Dr. Jones and the Spitting Camel - Link to Alaska Cruise TR 9/18

[creativeamanda]

The whole BFP matching up will be interesting. Nice way to end everything. And it seems like it's always anticlimatic for whatever reason.

 

[glennbo123]

It looked like you had a nice time winding down the trip with the boys.

 

[eandesmom]

Cynthia, that pool looks really cool. And love that you went shopping at Margaritaville

Lots of cute stuff in that store! Really beautiful pool.

What is with older kids and NOT offering to help carry things?

Looking forward to your wrap-up.

That entire trip Taylor was incredibly self centered, it was making Jeff crazy. It wasn't the first such incident and i just didn't feel like dealing with it. He would have carried something if I'd have asked and at some point I'm sure I did but it annoyed me that it didn't occur to him to offer.

Not that the E's offered either

It was funny, we'd worried about K on the trip being difficult and it really ended up being T. Not that he was horrible but...I can't say that the attitudes didn't contribute to us not fighting all that hard to make sure we had a vacation with them this year. Which makes me sad.

A margarita is the PERFECT final vacation drink!
Ohh I totally hate when people go into a whole political thing!
Can't wait to see the souvies and read the resort comparison.

So NOT what I wanted to listen to on my ride to the airport, last ride and all that.

A margarita is a perfect drink most of the time if you ask me!

So sad your trip is over. At least you all got one last treat.

Too bad about the non-help. Sometimes you just have to insist they help - teens can be pretty thoughtless. You will be on your next adventure before you know it!

Oh I could have insisted, and at some point did, but it was more that I (and I know jeff) felt like there had been way you much insisting over the past week and a half. I guess I assumed without Jeff there he might step up, but he didn't. That said, I do think 1 year later, same situation...he'd offer. Maturity (at least a little) is a wonderful thing.

So sad it's over. But you still have the girls trip report & the Alaska PTR to keep you busy!

I do have lots to keep me busy, at least for a little while! Heck, knowing me the Alaska TR will take a while to complete.

 

[eandesmom]

How long have you been "stepping"? How old was Taylor? I've been at it for 23 years when the older boys were 11 & 15. I'm only 6 years older than the oldest so I never attempted to "mother" them, but would also get very frustrated when they pulled the lazy teenager routine. My one daughter in law has siblings older than me so we are just friends and don't even attempt to have a mil/dil relationship. My youngest son is 2 1/2 years older than his oldest nephew, but ironicallyactually has a closer relationship with his brother who is 21 years older than him

Almost 7 years now, Taylor was 12 when we married. I've never tried to mother either one of them, they have a good mom and don't need that. I'm a friend, a bonus adult who cares deeply and I do think overall I have a good relationship with both of them. I do know his mom experienced a lot of the same thing last summer and fall so it wasn't me or the step thing, just a lazy, self centered teen. He is a bit better one year later. I think it just surprised me that without Jeff there he didn't try to step up to the plate. I do think he would now.

Wow - you're done. Somehow it just doesn't seem right! I will miss this TR but I'm glad you have a cruise right around the corner.

One year later... but hey a few updates still to come.

I love that fountain.

It probably was Hulk Hogan. I believe you!

Taylor - ugh - not carrying anything. I can relate.

Love the whole TR. Very fun. Great job!

I know you can relate! It really was Hulk Hogan, Tay spotted him. He was SHORT!

I will be asking you for Universal advice for next year !!!

I'm here for you Rosie!

Back to Margaritaville! Oh, that puts a dagger through my heart!

Now now, not my fault you didn't make it there. Not even to the Lone Palms for one margarita Dee? Really??? I got part of the way through your update yesterday but need to go finish!

Great last few moments in Orlando.

Look forward to hearing your wrapups. For a minute there, I thought I would finish my TR before you did!

Well you did, your last summers TR was finished before this one.
You went right before us last year right but we didn't overlap (if memory serves).

Totally Hulk Hogan! Doesn't Universal host some sort of wrestling thing, maybe at the Studios?

Oh I'm sure they do, it made sense that it could be him, Tay spotted him, it was a riot.

