Edit to add TR- PTR and snow watch-1st time at BCV

[lovin'fl]

Departure day- I get everyone up with plans to get our luggage down to check it and then grab CS breakfast at the marketplace before our 8:35 DME arrives. Not a lot of moving fast...but we get rolling and packed and tote all our suitcases down to check them and get our boarding passes (which I already got them from the desk the day before...oops, didn't know they'd have them when we check our luggage). That went quickly and smoothly. We went to the marketplace and nobody seemed interested in getting anything but the girls each got a muffin and chocolate milk. DH got a soda and I got an apple pastry while DS didn't get anything. We sat and ate that...DH finished my apple pastry and I went to the desk to check out. The CM asked if there were any maintenance type issues in our villa and I told her about the second bathroom tub faucet dripping continually. My bill was right on (and way more than we'd like to spend...this turned out to be an expensive trip which just makes DH even more convinced we need to drive next time....ugggghhh).

Girls waiting for DME

The DME arrived...we got on and had to then stop at BWV and then Caribbean Beach (and there were tons of folks who got on at CB). I wonder why BCV, when arriving from airport, is the 3rd stop (CB is 1st and then BWV is 2nd) and then, when going to the airport, BCV are 1st...BCV gets the worst on both ends. When you are excited to get there you have to wait until the 3rd stop. Then, when you need to go home and would like to sleep a bit longer that morning you have to get up 30 minutes earlier to sit on the DME while it picks up BWV and CB guests. I guess it has to do with the path to/from the airport....but it would have been nice to catch the DME at 9am that morning instead of 8:35 and have it head right to airport from BCV instead of 30 minutes of stops at other resorts.

It was a nice trip. But we came to a few conclusions:
1- kids have pretty much outgrown WDW and we will likely do one more family trip to WDW (this year since we bought the PAPs) and they certainly don't appreciate going (complained a lot on this trip and didn't want to do things).
2- DH's conclusion- he wants to drive (it's good to have our own car...I guess)
3- we may not do a TS every day of our next trip because A- it's expensive, B- it eats up a lot of time, C- scheduling- we may not want to be where our ADR is at the time our ADR is and D- we all like different things
4- It's always crowded and you just have to work the EMH and FP system
5- January is not a good time to go as we stress about the weather delaying our trip and kids having to make up missed testing days during that break
6- we still definitely want to relocate to FL when the girls graduate HS (4 years and 4 months to go)
7- my conclusion- we can't do commando anymore and no need to...best to go leisurely
8- resort location is important (we've know that for a while, but it was re-confirmed with this trip)...and BCV is a great location!

 

[lovin'fl]

Just found the Test Track pics in my e-mail. My sweet DD was playing around with the thing when you get off Test Track while the rest of us were checking out the cars you can sit in and we all ended up meandering over to see what she was doing and got in on her pics. Here they are:

 

[lovin'fl]

Hey there fellow MD'er! I am loving the TR so far and I must say all I keep thinking is that maybe YOU and I should be doing some vacations together! I'm with you on the photos. I'm always the one taking them and find myself taking less and less since nobody wants their photo taken. My family is the same about the rides...must do only those. Many of my tweets and FB updates on this trip revolved around the torture methods I was using on my kids and family making them do SHOWS! Oh it was just UNREAL the complaints. I would just love to take a trip to take in the sights and enjoy things. I have yet to have that trip, especially with kids OR DH. I really think I'd love a solo trip honestly!

So we DID do the shows...and kids compained. We also felt every bit of our just barely 40+ selves and knew we couldn't tour like we used to do. Sadly, I'm the one pushing the limits more than DH though. I can't stand to sit in a hotel room and do NOTHING but watch tv or plug into something when I could be out enjoying the day while on vacation!

We had high hopes of doing so much more than we did, but once we left one park and even rested for a small time in the room, it was hard to get motivated to go back out.

I've started my TR but have not gotten too far yet. Link is in my siggy. I'm hoping to do more of it this week with the photos, but most of my photos this time were just scenic stuff.

Glad you had such a great vacation!

I'd also love to do a trip sans kids...and maybe even sans DH. I saw a couple ladies groups vacationing together...that would be nice. I told DH we should plan a trip w/out the kids and his reply was that we should plan a trip to somewhere other than WDW..... I popped in on your TR. I will keep checking it out...curious to see how our trips compare. Oh, and WTH was with all that rain and wind last night and this morning...man, I miss Orlando!!!

 

[kittylady1972]

I'd also love to do a trip sans kids...and maybe even sans DH. I saw a couple ladies groups vacationing together...that would be nice. I told DH we should plan a trip w/out the kids and his reply was that we should plan a trip to somewhere other than WDW..... I popped in on your TR. I will keep checking it out...curious to see how our trips compare. Oh, and WTH was with all that rain and wind last night and this morning...man, I miss Orlando!!!

DH and I have done a FEW Disney trips without kids in the past. We have gone in October for the Food and Wine Festival AND even done Mickey's NSSHP all sans kids! I went last March for my 40th Birthday...just the two of us (though I was going to go alone) and we enjoyed some nice meals and even did a few tours that the kids couldn't do anyway. It was great and I highly recommend it.

DH and I are still debating if we'll go back this year without the kids. Our 15 year wedding anniversary is in October and we are trying to decide where to go but in the running is a return to Disney for Food and Wine Festival again for sure. We may also consider trying Vero Beach since we've never been there. However we also have a trip to California for all of us planned for August (Disneyland and Cali Adventure) so that may eat up a lot of our money.

