I'm Dreaming of a WDW Family Christmas...

[PNO4TE]

Cast of Characters:

Elin (me) – 57… uber-planner and lover of Disney. One day when I grow up I want to work for Disney. Meanwhile I have brainwashed… er… I mean helped my DDs learn to love Disney!
Bob (DH) – 58… tolerator of my Disney obsession, even to the point of being willing to move to Orlando when I am ready
Kathrin (DD) – 30… lives in Boston and will join us partway through the trip
Kristin (DD) – 22… lives in Virginia and will join us partway through the trip

A not-so-short introduction to this TR: We had originally booked AKL CL for our annual WDW Christmas trip, but the current state of the world economy (and our own personal concerns) had me waking in the middle of the night thinking about the upcoming payments on the packages. We decided that was not a good start to the trip, so I spent time researching how we could save the trip as well as some money. My DH and our DDs don’t care where we stay. They always say that I plan the perfect vacations no matter where we are so they have no input to help me at all, usually. (I say they are just too lazy to have an opinion!) I had booked the DDP packages for 2 rooms and had also added the Wanyama Safari as my Christmas present to my DH. So I knew I had my work cut out for me to plan an equally spectacular vacation.

We have been to WDW at Christmas for 11 of the past 12 years. Older DD decided during our trip in 2006 that she was Disney-ed out and would like to take a break from our traditional trip. We honored her request and opted to stay in the area last year. She was still living in Virginia so that was not so difficult. I booked a few nights at the Sofitel Lafayette Square Hotel in Washington, DC instead and we had a delightful time. We took the train up to DC and returned on Christmas Eve to a family holiday celebration. We sat here looking at one another bemoaning the fact that we were not in WDW. I reminded the three of them that I was not the one who didn’t want to go. ;)

Fast forward to May 2008. Kathrin had accepted a new job in Boston and made a life-changing move in February. Kristin had just graduated from college as a theatre performance major, not knowing for sure where she would be in the ensuing months. I got an email from Kathrin asking if there was a possibility for me to book some rooms at WDW for Christmas and “still get your money back if it doesn’t work out.” I assured her that it was possible and her reply was, “I could be persuaded to go back to WDW this Christmas.”

I am sure it comes as no surprise that I was on the phone before I closed out my AOL email account. See, I had already been secretly thinking we could make this work. I knew that unless Kristin was in a show on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that she would come to Orlando from wherever she was. Bob will go wherever I take him. Kathrin had just offered to entertain the possibility. That was the last tumbler in the lock and I was free to plan!

Bob and I chose AKL because we fell in love with it last October at the tail end of a family reunion we were on. Everyone else had left the BC where we were staying and we stayed an additional few nights at AKL and loved it. I decided on CL because I had heard nothing but good reports and figured we ought to try it. We have stayed CL in Disneyland at the DL Hotel and the Grand Californian, but never at a WDW resort! I booked the rooms and added the DDP to the packages because our Tables in Wonderland (what a TERRIBLE name for DDE) would not work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The TS credits would pay for the few meals we had planned for those two days. I added the Wanyama Safari to the deal as a surprise for Bob. We always pay for the room and most of the meals for our DDs as their Christmas present, so I had my immediate family Christmas shopping done! All I had to do was to pay for it on November 7.

Jumping a few months back again… We convinced Kristin that coming home to live and work might be a good plan for someone with no money in the bank who was planning to audition for a living. We offered her free room and board with the understanding that she would pitch in around the house with cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. After a couple of weeks of agonizing over it and realizing that many of her friends were doing the same thing, she agreed. She got a job as a teller at our bank with perfect hours for an actor. 12-6:15 5 days a week and 4 hours every other Saturday; it is a full time job with total benefits. You can’t beat that! She could still audition and be in shows in DC or Richmond. Perfect.

Now… she needs to ask for vacation. Finally they have agreed to allow her to have the day after Christmas off (:teeth:) but they still don’t know whether or not she will have to go in on Christmas Eve. They close at noon so I cannot see why she has to go in, but I am deferring to her decision on this. When she knows for certain she will book a OW flight from Richmond or DC to Orlando and will get there sometime on Christmas Eve.

Kathrin has not even been told definitively yet that she can take vacation the day after Christmas, but she said she is going to be really ill if necessary. ;) She is watching plane fares now and will book a RT ticket from Boston when she thinks the Price Is Right! She will also arrive sometime on Christmas Eve.

Bob and I just returned from a 6 day trip to WDW for the F&W Festival celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary. We flew. It was a nightmare. So our DDs have been told to ONLY book a non-stop flight that has a great airline behind it. If at all possible I don’t want them to spend Christmas in an airport somewhere because of flight cancellations or delays, etc. The two of us are going to drive because we can and we do enjoy it occasionally. We will leave here either in the evening of Friday, 12/19 or early in the morning of 12/20 and take 2 days or 2 ½ days to make the drive. Kristin will join us on the ride back home which we will do in 2 days. I have booked hotels for us for both parts of the drive.

I made many of our ADRs myself because I completely forgot that AKL IPO would do that for us! There was the GF Tea I couldn’t get that they were able to secure for the girls and me. Other than that I was in charge of our dining. Turns out it was a good thing.

While we were in WDW in September/October the financial markets and international governments went into a downward spiral not seen since the Depression. We felt very fortunate that it was not touching us too directly at that point, and discussed the fact that we might have to work a few more years than we thought we would, but that things would be OK. When we got home we were hit with two pieces of troubling news. Bob’s company, which is located in various places in the USA had laid off a great number of the workforce, including 17 of the 18 designers in a facility near Orlando. Their business there is mostly residential. Bob’s end is mostly commercial so he felt a little better since they are still very busy. Then came the news that the company was closing a number of the facilities in other states completely. That was an eye opener. And then the real problem… since the residential end, which fuels bonuses company-wide, was doing so poorly, bonuses would be severely affected. When Bob’s first paycheck came we were stunned. It was a huge difference. The second paycheck was no better. He would be bringing home about $1800 less per month. Our day-to-day finances could handle that thank goodness, but we started thinking about tightening our belts.

I returned to my studio to the news that I was losing 7 students due to the financial impact on their parents’ lives. That is a pretty good hit to my paycheck too, and there is not much I can do about that right now. So I started feeling that pinch in the bottom of my stomach when I talked about our trip or going out to dinner at a favorite place. When I began waking up at night Bob said I needed to find a way to make things work or make a decision because this was not a good thing for my usual happy attitude. I agreed and contemplated canceling the trip outright. Then the girls offered to pay their share of the trip and I realized that canceling was not an option. Having them pay was not an option either! My plan was to switch resorts and look at other ways to save money on the trip.

Second installment next.

[PNO4TE]

After much soul searching and some help from my DIS friends (I knew I should have asked you all first!) I made some decisions. What you are about to read are those changes. We all seem pretty happy with this re-worked vacation too. And I might add that everything you see here, plus the gas and the hotels on our drive down and back to WDW comes to less than what we would have paid for the initial AKL CL reservations. I think I did well!

I called CRO and talked to Caldwell who was the most patient, knowledgeable CM I have ever encountered, by far. He was able to cancel the packages and book us room only reservations (with Bob’s and mine at a discount!) at POFQ. We have stayed there before and loved it. Those memories and further research from me and a little push from Bob made that decision final. When I got the final amount for the rooms I realized that the rest of the trip would not need to be compromised much if at all because I had already saved close to $3000. That had me sleeping at night again!

I wrote an email to AKL IPO letting them know of our decision and they replied very graciously that they would turn the GF Tea ADR over to me so we could keep it. The Wanyama Safari was gone, but I knew that. I didn’t have to scramble around looking for dining at Christmas! Phew!! But there were a few things I wanted to try to do, so I was excited about the planning again.

I told Bob about the lost Safari and he was touched that I had done that. He also pleaded… er… asked that I not plan any 7-hour tours for him as a “surprise” since he would not be a happy camper if I did that. I had given him the Steam Train Tour a number of years ago and he loved it. I asked if he would like to do that again and he said, no… once was enough. He did remember the Yuletide Fantasy Tour we did with the girls a while ago too, but we didn’t want to do that by ourselves. So I opened AllEarsNet.com and looked at the tours we could do. I have done Keys to the Kingdom and Backstage Magic. We weren’t interested in diving or looking at plants in The Land. But… what’s this? THE SEGWAY TOUR AROUND WORLD SHOWCASE! Perfect! We both would like to take it, the price is decent and we can do it one morning before the girls arrive. I called WDW-TOUR and guess what? The only thing she had available for us was the 7:45 on the 22nd. Good thing that was exactly what we wanted! :teeth:

Then I started tweaking our dining and it just seemed as if every time I called WDW-DINE the restaurants I was calling about were available for the times I was interested in. Kismet, I tell ya! :)

I decided to add the POR Carriage Ride one evening following a spur-of-the-moment ADR at Boatwright’s. Bob and I have never eaten there so we will enjoy that for a change I think. We can also spend some time with Bob Jackson at POR or with Elliot Dyson at POFQ that evening. Things are looking up!

So, for now, this is our plan.

Sat - 12/20
B & E leave Virginia, stopping in Jacksonville for the night

Sun - 12/21
arrive and check in
lunch at ESPN (hmmm… Sunday at ESPN in the midst of football season…)
HStudios
dinner wherever we want!

Mon - 22nd
Epcot Segway Tour @ 7:45
Le Cellier @ 1:35 (or Sunshine Seasons earlier)
Epcot
Raglan Road @ 8:00

Tue - 12/23
Breakfast in food court
AK
Tusker House @ 11:55
Boatwright’s @ 7:25
Carriage Ride @ 9:00
evening with Bob Jackson or Elliot Dyson

Wed - 12/24: the girls arrive today!
Breakfast in food court
MK
Lunch – play by ear
Osborne Lights before dinner if they arrive early
Cape May @ 8:45 or eat in room
Osborne Lights during EMH if they arrive late
evening with Bob Jackson or Elliot Dyson

Thu - 12/25
Boma @ 9:55
AK maybe
lunch – (snacking)
Osborne Lights before dinner maybe
Jiko @ 7:15

Fri - 12/26
Breakfast in food court
Epcot
Grand Floridian Tea @ 2:10
Epcot
Yachtsman @ 8:00

Sat - 12/27
Breakfast in food court / check out
Epcot
Lunch – Beaches & Cream or Earl of Sandwich
Dinner – on the road / in the air

That’s what I have so far. More posting to come as we get closer to the trip. Suggestions are always welcome, so feel free to critique! And, as always, thanks for reading! :goodvibes

[John's Mom]

:wave2: Elin,

Great start to your PTR! Even though you gave up the AKL CL, your holiday trip sounds wonderful. :santa: Just being together with your family at WDW is so special.pixiedust:

[PNO4TE]

:wave2: Elin,

Great start to your PTR! Even though you gave up the AKL CL, your holiday trip sounds wonderful. :santa: Just being together with your family at WDW is so special.pixiedust:

Thanks, Kathy! You are my first poster. :goodvibes I agree 100% that just being at WDW together at Christmas is the most important part of the equation. I just had to get my own head (and heart) around that!

