Girls Only Fabulous Food & Wine Fiesta Trip Report - COMPLETED...

[CustardTart]

Girls Only Fabulous Food & Wine Fiesta!

Cast.
Me: Karen (a.k.a Kaz) 40-something. Loves all things Disney, a Kir Royale in Mizner's Lounge and spending DH's $$$...
Her: Sophie (a.k.a Soph) Slightly younger 20-something. Like her Mother, loves all things Disney. Like her Father, loves a Kir Royale in any Lounge and the exchange rate...


As we've just paid the balance on the above shindig, I thought I'd start a quick pre-trippie to get in the mood.

A few years ago, when my DD, Sophie, hit 21 and I crashed face first in 40, we decided that we should celebrate those milestones with a Girls Only trip together. After much brainstorming and Haribo StarMix we realised that, for us, the only place on earth was the Happiest Place on Earth and duly booked a vacation for May 2005 - a 3 night DCL cruise followed by a week in the Beach Club to experience the EPCOT's Flower and Garden Festival. :flower3: To cut a long, rambling and rather girly story (of character photos, fine dining and excessive shopping) short, the trip was rip-roaring success and we promised ourselves another asap. Sadly life, university and finances got in the way but, finally, we decided to stop prevaricating and take advantage of an offer Virgin Holidays had last year where, if you booked 7 nights, you got 3 free. So, in a few short weeks, we will be enjoying 10 nights at the Yacht Club, sampling the delights of the Food & Wine Festival!

The beauty of this vacation is that it's the first time my DD has paid her way - so to celebrate her success as a wage slave we're booked onto Premium Economy flights with Virgin! I knew this whole "Mom" thing would pay off eventually! ;)

Now some of you clever DISfolk out there will have realised that I am cruising just prior to this trip and yet it would appear I am flying back to the UK for a mere 6 nights before returning to Florida with DD. :confused: How ridiculous, I hear you cry! What abysmal planning! How eco-unfriendly! Yes, yes and yes, I totally agree but, before you tear up my lime-green Mickey ears in DISgust, please understand there is at least some method to my madness - honest! We booked this trip way before DH and I decided to cruise and for an unbeatable price. In addition, DD's vacation dates were fixed by the time we booked the cruise with no margin for moving them to suit both vacations. Also, I really didn't want to wave goodbye to DH and stay in WDW on my own - much as I love the Mouse, I love my husband more and it didn't seem a fitting end to our most romantic of vacations. So this clumsy 18-extra-hours-on-a-plane scenario proved to be the only solution that suited all parties. And, as far as I'm concerned, jet-lag is not an option...

Anyway back to the trip and our itinerary which is as follows:

October 5: Leave home for LGW and spend some time browsing duty free before having a celebratory cocktail in the Virgin Clubhouse. Arrive at Orlando, board the Magical Express and make our way to Disney's Yacht Club. After check-in, we'll head off to EPCOT to pick up our APs and the essential DDE card... :thumbsup2

October 6: This morning we're doing the Around the World on a Segway tour. Later in the afternoon, we've booked the Party For The Senses so a full day in EPCOT... :rockband:

October 7: We're keeping the day fairly free to visit whichever parks take our fancy but we have an ADR at the Rose & Crown in the evening so we can eat and see Illuminations. I can't believe that we've been coming to WDW all this time and have never seen this firework display! Outrageous!! Crazy!!! :crazy:

October 8: Another free day. As it's Columbus Day (so could be madly busy) we may just relax by the awesome YC/BC pool, Stormalong Bay. We have MNSSHP tickets and a ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern for 5.35pm to look forward to! This will be our first time at this event and we can't wait!!! Trick or Treat, anyone..? :eek:

October 9: Today's the day I collect our hire car from the Dolphin in advance of our full day at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure! Now this will be my first time driving in the US so I'm a little nervous although my DH tells me it's peasy and, as I used to drive thro' Paris, what have I got to worry about?! Mmm, famous last words.. Anyway, assuming we get to US in one piece, we are armed with Front of the Line passes so will be taking advantage of those plus our 2 year APs purchased last summer to enhance our thrill ride credentials. Fire and Ice anyone? And I want a photo with SpongeBob! :)

October 10: Nothing in the diary but an ADR for Jiko at 7.40pm. This will be our first time visiting the AKL and we are very excited. Not least because we have both bought DVC points at AKV and want to get a feel for the place...

October 11: Today's another free and easy day with our South African Wine Adventure at EPCOT the only fixture cast in stone. :drinking1

October 12: OK - time to get serious and shop till we drop! Today's the day we pound plastic until our credit cards beg for mercy. No expense will be spared as we have many suitcases to fill!

October 13: This morning we have an early start (for us) as we're booked to the Keys to the Kingdom tour at MK! I've wanted to do this for a while so I'm rather excited! In the evening we have another first, an ADR at Todd English's bluezoo!

October 14: Our last full day (sob) so whatever else we do, we'll be sure to spend some time chillin' out in Stormalong Bay! Time too for some last minute shopping, methinks...

October 15: After DTD check-in, we'll head back to EPCOT and take in the sights, sounds and tastes of the Food & Wine Festival one last time before heading to MCO...

That's all, folks... :wave:

[Lizzy Lemon]

Sounds wonderful. Wish I had someone to go with and wish DH would let me! May see you on Stormalong Bay on the 14th, that's the morning after we arrive and we'll be heading over to AK for an early breakfast! Enjoy yourself.

[florida sun]

Sounds wonderful Karen, have a great time:thumbsup2

[natalielongstaff]

[The beauty of this vacation is that it's the first time my DD has paid her way - so to celebrate her success as a wage slave we're booked onto Premium Economy flights with Virgin! I knew this whole "Mom" thing would pay off eventually! ;)

oh i can't wait for that moment !!!!

great start Karen !! hope you have a fab trip(s)

[irongirlof12]

sounds wonderful - can't wait for the full trip report!

[CustardTart]

oh i can't wait for that moment !!!!


It's definitely worth the wait, Nat! ;)

[wicket2005]

Hope you all have a fantastic time.

[cocinelle]

Great pre-trip report, Momma- reading it has made me even more excited!! Can it get any better than epicurean Epcot or trick-or-treating with the Mouse?! :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:
I just hope your costume looks as good as mine..;)

Sophie xx

[Minniespal]

Sounds brillant Karen:woohoo:

[mark&sue]

wow - sounds great


susan

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

Sounds great :thumbsup2

[CustardTart]

So after just five sleeps in my Beckenham bed, it was time to pick up those cases and head out, once more, to Orlando! Somehow I'd escaped jet-lag and once my vacation clothes were duly washed and re-packed there wasn't much left to do but say goodbye to the delightful Dick and drive off to Gatwick. Again. Now this trip was a little different from my previous one as most of the planning had been left in the capable Sophie's hands and the benefit of this showed itself right from the start. Firstly we were able to park in Gatwick's short stay car park for the half the normal cost! I don't know which part of her soul she had to sell to deliver this deal but I loved it. And who needs a conscience nowadays?! Anyway, we were able to drop off our luggage with comparative ease before heading through security to what I believe is called the Departures Concourse! This is where Sophie's skill as a master planner again shone through. She had procured a couple of complimentary tickets (a corporate perk) to the Virgin Clubhouse and before you could say "I Heart Sir Dick", we were tucking into a jolly nice brekkie and waiting to be called for our Cute Boots pedicures... Then came the news that our flight was delayed. How we laughed as we ordered a couple of cocktails and asked what was for lunch!

Still it didn't seem too long until we were boarding and relaxing on the flight. I know Premium Economy isn't as comfy as Upper Class but I still love that upstairs cabin and we had a great time. Upon arriving in Orlando, we were swiftly through Immigration - I was even asked on a date by the official! I politely declined but noted the name on his ID. After all, if this whole next 25 years thing doesn't work out with Dick, it's good to have Ignacio as a back-up, right...? Anyway, waving goodbye to my suitor, we collected our luggage (ignored the second baggage claim thing as we could easily wheel our Kipling cases) and made our way through to the Virgin desk with ease. We were directed to the Mears coach stop outside and boarded the bus. We briefly waited for another couple and then were off. The lady driver dropped us off first and we entered the relatively familiar lobby of Disney's Yacht Club resort. We stood in the small line, waiting to check in, when a roving lobby Cast Member directed us to the Concierge desk as an alternative to queuing. Or so we thought. Imagine our surprise when we were presented with gold-coloured room key cards and advised that we'd be staying on the fifth floor with concierge privileges! And consider our confusion when the concierge explained that our package included park tickets and the Disney Dining Plan!!! Sophie kindly picked me up off the floor and jiggled my jaw back into place. Simultaneously speechless for the first time ever, we silently stepped towards the elevators whilst the bellboy explained how to access the fifth floor (you had to use your room key) and chattered about the weather and what was happening at WDW...

