[Halloween in the Wilderness 2015] Day 5 - Welcome Home

[Mrs Pumpkin]

Halloween in the Wilderness 2015 Trip Report Index! (And here is the Pre-Trip Report!)

Day 5 - Welcome Home
Disney Vacation Club Open House Tour & Purchase | Whispering Canyon Cafe (TS Lunch) | Cape May Cafe (TSB Dinner)
October 27th, 2015

This morning, Steve and I were up bright and early to head to our Disney Vacation Club Open House Tour. The day before, whilst killing some time waiting for a dining reservation in Epcot World Showcase, we chatted to the Cast Member at the DVC stand in the Canada Pavilion. We explained how we had been on the tour in 2013, but decided it wasn’t the right time for us to buy. Since then, our situation had changed, and we were interested in going on the tour again, with view to purchasing.

Complimentary Disney Vacation Club transport picked us up from our hotel – Wilderness Lodge (WL) – to take us to DVC Preview Center at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa (SSR). Since the tour takes a couple of hours, we left Liam behind in bed – that’s teenagers for you! Children are welcomed on the tour, and can enjoy time in the supervised Kids Clubhouse, with Disney movies, video games, and more.

When we arrived at SSR, we went through to the lounge area, where there is complimentary coffee, drinks, and pastries for you to enjoy, before the DVC Cast Member comes to greet you and take you into one of the presentation rooms. Around the top of the walls, are gorgeous pictures (made to look like stained glass windows) of all of the Disney Castles around the world. We barely had time to grab some breakfast, before the Cast Member came in to get us – you are able to bring your beverages/snacks in with you, so don’t panic like we did, and try and wolf everything down!

The Cast Member we had was called Caesar – it was the same man that we had the tour with back in 2013. I don’t know if this was intentional (maybe they recognised our surname, and held records from our last tour) or just a handy coincidence, but it was nice to have a familiar face to go through the buying process with.

We were shown a welcome video, and then Caesar went through how the DVC works – the different room types, member perks, how much it costs, etc. We then walked to the building with the model rooms and villas to take a look at what they were like – size, decor, room amenities, and so on.

We were able to see a scale model of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii, as well as a deluxe studio room at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, one of the Aulani villas, and also the Grand Floridian Villa (which we saw on our 2013 tour, along with the Animal Kingdom Villas). You can request to see one of the Polynesian Bungalows at the resort itself. We didn’t get a chance to do that, but are going to take a look when we go on our next holiday to Walt Disney World. They look lush, but so expensive!

All the rooms we saw were beautiful – I want to be able to stay in all of them! Disney does themeing very, very well, and their resort accommodations are no different. Since we were interested in the Polynesian as our home resort (more about that later), I’ll describe what is in the deluxe studio there, and you can see the photographs of the other resorts below too.

Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Hawaii – scale model



2-Bedroom Villa at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Hawaii

Grand Floridian Villas

Deluxe Studio at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

The Deluxe Studio at Polynesian can sleep up to 5 people – 1 queen-size bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa, and 1 twin-size pull down bed, which isn’t pulled down in my photos, but when you do, there is a pretty painted scene of a Hawaiian beach, with Lilo and Stitch sleeping in a hammock, tied between two palm trees.

There is a kitchenette, with a refrigerator, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, and sink; as well as cupboard space for your groceries, and other sundries. The Deluxe Studios do not have washer/dryers like the villas do, but there is a DVC laundry area you can use for free.

I don’t have photographs of the closet, but there was a safe in there, along with an iron, and ironing board. One thing that we both noticed that was “missing” was a chest of drawers – normally, in the other Disney hotel rooms we’ve stayed in, there is one under the television, but in this Deluxe Studio, that space is where the pull down bed is (the TV is mounted on the wall here).

However, in the bathrooms (yes, plural!) there are drawers for your smalls, and other bits and bobs. One bathroom has the toilet, bath/shower, and sink; the other has a walk-in shower and sink. That’s going to make getting ready in the mornings quicker when we stay! Of course, when we do, I’ll be giving a full, and thorough room tour!

The colours were bright, and colourful, and I loved the tiki statue lamp too. I also like that the bed has a gap underneath it – handy for storing suitcases.

Once we’d viewed the rooms, we headed back to the presentation room. to continue the process of purchase. We went on this Open House Tour with the intention of purchasing, however, at the same time, we wanted to check all of the facts, and figures, before signing on the dotted line, so to speak.

When it comes to purchasing your Disney Vacation Club Membership, through Disney, you are only able to buy at the resorts which they are selling at the time. At the time of purchase, they were selling Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, and Aulani. You can buy via re-sale at other DVC Resorts, but these do not come with some of the perks that you would get if you buy through Disney. If we were to add on more points, we would consider buying resale.