Thanks for reading.

[PNO4TE]

A small update here this morning. Our older DD was let go from her job yesterday. Seems the economic downturn is also affecting those who normally buy high-end diamonds. She just made the move to this job at the beginning of March and was the last person the company had hired. She was the only writer on their international staff and I guess they decided someone in another department could do the writing to cut costs.

She is very upbeat about the opportunities that could present themselves. But, as a Mom, I have to be a little saddened that she was one of only 3 employees they released in the Boston offices.

[DisneyBride'03]

Elin, I am joining in:)

Again, am sorry to hear about your DD....you are a great woman and I know she will get great support from you:)

[PNO4TE]

Elin, I am joining in:)

Again, am sorry to hear about your DD....you are a great woman and I know she will get great support from you:)

Thanks so much, Diana. :flower3:

[PNO4TE]

I just got off the phone with CRO. I was surfing around the WDW site and saw a new teeny tiny ad for a room discount. When I plugged in our dates I found that they have now extended the general public room-only discounts being offered for the holidays to include Christmas Eve.

Anyway, I had yet another outstanding CM who was able to modify our reservation and save us $90 on it. But it took a lot of doing on her part because the system was not wanting to modify the girls' reservation. She had me pull up a new reservation with the new code up on my computer for her too so that we could book it if necessary. But she finally refreshed and refreshed and refreshed and she was finally able to apply it to their existing reservation! She also said that they had just gotten the information for this new discount code which began this morning and I was the first one to call and book it with her. :)

We just saved another $180 on this trip. Bob and I just discussed the fact that we would apply it to a plane ticket for Kathrin is need be. We both feel that this trip is very important now.

[John's Mom]

Great news! Just more Disney magic for you and your family! :goodvibes

[luvs_eeyore]

I saw a link to your pre-trip report on another thread. We're also planning a Disney Christmas (our first), so I thought I might pick up some good tips from a Christmas "veteran"! :santa:

Your plan sounds great! :thumbsup2 I'm sorry to hear that things had to be changed around, but it sounds like your trip will be great nonetheless. I'm sorry, too, to read about your daughter's job loss ... it's so sad to hear more and more of that every day! I hope she finds something even better soon! :goodvibes

[PNO4TE]

Great news! Just more Disney magic for you and your family! :goodvibes

Thanks, Kathy! It looks good, doesn't it? :goodvibes

I saw a link to your pre-trip report on another thread. We're also planning a Disney Christmas (our first), so I thought I might pick up some good tips from a Christmas "veteran"! :santa:

Your plan sounds great! :thumbsup2 I'm sorry to hear that things had to be changed around, but it sounds like your trip will be great nonetheless. I'm sorry, too, to read about your daughter's job loss ... it's so sad to hear more and more of that every day! I hope she finds something even better soon! :goodvibes

You will LOVE WDW at Christmas. I cannot imagine a more beautiful location to celebrate the best holiday of the year? No one does it like Disney and I know your whole family will love it!

Feel free to ask away or PM me with any questions about how to make the best of your memories. I am being very optimistic that this year's trip for us will be another wonderful time together with lots to celebrate, including a terrific job for our DD. Thanks for your good wishes. And thanks for reading. :)

[DisneyBride'03]

What great pixie dust Elin:)
It really does make a difference when you get the RIGHT Cm's, dont you think?!!

The $90 caught my eye...lol...I had CBR booked for my first 2 nights before I moved to AKV ...and at the last minute I changed to ASMu and saved $90...needless to say it went right back to WDW at F & W!!! :)

Here's hoping that pixie dust keeps getting sprinkled on your trip Elin:)

[PNO4TE]

What great pixie dust Elin:)
It really does make a difference when you get the RIGHT Cm's, dont you think?!!

The $90 caught my eye...lol...I had CBR booked for my first 2 nights before I moved to AKV ...and at the last minute I changed to ASMu and saved $90...needless to say it went right back to WDW at F & W!!! :)

Here's hoping that pixie dust keeps getting sprinkled on your trip Elin:)

thanks so much, Diana. You are so sweet. :love:

[PNO4TE]

10/28 Update

Airfare for both DDs has been booked so plans can really be finetuned. More to come later this week!

Once again, thanks for reading! :goodvibes

[PNO4TE]

I am on here brainstorming this morning...

Our younger DD's flight arrives on Christmas Eve at 1:15 p.m. Our older DD's flight arrives the same day but at 7:20 p.m.

We had originally thought ME for both of them, but now I am thinking ME for younger DD and a town car service for older DD. We will need to get her to the BC for our 8:45 p.m. ADR at Cape May Cafe.

If I thought we could find a later ADR at this late date I would be tempted, but I was also hoping to scoot over to HS after dinner to view the Osborne Lights. They are open until 11:00 that evening.

Any thoughts on this would also be welcomed!

[DisneyBride'03]

I agree with your thinking of a towncar service for DD arriving later. What are rates on holidays...or Christmas Eve? Hopefully not too outragous! But keep in mind of any flight delays etc, eliminate any worries and know she will get picked up and escorted to her family for dinner:)
But then i just thought, what will she do with her luggage at BC? Will they get it over to POFQ for you?

[PNO4TE]

I agree with your thinking of a towncar service for DD arriving later. What are rates on holidays...or Christmas Eve? Hopefully not too outragous! But keep in mind of any flight delays etc, eliminate any worries and know she will get picked up and escorted to her family for dinner:)
But then i just thought, what will she do with her luggage at BC? Will they get it over to POFQ for you?

We will have our car, so we can put it in there while we eat and drive back to POFQ. I have found that rates don't change for Christmas Eve, amazingly enough. So I think tomorrow I am booking RT car service for about $100 plus nice 20% tip for their service on such a family-oriented evening.

[DisneyBride'03]

oh Elin, that is great! What a wonderful mom you are:)

And what a treat for her, and you will know she is not on a bus going to , who knows how many reosrts, etc!
What a great night, so excited for you, I am hearing Bing Crosby singing in my head now:) lol

[PNO4TE]

oh Elin, that is great! What a wonderful mom you are:)

And what a treat for her, and you will know she is not on a bus going to , who knows how many reosrts, etc!
What a great night, so excited for you, I am hearing Bing Crosby singing in my head now:) lol

You are just so sweet, Diana! Here you go:

http://bp1.blogger.com/_KXcyDEz5dhQ/R08XJs9i8fI/AAAAAAAAAEw/8Z8EfmYaQs4/s400/Bing+Crosby.jpg

[DisneyBride'03]

Oh, that is my all time favorite, Christmas album! I grew up with that!!!! Every Christmas my grandfather would sing "White Christmas"...all my cousins, aunts etc..this is like our family song..and its the song that came to mind when I was visualizing your Christmas Eve:)

" Ji, Ji, Jingle Bells" with the Andrew Sisters, love it!!!


OT, another season..lol..what are your dates again for F & W, Laura and I will porbably be there sooner now...(since I am a Nonnie now, Julian's bday is 10/11, his first one, I cannot be in WDW ..lol)

[PNO4TE]

Oh, that is my all time favorite, Christmas album! I grew up with that!!!! Every Christmas my grandfather would sing "White Christmas"...all my cousins, aunts etc..this is like our family song..and its the song that came to mind when I was visualizing your Christmas Eve:)

" Ji, Ji, Jingle Bells" with the Andrew Sisters, love it!!!


OT, another season..lol..what are your dates again for F & W, Laura and I will porbably be there sooner now...(since I am a Nonnie now, Julian's bday is 10/11, his first one, I cannot be in WDW ..lol)

We booked the Bounceback for October 10/2-8/2009. When do you think you two will go?!?!? :yay:

[DisneyBride'03]

Well, SHE will probably still be there on the 2nd! LOL I can probably escape 9/25 but would have to leave by the 30th :(
She really thought the opening weekend was better due to the crowds in later October, and Columbus Day weekend has reports really crowded as well.
Now I really find it amazing how we all were there at the same time last month!!! AND didnt plan it! lol

[PNO4TE]

Well, SHE will probably still be there on the 2nd! LOL I can probably escape 9/25 but would have to leave by the 30th :(
She really thought the opening weekend was better due to the crowds in later October, and Columbus Day weekend has reports really crowded as well.
Now I really find it amazing how we all were there at the same time last month!!! AND didnt plan it! lol

It was pretty amazing. Whereas Laura thought the opening weekend was better, Bob and I found it lacking this year so we opted to go the second week. We will miss the Mass Free Dining Offer (I think) but still got the Bounceback room discount + free dining for the later week they were offering it.

It makes me very sad that you will be gone by the time we arrive, though ... :(

[DisneyBride'03]

I think Laura would agree with you about the first weekend "lacking"...she had said there werent as many things going on as years before, (I was the newbie:) )
Mostly I think she was referring to the crowds.
Who knows what next year will bring..especially since we have nothing booked yet! lol Would love to see you guys again! :) And have dinner this time! Poor Bob....no escaping the Dis Folk!

[PNO4TE]

I think Laura would agree with you about the first weekend "lacking"...she had said there werent as many things going on as years before, (I was the newbie:) )
Mostly I think she was referring to the crowds.
Who knows what next year will bring..especially since we have nothing booked yet! lol Would love to see you guys again! :) And have dinner this time! Poor Bob....no escaping the Dis Folk!

But he had a ball with you all! :thumbsup2 :teeth:

[morgtroy]

I'm going for my first "World during the holidays" trip.
Nov. 28 thru Dec 3rd. Can't wait to experience the Christmas magic.:santa:

I've read some about the sleigh rides. I've seen recommendations to do the Fort Wilderness one. What's your opinion/tips about the sleigh ride. Any tips about the holidays at all.
Thanks:)

[PNO4TE]

I'm going for my first "World during the holidays" trip.
Nov. 28 thru Dec 3rd. Can't wait to experience the Christmas magic.:santa:

I've read some about the sleigh rides. I've seen recommendations to do the Fort Wilderness one. What's your opinion/tips about the sleigh ride. Any tips about the holidays at all.
Thanks:)

We have never personally done one of the sleigh rides, but I have heard nothing but great things about those at Ft. Wilderness from friends who have taken them. IF you are thinking of doing one (or anything else holiday-inspired) I suggest you book it soon because these things sell out quickly!

As far a tips for the holidays... please know that you are going at a good time and crowds should be relatively light. You will get to experience the decorations and holiday spirit of the parks and resorts without the throngs to deal with, hopefully.

