point. We were at WDW Thanksgiving last year, so feeling a little blue about missing the holidays this year. But we have a Thanksgiving trip for the D23 Destination D convention planned for next Thanksgiving at WDW again. We are staying in a DVC studio at Boardwalk for the first time in July, so looking forward to seeing this.

We've never seen WDW during the holidays, but have been to Disneyland the past 2 Thanksgivings. We won't be at either for the holidays next year, so I'm anticipating those same blues. I hope you enjoy Boardwalk next summer! The atmosphere really is great. When in July are you going?

You know you picked a great resort when your kids want to say goodbye to everything! :laughing:

Ha! My kids are pretty soft touches when it comes to falling in love with Disney stuff, but yes, this one did earn a special place for them.

What a sweet picture of your much smaller kids! I always love seeing a throwback picture.

I like seeing people's throwbacks as well, which is why I include a few. We finally have enough trips and time under our belts to really see a difference across the years.

Despite the heat, it looks like you had a great morning in Epcot. Even though you bypassed TT, since you'll get to ride it again later it was probably a good call.

It was great, but definitely IN SPITE OF the heat lol. It was so hot! And my poor curly hair cannot handle itself in that humidity. And as for skipping TT - #noregrets

Yay, glad you had some uncrowded days (even if it was due to the rain/cold)!! It looks like you all had a wonderful trip to DL, thanks for doing a mini write-up. :-) I'm not sure when we'll make it back to DL, this was our 3rd year in a row going. It may be a few years from now, but I'm glad I got to see it all decked out for the holidays again. Your Space Mountain experience sounds so cool, what a thrill doing it with the lights on!

We are in the exact same boat - 3rd year in a row going, but don't know when we will be back. Until this point having my MIL there gave us a good excuse to go and made the trips a lot more affordable. Now, they are moving back here to Texas next summer, so our Disneyland connection is gone. However, as I mentioned, DMIL is also Disney crazy and is talking about planning a yearly trip there for themselves beginning in 2021, so we'll probably end up tagging along at some point. Also, the announcement of possible DVC at the Disneyland Hotel has me eyeing possibly planning many trips back :rolleyes1
 
We've never seen WDW during the holidays, but have been to Disneyland the past 2 Thanksgivings. We won't be at either for the holidays next year, so I'm anticipating those same blues. I hope you enjoy Boardwalk next summer! The atmosphere really is great. When in July are you going?

7/12-18 and 7/25-26
 
Your DL trip looks perfect :love: How I wish my MIL lived 20 minutes from DL too!


We finally officially have dates, as Southwest released summer flights this week so we’ve got our plane tickets booked. We will be back in the World 6/26-7/6, our first ever 4th of July at WDW. Can’t wait!

I saw you in the July thread! We overlap by a lot...we will be there July 1-July 8th and we are at the BCV :cool1::cool1::cool1: This will be our first ever 4th of July there as well!

We are used to going in April so when I just got our SW plane tickets for July and saw how much less expensive they are, I was super happy!

I think you're at the BC for at least part of that trip??? We'll have to DISmeet!


use the term “we” loosely, as I didn’t ride. Once the kids tried the orange side for the first time they were hooked. I, on the other hand, was out for good,

Ugh...I can barely tolerate the green side. I would happily sit out of that one.


My tiny babies in the same spot 6 years earlier. 😭

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Aw...I love those memory shots :love:


By this point my hair had completely lost the battle against the humidity.

This is what I'm most worried about in July :crazy2:
 
We went to Disneyland over Thanksgiving and had an amazing time,
I enjoyed seeing the pictures on FB, glad you guys had a good trip!
A theme for me on this trip was being given the red card. I was the chosen one many times.
Ah they still have the red card! No more in WDW
We will be back in the World 6/26-7/6, our first ever 4th of July at WDW. Can’t wait!
Ohh, oooohhh..................I have to keep this in mind..............we are looking at the 3-8th or 4-9th! Stay tuned :thumbsup2
We spent some time exploring the aquarium, which we have not done much of in the past, and got to see this guy eating up close.
We did this with Billie in September and it was the first time we'd spent any time looking around there in a few years. Forgot how enjoyable it was!
 


