The Force is Strong in This One: SWW and Celebration VI, Disney Done Differently

[disney212]

Originally Posted by lovethattink

Welcome!

Thank you!

Never too old for Star Wars! There is a huge following of the Saga. Are you a fan too? Will this be your first SWW or have you all gone before?

First time at SWW for us. I am a fan too. Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

[lovethattink]

Originally Posted by JustRZ

Random thought- Have you ever considered blogging your adventures at Disney?

I haven't. I don't know the first thing about blogging. Wouldn't know where to start.

Originally Posted by disney212

First time at SWW for us. I am a fan too. Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

Oh! You should love SWW then! More is coming! I need to download week 2's pictures then we're good to go!

[Moodyzblu]

Great report !

Like I said .. I wish I had known what SWW was all about the year we were there ! We were right there and missed pretty much everything.

Great pics .. I love the Magic one with Darth Vader ! (although the balloon shot is just adorable ! )

[lovethattink]

Originally Posted by Moodyzblu

Great report !

Like I said .. I wish I had known what SWW was all about the year we were there ! We were right there and missed pretty much everything.

Great pics .. I love the Magic one with Darth Vader ! (although the balloon shot is just adorable ! )

That's a shame you missed it that one year. Maybe another year?

I hope the twins and the new baby are doing well!

We found out about SWW in 2004 by going to MGM Studios a day it was going on, but we didn't know. Been going every year since!

[WDWRids]

Joining in.....can't wait to hear all about SWW. Often wondered what it was like. Love the report thus far.

[lovethattink]

Originally Posted by WDWRids

Joining in.....can't wait to hear all about SWW. Often wondered what it was like. Love the report thus far.

Welcome!!

Thanks! Glad you like it!

[JustRZ]

Originally Posted by lovethattink

I haven't. I don't know the first thing about blogging. Wouldn't know where to start.

Worpress is pretty straightforward and easy to set up

[kaoden39]

Originally Posted by lovethattink

I haven't. I don't know the first thing about blogging. Wouldn't know where to start.



Oh! You should love SWW then! More is coming! I need to download week 2's pictures then we're good to go!

I blog book reviews. It is so easy. If I can do it anyone can.

[cgncga]

Originally Posted by lovethattink

Awww, that's sweet.


Yes you do Disney differently too! Have you considered a SWW since your DD loved JTA so much when we met at DHS?

If we had to purchase airfare we surely wouldn't be going to Disney so often. Living in central FL is a big plus for us!!

I wish we could get down to a SWW. Kent and Grace would love it, but school is still in session here when it's going on. (The girls don't finish until next Wednesday.) With them getting older I hate to pull them out of school for more than a day or two at a time--especially as Grace usually misses a couple full days each month for medical appointments as it is. With the cost of flights it's not worth coming down for less than a week so I don't see us making it to a SWW any tome soon. We actually prefer to come for two weeks because that's easier on Grace since we have a few down days in there to help her recover from the heat and exertion.

Catherine

[annmarieda]

Originally Posted by lovethattink

I hope everything's going well with you and Zoe. Glad you are here!

Things are ok. She is scheduled for another surgery... but since I don't want to spend another summer with her in hospital and recovering... we are trying some non surgical tricks. This is night two applying said "trick" We saw a big difference after just one night. If after 3 weeks we are in a good place, the doctors will allow us to cancel surgery.


Looks like day one was quite the success..dispite the heat. Don't you just love it when kids are sooo happy? "Best Day EVER!"

Sorry you had to skip day too, but I can see especially if it were hot outside how it just would be way to much.

Day three looks to have satisfied some shopping needs. So what is this hyperspace hoopla show about?

[lovethattink]

Originally Posted by JustRZ

Worpress is pretty straightforward and easy to set up

Hmm. Thanks, I'll look into it.

Originally Posted by kaoden39

I blog book reviews. It is so easy. If I can do it anyone can.

So maybe you can help me?

Originally Posted by cgncga

I wish we could get down to a SWW. Kent and Grace would love it, but school is still in session here when it's going on. (The girls don't finish until next Wednesday.) With them getting older I hate to pull them out of school for more than a day or two at a time--especially as Grace usually misses a couple full days each month for medical appointments as it is. With the cost of flights it's not worth coming down for less than a week so I don't see us making it to a SWW any tome soon. We actually prefer to come for two weeks because that's easier on Grace since we have a few down days in there to help her recover from the heat and exertion.

Catherine

That's understandable.

Under day 2 and day 3, the writing in red is a link to Attractions Magazine's blog with their youtube videos of the parade and Hoopla. Maybe Grace would like to watch them? Next best thing to being there.

Originally Posted by annmarieda

Things are ok. She is scheduled for another surgery... but since I don't want to spend another summer with her in hospital and recovering... we are trying some non surgical tricks. This is night two applying said "trick" We saw a big difference after just one night. If after 3 weeks we are in a good place, the doctors will allow us to cancel surgery.


Looks like day one was quite the success..dispite the heat. Don't you just love it when kids are sooo happy? "Best Day EVER!"