I would take the time to go to Epcot and see the Holidays Around the World that each country in World Showcase presents. These are some of our favorite things to do year after year.

There is a Yuletide Fantasy Tour that can be done with the entire family that is not too pricey if you are interested in one of the extra-cost, behind-the-scenes types of events.

The resorts are all decorated to the hilt and I would spend part of the time visiting as many as I could fit in if this were my first trip again!

Keep asking! I will remember things from previous years if you jog my memory! ;)

And, thanks for reading. :goodvibes

[PNO4TE]

Today I booked a towncar service for our younger DD to get from our home to Dulles airport on Christmas Eve. No worry about her getting there in a tizzy because of traffic and being dropped off right at the departure gate will be a lot nicer than hunting for a parking place or asking a friend to make that nasty drive. ;)

One more thing checked off my "Christmas" list! :teeth:

[John's Mom]

I'm so glad that everything is coming together for your trip. :goodvibes

My daughter princess: just informed me that she will be on-duty on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. :sad: Her DH will be having Thanksgiving dinner with his family and will have leftovers waiting for her. I decided that we will have Christmas dinner when she has a day off. I'm just such a good mother. :lmao:

[PNO4TE]

I'm so glad that everything is coming together for your trip. :goodvibes

My daughter princess: just informed me that she will be on-duty on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. :sad: Her DH will be having Thanksgiving dinner with his family and will have leftovers waiting for her. I decided that we will have Christmas dinner when she has a day off. I'm just such a good mother. :lmao:

Yes, you are! It makes it tough when you can't spend the holiday itself with your loved ones. I am sure you will make it a WONDERFUL Christmas Dinner when you can be with them both. :goodvibes

[mcbj]

I'm in Elin! I loved your F&W report can't wait to see how this one unfolds! I'm also a big Bing fan, I have that CD. Here is some :wizard: for DD and her job situation. I can't wait to hear about the GF Tea, DD and I did the My Disney Girl Tea two weeks ago...fast forward 20 years and we would be in your shoes at the adult tea. :goodvibes

For "MorgTroy" we did the sleigh ride out of the Wilderness Lodge on 12/2/2005, our 10th anniversary :lovestruc it was nice, my one comment would be to book an early time slot, we had something like 6:00, but my understanding is once it gets dark there is not to much to see. HTH

[PNO4TE]

I'm in Elin! I loved your F&W report can't wait to see how this one unfolds! I'm also a big Bing fan, I have that CD. Here is some :wizard: for DD and her job situation. I can't wait to hear about the GF Tea, DD and I did the My Disney Girl Tea two weeks ago...fast forward 20 years and we would be in your shoes at the adult tea. :goodvibes

Oh, we LOVE the GF Tea! Here are a few photos from past visits.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202006%20WDW%20and%20Savannah%20Trip/IMG_0099.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202006%20WDW%20and%20Savannah%20Trip/IMG_0096.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202006%20WDW%20and%20Savannah%20Trip/IMG_0098.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/October%202007%20WDW/P1010536-1.jpg

And I have uploaded all my old favorite Christmas albums (Bing and Ray Coniff and Percy Faith) to my iPod and have been listening to them in secret for a week or so. ;)

Thanks for reading along! :)

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Hi, Elin! :yay:

[PNO4TE]

Hi, Elin! :yay:

:wave2: Hi, Elizabeth! :goodvibes

[PNO4TE]

Seven weeks from today Bob and I will be at WDW! In fact, we will be in the middle of our Epcot Segway training! :yay:

[DisneyBride'03]

Seven weeks go by so quick this time of year!


I loved the tea photos! I had a sudden urge to have a cup of tea and do the pinkey thing! LOL It looks like a wonderful experience! Wonder if DD11 would enjoy that for her bday trip?! Hmm, will have to do more research! lol
We do have 1900 Park Fare booked for dinner, love the GF!
Elin, GF was my children's first resort stay ever! Boy, were they spoiled! My DS, 9 at the time, said.."No offense mom, this place is too fancy"....by the time we left, 9 days later (this was our familymoon) he asked if we could move and LIVE at the GF!!

Sorry OT!!!

All the ladies look so lovely!!

[PNO4TE]

Seven weeks go by so quick this time of year!


I loved the tea photos! I had a sudden urge to have a cup of tea and do the pinkey thing! LOL It looks like a wonderful experience! Wonder if DD11 would enjoy that for her bday trip?! Hmm, will have to do more research! lol
We do have 1900 Park Fare booked for dinner, love the GF!
Elin, GF was my children's first resort stay ever! Boy, were they spoiled! My DS, 9 at the time, said.."No offense mom, this place is too fancy"....by the time we left, 9 days later (this was our familymoon) he asked if we could move and LIVE at the GF!!

Sorry OT!!!

All the ladies look so lovely!!

Diana - I think your DD11 would love to get dressed up and go to tea with you for her birthday! My DDs both did when we did the same.

We have stayed at GF only once. It was my Christmas surprise to my family a number of years ago. They had always wanted to stay there, but it was not to our liking for some reason. We have never pinpointed what it was that we did not like, but I know I don't have to worry about spending money for a room there any time in the near future. ;)

I think it is delightful that you all took your kids on the honeymoon with you. :goodvibes

[PNO4TE]

All the ladies look so lovely!!

L-R: me, SIL, DDs and DS (I forgot to post that earlier! Thanks for the remider!)

[John's Mom]

Elin, you have a great looking family!

I can't wait to hear how your Segway experience turns out. :cool1: I would love to try the Segway, but with two knee replacements and one hip replacement, I'm afraid to try it. :scared:

[PNO4TE]

Elin, you have a great looking family!

I can't wait to hear how your Segway experience turns out. :cool1: I would love to try the Segway, but with two knee replacements and one hip replacement, I'm afraid to try it. :scared:

Thanks, Kathy!

I would call WDW-TOUR and ask them questions if I were you. Who knows, maybe the Segway tour would be prefect for someone with bionic joints! :thumbsup2

[mcbj]

Oh, we LOVE the GF Tea! Here are a few photos from past visits.

The tea looks wonderful, is it like a buffet? I will have to figure out how to post some pictures from our tea :confused3 I have never done that.

Happy planning, although it sound like you have everything planned!

[PNO4TE]

The tea looks wonderful, is it like a buffet? I will have to figure out how to post some pictures from our tea :confused3 I have never done that.

Happy planning, although it sound like you have everything planned!

It is not a buffet. Some of those pictures are the serving plates that can be seen in a central location in the Lounge. Depending on which "Tea" you choose, you can select one or more items from those things that you see. Also, the offerings do change occasionally, but we have found we like almost everything!

I don't have everything planned, but I am pretty close! :thumbsup2

[PNO4TE]

I have booked the towncar service for older DD and found wonderful gentleman who owns one of the companies in Orlando to allow me to pre-pay the cost. I didn't want to just hand over money to our DD nor did I find a company that would allow me to pay for it with my cc and then not have that card there at pickup time. Bob from SUN-RAY (written that way because the DIS asterisks it out :rolleyes: ) sent me his home address and an amount. I have sent him a personal check which will clear weeks before her arrival and all will be taken care of. I highly recommend this company. I looked into them because another DISer was so happy with their dealings with them too.

[DisneyBride'03]

I like that the GF offers different "tea's"..according to taste's...no pun ! lol

I have heard good things about that company as well, and they seem to be very reasonable as well as price!

[PNO4TE]

I like that the GF offers different "tea's"..according to taste's...no pun ! lol

I have heard good things about that company as well, and they seem to be very reasonable as well as price!

I am starting to get excited about the trip again, Diana! :yay:

I am also looking in to a hotel on the beach at Daytona Beach for Bob and me to stop at the night before we get to WDW. I have some more research to do and hopefully some kind DISers will have posted some ideas about these somewhere on here. Off to look around a bit!

[DisneyBride'03]

Oh I love that idea!!! I always visualize everything...so I think it would be a nice relaxing evening....before all the excitement of Christmas and WDW!!!

[DisneyBride'03]

I just peeked at Priceline, not sure of your date, but rates look great..the Hilton Daytona Beach/Ocean Walk Village caught my eye at $115 a night (this was for Sunday the 21st I think)..lets see what else....the Inn on the Beach is $35...sounds scary to me...lol.....there is the Shores Resort and Spa....

[PNO4TE]

I just peeked at Priceline, not sure of your date, but rates look great..the Hilton Daytona Beach/Ocean Walk Village caught my eye at $115 a night (this was for Sunday the 21st I think)..lets see what else....the Inn on the Beach is $35...sounds scary to me...lol.....there is the Shores Resort and Spa....

The Shores is one I was looking at.... also The Plaza. Know anyone who knows anything about them? I posted a question on the Orlando Resorts and Hotels board, but who knows if I will get a response there!

[DisneyBride'03]

I just looked at the properties with a high rating.....anything with "resort and spa" after it you would think have to be nice!
Did you look it up at Tripadvisor?
Hopefully someone will post on that thread for you!

[PNO4TE]

I just looked at the properties with a high rating.....anything with "resort and spa" after it you would think have to be nice!
Did you look it up at Tripadvisor?
Hopefully someone will post on that thread for you!

That is how I shop for hotels and resorts too! And The Shores is consistently coming up fairly well regarded.

[PNO4TE]

Today I worked very hard on the hotel reservations for our drive down and back.

Bob and I will leave home after my last recital on Friday, December 19 and drive a couple of hours into North Carolina. I found a Holiday Inn Express there for $92 a night. I also booked it through My Points so I will get points for the reservation!

We had planned to get up and drive to Jacksonville on Saturday, but I got a wild hair about going to the beach instead. Today I found a good deal on the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean Walk Village.

http://www1.hilton.com/ts/en_US/hotels/content/DABDHHF/media/images/photo_gallery/DABDHHF_Hilton_Daytona_Beach_Resort_Ocean_Walk_Vil lage_home_right.jpghttp://www1.hilton.com/ts/en_US/hotels/content/DABDHHF/media/images/DABDHHF_Hilton_Daytona_Beach_Ocean_Walk_Village_ro om_type_K1RF_1.jpg

Bob and I will get there about 5 p.m. and in the morning we can spend some time on the beach and eat breakfast outside if the weather permits. We will be only 60 miles from Orlando at that point so we can spend as much time there as we wish and still get to WDW in plenty of time to do something fun.

