Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Maybe that title will get somebody to read this! (But he is correct) This was a really special b/day surprise gift to two nephews. They flew from San Diego (thru MCI as I joined the flight) and arrived late Wed.evening. First we planned to go to Universal and I booked one night at THE HARD ROCK for the extra hour early morn and front of line advantage for guests. Imagine our "magical" happiness when they upgraded our room to EXECUTIVE LEVEL.which includes a much nicer room and access to Club Level Room for free breakfast,etc.. Sorry to capitalize but I have stayed at expensive (WDW and DL) Disney Resorts so many times and have been treated so arrogantly and never any special treatment and usually with a non-convincing sorry when I was silly enough to think Disney would want to know about the problems encountered that I thought I should take the time to stand in a long line to mention them. Everything about the Hard Rock is so "Chill" to a 11 and 14 year old from Southern California (that would be "Cool" to me). And their front of the line passes work so FAST(pass) and so much better for guests...Loved everything about Harry Potter and Hogwarts themeing. SpiderMan still has that WOW FUN Feeling. And the HR Pool actually stayed open to midnight with lifeguards and bar open too! Next we went to The Boardwalk Resort at WDW for 3 nights.This was like taking 2 teenage boys to visit their grandmothers house after the Hard Rock...very disappointed Does Disney have anything Cool or Chill besides the new addition to the Contemporary( which I stayed at last trip)? Upon checkin the girl with the accent from Australia that was so indifferent to me that the castguy working next to her was trying to be cheerful and helpful which seemed to irritate her even more and she took it out on me. I have stayed at this resort many times but I was confused when she told me to take the elevator to the basement(my thoughts)level. I knew about the Garden Rooms but never noticed the long hallways upon exiting elevator that apparently led to our room. I guess Disney no longer uses resort maps anymore in their sincere ecological Green Pledge to save the World expense But she did "tell" me to just follow the room# Signs posted to find my room. Thank you very much for that courteous magical treatment at midnight checkin where she is doing absolutely nothing and neither was the cast person next to her because we were the only people checking in afterall. I would have chosen the new addition to the Contemporary as our resort but the standard studio room has a small double bed with an uncomfortable sleeper sofa that when opened has absolutely no room in the room and the bathrooms have a toilet and combo bathtub/shower. No sink so you get to brush your teeth and blowdry your hair in the tiny "kitchenette"area. All so magical. So i did not want to stay there again unless I was a party of 1or2maximum!!! ANyway...The extra guest consideration for check-in gave us a Happy Bday pin magic and a room for 2 young teenage boys in the quiet section for elderly people with the quiet old peoples pool access!!! But our room did come with a magical bathtub drip almost like a constant flow that was irritating and the maid fixed every day by really forcing the handle really hard to change the flow to a drip and save that water for the Saving the World Green Pledge Magic treatment. Did I mention the migraine and anger and frustration and disappointment that I magically had all night long and for the next day because of the checkin experience received... In retrospect I wish I had marched all the way down that long corridor and back to the front desk to ask to be transferred to the POP Century where I know is fun and carefree because I expect very little for $100 a night but $300 is a very different level of magical expectations...Don't you agree. (Are you reading this Spirit and having a magical giggle or two?)By the way if anybody is reading this from Disney and cares or just in case you are planning to stay at the Boardwalk and actually want old peoples comfort request room #1331. It was Friday the 13th so I guess that was magic and special for us. Trip report to be continued.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Oh dear, I am sorry to here this and also not surprised. My disappointment at staying in a Deluxe Savannah View room at AKL a few years ago is almost infamous where we received Travelodge treatment for our $300 a night room too. Whereas the Marriotts down the road offer so much better service and for the savings a luxury car can be had that gets you to the parks quicker than the buses. I look forward to reading the rest.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Thanks DBaloo...I knew you and Spirit would enjoy this and it does get even more magical...how much can go wrong in a short quik trip to WDW anyway???
