TigrLvsPooh
01-10-2003, 08:54 PM
Winter Getaway to the GF! :)
Cast: Myself (29), DH (30), DS (3), and DS (1)
Resort: GF – LV room in Conch Key
Restaurants: GF Café, 50’s Prime Time, Crystal Palace, Cosmic Ray’s, Main Street Bakery, Coral Reef, Tusker House, Restaurantasaurus, Chef Mickey’s, Gasparilla Grill, Sci-fi Diner, and Ohana.
Day One:
First I just want to say that Laura (Princess Angel) from Our Laughing Place Travel booked our room at the GF and took care of all our PS’s. She is amazing and incredibly nice. Even though I could have done it all myself it was so much nicer to let someone else handle everything. I HIGHLY recommend her to everyone!!! :)
We arrived at the airport in Orlando and met Your Ride at the baggage claim area. We were a little disappointed not to have Rabbit himself pick us up in his roomy Expedition, but the trip to the hotel was still great… right on time and very friendly. We love Your Ride! :)
We got to the GF around noon and checked-in. All the Christmas decorations were still up (Jan. 5) and the tree was as beautiful as ever. Our room wasn’t ready yet so we ate lunch in the GF Café. The food here is always good, but on this visit we had a not so great waitress. She never checked back with us, never refilled our sodas, and I’m not sure she spoke English very well. But the food was good, and the atmosphere was lovely. After that we headed to MK on the monorail. The weather was cooler than we expected and I started worrying I hadn’t packed enough warm clothes. We headed straight for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, ds’s favorite, and then over to the TTA. The park seemed pretty dead. The only long wait we saw was for the Pooh ride, which we skipped. We hit a few more rides and then took the boat back to the GF. I didn’t realize it was so convenient and FAST! We ended up using it more than the monorail.
Our room was in Conch Key, #7329, and the view was amazing!! The castle was straight in front of us… we could see the monorail coming around the side of the GF and follow it all the way through the CR and around toward the TTC. What a view! :) We could hear the shows from Cinderella’s castle, the train whistle, and had a perfect view for the EWP. :) We could also watch to see when the boat was coming from MK. I can’t say enough good things about that view. It was perfect. :) Conch Key is the only building I would request in the future.
After settling into our room we headed over to MGM to catch the final night of the Osborne lights. First we had dinner at 50’s Prime Time, we originally had planned Chef Mickey’s, but we were afraid we’d miss the lights. The food was great but our server was clueless. DH asked her if she had the key to Dad’s liquor cabinet and she looked at him like he was crazy. She must have been new and didn’t understand the theme of the restaurant… also there was a bit of a language barrier because she didn’t seem to understand us. It kind of ruined dinner because we like to joke around with our server there and play along.
So we headed over to the lights and they were spectacular, as usual! I think they get better every time I see them. :) We walked through 3 times and closed down the park! I seriously think we were the last ones out… it was about 8:30pm! (park closed at 7:00pm) We headed to the bus stop, but didn’t get back to our room until about 10:00pm. I know many people will disagree with me but I think it’s ridiculous that the GF, Poly, and CR have to share one bus. You’d think for the amount of money you’re spending you’d get your own bus. The wait times were always 20-30 minutes from the GF, and by the time the bus got there it was always full. And NOBODY got up to give my small children a seat. It really got on my nerves. :(
When we returned to our room that night turndown service had done an excellent job and we were able to catch the end of the EWP from our balcony. It was so nice to just sit and watch the castle turn colors… but very chilly!!!
