What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Disney Vacation (3 Viewers)

@RG623 agreed. I've heard a lot of stories like yours and they make great PR for Disney. I even saw one where a kid lost a Woody Doll and the CM sent it back with photos of his Woody hanging out around the property. Very cool stuff. So yea, I hope this doesn't become a sanitized system now. 

But centralizing has its benefits. In your case, you knew that 99% certainly that it was at the resort, so you contacted them. But most people move about so much they cant remember where they lost anything. So I would assume CMs now would just take the lost items and process them out at the end of the night. Then they get cataloged at a central location and the guest only needs to call 1 place to see if its there. 

But I also agree with @jb1020 i'm sure there is a certain percentage of swag that never makes it to L&F. I also lost a nice pair of Ray Bans there and they never turned up. So i make sure anything i bring with me, I dont have any real attachment to. 

 
glvsav37 said:
@RG623 agreed. I've heard a lot of stories like yours and they make great PR for Disney. I even saw one where a kid lost a Woody Doll and the CM sent it back with photos of his Woody hanging out around the property. Very cool stuff. So yea, I hope this doesn't become a sanitized system now. 

But centralizing has its benefits. In your case, you knew that 99% certainly that it was at the resort, so you contacted them. But most people move about so much they cant remember where they lost anything. So I would assume CMs now would just take the lost items and process them out at the end of the night. Then they get cataloged at a central location and the guest only needs to call 1 place to see if its there. 

But I also agree with @jb1020 i'm sure there is a certain percentage of swag that never makes it to L&F. I also lost a nice pair of Ray Bans there and they never turned up. So i make sure anything i bring with me, I dont have any real attachment to. 
Click to expand...
:shock:

 
RG623 said:
Seems this will at least put some structure around the process. Had a positive experience with the Contemporary lost and found recently:

When we got back from our trip in March, we were unable to locate my daughters  small stuffed animal. She only slept with it at night, so we assumed that it must have been stuck in between the sheets and we missed it when we checked out.

My wife called the Contemporary a couple times and got the voicemail to the "lost and found" dept. We didn't hear back and just chalked it up to our fault for not thoroughly checking the room before we left. Fast forward to about a week after the last message she left, my wife got a call back that they had the stuffed animal. They asked for my daughters name and when they shipped it back, there was a personalized note to her from Mickey that said he found her animal and was glad to return it to her. Needless to say this letter is displayed prominently in her room and is another example of how Disney adds the extra "magic" for its guests.

Not sure if the note is standard process, but if it is, hopefully that doesn't get lost with the new process.
Click to expand...
I have a similar story.  When my son was little he went everywhere with a small pushy toy of Percy from Thomas the Tank Engine.  One trip we lost it on the Magical Express bus and didn't realize it until we were home.

We called Disney to tell them and they said they would do what they could to look but on a bus that has so many people they couldn't promise anything. Completely understand that. We went online and bought a new one to be safe. With shipping we were planning on having the new one in a week.

About 5 days later a box comes in the mail and we open it and it's Percy. Initial though was it was the one we bought. But then we saw the note that was with it.

Mickey wrote to my son that his helper the bus driver found Percy and took him on an adventure because he was so cute but they knew he would want to go home so they sent him back with stickers from all the places he saw. 

The one we bought came 3 days later. 

 
Disney announced today that Galaxy's Edge will open in 2019 at both parks.  

The Disneyland version is scheduled to open summer 2019 as originally planned.  
The Hollywood Studios version has been moved up to a "late fall 2019" opening.  Originally slated for 2020, now they are pushing to have in open before Episode IX hits theaters in December 2019.  

 
My wife left a backpack on the train at Magic Kingdom once and didn't even realize it for about an hour.  She went to Lost and Found in the park and it was there waiting for her with nothing missing.  Wish there was a way to know who dropped it off.  I owe them a few beers.

 
shuke said:
Speaking of backpacks.  Do you take them on the rides with you or what?
Click to expand...
I like the soft, draw string type backpacks. they are lightweight and fit just enough, but not enough that you feel like bringing everything with you. And they are very squshable for jasmine under your seat or in ride pockets. Plus, the strings are long enough you can stick your legs in them if needed to keep the pack secure. 

 
Ramblin Wreck said:
My wife left our kid on the train at Magic Kingdom once and didn't even realize it for about an hour.  She went to Lost and Found in the park and there she was there waiting for her.  Wish there was a way to know who dropped it off.  I owe them a punch in the gut. 
Click to expand...
Edited. Please dont report me like squistion did. I am not insinuating you left your kid on the train or altering your quote to make it seem like you said this. 

 
Capella said:
Disney could have just charged an extra 35 bucks a day and nobody would have noticed. Weird thing to get worked up about. 
Click to expand...
Huh? Why wouldnt people be upset that disney is charging for something they have never charged for?