We arrived at the fifth floor and introduced ourselves to the concierge team. Holding our breath in case it was all a mistake, they cheerfully directed us to our room and off we went. After tipping the bellboy, we leapt around the room like idiots! Honestly, we couldn't believe our good fortune! Our room was very pleasant - the usual size and attractively decorated with a unobtrusive nautical theme and complete with towel animals...
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The only downside was that we'd been expecting two queen beds and this room had a king, a daybed and a convertible chairbed. Poor Sophie. Being so much older, wiser and stronger than her, I quickly chose the king size bed and sat on it, growling menacingly. She decided to go with the daybed. Wise choice, sweetie...

Time to explore and we were off like a shot, running along the corridor towards the concierge lounge like a couple of kids! We each poured ourselves a glass of white zinfandel and enjoyed a couple of petits fours before heading off the ground floor of the resort. The place was buzzing - even Stormalong Bay was a hive of aquatic activity! Time to head for the adjoining Beach Club, where we'd stayed back in 2005, as Sophie wanted to try using a counter service credit. I still couldn't believe this was really happening and just assumed some sort of mix up had occurred - so when she handed over her room key in exchange for a roast beef ciabatta roll, I expected the cashier to charge it to the room. But no. She had used up a credit so it seemed we were officially on the DDP! Cue excited running around the Beach Club Marketplace - well, more excited fast walking really, I had been up for approaching twenty four hours...

Returning to the room, we talked excitedly of what this meant to our vacation budget! $$$$$ is what it meant and we were just the flash British babes to take advantage of this wonderful pixiedust windfall! . Exhausted, we fell into bed. I remember sleepily confirming with Sophie that a shopping trip definitely had to happen sooner rather than later. I don't know if she replied. I was too busy drifting off to sleep as I counted the stores in Florida Mall instead of sheep. Yankee Candle, Sephora, Old Navy, Nordstrumzzzz...

[BRobson]

Yeah another trip report:cool1: Wow how lucky were you both :thumbsup2 Cant wait to hear more!

[CustardTart]

Sorry, Jackie! Looks like all that positive feedback has unleashed the Trip Report Monster within! :scared1:

Seriously tho', don't be scared - once I finish this I'll step away from the laptop and sit quietly in the corner, I promise... ;)

[natalielongstaff]

:banana: fab trippie ! can't beleive ive got another one to read

[KayleeUK]

You are a fabulous writer Karen :) Love you reports and I see from the ticker there will be another report this year :thumbsup2

[Tammy Stringer]

Hooray, hooray another great trippie to relish

What a fantastic surprise for you and your daughter to be upgraded like that.

Can't wait to read how you manage to spend all those spare $$$$$$$$$

Tam

[eva]

Karen, how wonderful to have such a surprise at check-in. Sorry that we missed each other at WDW. We left the morning you checked-in. Can't wait to read the rest.

[arieljasmine]

Wow, how amazingly exciting getting upgraded like that! Incredible Disney magic. And I am only a teensy bit jealous, honest.....;) Looking forward to reading more, sounds like a great trip.

Laur's princess:

[Chilly]

Another report! Looking forward to reading more you lucky devil.

[Chilly]

Oh my GOD, I can't believe you've got 6 holidays booked! I am seriously jealous, you better make it up to me and write more of your trip report quicly :)

[mandymouse]

Blimey Karen, I've only just got over your last report ;) How lovely to have a girly holiday and how lucky to get a free upgrade, I can't wait to read some more :thumbsup2

[DisneyJo]

Wow you lucky things getting that upgrade :yay:

[eva]

Karen, where's Day 2? I'm waiting with baited breath.popcorn::

[CustardTart]

Sorry Eva! :goodvibes Had to confer with DD about the trip and she's been away on business... Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know - excuses, excuses!!! ;)

Without further ado
May I bring to you...

...DAY NUMBER TWO!!!

[CustardTart]

I opened my eyes before Stitch had a chance to make his wake-up call and that felt good - sometimes I find it's the small victories that count . Sophie draped a robe over her PJs and headed, like the dutiful daughter that she is, to the concierge lounge for that early morning essential - coffee! After a couple of gallons, we (I) decided she should have the first shower and off she went. I performed other essential preparatory 'getting ready' work and waited my turn...

We had something special planned this morning and had to be in EPCOT bright and early. For today, dear readers, we were going Around the World - On a SEGWAY!!! OK so you've seen those things, right? Some of you may have had a go and some of you may have been run over by them. I now have the dubious honour of belonging to both categories... :rolleyes:

For those of you unfamiliar with the Segway, it looks like a precarious platform on two large wheels with a long steering column and handlebars. When it transpired earlier in the year that my DD nursed a burning desire to break this beast, I confess to being a little sceptical. As a rule, Sophie doesn't have much luck mastering wheel-based modes of transport. Failing her cycling proficiency at eleven years old set the tone and, despite her most valiant efforts, she is yet to pass her driving test. So I wasn't sure how well she'd work with the wobbliest wheels around! I needn't have worried! She took to the training like a duck to water and speedily subjugated the Segway! In fact, you could say she was a chariot champion who mastered that machine and bossed that buggy!!!

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Yes!!! I, on the other hand, found getting on and off quite tricky but after a few goes really began to enjoy myself! And I looked such a babe in the safety helmet...

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After our indoor training was complete, we were off to wander the World - Showcase that is! For much of the time, the area was empty of guests as it doesn't open until 11am and we had chance to cruise the countries picking up top tips and tid-bits along the way! One of the highlights occurred when a number of character entered the empty section of EPCOT and began practising a dance routine nearby! Here they are over my shoulder...

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Two cast members took our group through EPCOT. And one of them, a young Canadian chap took quite a shine - to me! There he was, bless him, performing all manner of testing two-wheeled tricks for my benefit as he persistently engaged me in conversation throughout the tour. I don't know what I was giving off on this vacation - first Ignacio and now my Segway suitor! He was such a sweetie, and when he asked if I'd come up and see him sometime, I didn't have the heart to let him down but promised I'd pop in later in the week - unfortunately we didn't get time... Still, a fantastic time was had by all and we totally recommend this excursion to everyone! In fact, we're intending to do the alternative Segway tour available in Fort Wilderness next May - can't wait...

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Once the tour was over, we made a beeline for the Food & Wine festival and our first drink of the day! A champagne stall called to us by name and we each had a glass (the first of many) of the most delicious Moet and Chandon Nectar Imperial Rose! This was an absolute stunning rose and despite our best efforts, have been unable to track it down in the UK... Hmmm anyway, after a little shopping, we moved on through to Mexico and our first ride of the vacation - "Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros!" We love Mexico and decided to use our first table service credit at the San Angel Inn. We checked whether they had space for us and were duly seated in a few minutes! We had a great meal in the fab location - love the decor...

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...and enjoyed a mellow Margarita...

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...before finishing up, moving on and leaving the dark interior of the replica Aztec Temple of Quetzalcoatl, came out blinking in the sunlight! Next up Norway and Sophie's favourite ride, the Maelstrom! Our final port of call in today's whistle stop tour of the World, was China and we spent a long time soaking up the atmosphere. I visited this captivating country with a girlfriend back in 2000 and the Reflections of China movie was a wonderful reminder of my visit. We spent ages browsing in the vast shopping area before checking the time and realising we now needed to hurry back to the Yacht Club and freshen up before returning for the Party for the Senses event in the World ShowPlace!

