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TxMickeyLover
09-11-2009, 07:10 PM
Hello everyone! Welcome to my pre-trip report! :cool1:

So I've been toying with the idea for some time to do a trip report. I love reading them, but have never written one, and I thought, "Why not?!" It seems like the perfect way to count down the time between now and our trip!

The Cast
My DH Jon and I. We are both 28, about to turn 29 (he Oct. 1, and me Nov 9.)
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0285-2-2.jpg
We love Disney more than just about anything. Jon is a die-hard Nightmare Before Christmas fan, and I just love Mickey and Minnie. :lovestruc And Wall-E. And the Princesses. And... See what I mean? :lmao:

Thanks for coming along with me!

TxMickeyLover
09-11-2009, 07:11 PM
Chapter One: How this trip came to be (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33540211&postcount=3)
Chapter Two: The Details (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33540386&postcount=4)
Chapter Three: The Schedule (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33541130&postcount=5)
Chapter Four:My Planning Craziness (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33550609&postcount=8)
Chapter Five:Planning Binder Pics (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33561026&postcount=14)
Segue:Wishes Dessert Party...To do or not to do? (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33688362&postcount=19)
Chapter Six:We're getting so close! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33839586&postcount=22)
Chapter Seven:10 Days Left!! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34120831&postcount=24)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
Day 1 - We're on our way! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34414370&postcount=39)
Day 2 - Epcot, part one (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34571662&postcount=43)
Day 2 - Epcot, part two (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34571709&postcount=44)
Day 3 - Magic Kingdom for my birthday! Part one (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34945357&postcount=53)
Day 3 - Magic Kingdom for my birthday! Part two (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34945691&postcount=54)
Day 4 - DHS (Even though it will always be MGM to me!) (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35338642&postcount=64)
Day 5 - Animal Kingdom (let the illness begin!) (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35830782&postcount=65)
Day 6 - MK (It's NOT supposed to be this cold in Florida!) (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35831183&postcount=66)
Day 7 - Epcot (I know I was there, I have the pictures to prove it!) (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35831495&postcount=67)
Day 8 - It's time to go home (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35831582&postcount=68)

TxMickeyLover
09-11-2009, 07:12 PM
My first trip to Disney World was in September, 2007. We went for 10 days and bought Annual Passes...so we just had to go back in 2008, right?! :idea: So back we were in April, 2008. When our AP's expired September 7, 2008, it seemed like one of the saddest days of our lives. But we didn't know when we would be back.

Fast forward to early 2009, and we were planning a trip to Disneyland. Frankly, I was overwhelmed. We sat and talked about it, and decided we would really rather go to WDW instead. And, since birthdays are the big celebration this year, why not go for one of our birthdays? And, since Jon's birthday falls a month before mine, why not go for my birthday this year, and then go for his birthday next year? An AP would work perfectly! Off to the Disney Store! :woohoo:

We decided to fly JetBlue this year, since it's direct from Austin to Orlando, so when the prices came out, we jumped on them and got a great deal! Total price was $378.40 for round trip! :banana:

Mickey, we're on our way!:wizard:

Next up: The Details

TxMickeyLover
09-11-2009, 07:29 PM
We will be at WDW from Saturday, November 7 to Saturday, November 14. My birthday is Monday, November 9. I will wear my button all week. I know that's a hotspot here on the DIS, but it will probably be the only time I'm at WDW for my birthday, and I'm celebrating!!!

Where are we staying???
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Disney_Polynesian_Resort.jpg

The Poly! I'm so excited!!!!! :cool1:

We're staying in Garden View, and we've requested Samoa on the Volcano pool side. I know requests are not guaranteed, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a little birthday magic!

Next up: The Schedule

TxMickeyLover
09-11-2009, 08:35 PM
We are not big on sticking to schedules. We join the UG site to get the crowd calendar, but that's about it. No RideMax or Tour Guide Mike for us. That said, we do like to do ADR's, because we enjoy many of the restaurants at the World, but that's it. Having AP's, we can head to whatever park we feel like, and then hop over to our ADR's. We decided to purchase the dining plan, and then lucked out and got Free Dining! I tried to talk Jon into getting the deluxe plan, but no dice. We certainly have enough TS meals planned. Oh well...such is life!

Anyway....on to the schedule!

Saturday, 11/7
Our flight arrives at 6:45 pm, so we will probably just grab something at Captain Cook's, explore the Poly, and settle in.

Sunday, 11/8
We have a 7:30 breakfast ADR at Ohana, then off to Epcot for the last day of the food and wine festival. We'll probably spend most of the day in the World Showcase, and lunch will either be at the festival booths or Tangierene Cafe (YUM!). Dinner is Le Cellier at 8:25pm

Monday, 11/9 - My birthday princess:
We have an 8:35 am breakfast ADR at Cinderella's Royal Table. Then we'll mess around MK until our 2pm tea at the Grand Floridian. For those who have never done this, we HIGHLY recommend it! Two thumbs up! :thumbsup2:thumbsup2 Then, because you know we will still be hungry, we have a 5:30 ADR for Chef Mickey's. I really wanted to do both Chef Mickey's and Wishes that night, so I thought this time might be the safest to get back to the MK in time.

Tuesday, 11/10
We're hoping for rope drop at DHS to get to TSM in time. We've never done this, as it opened a month after our last visit. We are SUPER excited to try it! Then off to ToT and RRNC, then lunch at Sci-Fi at 11am. That may be a little overly ambitious, but if it doesn't work out that way, that's fine. We'll roll with whatever. We have a 6pm dinner at Prime Time Cafe. Then, hopefully Osborne Lights!

Wednesday, 11/11
Kona Cafe for a 7:35 breakfast, then off to Animal Kingdom. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite parks. We'll do lunch at Flame Tree BBQ, and we plan to stay for evening EMH, since we've never done them at AK. Then off to Boma at AKL for a 9pm dinner. WE LOVE BOMA!!

Thursday, 11/12
We have an 8:20 am breakfast at Whispering Canyon. We don't have any parks planned for this day, so we'll either hang out at the Poly and swim, or head over to the Boardwalk. We've never done the Boardwalk before. Then we have dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern at 5pm, and MVMCP that night.

Friday, 11/13
Back to Epcot today. We'll probably do Sunshine Seasons for breakfast, then hit some of our favorites until noon, when we have lunch at the Biergarten. We have a 3pm Behind the Seeds tour, which we are VERY excited for! Then a 5:20 dinner at Garden Grill. They have PM EMH, so we'll probably close the park down.

Saturday, 11/14
This is Go Home day. :sad1: But we will have one last hurrah at the Crystal Palace at 9am, before we have to head to the airport for our 2:52 pm flight.

We're all paid off now. Hopefully we'll get our docs soon. I'm SOOOO excited!

mrsksomeday
09-11-2009, 09:06 PM
Hi, I saw your link when you posted on my PTR and had to follow you over there.

Your plans look fantastic, we are in WDW Nov. 4th - 11th, but we have completely different schedules. I like you dining choices and Bill loves your resort choice. I can't wait to read about the Poly. We are going to try for there in Dec. 2010.

I hope you have a magical birthday celebration and Christian will be wearing his birthday button for as long as he want to as well :thumbsup2.

TxMickeyLover
09-11-2009, 10:19 PM
Hi, I saw your link when you posted on my PTR and had to follow you over there.

Your plans look fantastic, we are in WDW Nov. 4th - 11th, but we have completely different schedules. I like you dining choices and Bill loves your resort choice. I can't wait to read about the Poly. We are going to try for there in Dec. 2010.

I hope you have a magical birthday celebration and Christian will be wearing his birthday button for as long as he want to as well :thumbsup2.

Hi MrsKSomeday, thanks for stopping by! We are super excited about the Poly. We explored the resort some on our last trip and fell in love. :cloud9: I'll be sure and report all the details when we get back!

TxMickeyLover
09-12-2009, 05:29 PM
It seems like with each trip, I'm getting crazier with the planning, and making sure we have everything we need at our fingertips.

In 2007, we took a planning portfolio with just our boarding passes, resort and dining confirmations, our AP's, and a list of park hours. We were all set.

In 2008, I thought it might be fun to get a little creative, so I printed out index cards for each day with park hours, ADR confirmations for that day, etc., and had them laminated so they would be easy to carry with us.

This leads us to 2009. I have gone full-out binder crazy. I love office supplies, and I take every opportunity I can to shop for them. I bought a binder, durable plastic dividers with tabs, and sheet protectors. I grabbed some Mickey head paint samples from Home Depot. I downloaded font and clip art, and searched for planning spreadsheet ideas. Jon thinks I've lost it, but bi-golly, if we need it, we will have it.