And if what you say is true, vegas wouldnt have resort fees. They would just charge 35 bucks more a night for the rooms.

 
Bruce Dickinson said:
Disney announced today that Galaxy's Edge will open in 2019 at both parks.  

The Disneyland version is scheduled to open summer 2019 as originally planned.  
The Hollywood Studios version has been moved up to a "late fall 2019" opening.  Originally slated for 2020, now they are pushing to have in open before Episode IX hits theaters in December 2019.  
Click to expand...
That seems like big news.  I can't recall anything opening early.  That park is going to be Bananas. 

I saw something the other day that said AK has surpassed Epcot in attendance in  2017.  That seems like a big deal considering a lot of people go there to just eat and drink.    

 
Just got back from a stay at bay lake tower. Gorgeous hotel. We loved being able to walk to and from magic kingdom. 

That top of the world viewing thing for dvc members is pretty awesome. 

The wave at contemporary has a really good beer selection. They also have a knob creek disney select bourbon that is made special for disney resorts that is pretty good. 

 
parasaurolophus said:
Just got back from a stay at bay lake tower. Gorgeous hotel. We loved being able to walk to and from magic kingdom. 

That top of the world viewing thing for dvc members is pretty awesome. 

The wave at contemporary has a really good beer selection. They also have a knob creek disney select bourbon that is made special for disney resorts that is pretty good. 
Click to expand...
awesome to hear. We stay there often and love that resort. Agreed the convenience is the main draw and it is sooooo worth it. 

 
Sabertooth said:
What's that supposed to mean?  We've been to Disney World twice but the kids were much younger. 
Click to expand...
It means exactly what i said. If you dont know already, i dont recommend it. You know how you can read the comment section on any article about disney that comes out and read so many negative posts about how crazy expensive everything is and it isnt worth it? Well that would likely be your sentiment. At 12 and 15 they arent going to give you the surprise moments of joy you get from a 4 year old so you better know going in that they are going to love it because it is insanely expensive. 

And this is coming from a dvc member and frequent annual passholder, so i am hardly a disney hater. We love it. 

 
glvsav37 said:
I like the soft, draw string type backpacks. they are lightweight and fit just enough, but not enough that you feel like bringing everything with you. And they are very squshable for jasmine under your seat or in ride pockets. Plus, the strings are long enough you can stick your legs in them if needed to keep the pack secure. 
Click to expand...
I really need to proofread my posts before hitting "Submit"

squshable Jasmine  :wub:

 
glvsav37 said:
I like the soft, draw string type backpacks. they are lightweight and fit just enough, but not enough that you feel like bringing everything with you. And they are very squshable for jasmine under your seat or in ride pockets. Plus, the strings are long enough you can stick your legs in them if needed to keep the pack secure. 
Click to expand...
Pretty much my answer, especially the last sentence.  That style of bag was a hot swag item when the kid was a competitive gymnast, so we have a big pile of them.  Easy to pack into a ride train, big enough to carry essentials, small enough to deter the wife to throw all the contents of the hotel room in it and make me carry it around all day.

 
Sabertooth said:
Disney with 12 and a 15 year old daughters?  Yay, or nay?
Click to expand...
My 15-year-old has always enjoyed Disney trips.  She's been going since she was 4.  Not the same magic as when she was 8-9, but still a blast.  She's not a social climber or pursuing a big following on social media, so she's not hung up on being too cool for something.  

I'll throw in Universal as a possibility.  Some kids age out of Disney, and prefer Universal as tweens/teens.  The rides are a bit more aggressive, a few attractions are intended to genuinely scare (The Mummy, The Walking Dead) rather than be cute about being scary like Haunted Mansion.  

If they are more into the rides than the theme... I'll throw in Cedar Point as a possibility.  It's in Ohio on Lake Erie.  It's the best collection of rollercoasters in North America, probably the world.  Great mix of size, speed, twists, creativity.  Took the kid there when she was about 12.  She loved it.  Her favorite was the Top Thrill Dragster: standing start, shoot straight out going zero to about 120 in four seconds, straight up a 420-foot climb, clear the hump, come straight back down with a twist, and back to the station.  Whole ride takes about 20 seconds.     

 
My wife asked if the kids were going to do pin trading. 

Huh?

Do they take their own and trade with other kids?

 
seriously...just say no! 

actually, for fun its not so bad, but holy hell I've seen full grown dudes with whole volumes of pin books. Offa, no.

its not bad to buy the kids a lanyard that comes preloaded with a few pins. Most CMs will have a few pins on them and they are encouraged to show the guests and there is a no-haggle trade policy... strictly 1 for 1, no pin is 'more valuable' and it can only be Disney pins, etc. it keeps the kids involved in seemingly boring transactions like interacting with your waiter, or in a shop. 

