Please don't hurt me Mickey!

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

I am in Orlando (going to a golf tournament) and we went to Downtown Disney for dinner and we got terribly lost in Disney and drove round and round in circles trying to get out.

We found Walt Disney World really easy to navigate. I have noticed, however, that Google and Mapquest are Not Helpful there, which I think really odd. I had to find work-arounds in order to compare mileage to the parks from various resorts. And of course Disney's maps are all "Not to Scale" and don't always match with reality, but I knew that from perusing the satellite images and comparing them to the printed maps.

So, ah, on second thought, maybe it's really easy to navigate if you're obsessive about maps and studied them before hand. We mostly followed signs but OTOH I knew what was close to where I wanted to go ("that's right by where we're going; follow the signs to there!")

Disney is one of those places that you either get it or you don't.

I don't agree with that when it comes to DVC/staying onsite. I've been a rabid Disney fan since a kid, and when they were building WDW I read everything about it I could get my hands on. When I first heard about the Disney resorts I was all, "I want to stay in every one of them!" But then I started seriously researching them. While I do really like visiting them, I still waffle on whether I want to actually stay in one. We have friends who've visited WDW every year since they had kids; they do the Disney cruises as well, but they have yet to stay in a Disney resort. And I have run across people who stay in their off-site condo while renting on-site rooms for the on-site perks!

So I think you can totally "get" Disney, really love Walt Disney World and enjoy the resorts, but still not want to stay on site. Some serious Disney fans either need a nightly break from all-Disney-all-the-time in order to "breathe", or they just value stuff you can get off-site (space, private pool, whatever) more than the on-site experience.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

We would all love that! I added it to my Favorite Searches at RCI. Wow, we would never leave the room!

I agree, Wacky. I would sit there and watch the animals rather than taking rides in the park. I wonder if CA has this in their park? It is so long ago that we visited there. Something for my bucket list rather than going to Africa and see it there.

Great pictures!

[TomandRobin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TomandRobin]

I agree, Wacky. I would sit there and watch the animals rather than taking rides in the park. I wonder if CA has this in their park? It is so long ago that we visited there. Something for my bucket list rather than going to Africa and see it there.

Great pictures!

No....

Animal Kingdom resort is unique...no other resort like it. You can stay at the resort, book some of the special excursions at Animal kingdom Park.....then you really will get a "mini-Safari" trip.

[vacationhopeful Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close vacationhopeful]

I stayed in AKV on an exchange Jan 2011. I brought resale a small points package at AKV. I am waiting for my welcome package from DVC now. Staying on the savanah and seeing the animals (even asleep) was interesting.

Talking to the guides (brought over from Africa for 1 year internships) was interesting as to their requirements for the opportunity; it was as close to being on safari in Africa without the shots, plane flight, and costs. I would ask the guides about animal behavior I saw and get a lot more background.

I found it much better than the roller-coaster theme parks.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

This thread is making me want to get back to Disney for a week.
I love Food and Wine Festival.....maybe 2012,2013???

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

This thread is making me want to get back to Disney for a week.
I love Food and Wine Festival.....maybe 2012,2013???

Can we stay at the Animal Kingdom? What are the dates for the Food & Wine Festival?

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Can we stay at the Animal Kingdom? What are the dates for the Food & Wine Festival?

WE????? Are ya coming with me????

Food and Wine is a late Fall event that overlaps with Mickey's Not So scary Halloween Party.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/par...wine-festival/

Celebrating Culinary Adventures from September 30, 2011 – November 13, 2011. The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is an autumn special event .....

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/par...lloween-party/

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a Halloween-themed special event held on select dates in Magic Kingdom theme park. Purchase of an additional event admission ticket is required to attend Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

The event is held on select nights September - October 2011. Check back this summer for more information.

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

Does Disney still have the $ 95 "perk" charge for exchangers since they switched to the dark side?

Oh yeah. It unfortunately carried back to the very group that once banned it (and lost DVC for over 5 years in part due to that).

But II helped create the environment that has now led to places like the Manhattan Club feeling justified in charging exchange guests $25/day for nothing that other don't already get n/c.

Thanks DVC & II - we all appreciate it I'm sure! It has caused us to drop all our paid memberships to any exchanage companies and replace them with renting what we want - when we want. We also ended up doing away with the hassles and uncertainties of trades - with renting we can designate what we get right down to the unit/view if that matters to us. Long term it has turned out to be a positive that the ever risings fees and policies of RCI/II forced us to look elsewhere for our timeshare "trades" (now nearly all rentals) for FAR LESS than membership(s), exchange fees & annual fees for the units traded. With far more control over what we get.

Thanks for that part RCI/II - you showed us a much better and far less expensive way!

[LisaH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close LisaH]

I was in Orlando last week for a conference. I can't believe how crowded it was. On Monday night, we went to Bahama Breeze near Vineland Ave and the wait at 7 pm was 40 min!