Day Two:
We got up early and headed to MK for the Pooh breakfast at Crystal Palace. It’s nice to get into MK before anyone else… it’s a great time to take pictures and just enjoy the peace and quiet on Main St. We had a delicious breakfast and ate too much! The boys loved the characters and we took lots of pictures. :)
We stayed at MK until about 2:00pm and then headed back to the GF for naps. The boys slept until about 4:30, then we headed to Epcot for the night. We changed our Le Cellier PS to Coral Reef and we were glad we did! It was a great restaurant and the boys loved the giant fish tanks! Our food was excellent… I had the salmon, dh had the mahi-mahi… we also had the scallop appetizer, YUM! ;) The kids menu wasn’t great, but the boys did end up eating pretty well. For dessert they got the “Shipwreck” and it was sooo cute! It looked just like a shipwrecked boat, and totally edible! After dinner we headed to the World Showcase and watched Illuminations. Then we took the monorail back to the GF. When we got to our room we noticed we didn’t have towels, shampoo, or toilet paper… so we had to call housekeeping. :(
Day Three:
We wanted to get to the AK early, but waited over 30 minutes for the bus to come, and when it finally came it was full. :eek: I just don’t understand. Anyway, we arrived at AK, got our fast passes for the safari and headed to Tusker House for some hot cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. It was the coldest day I’ve ever experienced in Florida. I don’t think the temperature ever got out of the 40’s or 50’s. Luckily I had hats and mittens for the boys.
We did the Festival of the Lion King, Dinoland USA, and had lunch at restaurantasaurus, then headed back to the GF for naps. We noticed right away that all the Christmas decorations were gone. Boy they sure are fast! It’s too bad they aren’t as efficient with housekeeping! (ha ha) ;) That night we headed back to MK for Spectromagic and then over to CR for dinner at Chef Mickey’s. The boys were in heaven and could hardly eat they were so excited. The food is a little blah, but the characters are worth the visit. :) After dinner we went back to our room and caught the EWP again! LOL Once was probably enough for me, but the boys love it. Oh, I almost forgot… again we had no towels, shampoo, etc., so we had to call housekeeping for the second night in a row. :( Overall we were disappointed with our housekeeping. It was much better at Yacht Club.
Day Four:
MGM day! DH and I did baby-swap for Rockin’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. The lines were really short at all the other rides and attractions. I love going in the off-season. Then we caught Beauty and the Beast and headed to Al’s Toy Barn for the Buzz and Woody meet and greet. That’s always the highlight of our trip. :)
We had lunch at the Sci-fi Diner, which was AWESOME! It was our first time and we were so surprised. The atmosphere is terrific, and the food was great. Our service was slow though, but luckily the boys were kept entertained by the giant screen. I highly recommend this as a “must do”. That afternoon we stayed at MGM all day and didn’t go back for naps. We hit The Great Movie Ride, Playhouse Disney, the playground, the backstage area (which was loaded with characters), Stars and Motorcars Parade, etc. Probably a big mistake, but actually the boys did well. I guess one day with no nap won’t kill them. LOL ;)
After that we took the bus to Poly and had dinner at Ohana. We got a nice table right by the window and saw the fireworks. :) The food was amazing and so delicious… I could live off those shrimp wontons and chicken wings. LOL Our server was really nice and it was a great last meal at WDW. After that we headed to DTD for shopping. I got a little carried away and had a heck of a time getting all my souvenirs home on the plane! LOL ;)
Day Five:
Slept in! LOL That long day with no naps just about did us in, and we all needed the extra rest. We had breakfast at Gasparilla (gotta love those Krispy Kremes) and headed to MK for one last time. We did Buzz 3 times and our three year old got 999,999!!!!!! :) It was amazing!!! :eek: I don’t know what he hit, but I sure wish I knew. LOL I was jealous, I admit, because my best was 953,300. LOL ;)
It was awful having to leave when the weather was finally perfect and WARM. But we had to get going so we could meet Your Ride at 12:45. On our way back to our room we saw a bellman coming out of our building so we grabbed him and brought him up with us to get our luggage. It was lucky because we were cutting it close for leaving on time. Your Ride got us to the airport right on time and we had a nice flight back home on ATA.
