Monday, April 23, 2012

Prefered Villas

Hi, iv%26#39;e allready booked by holiday at Hawks Cay back in Febuary and will be visiting in August. I booked a conch sea view villa through my travel agent - is this now a prefered villa with all the top notch facilities?





Thanks



Prefered Villas


Preferred is the name of the company that now owns the resort. The villas are privately owned but rented through the resort%26#39;s vacation rental program. In order to remain in the program, owners had to undergo mandated updating. We had friends stay in a villa a couple of weeks ago and they loved it. I would call them directly to make sure you have one of the updated ones: 888-313-5749. The resort itself is quite beautiful but do yourself a favor and venture down the highway about 5 miles to explore Marathon and Key Colony Beach. Check those forums for ideas for activities, restaurants, etc.



Prefered Villas


We are booked in the same sea view Conch villa for 1/11-1/18. Any other tips or information on this accommodation would be appreciated. More than we normally pay for sun %26amp; fun vacations, but the place does look amazing. We have an 8 year old daughter and 9 month old baby boy, looking for fun activities.





Rob



Birmingham, AL


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  • Just returned today from Disney, had a good time, but....

    I got to see the MK christmas parade, which was the hightlight of my trip, however, never again will I visit during christmas, at least I will not be returning to MK. Animal Kingdom was great, but MK, forget it! I was so annoyed, I almost missed that wonderful parade, I am glad I stuck around for that!





    I will be posting a trip report with pictures later, stay tuned.....



    Just returned today from Disney, had a good time, but....


    did you see it posted somewhere that it *wouldn%26#39;t* be crowded?



    Just returned today from Disney, had a good time, but....


    Christmas week is the #1 busiest time of the entire year.





    You may want to try visiting in early December if you want to skip the massive crowds. You still get all the holiday stuff without the crowds.




    we went from the 6th to the 19th and it was great hardley any crowds think the longest wait time we had was the toy story ride which was 70 minutes




    1st two weeks in Dec are fantastic - the decorations are up, the Xmas themes in place %26amp; its desserted....





    I%26#39;d seriously think of turning down a free day at MK at Xmas... I couldn%26#39;t handle the crowds.




    I was warned, we knew what to expect when we got there, but my goodness!!!!





    We are planning a return trip, sometime next year for a short wknd, because we did not get to see Disney Hollywood.




    Just thinking - will some of the magic start to rub off if we get more critical posts like this one.





    I would have thought that with thousands mingling full of festive spirit then the whole experience would have been heightened not diminished. Sadly the days of my contemplating a 70 minute wait for anything have now gone - how can the entertainment value be good enough to justify such a period of comparitive inactivity - unless of course it is watching Chelsea at the moment




    Like you I made the same mistake once.....Once was enough. We always booked the first week of March, but could not take the kids out of school that week anymore. I booked the first week of April....OK before I knew all the information I do now. I figured the schools up north are not on vacation how crowded can it be? It was crowded!!!! I did not realize when I booked it that the southern schools are off that week. Duh!! I figured all schools in the U.S had the same week as we did. Before I going I found this forum, which warned me. We made the best of it. We had 5 days in disney which would of been long enough since we have gone to disney several times. It was not. We took breaks every afternoon to escape the crowds or join them at the water parks (for some reason crowds are easier to deal with when getting wet is involved).





    After a week or so you will feel better about not getting to do everything you wanted. Like you we immediately tried figuring out when we could go again. It would of been the beginning of December but we had to change it to the last week of February.





    I too love AK.




    It was our first time at disney and didnt know fast passes were free (i know im thick) so we waited the 70 minutes as the kids wanted to go on toy story however after that the fast passes were used lol




    The trip itself was fine, we had a great time, but MK was just unbearable most of the time.




    That is what my husband said, we ended up going to magic kingdom in the morning and then left when crowds were heavy. I remember walking towards splash mountain one afternoon about 3:00 and where you step down it was wall to wall people. My husband made a comment and a guy next to him agreed. We spent most of that afternoon on the train and the transit authority with our then 2 year old while our older kids stood in lines. We then avoided afternoons in MK the rest of the week.