I'm so glad to hear the Yacht Club was your favorite!

Hands down.



Which is not to say I didn't like the others.

 

[brookelizabeth]

Your last day sounds like a great way to end a trip - nice and relaxing!

The Universal hotels really are beautiful! I look forward to hearing what you thought of them versus Disney Deluxe.

 

[Flossbolna]

Cynthia, I truly enjoyed your report! It also got me very excited about our one day at Universal, it looks much more beautiful than I had imagined it. And I am sure that I will stay at one of their resorts on a future trips. I think some of the pool pictures (especially that last day) really put Disney's pools to shame! So it will be interesting to read your resort comparison!

And wow, there will be even a report from our DISmeet coming up still!!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Lunch at the Beach Club does look delicious!!! Yum! I can't believe your TR is over, but looking forward to the souvenir post!

 

[eandesmom]

Your last day sounds like a great way to end a trip - nice and relaxing!

It really was a lovely day. We missed the rest of the gang but I am so glad we went ahead an pool hopped!

The Universal hotels really are beautiful! I look forward to hearing what you thought of them versus Disney Deluxe.

I am trying to decide how best to frame it up but I'm looking forward to the compare/contrast of it all.

Cynthia, I truly enjoyed your report! It also got me very excited about our one day at Universal, it looks much more beautiful than I had imagined it. And I am sure that I will stay at one of their resorts on a future trips. I think some of the pool pictures (especially that last day) really put Disney's pools to shame! So it will be interesting to read your resort comparison!

The pool at Portofino really is someting else. You should be excited about your one day, it will truly be magical!

And wow, there will be even a report from our DISmeet coming up still!!

Better late than never....

Lunch at the Beach Club does look delicious!!! Yum! I can't believe your TR is over, but looking forward to the souvenir post!

It was delicious! I will be sharing souvies and more, we aren't quite done yet!

 

[tinacaplan]

Well, glad you still have a few more chapters to write before this is all said and done! Sorry the driver got into politics...just one of several topics I'd rather not discuss while I'm on my vacation, thanks. Too real-world for me! The HRH looks like it was really fun, though. I certainly enjoyed the peek at the dark side!

 

[eandesmom]

Well, glad you still have a few more chapters to write before this is all said and done! Sorry the driver got into politics...just one of several topics I'd rather not discuss while I'm on my vacation, thanks. Too real-world for me! The HRH looks like it was really fun, though. I certainly enjoyed the peek at the dark side!

What is it with random people sharing those views? especially on the last day. Oh well, I just stopped talking back, it's usually quite effective!

HRH was lovely, as was the dark side and nope, not quite done yet!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Lots of cute stuff in that store! Really beautiful pool.



That entire trip Taylor was incredibly self centered, it was making Jeff crazy. It wasn't the first such incident and i just didn't feel like dealing with it. He would have carried something if I'd have asked and at some point I'm sure I did but it annoyed me that it didn't occur to him to offer.

Not that the E's offered either

It was funny, we'd worried about K on the trip being difficult and it really ended up being T. Not that he was horrible but...I can't say that the attitudes didn't contribute to us not fighting all that hard to make sure we had a vacation with them this year. Which makes me sad.



So NOT what I wanted to listen to on my ride to the airport, last ride and all that.

A margarita is a perfect drink most of the time if you ask me!



Oh I could have insisted, and at some point did, but it was more that I (and I know jeff) felt like there had been way you much insisting over the past week and a half. I guess I assumed without Jeff there he might step up, but he didn't. That said, I do think 1 year later, same situation...he'd offer. Maturity (at least a little) is a wonderful thing.



I do have lots to keep me busy, at least for a little while! Heck, knowing me the Alaska TR will take a while to complete.

What a difference a year makes! Sounds like Taylor will be just fine!

 

[natebenma]

Now now, not my fault you didn't make it there. Not even to the Lone Palms for one margarita Dee? Really???

Well you did, your last summers TR was finished before this one.
You went right before us last year right but we didn't overlap (if memory serves).