When I showed the pictures of the resort to Kristin she asked if we could stop there on the way home too (she will be joining us for the return drive). It would be way too long a drive on Sunday, December 28, but I did find that Hilton Head is only about 9 hours away from our house. So, I found the Hilton Oceanfront Resort Hilton Head Island with a nice rate for a King Suite.

http://www1.hilton.com/ts/en_US/hotels/content/HHHHBHF/media/images/photo_gallery/HHHHBHF_Hilton_Oceanfront_Resort_Hilton_Head_Islan d_gallery_welcome.jpghttp://www1.hilton.com/ts/en_US/hotels/content/HHHHBHF/media/images/HHHHBHF_Hilton_Oceanfront_Resort_Hilton_Head_Islan d_room_type_K1KFU1_1.jpghttp://www1.hilton.com/ts/en_US/hotels/content/HHHHBHF/media/images/HHHHBHF_Hilton_Oceanfront_Resort_Hilton_Head_Islan d_room_type_K1KFU1_2.jpg

We will drive there from WDW in the afternoon of the 27th when Kathrin takes off for the airport. Then, the next morning we can get up and eat breakfast and spend some time on the beach before heading home.

I have a sneaky feeling that we will have some pretty decent traffic that day, so I plan to just take it easy. Kristin doesn't have to be to work on Monday until noon and Bob could take another day off or work from home that day. I have the day off anyway, so we could drive leisurely or even stop at a motel part of the way home and finish the drive in time for Kristin to get to work.

I am not going to worry about that now. I am just glad that I have finished that part of the planning!

[DisneyBride'03]

How exciting!!! Love it!! I really enjoy hotel stays!! And these look like great ones Elin!

[*Seanaci*]

joining in...sounds like a fantastic trip.

:D

[John's Mom]

Making all your new plans is almost as fun as the trip itself. :goodvibes

Everything sounds great! :woohoo:

[PNO4TE]

How exciting!!! Love it!! I really enjoy hotel stays!! And these look like great ones Elin!

joining in...sounds like a fantastic trip.

:D

Making all your new plans is almost as fun as the trip itself. :goodvibes

Everything sounds great! :woohoo:

Thanks, everyone! :goodvibes

[PNO4TE]

This is a picture of Bob and the girls and me next month:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/Miscellaneous/airplaneFun.jpg




:yay: :dance3: :yay: :dance3: :yay: :dance3: :yay: :dance3:


I got one way airfare each way on AirTran for Bob and me for $78 and $99 for Kristin. With the $35 credit I had from Kathrin's flight I got the 5 one-way flights for $428. Our motels for the trip came to almost $500 so we have done well so far.

Now I need to figure out if we need a car or can just use ME or a town car...

[*Seanaci*]

Wow...great airfare! so now you're not driving down?

[PNO4TE]

Wow...great airfare! so now you're not driving down?

nope... hard to keep up, isn't it? :rotfl2: We have always preferred non-stop flights to driving for 14 hours, but they have been harder and harder to find. I was delighted that these were available, fairly full and cheap! I figure we have a very good chance of having them "go" as planned and it will make traveling those two weekends a little nicer, I hope!

[John's Mom]

popcorn::

[PNO4TE]

Ahhhhhhh, Kathy! I am waiting too! :rotfl2: Nothing new to report yet!

[DisneyBride'03]

Phew!!!

Was worried I missed something, havent checked in for awhile:)

I know OT...this is YOUR thread:) But I am relieved, as this is our year to travel to Northern CA to visit my Bob's family. It is so hectic with 3 kids under 15, and trying to go and visit everyone..we usually leave Christmas morning.
But we are going in January now:) Besides, the $2500 in airfare made it really easy to make that decsion;)So, the only place I WOULD travel to over the Holidays...is WDW!!!! Like you:)

[PNO4TE]

Phew!!!

Was worried I missed something, havent checked in for awhile:)

I know OT...this is YOUR thread:) But I am relieved, as this is our year to travel to Northern CA to visit my Bob's family. It is so hectic with 3 kids under 15, and trying to go and visit everyone..we usually leave Christmas morning.
But we are going in January now:) Besides, the $2500 in airfare made it really easy to make that decsion;)So, the only place I WOULD travel to over the Holidays...is WDW!!!! Like you:)

You can hijack my thread anytime you want, Diana! :goodvibes

Airfare is all over the place, isn't it?? I am glad you found something that will work for you and that you get to be home for Christmas.

[*Seanaci*]

nope... hard to keep up, isn't it? :rotfl2: We have always preferred non-stop flights to driving for 14 hours, but they have been harder and harder to find. I was delighted that these were available, fairly full and cheap! I figure we have a very good chance of having them "go" as planned and it will make traveling those two weekends a little nicer, I hope!

Lol. Not that hard...just wanted to make sure my new mom brain was working right... I mean, I forget what I eat for breakfast by the time dinner rolls around. :P

Also, I can't blame ya for looking for non-stops. When we first started looking at airfare for our trip next month, I knew that travelling with an almost 15 month old I wanted a non-stop. And if I couldn't find one, I'd settle for one with a very brief stop over. :P We got lucky. Non-stop flights for the trip there and the trip home. :D

[PNO4TE]

Lol. Not that hard...just wanted to make sure my new mom brain was working right... I mean, I forget what I eat for breakfast by the time dinner rolls around. :P

Also, I can't blame ya for looking for non-stops. When we first started looking at airfare for our trip next month, I knew that travelling with an almost 15 month old I wanted a non-stop. And if I couldn't find one, I'd settle for one with a very brief stop over. :P We got lucky. Non-stop flights for the trip there and the trip home. :D

Congrats on finding non-stops! With airlines packing people in and time on the runway both on take-of and landing, flights with stops and plane changes anymore can be nightmares. I would not want to travel with a 15 month old that way either!

How exciting to take a little one to WDW. I miss that tremendously. :goodvibes

[*Seanaci*]

Congrats on finding non-stops! With airlines packing people in and time on the runway both on take-of and landing, flights with stops and plane changes anymore can be nightmares. I would not want to travel with a 15 month old that way either!

How exciting to take a little one to WDW. I miss that tremendously. :goodvibes


I'm so looking forward to taking my little one for the first time. It should be fun. Then again, he's being a tyrant today...won't nap...and I KNOW he's tired. *sighs* Oh well. :P

[PNO4TE]

I got my 2009 PassPorter in yesterday's mail so today I spent a lot of time moving all my various pieces of paper into the pockets and generally getting more organized. This trip is really seeming to be much closer now that we are at the end of November.

Flights, car rentals, towncars and park 'n' fly are all arranged. All 4 passes are ordered and ADRs are made. Christmas presents, trees, wreaths and decorations are all packed in a suitcase.

It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas here.

http://bestsmileys.com/thanksgiving/1.gif Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

[John's Mom]

I'm glad that you have everything lined up and ready to go. :goodvibes

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! :hug:

[PNO4TE]

I'm glad that you have everything lined up and ready to go. :goodvibes

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! :hug:

Thanks, Kathy! The same wishes for you and yours. :goodvibes

[DisneyBride'03]

I got my 2009 PassPorter in yesterday's mail so today I spent a lot of time moving all my various pieces of paper into the pockets and generally getting more organized. This trip is really seeming to be much closer now that we are at the end of November.

Flights, car rentals, towncars and park 'n' fly are all arranged. All 4 passes are ordered and ADRs are made. Christmas presents, trees, wreaths and decorations are all packed in a suitcase.

It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas here.

http://bestsmileys.com/thanksgiving/1.gif Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas......

But first....

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

[PNO4TE]

I had an interesting talk with younger DD, Kristin, yesterday. I told her I really had not planned a lot for us to do during the 3 1/2 days she and her sister are with us and she looked aghast! She said it had been 14 months since the two of them had been to WDW and we had to get a lot done in those few days.

So... this morning I called WDW dining and switched our Jiko and Yachtsman ADRs to 9:00 p.m. I tried to switch nights on these two ADRs, but Yachtsman is completely booked on Christmas night. Anyway, that allows us a little more time to spend in the parks before dinner. We can park at YC and take the boat over to HS on the 26th, see the lights and then come on back to eat.

I still have to figure out when we will get into the MK to see the castle with the girls... 12/24 won't work because Kathrin arrives just in time for dinner at Cape May (8:45) and the MK closes at 11:00 that night. 12/25 is NOT a good time to think about the MK at ALL! :eek: And 12/26 is our last night. I am sure the perfect answer will hit me, but it hasn't yet!

[John's Mom]

Elin,

Before I get too busy and forget...

I hope you, Bob, Kathrin and Kristin have a very magical Christmas Day. :santa: Enjoy the holiday season at WDW.

Kathy :hug:

[PNO4TE]

Elin,

Before I get too busy and forget...

I hope you, Bob, Kathrin and Kristin have a very magical Christmas Day. :santa: Enjoy the holiday season at WDW.

Kathy :hug:

Thanks so much, Kathy! We have had to make a few adjustments to the trip which I hope to get posted today. Stay tuned....

And HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you and yours too! :goodvibes

[PNO4TE]

On Thursday Bob's company announced a furlough, of sorts. Everyone's hours or salary has been cut by 20%. Not a particularly good thing, but the alternative, I suppose is more layoffs. We will make it work.

I immediately offered to cancel the trip but Bob and the girls said, "NO WAY!" Most of the trip is already paid for so I guess they are right. Makes no sense for AirTran to hold onto our $1000 or so for a year when we don't know where we (or they) will be in a year!

One way to ease my mind is the make come changes to the trip. Once I came to terms with that the scalpel was fairly easy to wield! Here is what we have done so far:


Canceled Segway Tour and the carriage ride.
Canceled Le Cellier for Bob and me (will eat at Sunshine Seasons instead!)
Canceled Boatwright's Dining Hall for Bob and me (will eat at the food court probably, instead)
Canceled Yachtsman Steakhouse for the four of us (we have GF Tea at 2:30 that afternoon anyway)


We just saved about $450, I think. That ought to make things a bit better in my mind. I know the trip will still be wonderful, despite all the changes we have gone through over the last couple of months. I am grateful that we are still able to go and in a way that won't impact our finances much at all. :goodvibes

[John's Mom]

What really matters is that you will all be together! ;)

[PNO4TE]

What really matters is that you will all be together! ;)

Exactly!! :goodvibes

[DisneyBride'03]

Just checking in...and then read your post Elin...I think you made smart cuts. Think of those as just vacation enhancements.....its not a necessity..you are all together in WDW for Christmas!
The memories you will create and recall are the looks on your familiy's faces, and the warmth your heart feels when in the future you recall this trip:)
(not chasing Bob around on a wheely thing;) lol j/k or what/where you ate..(except for the GF Tea:) )
I am glad that you only had to adjust your trip plans....and I am hoping this economy gets on the upswing sooner than later:)

[PNO4TE]

Just checking in...and then read your post Elin...I think you made smart cuts. Think of those as just vacation enhancements.....its not a necessity..you are all together in WDW for Christmas!
The memories you will create and recall are the looks on your familiy's faces, and the warmth your heart feels when in the future you recall this trip:)
(not chasing Bob around on a wheely thing;) lol j/k or what/where you ate..(except for the GF Tea:) )
I am glad that you only had to adjust your trip plans....and I am hoping this economy gets on the upswing sooner than later:)

Thanks, Diana! :goodvibes We talked long and hard before making the cuts and changes. So far we are all very happy with the differences. I think in the long run we will be even happier when all is said and done!

