And The Answer Is...

Raise your hand if you were surprised.

Yep, we enjoyed it so much on our last trip, we decided to stay at Old Key West again.  Who wouldn't love a private master bedroom with a king sized bed?  And the ability to pack less clothes because you can wash a load or two?  A full kitchen?  Two bathrooms?  And again, great pool slide!

Aaah, transport me now!

Digging In - The Big Questions

When we set out to plan our vacation, there are several major questions to answer.

When are we going?  How are we getting there?  How long will we stay?  Where will we stay?  Will MawMaw go with us?

Let's start with that last one.

Will MawMaw go with us?  MawMaw loved going to Disney World with us and was looking forward to going again; however, my husband wanted this vacation to be just our family.  So, I had to make a very difficult phone call.  Not fun.  It was very hard to break the news and she was very disappointed that she wouldn't be going this time, but she understood.  Still.  She was very sad.

Next question, when are we going?  Even though the temperatures are sweltering, the best time for my husband is mid-September. So, we looked at the calendar and picked a week.

How are we getting there?  No question.  Flying.  My husband did not feel it necessary to drive all the way from Texas to Lake Buena Vista again.  And the good news is, flying would get us there quicker, giving us two more days than before.  Seven whole days in the parks!

As far as ground transportation, a rental car is a must for us. CB doesn't like to rely on others for his transportation which is fine by me.  Getting around WDW is very easy - I love those red and purple signs. We could be in the parking lot of any park within 10-15 minutes.  Yes, we might have to take the tram if we parked far enough away, but what's a trip to Disney World without a ride on the tram?

How long will we stay?  Our pattern is to suck all we can out of our vacation so we planned to arrive on Saturday and stay all week, leaving on the following Sunday.

Where will we stay?  We weren't quite sure.  We do have the mad love for Old Key West, but last trip we had lunch at Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge and loved the look of that resort.  Chatting with my husband, we decided to give the Villas at Wilderness Lodge a try this time.  So, I got online to price it out and it showed that the resort was booked during our week.  How could that be?

I don't know what Disney does or why they do it, but their online reservation system will sometimes show that a resort is completely booked.  If this happens to you, don't let it deter you. Call them. That's what I did, and they had rooms available. So, I had them hold an 8-night stay in a 2-bedroom villa at Wilderness Lodge. That hold required no money down and I could either call and cancel it or it would expire on its own in a week.

You may be wondering why I didn't just go ahead and book the reservation.  The advantage to simply holding a reservation is that it let us live with the idea for a few days. We could think about things like:

how far would we have to walk to get to our car?

would we enjoy the resort pool?

what about the layout of the room?

what kinds of views are available?

what are we gaining by staying here?

what are we giving up by staying here?

are we okay with spending that much money?

Ultimately, we decided not to stay at Wilderness Lodge. We felt we'd have a longer walk to and from our car each day and the additional cost just wasn't worth it. We'd rather spend it somewhere else.

So, any guesses as to where we decided to stay?

Laid Back Day 7

Our plan today was to spend the first half of the day at Downtown Disney and the second half at Epcot.

After getting to bed so late the night before, we slept in a bit the next morning and took some time to feed the birds.  Tuppence a bag.

Magic Moment #13 - Since we were on the first floor and were near a pond, the boys had numerous opportunities to feed all the birds.

This picture doesn't do justice to the amounts of ducks and birds that would come up to our patio.  Once they realized we had food, word spread like wildfire!  There were so many different kinds.  The white, long-beaked ones were so aggressive!  Once the bread was gone, they waddled back to the pond.

Downtown Disney was great fun if only for the Lego Store!  It was our first destination and the only one the boys were focused on.  After well over an hour, we were finally able to get the Legomaniacs out of there!

Italian ices and Ghirardelli chocolate did the trick.  FREE Ghirardelli chocolate!  It's great to walk into that scrumptious boutique and be offered that scrumptious square.

We thoroughly - very thoroughly - enjoyed the World of Disney.  World of Disney had so many interesting displays, obvious and not so obvious.  Coupled with all the different shopping areas inside that one store and the fact that my family was spread out amongst them, there was no way I could concentrate on all that was going on in there.  Must. Go. Back.

And how many times did I go around and around and around looking at all the pins at Pin Trader's?!

Upon leaving the parking lot, one of my boys spotted our Magic Moment #14, a Hidden Mickey in the clouds.

There's that side profile I told you would come up again!

Aaah, Home

Back home at Old Key West.

We stopped at the Hospitality House to pick up our packages from the previous day's shopping at MGM to find that only 2 of the 3 gifts were there. The one child who was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his X-wing was about to be horribly disappointed. CB was the bearer of the bad news and while FM#2 was crushed, in true Storm Trooper fashion, he would shake it off and forge ahead. Besides, there was swimming to be done!

We were starving. While everyone rested back in the room, CB and I went up to the Hospitality House to grab lunch at Good's To Go - OKW's counter-service restaurant.