There are a few locations with special pin trading boards or items. Some people know (or care) about them, but other dont. Its fun to check out if you have time, but a PIAif you are trying to catch a bus and your kid is debating 3 different Goofy pins on some huge pin-board. 

Here is a pretty good run down of it.

In all seriousness, it can be fun. My kids have a few sets that they like and are on the look out to complete. But its not a major part of our vacation. You can get caught up in looking at every CM like a piece of meat and then publicly shame them ifs they don't have the pin you want. however, once the trip ends, they go back in the suitcase and we dont see the lanyards till next trip. 

That said...by trips end, there is a 90% chance you will be wearing all the lanyards because "dad..its too heavy" or you'll forget them in the resort all together.....then a 50/50 push on wether you'll be making a run back for them, only for you to be stuck wearing them. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
shuke said:
Oh boy :lmao:  
Click to expand...
The very short answer is this - they sell pins everywhere.  The cast members who are wearing pins are absolutely required to stop when any person asks them to see their pins and they will let you look at them and if you want one of their pins you can trade with them by giving them one of yours.  So you have to have your own obviously to get started.

The long answer is this.

This is a cult.  A happy fun loving cult.  But a cult.  You will buy your kids their first lanyard and pin set to get started.  20ish bucks.  Most pins vary from 5 bucks to 12 bucks.  There are mini surprise packs you can buy that are cheaper and there are deals on some.  But the pins that are popular are expensive.  You can easily drop 500 bucks doing this without blinking if you are trying to be awesome fun dad. Don't ask me how I know.

There are pin trading stations in every park.  They sell pins.  And there are people that stand there all day who are vacationers who only stand there with there 5 foot high books full of the tens of thousands of dollars of pins they have to show off to other people and possibly trade for the rare pin here and there that they don't have.  If you start a conversation with these people, make sure you have on you, (1) 2 bottles of water so you do not dehydrate, (2) at least 3 protein bars, (3) aspirin, (4) no fastpasses that day, and (5) a very strong bladder.

There are also different lanyards.  So your kids might want a different lanyard set.  Maybe the like Cinderella's lanyard.... or Test Tracks Lanyard.... or maybe all the lanyards.  Be wary.  Make sure they pick one.  Don't just jump in and grab the first one they see.  Also, it is imperative that you buy a good 3 or pins that they don't like that much.  Not to punish them but to have something to trade.  If they see a castmember that has a pin they want they have to give up one of theirs.  Don't be meltdown dad who is running to the nearest store to buy the cheapest pin he can find in order then trade it to the poor castmember standing there with a kid holding the sash that is attached to the castmembers waste drooling at the Pluto pin they want and refusing to give up the 7 other pluto pins they already have.

Don't ask.

They also are hell to deal with getting on and off rides.  Or if it is hot.  Or in a water ride.  And just do yourself a favor and find the little packages you can buy of extra backs to the pins.  Just trust me on that.  I'm not kidding.  This is the big leagues, not some minor league travel team that is in town for a day type event.  

And if your kids get addicted to the process, lucky for you there are pin sets to buy at 12-25 a pop for every ride, every attraction, every park, every movie, every character in the Disney universe, everything everywhere in pin form like its a Disney version of the paperclip game where eventually the whole universe is a paperclip.

Or in this case, A Disney pin.

Go forth young dad.

And may the force be with you. 

(They have pins for that too)

 
Appreciate it.

Let's just put it this way.  I spent an entire week there looking at every single pin trader, store and castmember looking for Wall-E.  Eve was everywhere.  Couldn't find Wall-E.  Son getting visibly more and more and more upset as the days go by.  

Does it have to Wall-E?  Look, here is Mickey?  Fantasia Mickey?  Haunted Mansion Mickey? Anything?  Please?  Stop looking at me like I'm a failure of a dad!  But no, nothing.  My wife was worried for my sanity by the end of the week.  I was a mess.  We even drove off sight to a few of the outlets around the complex just to see if they had anything.

Look son, I will buy you this 400 dollar train set and let it take up the entire living room and even get the accessories with it.... Nope.  Need the pin.  A real father would get the pin.

On the final day.  In the final park.  Animal Kingdom I believe.  I was defeated.  I looked like a mixture of Hillary Clinton on election night, the guy whose date leaves him after prom to have sex with the captain of the football team, Matt Ryan after the Super Bowl, anyone who is forced to sit in the same room with Trump, and the body of Saddam Hussein after they let the horse kick him.  Wife couldn't even look at me.  Son was looking at other dad's walking around trying them out as potential replacements (Are you a fun dad?  Do you like baseball?  Can you find something your son wants because you love him so much?)