[PNO4TE]

So far the long-range forecast for our trip looks very nice. Keep your fingers crossed! Highs in the mid to upper 70s and lows around 60. It would be lovely to have nice weather for this trip.

[DisneyBride'03]

Fingers crossed!! Which I had a "smilie" for that:)

I think you will have fabulous weather Elin!!!

[PNO4TE]

Here is another reason for a fingers-crossed smilie, Diana...

http://bestsmileys.com/fingers/1.gif http://bestsmileys.com/fingers/1.gif http://bestsmileys.com/fingers/1.gif
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/Miscellaneous/b4ccc9bf.jpg

(our forecast here at home is cloudy with highs in the 30s to 40s and some rain and ice)

[PNO4TE]

The updated forecast is still looking good!

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/Miscellaneous/717c4233.jpg

I think that Bob and I are going to head to the airport early on Sunday to see if we can fly standby on an earlier flight. Kathrin may also do the same thing on 12/24, but I think her chances are a lot slimmer than ours.

[PNO4TE]

The baking is done, presents are all wrapped and mailed, programs for all NINETEEN recitals are ready to print. Now I can think more about packing.

I have WAY too many clothes laid out to put in the suitcases. The highs while we are there are mid 70s to low 80s and lows range from the upper 50s to the low 60s. I know I need jeans and things to layer. So my turtlenecks and long-sleeved Ts ought to be fine. We each have a Lands End fleece jacket and gloves.

I also have some short-sleeved Ts and capris. Do you think I will get enough use out of the capris to take two pairs since I am taking no shorts this trip. I don't think I need any tank tops, do you?

[DisneyBride'03]

no tank tops.....not that I even pack them when its hot! >LOL I cant "do" tank tops! lol
Capris and short sleeves..However, last December when I was there..Oh my how humid it was and WARM! I was not prepared! lol

Weather looks great Elin!!!

[PNO4TE]

I think I can safely pack those capris that are sitting on the bed...

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/Miscellaneous/b757a086.jpg

[DisneyBride'03]

Good Morning Elin!

We have a snow day here in Chicago land!! You must be so excited...i am, for you! lol
Please keep us posted before you leave:) Nothing like the day before you leave for WDW feeling:)

Weather forecast looks amazing and perfect!
Plenty of sunshine..heading my way...Zipp ah de do Dah! (sp?) lol

[PNO4TE]

Good Morning Elin!

We have a snow day here in Chicago land!! You must be so excited...i am, for you! lol
Please keep us posted before you leave:) Nothing like the day before you leave for WDW feeling:)

Weather forecast looks amazing and perfect!
Plenty of sunshine..heading my way...Zipp ah de do Dah! (sp?) lol

As soon as my last recitals are over tonight I can get excited and will start singing along with you, Diana! :love:

We are planning to leave early Sunday morning at this point. But if it looks like your "lovely" weather is headed our way we might sneak out of here tomorrow night and stay at the Park 'n' Fly AmeriSuites we are using for our trip. We already have our return night booked but can add on a night on this end of the trip if necessary. I need to check a lot of forecasts to see what is supposed to happen.

I am not taking my laptop with me so once I leave there will be no posts until we return. At that point I need to figure out how to move this PTR over to the TR boards. Anyone have a short and sweet set of directions for that??

[MrsHeg]

Have a Magical Trip Elin, one day our trips will overlap and I'll finally get to meet you.

[PNO4TE]

Have a Magical Trip Elin, one day our trips will overlap and I'll finally get to meet you.

I look forward to that day, Debbie. Have a wonderful holiday with your family!


There is freezing rain falling so Bob and I are taking our time getting out of here. Our flight is not until 3:00 this afternoon and if we can't get to Baltimore early there is nothing really lost!

[PNO4TE]

http://images.zwani.com/graphics/christmas/images/0merry-christmas-stocking.gif

See you all next week!

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Have a spectacular time, Elin & Family!!! :wizard:

[DisneyBride'03]

Elin, Cant wait to hear all about your trip!

Merry Christmas!!!

[PNO4TE]

I am back... from the second trip in two weeks. In the airport on our way back from WDW Bob got a call from his aunt telling him that his mother was very ill. We flew back to Baltimore that night and stayed at our Park 'n' Fly hotel, wakening to a phone call letting him know that his mother had died during the night.

We drove back home that morning and Kristin and I unpacked and repacked his suitcase as he tied up a few loose ends for work. He jumped back into the car and drove the 6 hours to western PA to be with his family. Kristin and I drove up Tuesday at 5:00 a.m. and stayed for both viewings and then the funeral today. We drove back today through some pretty nasty wind and snow. Bob will stay for the rest of the week to tie up any loose ends that he can. He has one brother that lives at home and he will take care of their 91 1/2 year old father for the time being.

On a good note, Kathrin had a job offer on Monday and that made us very happy. Still and all, I am very ready for 2008 to be over. It has not been a very kind year to us.

I need to write my TR and get it posted, but I need to do other things first. I promise I will be back and finish it. And I suppose I need to move it to the "real" TR Board, but I don't know how to do that. Anyone have any suggestions there???

Happy New Year to all of you. I will be back soon to write some more.

[DisneyBride'03]

Hi Elin,
I am so sad to hear about Bob's mother, please accept my condolences...I cannot imagine hearing this news...at any time for that matter.
That is good news for Kathrin:) Sending her continued pixie dust..sending a big hug for all of you!
2008 is just about over...so wishing you a very happy and healthy 2009 Elin!

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Elin - Once you have your entire TR posted you can PM a mod to move it. My TR stayed on this board for quite awhile after we got home, so don't worry about it!

[PNO4TE]

Hi Elin,
I am so sad to hear about Bob's mother, please accept my condolences...I cannot imagine hearing this news...at any time for that matter.
That is good news for Kathrin:) Sending her continued pixie dust..sending a big hug for all of you!
2008 is just about over...so wishing you a very happy and healthy 2009 Elin!

Thanks, Diana. :goodvibes How was your Christmas? I bet you had so much fun!!

[PNO4TE]

Elin - Once you have your entire TR posted you can PM a mod to move it. My TR stayed on this board for quite awhile after we got home, so don't worry about it!

Thanks, Elizabeth! :love:

[DisneyBride'03]

Thanks, Diana. :goodvibes How was your Christmas? I bet you had so much fun!!

Well, "presents" is Ava's new favorite word (at 2 1/2) Santa brought us a great gift..an ALaskan Cruise in 2010 for all of us...
We have cancelled my trip with the DD's in Feb......with a trip to San Francisco in a few weeks to visit Bob's family....just a bit much. Grandpa trumps Mickey.....
It was great having all my kids and my grandson together, that was the best gift..I keep forgetting I actually have 5 kids Elin! j/k lol

How are you doing? Have been thinking abt you but havent had much time for Dis stuff:(

[PNO4TE]

Well, "presents" is Ava's new favorite word (at 2 1/2) Santa brought us a great gift..an ALaskan Cruise in 2010 for all of us...
We have cancelled my trip with the DD's in Feb......with a trip to San Francisco in a few weeks to visit Bob's family....just a bit much. Grandpa trumps Mickey.....
It was great having all my kids and my grandson together, that was the best gift..I keep forgetting I actually have 5 kids Elin! j/k lol

How are you doing? Have been thinking abt you but havent had much time for Dis stuff:(

I am doing OK, Diana. I will be happy when Bob gets home at the end of the weekend. Things will start to get back to normal then.

Your cruise sounds wonderful! don't blame you for canceling your February trip... that trip sounds amazing!

And I love Ava's new favorite word. :love:

[PNO4TE]

Since I seem to be having trouble starting my TR I thought I would take some time to put together some slideshows from the trip. So, here is POFQ in it's beauty last month:

POFQ December 2008 (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/4e42a8cf.pbw)

[PNO4TE]

Do we REALLY have to decorate the trees??? ;)

Deck the Halls (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/bcc7a7b6.pbw)

[PNO4TE]

Once we arrived at WDW the girls and Bob all asked if we were eating at Coral Reef. When I said "no" they were very disappointed. They had never told me how much they like it there. I knew there was no way we would ever get an ADR but promised I would try. And I did... for 3 solid days. And the answer was always no.

Imagine my surprise as we were standing in line at airport check-in on our last morning when Bob and Kristin came back to say we had an 11:40 ADR! We quickly checked in and grabbed a bus bound for Epcot. Luckily we had not had any breakfast yet and were really hungry.

Kathrin and I had blackened catfish with a pepper-jack polenta and Bob and Kristin had a chicken breast with spaetzle entree. We shared an appetizer of skewered shrimp and beef. It was all yummy! But no room for dessert. :rolleyes:

Coral Reef Lunch Photos (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/1c2d82f2.pbw)

[PNO4TE]

The girls and I always try to do tea at the Grand. This year was no exception. I think the napkins look like geese!

A Grand Afternoon with Tea! (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/dc859b8a.pbw)

[PNO4TE]

Christmas Day was spent at AKL. We went over for breakfast at Boma and spent some time out on the overlook. We also returned to Jiko that night for dinner. Here are some snapshots of our day:

AKL - Christmas Day 2008 (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/9ca399c2.pbw)

[PNO4TE]

This one speaks for itself. I screwed my courage to the sticking point and....

You did WHAT?? By YOURSELF??? (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/a206d0ea.pbw)

[PNO4TE]

On December 23, I went to the MK by myself just to see the Castle Lighting ceremony. It was so beautiful that the next night the girls and I went back. A few memories from those days:

An Icy Dream... (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/c5490a92.pbw)

[PNO4TE]

The girls and I went into the parks every single day. We found the lines to be "doable" even on Christmas Day!