I just binged your whole report and am loving it! A little Dis break during the insanity of Christmas prep. Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures! We were also there in July but a little earlier in the month. :)
 
Your Disneyland trip looks fun! I’m glad your mother-in-law got to spend some time with you in the parks.

It looks like a great morning in Epcot!

I’m glad you got your summer dates figured out. You will love Disney over the 4th! I’m making progress on my summer trip, too. I have a DVC renter lined up to book us at the Poly for five nights in August. I’m hoping there is availability in a few weeks when she tries to make the reservation. If all goes as planned, we’ll be at the Poly for my 40th birthday!

ETA - Where did you decide to stay for this summer’s trip?
 
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Thanks for sharing a little of your Disneyland trip! Looks like a great time even in the rain!

I can't wait to get there next year and see the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay on the HM!
 


All of your Disneyland pics are making me want to go back!!!!

I have briefly seen Space with the lights on once at WDW when we were riding the Peoplemover when it was down, but it was extra awesome to actually have the perspective of sitting in a ride vehicle with the lights on.

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Still so cool.

he kids were going nuts about how they couldn’t wait to tell their friends at school and the adults were pretty over the moon as well.
Ha! Most of Morgan and Gwen's friends wouldn't even get it.

As always, awsome!

he boys went to Morocco to get their food, then met Cora and me in Japan where we had gotten our meals.

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I love the Shwarma plate! You didn't like it? I mean I make a way better version at home... but still

that looks ok. Kind of like chicken broth with noodles in it.

Cora had been bugging me to hunt for an extra fastpass for Test Track, as it’s her favorite ride. I had actually been successful, and had gotten one with a return time 20 minutes in the future. However, I was hot and full and we had gotten the text that our room was ready at our next resort back at 11:30am – nice and early for a DVC rental! So I was a bad mom and lied and said I hadn’t been able to get a FP. Thankfully she gave up easily, as she was also hot, and I only felt slightly guilty, as I knew we’d be riding it again later in the trip. I quietly released the fastpasses back into the system for some other lucky soul as we made our way out of the park to the monorail.
I might have done the same! Test Track is just ok to me. The girls def love it more than I do.
 
Your DL trip looks perfect :love: How I wish my MIL lived 20 minutes from DL too!

It's great! They're moving back here next summer. It's going to be nice having them back in town, but I'm going to miss my DL hook-up! However, she is just as addicted as we are. She's talking about going back to CA once a year for a month and renting a house through airbnb so we can come join them when we can and go to DL, so I'm sure we'll be back!

We are used to going in April so when I just got our SW plane tickets for July and saw how much less expensive they are, I was super happy!

Ooh, yeah, I bet spring break airline pricing is rough!

I think you're at the BC for at least part of that trip??? We'll have to DISmeet!

Yes! We will either be at Yacht or Beach for the last part of our trip. I have YC booked now because that's where the discount was available, but will change to BC if I can find it at a decent price. Either way, should be really easy to arrange a DISmeet!

This is what I'm most worried about in July :crazy2:

I have just had to reconcile with myself that my hair will look good in exactly zero pictures and just roll with it.

Ah they still have the red card! No more in WDW

I know! It was a nice little trip down memory lane.

Ohh, oooohhh..................I have to keep this in mind..............we are looking at the 3-8th or 4-9th! Stay tuned :thumbsup2

So now it looks like it's officially happening, right?? And you'll also be in the Epcot resort area if I remember correctly.

We did this with Billie in September and it was the first time we'd spent any time looking around there in a few years. Forgot how enjoyable it was!

It really was! It tends to be something we just speed through before moving on to the next thing, but I want to make a point to slow down and spend more time there in the future.

I just binged your whole report and am loving it! A little Dis break during the insanity of Christmas prep. Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures! We were also there in July but a little earlier in the month. :)

Thank you and :welcome: ! I've been so slow at responding that the insanity of the holidays has come and gone and now we're in the long cold hell of January (this is my least favorite time of year, if you couldn't tell). How was early July?? This was our second late July trip in a row, but we're switching to earlier in the month this year.