As usual we’re already planning our next trip to WDW in April and can’t wait to get back. LOL If anyone has any questions about WDW, the GF, where we ate, or anything, feel free to ask. :)
Cast: Myself (29), DH (30), DS (3), and DS (1)
Resort: GF – LV room in Conch Key
Restaurants: GF Café, 50’s Prime Time, Crystal Palace, Cosmic Ray’s, Main Street Bakery, Coral Reef, Tusker House, Restaurantasaurus, Chef Mickey’s, Gasparilla Grill, Sci-fi Diner, and Ohana.
Day One:
First I just want to say that Laura (Princess Angel) from Our Laughing Place Travel booked our room at the GF and took care of all our PS’s. She is amazing and incredibly nice. Even though I could have done it all myself it was so much nicer to let someone else handle everything. I HIGHLY recommend her to everyone!!! :)
We arrived at the airport in Orlando and met Your Ride at the baggage claim area. We were a little disappointed not to have Rabbit himself pick us up in his roomy Expedition, but the trip to the hotel was still great… right on time and very friendly. We love Your Ride! :)
We got to the GF around noon and checked-in. All the Christmas decorations were still up (Jan. 5) and the tree was as beautiful as ever. Our room wasn’t ready yet so we ate lunch in the GF Café. The food here is always good, but on this visit we had a not so great waitress. She never checked back with us, never refilled our sodas, and I’m not sure she spoke English very well. But the food was good, and the atmosphere was lovely. After that we headed to MK on the monorail. The weather was cooler than we expected and I started worrying I hadn’t packed enough warm clothes. We headed straight for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, ds’s favorite, and then over to the TTA. The park seemed pretty dead. The only long wait we saw was for the Pooh ride, which we skipped. We hit a few more rides and then took the boat back to the GF. I didn’t realize it was so convenient and FAST! We ended up using it more than the monorail.
Our room was in Conch Key, #7329, and the view was amazing!! The castle was straight in front of us… we could see the monorail coming around the side of the GF and follow it all the way through the CR and around toward the TTC. What a view! :) We could hear the shows from Cinderella’s castle, the train whistle, and had a perfect view for the EWP. :) We could also watch to see when the boat was coming from MK. I can’t say enough good things about that view. It was perfect. :) Conch Key is the only building I would request in the future.
After settling into our room we headed over to MGM to catch the final night of the Osborne lights. First we had dinner at 50’s Prime Time, we originally had planned Chef Mickey’s, but we were afraid we’d miss the lights. The food was great but our server was clueless. DH asked her if she had the key to Dad’s liquor cabinet and she looked at him like he was crazy. She must have been new and didn’t understand the theme of the restaurant… also there was a bit of a language barrier because she didn’t seem to understand us. It kind of ruined dinner because we like to joke around with our server there and play along.
So we headed over to the lights and they were spectacular, as usual! I think they get better every time I see them. :) We walked through 3 times and closed down the park! I seriously think we were the last ones out… it was about 8:30pm! (park closed at 7:00pm) We headed to the bus stop, but didn’t get back to our room until about 10:00pm. I know many people will disagree with me but I think it’s ridiculous that the GF, Poly, and CR have to share one bus. You’d think for the amount of money you’re spending you’d get your own bus. The wait times were always 20-30 minutes from the GF, and by the time the bus got there it was always full. And NOBODY got up to give my small children a seat. It really got on my nerves. :(
When we returned to our room that night turndown service had done an excellent job and we were able to catch the end of the EWP from our balcony. It was so nice to just sit and watch the castle turn colors… but very chilly!!!