This was a spur of the moment trek to see Nemo and Friends:

Duuuuuude... and a manatee (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/e5d71395.pbw)

[PNO4TE]

Monday, December 22 dawned really COLD! Bob and I discussed the fact that we were both very happy that we were not on the 7:45 a.m. Segway Tour in Epcot! While I was walking through the World Showcase the Dream Squad came up to a group of us and told us to go over to the entrance to Canada. We were all given Dream Pin Lanyards! Very cool! It was a nice thing to have happen on our last trip to WDW during the "year" of Dreams. ;)

After breakfast in the food court I went over to Epcot for a few hours, returning to POFQ to warm up a bit. Then I took the water taxi over to DD, passing the new treehouse villas on the way. I window shopped and took lots of pictures for the next 5 hours and got to see Santa too! Bob joined me at Raglan Road at 7:00 for our ADR. We both really enjoyed the meal there and will return. We had beer flights and shared the appetizer platter for two as well as their fish and chips. Yummy! But filling.... no room for dessert once again. :sad2:

The only bad part of the day was that there was a minor bus accident at the PI bus stop which blocked the entire road. There were buses backed up the whole way to the Marketplace! We had two options to get back home that night. We could walk back to Marketplace and catch the boat or go over to West Side and catch the boat. I picked the wrong one. :rolleyes:

We went to West Side thinking we would have a direct shot to POFQ. Instead the boat went to Marketplace and we had to disembark and catch a different boat to the resorts. Bob was frozen by now since he had not dressed to be outside for very long. He was cranky as a bear and it made for a not-so-nice way to end a lovely day. He finally got over it but we were both not speaking for most of that trip.

Downtown Disney and Raglan Road (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/634011c3.pbw)

[PNO4TE]

December 23 was our day for AK. We had an 11:55 ADR at Tusker House. We had not eaten there since it had become a buffet and we were looking forward to it. It did not disappoint! We will definitely go back again. We skipped breakfast that morning and I was at AK at rope drop. I headed right back to ride the Safari and grabbed a FP for a return ride later with Bob. After I rode the first Safari of the day I got a cup of coffee and sat in the sun for 15 minutes until I could get another FP for the Safari.

I headed over to Expedition Everest and rode it for the very first time. I was fortunate to be in line with two young couples who were very friendly. One of the women was an ex-CM on that ride and she talked to us about some of the things that we might not know. It passed the time and I got to ride in the seat next to her since one of the young men scooted out through the chicken exit at the last minute.

I met Bob at Tusker House after strolling through the park a little, taking pictures as I went. We had a great meal and then used our FPs for a second Safari of the day.

We went back to POFQ late in the afternoon and I decided to run over to the MK to see the Castle lighting. I had also hoped to see the Osborne Lights but it wasn't to happen. Not that night or any other during the trip. I Just plumb ran out of time! :sad2:

When I got back to POFQ Bob and I grabbed a pizza and a beer at the food court and I literally fell asleep while we were eating. Bob packed up the leftovers and escorted me back to the room where I promptly changed into my PJs and went to bed.

This was another great relaxing day and we were looking forward to the girls' arrival the next day.

Animal Kingdom Day (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/d5fee17e.pbw)

[Flossbolna]

Elin, your pictures are wonderful. Thanks for posting them!

I am sorry to hear about your husbands mother and am thinking about you and your husbands family. :hug:

[PNO4TE]

Elin, your pictures are wonderful. Thanks for posting them!

I am sorry to hear about your husbands mother and am thinking about you and your husbands family. :hug:

Thank you so much! From someone who always takes such wonderful pictures, that is quite a compliment! And thanks for your kind words. She will be missed.

[DisneyBride'03]

The girls and I went into the parks every single day. We found the lines to be "doable" even on Christmas Day!

This was a spur of the moment trek to see Nemo and Friends:

Duuuuuude... and a manatee (http://w25.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w25.photobucket.com/albums/c69/PNO4TE/December%202008%20WDW%20LARGE/e5d71395.pbw)

Ava's first ever ride at WDW in 07, and I think we went on that at least 4 times this past August:) I love the song at the end..."Big Blue WOrld"..totally gives me that wonderful feeling I had with her when I play the Parks CD in the van with her:)
She never wanted to get out of the shell though:confused3 :laughing:

[DisneyBride'03]

UGH! Did you see our new tickers?! We are 10 days apart on our arrivals!

[PNO4TE]

UGH! Did you see our new tickers?! We are 10 days apart on our arrivals!

I know!! So you and Laura had better change your dates.
















:lmao:

[John's Mom]

Elin,

So sorry to hear about Bob's mother. My prayers are with your family. :hug: It's hard to lose a loved one, but even harder near the holidays.

I 've been enjoying your beautiful pictures. What a great presentation! I'm lucky if I can get my pics on photobucket.

[DisneyBride'03]

I know!! So you and Laura had better change your dates.


Elin, if it was only that easy:( WIth DH's work schedule, Ava...did I mention Ava...lol)
Maybe we can leave you a note at the Beach Club! I thought you were doing BWI?




When is Bob returning, or did he already come back? Sorry if I missed that.








:lmao::flower3:

[DisneyBride'03]

What did I just do up there?! lol

[PNO4TE]

What did I just do up there?! lol

I'm not sure! But... We were at BWI because there was no Bounceback availability at BC when we booked it last year. I called Sunday to see if there were any openings there and I was lucky! We got BC and I requested our favorite first floor near Epcot again. We loved that location so we are very happy.

Bob got home late Saturday evening.

[PNO4TE]

Elin,

So sorry to hear about Bob's mother. My prayers are with your family. :hug: It's hard to lose a loved one, but even harder near the holidays.

I 've been enjoying your beautiful pictures. What a great presentation! I'm lucky if I can get my pics on photobucket.

thanks, Kathy. I do promise that I am going to do a TR... just not sure when!

[PNO4TE]

(I have decided to try to write my TR without pictures since I had already posted many slideshows of the trip. Maybe this way I will get it done!!)

Bob and I left earlier in the morning that we thought we would. We decided to try to see if we could fly standby on an earlier flight so we got up and got going. We drove to Baltimore and checked into our Park ‘n’ Fly, took the shuttle over to BWI and got in line. I knew that we didn’t have to pay additional money for our third bag (we booked the day before AirTran added that little “perk”) and I also knew that AirTran allowed same day standby flights two different ways: either take your chances and fly for free or pay $40 per leg of the flight and be guaranteed a seat on the earlier flight. With that information in mind I approached the ticket agent. He was newbie. ;) Had no idea that there would be people flying that would not have to pay for the extra suitcase and had no idea that we could pay a fee for the standby guarantee. He was anxious to learn so closed his station and took us to a different computer to have another agent walk him through the process. In no time at all we had boarding passes for the earlier flight and we through security and eating a light breakfast.

The flight was without incident, as was picking up the rental car at the airport. Brrrrrrr…. It was chilly here in Florida! We had a shopping list and stopped at Albertson’s on Orange Blossom Trail to get what we needed. In no time we were driving into the parking lot at POFQ and in checking in. Our room was ready (it was about 4:30 now) and we made our way to Building 6. We had a standard view room on the 3rd floor. We were really hoping the girls would have the connecting room to ours when they arrived on Wednesday. Bob called the desk and asked if there were any packages for us (I had shipped two) and we were told they would have to call over to POR to check, In no time at all a CM was there with one package. He didn’t know there were two. So he had to go back and get the second one. We tipped him and unpacked our goodies and decided to try out the food court for dinner that night. I had a muffaletta sandwich and Bob had the pot roast and we were both very happy with our choices.

We were both tired and it was after 9:00 by now so we decided to stay in the room and unpack and decorate the Christmas tree I had brought in that third suitcase. Bob had a beer and I had a glass of wine as we got all that accomplished. Ahhhh…. We were finally back at WDW and all was right with the world! Tomorrow was still supposed to be cold and since I had canceled our Epcot Segway Tour the only thing we have planned is dinner at Raglan Road.

[PNO4TE]

It WAS cold this morning! I got up early and went out to take pictures of this beautiful resort, met Bob for a quick breakfast of coffee and beignets and headed to the bus stop. I wanted to be at Epcot early that morning so I went alone. It is my favorite park, hands down, and I love to be there just to look around. The wait for the bus was short and soon I found myself on Spaceship Earth. I personally like the changes to this attraction, even the “cheesy” ending. :)

I took lots of photos, watched the fountain and went into the World Showcase about 9:30. I was approached by a young lady and gentleman dressed in white satiny stuff and realized, after the fact, that they were members of the Dream Team. I was directed to the archway at Le Cellier and presented (along with others who were gathered) with a Dream Lanyard and two pins. This was a nice little beginning to my day! I walked around a little more, taking pictures and just enjoying the holiday atmosphere. Also had a few PhotoPass pictures done. CHEESE! :teeth:

I decided to go back to POFQ and warm up a little. Once again we opted for the food court for a quick lunch: we split a beef taco salad and a beer and were both full. I decided I wanted to take the boat to DD and do some window shopping. I asked Bob if he thought he could find Raglan Road on his own if I decided to stay there a while. He wasn’t too sure, so we got out my PassPorter and I showed him exactly where it was located and described how to get there by bus. He thought it would be pretty easy to do it that way and we agreed to meet up about 7:00 for our 8:00 reservation.

I had about a 15 minute wait for the next boat and was very glad I had dressed in layers. It was still cold! Eventually our boat arrived and we were off. It was enjoyable to see the progress on the Tree House Villas and to hear more about them from our knowledgeable skipper. I arrived at DD safe and sound and started shopping, something I hardly ever get to do when the rest of my family is there with me. I love to look around, pick things up, smell them, ponder the possibilities… they subscribe to the GrabPayRun shopping method. :rolleyes: I was also enjoying taking photos of the Christmas Tree and Santa with all the little ones. :goodvibes

I stopped in the Ghirardelli shop and had a sample of their milk chocolate peppermint bark. YUMMY! Unfortunately they were sold out. I wondered if they hadn’t been handing it out if there would have been some to buy… I was assured that they would get another shipment in the next day so I promised myself I would be back to pick up a small bag of it to put under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.

After walking through World of Disney and the Christmas Store and the Home Store and Basin I decided to go on over to see what was happening beyond the Lego store. I had not seen T-Rex so I took some pictures of that enormous building and continued walking along. Soon I found myself at Pleasure Island. Wow, has it changed. There is hardly anything open there anymore. It is so very sad. :( Disney had better come up with something incredible to replace the clubs that were there! I also ran smack dab into Raglan Road and realized I was getting hungry. Since it was not quite 6:00 I called Bob and asked if he wanted to come on over a little early for dinner. There was no one around so I doubted we would have any trouble getting an earlier seating. Truth be told, I was also getting very cold!

I found a sheltered area near the bus stop and waited a short time before Bob arrived and we were seated in a lovely little room at Raglan road. We were in front of a little fireplace in two wing back chairs flanking a round oak table. I loved it! We decided to share a Draft Flight and an Appetizer Platter while we made our decisions about food and further drink. The appetizer platter was HUGE and they were out of quite a few of the beers. Our server noted that it was because of the changeover to the new beer company. We found it to be another sad state of affairs at WDW. Everything that used to be so unique at restaurants and lounges is becoming predictable. There are few surprises so when you get one it is wonderful. Our appetizers were a wonderful surprise. We had scallops, little fried sausages and little ribs. There was a lot of food there. So we decided to split one more beer and also an order of their Fish & Chips. Our server recommended a Blacksmith (Smithwick’s and Guiness). Both were wonderful. And we were both too full for dessert which made me sad. I wanted to try their Bread Pudding. Next time!