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I was in Orlando last week for a conference. I can't believe how crowded it was. On Monday night, we went to Bahama Breeze near Vineland Ave and the wait at 7 pm was 40 min!

Private schools in NY area were on vacation and I am sure other school districts as well....

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

Ok, so having been around here a couple weeks now I have to ask what all the fuss is about DVC? I see many people wanting to trade into them and waiting for deposits, so what is so special about these resorts vs others in the area? Can I assume they have some very special perks to go along with them.

IF you have ever actually stayed at a DVC you'd know there is nothing that great about them. Some surface theming (that ends at your unit door or even at the lobby), smaller, less equipped units than most timeshares and maintenance/upkeep that can tend toward borderline poor - certainly not Marriott or Hilton type standards.

They are of course mostly on site / near the parks but 24/hr/day Disney and even limited TV stations drive us nuts! Heaven help you if you also have to eat the food like substances they serve at the majority of "restaurants" on the property (yes, a few pricy exceptions, but not many). It is a joy to not have to deal with it for us and we once thought we'd never want anything else but Disney. They changed (income became far more important than the guests once were) and WE changed - the rather dated and passive type rides Disney loves aren't our favorites any more. All the state of the art stuff has been new at Universal for the past decade. Tomorrow Land feels like something from 1960. They haven't had a decent new attraction like a Spiderman or the whole Harry Potter area in over a decade. They have become followers & cruise ship operators not the bleeding edge theme park attraction builders they once were (the Haunted Mansion is nearly 5o years old & still great - why can't they do that anymore?) The last two "parks" - Animal Kingdom & the former MGM might make one half decent park if combined but both feel unfinished and way too sparse on attractions to really be decent standalone parks.

Overall DVC is a plus only for those that buy into the Disney myth (you know, the ones that tout buying over priced trinkets at the parks & having them sent to your unit as a BONUS - that think Disney an actually deliver an edible meal - that don't mind wasting time in line waiting for spread out transportation that purposely wastes valuable time to keep you out of the parks) they LOVE IT! For most people it is a fair to nice place to stay - with beautiful lobbies with heavy themes (we just enjoy those by simply taking a free ride to the ones we want to see & enjoy them for free - we don't need to stay in the usually dinky units to enjoy the only real outstanding public areas).

We once owned it & liked it. No more. Now you couldn't pay me to stay there as it holds absolutely no appeal whatsoever compared to the numerous and far better options that aren't DVC. We do say everyone should stay at least once to see if you find it great - a must have or the so-so place we now see most of the DVC resorts as. If you don't try you think your missing something. Once you try it most find it isn't worth a nickle extra to get far less.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

GrayFal



Food and Wine is a late Fall event that overlaps with Mickey's Not So scary Halloween Party.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/par...wine-festival/

Don't forget that Universal also has "Horror Nights" going on at the same time. Great if you like that kind of stuff....

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios

[Elissa Shadley Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Elissa Shadley]

Admittedly, Downtown Disney is a must-see for all the travelers within that area. With enchanting landscape and some other amenities, this park is really an entertainment paradise for both kids and adults. In addition to the kind and zealous working staffs, this park features a wealth of free shuttles which bring a lot of convenience and comfort for the tourists.
If you choose DVC, you will enjoy more~ that is the perks.

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

We enjoy downtown Disney now more than the parks because our grand kids are now teenagers. They like Universal much better than the Mouse.

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

If you choose DVC, you will enjoy more~ that is the perks.

Thing is, it's not a perk if you don't want it. We generally wouldn't use the bus service if we were staying onsite, because I associate buses with going to work (so they don't feel vacation-y) and hubby just doesn't like buses. Eldest son is the only one who likes buses, and I haven't yet convinced him WDW is worth his time (my boys are both SeaWorld fans).

We toured the WDW DVC resorts this past spring and the only one everyone liked and no one hated was Saratoga Springs -- however, we all find the units there too small. I knew DVC units tended small and had kind of figured we'd end up in Old Key West, which has the largest units, but turns out OKW is the one everyone (including me) hated.

Even youngest, who was crazy about the AKL, would rather visit than stay there. We all preferred the resort we were staying at -- which was not a "top" Orlando resort at all (Orlando Sunshine I). It was quieter, we could park right by the door, the unit was roomier than any 2 BR at WDW, and we regularly had the pool to ourselves right when we wanted it.

I can see the appeal of DVC resorts if everyone's a big Disney fan and you go commando nearly the whole trip. We're more the "take a day off from the parks right regular to kick back and relax on the screened porch" types, and not only are a lot of DVC balconies too tiny for more than one person to lounge around on - DVC doesn't even offer screened porches.

Do love visiting the resorts and Downtown Disney, though. Got there shortly after the Lego store reopened and the new Lego display with Maleficent is terrific, while the old Lego dragon/sea serpent/whatever he's supposed to be is all bright colors again.