Your Disneyland trip looks fun! I’m glad your mother-in-law got to spend some time with you in the parks.

It really was great and I'm so glad the kids are getting to make Disney memories with their grandma.

I’m glad you got your summer dates figured out. You will love Disney over the 4th! I’m making progress on my summer trip, too. I have a DVC renter lined up to book us at the Poly for five nights in August. I’m hoping there is availability in a few weeks when she tries to make the reservation. If all goes as planned, we’ll be at the Poly for my 40th birthday!

ETA - Where did you decide to stay for this summer’s trip?

That's so exciting! We actually have Poly Villas booked for the first part of our trip this summer (6/26-6/30). We've never stayed there before, but it looks amazing. Sounds perfect for a birthday celebration! Were you able to get your reservation?? Part 2 of our trip (6/30-7/6) is booked at Yacht Club right now, as we know we want to end the trip with easy Epcot access and Stormalong Bay! However, as I mentioned above, I plan to switch to BC if I can find it with a discount. I'm sure we'll enjoy YC though if I can't.

Thanks for sharing a little of your Disneyland trip! Looks like a great time even in the rain!

I can't wait to get there next year and see the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay on the HM!

It really is amazing! Their holiday overlays blow me away. I hope you have a great trip!

All of your Disneyland pics are making me want to go back!!!!

You should! They're making me want to go back too lol

Ha! Most of Morgan and Gwen's friends wouldn't even get it.

Yeah, I didn't think Cora and Alex's friends would get it either, but they were just so excited. They need some Disney friends lol


I love the Shwarma plate! You didn't like it? I mean I make a way better version at home... but still

I actually didn't try it. I think the boys liked it ok. I was mostly disappointed in Cora's and my food from Japan.


that looks ok. Kind of like chicken broth with noodles in it.

Yep, but Cora would pretty much just eat the broth and noodles and none of the other stuff because she's annoying like that, so it didn't make for the most nutritious or filling meal.


I might have done the same! Test Track is just ok to me. The girls def love it more than I do.

I actually really love Test Track, but I was loving the idea of sitting down and getting into some AC more on this day. I'm one of those crazy people who actually prefers TT to Radiator Springs Racers, though I do love RSR!
 
Day 5: July 23, Part 2 – Bay Lake Tower

After the long monorail trip – Epcot monorail to the TTC, change to the resort beam, ride past Poly, Grand Flo, and MK, get off at Contemporary – we finally arrived.

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We could have taken the sky bridge over from the Contemporary, but I like walking in from the outside through the lobby the first time we enter. The smell of the lobby coupled with the “welcome home” greeting from the cast members is like a quick jolt of Disney feels for me. So despite the fact that it was raining, we exited the Contemporary down the back stairs and walked around to the front of the resort. It was worth it.

This was our 3rd time staying at BLT, but the last time had been in 2016. Both of the previous times we had been on the 5th floor (despite my request for a high floor), but ended up loving the convenience of it, as that’s the floor the sky bridge connects to in BLT, which made for quick and easy runs over to Contemporary for monorail access, shopping, or resort mug refills. This time I didn’t make a room request so, of course, we ended up with a high floor – floor 15 out of 16 to be exact. Here was our view of the pool/Bay Lake.

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The BLT studios are notoriously small, but we’d never had an issue with the space. This time we really felt that space (or lack thereof). The last time we were at BLT our kids were 8 and almost-6. This time coming in with an 11 and almost-9 year old was pushing it a bit. It was still ultimately, but we definitely felt the squeeze, particularly after the spaciousness of our Boardwalk room. No matter. This resort is Alex’s favorite and I love it as well. We may have to upgrade to a 1 bedroom next time, though.

After settling in and getting our luggage brought up we wanted to do a little wandering around the resort. Picture from the elevator lobby near the sky bridge.

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This concourse makes me so happy.

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For those who are new to my trip reports, my Disney-loving MIL is a seamstress and enjoys making the kids costumes for our trips. We had a set planned for this evening’s dinner reservation, but the kids wanted to go ahead and get into the costumes at this point, so we set out with Snow White and the Prince around the resort. Alex was so happy to be back at BLT that he was dancing in the concourse.

