jjbescher

The beignets at Disneyland were very good.  Stinks that the ones at Port Orleans are that bad.  It sounds like the whole restaurant is not up to par.

Beautiful! You lost me at no golf carts though~!  I love the roominess! But stairs with a toddler and all our stuff would kill me. Plus, I love being UN isolated at the Fort.  Seems so far from everything. Did it bother you the the grill was at ground level?  If I were to grill at all wouldn't it be on the deck?  I am sure they consider it too much of a fire hazard I guess. But running up and down the stairs to throw the cheese on the burger or to get the ketchup you forgot seems tiring. I suppose no one really grills there. The inside looks awesome though! Great pictures!!! 

Laura

:clint:

We did grill a lot.  The people that we were with did not want to go out too often.  Yes, those steps were a pain and even more tiring after a long day at the parks.

It would have been nice to have a table somewhere down at ground level so you could bring everything down at once.  We mainly did chicken, so brought it down, threw it on the grill, flipped it once and done.  All condiments were left upstairs either on the table on the deck or inside.

Also, having a golf cart would have been very nice.  They need to build golf cart parking at the grandstand so people can drive there and park instead of taking internal bus.  However, if you flew in and took ME, you check in at SS and they bring you to your treehouse in a golf cart.  Same with picking you up when it is time to leave.

Thank you for posting those pictures. I usually will go to Disney with my dad and sister who both would have a awful time with those stairs. I would love to try one sometime!

There are some that are handicap accessible.  I think their are only 5.  The ramps are very long, just because of the height.

Thanks for sharing the pics. This part of the resort has always interested me, but never enough to make a reservation. You pics pique my interest even more.

I loved the resort.  I do not know if I would do it again with the new point structure.  When I did it, it was the same as a 2 Bedroom at SS.

I wandered through there a year or so ago. It all felt very isolated to me. For some that is good, and yes you have kitchen facilties, etc. but no amenities whatsoever, except the pool.  Also I couldn't tell for sure, but I think you need two buses to get anywhere, one to SS, then another to your destination. (I may be wrong).

Carol, you are correct.  It is very isolated.  However, you are easily within walking distance to Saratoga Springs which has all the amenities and multiple pools with slides and play structures.

It is very much like the fort where you need to take an internal bus to SS, then catch another to the parks.  There is a path you can walk, takes about 5 - 10 minutes to the Grandstand section, then only one bus is needed.

Great pix. Thanks for posting them. We hope to stay at them soon.

Did anybody have a golf cart at the tree houses? It looks like you'd be able to get around in golf cart.

Golf carts can fit on the paths, but only for Maintenance and Housekeeping.  Otherwise, no Golf Carts allowed.

Also in your opinion how many people do you think it will comfortably accommodate for a week long trip?

It depends on the size of the people.  At one point, we had 6 adults, 3 Children(2,1,Infant).  The six adults were fine in the beds.  2 in the master bedroom, 2 in the second bedroom, 2 in the bunk.  Since the kids were small they slept with their parents in cribs and in their beds.  However, there is a pullout couch and a chair that converts to a bed.  It sleeps 9 and I would say 9 could be comfortable, especially if you go at a time that the deck can be used.  It was very big.

The treehouse villas were very relaxing.  I will say that if you have young kids (Stroller age), I do not think they will like them as much as someone with children not in strollers.

The main reason, all those steps, long walks to the actually treehouses.  We had two children with us that were in strollers, mine and my sister-in-laws.  It was a pain worrying about the stroller and carrying it up and down the steps.  Then you had to either walk to the internal bus stop, walk to the grandstand section of Saratago Springs, take the boat to the Springs section or to your car.  All of these options require the stroller to be folded up.  There are Handicap Accessible villas.

I do not know why I do not have a picture of the pool, but it is a rectangular pool with some fountains that go into the pool.  There is parking by the pool so if you were one of the treehouses farther away you could drive.  We were close enough we could walk.

The overall feel of the treehouses were very dark.  You had to turn on ALL of the lights just to make it feel it was not dark outside.  Hopefully they put in some brighter bulbs.  That would be my MAIN complaint of the inside of the treehouses.

There was the bathroom in the Master bathroom, plus a shared bathroom for the 2nd/3rd bathroom.

I am one of those suckers and Love it.  When I bought in it was a lot cheaper and I get more then 3 nights.  I typically get 14 nights out of the points that I have.  Also, BLT uses a lot more points then Villas at Wilderness Lodge.  It all depends on the season you go.

However, I do believe they are putting in way too many DVC's and hope they NEVER build one at the Fort.  Hopefully the 2 (Plus GF and Polynesian) that they have around the Magic Kingdom area will suffice.

jon

Here is the post I put some pictures in.

http://www.fortfiends.net/forum/topic/11133-treehouse-villas-pictures/

jon

More pictures

Blurry, I this is of the other bedroom.