We changed into slightly dressier outfits and returned to Epcot where a steady queue had formed outside the World ShowPlace (located in World Showcase between the United Kingdom and Canada pavilions) as people were being checked in by Cast Members and receiving a wristband, an event programme, a souvenir glass and notched plate for the evening. The queue moved swiftly and we were soon inside the vast venue, trying to get our bearings and make sense of the layout. We decided to try and grab a table but this proved quite tough. Eventually, I spotted an empty table for four which seemed to be ignored as it was very close to some smoky cooking action. Sophie and I took possession and gradually edged the table away from the source of the problem - sneaky eh? With our base established, we decided to take turns to forage for food and sniff out a a snifter... or two!

The event was extremely busy and the enormous array of tasty treats quite daunting! After perusing the programme, we decided to concentrate on two or three of the colour-coded cooking zones and proceeded to pink up our preferred portions... I will add here which mouthwatering morsels Sophie and I munched on when she passes on the programme...

There was music and entertainment at intervals throughout the event - part of which was supplied by Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba performers and, as I've not yet had the opportunity to see the show, I was happy to experience the this taster. All in all, we had a great time tho' agreed that it would've been enhanced by the company of our respective menfolk - both of them love food and wine (not necessarily in that order) and I think it's definitely a case of the more the merrier!

As it was, we left the Party feeling rather stuffed and decidedly squiffy! Placing our souvenir glass in a complementary bag...

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...we ambled back through the World to that convenient rear EPCOT exit and returned to the hotel. We were just in time to nab a nightcap from the concierge lounge before getting ready for bed and slipping swiftly to sleep...

[KayleeUK]

Yeah....I have been waiting for this :)

You are sneaky girls :)

[florida sun]

Another great day Karen:goodvibes

[DisneyJo]

The segway tour sounds great and the attention of 2 men so far hey :rotfl2:

The party sounds fun too :thumbsup2

[CustardTart]

After coffee and concierge offerings, we got ready to hit Epcot again - we love it so much we couldn't keep away and headed for Future World. Today we had two objectives - Test Track and Soarin'! We picked up a couple of FastPasses for TT before lining up for Soarin'. Little did we know it, but we were in for one l-o-n-g wait. Fortunately, we were behind a family from Montreal and their enchanting little boys! They were unbelievably cute and it was their first time at WDW so lovely to see their pleasure. We played the interactive games together as we waited and finally we made to the front of the line. We were very happy to be in the front row and the ride experience felt even better than usual! We bid our Canadian friends goodbye and a wonderful trip before making our way to Test Track! The ride seemed faster than I recalled and we had fun posing in the vehicles as we passed thro' the after-ride arena... Yo! Check me out in my Hummer!

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My tum was a-rumbling by now so we stopped at the Electric Umbrella for some counter service cuisine! With stomachs satisfied, our feet led us in the direction of the wonderful champagne stall for another couple of flutes of fizzy pink nectar! We loved that stuff!!! Anyway, time to pick up the reins of our round the World tour and we jogged along to Germany! I've never spent much time here before and to my surprise I loved all the glass-making - especially the jewellery! We decided to taste a glass of German wine as we browsed the store and watched a Cast Member make Sophie her own individual pair of decorative glass bead earrings to complete the set of jewellery I bought her for Christmas!

Italy was up next and we had sooo much fun in the perfume store. In fact, as I finally found my long-looked for Signature Scent, I am now a fully paid-up member of the fairer sex! This has been a source of stress for me ever since I discovered, from the magazines I browse through in the hairdressers, I am a pathetically poor specimen of modern womanhood as I don't have a perfume that typifies me! I know, it's a shock! Embarrassed by this harsh assessment, I've been searching, but finding a fragrance that says "Kaz" as much as a Yankee Candle tart has proved tough! So imagine my delight when I discovered the Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo range - specifically, a very warm, deep vanilla and almond scent called Mandorlo di Sicilia! Oh my! It's gorgeous and from now on I shall do my utmost to smell like a delicious dessert! Think Creme Brulee with a handbag...

Mmm, anyway, liberally doused in my new acquisition, I smelt sooo flippin' good there was only one thing to do next - chocolate and wine tasting at La Bottega! Sophie and I enjoyed a delicious glass of Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui, a deep red sparkling wine and Pernigotti black chocolates from Piemonte, Italy... YUMMY really doesn't cover it, believe me! And rest assured, a magnum bottle is returning with me in my suitcase when I next visit EPCOT!

Eventually, we strolled around to the American Adventure and enjoyed the pre-show in the Lobby...

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...before settling down in the comfortable theatre for the attraction. Mmmm... I've never seen this before and found it a little schmaltzy for my buttoned-up Brit background but it was beautifully done and everyone clearly enjoyed the amazing animatronics...

We left the AA and headed for the Oriental oasis that is... Japan! Cue more boutique browsing. Sophie checked out the clothing while I spent at least ten minutes ogling the gorgeous high price Akoya pearls - those beauties were calling me but not even a superstar spender of my standard enjoying a favourable exchange rate could countenance that kind of cash. I regretfully left the jewels behind and stepped outside.Time to enjoy the beautiful Japanese garden - such a peaceful haven away from the crowds, it's worth spending a few minutes chilling here...

By now we were a little weary so opted to continue our tour of the World Showcase another day and trekked back to our lovely room to rest before dinner. We chatted about our day before getting ready for our evening. On the way out, we stopped at the concierge lounge for a generous glass of white zinfandel before heading back into EPCOT and the United Kingdom pavilion! I'm going to be honest and say I have never spent any time in the UK area before. I think it looks beautifully done but it kind a feels like a busmans holiday so it's always been an area we've walked through on our way to somewhere else. We were here tonight for one reason - the view from the Rose and Crown dining room was rated one of the best in EPCOT to see Illuminations! As this was our first time (Can you believe that!? We've been coming to WDW for 15 years!) we wanted to maximise our pyrotechnic pleasure so dinner at the R&C was inevitable. We checked in and waited a short time for the table to be ready. Unfortunately, there was no room on the terrace but our server promised to take us outside onto the viewing area in time for the display so we weren't too fussed. We were more puzzled by the peculiar aroma that permeated the dining room. We even asked to move from our original table as we found this weird stench so off-putting. Sadly, even at our new table, we kept getting a whiff of ...er... was that really... vinegar!???! Oh yes! There was no getting away from it, the dining room smelt like a pickle factory and if we wanted to see those fireworks, we just had to deal with it. Through watering eyes we scanned the menu and made our choices...

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I was relieved to see there was fizzy stuff by the glass so buried my nose in the flute and inhaled the vinegar-free bouquet! It was one of those evenings bordering on the surreal. The food was really good and the staff friendly but when the mother from a nearby American family leant across and asked me quietly if all pubs in the UK smelt like this, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! I have but one rule in my life, "when in doubt, order another glass of sparkling wine" and so I did! Which cheered me up no end...

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Soon we were ushered outside and Illuminations - Reflections of Earth began...

It was awesome and we both loved it! The view from R&C's terrace was unbeatable and what do a few scorched nose hairs matter when you're enjoying such a spectacle?!

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When Illuminations finished, we returned to the restaurant and ordered dessert. We also took some artistic photos for our vinegar bottle scrapbook...

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....Before returning to the delightful Yacht Club and it's less onerous odour...

[saratogagirl]

OMG so funny, do all English pubs smell like this !! another great day Karen, a great way to drown out the vinegar, sniff the vino.

[CustardTart]

I find sniffing the vino drowns out so much of life's unpleasantries, Jules... ;) :thumbsup2 :rotfl:

[saratogagirl]

we should make it our motto in life, instead of slow down and smell the roses, chill out and sniff the vino

[mandymouse]

we got ready to hit Epcot again - we love it so much we couldn't keep away

That is how I feel too Karen, if I could only visit one park while in WDW, it would be Epcot (well you can't get a drink in the Magic Kingdom can you :rotfl: :rotfl: )

[Chilly]

Keep them coming!

[DisneyJo]

OMG Hilarious :rotfl2:

I must take more time to explore the countries better!

[CustardTart]

We woke a little later this morning and only just managed to grab our customary coffee from concierge lounge before the door was closed and the breakfast buffet cleared away. Once the caffeine fix started to flow, we quickly got ready and decided to make our first visit to Downtown Disney. We sat outside in the sun and waited for the bus which didn't take too long and soon we were chugging along on the familiar roads.