Walk up to get a coke at whatever stand would still sell such a treasure to such a defeated human being and there was a little pin stand next to it.  Not a pin trader or pin store, but just a little pop up pins for sale thing right next to where I was buying the coke.  And there, on the front of the top right hook, was Wall-E.  I found him.  I bought that pin like I had never bought anything before in my life.  Like I was a thirsty traveler stuck in the desert for weeks coming on an oasis.  Like tim buying a book about bookstores.  I was all in.  Take my money Walt - here take more just for the pleasure of giving you my money.  Take it!  I won! I did it!

Gave it to my son who was elated.  I was a good dad again.  A whole week looking for one pin came down to the final play in the game and I pulled it off.  He wore that pin proudly the entire rest of the day.

And the next day back at home.

And he hasn't touched the ****ing thing since.  Seriously.  The mother****ing pin is literally on his dresser in his room still, looking at me every time I walk into his room like some demented reminder of the time I thought that I needed to be a good dad and get the pin.  

You can literally find Wall-E at every single pin station at this point.  I think they give them away now.  They probably have a picture of me in a back office under Schmuck Pin Finding Dad.

 
I think I was already thankful that, in the four times we have taken the kids to Disney, none of them ever expressed interest in starting pin trading.  

Now, after reading that, I'm really, really, really thankful.  

 
shuke said:
So I buy the lanyards in the park?  I'm not spending $8 on a pin.

Can I just get something like this so they have something to start trading with?

My son probably won't care, unless there are Star Wars pins.
Click to expand...
yes you can...thats how we did it. you'll get a decent amount of schlock in there, but thats a good thing, put the good ones (ones your kids like) to the side and use the rest as trade fodder. CM's cant turn a pin down that they are offered and as @Yankee23Fan said, there is nothing worse then trying to get your kid to part with any of the 10 pins they have that are all 'their favorites' You (or your wife being she started this whole GD thing) handle the transaction and give the CM something from the 'to trade' pile and call it a day.  

you will need a lanyard or something to hold these things. Don't just put them on a back pack or hat or something b/c it is bound to get caught on a ride seat and get lost and then you are in YF23 land and scouring the park looking for a potential replacement contemplating why the hell you had kids in the first place. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh.... and be aware of one distinct pin. 

The heavy pin. You will be able to tell.  It's too heavy for its tooth.  It will pull the lanyard off center.  It rubs little Bobbys neck every step they take and hurts. 

That pin.  Eff that pin. 

 
If we had followed through on that Disney Dads Blog we should have started 4-5 years ago... “Cautionary Tales With Yankee23Fan” would have been the most popular feature.

 
Bruce Dickinson said:
If we had followed through on that Disney Dads Blog we should have started 4-5 years ago... “Cautionary Tales With Yankee23Fan” would have been the most popular feature.
Click to expand...
:lmao:

And today..... Stroller People Volume 654 - The Mom with a handicapped plate on the back and rules of Engagement.

 
Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner....talk to me.  Apparently I am going to this for the kids' end of year celebration for making it through fourth grade and kindergarten.  

 
@shuke My kids dont trade pins. However, they get one or two every trip we go on. Its one of the things we buy them as a token of remembrance.

We did buy a starter kit and they did trade the doubles, but that is pretty much it. 

@The Commish

We went to Aloha dinner and I thought it was OK. Not great, not awful. It felt rushed and I usually do not ever feel rushed at Disney. The food was only OK but it was AYCE from what I remember. The show was fun. Very authentic to what you would see in Hawaii.

Im sure it will be a great time

 
Heading there for our first trip in a few weeks, staying at the Beach Club.  Afterwards we're going to Anna Maria Island. Have to check out of the Beach Club by 11am, but can't check in at Anna Maria until 4:30pm.  Figured we'd head to Tampa and get some lunch, then find something to do for a little white. Any suggestions for how to spend a couple hours around there?

Would it be worth checking out Clearwater Beach or Treasure Island?  We don't plan to hang out on the beach itself, as we'll get plenty of that at Anna Maria. But if there are any cool boardwalk areas to walk around, things like that? Kids are 14 and 12.  Someone suggested Busch Gardens, but I'm sure we'll be theme parked out after a week at Disney.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Courtjester
Board Games--I know there is another thread but I can't find it
Replies
18
Views
463
Wildcat
Wildcat
ghostguy123
What's a good short vacation destination (solo)?
2 3 4
Replies
160
Views
4K
nirad3
nirad3
Senor Schmutzig
Chicago Winter Sports Trifecta Coming Up! - Help wanted
Replies
2
Views
268
Senor Schmutzig
Senor Schmutzig

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 4 (members: 0, guests: 4)
Top