Day Two:
We got up early and headed to MK for the Pooh breakfast at Crystal Palace. It’s nice to get into MK before anyone else… it’s a great time to take pictures and just enjoy the peace and quiet on Main St. We had a delicious breakfast and ate too much! The boys loved the characters and we took lots of pictures. :)
We stayed at MK until about 2:00pm and then headed back to the GF for naps. The boys slept until about 4:30, then we headed to Epcot for the night. We changed our Le Cellier PS to Coral Reef and we were glad we did! It was a great restaurant and the boys loved the giant fish tanks! Our food was excellent… I had the salmon, dh had the mahi-mahi… we also had the scallop appetizer, YUM! ;) The kids menu wasn’t great, but the boys did end up eating pretty well. For dessert they got the “Shipwreck” and it was sooo cute! It looked just like a shipwrecked boat, and totally edible! After dinner we headed to the World Showcase and watched Illuminations. Then we took the monorail back to the GF. When we got to our room we noticed we didn’t have towels, shampoo, or toilet paper… so we had to call housekeeping. :(
Day Three:
We wanted to get to the AK early, but waited over 30 minutes for the bus to come, and when it finally came it was full. :eek: I just don’t understand. Anyway, we arrived at AK, got our fast passes for the safari and headed to Tusker House for some hot cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. It was the coldest day I’ve ever experienced in Florida. I don’t think the temperature ever got out of the 40’s or 50’s. Luckily I had hats and mittens for the boys.
We did the Festival of the Lion King, Dinoland USA, and had lunch at restaurantasaurus, then headed back to the GF for naps. We noticed right away that all the Christmas decorations were gone. Boy they sure are fast! It’s too bad they aren’t as efficient with housekeeping! (ha ha) ;) That night we headed back to MK for Spectromagic and then over to CR for dinner at Chef Mickey’s. The boys were in heaven and could hardly eat they were so excited. The food is a little blah, but the characters are worth the visit. :) After dinner we went back to our room and caught the EWP again! LOL Once was probably enough for me, but the boys love it. Oh, I almost forgot… again we had no towels, shampoo, etc., so we had to call housekeeping for the second night in a row. :( Overall we were disappointed with our housekeeping. It was much better at Yacht Club.
Day Four:
MGM day! DH and I did baby-swap for Rockin’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. The lines were really short at all the other rides and attractions. I love going in the off-season. Then we caught Beauty and the Beast and headed to Al’s Toy Barn for the Buzz and Woody meet and greet. That’s always the highlight of our trip. :)
We had lunch at the Sci-fi Diner, which was AWESOME! It was our first time and we were so surprised. The atmosphere is terrific, and the food was great. Our service was slow though, but luckily the boys were kept entertained by the giant screen. I highly recommend this as a “must do”. That afternoon we stayed at MGM all day and didn’t go back for naps. We hit The Great Movie Ride, Playhouse Disney, the playground, the backstage area (which was loaded with characters), Stars and Motorcars Parade, etc. Probably a big mistake, but actually the boys did well. I guess one day with no nap won’t kill them. LOL ;)
After that we took the bus to Poly and had dinner at Ohana. We got a nice table right by the window and saw the fireworks. :) The food was amazing and so delicious… I could live off those shrimp wontons and chicken wings. LOL Our server was really nice and it was a great last meal at WDW. After that we headed to DTD for shopping. I got a little carried away and had a heck of a time getting all my souvenirs home on the plane! LOL ;)
Day Five:
Slept in! LOL That long day with no naps just about did us in, and we all needed the extra rest. We had breakfast at Gasparilla (gotta love those Krispy Kremes) and headed to MK for one last time. We did Buzz 3 times and our three year old got 999,999!!!!!! :) It was amazing!!! :eek: I don’t know what he hit, but I sure wish I knew. LOL I was jealous, I admit, because my best was 953,300. LOL ;)
It was awful having to leave when the weather was finally perfect and WARM. But we had to get going so we could meet Your Ride at 12:45. On our way back to our room we saw a bellman coming out of our building so we grabbed him and brought him up with us to get our luggage. It was lucky because we were cutting it close for leaving on time. Your Ride got us to the airport right on time and we had a nice flight back home on ATA.
As usual we’re already planning our next trip to WDW in April and can’t wait to get back. LOL If anyone has any questions about WDW, the GF, where we ate, or anything, feel free to ask. :)