We disembarked at the Marketplace end of DTD and headed straight for the Disney's Days of Christmas emporium. Now Sophie and I lurve this shop! We're both a couple of Christmas crackpots, festive freaks and advent addicts!!! Snow there! Mmm, anyway, we spent our usual hour or two browsing the baubles and adding trimmings to our trolley before realising that we were unbelievably hungry. In fact, we were in imminent danger of passing out! We hurried to the checkout where a couple of trainee cast members took so long to pack up our purchases, I nearly barged them out of the way and took over myself. Which isn't very Disney. So I contented myself with the odd grimace at the enormous queue which had built up behind us and began to mentally go through our dining options at this time...

Eventually, our goods were wrapped and, giddy with relief, I proffered my KTTK. The CM looked confused and glanced desperately at her partner in ineptitude. Two people behind us abandoned all hope and left the queue in despair at this point! I really couldn't stand anymore so dug deep, pulled out my wad of dollars and slapped the requisite amount on the counter! Fortunately that part of the transaction went slightly quicker and we were free to leave!

Once outside, we gulped fresh air deep into our lungs and raised our faces to the sun - it sure felt good to be released! Reminding ourselves that we hadn't actually just escaped from Alcatraz, I quickly listed our dining options and we opted to try the Wolfgang Puck Express! I still felt exhausted after our trials in the Christmas shop and was relieved to sit down and wait for our food choices to be brought to our table... My rotisserie chicken was delicious and it wasn't too long before we felt rejuvenated enough to want to continue our expedition!

We checked out Art of Disney, the Wonderful World of Memories and the Pin Traders stall in rapid succession before discovering an 'Everything $10 Dollars and Under' store which distracted us for the best part of half an hour... But these had just been a bunch of minor features leading up to the main event, known to you and I as (cue drum roll) the World of Disney!!! Time to flex our credit cards and limber up for some serious shopping. I started with some stretches in the Pirate section before moving onto a full-blown raid on the store...

...Some time later, we paused to rest and leant panting up the wristwatch counter! We both tried on a couple of watches - I loved a metallic aubergine-coloured Skagen one but, for now, we were all shopped out and decided to head back to the Yacht Club for a brief respite...

It was now later than we thought and, as we lay back on our beds in the room, we realised that we didn't have a hope of making our Liberty Tree Tavern reservation! No rest for the wicked though, so we pulled ourselves together and got ready for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! We weren't dressing up but had a few spooky items to add to our outfits so were soon good to go! As we'd missed our dinner reservation, we decided to head for one of the Magic Kingdom resorts and eat there. Strolling through EPCOT to the Monorail, we were struck by the intensity of the crowds! Today was Columbus Day and the I'm not sure if this had an impact on the crowd level but it was definitely as busy as I'd ever seen it... A monorail soon arrived so we boarded and glided towards the Magic Kingdom. After disembarking at the Ticket and Transportation Centre, Sophie and I walked over to the Polynesian - one of our favourite resorts. The vague plan had been to eat at Kona Cafe but unfortunately the wait time was over an hour! So, spotting a resort Monorail arrive at the station, we beetled off to the Grand Floridian Resort instead. It felt good to re-visit this fabulous resort - the smell was so familiar! We opted to try for a table at the Grand Floridian Cafe and had a short wait which we spent in the nearby gift shop...

Before long, our pager went off and we were shown to our table.

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Without further ado, I ordered a glass of the delicious Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui that I'd previously tried in Italy. Cheers!

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Meanwhile, Sophie ordered a Glowtini!

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The Glowtini is a cocktail inspired by the Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Walt Disney World. Served at restaurants all over Disney World, it consists of Skyy Citrus Vodka, Blue Curacao, peach schnapps, Sweet-N-Sour, and pineapple juice garnished with a souvenir glow cube. It tasted very nice and looked sensational!

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Our meal was fabulous - this was one of our fave dining experiences this visit! And excellent value with the Disney Dining Plan...

But no time to linger! We had an appointment with the Mouse so decided to catch the Friendship over to the Magic Kingdom. We arrived just in time to see the special HalloWishes firework display - which was amazing!!!

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Once inside, we collected our Trick or Treat bags and set about filling them! In between getting some serious ride action of course! Space Mountain, Monsters Inc Laughter Floor, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin...

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I hooked up with quite a guy!

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And pursued another...

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Before heading over to the centre of all spookiness - the Haunted Mansion!!!
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We had a fantastic time and, had our schedule allowed it, would have bought another couple of tickets for later in the week! As it was, we decided we definitely had to return in the future with the rest of the family. Now it was time to totter on our tired legs back to the resort bus stop and head bedwards... Good night!

[saratogagirl]

I so no what you mean about the Christmas Shop, I love it in there, but whilst I am queuing or waiting while they pack the ornaments, the margarita bar opposite starts a calling me and I normally get the sweats on, it is a nightmare

[natalielongstaff]

I had a few glowtini's i september...they are lovely !!

[irongirlof12]

:thumbsup2 for glowtini . excellent report. your zest for food and beverages of the alcohol variety is inspirational :cool1: Very good piccies.

[DisneyJo]

Another great update, the glowtini looks so pretty :goodvibes

[KayleeUK]

Great update - keep them coming :)

[florida sun]

Im all caught up now, Brilliant reports:thumbsup2

[eva]

Karen, how wonderful to find 3 more days added since my last visit! Oh how I love that Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui too. We had it for the first time at the Food and Wine Pairing at Tutto Italia. I have been looking all over for it since we returned, to no avail. Man! The more I learn about you, the more we seem alike. I think I spent at least two hours at the Disney's Days of Christmas. Steve might say more than that. ;) I sure walked out of there a couple hundred dollars lighter. And the World of Disney didn't know what happened when I hit the door. I too have a new watch. But the main event in this store was all the great things for the grandkids. :thumbsup2 The Lego Store was a big hit for the DGS too.

Great Report!

[CustardTart]

I so no what you mean about the Christmas Shop, I love it in there, but whilst I am queuing or waiting while they pack the ornaments, the margarita bar opposite starts a calling me and I normally get the sweats on, it is a nightmare

:rotfl2: :lmao: :rotfl: Oh Jules, I have such a fantastic mental image of you getting the Margarita Sweats!!!

:thumbsup2 for glowtini . excellent report. your zest for food and beverages of the alcohol variety is inspirational :cool1: Very good piccies.
Why, thank you! Glad you appreciate my work... ;)

[CustardTart]

Karen, how wonderful to find 3 more days added since my last visit! Oh how I love that Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui too. We had it for the first time at the Food and Wine Pairing at Tutto Italia. I have been looking all over for it since we returned, to no avail. Man! The more I learn about you, the more we seem alike. I think I spent at least two hours at the Disney's Days of Christmas. Steve might say more than that. ;) I sure walked out of there a couple hundred dollars lighter. And the World of Disney didn't know what happened when I hit the door. I too have a new watch. But the main event in this store was all the great things for the grandkids. :thumbsup2 The Lego Store was a big hit for the DGS too.

Great Report!
Thanks Eva! :thumbsup2 I was so unsure about the Rosa Regale when it was served - it looked like a sparkling Shiraz which we had last Christmas and I didn't like at all! BUT it was pure nectar... :cloud9: I'm absolutely positive they sell a magnum sized bottle of it in one of the Italy stores - I just hope that wasn't some kind of wishful thinking hallucination... :rotfl:

Ah, the Christmas Shop - it's no place for my man! The last time I went there with Richard there was lots of sighing and much inappropriate leaning against fragile displays of ornaments! :rolleyes: It's so much less stressful with DD... ;)

I'm very jealous of you having grandchildren! I'm feeling broody at the moment as I just wanna share Disney with a little one... Where's a stamping foot smilie when you need one??? :mickeybar :mickeybar :mickeybar
:mickeyjum :goofy: :tigger: :sulley: :figment: :dumbo: :stitch: :donald: :simba:

[arieljasmine]

Just caught up, Karen, and really enjoying your reports. The shopping day sounds like a lot of fun especially the Christmas shop which I love too. And to finish off with MNSSHP, perfect.

Laur's princess:

[Fiona R]

Oh crumbs, I just ate all that food and drank all those drinks in one sitting catching up from Gatwick. Just off for an Alka Seltzer. :headache:

I am very envious of your very Magical Moment at check in......very very envious!!!