Sorry you had to skip day too, but I can see especially if it were hot outside how it just would be way to much.

Day three looks to have satisfied some shopping needs. So what is this hyperspace hoopla show about?

Oh cool, I hope it works completely so she can avoid another surgery.

You can watch the hoopla show if you click the red link on day 3. Scroll down a little on the blog and the video is embedded. The song is at the beginning. The show is a dance off between the good guys and the bad guys. Chewy is hysterical. The last number is the best, but you have to stick around to watch it after they announce the winner.

[jenseib]

You crack me up about your singing. We went and saw Madagascar last night and I keep sining the afro circus song...and my family is about to kill me.

[KatMark]

Great start. Love the photopass pics!

[lovethattink]

Originally Posted by jenseib

You crack me up about your singing. We went and saw Madagascar last night and I keep sining the afro circus song...and my family is about to kill me.

I can imagine!! Just the commercial is catchy!! How was the movie?

Originally Posted by KatMark

Great start. Love the photopass pics!

Thanks! We have 900 pictures on the cd, so hard to decide which ones not to post!

[lovethattink]

Helicopters/Fire/Road Closures

This is a direct quote from my Disney Done Differently TR post #2234

Friday afternoon I got a text that I-4 was closed due to a brush fire and traffic was backed up. We debated whether to leave or not. I turned on the tv and to try to find out where the road was closed, it said from the 417 to the 528. I don't know my roads, I drive by landmarks and apparently dh is the same.

We made the decision to go. We got onto I-4 with no problems then ended up in bumper to bumper traffic. All traffic was directed off the highway. We had left the GPS at home and had no clue which way to head.

I called The Palms Hotel & Villas where we were to stay the night and I was given directions. Why do people in Florida like to name so many roads with the same name? Subdivisions are famous for that and it can get so confusing.

We made it to the motel! The best directions would have been to go to where the helicopters were hovering. 3 helicopters were directly above the motel. There was a Bay News 9 reporter standing in the tree line right down the street at 192 and Parkway. We new the fire was nearby, but had no idea how close. We could surely smell it!

Check in was a breeze! I had called the motel earlier in the month because we were considering changing from CSR in early May to them. A very nice man from The Palms gave us a code to use online to get the best rate possible. We didn't change from CSR to them, but I did use the code for this Memorial Day weekend instead.

Reading online ratings and reports of the resort had me a bit concerned. Both Lidian and Blessedmom04 have stayed here. Both said it was very clean, very friendly staff, and nice, but it wasn't Disney.

We were quite satisfied with the room when we got there. We were placed in building 7. This is the only building with an interior entrance for the rooms and an elevator.

The room was very spacious.















Some exterior pictures







The pros and cons

The pros:

1. The staff was very friendly. Disney could take lessons from them on friendliness. I was truely surprised by how wonderful they all were.

2. It was very clean. There wasn't a spec of dust or fingerprint to be found on any of the surfaces, except the dishwasher which was very clean on the inside, but not so clean on the outside. All the drawers were immaculate inside.

3. There is a garbage disposal!

4. The bathroom is large.

5. The living area has comfortable seating.

6. The full size refrigerator with full size freezer!!

7. Free continental breakfast and coffee/tea through out the day. Breakfast included waffles, premade eggs, bagels, muffins, packets of hot cereal, cold cereal in dispensers, flavored creamers, canned fruit salad no fresh fruit, bread for toast, toasters, microwave, apple juice, orange juice, lemonade, packets of syrup, pats of butter and margarine, packets of jelly, packs of cream cheese.

8. The kitchen has pots/pans, utensils, sharp knife, cutting board, glasses, mugs, plates, ice cube tray, 1 "flipper/spatula".

9. Plenty of towels. Also they had their own towels for the pool at the pool.

10. Parking is near the room

11. Convenient to I-4.

12. Eating places near by, Charlies Steak and Sea Food, Wendy's, Subway, Golden Corale, Kobe, Boston Lobster Fest.

Cons:

1. Only 2 very small trash cans in the room with the only large trash can I could find being the one at the pool.

2. You could hear passing traffic on I-4, the rooms were not sound proof and you could hear all your neighbors. The windows are single pain, so you could hear anyone outside talking, even in normal voices. We were in the furthest building and could still hear the people in the pool. We were on the first floor and could hear any foot traffic above us as the ceiling made creaking noises.

3. There was an odd smell through the air vents. It wasn't mold. It smelled almost like CLR cleaning products and stale coffee.

4. You must wear your wristband to swim in the pool or eat breakfast. If you lose your wristband you must pay for it.

5. Upkeep of wear and tear on furniture and fixtures wasn't as good as Disney. For example, the window upstairs above our room had a crack in it. Our TV cabinet had a huge chunk of wood missing from the side. Sidewalks weren't swept clean like Disney does daily.

6. Twice housekeeping knocked on our door around 10:40am on check out day to see if we left yet. We still had the do not disturb magnet on the door, but they disturbed.