Not one even one Margarita

I did ask Mark to take my picture with the Hemisphere Dancer though.

Yes, I believe my trip last year was before yours.

 

[eandesmom]

What a difference a year makes! Sounds like Taylor will be just fine!

Well maybe... depends on the day I think.

Not one even one Margarita

I did ask Mark to take my picture with the Hemisphere Dancer though.

Yes, I believe my trip last year was before yours.

Well, I'm not sure if there is a picture of me with the Dancer, just a bazillion of Jeff. Very sad though Dee, you'll just have to go back.

 

[eandesmom]

How does one compare resorts? Is it location, theme, or what? I think it’s very very different for each of us, what speaks to you and draws you in. Or…what you can live with for the price lol. As I think of how best to compare resorts, I find myself challenged. Here it goes.
Technically all these resorts are rated equally in terms of stars. Price wise, if one was paying rack rate, I think it goes WL, HRH, YC. For us, thanks to the magic of PIN codes, it went WL, YC, HRH but the YC cost was defrayed by sharing rooms with Sandie and Paul so that’s probably not a fair comparison. All had their pro’s and cons.

I’ve decided to compare, in no particular order

• Overall Theme/General impressions of resort
• Amenities
• Food
• Pool
• Room (layout, beds, décor)
• Balconies
• Location
• Transportation
• Customer Service
• Extras

Overall Theme/General impressions of resort

Wilderness Lodge
WL is massive. From the lobby to the seemingly endless halls its size is appropriate as it pays honor to the grandness of the national park lodges it emulates. Having been to several of them, I think it does a beautiful job capturing the feel in a very blended way. It is a very family friendly deluxe with lots and lots of kids. Though the halls are endless, it is easy to navigate. The grounds are spectacular and the geyser, a ton of fun.

Yacht Club
In contrast, though the grounds of the YC are massive, it is a much smaller resort. Despite that, the halls can feel just as windy and confusing, in part due to the courtyard type layouts and multiple corners created. The lobby is small and intimate, formal yet not fussy (in my opinion). The grounds, I admit, didn’t overwhelm me but then again, most of it is ust looking at Crescent Lake.

Hard Rock Hotel
HRH, like WL is rather massive. The lobby is huge and gorgeous, very hip, slick and trendy. For me it almost had too much empty space, though beautiful it is slightly cold in its coolness in the lobby. The halls and room layouts are confusing at best. This is a cool hotel, no doubt and Taylor in particular loved it. Very pretty grounds, gorgeous path

Bottom line? YC wins. HANDS DOWN. I am very much more of a boutique hotel kind of gal and the vibe of the YC was just oh so perfect. I feel most at home there, by far. Despite the fact that I prefer the grounds at both of the other hotels, overall, YC wins for reasons I’m not even sure I can articulate very well.

Amenities
All had the basics. Fridge, hairdryer, coffee maker. All had split vanity/bathroom areas

Wilderness Lodge
At WL you’ve got the beach and Ranger Joe. Though we didn’t use the rentals, there are numerous things available including easy access to a running/bike trail and bike/boat rentals. At WL we had connecting rooms prior to Sandie and Paul’s arrival and so were able to snag both coffee makers and put in our room. This was wonderful in the mornings, one pot for Jeff and one for us. Disney deluxe hotels have decent workout facilities that are free, which is a plus for us. WL is a double sink split layout which is lovely.

Yacht Club
Similar to the WL with a beach, path’s etc and gym. We were not able to snag both coffee pots here and that was a drag, I swear that coffee pot was slower than molasses. Also a split vanity layout.

Hard Rock Hotel
No beach but there was a great path. Uniquely, the HRH is a pet friendly hotel and we saw TONS of dogs. In fact, there is even a doggie room service menu. The pet floors are separate (1st floor I think) which was cool. Coffee maker was a Kuerig and I admit, it beat the WL/YC one’s hands down. However the bathroom, though cool, was a bit smaller, with only one sink and I really missed that extra space.
Staying at the HR, or any Universal resort (all 3 of them lol) does give you the Front of the Line Pass and honestly, that was worth it’s weight in gold, as was the 1 hour early access to WWOHP. The all access pass and AAA got us a 10% discount everywhere.