[CustardTart]

I awoke at around 8am feeling slightly nervous. Today was the day we were off to collect the hire car and I lay there wondering what I'd let myself in for. This was not the time for wallowing in what-ifs so we were soon up and out, strolling around the Crescent Lake towards the Dolphin resort where I'd arranged to pick up the car. We found the Alamo desk with ease and the extremely friendly lady behind the desk dealt with us promptly. I didn't have too much time to collect my thoughts as our Chevrolet Cobalt was brought around to the front of the hotel with alarming efficiency! Nowhere to go now but the drivers seat so I took a deep breath, made myself comfortable and slowly pulled away from the forecourt...

Our car didn't actually look anything like this but it was the same basic model and colour so let's just pretend... ;)

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The plan was now to go directly to Universal Studios so, without further ado, my wonderful co-driver/daughter directed us to the I-4! I couldn't believe I was doing it! I was finally driving in Orlando! Sophie found WMMO on the radio and we loudly sang along to assorted banging tunes! The whole driving thing was unbelievably straightforward and before long we were pulling into the Universal Studios parking area. We chose to park for free as we have annual passes and were quickly heading in the direction of CityWalk! Talk about elated! I felt 10 feet tall and, as it was approaching midday, decided to celebrate with an early lunch at Bubba Gump's! The food here was very good - better than I expected, actually. I loved, loved, loved my Salmon and Veggie Skillet - I'm salivating just remembering the delicious garlic herb butter and caper sauce... Mmmm, anyway, Sophie chose a collection of shrimp cooked different ways as well as an awesome Halloween cocktail with commemorative flashing glass - kids eh? As I was the designated driver, I slurped sedately on my diet Pepsi whilst watching the Forrest Gump movie - what else?

I glanced at my watch and decided we really couldn't delay any longer - it had to be time to hit Islands of Adventure. We wandered anti-clockwise around the park and tried out our Front of the Line passes on The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride as this hadn't been open on any of our previous visits. OK, maybe I expected too much but I actually thought this was pants and definitely not worth the wait! Talk about short, inaudible and confusing - and that was just the ride attendant! Seriously, this was a disappointment and we left the ride feeling a bit miffed. Actually, that summed up our feelings towards Islands of Adventure that day. OK so we'd decided not to brave any of the BIG rides - we felt we needed the presence of our manly menfolk to attempt such fearsome feats - but even so we just weren't feeling the love. The place wasn't particularly busy but many of our fellow park-goers were ignorant bordering on the downright rude. Definitely no smiley feel-good factor here - just a host of fractious, fed-up and fretful faces! So, after Spiderman, Jurassic Park and a disappointing raid on the retail outlets, we raced over to Universal Studies - and The Mummy ride!

In contrast, our expectations here were low as, the last few times we've visited the original park, we've been disappointed. It has seemed tired and run-down in comparison to it's slicker, younger brother across the way. Not so today. We had a fab time, repeatedly riding The Mummy which has got to be one of my fave rides - ever! We loved it and were on such a high that we virtually skipped around the rest of the park, going on everything. We even went on Earthquake and, as it's now due for closure, I'm really glad we did...

We posed for photos outside the proposed Simpsons ride...

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We hooted with laughter at Steven Spielberg's youthful visage in the pre-ride film as we queued briefly for ET and cheered when we heard our names clearly at the end of the ride! I posed with Curious George - his book features in Forrest Gump so it felt right...

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I wasn't entirely sure who the guy in yellow was but he seemed friendly enough even if he wouldn't let me try on his hat...

And then I met the man of my dreams - Doc Brown! What more can a gal want in a guy - great hair, loud shirts and a time-travelling DeLorean!!??? The Back to the Future ride might be history but it seems the old guy's still hanging around...

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Eventually we made our way back to the car park and smoothly retrieved our vehicle. It didn't seem too late, so we decided to see if we could locate the Premium Outlets mall. Our first shopping expedition was underway! Again the journey was uncomplicated and, before long, we were pulling into the huge car park. I've only been here once before and didn't particularly enjoy the experience but this visit was fabtastic fun. Sophie stocked up on smart shoes and boots for work whilst I went wild in a Yankee Candle outlet! The Fossil store was excellent and I bought a couple of t-shirts for my sons. As the time wore on, our arms became laden with more and more shopping bags so we decided enough was enough and staggered back to the car.

I drove back to the Yacht Club and was briefly confused by having to insert my room key in order to raise the security barrier but managed to negotiate that and find a parking place without resorting to what my youngest DS calls 'scares n' swears'! The handles of our many shopping bags were digging into our hands and, I cannot lie, it was tough to get back to the room. The thought of a restorative glass of concierge red just about kept me going as we headed for the fifth floor...

Finally, we sat in the lounge, nursing a Pinot Noir and discussing our options for dinner. We were tired so decided to stick close to home and asked the concierge to investigate availability at the Yacht Club Galley. A table was readily available and, after being shown the desserts, we were seated and handed menus. This is when it turned into a slightly surreal experience. Sophie decided to make similar choices to those she had enjoyed so much the previous evening at the Grand Floridian Cafe so opted for crabcakes followed by New York strip. Being tired and unable to think for myself, I decided to have the same. I then perused the wine-list and requested a bottle of red. For some reason, this clearly confused the waitress. She awkwardly went away, returned with water for our table and asked again if I really wanted wine!!! What the...??? "Yes," I gently confirmed and repeated my specific request. She disappeared again and a few minutes later another server appeared, this time an older , more assured gentleman. He bowed politely and asked me (for the third time now) if I wanted wine!!! I felt sweat prickle on my brow and began to wonder if we'd wandered into some prohibition-led parallel universe. :eek: Gentle reader, I cannot lie, it took considerable self-control to hold onto my temper and reply courteously. Still, I did my best and, in careful English, asked for the bottle of wine even I was now beginning to doubt I actually wanted... :confused:

Cue lecture from the server. He asked us our food choices and listened wisely, head on one side, before telling me (in so many words) that I had chosen a rubbish wine. OK. Deep breath time. He suggested an alternative that sounded lovely but was twice the price. Another deep breath and I gently but firmly insisted that we stick with our original choice - I'd had it before so I knew it was fine. Still this guy kept talking - briefly I considered grabbing Sophie by the hand and breaking for freedom but I was just so starving...

I'm going to cut this long and aggravating story short and reassure you, yes, we did get our wine - eventually. And it tasted good. Downright excellent. In fact, if I could remember the grotesque grape's name, I'd recommend it heartily!!!

We had dessert and contemplated a liqueur coffee but just couldn't face the ordering ordeal so we skipped off to concierge-land and made our own... Goodnight!

[KayleeUK]

LOL - they didn't want you to have that wine ;)

[saratogagirl]

gosh Karen, did you order vinegar? what a fuss, glad you got your wine eventually and enjoyed it

[arieljasmine]

I think your self-control is excellent, Karen, I'm afraid I would have lost my temper and walked out (and probably ended up in McDs!) Glad you got your wine eventually. Apart from that, a great day. I love Universal. We saw Doc Brown a few years ago and I couldn't get over how much he looked like the original actor - I see that he still does!

Laur's princess:

[CustardTart]

We awoke around 9am and, after consuming our usual vat of coffee, decided to head over to MGM for a little movie-going magic. We caught the boat from the end of the Yacht Club pier and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Once inside the Studios we headed to Rock n' Rollercoaster for a couple of Fast Passes before popping into the Beauty & the Beast show which was about to start! The warm-up guys were excellent...

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...although we were distracted by a couple of love bugs doing their own pre-show performance...

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EEK!!! :eek: We moved away from the loving couple so we could just enjoy the show. I thought the performance was excellent - Beauty & the Beast is my favourite Disney film and this is a beautifully staged version...

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Time for a quick bite to eat, so we used a couple of counter service credits at the ABC Commissary, before joining The Great Movie Ride where we finally got to experience the gangster version of this attraction! :woohoo: We wandered around enjoying the sun, the shops and and the overall atmosphere until it was time for our date with Aerosmith! Now, I have something of a 'love/hate' relationship with this ride - the crazy accelerated start is rather too challenging but, once underway, I really enjoy it - honest... We were soon up close and personal with the band and the screams from the super stretch limos made me feel a little nervous - but I kept a fixed grin on my face until the last possible moment!