Whilst you can use your DVC points to stay at any of the DVC resorts (as mentioned at the start), you purchase what is called your Home Resort. You can book your Home Resort, 11 months out – that means if you want to go in November, you can book that in January. You can also book up to 2 weeks at a time at your Home Resort. If you want to book a Non-Home Resort, you can only book 7 months out, and only up to 1 week at a time. Accommodation at these resorts may already have been taken by those who own there, so you may to be a bit more flexible.

Since we will be using our DVC Membership mainly for holidays to Walt Disney World, it made sense to us to have our Home Resort at the Polynesian, and not at Aulani, which is in Hawaii. The cost of points is the same – at the time of us purchasing it was $168 per point – but the amount of points you need for the accommodation can vary. So a weekend is more points than a week day, and it’s more points to stay during peak season (Christmas, for example) than during a low season month (e.g., September).

We looked at the Points Chart for our Home Resort, and based on when we were most likely to take our holidays in the future, decided to buy enough for 2 weeks in September. We can use our points anytime, and anywhere, but we wanted to make sure we could have a two week holiday every year if we wanted to. As well as paying for your points, you also pay Annual Dues, which is to cover the upkeep of the properties.

Caesar worked out how much everything would cost us – the total of our purchase, as well as how much the Annual Dues would be, and left us alone (with coffee, and more pastries) for Steve and I to discuss everything in private. I will say that never, in the two Open House Tours that we have done, have we felt pressured to purchase, or had any hard sell.

It was at this point that Steve realised he’d left his wallet with our bank cards, back at Wilderness Lodge… we needed that to pay the deposit and closing fees! Caesar arranged for a car to pick Steve up and do the round trip to WL, while I just waited at SSR. Once Steve was back, we then had to go through closing, which is the legal side of things, and eventually, after we’d signed everything, we shook hands with the Cast Member, and were wished “Welcome Home”. We were officially Disney Vacations Members, owning at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. I actually cried with happiness! Another perk of purchasing, was an additional set of points to match what we had bought!

We were given little sliders to pop onto our Magic Bands, as well as a collector pin for owners at Polynesian. We also were given our Membership Cards, which we would be able to present for discounts at some of the stores and restaurants (not that we needed the second perk during this trip as we were on a Disney Dining Plan)

All in all, we had been at the Open House for around 4 hours! Much longer than the couple of hours we thought it would take, but the travelling to and from resorts for Steve wasted some time there, and the closing process also took a long time too. Whenever you go on the tour, you are given some FastPasses as “compensation” for the time you’ve taken out of your day to go on the tour, and you can also get a scoop of ice-cream on the way out too.

We left the Disney Vacation Club Open House beaming, and were driven back to Wilderness Lodge, where we told Liam (who had roused from his slumber) the exciting news. By now it was late lunchtime, and we headed back down to the lobby, to grab some lunch at Whispering Canyon Cafe.

Whispering Canyon Cafe

Following our Disney Vacation Club Open House Tour, which took up pretty much all morning, and into the afternoon, we were driven back to Wilderness Lodge, where we were staying. We decided to go into Whispering Canyon Cafe for lunch.

Whispering Canyon Cafe is a themed restaurant – the setting is the old west, and the servers are slapdash, throwing napkins and straws on the tables, but this is intentional. As is the, I don’t want to say rudeness, maybe abruptness is a better word – they ain’t got time for yo nonsense! They are there to pull as many of your legs as possible! You can opt out of this by flipping the coaster to red – then you get service as normal, without all the themed elements, but you can watch from the sidelines. We’ve been before, so know what to expect, but if you don’t know this, it can come as a bit of a shock!

The restaurant was pretty empty, so we didn’t need an ADR (good thing, as we didn’t have one!) and were shown to a table straight away. Even though we were one of only a few tables in there, our server still hammed up the service, and she was really amusing.

When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a table service restaurant you are entitled to one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (usually refillable) for one credit per person.

The menu at lunchtime is a little different to that at dinnertime, so that meant we could have something a bit different from when we went for dinner a few nights before. We ordered appetizers that we could share – ordering the chips, and the tortilla soup again which were all enjoyed during our last visit.

The soup was really tasty, and full of flavour. We shared the chips between the three of us – the portion is huge and seemed never ending! Steve really like the chili, I wasn’t a fan, but the salsa was delicious. The spring rolls were yummy – pulled pork anything is good!

Appetizers…

Me: Slow-Smoked Pulled Pork Spring Rolls – with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce ($12.49)

Him: Gold Rush Western Chips – with Chili, Queso Dip, and fresh Salsa (serves 2) ($11.99)

The Boy: Ranger John’s Chicken Tortilla Soup ($8.49)

I decided to have a light dish for my main course, choosing a salad, which I had with grilled shrimp – you could also have it with chicken. I made sure in advance to check that there was no blue cheese or celery involved – two foods I really can’t stand! Bit skimpy on the shrimp I think – just 5 of them on a skewer, and I was left wanting more shrimp! Steve enjoyed the quesadillas which were packed with ingredients, and Liam is a Disney burger connoisseur, and yummed it up as per usual.