Here are my sections:
Checklists, Spreadsheet, & Weather (I've included a packing checklist, and my birthday celebration registration in this section, as well as a pocket for our AP's.
Travel InformationThis section includes our flight confirmation, and will include our Magical Express info when it comes.
Package InformationResort Confirmation, Travel insurance info, and I'll include the vouchers and things that come with the package.
DiningADR Confirmations (which I have yet to add....I'm such a slacker), and info on the dining plan to refer to, since this is our first time using it.
Extra'sMVMCP tickets, tour info, etc.
MapsMy customized maps for the parks.

On top of all of this, I have put together a planning spreadsheet with the info for each day (ADR times, confirmation numbers, park hour for every park, EMH parks, Wishes/Spectro/Fantasmic schedules, etc.), as well as all of our confirmation numbers and important phone numbers.

I don't have any pictures to post right now, but I will try to take some and post them.

mrsksomeday
09-12-2009, 06:02 PM
YAY another binder person!! :banana::banana::banana:

I embraced the binder craze this year and am happy I did it. I can't wait to see pictures!

jkCT
09-12-2009, 10:57 PM
Hi there! :wave2:

I followed mrsK over here from her pre-TR...looking forward to hearing about your trip!! The Poly...ah, I dream about staying there one day.

TxMickeyLover
09-13-2009, 09:51 AM
YAY another binder person!! :banana::banana::banana:

I embraced the binder craze this year and am happy I did it. I can't wait to see pictures!

I have had SO much fun working on the binder. As soon as Jon pulls some old pictures off the camera, I'll take pictures and post them!

Hi there! :wave2:

I followed mrsK over here from her pre-TR...looking forward to hearing about your trip!! The Poly...ah, I dream about staying there one day.

Hi Jen! Welcome! Yes, we are super excited about the Poly. It is our dream resort. We figured since we don't have kids yet, and we got a little boost from tax returns and Christmas/Birthday money, we might as well stay there while we have the chance!

jgazda
09-13-2009, 11:37 AM
Sounds like a great trip! We'll be there the same week and even at the same parks on some days. Great minds think alike! ;)

PracPerfPatricia
09-13-2009, 01:26 PM
Hey Tiffany,

Subbing on...

Your plans look great and the Poly is gorgeous...what a great place for a celebration...:woohoo:

All good Diser's have binders...I think its almost a requirement...:lmao:

Tell me a little about your experience with D23-I'm thinking about asking for a membership as a holiday gift...:rolleyes1

TxMickeyLover
09-13-2009, 03:40 PM
As promised, here are some pics of my planning binder. I've had so much fun putting it together!

Here's the cover:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0541-1.jpg

Everything else is pretty self-explanatory:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0542-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0544-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0545-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0546-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0547-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0548-1.jpg


I also thought I would include a pic of my spreadsheet. If anyone would like a copy, just PM me your email address, and I'll send you one. http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0543.jpg

And on an excited note, we are down to 55 days today! :banana::banana::banana:

TxMickeyLover
09-13-2009, 04:00 PM
Sounds like a great trip! We'll be there the same week and even at the same parks on some days. Great minds think alike! ;)

I think that's going to be a great week to be there! I'm so excited! How funny that our schedules are so similar. If you see us, be sure and say hi!!

Hey Tiffany,

Subbing on...

Your plans look great and the Poly is gorgeous...what a great place for a celebration...:woohoo:

All good Diser's have binders...I think its almost a requirement...:lmao:

Tell me a little about your experience with D23-I'm thinking about asking for a membership as a holiday gift...:rolleyes1

Hi Patricia! We are VERY excited about the Poly. It is a very beautiful resort.

I really like D23. The quarterly magazine is very good quality, with interesting articles, and usually a little piece of history found in the archives. I know one of the magazines came with a really cool Disneyland souvenir fan that was passed out as a promotional item before the park opened. We, unfortunately, didn't get to go to the expo this year. I'm hoping for next year! The only thing I wish is that they had more events for everyone, and not just in California and Florida. As it picks up, though, maybe that's something they plan to strive for. For me, though, just the magazine alone is worth the membership fee.

PracPerfPatricia
09-14-2009, 10:24 AM
Like I said-all good Diser's have binders-and yours is certainly impressive...:goodvibes

Thanks for the imput about D23-I saw a copy of the magazine in Writer's corner- in the Studios...just out to read-It was an absolutely lovely magazine...:cloud9:....

(I'd love to go to D23 too sometime-even for a day or two at the expo and a day or two at DL...hmm....that would make a great mommy/daddy getaway...:thumbsup2

I agree with you-it would be great if they took D23 on the "road"-I think I read somewhere that for the next couple of years its going to be in Annaheim...:confused3

TxMickeyLover
09-15-2009, 12:01 PM
Like I said-all good Diser's have binders-and yours is certainly impressive...:goodvibes

Thanks for the imput about D23-I saw a copy of the magazine in Writer's corner- in the Studios...just out to read-It was an absolutely lovely magazine...:cloud9:....

(I'd love to go to D23 too sometime-even for a day or two at the expo and a day or two at DL...hmm....that would make a great mommy/daddy getaway...:thumbsup2

I agree with you-it would be great if they took D23 on the "road"-I think I read somewhere that for the next couple of years its going to be in Annaheim...:confused3

Thanks for the compliment on the binder! I have had so much fun putting it together.

D23 is a lovely magazine. I have lots of magazine subscriptions, but it's the only one I stop to read as soon as it comes in.

I agree that D23 would make a great mommy/daddy trip! I really want to go next year, but it will probably be about the same time we are heading to WDW for Jon's birthday, so I doubt we will going to make it. Especially if it's in Anaheim!

TxMickeyLover
09-18-2009, 02:40 PM
Sorry I've been MIA for awhile....it's been a crazy week at work!

On a higher note we leave 50 days from today!!!:cool1::cool1::cool1:

TxMickeyLover
09-23-2009, 01:59 PM
I see they've extended the Wishes Dessert Party into December. Has anyone done this? We are trying to decide if we want to or not, and are leaning towards not doing it. I'm just wondering if anyone has done it, and if they have a good review that might change our minds.

jgazda
09-23-2009, 02:12 PM
I have been debating this too since I saw they extended it. My biggest issue is the only days it is available are the Christmas party days. In my opinion, if I am going to pay extra for the party, I'm not going to pay even more for just dessert and fireworks and miss some expensive party time. Just my opinion. Good luck. We're down to 44 now!

TxMickeyLover
09-23-2009, 02:26 PM
I have been debating this too since I saw they extended it. My biggest issue is the only days it is available are the Christmas party days. In my opinion, if I am going to pay extra for the party, I'm not going to pay even more for just dessert and fireworks and miss some expensive party time. Just my opinion. Good luck. We're down to 44 now!

That's what I was thinking too. We've already paid quite a bit to go to the Christmas party, and I want to enjoy it!

TxMickeyLover
10-05-2009, 07:06 PM
Okay, I know I've been remiss on posting, but I just had to come on and share my excitement!

Our Magical Express documents and package documents have arrived!!!!!:banana::banana::banana:


Is it too early to start attaching the luggage tags to our luggage?:lmao:

Up next: I've started shopping, and what did I buy???

jgazda
10-05-2009, 08:49 PM
Okay, I know I've been remiss on posting, but I just had to come on and share my excitement!

Our Magical Express documents and package documents have arrived!!!!!:banana::banana::banana:


Is it too early to start attaching the luggage tags to our luggage?:lmao:

Up next: I've started shopping, and what did I buy???

Yeah!!!!! :yay: Only a month to go (from Wednesday).

And no it isn't too early. I'm starting to get things together to pack myself.

TxMickeyLover
10-28-2009, 06:51 PM
10 days left!!!

I have been very neglectful of my pre-trippie, and I am sorry. I promise to do better. :thumbsup2

So I've started shopping and packing and I'm full of nervous energy because I can't contain my excitement because I'm going to be at the Poly in 10 days!!!!! For all the grammar teachers out there, I'm so sorry. I generally do not create run-on sentences, but I'm so excited, I CAN'T HELP IT!!!!!

I'd been mulling the idea of what to wear on my birthday. I wanted to wear something special, but wasn't sure what. I ordered this from DisneyStore.com. It's from the Create-your-own t-shirts.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0549.jpg

What do you think?