We came out of the ride and spent a while browsing in the attached store - one of our faves on WDW property! By now the crowds were building so we decided to leave and catch a bus to the Old Key West resort. Now one of the things Sophie and I particularly enjoy is checking out other resorts and, as we're new DVC members, this pastime has a new relevance. Old Key West is the original DVC development and, with lower point requirements than the other resorts, on paper it looks a great place to try and stay. Having visited this delightful Home Away From Home, I can confirm that it's definitely on our must-do-in-the-future list! The lush landscaping and the relaxed ambience of the Floridian Keys make a winning vacation combination and, over a speciality House cocktail in the friendly bar, my daughter and I were unanimous - we loved it! :thumbsup2

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Time to move on, however. As we sauntered towards the coach stop, an EPCOT-bound bus arrived so we bounced onboard and settled back to enjoy the ride! Future World was busy, busy, busy so we paused just to check out The Seas with Nemo and Friends ride before moving on and picking up a glass of our preferred pink Moet fizz at the champagne stall. Does it get any better than this?! Nah, I don't think so... :cloud9: We strolled through Canada and the UK, sipping as we went, towards the rear EPCOT entrance/exit. It was now late afternoon and we had to return to the hotel in order to get ready for our dinner date as, tonight, we were blowing two table service credits apiece on the Jiko Signature Dining experience! We planned to arrive at the Animal Kingdom Lodge a little early to explore the hotel and get a feel for the resort as we'd both bought DVC points here earlier in the year.

Our journey to AKL proved a little trying, however, despite careful planning. Back in our room, it had seemed sensible to catch the boat to MGM, walk around to the bus stops and head for the resort from there. Unfortunately, the MGM boat took ages to arrive and we began to get a little stressed! I took photos of Sophie to relieve the boredom...

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...but she began to get annoyed so I took a couple of shots of the Yacht Club instead...

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Of course, we made it to Animal Kingdom Lodge with enough time to check out the amazing lobby, the animals - and the Victoria Falls lounge for a couple of pre-dinner cocktails! Very relaxing... Before too long, we were being escorted to our table and introduced to our server for the evening. And what an evening! We slowly perused the incredible menu and discussed our potential choices before turning our attention to the most amazing wine list! It didn't take us too long to unanimously decide on a bottle of the fantastic-sounding Chocolate Block from the Western Cape of South Africa!

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Our server returned, so we asked his opinion of our food options and he gave us the benefit of his advice. Then we ordered the wine. Or tried to! To my extreme astonishment, after commending our choice, the server not only asked for Sophie's ID but mine too!!! :eek: I burst out laughing and said "Good one! You're joking, right?!!!" :rotfl2: :rotfl: :lmao: He smiled warmly back before explaining er... no - he really wanted to see my ID!!! Well, that was a little tough as I had none with me. As I was still laughing incredulously, Sophie confirmed that I was indeed her mother and, after a couple of questions, the server accepted this fact! Which was a relief as, for a moment there, I thought I was close to being denied wine for the second night in a row! Imagine the uproar!!! :rolleyes:

But back to the Jiko experience. As far as Sophie and I were concerned, the food was superb, the restaurant outstanding and we both agreed that the men in our lives would ab-so-lute-ly lurve to come here... Sated, we had a browse around the hotel store before taking a cab back to the Yacht Club and bed...

[Lizzy Lemon]

Catching up on your report - as for the wine stories, think yourself lucky you were asked for ID, we took our driving licences and were never asked once!!!! Must look our age! And that group at the beginning of Beauty and the Beast, I was taken in thinking he was the sound man checking the mikes to begin with - how daft am I? Don't answer!

[arieljasmine]

Wow, Karen, you should be very proud at being asked for ID, though I can see that you wouldn't have been happy at being denied wine again! You definitely look too young to be Sophie's mum :goodvibes Great theme park day and OKW sounds lovely.

Laur's princess:

[CustardTart]

Guess what we decided to do this morning? Yes, you'd be right! It was right back into the World Showcase to pick up where we left off in our Grog Guzzling Around the Globe excursion - not an official Disney event but so much fun, you might want to try it... Anyway, time to mooch around in Morocco which is probably my favourite land of all. The gorgeous mosaics, the carvings, the fountain and the fabulous food all create an authentic ambience! Every time we visit we mean to take the Treasures of Morocco tour - and every time we forget or prevaricate! Ah well, next time! Sophie and I checked out the bazaars and fell in love with the ornate coloured glass lanterns - absolutely beautiful but we were concerned about transportation so regretfully decided against making any purchases. This time...

Time to move on and explore a country close to both our hearts - France! Sophie studied in Paris for a year and we lived there en famille for two years when the children were smaller - we definitely share an affection for and continue to have close ties with this capital. We decided to view the Impressions de France attraction and patiently waited for the cinema to open up. We shuffled inside, settled in our seats and the film started... Oh my! The scenery was, of course, stunning but the reportage felt so dated and out of time. IMO it desperately needs to be tweaked - add some footage of Disneyland Paris, Eurostar and the Millau Bridge for starters plus new Parisian scenes... Ah well, I guess that proves that even in EPCOT, everyone's a critic...

It seemed like at least 12 hours had elapsed since our last bevy, so time to queue up and prepare to quaff a glass of champagne! Hurrah! Suitably refreshed, we browsed the redesigned Guerlain boutique and I allowed a saleswoman to paint my face with cosmetics - I don't know why, maybe the fizz had infiltrated my frontal lobe??!! Sadly, the resulting clown face isn't recorded for posterity but imagine something like this...

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Mmm, so time to go, methinks... The weather was proving very unpredictable so we left the park and returned to our room. After removing all traces of the make-up explosion on my face, I decided this was a perfect opportunity to retrieve the cases from the closet and begin to pack up some of our purchases. Sophie groaned but I needed to know how much remaining luggage space I had to play with over the next few days! We whiled away an hour or so unpacking and repacking, before getting ready for this evening's entertainment. The South African Wine Adventure back in the World Showplace in EPCOT. :cool1: The downpour had cleared up and the park was fresh and bright as we returned to the area between the UK and Canada. We were a little early, so browsed some of the artwork that was on display at a nearby stall. Fortunately I now knew exactly how much room I had for purchases and despite being very tempted by a fabulous oil painting that I knew my husband would love, I sensibly (if somewhat regretfully) turned away.

It was now time for the wine-tasting event so we looked for a queue of people that we knew should be forming. Strangely, nothing was happening. :confused3 The gates to the World Showplace remained resolutely closed and the couple of cast members we asked about the event looked blank and confused. :confused: Actually, we were looking pretty blank and confused ourselves, standing there as Off-Kilter belted out some bangin' tunes! After closely questioning different cast members, one of them got straight to the heart of the matter. We were a day early!!!! Sophie and I looked at each other with a mix disbelief and relief - disbrelief, perhaps? Anyway, with the prospect of the wine tasting yet to come, we decided to salvage our evening and head for the Boardwalk.

I have long wanted to eat at Spoodles, so took the initiative and suggested we give that a try. Unfortunately, Sophie agreed and we unwittingly wandered towards the worst dining experience of the vacation. The wait was brief and we were soon seated in the dining room. The extremely noisy, cavernous dining room. Maybe we just chose a bad day to visit but I'm not going to mince my words - the absence of atmosphere, the deafening din and the sporadic service made for a charmless experience. :sad2: Sophie and I exchanged nervous glances but settled down, Brit-style with stiff upper lips and false cheer, to make the best of it. Sadly, this proved difficult as a neighbouring table had one of those families that find a way of intruding on all around them. However much we tried to tune them out, the high-pitched, hectoring tones of the uptight mother permeated our skulls. :eek: Not even a couple of glasses of Sangria could drown this woman out - tho' the prospect of pouring the contents over her head seemed very attractive. A lady at another table adjacent to this family, rolled her eyes at me and I smiled weakly in return - it felt good to know we weren't alone. In the time it took for our food to arrive, the manic mother suddenly decided her infant was anti-Christ material and thereby not worthy of dessert! This poor child was loudly berated and whisked out of the restaurant at warp speed, leaving the shame-faced father to explain to the server, settle the bill and shuffle after them. About 10 people breathed simultaneous sighs of relief and we settled back to savour our food. Unfortunately, as far as we were concerned, there wasn't much to savour as the food was bland and flavourless. We were definitely disappointed and didn't even bother with dessert but left quite promptly and walked around the Boardwalk back to our resort.