Bottom line? Hard Rock due to the park advantages.

Food

Wilderness Lodge
To me, of the three, this had the least options, or at least the least desirable options. AP is lovely, though I’ve never eaten there as it’s too much like “home” and it’s not a place I’d take the kids cost wise. WCC was just ok, not in a rush to do it again. Roaring Forks is fine as far as a deluxe CS goes but nothing exceptional either. That said, we didn’t actually eat there so that’s probably not all that fair.

All that said, I actually prefer the pool bar at WL to Hurricane Hannah’s! Perhaps it’s the northwest vibe, the vastly superior beer selection, or the fact that it’s much more of a bar whereas HH seems focused on cocktails and food. Now, what the WL itself lacks in food, it does make up for in proximity to all the monorail resort eating options. In the big picture of food convenience and variety, it still ranks pretty high if you ask me.

Yacht Club
Hard to rate this when you can just walk to the WS! Of the options at the YC/BC themselves, we dined at Cape May and Hurricane Hannah’s. I hope to try Yachtsman and Captain’s Grille one of these days though I confess I wasn’t overwhelmed by the ambiance of either. I’d give YC a slight edge over WL simply as you can walk to so many other things, versus taking a boat.

Hard Rock Hotel
If I compare hotel to hotel ONLY and not what you can walk to outside of the hotel, I have to admit that HRH wins. Between the Beach Club at the pool, The Kitchen and the great little espresso bar/ice cream shop (they had food but we never tried it) I probably like the offering selection better in terms of what we eat and how we like to eat. However, expand beyond the hotel and YC wins.

Bottom line? Great eating everywhere without an ordeal to get there!

Pool
A recurring theme of all was warm pool water. Bleh.

Wilderness Lodge
With the rain, we didn’t get as much pool time as we’d like. It’s a fun pool and I love the locations proximity to Roaring Forks and the location of the pool bar. In some ways I prefer it to SAB simply as it seemed so much more manageable (you won’t lose a kid there!) and due, in part, to its size, the kids seemed more engaged with the games.

Yacht Club
SAB. Really. What else can you say! It is an AMAZING pool, though it was stressful at times trying to track everyone down. That slide is FAST! I loved loved loved the swirlies, playing water volleyball and the fact that it was actually deep in spots. I adored the feel of sand between my toes (though it seems it needs to be replenished it was thin in spots). I didn’t get to relax much here, or at any of the pools actually, so it’s hard to get a real feel since I was always running around or entertaining kids. The quiet pool was…fine. Nothing earth shattering. Having been to the BC villa pool since then, that beats it by a landslide. In fact, it might be my favorite pool though I doubt my kids would agree.

Hard Rock Hotel
Wins the cool pool award with it’s pleather biker rocker chick clad waitresses serving poolside (and the poolside service award). It had music, literally, playing underwater. Which was cool! The slide was fine, very comparable to the WL one. However it had 2 major drawbacks. One, a very large smoking section and two, it was ridiculously shallow.

Bottom line: SAB! Of course. Followed by Portofino. Which I can’t officially rate as we didn’t actually stay at that hotel.

Room (layout, beds, décor)

Wilderness Lodge
Least favorite room. Not so much for the décor (many complain of it being dark) but for the “cheap” feel of the bedspreads and linens. It is a smaller room than the YC and while it was fine, we noticed it. The bed linens really bugged us.

Yacht Club
Favorite room. I adore the décor, the bedding, the spaciousness, everything. Though I didn’t sleep on it, I was told repeatedly that the daybed was uber comfy.

Hard Rock Hotel
Next favorite in terms of décor and layout however in this one, we had a rollway that I was told was simply horrendous.

Bottom line: YC wins. Hands down!

Balconies

Wilderness Lodge
Though it wasn’t my favorite room, it was my favorite balcony! It is smaller than the YC but we had a killer location and view and something about the hominess of that view made it a place I wanted to spend a lot of time relaxing on.