I've also started shopping for needed supplies. Actually, I started shopping about a month ago, and here is all I have accumulated. I think we're good to go.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0552.jpg

And......the kicker:
I've started packing. Everyone thinks I've lost my mind! But I pack away summer clothes in winter, and vice versa, so I might as well pack them into a suitcase! :lmao: Here's what I have so far:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0570.jpg

I did have a moment of pure panic Sunday night. You see, my drivers license expires on my bday, and I wasn't sure if they would let me fly home with an expired drivers license. I renewed online a little over a month ago, and it had not arrived yet! Lo and behold, we get home Sunday night, and there it is in the mailbox. We forgot to check the mail Saturday. I could have avoided my near panic attack. So luckily, we're good to go there. I received my email today with my prepaid photopass info, so I just need to get that ordered. ME tags and package info came a long time ago. Now I'm just waiting...and waiting.....and waiting...........

TxMickeyLover
10-29-2009, 09:28 AM
:dance3::banana::woohoo::cool1:
SINGLE DIGIT DANCE DAY!!!!!
:dance3::banana::woohoo::cool1:

I am literally dancing around my living room!!!!


Okay, we will now return you to your regularly-scheduled Disboards.

TxMickeyLover
11-02-2009, 10:51 AM
I can't believe how close we are getting! Over the weekend, I got my hair done and got a pedicure. I'm working on little note cards for us to take to the park each day with ADR Confirmations, park hours, etc. We're almost there!!!!:cool1:

PracPerfPatricia
11-05-2009, 11:40 AM
Congrats on your single digit dancing...:cool1:

Make sure you take photos and lots of notes for your TR...:thumbsup2


(BTW I'm a D23 member now too...:woohoo:)

MadilynnsMomma
11-06-2009, 11:08 AM
You leave TOMORROW!!! :cool1:

Tagging on and hoping for a TR with great reviews on the Christmas Party!!!


Have fun, Tell Mickey I'll see him in a month! :thumbsup2

TxMickeyLover
11-06-2009, 11:40 AM
Congrats on your single digit dancing...:cool1:

Make sure you take photos and lots of notes for your TR...:thumbsup2


(BTW I'm a D23 member now too...:woohoo:)

Congratulations on joining D23! I love getting the magazine. I will be taking LOTS of pictures!!

You leave TOMORROW!!! :cool1:

Tagging on and hoping for a TR with great reviews on the Christmas Party!!!


Have fun, Tell Mickey I'll see him in a month! :thumbsup2

I know!!! I'm so excited! I'll be sure and take lots of pictures, and try to be quick about getting my TR done!! I'll be sure and pass along the message to Mickey!!:banana:

TxMickeyLover
11-06-2009, 11:40 AM
29 hours to go!!!!!

If U Had Wings
11-06-2009, 12:13 PM
I know I'm barely making it here under the wire, but I just found your pre-trip report. Hope you have a wonderful time at the Poly! I think it's one of the most beautiful Disney resorts.

TxMickeyLover
11-07-2009, 05:50 AM
I know I'm barely making it here under the wire, but I just found your pre-trip report. Hope you have a wonderful time at the Poly! I think it's one of the most beautiful Disney resorts.

Thank you! We've been up since 3am because we are too excited to sleep!!! We leave in about 10 and a half hours!

MadilynnsMomma
11-07-2009, 09:00 AM
Thank you! We've been up since 3am because we are too excited to sleep!!! We leave in about 10 and a half hours!

It is SOOOOOO real now isn't it!!! Have fun!!! :banana:

TxMickeyLover
11-07-2009, 10:02 AM
It is SOOOOOO real now isn't it!!! Have fun!!! :banana:

Thank you!!! We still have a few hours before we leave for the airport, but the morning has been full of last minute packing, stuffing mousekeeping envelopes, etc. We still have to make a run to Target. We're sooooo close!

Thanks for reading my pre-trip report, and all the well wishes. Have a great week, everyone, and I will see you when I get back!

:lovestruc

TxMickeyLover
11-15-2009, 02:12 PM
I'm back!!!! Our trip was awesome! But we are both sick, so I haven't had a chance to start uploading photos. I will start on my trip report as soon as I feel better!

If U Had Wings
11-15-2009, 07:39 PM
Hope your feeling better soon. I can't wait to hear about the trip.

PracPerfPatricia
11-15-2009, 07:43 PM
Looking forward to hearing about your trip...:thumbsup2

I'm so sorry that you're sick...:sick:...I've never seen so many people sick with all kinds of stuff as I have this fall...:sad2:...I hope that you're feeling better soon...:goodvibes

MadilynnsMomma
11-15-2009, 09:58 PM
Welcome back! Feel better soon!

TxMickeyLover
11-20-2009, 07:46 PM
Thanks for all the well wishes, everyone. I'm feeling much better! Luckily, I don't think I had the flu. I had some horrible sinus issues right before we left for our trip, and I think all of that just moved to my chest. It was not fun!

On to the trip report!!!!

We're on our way!!!
Saturday did not begin well. We were both awake at 3am, and way too excited to go back to sleep. On top of that, I had some massive sinus pressure. I tried taking Sudafed, but I was out. So I broke out the old neti pot, and it worked like a charm.

Back to bed, but still couldn't sleep. So I Dis'd for a little while. Finally around 4:30, it was either go to sleep or go get some breakfast. We thought we should try to sleep. And I did......until 7am. Now, mind you, our flight isn't until 3:20pm. I have all the time in the world to sleep in. I decided to get up and start getting ready.

We were both up and at 'em by 10am. We made a Target run for some Sudafed, and a few other last minute items. Then back home. We killed a little time, ate a snack, and FINALLY it's 12:45. Time to start loading the car, and we're on our way!

We were flying JetBlue for the first time. Check-in was easy, and there was no wait at security. We were at our gate by about 2pm. That's when we look up and see our 3:20 flight has been delayed to 3:45. Poo!!! So we decide to grab some sandwiches at Schlotzky's, then go get me a couple of Sprites so I can take some Dramamine. I don't usually get airsick, but I did on our way to Disney in April, 2008, and I wasn't taking any chances!

Finally, our plane arrived, and it was time to board. We had a wonderful flight! JetBlue has really won us over. Not only were the flights very low in price, but you get one free checked bag each, free snacks (and not just a measly bag of pretzels), free drinks, free DirectTv, and they were very friendly. Plus, it's a direct flight from Austin.

Our flight arrived around 7:20pm, and we headed down to the Magical Express Counter. I was really worried walking past the car rental counters, because the lines were LONG! But there was no wait at Magical Express. We didn't even have to wait long to board the bus. We were checked in by 8:45. Our room was exactly what we asked for. Samoa, on the Volcano pool side. We had a PERFECT view from the third floor!

Seven Seas Lagoon and the Grand Floridian to our right
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0614.jpg

Grand Ceremonial House to our left
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0612.jpg

And directly in front of us...........
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0579.jpg

It was magical!

We decided to head to Magic Kingdom, which closed at 10 that night. We hopped on the Monorail, and were there in no time. We had dinner at Casey's. Jon had the corn dog bites, fries, and brownie, and I had a hot dog, fries, and Cracker Jack's. It was yummy as always!

Next we hitched a ride on the Jungle Cruise. It was one of the last runs of the night. We've never ridden it at night before, and we both loved it! It's such a different atmosphere than during the day, we think. After our cruise, we shopped around the Emporium, and I bought a lanyard and an autograph book. As we were walking over to the candy shop, we got to see the Goodnight Kiss for the first time! It was so magical.

After looking around the candy shop, we took the boat back to the Poly. Our luggage arrived around 11:45. We unpacked, and crawled into bed around 12:30am.

Sorry for the lack of pics. We didn't take very many at all this night, but I think we made up for it the rest of the trip!!

Up next: Epcot's Food and Wine Festival

MadilynnsMomma
11-20-2009, 07:59 PM
What gorgeous views!!! Sorry to hear about you feeling crummy. Hope it got better as the trip went on!

If U Had Wings
11-23-2009, 11:22 AM
I'm so glad to hear that your Jet Blue flight went well. I'm flying them for the first time in a few weeks.

Your view at the Poly is just gorgeous!

TxMickeyLover
12-05-2009, 11:15 AM
Hi guys! Before I get started with Day 2, I want to apologize for taking so long between posts. The past few weeks have not been a very happy time for our family. The day (and I mean the day, Monday, November 16) we return to work from Disney, Jon's entire team was told they would need to start looking for new jobs. Talk about a crappy way to end a vacation. :sad1: Because of this, we haven't been able to even think about our trip next year, which may now be cancelled. It's made me too sad to even look at my pictures or think about Disney at all. However, things are starting to look up, and he had a very promising conversation with his manager about another team that may have a spot for him. So we are feeling a little bit better now. We now return you to your regularly scheduled trip report.

TxMickeyLover
12-05-2009, 02:12 PM
Since this was the last day of the International Food and Wine Festival, Epcot was the natural choice for our first day. We always have a tendency to go there first, anyway. We heart Epcot!