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We also spent some time in the Community Hall, where Snow White got intensely involved in a game of checkers.

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The Prince crashed out on the couch to watch a movie.

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Activity list that I took a picture of, once again fully intending to take advantage of something.

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Once again, I failed. Sigh. Oh well, to be continued…
 
Day 5: July 23, Part 3 – Artist Point

As you might have guessed, we were headed to the Snow White meal at Artist Point which meant another first for us – our very first time seeing Wilderness Lodge! I got into the spirit of the meal with a purple top and an Evil Queen pin.

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This was also our first time using the boat launch from the Contemporary. When we first got down there there was not another soul or boat in sight and we wondered if we were in the wrong place. However, it was kind of nice having the dock to ourselves and, of course, eventually a boat showed up and we were soon leaving the Contemporary/BLT behind.

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I took the opportunity to snap the rare photo of my kids being sweet with each other on the boat.

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From the moment we stepped off the boat we were blown away by Wilderness Lodge. The resort was so gorgeous and DH and Cora now have it at the top of their must-do list. Eventually we will have to make a stay there happen. We actually had it booked for a time for this trip, but ended up changing to BWI.

The lobby was amazing and the kids enjoyed a lot of the details.

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We had a bit of a wait to be seated and once we were I really didn’t like our table. We were stuck in a corner so it was impossible to see anything going on in the rest of the restaurant.

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Still, the character interaction was great and the food was pretty good. The kids listed this as their favorite meal of the trip, both food-wise and atmospherically. Even the drinks were well-themed. I got the Enchanted Apple cocktail.

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Cora got a transformation potion, which she thought was so cool. It starts out as a cup of cotton candy, then they pour the “potion” on top and it instantly dissolves into what I can only imagine is an incredibly sweet drink, though I didn’t taste it. She loved it.

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I can’t remember what DH got to drink, but he was being very refined with his glass.

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That is, until he took a drink.

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The shared appetizers were also decent, but tiny - Mushroom Bisque, Hunter’s Terrine, and Shrimp Cocktail.

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I don’t eat shrimp and DH doesn’t eat mushrooms so we just traded our portions of each to each other. I was quite happy with that arrangement, as that mushroom bisque was really good.

Here were our meals

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The mac and cheese is, of course, Alex’s, and we were treated to some additional singing about m&c. He had a lot of mac and cheese this trip, but this was his favorite version. It didn’t hurt that it was served with broccoli, which is his favorite food (because he is a strange child).

As expected, we were visited by Snow White, Grumpy, and Dopey as we ate.

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The kids being in costume made for some fun interactions. I particularly enjoyed the Evil Queen’s face when she saw them.

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Finally, it was time for dessert.

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My favorite was the gooseberry pie, but they were all actually pretty good. Of course, there was still one special dessert to come, which the kids didn’t know to expect. The presentation of what is basically just caramel corn is really cool.

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The experience as a whole was really enjoyable and felt special and the kids are begging to go back. However, I’d have a hard time justifying the cost of a repeat visit without free dining. I’m glad we did it once, though.

After our meal we felt stuffed and lazy so, even though we could easily have just taken the boat back to Contemporary from Wilderness Lodge, we decided to be ridiculous and ordered a Minnie Van. Alex went back to dancing as we waited for our ride.

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It arrived pretty quickly and the cast member driving made a fuss over the kids costumes, which tickled them. Once we pulled up to Bay Lake Tower she turned around and told the kids that this one was on Minnie and comped our ride! That was a great little surprise, as I was feeling a little guilty for the totally unnecessary splurge. I gave her a nice tip.

Back in our room we heard the MK fireworks going off and we realized we were high enough up to see a few of the fireworks from our balcony.

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It made for quite a magical ending to the evening and reminded us of why we love the MK resort area so much.
 
We will be staying at BLT for the first time in November. We have stayed at Contempo before. We stayed at Wilderness Lodge last March, actually in CCV, and loved it. Your trip looks really great. Only about 6 more months for us.
 