I thought I had more pictures.  Sorry,

jon

It was asked on a different thread for pictures of the Treehouse Villas.  I stayed there in May 2010.

Here are some Pictures that I took.

Front Door

Kitchen Area

Dining Room table

Bunk Beds in Room

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom TV

Outside Pictures

I am going to stop this post here because I do not know how many pictures I have included.

Fun! Would love to see more pics of them.  They look like a cool place to stay.

I have a lot of them when from when I went.  They are on one of the computers.  If I can remember to find them, I will post the link once they uploaded.

We have stayed at Boardwalk, Beach Club, Villas at Wilderness Lodge, Saratoga Springs, Treehouse Villas, Old Key West, Bay Lake Tower.  We used points to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge before DVC was put it in.  Of all resorts, I like Beach Club the best (location is great).  However, the one night we stayed at Bay Lake Tower was awesome.  We ended up getting the Lake View with the Magic Kingdom view.

TCD - There are studio rooms that are not part of a 2-bedroom lock-off.  They call them dedicated studios.  The way some of the them were built they have different options. The studios either have 2 beds OR a bed and pullout sofa.

Some of the newer resorts have a second/third full bath (2 for 1-bedroom/3 for 2-bedroom).

jon

The Grand Villas are A LOT more points the other rooms and the Grand Floridian is A LOT higher then the other resorts in points, therefore will be more to rent out.

If you can rent from someone directly, sometimes you can get the points for $10 - $12 a point.  When you are talking about 100 - 300 a reservation, those few dollars make a huge difference.  There are drawbacks renting from a user, rather then someone that does it as a business.  Always make sure to get a confirmation number and a contract with the person.  When getting a 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, treehouse villa or a grand villa you get a Full refrigerator, Cooktop, Oven and Washer and Dryer.  That is one reason maid service does not come as often.  If I had more points, I would think about renting them out, but would probably just go more.

Thanks for the name.  I may do some stalking take a look some time.

 

 

I love me a good freak show.

 

 

It was way too crowded.  Stay tuned for the photos.

 

Even if you don't buy a ticket for MNSSHP, it's a good time to just be at the entrance to see what guests wear.  I think I've mentioned before that I don't recall guests getting this into the parties in the past.  In recent years, the costumes have become much more elaborate.

 

 

 

I thought that Gingerbread man was from Shrek.  Twin #1 didn't think so.  She didn't think the Shrek one was so mean looking.

 

 

Yup.

 

I have the name.  But you get points for spotting her!

 

 

Good catch! Twin #1 and I thought all of the princesses were represented, but I do have a photo of a shield for Belle.  I think that there was a shield with books on it, but now I'm not so sure.

 

You are right about Belle- I am sure guests would like to meet her, but would they have her both here and right across the way at her Enchanted Tales attraction?

 

Tiana's meet and greet is currently in that courtyard area behind the Christmas Shop in Liberty Square.  It's outside.  I bet they move her inside.

 

TCD

Thanks for the info on Tiana.  I know my daughter will want to see her again in December.  Since we are going without friends this time, I guarantee there will be a lot of time waiting in line for princesses and other characters.  She would rather do that than go on rides.

We need an update.

 

This TR is supposed to be about the Unleash the Villains event, and we're still hanging out in the MK.

 

Just to let you know, we will be hanging out in the MK for this update, and then we will get to the main event.

 

We had heard recently that the construction walls came down around the new Princess meet and greet that is replacing the old Snow White ride.  We decided to take a look.

 

And here it is- it's called Princess Fairy Tale Hall.  We weren't real sure how this was going to be set up, and which princesses would be available to meet, but from looking at the outside, we now understand things a bit better.  For example, there are two separate entrances- this is the one on the right as you face the attraction-you can see that there is a sign posted where they will be inserting photos of which two princesses will be on that side.  Also note that there is a Fastpass entrance over here.  There is one on the other side too.  So, two separate Fastpass entrances.  Oh, and they aren't quite done with the construction- there's a ladder up there on the roof:

 

 

This is the main sign in the center of the two entrances- note that there were CM's out there guarding the entrance.  Sometimes that would suggest a soft opening, but I haven't heard that there have been any princesses in there yet:

 

 

It won't be long until all of our questions about how this place will work will be answered- this sign tells us that the Princess Fairy Tale Hall will open on September 18- which is tomorrow!:

 

 

Remember that ladder?

