Splurging on a Theme-Park View Room at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Brenda Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money on Accommodations , , , 2 Comments

Many thanks to Brenda for keeping you company today while my family and I are on vacation at Walt Disney World…. 🙂

During our trip to Walt Disney World in November 2009, we made a decision that we would splurge on our November 2010 trip and booked a Theme-park View Room at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. My youngest child is a senior in high school this year and we really don’t know how long we will be able to continue having all of our family together every year during this time, so we decided to stay in a room we certainly could not afford to stay in every year and go all out.

We generally like the Contemporary Resort and we always spend some time walking around the resort when we dine at Chef Mickey’s.  I must say there were many things we really enjoyed about our stay in the theme-park view room at the Contemporary. I am really glad we splurged just this once. Here are the top ten things we enjoyed most:

1.      The view: waking up to the view of Cinderella’s castle each morning and having coffee out on the balcony some nights to watch the fireworks was by far number 1.

2.      The monorail: being able to go down the elevator and hop on the monorail was so convenient.

3.      The room-size: we had a room with two queen beds and a sofa bed. This provided ample room and was very comfortable for us.

4.      The bathroom: we enjoyed having a private area with the toilet that was separated by a sliding door from the sinks and shower. This design was much more efficient for a family of 5.

5.      The convenience: having everything from restaurants to shopping located inside the building was great. We didn’t even have to leave the building to get coffee.

6.      The beach: we enjoyed vegging out by the beach. We live by the beach so for us this is relaxation time.

7.      The boat ride to Fort Wilderness: we took the boat from the Contemporary to the Fort Wilderness Campground for the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. That was a very enjoyable ride.

8.      The staff: all the staff at the front desk, as well as other areas of the resort, were very accommodating.

9.      Activities: there are many free activities offered at the resort, such as games by the pool and movies under the stars.

10.    Fitness Center: I must admit that I do not work out at Disney, other than walking several miles a day at the parks, but my eldest son works out every day no matter where he is. Each morning he was down at the fitness center and he was very impressed with the facilities.

As I said, I am really glad we splurged just this one time. We have decided that we will stick to our more economical room choices in the future, but it was nice to stay in this wonderful location this year. I hope everyone will be able to stay in one of these rooms at least once. It truly is quite an experience.

Brenda is a native Texan born and raised on the Gulf Coast. She visited Disney World twice as a teenager and always dreamed of growing her family Disney. She took her first-timer husband and their three children to Disney World in 2000 and they now spend every Thanksgiving there. Brenda writes with a comedic twist on various Disney topics. She will be sharing tips she has learned during her travels and also hopes to enlighten people on little-known freebies that Disney has to offer. She wishes she could have met Walt Disney and considers herself to be a student of Walt. In parallel to his dream it is her wish that everyone would take at least one trip to Disney World in order to share in its magic with their families.

Disney Fun From Around the World: Week of December 27, 2010

Nancy Disney Fun From Around the "World" , , 1 Comment

2010 may be coming to a close, but I wouldn’t dream of letting you end this year…and start the next one….without sharing a few favorite Disney blog posts that I came across before we left for Disney World. So raise your glass of champagne in toast to the coming of a New Year….and to our favorite Disney bloggers as well. 🙂

Chip and Company starts us off this week with a great article by Ken: Oldies But Goodies – The Ride Designed With Us In Mind!! and then offers some interesting news about how Disney Tackles Major Theme Park Problem: Lines

Studios Central always shares interesting tips related to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and this week, 2 articles especially caught my eye. One of my favorite things to do there is The Animation Academy at Disney’s Hollywood Studios . And then if you are wondering what will be new and fun at DHS next year, well they’ve got that too! What’s coming in 2011 to Hollywood Studios

Disney Driven Life discusses a common question for parents who are planning a Disney trip: WHAT’S THE BEST AGE FOR A CHILD’S FIRST WDW VISIT?

DisZine shared some news that just made me smile: Chilean Miners Are Going to Disney World! (And I can’t think of anyone who deserves some pixie dust more!)