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt <<(Are you reading this Spirit and having a magical giggle or two?)>> I can't image Spirit or any other poster thinking this is funny. It's sad.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Agreed, neither Spirit or I are amused. And although he is not currently here to speak for himself, he and I are on the same page with wanting Disney to return to the quality standards they used to hold. In the meantime, we are likely to stay off site. ~ So glad I bought Marriott rather than DVC ~ n.b. just in case any one was missing our honorable friend.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I am reading. And I wouldn't say enjoying because I WANT Disney to provide the service they are capable of (I did recently have one of the best vacations of my life -- Disney or non -- with them on my transatlantic cruise). But I am in no way shocked or surprised by your experience or that the O-Town Hard Rock Hotel gave you such a great experience. It all comes down to getting what you should. Disney used to exceed guests expectations. Now, it often fails to even meet guests much diminished ones. I'm headed to LA in days ... Anaheim too (natch) ... and the DLH was available for just under $200 a night (with massive construction going on) ... the Grand Cal was going for $249 (overlooking other construction). I used Priceline.com and booked a 3-star hotel for $26 a night (yes, you read that right ... and it is a major national chain and the reviews are excellent). In other words, I could spend a week for less than the cost of one night at the Grand (a hotel I love and have stayed at about 6-7 times). At the prices Disney is commanding, I just can't justify paying for a product that is maddeningly inconsistent. Oh well ... now, I'm just working on getting some comps from friends because I won't be out in time again to make an AP worth it ... and the thought of paying for a 1 or 2 day ticket makes me ill! Sorry, for hijacking the thread a bit, but I thought the point was worth making thru my current experiences. Look forward to reading some more indepth thoughts from your visit! ~A time for Spirited slumber!~
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Having a hard time finishing my trip report...I want to get the negative over with quickly. I decided to stay at the Boardwalk because I knew we would be at the Last Tour to Endor Party on Satnight until 2a.m. and had 6.a.m.Magic Express pickup time to get to the airport. I figured the boats from MGM would be better than standing in the long bus lines at the end of the night. Of course the hotels were not running the boats for the partiers and we had to take the bus anyway. I guess it is my own fault for assuming the boats would be running,correct! I also had to stand in line at MGM to have my party tickets printed since the hotel guest relations do not access that information. I got to listen to a long explanation of how wonderful these Disney Parties/Special events are for guests since the tickets are limited and guarantees a non crowded party for the Disney guests. In reality it could not have been more crowded if it were New Years's Eve and the 100 degrees at midnight standing in a crowd for the final goodbye to Star tours and the announcement of a slight delay... not a pretty sight to behold! I also had problems with the bus from Downtown Disney to the hotel. As we were leaving the Typhoon lagoon pickup area the entire bus failed including the airconditioning. And the bus driver said nothing was wrong as he called it in???And then he got out of the bus and started putting up those orange cones all around us. And then we waited on a very hot bus for another 30 minutes because someone was on their way. A person showed up in a van the same time another bus on their rounds was able to add us I was really surprised they just said sorry. The person in charge in the VAN should have made sure the elderly on the bus were okay and at the bare minimum offer a small bottle of water. It was the middle of the afternoon in 100degrees sunshine and an enclosed bus. Sorry. ANd the final departure frustration was the early morning bus running 25minutes late to the airport. Now for the best part. We all had a blast and lots of fun.And amazed at how much we were able to accomplish. We are all frequent DL guests and know how to manuever Disney crowds. We focused on seeing only attractions that are not available at DL or that are very different such as the Haunted Mansion. Their favorite place for birthday dining was Sci-Fi but we also had birthday treatment at the Plaza Inn on Main Street and Ghiradelli in Downtown Disney and Earl of Sandwich! ANd the Last Tour to Endor Party was so much fun. I am glad we went and feel it was worth the expense. And for the final laugh at myself I booked return hotels already for Halloween and Xmas events. But am just staying at the Pop Century in the future. ANd hoping for another special event when Star Tours returns!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Sounds like a very mixed experience (like our last trip) with some real bummers. But the Endor party did sound really cool. I am glad it did not turn you away from wanting to go back.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom What is the Last trip to Endor party all about? Is Disney shutting down the attraction?