I’m not sure if I ever told you, but we did stay at BLT after our Disney Cruise in 2017. We liked it, my boys loved it. I’m not sure if we’ll stay there again, but I’m glad we tried it.

We love the Wilderness Lodge; we’ve stayed there twice, but haven’t booked a return trip there because I think the rooms need a refresh. I do think the rooms are under refurbishment now, so maybe next trip will stay there again. We’ll see...

Your dinner looked fun! I’ve read mixed reviews about the food. A lady I work with ate there on her last trip and she hated it. I’m hesitant to book there, but I’d live to meet the characters.

I read where you are staying on your next trip up thread and I had to chuckle to myself. We have almost the same trip booked, but in reverse. We are at the YC from August 3rd-9th and the Poly from August 9th-14th. We may add on one more night at Gran Destino Tower, but I’m waiting until Southwest releases their next round of flights to decide on that. I love the YC more than the BC - the rooms are amazing - but my boys like the BC more. I also keep on checking for discounted rooms at the BC and we’ll make the switch if something opens, otherwise we’ll stick with YC.
 
Yes! We will either be at Yacht or Beach for the last part of our trip. I have YC booked now because that's where the discount was available, but will change to BC if I can find it at a decent price. Either way, should be really easy to arrange a DISmeet!

Well, we just switched back to BLT…it's a long story…but I'd still love to DISmeet that week. Our dates changed a little as well…we are now going 7/2-7/10.

I have just had to reconcile with myself that my hair will look good in exactly zero pictures and just roll with it.

I guess I'll do the same and embrace the scrunchy :crazy2:


We could have taken the sky bridge over from the Contemporary, but I like walking in from the outside through the lobby the first time we enter. The smell of the lobby coupled with the “welcome home” greeting from the cast members is like a quick jolt of Disney feels for me. So despite the fact that it was raining, we exited the Contemporary down the back stairs and walked around to the front of the resort. It was worth it.

I love that smell :love:


Here was our view of the pool/Bay Lake.

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Very nice :thumbsup2


The BLT studios are notoriously small, but we’d never had an issue with the space. This time we really felt that space (or lack thereof). The last time we were at BLT our kids were 8 and almost-6. This time coming in with an 11 and almost-9 year old was pushing it a bit. It was still ultimately, but we definitely felt the squeeze, particularly after the spaciousness of our Boardwalk room. No matter. This resort is Alex’s favorite and I love it as well. We may have to upgrade to a 1 bedroom next time, though.

It's tough when the kids get older and bigger. That's part of the reason we just changed back to BLT from the BCV. My DS18 has decided not to join us since he's going to do basic training this summer for the ROTC :sad1: With just the 4 of us now, we decided we don't need a 2-bedroom like we were having at BCV, so we switched back to a 1-bedroom at BLT. The nicest part about the 1-bedroom at BLT is that there are still 2 full bathrooms, plus there are sleeping spaces for 5 (technically) but all it means is that there is the extra sleeping chair in the living room along with the pullout sofa.We really couldn't look at 1-bedrooms without that because then we'd have to sleep girls in one bed and boys in the other since our kids are step-siblings. It would really be a weird situation and I've put WAY too much thought into this this past week!


For those who are new to my trip reports, my Disney-loving MIL is a seamstress and enjoys making the kids costumes for our trips

Gorgeous. She is is talented!

took the opportunity to snap the rare photo of my kids being sweet with each other on the boat.

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Sweet. I love these (rare) moments :lovestruc


From the moment we stepped off the boat we were blown away by Wilderness Lodge. The resort was so gorgeous and DH and Cora now have it at the top of their must-do list. Eventually we will have to make a stay there happen. We actually had it booked for a time for this trip, but ended up changing to BWI.

Mike really wants to stay here and I thought about doing this for a split stay in July but with the whole weird sleeping arrangement, we decided against it. We'll have to try when it's just the two of us.


The kids being in costume made for some fun interactions. I particularly enjoyed the Evil Queen’s face when she saw them.

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Awesome pic :goodvibes


It arrived pretty quickly and the cast member driving made a fuss over the kids costumes, which tickled them. Once we pulled up to Bay Lake Tower she turned around and told the kids that this one was on Minnie and comped our ride! That was a great little surprise, as I was feeling a little guilty for the totally unnecessary splurge. I gave her a nice tip.