Disney Food Blog talks about one of the most popular dinner shows at Disney World in this  Guest Review: Spirit of Aloha Luau Dinner Show

Disney Guru always has great tips for Money Saver Monday!! This week, Kelly talked about how you can Get Your Free Souvenir

Chris at Everything Walt Disney World reviewed one of my favorite Disney shows: Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage. (If you didn’t already know….she says it’s great for little boys too!)

Growing Up Disney has a great series this week that is must reading if you…or someone you know…is pregnant and planning a Disney trip: Minnie Moms: Pregnant at WDW, Part 1 and Minnie Moms: Pregnant at WDW, Part 2

Alright Friends, that’s it for this week….and this year! Have a wonderful, safe, healthy, and magical New Year! 🙂

Thrifty Thursday: My All-Time Favorite Disney Ride: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Brenda Thrifty Thursday, What to Do at Disney World , , , , , 5 Comments

I am a Disney thrill-seeker, no doubt about it. I love the Rock N Rollercoaster, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Expedition Everest, Space Mountain; all the great rides. But the ride that gives me the biggest thrill at Walt Disney World, and is thus my hands-down favorite, is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

The first thing I do upon entering Disney’s Hollywood Studios is walk straight ahead to Sunset Boulevard and make a sharp right turn heading to a 13-story structure known as the Tower of Terror. I check the wait clock to see whether I am going to get a fast pass or just wait in line. In most cases, I will get a fast pass for The Rock N Rollercoaster and just wait in the Tower of Terror line.

The line twists and turns through an ungroomed, misty, eerie courtyard. While winding through the landscape, I love listening to people around me nervously discussing how apprehensive they are about the ride, and even whether or not they should be in line at all. All is calm for a few minutes but then, without warning, the doors several stories up open and all I can hear is screaming before the riders take their next drop! It sounds like the riders are terrified, adding to the sinister chuckle I get listening to the unsuspecting new riders around me. I would guess, though, that if someone interviewed these newbies on their way out of the ride, they would say that they thought it was awesome!

As I get closer and closer to going inside the “hotel,” I get more and more excited. After queuing through the dusty lobby of the old Hollywood Tower Hotel, I am directed into the library for the pre-show, which is a short film hosted by Rod Serling, creator of the old Twilight Zone television series. In the momentary darkness, I start to feel the adrenalin pumping while I am then guided into the Hotel’s boiler room.

Once the doors open to the boiler room, the butterflies start flying. I have been on this ride probably 50 times or more, but every time I ride it the butterflies show up. I think that is part of the fun!

The cast member, dressed in a vintage bellhop costume, taunts everyone by thanking us for “dropping in.” I am then directed to my appropriate row and seat number which is painted on the floor in front of the place where the elevator will pick me up. Finally, our “freight elevator” arrives and I find my appropriate spot just as it was on the floor diagram and get into my seat and put on my seatbelt. Note: there used to be a bar and only one special seat had a seatbelt, but Disney added to the excitement by changing the safety mechanism for all seats to seatbelts only. I am ALL smiles at this point; high-fiving my kids and getting ready to go. I can’t wait until the doors close and we are off on what is my all-time favorite ride.

We take off and as the elevator rises up, I am ready for the visual. The doors open again as the “freight elevator” glides through mysterious hotel passageways showing us ghostly images of former guests. Then, the elevator enters the shaft. It is pitch black and chilly. Then I feel it…our elevator is locked into place. Here we go!

There is a 130-foot free-fall drop and then it shoots quickly up, then down, then up; plummeting again and again in random drop sequences. When the doors open, I smile and get ready for the camera flash, look out over the park, then laugh at all the people with me as we are all screaming our lungs out but thoroughly enjoying the experience. Once we are back on the ground and the ride is over, I think to myself, this is what I have been waiting for all year and I am grateful to be back! I hope you will drop in on this baby during your next trip!

Brenda is a native Texan born and raised on the Gulf Coast. She visited Disney World twice as a teenager and always dreamed of growing her family Disney. She took her first-timer husband and their three children to Disney World in 2000 and they now spend every Thanksgiving there. Brenda writes with a comedic twist on various Disney topics. She will be sharing tips she has learned during her travels and also hopes to enlighten people on little-known freebies that Disney has to offer. She wishes she could have met Walt Disney and considers herself to be a student of Walt. In parallel to his dream it is her wish that everyone would take at least one trip to Disney World in order to share in its magic with their families.