    Disney's Animal Kingdom?

    Hey Guys,



    Just surfing and thinking about eating dinner at Jiko, never been to AKL before.We%26#39;re not staying there,but wanted to see the resort and enjoy dinner there.It looks pretty!



    Has anyone eaten in this restaurant,and for those who have how is it, and what%26#39;s good to order if we are picky eaters that will be a hit?



    Is there any way that my hubby and I can see the animals?



    What is Victoria Falls and what do they serve?Thanks in advance!



    Copper



    Disney's Animal Kingdom?


    Jiko is wonderful, but the spices are very different to the american palate. I would recommend Boma instead if you are unsure, where you can sample different dishes.





    The animals are visible from various spots in the resort, thats not a problem as long as they are active.





    I think Victoria falls is in the new DVC building and do not beleive it is open yet.



    Disney's Animal Kingdom?


    Animal Kingdom Lodge is a wonderful and unique Resort. Jiko is a Lovely Restaurant with some very Special Dinners to be enjoyed. I don%26#39;t recomend it however for a Picky Eater. You can check the menu but I feel you need to have an open mind and a sense of adventure for great food. Boma is the other table service restaurant at the AKL and I highly recomend it to everyone, even Picky Eaters



    You can explore the Resort any time, there are several locations in and around the Resort to view and enjoy the Animals



    Victoria Falls is the Lounge at the AKL, quite nice and relaxing



    For more Info on the Resort



    wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/Resorts/aklodge/index.htm



    For all the Disney Restaurant Menus



    www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining.htm

    hotel deals n. miami beach or miami beach

    Looking for a great hotel deal in miami or north miami in January.



    Very expensive so need help.





    Thanks in advance

    Happy New Year Marco!

    To those of you lucky enough to be on Marco to ring in the new year - have a wonderful time! To all Marco lovers, may %26#39;09 bring health, wealth, happiness and many trips across the Jolly to you and yours. Happy New Year! Annie

    Happy New Year Marco!

    I%26#39;m down in Marco and rang in the New Year in Marco.

    Observations/Advice on Picking a New Years Celbration:

    - New Year celebrations at restaurants tend to have 2 seatings, one before 8PM and one at 8PM

    - We went to a second seating at a Marco Island (MI)place and found that ';you make your own fun';.

    - We found if the normal age of the average person going to the

    - So we found our celebration was older (some in tuxes and most with coats). So the young adults (25-29) didn%26#39;t have a fun time.

    - So a hotel celebration or Capt Brians or Esplande or Snook Inn would be a good place next year for the young adult.

    Happy New Year Marco!

    MarcoRed - You made quite the round! Did you do what I have done in the past and posted before you were quite out of the party mode??? I%26#39;ve done that! Marco has a sort of Carte Blanche on that I do believe!

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  • One night...Siesta Key or somewhere else?

    My wife and I have gone to Siesta Key for one night the past two years while my parents watched the kids. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) We are 42 and 38 and have had fun at the Beach Club. We like the live music and dancing to 80s ere music. We are planning on going back again this year and like how we can walk to all the bars and back to our room. We have stayed within walking distance of town. Last year we had a room with a bathtub jacuzzi and I would love to find a place with a two person!





    Anyway, is there anywhere else we could get this kind of experience or should we stay with what has worked in the past?



    One night...Siesta Key or somewhere else?


    If you%26#39;ve been happy before, why change?



    Where have you stayed in the past?



    If it%26#39;s not broken, don%26#39;t fix it... ;-)



    ~SRQgirl



    One night...Siesta Key or somewhere else?


    We have stayed at Ztropical Breeze and Siesta Key Resort and Suites.

    Mayo Clinic

    We may be coming to the Mayo Clinic in a few weeks. Have never been to Jacksonville except passing through. Can someone tell me a little about the area around the Clinic. Maybe some commets about the Clinic itself would be nice. Does it have a good reputation etc.





    We will fly in form Louisiana and will of course try to hit some of the tourist spots. We like historic sites as well as just popular things that tourist do. I saw mention of a river walk. That sounds nice. We will be limited on walking.





    Thanks for any commets.