While waiting, I overheard a lady asking whether certain items on the menu were included in the Dining Plan. There were a lot of people using Disney's Dining Plan during our visit. Disney had a promotional offer earlier in the year -- if you booked your September/October vacation by June, everyone in your party got free dining plans. That's free food, folks.

The dining plan includes one free full-service meal, one free counter-service meal, and one free snack. Did you notice all those free's? We would've loved to take advantage of this offer, but to book a vacation that far in advance is metaphysically impossible for us.

By the time lunch was over, FM#3 was asleep and MawMaw and I were close behind. The other two were jumping up and down to go swimming so CB suited up and took them. Bless that man's energy level - and his commitment to his children.

They had a great time! They said the slide was super fast!

When they returned we headed back to EPCOT...

...where we cashed in our Fast Passes for Soarin'. By now the wait time was about an hour and a half. The Fast Pass line was about 15-20 minutes.

I 'heart' Fast Pass.

Unfortunately, halfway through the line we discovered FM#3 was not tall enough to ride. CB elected to sit out this round and wait for us. This allowed us to experience the Child Swap feature.

With Child Swap, one adult can stay with the child while the rest of your party rides. When your party returns, you swap the child, take your Child Swap Pass, and go directly to the Fast Pass line. Yes, this still requires your party to wait in line twice, but the pay-off is that you get to use the Fast Pass line PLUS the Child Swap Pass allows you to take (I think) up to three additional people with you on the ride. So when we got off the ride, CB took the older boys with him and they got to ride again!

As for the ride itself, Soarin' is so peaceful and relaxing. You sit in what closely resembles a 7-seat hang glider. Your glider then takes off, and depending on which row you're in, rotates up several (many) feet off the ground and suspends you in front of a giant movie screen. (Leave your flip-flops on the floor. They're likely to drop off during the ride.)

The story is that you're hang gliding through various locations - white water rapids, Grand Canyon, ocean, golf course, orange groves. The glider, of course, tips and pitches to simulate the actual feeling of soaring. And it all comes complete with wind, smells, and epic Disney music.

MawMaw could've stayed on Soarin' for the rest of the trip.

We then made our way to Test Track where we used those Fast Passes CB picked up earlier in the day. FM#2 was apprehensive about this one because of the speed. I really don't understand his trepedation. He rides in the car with me, after all! But we managed to get him on and he...loved...it!

Late breaking news...Young red-headed boy says Test Track is "The most awesomest ride ever!" He liked it better than Mission: SPACE and Star Wars and the stunt shows.

CB liked it, too. I enjoyed it, too. There just seems to be a lot of time devoted to storytelling. Maybe I need to ride it a few more times to get a better perspective. Once our ride vehicle exited the building and began building up speed, it was terrific! Just not long enough.

In the showroom, we enjoyed the fancy GM cars and spent way too much time in the gift shop.

Exiting Test Track we were right next door to Mission: SPACE and FM#2 wanted to take MawMaw on it. She chickened out earlier in the day because she was afraid the ride would make her motion sick. After riding it ourselves, we assured her that wasn't the case. Of course, the repeated offers to exit the ride before it actually began did freak her out a bit..."Are you sure this doesn't spin around?"

Don't worry MawMaw. Just wait 'til we get to Magic Kingdom!

But she hung in there and had a ball! What a trooper! FM#2 thought it was pretty cool that she rode it, too.

It was becoming early evening and we were slowing down. The boys played in a car wash water spray outside Test Track then we made our way over to the Imagination pavilion hoping to enjoy it, but it was closed. However, the boys played in the jumping water.

And FM#3 made a friend.

Good night. Until tomorrow...

The Best Hotel EVER!

We were in Building 49.

Now, according to the Unofficial guidebook, Building 49 was one to be avoided. Looking at the map it really is only a hop, skip, and a jump to the main road, Buena Vista Drive. They must've figured there would be a lot of road noise. Mais no. Not for us. I never heard any noise from the road at all. I couldn't even see the road and only knew it was there because I saw it on the map.

After checking in, we curved through the resort until the road dead-ended in a cul-de-sac. Looking for our building.....there it is on the right.....where to park.....gee, I guess we'll take this spot right in front of our room!

Could it get any better?! This mere parking spot is Magic Moment #6 because everyday except the last day we were able to park in the same spot right in front of our room.

This is quite a bonus at a Disney World resort. Most of the hotels have a main parking lot and you have to walk quite a distance to your room. Something I wouldn't relish while hauling luggage or tired kids after a full day of Disney fun. But Old Key West (OKW) is laid out like an apartment complex with two- and three-story buildings dotting the property. Parking is right in front of your building.

Magic Moment #7. We opened the door and our hotel was everything we expected. It looked exactly like it did in the pictures. The boys found some hidden Mickeys. It felt great to finally be here.

We unpacked, taking advantage of ample closets and drawer space, and stowed our luggage out of sight in the entry closet not to be disturbed until the end of the week.

MawMaw and the boys had two queen-sized beds, two closets, their own TV armoire, and their own bathroom with an extra vanity area.