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom OK, just looked it up. I will keep my fingers crossed that they do more than splash some new paint in the que area and some new carpeting.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Wow Tom, you haven't been keeping up. They are completely gutting it in Ca and Fla. It will offer various destinations and is set between Episode 3 and 4, using the latest 3D technology. I am nervous that they do not ruin it, but am also excited at the prospect. Guessing you may not also be aware of the new Fantasyland Expansion to include the Little Mermaid attraction designed for DCA, nor all the changes at DCA either?
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub It was a party with a separate ticket admission similar to the Not So Scary Halloween Events and Mickey's very magical Holiday party. SPecial entertainment was planned and the Saturday night only party catered to the STAR WARS Convention in Orlando that weekend. It included a fun stunt show involving Han Solo and Indiana Jones mash-up.ANd celebrities. ALso the Hyper Hoopla with a dance contest Fun to see Darth Vader with the MJ diamond glove dancing to Thriller. The Star Wars fireworks were choreographed to Star Wars music. Incredible and worth the ticket price alone! ANd the finale was a final farewell to the Star Tours in which a simulated explosion blew up the attraction! I don't think anybody in the packed crowd was expecting that. If you knew me you would know I am usually at DL or WDW for any special ticket parties.I think my first one was for the Nightmare/HM event. But the WDW Halloween event is incredible just to see the Headless Horseman galloping down Main Street. On New Years or Fourth of July I can guarantee I will be at DL for the fireworks. I know a few LPers complain about the extra ticket fee because it seems to be more crowded with less special offerings. The first year at Nightmare they gave out a special souvenir memento as we exited the park(a special pack of cards that I have never opened) ANd the first year I went to WDW's Halloween party the Grim Grinning Ghosts performed on the Golden Horseshoe Stage. Very memorable and wish they would repeat that every year.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Thanks Dave and Mickeymouseclub for explaining all that. No, I was not aware of the refurb at Star Tours ( long over due in my opinion ). Yes, I was aware of the redo over in Fantacyland. I was last at WDW back in October of last year. There really wasn't much new at the time. KJ said he could go awhile before feeling the need to return to WDW. Other than drinking blue margaritas in Mexico I can't think of anything new that last trip. Don't get me wrong, we both love WDW, I just think that Disney doesn't have much new to offer and Universal has the Amazing World of Harry Potter. Me thinks WDW has some catching up to do.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Then you may wish to think very hard about whether DVC is right for you.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom What's funny is that I was looking into this online for several hours this past Saturday while my car was being worked on. And one of the guys who works at my car repair place was going on and on about his time share in the Dutch Antilles ( which he and his wife love). Anyway, he said that if he did it again he would get a Marriott time share... LOL... As you can see I'm getting lots of advise! All of which I appreciate. And Dave the most appealing thing to me about the Marriott time shares are the two in New York City. I have driven by some of the ones in Orlando and they look like huge apartment complexes, total turn off. That's also how SSR appeared to me and I have walked around SSR. But it just reminds me too much of some mega apartment complex.... total turn off.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Check out Marriott LAkeshore Reserve in Orlando, they are proper villas (i.e. they are houses rather than appartments). FWIW, Old Key West is the only DVC property that is not apartment/hotel style.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo My other tip to you is to try before you buy. Try renting at one of the resorts you are considering and see the differences. It is worth while. Timeshares are pretty large investments, with annual fees after the initial purchase.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 If a Spirit has nothing good to say ... then he should likely rip DVC as an absurdly priced way to vacation. Sorry, but especially in O-Town, timeshares (including DVC) can be rented on a regular basis for a tiny fraction of 'ownership' and there are no dues, no hassles, nothing ... you just rent the place when you want a vacation. ~Spirit: Now Without 'The'~
Originally Posted By WDWdreamin Wow, what a mixed bag. I would be seriously steamed about some of those things!! Glad you had a fun time overall.
