Headless Horseman

The October 19th Halloween Party was a spectacular and spooktacular event.

He really is headless!

 Will be adding a few more pictures of our great Halloween fun at the Magic Kingdom. It was a perfect night in every way from the fireworks, parade, trick-or-treating, rides, weather. You name it and it was fabulous. This picture was from the first parade, although we watched the second parade. I am proud of this shot because that guy rides pretty darn fast through the streets of MK. Maia, our granddaughter was a perfect angel through the whole event and absolutely adorable in her Aurora costume. We are in our AKL Studio in the background of this pix right before we left for the party.

A true princess!

She also had a Photo Pass picture taken with Aurora and Prince Phillip which is priceless. Maia and Aurora curtsied to each other and spun around one after the other. I’ll never forget it.

Beach Club Villas

Saturday October 18, 2008 was a beautiful day at DW.

Quiet Pool

There was no one in the pool or even in sight…a rarity especially at this popular resort. The aquamarine building is part of Disney Vacation Club while regular rooms are in the caribbean blue building. The Beach Club Villas sold out very quickly with Stormalong Bay has a big drawing point. We saw turtles sunning themselves in the canal, drank apple juice with a hint of Sprite, casually soaked in the ambiance, and then ate at the Captain’s Grille. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Yachtsman Steakhouse

Ok so we realize this picture is a bit weird, but we are fascinated with the meat locker just inside The Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club.

It looks good...and it is

The chauteaubriand for two…words can’t even describe it. We have eaten here on our anniversary several times and the dining space in the rotunda area is the perfect setting for a romantic meal. We stare at the menu with fond memories every time we visit the Yacht and Beach Club. How many of you realize how much fun there is for grownups at DW?

The Yacht Club Resort

There is nothing like the Yacht Club and their quaint restaurant the Captain’s Grille. We liked the old decor of pastel blue, yellow, and light pink and the old name Yacht Club Galley, but it is still nice and has good food. It is a pleasant place to eat without feeling rushed.

Dining at the Yacht Club

The Yacht Club is a destination of itself. We like to sit in the library atmosphere, admire the floral arrangements, and just feel comfortable taking in the ambiance. Rates are very high now and preclude us staying there, but we still visit nearly every trip and especially during the Christmas season to see the snowy display train scene. Will get pictures during our Thanksgiving trip.

Center Lobby

The red chairs in the picture have been moved and there are now long plush sofas. Some things change very quickly at DW. The Yacht Club is most famous for Stormalong Bay, definitely not just another swimming pool. A trip to the YC just to see Stormalong is worthwhile. Of course, going in Stormalong is the best swimming treat anyone could have. Overall the YC is just shy of elegant, a comfortable relaxation point, and a superb location between Hollywood Studios and Epcot.

Milkshakes

Oh Beaches and Cream and the best chocolate milkshakes…

Front Door to Beaches

        We often sit at the counter and watch all the activity. We usually get the equivalent of Philly Cheesesteaks and the milkshakes which last time we saved for dessert. We envy the Wurlitzer jukebox and will set up certain oldies to play [no charge to use it]. The pastels and ornate trim are part of the fun. You can carryout, but it’s more fun to dine in. Watch out for the after Illuminations crowd at 9:30p. Beaches should be expanded into where the arcade is now and the arcade should be moved out towards the water. It is a very intimate feel right now and it can be

                                        difficult to get an immediate seating. It is worth the wait if you love the

                                        oldtime feel and maybe even remember when there were fountain

                                        drinks. Don’t miss this piece of the resort magic.

Vintage Inside

It’s only been a week!

Michael asked me today how long it had been since we were at the D. Only a week…no way! Really think we’ll end up living in the DW area in the next 5 years or so. We are working on a host of business adventures and who knows maybe something will click. At least we are trying.

We always think DW as Halloween approaches. This is our big time of year. We love to track all the holiday decorations. You will see the long tractor trailers full of Christmas stuff at the junction of the Ft Wilderness road and the main road to the Magic Kingdom. Just look over to the right just past the monorail. We’ve caught the Disney Holiday Teams unpacking and unloading all through November. It’s always so amazing to see the resorts change right before your eyes. Mostly we track the progress at the Wilderness Lodge. We’ve seen the tree assembled at least three times. The Disney people keep changing the dates on us though and everything has been up the last two years or so. Our day jobs usually interfere with our DW jaunts so we only get there on the weekends. That’s why we need to move to the D! Like we really needed a reason…

Kidani Master Bedroom

Kidani One Bedroom Master

 

Kidani Studio

Had to put these in another post. DVC sales are climbing and do not worry about a very pushy tour. All the DVC guides we have had contact with have been very easy going. It is an investment, so take your time thinking about it. We first saw DVC in 1993 and waited until 2000 to buy in.

Current DVC members do receive a perk for referring a new member, so be sure to mention whoever tells you about it before you sign a contract. The quick scoop is that you pay a fixed rate for @45 years of vacations. If you love Disney it helps, but not completely necessary. We recouped our intial investment in three short years. Our annual dues for maintenance of the properties is partially tax deductible as a vacation home. The annual dues don’t bother me at all. Our yearly vacations would cost more than twice our annual dues, so for me it’s a no-brainer. Ask questions…we love them!

Kidani Village

May 2009 isn’t really that far away and Kidani Village has begun to blend in a bit better with AKL.

Close to the front of KV

 

You really wind around to get to the front. Instead of turning right to the AKL, you go straight. Right now the road is closed to visitors at the end of the AKL parking lot. We took this picture after a small hike from the main parking lot.

The back of Kidani Village facing AKL is the most intriguing. New lobby, nooks to explore, a new gift shop, new dining…wow it’s fun when a new resort opens.

                 

Kidani living room mock-up

    We have stayed in the AKL studios and right now 

    AKL is the very best Disney Vacation Club.

     The Kidani Village one bedroom looks even better

     than the main lodge. It’s very spacious, great decor,

     and the hall bath is so welcome.

Kidani Kitchen

Monorail

I love this picture.

Monorail

This pix was taken from the Contemporary deck on Level 4 facing the Magic Kingdom. Think about sitting on your Bay Lake Tower balcony watching the monorail slide by with some ice tea just waiting for the sunset and fireworks. This DVC property is on track to open late fall 2009. We saw lights on at dusk inside the building on the lower floors. Whoever imagineered this should get a big raise. It’s remarkable.