I agree with you though...first the wind and now today...more snow. Though I'm okay with the pretty dusting and not the road-covering snow. I'm not going to enjoy the cold this weekend for sure!

 

[kittylady1972]

It was a nice trip. But we came to a few conclusions:
1- kids have pretty much outgrown WDW and we will likely do one more family trip to WDW (this year since we bought the PAPs) and they certainly don't appreciate going (complained a lot on this trip and didn't want to do things).
2- DH's conclusion- he wants to drive (it's good to have our own car...I guess)
3- we may not do a TS every day of our next trip because A- it's expensive, B- it eats up a lot of time, C- scheduling- we may not want to be where our ADR is at the time our ADR is and D- we all like different things
4- It's always crowded and you just have to work the EMH and FP system
5- January is not a good time to go as we stress about the weather delaying our trip and kids having to make up missed testing days during that break
6- we still definitely want to relocate to FL when the girls graduate HS
7- my conclusion- we can't do commando anymore and no need to...best to go leisurely
8- resort location is important (we've know that for a while, but it was re-confirmed with this trip)...and BCV is a great location!

I asked my kids if they wanted to try someplace else, weren't they Disney'ed out now, but the answer was NO! I was a bit surprised. They said there are always new things and they like that...plus I know they could ride Space Mountain over and over and over again! We also really enjoyed the new Test Track (rode twice) and the kids got started on Sorcerer's of the MK and the boys are HOOKED on that. It's like Pokemon and Magiquest done Disney-style and that's right up my 12yo DS's alley!

I agree on having your own car and on the table service thing. We really only had THREE table service meals this time and two of them were for lunch. I also think they just take up way too much time.

We liked this January trip but who wouldn't have with that weather? AMAZING! The sudden changing of plans was not fun though of course. We found the crowds VERY tolerable after just having been there during Thanksgiving though!

I'd like to relocate to FL but my DH wants to go NORTH! YIKES! NO! I don't know but we have quite some time before we figure that out!

DH insists I drove everybody too hard this trip, and I always do according to him, but I WARNED all of them with this short trip it would be brutal. It was but we did have SOME down time!

 

[lovin'fl]

I asked my kids if they wanted to try someplace else, weren't they Disney'ed out now, but the answer was NO! I was a bit surprised. They said there are always new things and they like that...plus I know they could ride Space Mountain over and over and over again! We also really enjoyed the new Test Track (rode twice) and the kids got started on Sorcerer's of the MK and the boys are HOOKED on that. It's like Pokemon and Magiquest done Disney-style and that's right up my 12yo DS's alley!

I agree on having your own car and on the table service thing. We really only had THREE table service meals this time and two of them were for lunch. I also think they just take up way too much time.

We liked this January trip but who wouldn't have with that weather? AMAZING! The sudden changing of plans was not fun though of course. We found the crowds VERY tolerable after just having been there during Thanksgiving though!

I'd like to relocate to FL but my DH wants to go NORTH! YIKES! NO! I don't know but we have quite some time before we figure that out!

DH insists I drove everybody too hard this trip, and I always do according to him, but I WARNED all of them with this short trip it would be brutal. It was but we did have SOME down time!

My kids said they only want to go back to Disney if their cousins go or if they can bring friends. We like when the cousins go because they are DVC members too and each family can get their own villa. If they bring friends...then we'd have to figure out space/beds and who pays for what (DS took a friend on 2 of our cruises and we paid for some of the 1st one and all of the 2nd one...ouch! If you invite a friend then how do you ask them to pay for park tickets, dining and airfare? Plus we only have cars now that seat 5).

We are trying to do Xmas (12/20-25...will already be missing school on 12/20 and then need to come home on the 25th for dinner at my mom's plus 12/24-12/31 costs way too many points and is way too crowded) with MIL/FIL, cousins and aunts/uncles...I have MIL and FIL already booked in a 1BR at OKW (Hosp. House where they prefer). We are adding on AKV points and when we close on them (in March) we can book us and SIL2 (and her DD and DH) at AKV. SIL1 owns AKV and can book there now but her FIL has stage 3 lung cancer and they just don't know what the future holds for their family. If SIL1 can't do the trip, MIL and FIL will switch to a trip in January (like we just did) and we will go at Thanksgiving (which we actually would prefer since we'd have more time to drive down and back, but the kids won't have their cousins). I also wouldn't mind doing F&W with just DH...SIL1 and her DH are doing that (they did it this past Oct and LOVED it), but the kids have the PAPs too and we should all use them again. We (all 5 of us) have a 4 day cruise with SIL2 (and her DD and DH) in August and we added on 2 days pre-cruise in Miami to site see. So, we have also spent much of our vacation funds between that trip and this Jan WDW trip...but we can add another trip in lieu of getting 40th birthday gifts for each other or having a party...and we already have PAPs and can use DVC points...so only expense would be dining and driving to/from.

I was shocked to see it was snowing this morning. Too bad it didn't do more and close the schools early so that my DDs wouldn't have basketball tonight. But it's good there's nothing to shovel.

 

[lovin'fl]

Missed some pics.
After going to the Sweets Shop on the BW

Sweet DD in line for Star Tours

DS at HS

Sweet DD on the BC beach.