How nice!


It made for quite a magical ending to the evening and reminded us of why we love the MK resort area so much.

Me too. I'm a little sad not to be staying at BCV in July, but I really do love this area :lovestruc
 
This was our 3rd time staying at BLT, but the last time had been in 2016. Both of the previous times we had been on the 5th floor (despite my request for a high floor), but ended up loving the convenience of it, as that’s the floor the sky bridge connects to in BLT, which made for quick and easy runs over to Contemporary for monorail access, shopping, or resort mug refills. This time I didn’t make a room request so, of course, we ended up with a high floor – floor 15 out of 16 to be exact. Here was our view of the pool/Bay Lake.
Such a beautiful view!
As you might have guessed, we were headed to the Snow White meal at Artist Point which meant another first for us – our very first time seeing Wilderness Lodge! I got into the spirit of the meal with a purple top and an Evil Queen pin.
The kids costumes are amazing and I like your subtle Evil Queen Disneybound.
From the moment we stepped off the boat we were blown away by Wilderness Lodge. The resort was so gorgeous and DH and Cora now have it at the top of their must-do list. Eventually we will have to make a stay there happen. We actually had it booked for a time for this trip, but ended up changing to BWI.
We stayed at CCV this past summer and LOVED it! So much in fact, that we bought a resale contract at Boulder Ridge Villas.
The mac and cheese is, of course, Alex’s, and we were treated to some additional singing about m&c. He had a lot of mac and cheese this trip, but this was his favorite version. It didn’t hurt that it was served with broccoli, which is his favorite food (because he is a strange child).
That mac looks so good. My three always loved broccoli too, they used to ask for "trees" and dip when they were little.
The kids being in costume made for some fun interactions. I particularly enjoyed the Evil Queen’s face when she saw them.
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
It arrived pretty quickly and the cast member driving made a fuss over the kids costumes, which tickled them. Once we pulled up to Bay Lake Tower she turned around and told the kids that this one was on Minnie and comped our ride! That was a great little surprise, as I was feeling a little guilty for the totally unnecessary splurge. I gave her a nice tip.
That is amazing!
It made for quite a magical ending to the evening and reminded us of why we love the MK resort area so much.
Totally agree! :goodvibes
 
What a great view from your room! (Of course you finally got the high floor once you didn't request it! :laughing: )

I loved my stay at the Wilderness Lodge in 2016 - it's such a beautiful resort! I'm still sad they changed Artist Point to a character meal (it was previously one of my favorite meals), but I'm coming around to trying the new concept sometime. I'm glad your family had a good time!
 
We will be staying at BLT for the first time in November. We have stayed at Contempo before. We stayed at Wilderness Lodge last March, actually in CCV, and loved it. Your trip looks really great. Only about 6 more months for us.

I hope you love it! I know some don't enjoy the "theme," but I always feel like I'm sleeping in an extension of Tomorrowland, which is a great theme! Here's hoping the time until the next trip flies by for both of us.

Reading along and enjoying your report.

Thanks and :welcome:!

I’m not sure if I ever told you, but we did stay at BLT after our Disney Cruise in 2017. We liked it, my boys loved it. I’m not sure if we’ll stay there again, but I’m glad we tried it.

I remember you were thinking about it, but I didn't remember that you had done it. I'm glad they enjoyed it! We won't be staying there again unless it's in a 1 bedroom, which is a pretty steep jump, but I'll probably pull the trigger on it at some point because we'll miss the resort too much.

We love the Wilderness Lodge; we’ve stayed there twice, but haven’t booked a return trip there because I think the rooms need a refresh. I do think the rooms are under refurbishment now, so maybe next trip will stay there again. We’ll see...

I'm pretty sure I read that they're starting a refurb now, so hopefully it'll be a good option in the next year or two.

Your dinner looked fun! I’ve read mixed reviews about the food. A lady I work with ate there on her last trip and she hated it. I’m hesitant to book there, but I’d live to meet the characters.