 

There was a CM using it:

 

 

You may have noticed in the previous photos that there are little shields posted along the roofline of the entrance with symbols representing different Disney princesses.  This is an interesting touch- here we see a sea shell and some leaves, which I presume represent Ariel and Pocahontas:

 

 

Here we see a slipper, and behind the sign a spinning wheel- Cinderella and Aurora not doubt:

 

 

On these shields, we see symbols representing Rapunzel, Mulan, Snow White, and Tiana.  Behind the sign, and not in the photo was an image of Aladdin's lamp, which obviously refers to Princess Jasmine.  You can also see the second FP entrance in this photo:

 

 

I think all of the official Disney Princesses are represented here.  It looks like I missed getting a photo of the shield that depicted a bow and arrow- Merida.  These shields raise an interesting question- will Merida, Ariel and Tiana meet in this new venue?  What about their existing meet and greet areas?  I could see them moving Tiana and Merida in here, but not Ariel.  Twin #1 suggested that maybe you will be able to meet Ariel with legs in her dress in here, and Ariel with the mermaid tail over there in her cave?

 

The other thing Twin#1 pointed out is that they didn't leave room for any new shields.  The new Frozen movie coming out later this year apparently introduces two new Disney princesses.  I would think that Disney isn't going to miss the chance to sell merchandise related to this movie, and there will probably be some place to meet the new princesses.  Twin #1 told me she read someplace about a possible new meet and greet area in the Norway area of Epcot, since the movie apparently takes place in Norway.  We checked on that last time we were in Epcot, though, and there are no signs of a new meet and greet place there.  Maybe they will bounce Merida or Tiana from their current meet and greet areas and put the Frozen princesses there? We will find out soon enough, the movie comes out at the end of November.

 

Anyway- it looks like the new Princess Fairy Tale Hall will provide guests with the opportunity to meet at least four princesses each day.  Each line leads to two princesses, and they apparently will change them out.  Twin #1 told me that she read somewhere that Cinderella and Rapunzel will always be there, and they will each have one additional princess with them, who will vary-I'm not sure if that's true- but it would make sense to have the most popular princesses available more often than the less popular ones.

TCD

Did you see a shield for Belle?  I think they will leave Merida where she is.  They still have a place for characters where the princesses are currently, unless they are going to expand Mickey's queue.  At this point the only way to see Belle is to go into the Enchanted Tales with Belle, but since they do not do autographs, for those with kids that want to get autographs, it is very hard to get Belle's signature.  I do not think Belle will ever be in this hall since she appears elsewhere, along with Ariel.  Where is Tiana's meet and greet?

I posted this in the DVC Section also, but figured more people will see it here.

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/resorts/other--proposed-resorts/2392-polynesian-dvc-announced

I would LOVE to go and taste the Kimchi.

Page 1.

Finally caught up, The Fantasy does have the Concierge Sundeck just like the Dream, I am not sure about the gates going to the rooms.  I never went to that level.

Current blackout dates for 2013 are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

 

Blackout dates being added for 2014 are: November 23-29, December 21-27

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/other-resources/walt-disney-world/dining/2354-tables-in-wonderland-expands-blackout-removes-one-location

I guess it is for 2014, not 2013 sorry.

Tables in Wonderland expands blackout, removes one location

Written by Tim Krasniewski | August 05, 2013

Posted in WDW Dining News

The Tables in Wonderland discount dining program will see a number of significant changes in August 2014. 

Effective August 1, 2014, Victoria and Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will no longer participate in the Tables in Wonderland discount dining program. 

Additionally, blackout dates will siginificantly expand for a number of popular dining locations.  Announced blackout dates include:

• November 23-29, 2014
• December 21-27, 2014
• March 8-April 4, 2015
• May 31-June 20, 2015

The blackout windows listed above apply only to the following restaurants:

• Le Cellier Steakhouse
• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
• 1900 Park Fare
• 'Ohana (dinner only)
• Chef Mickey's
• Cinderella's Royal Table

Blackout dates are also in place on major holidays including Mother's Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.  These holiday blackouts apply to all participating dining locations including the list above.  

The Tables in Wonderland dining discount card provides a discount of 20% off normal menu prices of most dining locations at Walt Disney World Resort.  The discount is valid for the cardholder and up to 9 guests dining on the same check.  The discount card is available to Disney Vacation Club members and Walt Disney World Annual Passholders for a cost of $100 per year.  Florida residents can purchase Tables in Wonderland for $125 annually. 

This is what I saw.

What date are you doing the CP?  I know TIW put out more blackout dates around Christmas time.

jon

I have not done this, but the guarantee of knowing that there will be waves to learn on would be worth it for me.

Sorry I didn't answer part of this before. We had scheduled our excursions ahead of time but there were some things we could not schedule till we were on board the ship. That's what we will cover in the next installment later today.

When I cruise, I like to book all the Shore Excursions ahead of time.  If I can find a reputable place, I will normally not book it through the cruiseline.  However, when I did the Western Fantasy the port times were so short, we only did a few shore excursions and went through Disney for most of them because of the time restraint.  They will not leave if a Disney sponsored Shore Excursion is late.

That article is referring to the Windseeker... which is the giant swing.  Further making my point.  Just say no to the swings.

Did not realize that.  Then, more ammo for those that said they would never ride it.