Before we headed to Epcot, though, we had a 7:30am breakfast at Ohana. We LOVED Ohana's breakfast! The eggs...well, I think they must use pixie dust, but Cousin Amanda said it's just half and half. All I know, is I don't normally like scrambled eggs, but I loved these! The rest of the food was really good too, as was the character interaction. This is definitely one we plan to do again!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread on the left, Pineapple Coconut Bread on the right.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0586.jpg

Some of the freshest fruit we've ever had. And the Lilikoi juice, which we both loved!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0592.jpg

Biscuits, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and those wonderful eggs!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0593.jpg

And, of course, Mickey Waffles!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0595.jpg

For those who don't know, the characters at this breakfast are Mickey, Pluto, Lilo, and Stitch.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0602-1.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0604-1.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0599-1.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0598-1.jpg

When I called about some ADR's before our trip, she added my birthday to every meal, plus I wore my button most of the week (they told me to wear it all week!) I know some of you out there are against this, but the CM's I spoke to all said they encourage it, so I did. At Ohana, they brought me a cupcake and a card signed by all the characters.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0611.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0585.jpg

I do have to say, I think I was really fortunate as far as my birthday went. I finally stopped wearing my button because we had too many cupcakes already! I truly hope everyone who celebrates their birthday there has as magical a time as I had!

After breakfast, we walked over to the TTC to hop on the Epcot Monorail. It was a beautiful day! I have to say, though, by the time we got through the gate at Epcot, my feet were already killing me. I did not wear good shoes this day! We took some pictures in front of Spaceship Earth and the Food and Wine festival display.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0003.jpg

In the courtyard, we saw....
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0618.jpg

Stitch was out as well, but since I just saw him, I didn't go see him.

We rode Spaceship Earth first. It was nearly a walk on. I love this ride. I know many people think it's boring, but I happen to think it's a fascinating ride. Next we walked over to Test Track, which had a 60 minute standby wait. No, thank you! We grabbed fastpasses for later. As we were walking back over to Innoventions, I took a look at the wait times. Nemo was showing 90 minutes! :scared1: I am convinced that must have been a typo, because it was showing only 5-10 minutes the rest of the day.

We breezed through Innoventions East, then headed over to the Imagination pavillion. As we passed the Fountain of Nations, here's who we saw:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0625.jpg

We walked over and rode Journey into Imagination. I love this ride, but then, I was never fortunate enough to see the original. I've watched it on YouTube, and I think I would have loved that version, too! After this, it was time to use our Test Track fastpass, which ended up not being fast at all. They moved us right to loading area 3, but I think the CM must have either been new or not paying attention, because she let Group 1 go, then Group 2, then Group 1 again. Then we got to go. We both love this ride. It's a lot of fun! Here's our picture:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0007.jpg

After this, we backtracked over to the Land (we do this a lot!) We rode Living with the Land, then grabbed a fastpass for Soarin'. This was at 1:30pm. Our return time was for 6:05pm. I'm surprised they had any fastpasses left, though, considering we waited so long, and they were so busy that day. The standby wait was 65 minutes.

We were starting to get hungry, so we headed over to the World Showcase to start sampling some food. I will say, everything we had was good! We tried to take pictures, but we kept forgetting (this seems to be the theme of the entire week!) So I will tell you everything we tried, but you will only see pictures of some of the items.

We started at Santiago, Chile, where we had a Corn and Cheese Arepa. It reminded me of a very yummy cross between cornbread and polenta with cheese on top. Next we headed over to Athens, Greece, where we tried the Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatiki. We love Greek food, and this did not disappoint!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0627.jpg

We skipped Montreal, since we had an ADR for Le Cellier later that night. But we did see "O Canada!" for the first time. It was such a beautiful move, and Martin Short was funny! On the way, I snapped this:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0628.jpg
Next up was Wellington, New Zealand, and a Lamb Slider with Tomato Chutney. YUMMY!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0630.jpg
After that was Cork, Ireland. We had the Kerrygold Cheese Selection: Aged-Irish Cheddar, Dubliner and Ivernia Cheese with Apple Chutney and Brown Bread. The cheeses were pretty good. The bread was a little dense for my taste. I didn't care much for the chutney, but Jon loved it!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0632.jpg
At Cork, we also had the Lobster & Scallop Fisherman's Pie. Oh my goodness, this was heaven in a bowl!!! It was so creamy and yummy.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0631.jpg
After that, we took a few pics in UK.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0636.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0634.jpg

At this point, we started heading back the other direction (see, we backtrack a lot!) I was dying to ride Maelstrom (one of my favorite rides!), and we had a 3:30pm date with Kim Possible in Norway. As we made our way towards Mexico, we stopped in Buenos Aires, Argentina and tried the Beef Empanada with Tomato Salsa. It was very good, but VERY spicy and very hot temperature wise. I can usually handle spicy, but this was a little much for me. If you were walking by that day and saw someone choking and beggin her hubby for the water bottle with tears in her eyes, that was me!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0637.jpg
We also had the Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree, which we both really enjoyed.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0638.jpg

After I recovered, we walked through the Mexico pavillion. It's so beautiful.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0012.jpg
We rode the boat ride, which I normally enjoy, even if it is a little (okay, very) cheesy. I did not enjoy it this time, though, because there was a group of four women behind us, and one of them was speaking very loudly (first on her cell phone, then to the others in the group) in a language I could not understand, but it sounded like Spanish. You could not even hear the music. This was the first of a couple of times this trip that I wish I had the nerve to speak up!

TxMickeyLover
12-05-2009, 02:18 PM
After Mexico, we headed to Norway and my beloved Maelstrom. I know a lot of people do not like this ride, but it's one of my favorites! I love this entire pavillion. Maelstrom was only about a 5 minute wait. Then I walked through the store and smelled the Laila perfume, which I love, while Jon grabbed a fastpass (which we never ended up using). After that, we found the Kim Possible booth and to get our Kimmunicator and our mission. We were headed to Japan to find the Baby Bebe! I hadn't done much research on Kim Possible, and one thing that really impressed me was the fact they asked us which way around the WS we were heading, and chose our mission accordingly so we wouldn't have to backtrack. I thought that was nice.

On our way to Japan, we stopped in China for the Pork Potstickers, which were very good! Then we saw a very lonely-looking Mulan in China, so I went over to say hi.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0645.jpg

I forgot to mention, before we got to China, we saw the Illuminations globe being moved into place:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0639.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0640.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0641.jpg

After China, we stopped at Cape Town, South Africa for the Seared Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Purée, Mango Barbecue Sauce. It was really good! As we were passing Germany, we met Snow White.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0018.jpg

Snow White's Character Assistant told us Aladdin and Jasmine were about to come out in Morocco, so we ran there before backtracking to Japan for our Kim Possible mission.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0029.jpg

Next it was time for Kim Possible. It was so much fun! I really would like to try all of the missions. It really didn't take a long time, either. Maybe 30 minutes for us. At the end, it gave you the choice to continue on or not. We decided not to. We had a Soarin' fastpass to get to, and we still wanted to complete the circle to see what other food offerings were out there. Next, we went to the Hops and Barley stand ibetween Morocco and France to try the Boston-style Crab Cake with Cabbage Slaw and Remoulade and the New England Lobster Roll. Both were good, but not as good as some of the other selections we'd tried that day. We headed into France to check out the wine store to see if they still carried Emile Henry products (they didn't have any). We took some pictures, and saw Marie.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0036.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0652.jpg

Next, we were on the the UK. The British Invasion were playing, and when we got to the back of the toy store, Pooh and Tigger were dancing to the music. Pooh asked me to dance with him, so I did. We were the only ones back there. It was great!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0039.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0040.jpg

It was time to go back over to the Land for our Soarin' fastpass. I LOVE Soarin'! I just wish it was longer. If my feet were hurting me before, they were KILLING me after Soarin'. I guess since they got that brief moment of relief, they did not want my shoes to come back on! It was now only about an hour and a half away from our Le Cellier ADR, but I wanted to get some tea from the tea shoppe in the UK. We walked back there and took in everything they had to offer. I love that shop. I bought some Twinings Christmas tea, which I am very much enjoying! On our way back to Canada, we noticed we had just enough time to take in an Off Kilter show. We've never seen them before, but, let me tell you, it is now a must do on our list! They are fantastic! We really enjoyed it!

After the show, we headed over to Le Cellier and checked in. Our ADR time was 8:25pm. They told us they were running 10 minutes behind, but I think we waited only about 5 minutes. Having never eaten here, I had built this place way up in my mind, and it did not disappoint! Jon had the three course meal with Cheddar Cheese soup (YUM! Only thing we didn't get a pic of :confused3), the Prime Rib, and the Chocolate Mousse. I had the filet (HEAVEN!) and the Maple Creme Brulee. We also shared a side of really good Mac and Cheese.