Yeah, I've seen mixed reviews too so I was a little wary. I was glad our experience turned out to be so good.

I read where you are staying on your next trip up thread and I had to chuckle to myself. We have almost the same trip booked, but in reverse. We are at the YC from August 3rd-9th and the Poly from August 9th-14th. We may add on one more night at Gran Destino Tower, but I’m waiting until Southwest releases their next round of flights to decide on that. I love the YC more than the BC - the rooms are amazing - but my boys like the BC more. I also keep on checking for discounted rooms at the BC and we’ll make the switch if something opens, otherwise we’ll stick with YC.

Ha! Great minds, eh? Alex is actually happy to keep YC, as he's been wanting to try it -he calls it "the fancy-fancy," which he likes. The rest of us would prefer BC because we like the atmosphere, but I'm sure we'll love YC if we end up sticking there. Sounds like a great trip for your 40th! Gran Destino looks gorgeous!

The kids’ costumes are really amazing - wow!

Thank you! But, of course, I can take no credit. :)
 
Well, we just switched back to BLT…it's a long story…but I'd still love to DISmeet that week. Our dates changed a little as well…we are now going 7/2-7/10.

We will work it out!

I guess I'll do the same and embrace the scrunchy :crazy2:

Ha, yep! I even bought hairspray and gel, which I never use, to try to help myself on this trip. It did nothing.

I love that smell :love:

It's so good!!


It's tough when the kids get older and bigger. That's part of the reason we just changed back to BLT from the BCV. My DS18 has decided not to join us since he's going to do basic training this summer for the ROTC :sad1: With just the 4 of us now, we decided we don't need a 2-bedroom like we were having at BCV, so we switched back to a 1-bedroom at BLT. The nicest part about the 1-bedroom at BLT is that there are still 2 full bathrooms, plus there are sleeping spaces for 5 (technically) but all it means is that there is the extra sleeping chair in the living room along with the pullout sofa.We really couldn't look at 1-bedrooms without that because then we'd have to sleep girls in one bed and boys in the other since our kids are step-siblings. It would really be a weird situation and I've put WAY too much thought into this this past week!

It really is tough! The BLT 1 bedrooms look amazing and I love the idea of 2 bathrooms. And I totally understand putting way too much thought into a Disney trip that is months away lol. Glad you found something that works for y'all!


Mike really wants to stay here and I thought about doing this for a split stay in July but with the whole weird sleeping arrangement, we decided against it. We'll have to try when it's just the two of us.

Yeah, we like being able to have the 3rd sleeping space in a day bed or murphy or something. The kids are full siblings, but are opposite genders and getting older, so it's less comfortable to have them share a bed.

Me too. I'm a little sad not to be staying at BCV in July, but I really do love this area :lovestruc

I keep going back and forth about which area I love more between Epcot and MK resorts - probably why we've ended up with a split stay between both multiple times!

The kids costumes are amazing and I like your subtle Evil Queen Disneybound.

Thank you! I was also wearing Snow White poison apple earrings.

We stayed at CCV this past summer and LOVED it! So much in fact, that we bought a resale contract at Boulder Ridge Villas.

I'm so jealous! DVC isn't in the cards for us right now, but hopefully someday! I'm eyeing the new potential one at Disneyland...

That mac looks so good. My three always loved broccoli too, they used to ask for "trees" and dip when they were little.
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I'm glad my kid isn't the only one! He will choose broccoli over fries every time.

What a great view from your room! (Of course you finally got the high floor once you didn't request it! :laughing: )

Right?! I'm thinking I may just not make any requests this next trip and see what happens.

I loved my stay at the Wilderness Lodge in 2016 - it's such a beautiful resort! I'm still sad they changed Artist Point to a character meal (it was previously one of my favorite meals), but I'm coming around to trying the new concept sometime. I'm glad your family had a good time!

I have heard nothing but good things about WL - we definitely have to try it at some point! I, on the other hand, have heard some bad things about the change to Artist Point. We hadn't tried it before the change, so I have nothing to compare our experience to, but I get being disappointed over losing a meal you loved. We went to Be Our Guest every trip until this last one due to the changes they made and I'm still kind of sad about that.
 

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