We left the pub and headed over to the very close bus stop area. It was even colder now and I noticed Bob had worn just a long-sleeved dress shirt and his lightweight black fleece jacket. (This is important.) We were waiting and talking to others at the stop when we noticed that no new buses had come in a while. After a little investigative snooping Bob discovered that two buses had been involved in a small “altercation” and were completely blocking the road. A CM came up and offered two solutions: we could either walk over to the Marketplace and take a boat to POFQ or we could walk over to the West End where there might be buses to grab due to the accident. We took door #2. Not the right one… we got over there and not one bus to be found. So brilliant me decides we can grab a boat there! I forgot that it would take us all the way back to the Marketplace and we would have to change boats. By now Bob’s teeth were chattering, his nose was blue and so was the language coming out of his mouth. :rotfl:

We eventually made it back to the room but not before World Peace was set back by a decade or two…

Tomorrow is AK! And a little warmer temperatures we have been told.

[PNO4TE]

I went into the MK early this morning (EMH) to soak up the atmosphere one can only find there. I was there at opening with only a cup of coffee under my belt. We had an 11:55 ADR at Tusker House so I didn’t want to spoil my appetite for that new adventure.

I enjoyed watching people see this park in all its holiday glory and made my way up Main Street taking photos and having mine done by the ever-present PhotoPass photographers. What did we ever do without them before? None of us were ever in any shots at WDW! I got to the castle and went around the roadway there, heading back out the way I had come in. I was on a mission that no one knew about. ;)

I made my way from MK to AK with little to no trouble. Went in and met almost no crowds. I grabbed a FP at the Safari and then rode one of the first ones of the day. When I came out I was a little hungry so I went to that little window by Tusker House and got a small cup of coffee and a HUGE cinnamon roll. I finished the coffee but not the cinnamon roll while sitting in the sun near the outdoor seating area there. I realized I could get another FP for the Safari and did so. I knew Bob would want to ride it when he met me for lunch. And not having to wait in line would be the best Christmas present I could give him!!

Now it was time to screw my courage to the sticking point and gird my loins. I WAS GOING TO RIDE EXPEDITION EVEREST!! I am not a roller coaster fan. I don’t like heights. But this ride has fascinated me since it opened. No one in my family will ride it so I figured it was Kismet that I was here in the AK, during the Christmas holiday season, with few crowds. I got over there and found the standby line to be only a 15 minute wait. I figured I couldn’t back out now. I was fortunate to be in line with 2 young couples who were very supportive. One of the wives had been a CM when EE opened and explained to me what was going to happen so I would have no surprises. They talked to me to pass the time and were very encouraging. When it came time to ride one of the young men stepped out of line and told me that he had never intended to ride the ride but stayed in line to keep me there! He took the chicken exit and I got to ride with the ex-CM! Needless to say that is one heckuva ride. The detail in the queue and in throughout the attraction is exemplary. There was only one part of the ride itself that I wasn’t too sure of, but I can’t tell you now what it was. I guess I will have to ride it again so I can find out where it was! :lmao:

As I exited EE I got a call from Bob letting me know he had just gotten on the bus at POFQ. NINETY MINUTES later he arrived! Apparently the holiday crowds have arrived but they were sleeping in this morning. Boy am I glad I rode EE today. :teeth:

We were about 15 minutes late for our ADR at Tusker House but were seated within 5 minutes. This was really a great meal! One of the best of our trip, as it sadly turns out (yes, this is foreshadowing…). We ate, rode the Safari (he loved the FPs) and went back to POFQ. I wanted to see if I could get to both the MK and HS that night to see the castle lighting and the Osborne Lights.

After a short “I am NOT sleeping I am just putting my feet up” nap I grabbed a bus to the MK. I got to see the Celebrate the Season show before the Cinderella’s Holiday Wish Castle Lighting. I loved them both but… OH, MY… the iced castle cannot be described in words or pictures by me. I am sure there is a fabulous writer out there (maybe even my older DD) who could do it justice, but not me! It was amazing. About that time I realized that I was not going to be able to get to HS to see the Osborne Lights because they were closing at 8:00. That was probably the most disappointing part of the trip for me because I love those lights and HS was closing at 8:00 every night until the girls got there and we were otherwise occupied. :( I have a DIS friend who made a special trip back to WDW just to see the Lights. I might have to consider that some day…

I called Bob and told him I was coming back to the resort and he said I sounded tired. I denied that. I got back to the room and he looked at me and said I looked tired. I denied that. I went into the bathroom area and looked at myself and saw what he saw. We decided to go back to the food court for dinner and a beer. We also planned to stop in at Scat Cat’s for a drink after dinner to celebrate the arrival tomorrow of our DDs!

We both said as we were walking over to dinner that we were hungry for pizza so we ordered one as well as a beer. It was actually pretty good! And I was actually very tired. I started to fall asleep while we were sitting there eating. :rotfl2: Bob packed up the remaining pizza and threw away my beer. Took me by the hand and said it was time for me to go to bed. I finally agreed. Besides, the sooner I go to sleep I figured, the sooner my daughters will be there!! :yay:

[PNO4TE]

When I woke up this morning I was so excited. Kathrin and Kristin were coming!! It is Christmas Eve! :yay:

Bob and I were at breakfast by 7:00 and then got phone calls from both girls. The towncar service had come early to get Kristin and had gotten her to Dulles in record time. Kathrin had decided to try flying AirTran standby out of Boston like we had done earlier in the week. For some reason they didn’t charge her the $40 dollars!

Since the girls were now coming into MCO in the afternoon I called the :sunny: towncar company (whose name I cannot type on here :rolleyes: ) and left a message for theirBob. I asked if he would be able to get both girls from their flights or if Kathrin should wait the hour or so until Kristin’s flight arrived. He said he would see what he could arrange and before we had finished breakfast it was a done deal!

We had a lovely few hours ahead of us and decided to spend it by the pool. So, we put on our suits and made the short walk over there. It wasn’t long before we got a phone call from Kathrin letting us know she was in Orlando and the towncar driver was putting her luggage in the trunk of the car. I swear it was only 20 minutes or so and she was calling again to tell us she was pulling up to the port cochere at POFQ! We went back to the pool and she told us how cold it had been in Boston and how much snow was there when she left this morning. She was reveling in the warm Florida sun. We ordered a beer from Mardi Grog’s pool bar and soon we got another phone call. Kristin had arrived and was getting in the towncar now too! I cannot say enough about :sunny: Towncar Service. They went above and beyond on a very busy day and got our DDs to us in record time and with a smile. We will definitely use them again and highly recommend them to anyone!

We all sat around the pool talking and drinking for a little while longer and then decided we needed something to eat. Food Court here we come… again! The girls split a chicken taco salad and Bob and I split the beef taco salad again.

The girls’ room was ready and it was the one connected to ours! :yay: So we went back so they could freshen up and rest a bit. The three of us were going to go to the MK for the Castle Lighting that night and Bob would meet us at Cape May for dinner. Well, as soon as we got into the rooms the two of them decided that time was a’wastin’ and we needed to go to Epcot. So, we did! The only rides we did were Spaceship Earth and Nemo but it was nice just to be back there together. We hopped the monorail over to the MK and watched the Castle Lighting again. I insisted on PhotoPass which they HATE but you would never know if from all the smiles in our pictures. We called Bob and told him we were leaving the MK and he left POFQ to drive over to the BC. We got there at the same time and checked in a little early for our 8:45 ADR. We knew it would be a while so we went to Martha’s Vineyard Lounge for a drink. There was no one there but us so we had a lovely time talking and relaxing. In about 15 minutes or so the buzzer went off and we were seated. It was a decent meal. Our server was horrible. But we had a good time despite his lack of attention. :rotfl2:

After dinner we went back to POFQ and opened a bottle of wine for the girls and me and a couple of beers for Bob and just enjoyed being together. They were running out of steam and begged off doing anything else that night. We made an early night of it because Santa Claus is coming tonight and he knows when you’re awake! :santa:

[PNO4TE]

Merry Christmas! :santa: We were going to Boma for breakfast this morning at 10:00. Bob and I were up early but the girls are slug-a-beds. I went and got us coffee and by the time I got back they were up and taking showers.

They decided that as long as it was Christmas they had better decorate their poor tree (they had put it up the night before, but it had no decorations on it). Hilarity ensued and it was finally… decorated. So we were free to go to AKL for some sustenance. We had barely a wait before being seated for our favorite breakfast on all WDW property. We managed to eat plenty of food and drink plenty of Fruunch and Kenyan pressed coffee.

We spent quite a bit of time around the resort taking pictures and enjoying the atmosphere there before going back to POFQ. We had no plans for the day until dinner at Jiko that night. The girls decided they were brave enough to try a park on Christmas Day and we were lucky. Epcot was open and we were able to ride Nemo again and spend some time watching people as well as the fountain. We walked the whole way around the World Showcase and stopped for Grey Goose Slushes in France and Gleuhwein in Germany. We had a wonderful day and didn’t think the crowds were nearly as bad as they have been in previous holiday trips. They also both bemoaned the fact that we weren’t eating at the Coral Seas on this trip so we stopped at Guest Services on our way out of the park to see if there were any ADRs available for the 26th or 27th but we had no luck. They were booked solid through the first of the year.

When we got back to the resort Kristin and Bob decided they needed a nap and Kathrin and I decided we needed time at the pool, and maybe a drink. We still had three bottles of wine I had shipped to myself that were unopened. Kathrin opened a nice little bottle of 20 Bench Cab and divided it evenly into three refillable mugs! She and I took ours to the pool and Kristin’s was waiting for her when she decided to wake up. We sat around and talked a lot, mainly about her job hunt and how she was doing. Kristin joined us with a little more wine for each of us and we stayed at the pool until it was dark.