Bread (amazingly, without the bread in the picture!)
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0659.jpg

Prime Rib with roasted Yukon Gold potatoes
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0660.jpg

Mac and Cheese
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0662.jpg

Mushroom Filet Mignon with wild mushroom risotto, white truffle and herb butter sauce
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0663.jpg

Chocolate Moose
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0664.jpg

Maple Creme Brulee
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0665.jpg

By the time we were finished with dinner, Epcot was closed. The Food and Wine Stands were coming down. We walked slowly back to the exit and just took everything in. It was so peaceful and beautiful. We took this as we were leaving:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0047.jpg

We headed back to the room, and just rested for a moment. Then we headed over to the Magic Kingdom for EMH. Of course, my wonderful husband, whom I love so dearly......forgot my room key. We couldn't ride anything. So we just walked around and took some pictures.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0049.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0054.jpg

Jon decided since it was just a few minutes before Midnight, that I HAD to turn 29 in Cinderella's Castle. So we just hung out and looked at all the beautiful mosaics for a few minutes until the clock struck 12:00. There was no one around. As we were walking out of the castle, it lit up blue, and "Someday my prince will come" came on. It was wonderfully romantic.

Here I am, a now 29 year old, just after midnight.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0061.jpg

We headed back to the room and fell asleep almost instantly.

ETA: I wore a pedometer this day (the only day I remembered, and then the battery died). In case anyone's interested, we walked 34,147 steps, for a total of 15.10 miles!! But remember, we backtracked a lot!!

MadilynnsMomma
12-05-2009, 02:55 PM
Hey Tif, some of your pics didn't come up... I think you copied the wrong link, you have the <a> code on soem pics, not the [IMG] code.

But it looks like your birthday eve, turning 29 day/night was a blast!!!

I leave tomorrow, I'll be back to catch up next weekend!!!

jgazda
12-05-2009, 04:40 PM
What a fun day you guys had! I'm a little envious of your Canada dinner. We didn't make it there this time and I didn't think I would care but I missed it. We love 'Ohana too for their breakfast. That juice is to die for! Looking forward to hearing more and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and your husband regarding his job. Keep us posted.

TxMickeyLover
12-06-2009, 07:16 PM
Hey Tif, some of your pics didn't come up... I think you copied the wrong link, you have the <a> code on soem pics, not the [IMG] code.

But it looks like your birthday eve, turning 29 day/night was a blast!!!

I leave tomorrow, I'll be back to catch up next weekend!!!

Thank you so much for catching that! I thought I was grabbing some HTML code instead of the IMG code, but I didn't even notice the pictures were missing. It should be fixed now!

What a fun day you guys had! I'm a little envious of your Canada dinner. We didn't make it there this time and I didn't think I would care but I missed it. We love 'Ohana too for their breakfast. That juice is to die for! Looking forward to hearing more and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and your husband regarding his job. Keep us posted.

Thank you so much! That was a great day. I think 'Ohana breakfast is now a must-do for us! Le Cellier, too, if we can get a reservation there. I will let you know what we hear on his job.

PracPerfPatricia
12-07-2009, 09:01 PM
Wow...I missed a lot...love your updates...:cloud9:

Ohana really is a great character breakfast...I'm glad you had fun there...:goodvibes

I must get to Food and Wine one day...looks really fabulous...and Le Cellier ...wow...looks wonderful:thumbsup2

I love the Kim Possible Missions too...:lmao:...I have to do more of them when we get back...

You have some great character photos...Snow White, Mulan, Marie...

How lovely to turn 29 in the Castle...:goodvibes

TxMickeyLover
12-15-2009, 11:33 AM
Great news on Jon's job situation! He has one offer, and has another interview today. We are so excited! I plan to do another update soon. I've just been swamped with the holidays coming!

jgazda
12-16-2009, 11:06 PM
Great news on Jon's job situation! He has one offer, and has another interview today. We are so excited! I plan to do another update soon. I've just been swamped with the holidays coming!

That's fantastic news. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you both. Wouldn't that be a great Christmas present!

TxMickeyLover
12-30-2009, 05:11 PM
So Jon officially has a job now. He ended up with 3 job offers, and is very happy with the one he chose. So now we're starting to plan for his birthday vacation. Sorry I have fallen behind with updates. We were in Indiana for over a week for Christmas, and we're headed to Dallas for New Years. I plan to get an update in very soon, though!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and has a very happy New Year!!

praisehisname
01-08-2010, 04:12 PM
Jumping onboard; great start!

TxMickeyLover
01-09-2010, 07:38 PM
To me, the Magic Kingdom feels like one great, big birthday party. There was absolutely no other park where I would have rather spent my birthday! And because I am a princess, :lmao::lmao::lmao:, I wanted to spend my birthday among other princesses! So it was off to Cinderella's Royal Table for breakfast.

Our ADR was for 8:25am, but we stopped first at Guest Relations to pick up my birthday fun pass. When we checked in at Cindy's, we were told it would be just a few minutes, but I don't think even 30 second went by before we were taken back to meet Her Royal Highness, Cinderella herself.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0684.jpg

Jon was almost smitten with her. When she shook his hand, he gave her a little bow. :rotfl: She said, "Oh, how princely". I'm not sure she knew what to think. I asked him later why he did that, and he wasn't sure either. I don't think he even realized he did it until after it was over. What a guy!! After meeting Cindy, we were taken upstairs to our seat. Our server was Sir Aaron. He brought us our plate of bread and our fruit. Both were very good!

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0685.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0686.jpg

For our entree's, Jon ordered the frittata:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0689.jpg

And I ordered the stuffed french toast. Oh my, was that divine!!!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0687.jpg

Next we saw the princesses: Snow White, Aurora, Belle, and Jasmine
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0693-1.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0695-1.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0698-1.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0691-1.jpg

I must say, I really wish they would have Belle in her yellow dress. All of the other princesses are dressed up, so she seems almost under-dressed compared to them.

After we were finished with our breakfast, Sir Aaron brought out a birthday cupcake and card signed by all of the princesses, and he and Jon sang "Happy Birthday" to me. I have to say, this cupcake was so good! I could totally get used to having dessert with my breakfast!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0696.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0723.jpg

After breakfast, we wandered up Main Street to look through some shops. It was rather warm and humid and very windy. On top of that, our feet were already killing us. But we pressed on. After all, there is no time at Disney to be miserable (remind me of this later in the week). We did see one group of teenagers from Brazil as we were walking around the hub. I must say, for a group of teenagers (from any location), they were very quiet and respectful. As we were coming out of the candy shop, some of the Main Street characters were milling about. I had to get my picture with the one who nearly knocked me down.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0701.jpg

Meanwhile, we are afraid to get on any rides because you get a picture package that is included in your meal at Cindy's. I did not want our picture to be ruined. Jon decided he would purchase a shirt he was eyeing at the Emporium, and we thought we could just stick the picture in the sack and have it sent back to the resort, but they wouldn't allow us to do that. I have to say, the man who waited on us at the Emporium seemed to not be having a magical day AT ALL! We decided to go up front and get a locker. It was a great idea! I can't remember how much it cost, but I don't think it was that much, but it saved us a trip back to the room.

After that, we headed over to Tomorrowland. The wait for Buzz Lightyear was only 5 minutes. Jon won as usual. His score was 106,000, and mine was only 2,700. :sad2: Next, it was on to the Carousel of Progress. We both love this ride, and tend to sing along with it. Then it was on to Astro Orbiter for our first ride ever. I had been nervous about this ride because I'd heard it was a tight squeeze for Pooh-sized people, but we had no trouble at all! We LOVED it!! I think it was about a 30 minute wait. Jon even took pictures on it.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0703.jpg
The only thing about the ride I did not like, is the higher up I went, the further my rocket tilted, and I felt like I was going to fall out. But I got over that quickly!

After that we were a little hungry, so we went over to Cosmic Ray's and shared a cheesesteak, chips, and carrot cake. It was very yummy! The cast members did a birthday chant when we picked up our food. It was so nice!

As we left Cosmic Ray's, Alice and the White Rabbit were out in front of the tea cups. There was a huge line, so we rode the teacups, and then came back to visit them. We were the last in line before they had to go to tea.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0706.jpg

Next it was off to It's a Small World. I have to say, this really is one of my favorite rides. After that, I was getting a little sweaty and a little cranky, so we decided to go back to the room and freshen up before it was time for our afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian. As we were walking back to the front, we caught the very end of the Move It, Shake It parade.