The concierge lounge was still open, so we drifted in for a few gorgeous mini-dessert chocolates and coffee before returning to our room and watching TV till bedtime... :happytv:

[arieljasmine]

Sorry to hear about Spoodles, I hate those people who intrude on your conversation no matter how hard you try not to let them :sad2: I hope you got to do the wine tasting the next day.

Laur's princess:

[Merylj]

Great report :goodvibes
We have an ADR for Spoodles and have enjoyed there before, however I think we`ll give it a miss next week! I`ve read too many so so reports lately!

[CustardTart]

We woke up this morning with only one thing on our minds! S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G!!!! :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: We showered and dressed in concentrated silence, loaded our Serious Shopping purses and cross-checked our chosen weapons, I mean credit cards - tho' goodness knows I can do a lotta damage with one of these flexi-friends! ;) Anyway, I digress. Suffice to say, we were good to go! Our brilliant blue Chevrolet Cobalt sparkled in the sunlight and we buckled up securely before heading off to the I-4 - and the Florida Mall...

The drive was undemanding and, within twenty minutes or so, we were pulling into a parking space near to the Nordstrom entrance. Getting out of the car, we simultaneously hoisted our handbags, adjusted our shades and put our best foot store-wards...

Between us we had several agendas, having done much research regarding items that the current exchange rate made too good to refuse. Cosmetics, clothing, candles, electronics and over-the-counter drugs were all on our shopping lists so, without further ado, we let our credit cards do the talking!

We had an absolutely fantastic time - getting wonderful bargains that saved us oodles of cash. I had some 'orders' from my sons for electronic products which I quickly got out of the way. Next up, the Yankee Candle store where we both stocked up on a vast number of sweet smelling tarts... I bought a host of wonderful new products from the La Mer counter in Saks 5th Avenue - this is the only skincare range my ridiculously sensitive skin can tolerate on a regular basis and it's virtually half price in the US... Both Sophie and I like Bare Escentuals cosmetics so spent considerable time browsing in this popular store. We also whiled away an hour in Sephora - one of our fave stores which we still miss since it's UK demise... Finally, we hit Old Navy where I bought a gorgeous wool swing coat for silly money and Sophie bagged inumerable bargains...

Eventually, we decided we'd had enough for today and loaded up the car before taking the scenic route back to Walt Disney World and the Yacht Club. We spent a short while examining our purchases before experiencing a little deja-vu and freshening up for the South African wine event - again! :lmao:

Back out in the World, we strolled through the UK and saw a reassuring queue forming outside the open double gates of the World ShowPlace! HURRAH!!! :cool1: Our names were quickly checked off and wristbands duly put on before we entered the event. We quickly established that it followed the same format as the Party For The Senses. Around the large room, plentiful stalls offered different South African wines, whilst around the edges, cooking stations delivered delightful delicacies. There were some tables with seating but many more of the smaller higher tables at which you simply stood and enjoyed your choice of offerings before moving off for your next course...

This event was far cheaper than the Party For The Senses and, for my money, just as good! The only downside was the absence of a commemorative wine glass but what the hey! I'm sure I could sort one myself for less than the $150 price difference!!! ;) We had a fabulous time and learnt more from the stall holders about their wines than we did at the previous event. The food was mainly from Boma and Jiko - delicious!!! All in all, I really recommend this Food and Wine Festival event. Just hope it's there next we go...

Stomachs satisfied and our palates pleasantly placated, we decided to head for home and use a couple of counter service credits on a takeaway ice cream confection from Beaches & Cream - at least that was the idea! After seeing the crazily long queue, I decided I didn't want dessert after all, so made my way back to the room, leaving Sophie to stand in line. She was gone a very long time and I started to get a little worried but eventually she turned up, clutching a slowly melting ice cream sundae. Apparently, her choice of ice cream wasn't available from the takeaway window so she decided to wait for a table and order it 'to go'. Which took a while... Mmm, I admire her dedication to dessert but she's made of sterner stuff than me. Anyway, as we had an early start next morning, we quickly got ready for bed and I turned out the light. Night, night...

[natalielongstaff]

just caught up with your great reports, ive only ever seen the gangster version of great movie ride.....never the cowboy :sad2:

[arieljasmine]

Fantastic shopping day, especially cosmetics shopping - my favourite! Glad you got to go to your event eventually!

Laur's princess:

[CustardTart]

The phone call from Mickey came through bright and early. I snatched up the phone with a little outburst of non-Disney approved language before staggering sleepily to the bathroom. We had to be over at the Magic Kingdom for 8.30am as we were due to do the Keys To The Kingdom tour! I was pretty excited but noticed immediately that my room mate Sophie was in less than tip top spirits. Unfortunately, she'd used her teeth to prise off last night's Wine Tour wristband and in doing so had aggravated a prior dental complaint. We were well stocked with Tylenol so I gave her a couple and took some in my purse should she need them later in the day. We raced out and caught a bus to MK. The journey seemed quicker than we'd expected so arrived with time to spare. Fortunately Sophie's toothache had abated and she was able to take some photos of the deserted park...

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And then I had to get involved...

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We checked in and were issued with name stickers and earpieces, whilst our delightful young guide for the morning introduced herself. And so it began. I'm not going to give a blow by blow account of the tour as I'm sure you can read that elsewhere. To be honest, I was preoccupied by Sophie's evident discomfort and didn't really pay too much attention. Suffice to say, we had a good time but not a great time. Of course, it was fab to be privy to all the secret bits we had looked forward to seeing but, despite Sophie insisting on us staying until the end, I spent most of the tour anxious for it to finish...

Eventually we were dismissed and, rather than spent more time in MK, we chose to return to the resort and figure out what we could do about Sophie's tooth pain! After taking more drugs, the pain subsided and she was able to get to sleep, so I left her to it. I spent time browsing the Yacht Club shop before returning to the room and reading quietly for a couple of hours... Sophie woke up at around 5pm feeling considerably better and ravenously hungry! As we had plentiful counter service credits remaining, we decided to raid Hurricane Hanna's Grill at Stormalong Bay...

Using 4 credits, we tried a bit of everything and munched (Sophie with extreme care) our meal poolside. Bellies full, we ambled back to the room for more pain killing drugs and more relaxation. This was the first afternoon we'd spent chilling out and I think we both needed to recharge our batteries. I popped to the concierge lounge and poured a couple of glasses of pinot noir. We lay on our beds, sipping wine, watching TV and making plans for tomorrow. After a while, Sophie began drifting in and out of sleep. Crossing my fingers that the pain wouldn't disturb her too much, I dimmed the light so she could settle for the night and soon followed her example...

[arieljasmine]

I hope Sophie was feeling much better the next day, it sounds ever so painful. Loved your pics of the MK.

Laur's princess:

[Chilly]

Just caught up, great report!

I had a Glowtini as well on holiday - very nice!

Like you I love The Mummy and posed for Simpsons photos but don't get any feeling from IOA, not sure why, I'm hoping Harry Potter will make it better.

Can't believe they said you'd picked a bad wine, why is it on their list if it isn't any good?! Might be worth writing to Disney about that bad experience.

I love Four 4 a Dollar before Beauty and the Beast, maybe even more than the show!

Opposite to you i've never been on the cowboy, always the gangster Great Movie Ride.

Hope the tooth ache doesn't spoil anymore of the holiday, I loved the KTTKT.

[KayleeUK]

Poor Sophie - I hope she is OK for the next installment :)

[CustardTart]

Overnight, Sophie's tooth pain hadn't let up. After waiting for her drugs to kick in, we decided to find for a pharmacy and see if something a little stronger was available. We readied ourselves and before too long were on our way to Walgreens. It transpired (much to Sophie's anguish) that we couldn't purchase anything stronger over-the-counter BUT she could combine her existing cocktail of drugs with another painkiller. And that's what she did. The improvement was almost immediate and made a massive impact! I thought for a moment she wanted to go back and kiss the pharmacist but the promise of a Pumpkin Latte from a nearby Starbucks proved to be a stronger lure. Seriously, it was such a relief to see her so much better. I guess it doesn't matter how old your children are, you're always their mum and seeing them in pain is just horrible... Anyway, after some restorative caffeine, we opted for a return to Florida Mall. There were a few things left on our lists and a little space left in our luggage so it seemed the logical choice...