Yacht Club
A great balcony with the view I’d requested and even surprise fireworks. Yet for some reason it didn’t grab me the same way as the WL. Go figure.

Hard Rock Hotel
NO BALCONY! Major ding for me.

Bottom line: WL wins

Location

Wilderness Lodge
Boat to the MK, Boat to the Contemporary with easy access to all the monorail resorts and Epcot, pretty darn good! Jeff did get tired of riding the boat but I always enjoyed it. It does make one wonder though. If the boats stop in the rain, and they do, it really would be a pita to get back there from the MK area. Thankfully we didn’t have to do that. It did seem to be forever and a day away from AK and TL but I think everything does.

Yacht Club
Walk to DHS, Epcot, Boardwalk. Monorail from Epcot or bus to wherever. The location was truly amazing. I mean really, what can you say? I felt like we got so much more park time, and relaxing time, simply due to the location.

Hard Rock Hotel
Walk or boat to the Parks and Citywalk. All of the universal resorts are, I think, comparable to BC/YC/BW in terms of location. You aren’t going anywhere else so the bus question is irrelevant. I admit, I will have a hard time going to universal in the future and not staying on property.

Bottom line
YC wins but honestly the other two are darn fabulous!

Transportation
I can only comment on provided transportation as we didn’t rent a car.

Wilderness Lodge
It felt like we waited longer for buses here. Sharing one with the GF seemed odd and out of the way. Boats were great.

Yacht Club
We didn’t take a bus all that much so it’s hard to say but they seemed to be more frequent than at WL. I loved being able to walk everywhere.

Hard Rock Hotel
Nice to be able to walk or take the boat, it felt closer to the parks than YC does for some reason.

Bottom line: Tie HRH and YC

Customer Service
Wilderness Lodge
I admit, I wasn’t overwhelmed. At all. From the ridiculously long time it took to check in, to the response I got over the lost safe key and then lost clothing (before I realized we’d actually been hamper hijacked) outside of Ranger Joe, I didn’t get any warm fuzzies. Nothing bad, but nothing great either.

Yacht Club
Between the early room readinesses, the speed of check in, the amazing help fixing park tickets, private dining, helping Paul get to a pharmacy, the service was consistently amazing down to our last breakfast CM at Cape May. The only negative, and it was after the fact, was the response I got from everyone I spoke to regarding our in-room theft with the exception of the actually YC manager (though it took many calls before I got her).

Hard Rock Hotel
I admit, I didn’t have a ton of interaction until the last day but the help we got on just our flight check in was amazing!

Bottom line: YC wins, followed by HR.

“Extras”
PP
Both WL and YC offer PP services. I am very very glad we did the private session and couldn’t have been more thrilled with the pictures and the CM we had (who works both).

Gym
I‘d give the YC gym top rating simply b/c it’s free. We were allowed to use the HR one due to our All Access card but it was bit of a pita apparently. That said, having used the WL and the YC one myself, though I like the layout better at the YC, it was very warm in there in may, almost to an uncomfortable level.

Ranger Joe. In a class by himself. Worth a trip to WL even if you aren't staying there!

I am sure there is something I forgot, if anyone has questions about any of them, let me know!


At the end of the day I would stay at any one of them again but my heart belongs to the YC.


Dining. We ate on this trip. A LOT. A quick review.

Breakfast

• WCC – just ok.
• Cape May – great character interaction and service. Still a buffet (that doesn’t have made to order omelets) so not my fav but the family liked it.