I think it was about 1:15 at this point, and we had a 2:00 tea time, so we took the monorail to the Poly, then ran to the room so I could quickly wash my face and change clothes. Then it was off to the Grand Floridian. We checked in, but we had to wait about 10 minutes before we were seated. No biggie! We sat in the lobby and watched the workmen who were putting up the gingerbread house. They had not started covering it with gingerbread yet, so it just looked like an enormous doll house.

Our name was called and we were seated. We both ordered the Buckingham tea, which includes tea sandwiches, a scone, jam tart, and either strawberries and cream or a choice of two pastries. For our teas, Jon had Earl Grey, and I had the Princess Breakfast Tea (very yummy!!) For our dessert, Jon had two pastries. I believe the one on the left is maple, and the one on the left is a pumpkin cheesecake.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0708.jpg

I had strawberries and cream, and since it was my birthday, she let me choose a pastry. I had a chocolate-covered strawberry.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0709.jpg

Also, since it was my birthday, our server gave me a Princess rose. This variety of rose was cultivated for Disney, and it is the prettiest shade of pink, and the best smelling rose I've ever seen.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0707.jpg

TxMickeyLover
01-09-2010, 08:03 PM
After tea, we looked around the Grand Floridian's gift shop for a few minutes, then headed back to the room to put up my rose, and grab my birthday shirt for Mickey and Minnie to sign.

Then it was off to the Contemporary, because despite our complete lack of hunger, we had a 5:30 ADR for Chef Mickey's. We looked around the Contemporary for awhile before it was time to check in. We found it was difficult to eat because there was so much character interaction, but we had a great time! Chef Mickey's features the fab five, of course:

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0734-1.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0732-1.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0728-1.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0726-1.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0725-1.jpg

Minnie loved the fact we were both wearing red and white polka dots.

The food here was just okay. We tried a little bit of everything, and maybe it was the fact we weren't very hungry, but we just didn't love it. At the end of our meal, I got a birthday cupcake, and Minnie helped me blow out the candle!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0731.jpg

After Chef Mickey's, we walked back to the Magic Kingdom and walked on Pirates of the Carribean. Then we headed over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but it was closed. :sad1: We rode the Haunted Mansion with a 10 minute wait, then watched Wishes from Liberty Tree Square. It's strange watching it from back there since the fireworks don't line up with the castle from back there.

It was time to head back to the room since the park was closing. We got to the boat....huge wait. So we gave up and headed to the Monorail....it was an even longer wait. Of course once we were about halfway through the Monorail line, they brought in a bigger boat. Go figure. :confused3

When we finally got back to the room, something seemed strange. There was a feather on the door. I just shook it off and walked in. This is what I saw:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0742.jpg
Feathers going into the bathroom.

Then I saw this:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0743.jpg

And these:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0745.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0746.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0747.jpg

And these:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0748.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0751.jpghttp://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0749.jpg

My goofy, lovable, amazing husband who had been telling me all along that my trip to Disney was my birthday present, ordered me the Mickey's Birthday Surprise. I had NO idea this was happening. I was completely floored. I bawled my eyes out for about 10 minutes. I couldn't talk or breathe or anything. It was wonderful! I hope I can surprise him just as well for his birthday trip this year!!!

After I caught my breath and we opened all of the gifts, we were suddenly a little hungry again (it's amazing how that happens at Disney!) WE headed down to Captain Cooks to heat our left over Mac and Cheese from Le Cellier and fill our mugs. Then we walked over to the pool to soak our feet.

Finally it was off to bed. What an amazing birthday!

TxMickeyLover
01-09-2010, 08:14 PM
Jumping onboard; great start!

Welcome aboard!!

PracPerfPatricia
01-11-2010, 02:01 PM
Jon is a sweetheart...what a lovely birthday surprise awaiting you in your room...how exciting...:woohoo:

I love your CRT breakfast...the food looks fab...


you're so lucky....you got to meet the White Rabbit with Alice:yay:


& your tea sounds absolutely lovely...I want to do that with my DD for her birthday in October...:thumbsup2
:surfweb:

MadilynnsMomma
01-11-2010, 06:48 PM
What a great birthday surprise!!! :goodvibes Your husband is an A+ in my book! :thumbsup2

TxMickeyLover
01-11-2010, 11:52 PM
Jon is a sweetheart...what a lovely birthday surprise awaiting you in your room...how exciting...:woohoo:

I love your CRT breakfast...the food looks fab...


you're so lucky....you got to meet the White Rabbit with Alice:yay:


& your tea sounds absolutely lovely...I want to do that with my DD for her birthday in October...:thumbsup2
:surfweb:

He really is. I definitely lucked out with him! :lovestruc

We really liked CRT. Even though it's probably not going to be must-do for us, it was a fun breakfast, and the food was really good.

We really lucked out with characters this time. I was very excited to see the White Rabbit out with Alice.

I think the tea would be a wonderful thing to do with your DD for her birthday. It is such a nice, relaxing way to spend an afternoon. It is a must-do for us now.


What a great birthday surprise!!! :goodvibes Your husband is an A+ in my book! :thumbsup2

It was wonderful! He is definitely an A+!

If U Had Wings
01-12-2010, 09:53 AM
I love that your DH surprised you for your birthday. That's so wonderful!

It looks like your princess breakfast was a lot of fun. I tried the Epcot one there this trip and loved it. That one has Belle in her gold dress, she's the one meeting you first. I guess it's just a bit difficult to manuever around in that outfit. ;)

TxMickeyLover
01-12-2010, 11:37 AM
I love that your DH surprised you for your birthday. That's so wonderful!

It looks like your princess breakfast was a lot of fun. I tried the Epcot one there this trip and loved it. That one has Belle in her gold dress, she's the one meeting you first. I guess it's just a bit difficult to manuever around in that outfit. ;)

It was wonderful!

I guess her gold dress would be a little tough to manuever around in CRT. I hadn't considered that. The other princesses walking around do not have such full dresses. We will definitely have to try the Epcot princess breakfast one of these times.

jgazda
01-12-2010, 11:47 AM
Awwwww what a great birthday surprise. He's a keeper!

TxMickeyLover
01-12-2010, 12:05 PM
Awwwww what a great birthday surprise. He's a keeper!

Thank you! It was wonderful!! :cloud9:

praisehisname
01-17-2010, 06:44 PM
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0687.jpg

Yum! I want to eat there someday!


http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0709.jpg

That looks good, too!


My goofy, lovable, amazing husband who had been telling me all along that my trip to Disney was my birthday present, ordered me the Mickey's Birthday Surprise.

That's so sweet! You had an awesome birthday!

TxMickeyLover
02-07-2010, 04:04 PM
We're not normally huge rope drop people. If we make it for rope drop, great! But we don't usually rush around to make it to rope drop. Not today, though! I was on a mission. Toy Story Mania opened just a couple of weeks after our last visit to WDW. In fact, there had been rumors of a possible soft opening for AP holders the weeke we were there. But no such luck. :sad1: I don't normally mind waiting in lines, but I'd read the horror stories of how quickly TSM's line grows, even early in the morning. I knew we wanted to ride it at least a couple of times, and I knew the best way to do it would be rope drop. So today, we were rope drop people. ;)

We woke up and headed to Captain Cook's for a little breakfast. Jon had a yogurt, and I had OJ. We hobbled (my feet were killing me) over to the TTC and rode the bus from there. We arrived at 8:40, and rope drop was at 9 that morning, so I think we did pretty good. My feet felt like they were dying.

We took some pictures in front of the Christmas tree
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0765-1.jpg

We made it through the turnstiles and were up almost to the rope. We watched the opening show, which I thought was too cute!! Then we were off. Now, remember how I said my feet were killing me? Suddenly, I felt like I was walking on air! Feet be darned, I was walking as fast as I could, but always staying behind the CM who was leading the pack. Jon said it looked like I was running. We get to TSM, and it's a 5 min wait (we practically walked on). We did manage to get some pics of the queue:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0771-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0766-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0775-1.jpg

We loved it! It was so much fun! Jon beat me, of course. He scored 161,000 to my 87,000. At that time, he was the 3rd highest score for the day! We picked up a fastpass, then noticed the return time was 11:30!! We had an 11:00 lunch at Sci-Fi!! :scared1: I'd heard people say that you could ride anytime past your return time, but I tend to be a stickler for the rules. No problem, though! We talked to the CM at the FP machines, and she said we could return anytime after 11:30. PERFECT!! :thumbsup2

Next we were off to the Great Movie Ride. There was no wait. We saw the gangster scene (as quiet as DHS was that day, I'm almost certain that was the only side running).