    Mayo Clinic


    Hi Bootise! Well, there is not much of anything immediately around the clinic, but the beach is very nearby and the St. John%26#39;s Town Center is about 10 minutes away. It%26#39;s our new pedestrian mall at the intersection of 9A and JTB. I would definitely recommend heading down to St. Augustine while you%26#39;re here if you like history. Fernandina/Amelia Island would be fun too. We have two river walks downtown, one on the northbank and one on the southbank. The northbank has the Jacksonville Landing which is a nice place to grab a bite to eat and watch the sunset.





    My mother received excellent care from the Mayo Clinic during her cancer treatment and I recommend it highly. It has an outstanding reputation.



    Mayo Clinic


    Bootise,





    Mayo is the best of the best. My Dad received treatment at Mayo for several years for congestive heart failure and I believe the doctors and care he received was responsible for extending his life far longer than anyone expected. The facility and caregivers are outstanding. There are some hotels nearby if you need suggestions.





    As far as sightseeing, please visit the downtown area. I recommend the River City Brewing Company on the south bank of the river for a nice meal inside or a more casual meal on the deck overlooking the river. Then take a water taxi ride over to the Jacksonville Landing on the northbank of the river. If you visit on the weekends, there is live music outside River City and at the Landing.




    Test message




    If you like history you may want to set aside a day to drive 30-45 minutes south to St Augustine. You could easily lose a day enjoying all the food and sights.






    Didn%26#39;t want to start a new thread. Can anyone recommend any hotels near the Mayo Clinic? I know there is a lodging facility onsite and a Courtyard Marriott. Any other suggestions?




    Hello Bootsie,



    -The Mayo Clinic has a good reputation. Essentially all medical specialists and testing facilities are available right there in the clinic.



    -One aspect of Mayo that I like is that they get you in there, do a whole lot of testing almost all at once, arrive at a diagnosis, and get you out in a day or two or three usually, instead of a month or two or three that it might take to get to a diagnosis if you are working with a physician outside the clinic. A down side is that frequently more testing is done than might be considered actually necessary.



    -They don%26#39;t bill medicare. You have to do that yourself and I find that to be a nuisance.



    -It%26#39;s a busy place (and impersonal) as lots of people are in there getting lots of things done. Most of the doctors and nurses you see once you will never see again while you are there.



    -There is a cafeteria in the clinic. It%26#39;s open until the clinic closes in the late afternoon but most of the food is available around meal times; that is to say if you go in there a few hours after lunch time there might not be much to choose from. There is a nice patio outside with tables and umbrellas adjacent to the cafeteria dining area where you can enjoy the Florida weather.



    -There are free parking lots and I think a little golf car shuttle service picks people up who need transport from the parking lot, but call and ask about this as I%26#39;m not sure of the details. There is also a parking building adjacent to the clinic building where you have to pay to park. There is a free parking lot just as close as any of the others that is mostly overlooked. From the entrance to the clinic grounds on San Pablo Road drive around to the point where you can make a right turn to drop someone off at the front door of the clinic, but just before you get to that point turn left instead and you will find yourself in a parking lot that almost always has spaces available.



    -There%26#39;s a Marriott Hotel on the left about half way in along the drive to the clinic building. I think it%26#39;s a Marriott Courtyard. There%26#39;s a restaurant in there. There is nothing else around.



    -If possible, I would stay at one of the hotels on the ocean in Jacksonville Beach or Neptune Beach. The change of scene will be refreshing and there are multiple restaurants in the area. The beach hotels are 10 minutes from the clinic; 15 minutes for the farthest ones. All of the following hotels are on the ocean:



    Jacksonville Beach: Quality Suites, Best Western, Casa Marina, Comfort Inn, Marriott Courtyard. There%26#39;s also a Fairfield which is inland across the street from the Mariott.



    Neptune Beach: The Seahorse Oceanfront Inn This one is farthest from Mayo (15 minutes) but is in the nicest little area of good restaurants and small shops. http://www.seahorseoceanfrontinn.com/ Telephone: (904) 246-2175





    Wishing you health and happiness in this new year!



    Spirit


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