Entrées…

Me: Mountain Mama’s Western Salad – with Creamy Chipotle Dressing and Grilled Marinated Shrimp ($19.49) with Chicken ($17.49)

Him: Hickory’s Smoked Chicken Quesadilla – Roasted Vegetables, Smoky Jack Cheese, Arugula, Moonshine Dressing, Fresh Salsa, and Cilantro-Sour Cream ($17.99)

The Boy: Bacon Cheese Angus Burger – Hickory-Smoked Bacon, Sharp White Cheddar, and House Ketchup ($16.99)

To wash everything down, Steve and I had (refillable) milkshakes – they are the best milkshakes! Liam had asked for a large coke – this is what he got…

…an ice bucket full of the stuff! One of the antics that can be played by the servers. No need for refills on this one, which got shared out between us!

Desserts…

Me: Wagon Wheel Chocolate S’mores – with Warm Dark Chocolate Sauce, and Marshmallow Gelato ($8.49)

Him: Apple-Caramel Pie – fresh Granny Smith Apples, Sugar Cookie Crust, Streusel Topping, and Caramel Drizzle ($7.99)

The Boy: Whispering Canyon Campfire-style Chocolate Gooey Cake ($7.99)

No photo of Liam’s dessert, as we actually took that to go. He ran out of favour for desserts on this trip, and many ended up in the fridge on this holiday, to be eaten as a snack at a later time. The apple pie was good, but can we just talk about the s’mores dessert I had? Wow, that’s a piece of dessert heaven on a plate! I didn’t want that dessert to end, it was so delicious!

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Whispering Canyon Cafe

Bill Total: $142.68 (3 Credits) {Tip: $24.11}
DxDDP Running Totals: Bill: $607.77 | Credits: 15/126 | Tips: $95.80

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After paying our bill, we went back up to our room, and then just hung out at the resort for the rest of the day – not very exciting I’m afraid! So here are just some photos I took around the resort. The next and final part of this day of my trip report will be our dinner at Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort – clearly all about the food today and not much else (apart from the awesome fact that we became Disney Vacation Club Members of course!)

After an afternoon of chilling at our resort, we drove over to Disney’s Beach Club Resort for dinner at Cape May Cafe. I’m going to say right off the bat, that we didn’t enjoy it much here at all. We had quite a late booking, so the buffet was looking past its best, and it felt like they just wanted to kick every one out. Of all of our dining experiences over the years at Walt Disney World this is #2 on the worst list – not for the food, because that wasn’t bad, but just the general feeling of the place. (Number one is held by Hollywood & Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2011 – bleh)

As it happens, we were looking forward to this buffet, as had read several times that it was really good. Sadly, that wasn’t our experience at all. So I’m pretty much going to just show you photos that I too of the food, and how much everything cost.

There was a seasonal drinks menu, but the Harpoon Pumpkin Cider that Steve had fancied had run out, so we all just had fountain drinks, which are included with the Disney Dining Plan.

When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a buffet restaurant you are entitled to one full buffet and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (usually refillable) for one credit per person.

Cape May Cafe is a New England style eatery, with a “Seafood & More” buffet. The buffet area is in the centre of the restaurant, set out in a square. You can walk all around, and help yourself to whatever you like. The selection of dishes can changes on different days of the week. Here is the latest offerings as told by the Disney website.

Soups & Cold Offerings:

Soup of the Day, and Cape May Seafood Chowder, Fresh Fruit Salad, Four Bean Salad, Pickled Red Beets, Cape May House Salad, Caesar Salad, Cape May Potato Salad, Marinated Seafood Salad, Chilled Peel-n-Eat Shrimp, Quinoa Salad with Hearts of Palm, Marinated Olives, Jicama Slaw.

It looks like at least one of us had the soup, sprinkled with oyster crackers. I know we all enjoyed the peel-and-eat shrimp, and I am always a fan of Caesar salad at Disney.

Carvery & Hot Offerings:

Hand-carved Strip Loin with Horseradish Cream, Chicken, Pasta of the Day, Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, Steamed Red Potatoes, Steamed Corn on the Cob.

Kid’s Buffet:

Macaroni & Cheese, Chicken Drumsticks, Fried Cod Nuggets, Cheese Pizza.

I remember not fancying any of the seafood, which for me, is rather strange, as I love seafood. Instead, I had a roast beef dinner, with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn on the cob, and a bread roll. What Steve and Liam had, I do not remember now, as I don’t have any photos of their plates. Knowing the pair of them at a buffet, they would have had a bit of this and that.