Wordless Wednesday: Ready or not Disney World, Here We Come!!

Nancy Wordless Wednesday , , 0 Comment

This picture pretty much says it all…… 🙂

We leave for Disney World tomorrow morning! I will be sharing some of the highlights on our Facebook page over the next few days, so if you want to follow along to see what it’s like to celebrate the New Year at Walt Disney World…then be sure to stop by to see how things are going! And I will, of course, share some trip reports with you after we get back!

Hope you have a wonderful and magical New Year! See ya real soon!

Tuesday Disney Tips: What – No Bounce Back?

Brenda Disney Vacation Planning, Tuesday Disney Tips , , , 1 Comment

A strange thing happened during my visit to Walt Disney World this past November. Unlike previous years, there was no bounce back offer in my resort room. There was a flyer for the free dining program running through September 2011 but it expires before we are due to return. There were no specials to thank us for staying by offering us a good deal to come back at the same time next year. This leaves me in a much different position during this time of year than in the past.

Usually at this time, I have already booked our package for next year’s trip. So that means I am usually investigating all the information about the new resort where we will stay and gathering information for my travel folder. We like to choose different resorts each year so we can experience each of them, although we do have our favorites. Having no idea where we will be staying is certainly a change.

I am going about everything backwards now; researching the resorts before we will book our choice. I am “on hold” for several more months, waiting for next Fall’s specials to be announced. In other words, I am not only suffering from Post-Disney-Trip Depression, or as I like to call it PDTD, but I DO NOT HAVE A WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT RESERVATION FOR NEXT YEAR.

This gives me two options: either curl up under my princess blanket with my Mickey pillow and wallow in self-pity OR make the next several months a full-out adventure — really looking at every resort from every angle and preparing to know exactly what we will book when the time comes. I have to choose the latter option, being the eternal optimist that I am.

There are many other exciting and new things to look forward to this year that will be different from previous years:

1.      A December Visit: We have visited during Thanksgiving for many years but this year’s visit will be in early- to mid-December. This will give us the opportunity to experience some new events, such as the Candlelight Processional at Epcot which we have only seen once because the first night it is offered is usually our last night at WDW.

2.      Newbie Travelers: We will be taking at least one additional person, possibly two, with us this year – newbies. So I will research 2 rooms at a moderate vs. the Fort Wilderness Cabins with golf cart rental. This is one reason I will have to wait for special offers to come out. I’ve noted that the Fort Wilderness area has many Christmastime visitors who live at the campgrounds during the holiday season and decorate their spaces as well as the golf carts, which sounds like a great thing to experience.

3.      Voluntourism: This year will be our first year to stay an extra day or two in order to be able to serve as voluntourists at Give the Kids the World Village. GKTW is a resort for children ages 3-18 who have life-threatening illnesses and their families. GKTW partners with wish-granting organizations, like the Make-a-Wish Foundation, to provide a full week’s vacation for the entire family in Central Florida. The vacation includes accommodations at the Village, all theme park tickets, and all of their meals at no cost to the family. There are almost 1,300 volunteers needed at the Village every week, year round and we are all very excited about being able to add this wonderful opportunity to our trip this year. Each member of my family, as well as our additional travelers, will need to complete a visiting-volunteer application and be approved by the GKTW Volunteer Services Office before we can add this to our itinerary and travel plans.

So this is where I am in my planning. Basically, I am at square one. I have lots of thoughts and ideas and absolutely NOTHING in concrete yet, while I am usually booked on a bounce back offer already. Hakuna Matata, I will make the most of this unfamiliar territory, and will keep you posted on how things progress. Let me know your thoughts, especially if you have a particular favorite!

Brenda is a native Texan born and raised on the Gulf Coast. She visited Disney World twice as a teenager and always dreamed of growing her family Disney. She took her first-timer husband and their three children to Disney World in 2000 and they now spend every Thanksgiving there. Brenda writes with a comedic twist on various Disney topics. She will be sharing tips she has learned during her travels and also hopes to enlighten people on little-known freebies that Disney has to offer. She wishes she could have met Walt Disney and considers herself to be a student of Walt. In parallel to his dream it is her wish that everyone would take at least one trip to Disney World in order to share in its magic with their families.