Then it was off to the Backlot Tour. Again, no wait, and we even were in the front row of the viewing area for the special effects part for the first time. I don't know what was going on, but the girl next to us (I would say she was about 12 or so) did NOT want to be there. She was screaming and crying at the top of her lungs. Her mother was trying to quiet her, but she just would not calm down. Thank goodness we were not in the same tram as her. We kinda hung back and took our time walking through the prop house to make sure of that.

We walked around for a little while, then it was time to check in for our lunch at Sci-Fi. We shared the BLT Soup (SO yummy!), and I had the Chicken sandwich with veggie-black bean salad an a strawberry shake. Jon had a burger, fries, and a cherry coke. Of course, we only got pics of the soup:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0788-1.jpg

Then it was back to TSM for our FP. Of course, Jon beat me again. I can't remember what our scores were, but Jon was knocked out of the high scores.

We decided to go over to One Man's Dream. The history buff in me loves this! The sentamental part of me canNOT watch the movie without bawling my eyes out. So we just went through the exhibit and skipped the movie.

We love Rock'n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. However, ever since we'd been planning this trip, I had a very nervous feeling that maybe I shouldn't ride because I might get sick. Don't ask me why, the only ride I cannot ride in all of Disney is Star Tours, and maybe Mission:Space Orange, but I haven't tried that one. I decided it was time to face my fears, and we were off to RnRC. There was only a 20 min. wait, so we grabbed FPs for later, then rode standby. It was awesome! I don't know why I was scared, we rode it 4 times on our last trip. The only thing it did, was knock out the braid in my hair, so I just popped my hair into a ponytail.

Next it was over to TOT. There was a 20 minute wait posted, but I think we only waited about 10 mins. Then we took a quick look through the shops on Sunset Blvd., and took a couple of pictures.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0076-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0074-1.jpg

Then it was back to RnRC for our FP. We then decided to share a frozen lemonade and head over to see the Muppets. I love the Muppets, and I'm hoping to see more of them, with them being featured in the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day promotion. After the Muppets, we walked over and met two of my favorites, Lightnin' McQueen and Tow Mater, then went to hang our in the Writer's Corner for a few minutes.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0089-1.jpg

After that, we walked over to the Animation Studios. We watched the movie, which I always think is fun. I love Mushu! We got to meet Karl and the gang from Up! Unfortunately, after waiting about 30 minutes to see them, the Photopass camera stopped working just before, so Jon had to take the picture instead of be in it. :sad1: I offered to let him be in it, and I would take the picture, but he said no.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0798-1.jpg

Then we saw Mickey with very little wait.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0092-1.jpg

I got a very nice surprise as we were leaving the Animation Studios, because on our previous visits, there were no animators working at their desks, and I'd heard they were not doing that anymore. So imagine my surprise when we round the corner and see:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0793-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0794-1.jpg

We strolled up through the park, and then sat and people watched on Echo Park Drive and rested our aching feet. We sat for about 20 minutes, then it was time to check in for our dinner at Prime Time. This is a particular favorite of ours! Our server, Cousin Amanda, saw my b-day button, and made sure all of the people at the tables around us signed a card for me. We sat next to a very fun family from Arizona, and another large family from somewhere (Sorry, I don't remember. :upsidedow). We shared an order of onion rings, and Jon had the Tuna Casserole with a berry smoothie and smores for dessert. I had the fried chicken with a PB&J shake and the Boston Cream Cupcake for dessert. Of course, I got no pictures. :sad2:

After dinner, it was time for the Osborne Lights! We walked back to the Streets of America, and they were beautiful!! We got to see them dance once. The air was getting thicker by the moment. What had been a fairly pretty day was turning into a fairly nasty evening. It started raining, so they made an announcement that they would not dance until the rain stopped. I heard they later had to turn them off altogether. We did get some good pictures. I'll just show you a few. Jon went crazy taking pics of nearly every building!
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0810-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0808-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0807-1.jpg

We decided to head back to the Poly, but not before taking one last, very fuzzy picture. You can certainly see how Ida was coming in.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0846-1.jpg

When we got back to the Poly, we checked out Boutiki and the Wyland Galleries, then watched a few minutes of Holiday Wishes from the beach.

Then it was off to bed!!!

TxMickeyLover
03-14-2010, 10:05 PM
I'm sorry I've been neglectful on my report. February was a rough month at work. Also, we've been hard at work on our trip coming up in September. I'll post a little bit about our plans for that one later. Now back to your previously scheduled trip report......

I woke up Wednesday feeling a little funny. I thought maybe I had caught a chill from the rain the previous evening, but I was not going to let it get me down. It was time to start the day!

We had a 7:30am breakfast at Kona Grill, and it was as yummy as I could have hoped for. Well, Jon's was. He had the Tonga Toast and Lilikoi juice. Mine was okay. I had the Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes and press-pot coffee. I just didn't the pancakes had much flavor to them. I loved the Tonga Toast, though!!!

Tonga Toast
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0851-1.jpg

Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0850-1.jpg

After breakfast, we took the bus to Animal Kingdom. I must say, I truly love AK. The atmosphere is so peaceful. We arrived around 10am and took a couple of Photopass pics.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0098-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0100-1.jpg

Then we headed over to Everest. There was only a 10 minute wait, so we grabbed a couple of FPs then hopped on. After conquering the Yeti, we walked the Maheraja Trail. This is the first time we've ever been able to see the tigers out, and I loved it. It's such a peaceful walk.

Next it was time for us to ride Everest with our FPs. Once again, we conquered Betty the Yeti. Then we headed over to Yak & Yeti's counter service. We shared the shrimp lo mein (excellent), a lemonade, and mango pie (very yummy!). We headed back over to Harambe, and on the way, met some old friends: Baloo and King Louie.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0118-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0110-1.jpg

Louie giving me my birthday grooming:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0112-1.jpg

The Safari had a 40 minute wait, so we grabbed a FP and took the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch. We watched a turtle getting a checkup. He had been hit by a car, and they had to repair his shell. He was on the mend, though. Then we met Jiminy Cricket, Pocahantis, and Rafiki:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0857-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0860-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0863-1.jpg

After taking the train back to Harambe, we shopped a little, then walked over to see the Festival of the Lion King for the first time ever. OH MY GOSH!! This is now a must-do for me. I loved it. I wish I had pictures, but we were too enthralled in the show to take any. After the show, we met Thumper and Ms. Bunny:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0882-1.jpg
I loved Thumper when I was little!

We headed back to Harambe for the Safari, and were able to save Little Red and get him back to his mamma, thank goodness! Then we walked through the Pangani Trail and saw the beautiful gorillas. They amaze me everytime.

By this time, we were getting hungry. We went over to Flame Tree BBQ. Jon had ribs, lemonade, and key lime mousse. I had the chicken, a coke, and chocolate mousse. It was very good, and we had a perfect view of the parade.

Next we went and rode Dinosaur, which I will say is not my favorite ride, but we never seem to skip it. Then we walked around Dino-rama, which we'd never done. It's cute, but definitely something I can skip.

The park was closing, and the crowds were definitely thinning. It was an EMH night, and by this time, there was almost no one in the park. We headed back to Everest, and rode with a 10 minute wait. When we got off, it was only a 5 minute wait, so we rode again. Then I drank an Iced Chai. It was so good. We were exhausted by this point. We watched it's Tough to be a Bug, then shopped around Discovery Island. We decided to take some more pics, since we had never been in AK after dark.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0126-1.jpg

We sat and people watched for awhile. Then took the bus over to Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was only around 7:30. We had a 9pm Boma ressie. We walked around the gift shop. Then we sat in the rockers off of the lobby for a little while. I nearly fell asleep. We decided to go down and check to see if it would be possible to get in earlier at Boma. They told us they could seat us in about 40 minutes. It would still be earlier than our ADR time, so we took it. They handed us a pager, and we walked out and looked at the pool, and checked out the Mara. Then we sat in the Boma lobby until our pager went off at 8:20pm. Perfect!! Our meal was wonderful as usual (and typical us, forgot to take any pictures).

After dinner, we took the bus to DTD, and stopped in the World of Disney for a shirt and Minnie ear headband for me to wear at the Christmas party. Then we took the bus back to the Poly and went to bed.

TxMickeyLover
03-14-2010, 10:39 PM
Thursday started out better. I wasn't feeling so bad. Yet! We had on shorts and long sleeves when we left the Poly for our 8:20 am breakfast at Whispering Canyon. We were running late, so didn't exactly have time to change. We thought it wouldn't be that bad. We'd take the Monorail to the MK, then get on the boat for the Wilderness Lodge. When we stayed there in 2007, they had a boat that was similar to the Friendship boats, so we could be inside for the ride, right? WRONG! First, we get to the Monorail, and it's not running. So we ran to take the boat to the MK. Now, mind you, it's not just cold, it's misting! So we are in shorts in the cold mist, on the water. We get to MK, and the boat to the WL is just leaving. So we had to wait some more. We finally got to WL at 8:30am, just happy to be out of the cold! We didn't carry our camara with us, since it was misting, so we unfortunately have no pictures of today, until the Christmas party.