Seafood Selections:

Crab Legs, Steamed Mussels with a side of Tomato Sambuca Broth, Paella, Steamed Clams, Herb-marinated Salmon, Batter-fried Shrimp (offered Sunday & Wednesday), Fried Clam Strips (offered Monday, Thursday, and Saturday), Batter-fried Calamari (offered Tuesday & Friday)

Desserts:

Assorted Pastry Desserts from our Yacht & Beach Bakery, Cookies, Cupcakes, and Brownies.

Some of the desserts were placed out on the main buffet area, and some were on a separate station. Since many of the desserts were almost bitesize, we got a selection and shared them between us.

We paid the bill, and on the drive back to Wilderness Lodge, we could see the fireworks bursting high in the sky above Magic Kingdom, which was very cool – Steve managed to get a couple of shots as we drove through the toll booth area. We could just see the fireworks from the front of the Lodge too.

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Whispering Canyon Cafe

Bill Total: $127.77 (3 Credits) {Tip: $21.59}
DxDDP Running Totals: Bill: $735.54 | Credits: 18/126 | Tips: $117.39

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Read about the day before:
Day 4 - Eat Around The World:
Farm Fresh, Scotland, Hawaii, Desserts & Champagne, Brazil, Belgium at Epcot International Food & Wine Festival | La Cantina de San Angel (CS Lunch) | Le Cellier (Signature Dining) | IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

Read about the day after:
Day 6 - Fine, Fancy, Fun:
Kona Cafe (TS Breakfast) | Silver Creek Springs | Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue (Dinnershow)

Read ALL the days!

[Sparksy72]

What an exciting day - becoming DVC members! I love the 'large' coke at the Whsipering Canyon, my son would have loved that... so funny. I find buffets can be a bit 'hit and miss' for us but I totally agree about Hollywood and Vine - one of our worst Disney meals 😬 I am really enjoying your report.

[Mrs Pumpkin]

Originally Posted by Sparksy72

What an exciting day - becoming DVC members! I love the 'large' coke at the Whsipering Canyon, my son would have loved that... so funny. I find buffets can be a bit 'hit and miss' for us but I totally agree about Hollywood and Vine - one of our worst Disney meals 😬 I am really enjoying your report.

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So exciting! Having used it once already, and the next trip booked, I'm so glad we became members!

I agree on buffets being hit and miss - the only consistent one we've found is Tusker House

[collybird]

That's a great shot of the fireworks over the entrance gates!

Today made for such an interesting read, I'm fascinated by DVC. Congratulations on becoming members! Glad to hear you're enjoying it and it has worked out well for you.

We really love Whispering Canyon Cafe lunch, one of our favourites. We're going to try breakfast this year.

[pixie81]

Congratulations on becoming DVC members! How exciting!

That "large coke" is fantastic! We will be booking an ADR for whispering canyon for this October, so i'll be sure to get Oliver to order one!

Brilliant photos as always. Looking forward to reading more. x

[Mrs Pumpkin]

Originally Posted by collybird

That's a great shot of the fireworks over the entrance gates!

Today made for such an interesting read, I'm fascinated by DVC. Congratulations on becoming members! Glad to hear you're enjoying it and it has worked out well for you.

We really love Whispering Canyon Cafe lunch, one of our favourites. We're going to try breakfast this year.

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It was a complete fluke shot - thanks to hubby who was on the ball!

We love being members, and looking forward to lots of Disney trips over the years!

Have got our breakfast at WCC up now!

Originally Posted by pixie81

Congratulations on becoming DVC members! How exciting!

That "large coke" is fantastic! We will be booking an ADR for whispering canyon for this October, so i'll be sure to get Oliver to order one!

Brilliant photos as always. Looking forward to reading more. x

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It certainly cracked us up! The restaurant was pretty empty by this point, so I'm sure that's how she got away with such a large container! Otherwise I've seen them in larger jars (which is what Liam was hoping for! )

[mouselover22]

Congratulations on becoming DVC Members! Exciting times I must try and get my head around it a bit more

Lots of delicious food The large coke made me laugh out loud

[4holibobs]

Wow... DVC members and THAT dessert! I'm actually drooling 😂

[Mrs Pumpkin]

Originally Posted by mouselover22

Congratulations on becoming DVC Members! Exciting times I must try and get my head around it a bit more

Lots of delicious food The large coke made me laugh out loud

See more...

Originally Posted by 4holibobs

Wow... DVC members and THAT dessert! I'm actually drooling 😂

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Exciting times for us as DVC members! I'm so happy we bought into it. Some people don't get our WDW obsession... we just love being there!

[Redrach1903]

Eeeeep congratulations on becoming DVC Members! So flippin exciting!

Your lunch at WCC looked very scrumptious! Especially the spring rolls which is weird cos I'm not a fan of pulled pork!

Your photos are just fab! The wee frog and the fireworks at the entrance to MK were my faves today xx