This was a great arrangement. MawMaw bunked with FM#3 so she had plenty of room to stretch out. There were four drawers in the armoire so they each got one. The boys shared the closet in the bedroom while MawMaw took the one right off the bathroom. And she had the extra vanity all to herself, except for an occasional tooth brusher.


This was our kitchen. It came complete with anything we needed to prepare a meal. Housekeeping came daily and would even load and run the dishwasher. They'd also leave a fresh supply of coffee which we enjoyed every morning - especially MawMaw!

The island was Snack Central, the perfect place for sodas and MawMaw's chocolate chip and sugar cookies. We munched on them everyday when we got back and they somehow lasted until the very last day when we finished them off.

These pictures were taken on our last day so you can see we definitely made ourselves at home.

Sorry for the dark photos. They looked fine when I took them. I guess my vision was tainted by my love for OKW!

The dining area which opened up to the balcony was home to breakfast, an occasional dinner, and a wicked game of Pirates Dice!

This two-bedroom villa sleeps 8 people with two of those on the sleeper sofa. The living area was where we'd plop down at the end of the day, watch TV, and scarf down the cookies.

A couple of evenings I relaxed on that love seat while MawMaw rubbed my feet. Only a mom would do that. Prior to our trip I had some sort of tendon problem or bone spur, but after all the walking I did at WDW, I haven't had any trouble with it!

This is one part of the master bathroom...my part.

Although the boys enjoyed the jacuzzi tub, too. You can glimpse our master bedroom through the shuttered opening. CB's bathroom area was next door with the shower and vanity. Remember the stop at Walgreen's in Tallahassee for shower soap? It wasn't really necessary. Disney supplied us with chunky round bars of hand soap, big round bars of bath soap, along with body wash, shampoo, and conditioner from a line called H₂O Plus.

I used some of it, but also hauled some home. They sold full-sized bottles in the gift shop, Conch Flats General Store, and I recently found it at Ulta here in town! When I smell it, it takes me right back there to Building 49.

In what I like to call The Master Wing we had a closet, our own TV armoire, and access to the balcony. Off the hallway and bathroom was a full-sized laundry room complete with a little box of Tide sitting on the washing machine. We did laundry a couple of times during the week and Mousekeeping replenished the detergent. Knowing we'd be able to do laundry saved me from packing a ton of clothes.

This place was truly like coming home at the end of each day. We could come through the door, grab a snack, chill out on the couch and watch TV - much like we do at home. For those who wanted to take a nap, we each had our own private bedroom.

Magic Moment #8. We could even feed the ducks if we wanted.

Welcome Home!

Although it was pouring rain, I could see that Disney had changed a lot since CB and I visited 16 years ago (sans niños). In particular, I noticed the roads were lined with trees and lush tropical plants - something I didn't notice before. I'm sure they serve to hide the inner machinations of life in The World, but they're also really nice to look at! (Even though at the time they were being pelted by torrential rain!)

Following the map, we made our way from the new west entrance to Buena Vista Drive, turned left at the lighthouse onto Bonnet Creek Parkway, and right onto Vacation Club Way. We rounded a turn in the road and came upon a driveway opposite a heavily wooded area and tucked into the midst of lush plants and tall trees.

There it was -- Disney's Old Key West Resort.

We had to stop and tell the guard our name to which he replied, "Welcome home!" and lifted the arm on the gate. Like they had been waiting for us!

Old Key West is Walt Disney World's first Vacation Club resort which makes it at least 15 years old. It's laid out like an apartment complex with separate buildings with outside entry and close parking, and although it spans 156 acres, the trees and plants make it seem very cozy and secluded.

We headed for the Hospitality House to check-in. There was a lot of activity here as CB pulled up along the curb. We decided I'd run in and get us checked in while everyone else avoided the rain and stayed in the car.

Although I had to stand in line a while, I took the opportunity to enjoy the homey-ness of the place and the shear fact that we were finally here! The check-in and concierge area was small, not huge and cavernous, but warm and welcoming.

In hindsight, I should've ran back out to the car and had everyone come in. MawMaw and the kids could've relaxed and watched TV in Papa's Den, Old Key West's lounge off of their check-in area.

Next time, for sure!

Magic Moment #4. When I approached the front desk I explained our Annual Pass situation. The friendly check-in girl said, "No problem. I'll just give you your discount and you can show me the pass later."

Bless her heart!

Next, the friendly front desk girl gave us our free parking pass to put in the window, our door keys (aka Keys to the World) that also allowed us to charge purchases to our room, our Disney packet full of maps and fun stuff.

Magic Moment #5. Next, she pulled out the resort map and traced the route to our room. "You have a first floor room with a balcony and a view of the pond."

Did you HEAR that?! The room request I made weeks ago had been granted!

What good news to weary travelers. I could've wept right then and there! In fact, it still makes me a bit weepy just thinking about it. Year of a Million Dreams? Absolutely! I told her she just made the two-day trip worth it. I couldn't wait to get back to the car to tell everyone!

This is the view from our first floor balcony.