We had the skillet, and it was very good. Not as good as the O'hana skillet, though. After breakfast, we took the boat back to the MK, and thankfully the monorail was running, so we ran back to the Poly to change clothes. It was 10:30am by the time we got back to the MK.

First, we headed over to Big Thunder Mountain, grabbed a FP, then stood in the 10 minute standby line. We rode it again with only a 10 minute wait, and then it was time to use our FP. We love that ride!

Next we headed over to check out the updated Hall of Presidents. I love HoP, but I was so tired, I nearly fell asleep. That was a first for me. I'm a history buff, and I've always enjoyed it.

After HoP, we headed towards Fantasyland. Peter Pan was a 40 minute wait at this point, so we grabbed a FP, then headed to Columbia Harbour House for some lunch. Jon had the Fish/Nuggets, Fries, and yogurt. I had the Shrimp, fires and apple crisp.

Then we rode It's a Small World. Another of my favorites, but once again, I was so tired, I nearly fell asleep again. After that, we rode Peter Pan, then headed over to Splash Mountain. Absolutely. NO. Wait. Seriously, I wish I had a camera. I think the wait time was actually 0 minutes. Why, you might ask? Because it was cold, and it was misty. So what did we do? Yes, we rode it. With ponchos. We actually rode it twice. The first time, the ponchos worked great! The second time, I got a little wet, but not bad.

After ditching our trusty ponchos, and a quick trip to the restroom, we raced back to the Poly to change and grab the camera for MVMCP. We had about 30 minutes until our 5pm ADR at Liberty Tree, so I do mean raced. We made it back in time for our ressie. We never tried Liberty Tree before. It was okay. I could definitely tell it was Stouffer's, but it was a good, hearty meal in the cold.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0891-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0892-1.jpg

Jonathan took this pic of me:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0890-1.jpg

After dinner, we rode the Haunted Mansion with a 10 min. wait, the Pooh with a 10 min. wait. I had never ridden the carousel before, so Jon made me. It was a walk on, but let me tell you something. Those horses are not made for my big backside! :lmao: It was less than comfortable. Throughout all this, we took pictures at some of the spots they had setup:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0895-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0130-1.jpg

We then attempted the impossible. We had never ridden Barnstormer, and it was a walk on, so we rode it. In the same car. You know the old Doublemint Gum commercials? Get a little closer? Let's just say we were cozy. But we did it, and it was great fun!

Then we went over to see Minnie. She loved that we had matching bows.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0147-1.jpg

Then we took a spin on the teacups. By now, we are freezing. It was so cold that night, and we were both wearing sandals. Smart, I know! We went into Cosmic Ray's for cocoa and cookies, and just to relax for a minute. It was fun to watch the dance party going on.

Then we did the Astro Orbiter, TTA, and Buzz, all with no wait. Then we took some more pics:

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0162-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0153-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0914-1.jpg

We looked around the art shop, then headed over to Casey's for corndog bites, and watched Holiday wishes from their outdoor seating. It was beautiful, but I think I like the regular wishes better.

Then we watched the castle show, and the parade from the Partner's Statue. It was SOOOOOOO cold. As the night went on, I could feel myself going further and further downhill. After the parade, we went back to the art store, and I bought a Christmas Party pin. We headed back to the Poly around 11:30, and I took some Nyquil and went to bed.

TxMickeyLover
03-14-2010, 11:06 PM
By Friday, I felt like I had been hit by a Magical Express bus. I was not feeling well at all. We slept in, then ran to Samoa Snacks to get Robutussin for me, Benadryl for Jon. We went back to the room to take our meds and get ready for Epcot. We got to Epcot around 10:45am.

We took a picture:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0165-1.jpg

Then it was off to Soarin' for a fastpass. The return time was already 1:20-2:20. There was a 55 minute wait. Since we had a lunch ressie for Biergarten, we took the Friendship over to Morocco and walked to Germany. The Christmas tree was up:

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0929-1.jpg

We had about 20 minutes to kill, so we looked around the shop. Then we checked in, and were seated with a nice family from Boston, and a not-so-friendly couple, who left while we were getting our food. They were quickly replaced by two sisters from Miami, who were also very nice. We really enjoyed Biergarten (of course, we forgot to take pics!). If you like meat, this is your place!

After lunch, we walked to Norway and rode Maelstrom with a 10 min. wait. It was time to head back to the Land for our Soarin' FP. It was still a 50 min. standby wait.

After Soarin', it was time to check in for our 3pm Behind The Seeds tour. I could really feel myself going downhill, and wasn't sure how I was going to make it through a walking tour. I did, but I do not remember any of it. I remember we had a really good guide, though. Jon took several pics:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0947-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0950-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0956-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0958-1.jpg

We sat down and rested for awhile. We debated cancelling our Garden Grill ressie, and heading back to the hotel, but I started feeling better after resting. We rode Livin' w/ the Land twice (can you tell this is one of my favorite rides?) The first time, there were some really annoying, loud girls in the front of our boat. I really wish we had the courage to say something, but we just didn't. So we rode it again. It was much better the second time.

It was time for our 5:20 Garden Grill ressie. It was VERY good. I am very glad we did not cancel, because eating there truly made me feel so much better. The food is wonderful. I especially loved the Blueberry Buckle. The chef was supposed to email me the recipe, but he never did. We took lots of pics with the characters, too.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0970-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0969-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0968-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0967-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0966-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0963-1.jpg

After dinner, we rode Spaceship Earth. I love this ride. It made me so sad that we were about to leave. We took a couple more pics:
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/Image0166-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0983-1.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/tschweik/Disney%20Nov%2009%20Trip%20Report/IMG_0981-1.jpg

Then we headed back to the Poly to change into warmer clothes, and headed to Downtown Disney to spend money. :rotfl: We had a snack at the Earl of Sandwich. I had the Caprese Sandwich, chocolate pudding, and sprite, and Jon had the Thanksgiving sandwich, cupcake, and coke.

Then it was back to the Poly for bed.

TxMickeyLover
03-14-2010, 11:13 PM
Saturday was our last day. We had to fly home that afternoon. My one consolation this entire time was that I had a Crystal Palace breakfast ressie that day. So what happened? I was so sick, I could not get out of bed. I couldn't even muster up the strength to call and cancel. I am so ashamed of myself, and I feel so bad, first of all for not being able to go, and secondly for not cancelling. :guilty:

I just had no energy that morning at all. I took some Robutussin and went back to sleep for a couple of hours. That helped a lot. We did finally head to the MK around 9am, and picked up some breakfast from the bakery. I had a cinnamon roll, and Jon had a breakfast sandwich. They were good, but they were no Crystal Palace.

We walked on Pirates of the Caribbean, then strolled through the Emporium for some last minute shopping.

Sadly, it was time to head back to the Poly. We checked in for our flight, checked our bags, then headed to Captain Cook's and shared a pepperoni flatbread for lunch.

At 11:45, we got on the Not-So-Magical Express, and headed back to the airport. :sad1:

Seriously71
03-16-2010, 06:59 PM
Just wanted to say that maybe the 12 year old that was crying on the backlot tour has autism. My DD is 7 and has autism and has had strange reactions to seemingly mild rides. When we were at Disney in January, she had a HUGE meltdown just as we were getting on Living with the Land at Epcot.
I'm not saying this in a mean way, just like for people to be aware of those who have autism spectrum disorders and the way they can react to different things.

TxMickeyLover
03-29-2010, 09:19 PM
Just wanted to say that maybe the 12 year old that was crying on the backlot tour has autism. My DD is 7 and has autism and has had strange reactions to seemingly mild rides. When we were at Disney in January, she had a HUGE meltdown just as we were getting on Living with the Land at Epcot.
I'm not saying this in a mean way, just like for people to be aware of those who have autism spectrum disorders and the way they can react to different things.

I guess it's possible. Mom seemed to be treating it like it was more of a misbehavior, though. She kept telling the child to be quiet and half-heartedly threatening punishment, but didn't really seem to do anything to try and stop the behavior. It really ruined the opening show for a lot of people though. We could not hear anything over her.

jgazda
03-30-2010, 09:16 AM
It's so funny we are going at the same time again this year. Are you planning a trip to the Halloween Party?

TxMickeyLover
03-30-2010, 07:27 PM
It's so funny we are going at the same time again this year. Are you planning a trip to the Halloween Party?

YES!!! We are hoping for one on Oct. 1 for Jon's bday!