Back in the rooms the girls discovered that Santa had arrived and they had missed his giftings that morning! :rotfl: Then we got dressed for dinner and drove over to AKL for our much-anticipated Christmas dinner at Jiko. As usual we arrived a little early and I decided we needed a family photo session. My unenthusiastic family cooperated as you can see by the photo in my siggy! We decided to check in and then stop at Victoria Falls while we waited for our ADR at 9:00. Well, no sooner had we sat down at the bar than our buzzer went off! Getting into a WDW Signature Restaurant EARLY on Christmas night? Unheard of! But, off we went and were immediately seated in a noticeably un-full dining room. Bob and I love Jiko and could not wait for our DDs to have an extraordinary meal with us. Our server came and asked what we would like to drink, but we had not been given a wine menu. One was brought and Bob ordered a beer and the girls and I decided on a wine. When our server returned we were informed that they were out of Tusker House beer and the bottle of Pinotage we ordered. So we tried again. Bob got his beer but it took three choices before we got a wine. :( We also ordered the Spiced Briouats and the Taste of Africa to share. When our server came back Kathrin asked what the “vegetable of the moment” was and was told (and I kid you not…) “It changes every day. We never know.” Ummmm… it was 8:00 on Christmas night…. I would think she should have known what the vegetable was by then! But, it took two trips to the table and two follow-up requests for the status of the vegetable (it was Brussels Sprouts :confused: ). So that let Kathrin know what she wanted for dinner – the shrimp special. Kristin chose the Nantucket Scallops. Bob asked for the Kenyan Coffee BBQ Beef Short Ribs and I ordered their signature Filet. Our server didn’t even come back to tell us the news; she left it to another server to let us know that they were “out” of short ribs AND the filet. By 8:00. On Christmas night. Two entrees they are known for. The one reason Bob couldn’t wait to return. :sad: I think if it had been any other night he would have asked if we could leave. He was upset. But we knew there would be no other place to get seated this late on Christmas night. He finally settled on the chicken and I ordered the appetizer mussels and the Cheese Plate. Kristin loved her scallops. Kathrin said her shrimp was good. Bob’s chicken was OK. My mussels were full of grit! I am not a complainer when we are out. I figure than any restaurant on any given night can make a mistake. But, especially because we spent over $250.00 that night, the service and the food at Jiko were unacceptable. We didn’t even bother to order dessert. They probably wouldn’t have had any left anyway. I was very glad that this was the only restaurant all week that refused to accept our Tables in Wonderland card (their choice… it was Christmas). That meant no automatic 18% gratuity!! I left a 15% tip. I usually tip 20% or more. Our server, who will remain nameless, was atrocious. She left us sitting without attention for 15 minutes at a time. We had to ask twice for our bill. And they were not busy. There were lots of empty tables. It will be a while before we go back.

Undaunted, the ever-determined foursome returned to their rooms, opened more liquid refreshments and settled in for a dessert of Milk Chocolate Peppermint Bark (I told you I would go back and get it!). Tomorrow we go to Tea.

[PNO4TE]

Once again Bob and I were awake first so we went over to the food court for breakfast. It was gorgeous outside so we took our food out to the tables there. It was packed inside anyway. We were about done eating when a lovely young Mom from Alabama bravely approached us and asked if she could join us since there were no other seats anywhere. We had a lovely talk with her. She and her DH and DD were there for their first Christmas trip and were just enthralled. And we heard all about it. Bob really enjoyed talking to her but did mention (more than once) that she talked even more than I do! :rotfl:

Eventually the girls showed up with a small breakfast to share and our guest vacated the table to the four of us. We took our time and enjoyed the warm sunshine again. Bob was ready to go back to the room to read and we three decided to go back to Epcot again. Off we went. We tried to get an ADR at Coral Reef for that night or any time the next day but there was still no availability. We didn’t do anything earth-shattering and I don’t think we even rode any rides… just had a great time at our favorite park. Soon it was time to ride the great monorail in the sky to the GF for tea. We arrived a little early and discovered that they did indeed have chestnuts roasting so Kristin grabbed one of her favorite holiday treats at WDW. We spent time just enjoying this beautiful resort and soon I was checking in for our tea. As is our norm, we had the cheese plate to share and each ordered the Grand Tea. I do have to mention the table next to us. There were two women seated there. One of them stared at Kathrin throughout the entire time we were in the Gardenview Lounge. Just STARED. Kristin and I even started looking over at her and she never stopped. It was very odd, to say the least! However, we love to do Tea here. It is one of the activities the three of us always try to do together when we are at WDW. :goodvibes

After tea we went back to the room and decided to spend some time around the pool. No swimming, just relaxing. We had a great time talking and laughing again. And when it was time to eat we opted for the food court once again! We got pot roast, roasted chicken, BBQ ribs and a Philly Cheesesteak and two beers to share. Again it was delicious! As you can tell we have become big fans of the POFQ food court. We had many good meals there. We had trees to undecorate and bags to pack and the crowds were large so we went back to the rooms at about 9:00 and got started. Tomorrow is our last day. :sad:

[PNO4TE]

Our last day. It is always hard and the circumstances that occur throughout this particular day made it even harder. We got up and finished packing. When we were done we planned to all do our airline check-in and get Kathrin settled with ME and then grab a bit of breakfast. While we were standing in line Bob and Kristin disappeared! Just when I was about to get angry that they weren’t there for check-in they came rushing up. Seems they decided to see if there were any lunch ADRs available for Coral Reef. And there was one!! Someone had just canceled an 11:35 reservation for 4 and it was ours as long as we could get there. It was now almost 11:00 but we knew we would make it.

We finished up, checked our carry-ons with bell services and jumped on the first bus bound for Epcot. We made it with 10 minutes to spare, so we took the time to call Bob’s parents. We talked to his Dad who let us know that his Mom (who had been in the hospital for a couple of days) had gotten out of surgery and was doing well. We went into lunch and had a terrific meal. We almost always get a table right at the windows and today was no exception. This was a great way to end our family holiday trip. :goodvibes

We returned to POFQ after lunch and headed to the pool to wait for Kathrin’s ME pick-up. Way too soon it was time to walk her out to catch her bus. I knew it would be a while before we would see her and it made it hard to say goodbye. :sad: She was off safely and we spent another hour or so at the pool before it was time for us to leave too. We stopped at the Hess station and filled up the car with gas, drove to the airport and turned in our car, all without incident.

By now we knew that Kathrin had taken off on time and was well on her way home. We stopped to change our clothes into long pants and grab our fleece out of our carry-ons because we knew it was much colder at home. While we were waiting for Bob to come out of the bathroom we heard him talking to someone in the men’s room. Kristin and I thought it was odd until we heard his tone of voice and realized he was on his cell phone. His aunt had called to tell him that his mother was not doing well at all.

We had major weather related delays and a security issue with an unhappy passenger from our flight who had to be removed form the airport by Security and some of Orlando’s finest. We were supposed to arrive in Baltimore at 10:30 p.m. but it was after 1:00 a.m. by the time we got in. We checked into our Park ‘n’ Fly hotel at 1:51 a.m. and Bob had heard nothing more definitive about his Mom except that she was in a coma. We slept a few hours and got ready to drive home in the morning. While we were at breakfast he called one of his brothers to see what was going on and was told that his mother had died at 4:30 a.m. We knew we had to get back to Virginia and get him unpacked, repacked and back on the road for the 6 hour drive to PA. This was not a good way to end a holiday family vacation, but it is the way this one ended. Enough said.

On the upside we discovered that Kathrin had a job offer on her voice mail at home when she arrived. She is now once again gainfully employed! I wonder if she had a guardian angel?

We had an amazing time in WDW. We love the holidays there, despite the crowds and craziness. We will go back… Every year, I hope. It is our family tradition, after all!

Thanks for reading and I will see you again when we begin planning our next WDW adventure!

[Tammi67]

Once again Bob and I were awake first so we went over to the food court for breakfast. It was gorgeous outside so we took our food out to the tables there. It was packed inside anyway. We were about done eating when a lovely young Mom from Alabama bravely approached us and asked if she could join us since there were no other seats anywhere. We had a lovely talk with her. She and her DH and DD were there for their first Christmas trip and were just enthralled. And we heard all about it. Bob really enjoyed talking to her but did mention (more than once) that she talked even more than I do! :rotfl:

Eventually the girls showed up with a small breakfast to share and our guest vacated the table to the four of us. We took our time and enjoyed the warm sunshine again. Bob was ready to go back to the room to read and we three decided to go back to Epcot again. Off we went. We tried to get an ADR at Coral Reef for that night or any time the next day but there was still no availability. We didn’t do anything earth-shattering and I don’t think we even rode any rides… just had a great time at our favorite park. Soon it was time to ride the great monorail in the sky to the GF for tea. We arrived a little early and discovered that they did indeed have chestnuts roasting so Kristin grabbed one of her favorite holiday treats at WDW. We spent time just enjoying this beautiful resort and soon I was checking in for our tea. As is our norm, we had the cheese plate to share and each ordered the Grand Tea. I do have to mention the table next to us. There were two women seated there. One of them stared at Kathrin throughout the entire time we were in the Gardenview Lounge. Just STARED. Kristin and I even started looking over at her and she never stopped. It was very odd, to say the least! However, we love to do Tea here. It is one of the activities the three of us always try to do together when we are at WDW. :goodvibes

After tea we went back to the room and decided to spend some time around the pool. No swimming, just relaxing. We had a great time talking and laughing again. And when it was time to eat we opted for the food court once again! We got pot roast, roasted chicken, BBQ ribs and a Philly Cheesesteak and two beers to share. Again it was delicious! As you can tell we have become big fans of the POFQ food court. We had many good meals there. We had trees to undecorate and bags to pack and the crowds were large so we went back to the rooms at about 9:00 and got started. Tomorrow is our last day. :sad:I'm enjoying the entire report so far, but just had to stop and comment on this! :lmao: Funny!

[Tammi67]

Excellent Elin! Thanks for sharing.

:hug:

[PNO4TE]

I'm enjoying the entire report so far, but just had to stop and comment on this! :lmao: Funny!



But oh, so true! :rotfl2: Thanks for reading. I am glad you enjoyed it!

[John's Mom]

Thanks for sharing your WDW Christmas TR! What a great family picture in your siggie. Your trip slideshows are incredible!

I'm so glad that Kathrin got a new job. :goodvibes

Thanks for the camera info. I haven't been on the boards much recently; we're having computer problems.

[PNO4TE]

Thanks for sharing your WDW Christmas TR! What a great family picture in your siggie. Your trip slideshows are incredible!

I'm so glad that Kathrin got a new job. :goodvibes

Thanks for the camera info. I haven't been on the boards much recently; we're having computer problems.

Thanks for all the nice words, Kathy. I hope your computer situation improves soon. I miss you! :goodvibes

[CJsMom]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us! I'm so sorry to hear about your DH's mom. I'm glad you had a nice few days with your daughters - I just love the picture in your siggie - you all look so happy to be together! :goodvibes

[DisneyBride'03]

Boy Elin, you have been busy!

Must go back and catch up:)

[PNO4TE]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us! I'm so sorry to hear about your DH's mom. I'm glad you had a nice few days with your daughters - I just love the picture in your siggie - you all look so happy to be together! :goodvibes

Thank you! We really like one another and enjoy spending time together. :goodvibes

[PNO4TE]

Boy Elin, you have been busy!

Must go back and catch up:)

:rotfl: I had a snow day, Diana, and put it to good use! :thumbsup2