We had a happy couple of hours and, after packing our car once more with dozens of carrier bags, decided to head back to the resort. Once en route however, I decided to detour! Call me crazy, but I wanted to check out the new Western entrance to Walt Disney World and this seemed a great opportunity, so off we went on our road trip! After one or two wrong turns and ending up in the Animal Kingdom car park, we eventually found it! I then wanted to try and find a condo development I knew about in the area - not so lucky that time but we did decide to drive on and visit Celebration! Wow! What a stunning development!! I parked the car and despite trying to control the urge, spent several minutes scouring real estate agents windows!!! Unfortunately, property is my personal addiction and I can never resist the chance to hunt down that elusive perfect house... Ah well! I saw plenty to interest but maybe another time. We had a gentle stroll around Celebration before getting back in our trusty Cobalt and retreating back to the World...

Sophie was still feeling OK so we spent the remainder of the afternoon in EPCOT. This was our last chance for a final taste of the delicious Moet pink champagne and we made that stall our first stop. Once again I was asked for ID (what the???) and this time I was able to oblige - felt ridiculous tho' and I'm pretty sure Sophie was more than a little irritated by the request... Mmm anyway, the fizz was still fantastic and we sipped our way around the stores, pausing here and there to ooh and ahh at the merchandise! We just love EPCOT and it seemed fitting that we spend our final full day floating around this fabulous fantasy land...

Eventually, we had to exit EPCOT. I once again demanded a packing session and re-jigged the contents of my cases to accommodate all my acquisitions... Time for a last glass of the concierge lounge's finest before freshening up for our final Signature dining experience at the Yachtsman Steakhouse!

And what an experience - we had an absolutely wonderful evening - fine food, fabulous wine and we were treated royally by our fantastic server, Oscar! The man was attentive, amusing and made our final evening extra-special - particularly when he presented my beautiful daughter with a red rose at the end of our meal! Thank you, Oscar, we'll never forget you...

We placed the rose in our shrine to all the champagne we had consumed during the Food and Wine Festival...

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And we regretfully retired for one last sleep before heading home...

[CustardTart]

The day dawned with a final quick coffee from the concierge lounge. We were virtually ready to leave (thanks to my prudent preparatory packing) and, as we had a last morning treat of a 10.30am character brekkie buffet at the Cape May Cafe, we checked out in plenty of time. The bell hop collected our luggage and stored it for us whilst we had enjoyed a fab character-fest at the Beach Club! It was an excellent eggstravaganza and we enjoyed plenty of character interaction!

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Goofy took a shine to Sophie and professed his love for this English girl in crayon on our paper tablecloth...

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...he even returned to keep her company when I popped to the loo and seemed heartbroken when we left...

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But we had places to be. Downtown Disney check-in to be exact! We loaded the car, waved goodbye to the Yacht Club and made our way to the Virgin check-in desk. We arrived around midday and were quickly processed. Within fifteen minutes, we were browsing the Virgin Megastore and passed another hour or so strolling around the Marketplace. The weather was so beautiful and it was hard to say goodbye. Fortunately we already had firm plans in place to return and so it was more of a 'see you later' than a serious farewell... ;)

The rest of the afternoon passed uneventfully. We drove to Orlando airport, dropped off the car at Alamo and strolled through to the Hyatt lounge for a glass of White Zinfandel. After a browse of the airport shops where I bought a Kellerman book for the flight - we made our way through security. The flight boarded soon after and before long we were enjoying a glass of champers. I began my book but soon felt drowsy so settled for a sleep. Sophie had dosed herself up and was snoozing serenely next to me which was good news as she was planning to go straight to work once we landed! :eek:

At Gatwick, we went through the usual procedures with unusual speed and, before long, we were gazing at the boot of my car, hoping all our cases would fit! Actually, it was lucky Sophie chose to hurry off to catch the Gatwick Express into town - my car isn't well endowed with luggage space so I ended up with a large rolling duffle bag strapped into the passenger seat! :car:

We said goodbye and I thanked my wonderful daughter for yet another magical Ma/Daughter expedition! Thank you, Sophie - see you in May... :wave:

[natalielongstaff]

what a lovely time you both had......im looking forward to being able to have such trips with my dd in the future :)

thanks for sharing with us......on to the next trip then ;)

[BRobson]

Wow thankyou Karen for another wonderful trip report :) I just hope that when Molly is all grown up we can have as much fun - either that or I may invite myself on one of your trips :rotfl:

The thought of drinking Champagne in Epcot everyday and spending hours is Sephora is my idea of heaven and not DH :lmao:

[Minniespal]

Just catching up with your reports Karen. What a fantastic time you both had.

I love travelling with DH. There is nothing nicer though than a mother/daughter trip. My mum appreciates that shoes, handbags, cosmetics and clothes buying are a necessity. Whereas Tom just stands there and looks less than enchanted by it all.

[DisneyJo]

What a wonderful trip, I hope I can do the same with my girls in years to come :goodvibes

[arieljasmine]

Thanks for sharing your reports with us, Karen, I have loved reading them. I am pleased Sophie was able to enjoy her last couple of days without toothache, but can't believe she went straight to work after the flight :faint: Looking forward to your next report :goodvibes

Laur's princess:

[Kirsteen]

Thanks for writing your reports Karen - they are brillant and have me in stitches the whole time :rotfl2: Can't wait for the next one and I don't even have to wait that long - result! Have a great time with DS. Can't wait for the next chapter - Ma/DS do WDW. :goodvibes

Kxx

[CustardTart]

Thank you all for your wonderfully kind comments! :grouphug: Glad my musings have entertained you...

Ladies, I can't recommend our Mother/Daughter trips highly enough - we both have similar tastes and interests, so it's a most definitely a match made in Magic Kingdom heaven! Eight of us went to WDW in August 2006 and that was exhausting - you definitely can't please all the people all of the time, if you know what I mean... :rolleyes: It's great financially too as, rather than finding the cash for a family trip, I'm just paying for little old me... ;) :thumbsup2 :idea:

I couldn't believe Sophie went straight to work either but my DH's done just that many times and says it's the best way of powering through the jet-lag. After her experience, Sophie agreed with him too - plus she didn't want to waste a day of her holiday entitlement... :thumbsup2

And now I'm looking forward to my next visit to WDW in December. My DS is still oblivious - tho' I've now suggested that we might be going to Paris for a few nights so he knows we're going somewhere! He's excited enough about that, so he'll flip when he realises we are WDW-bound - stay tuned... :goodvibes

[Minniespal]

DH's done just that many times and says it's the best way of powering through the jet-lag.

Tom does that too, says it makes such a difference. I prefer to ease back into normality with lots of sleep and chocolate.

[wils]

Thanks for another great report :)

[arieljasmine]

Tom does that too, says it makes such a difference. I prefer to ease back into normality with lots of sleep and chocolate.

And me :thumbsup2

Laur's princess:

[fizz13]

Well i don't know how I missed the report up until now but very glad I found it. i haven't stopped:rotfl: remined me of how much fun the Girly Tour was this summer, very glad you are repeating the experience soon. Oh and I'll be sure to bring my ID with me next month if I'm going to be hanging out with you, the hot mamma who looks way too young and gets CMs drooling:lmao:
Did Sophie get her toothache sorted out finally?

[CustardTart]

...I'll be sure to bring my ID with me next month if I'm going to be hanging out with you, the hot mamma who looks way too young and gets CMs drooling:lmao:

OMG - what have I set myself up for??? You are going to be soooo underwhelmed... :lmao: :rotfl2: :rotfl:

Did Sophie get her toothache sorted out finally?

Actually, it's still an issue and she's back to the dentist today! :sad2: It seems like it's an impacted wisdom teeth issue and I'm crossing my fingers she gets it sorted asap... :hug:

[Chilly]

What a lovely Mother/Daughter holiday. I'd love to go with my Mum but she thinks she'd hate it!

[Tammy Stringer]

Thanks Karen for another wonderful report.

I have so enjoyed reading it and looking at your wonderful photos.

Looking forward to hearing how your surprise trip goes

Tammy

[KayleeUK]

Brilliant as aways Karen :) I love your trippies!

[eva]

Karen, what a fabulous report. I can only hope to take my two girls on such a wonderful trip some day.