Dinner

• Raglan Road – loved loved loved it! Great food, ambiance, all of it. Good value if it was OOP.
• 1900 Park Faire – great character interaction but…a buffet so just ok on the food. As far as buffets go, it was fine.
• Tusker House – good food, for a buffet with some interesting options but the wait and the noise didn’t make the overall experience anything I’m dying to go back to.
• Sanaa – loved the food, service, ambiance, all of it. Also a great value if it was OOP.
• Ohana – perfect for a group and everyone loved the food. Very glad we did this one.
• Tutto – we had a super fun night here and everyone loved the food. Overpriced pasta to be sure, on the DDP we didn’t really care but if it was OOP I’d probably pass and hit Via Napoli with the crew next time.
• Teppan Edo – It was fine but I think we are ready for a break from this one.
• Private Dining Pizza – unexpectedly tasty and the ambiance couldn’t have been better. Would I pay those prices to have it delivered to my room? No.
• HRH Room Service – it was mac and cheese and a salad. Enough said.
• Margaritaville – a solid performer
• The Kitchen – YUM! Would eat there again in a heartbeat and really want to try breakfast.
• Hard Rock Café – as expected, overpriced and just ok. Very cool inside though.
• Jakes American Bar and Grill – unexpectedly delicious.

Lunch

• Mythos. Quite good!
• Beach Club at HR. Also quite good!

As a general rule I like to try new places. Ones on my list to go back to are:

• Sanaa
• Raglan
• The Kitchen
• Jakes
• Beach Club at HR
• Margaritaville

Of them all, for whatever reason, Tusker and Park Fare are on my probably not again list. The rest I would do without complaint.

As to "bars" etc....

Though I can't say I disliked anything per-se, the following stand out

• The Slushy Stand
• The Ditch
• Lone Palm Airport

Up next. The BFP versus reality!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Wow Cynthia - that's a very thoughtful and detailed review! Thanks for taking the time to write it. It is good to hear your descriptions and keep your thoughts in mind for the future! Your next trip is getting really close!!! You are just missing Jordan's cousin Wendy and fam by a week - they are going this Wed!

 

[natebenma]

I really enjoyed your resort and dining wrap up!!! So very helpful.

Wow, the WL and GF share a bus route???

I think our ideal would be a 5 day Disney/2 day Universal/IoA trip. I would really like to try the Hard Rock next time we go to Universal. And Beach Club, baby, of course!

I agree about the warmth of the pools.

Great dining summaries!

Your trip report was amazing!!! (I know you still have a bit to go), but I really enjoyed reading along!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Great recap Cynthia!! It's amazing that you got to stay at three gorgeous resorts during your trip. I'd love to try out WL some day...

 

[eandesmom]

Wow Cynthia - that's a very thoughtful and detailed review! Thanks for taking the time to write it. It is good to hear your descriptions and keep your thoughts in mind for the future! Your next trip is getting really close!!! You are just missing Jordan's cousin Wendy and fam by a week - they are going this Wed!

Hopefully they are going on Tuesday as that's when the boat leaves I forgot they were going, how cool would that have been if they were on our same cruise!

I really enjoyed your resort and dining wrap up!!! So very helpful.

Wow, the WL and GF share a bus route???

They do, just plain odd and always felt like it added 5-10 minutes to the trip to go there.

I think our ideal would be a 5 day Disney/2 day Universal/IoA trip. I would really like to try the Hard Rock next time we go to Universal. And Beach Club, baby, of course!

I agree about the warmth of the pools.

Great dining summaries!

Your trip report was amazing!!! (I know you still have a bit to go), but I really enjoyed reading along!

I'm not sure what my ideal next family trip is, it'd probably be 5 day WDW, 3 US simply b/c to move for 2 nights makes me crabby. If we moved. More likely it will be a 7-8 day WDW without moving and we will be fighting crowds at US, that is, if we go with my side of the family.

Plans are very much up in the air at present but more on that later.

Great recap Cynthia!! It's amazing that you got to stay at three gorgeous resorts during your trip. I'd love to try out WL some day...

I know, spoiled rotten for sure and hard to go back to anything less! Hard to actually compare as really they all were great.

 

[MEK]

You thought of everything!!!!!! Great recap and review! That could be really helpful for someone. But I have to stay that I miss the WL and really want to stay there soon. I didn't experience the long hotel corridors fortunately. I didn't notice the linens, but maybe the DVC linens are all the same. Who knows!

Thanks again for the great review!

 

[glennbo123]

Wow! Talk about thorough! Nice job Cynthia. I'll have to come back and re-read this every so often as my planning progresses.