How Disney turned Grumpy's Frown Upside Down! August 2010 TR!

[flamestarrdust]

The Basic Info:

When: Aug 21-28, 2010 with Free Dining (Upgraded from QS to Regular, downgraded to QS half way through)

Where: Pop Century Resort (loved it here but also want to try other WDW resorts )

How we got there: Amtrak (never again )

Who:

Me:

DFi(he really hates this pic but I love how he is blushing in it because of the mickey hat. So adorable!):

Haylee:

Alleyah:

If you want to read more about us, please refer to my PTR: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36865082#post36865082

Up Next, Our really, really, really, really long train ride...

 

[LisaKeys]

Just found your new post, and am looking forward to your TR! My hubby is a Grumpy lover (has a tattoo on his lower arm even) and owns several pins, hats, jackets, watch - etc. You get the idea - which is how your title intrigued me to click.

Enjoy your week!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Looking forward to reading all about your Disney adventures!

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Hi! I'm here! I feel like I've had a bit of a sneak peak with your FB pictures Can't wait to hear all about it!!

 

[annmarieda]

I am here...although I will have to come back to get caught up once I get back from our trip. We leave in SIX hours now.

I can't wait to hear how your trip went!

 

[vikkil70]

Moved over from your PTR and can't wait to hear all about your trip!

 

[flamestarrdust]

I apologize for the delay in continuing this trip report. I have been experiencing my usual Disney withdrawal/depression. I love it so much that I hate when I leave so I am always bummed out for a bit when I get home after a trip. I am now starting to perk up a bit and continuing with planning a new trip plus continuing with other things that need to be done in my life.

Now on with the TR:

As I posted in my PTR, the night before we were to leave, we had a nice relaxing, quick dinner of hot pockets and tater tots. We packed and then I painted my fingernails and then the girls' nails. The kids watched Bambi while I did some last minute packing. Then it was off to bed for the girls while I continued checking out stuff on the disboards and making sure everything was taken care of before we left the house. Alleyah got up a few times worried that we would oversleep and I told her that was a bit impossible since our train arrived at 12:57pm and we live about a mile from the train station. I finally got Alleyah to relax and go to sleep and then I went to sleep at around 6am and was up by 9am. I then packed a few more things, gave MIL all our travel info and we ate a nice healthy breakfast of leftover hot pockets and tater tots . We got ready and arrived the train station at 11:50pm, 5 minutes later than I had planned. However, we were entirely too early since we were the only passengers there. So we took some pics of the train station.

Haylee reading about hidden Mickeys

Alleyah posing for a pic

Alleyah being silly

Daddy and Haylee being silly

Daddy, Alleyah and Haylee being silly

Haylee watching Daddy play games on his iPod

At about 12:30pm, other passengers started to arrive. It still didn't get too packed in the station. The train arrived on time and we all boarded with no issue. Of course we did have to bring on all of our luggage since this station did not allow you to check luggage. This train ride was a bit uneventful. Probably since it was so short. The girls did get a bit jumpy but after a benadryl and some motion sickness medicine, they relaxed and enjoyed the ride.


CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST...

 

[flamestarrdust]

We arrived at the Raleigh station at 3:43pm. I then checked our bags while DFi and the kids went to find the restrooms. Once the bags were checked and restroom issues taken care of, we got settled to begin our 6 hour wait for the train to Kissimmee. DFi and I had decided since we had quite a few carryons that he would walk to a restaurant around Raleigh and grab lunch for all of us. So that's what he did and I told him to take the girls with him so that it would waste a bit of time for them. I read while they were gone. After about 30 or 40 minutes they returned. They grabbed food from a local barbeque restaurant called "The Pit" that I had read reviews about. It was amazing! I had never had such good food from a barbeque restaurant before. Everyting tasted homemade and fresh. DFi got us all barbeque plates with sides. My sides were Mac N Cheese and Fried Okra. Plus each plate came with a biscuit and 2 hush puppies. Everything on that plate was delicious and homemade. I definitely recommend that you try that restaurant if you are ever in Raleigh, NC. You won't regret it. Eating and getting the food wasted maybe an hour, hour and a half. I have to tell you our layover was probably the longest 6 hours of our lives. The kids played games, tried to nap, read and watched tv. Here are some pics of the our wait and the tiny train station we waited in:

Train Station Waiting area (there isn't much more than this what this pic shows)

More of the train station

Some of our carryon bags including some of our yummy leftover food from lunch that we munched on later

Me and Alleyah (I was not thrilled about getting a pic taken of me but DFi insisted)

Haylee and I in front of the window in the train station

Alleyah and DFi

Haylee trying to make the train come sooner by saying "train" over and over again

Alleyah trying to nap while waiting on the train

Our train arrived on time and we boarded the train with no issue but super exhausted, ready for a nice long relaxing train ride.




Up Next, the not so relaxing, really, really, really, really long train ride and our rainy arrival at WDW...

 

[flamestarrdust]

Just found your new post, and am looking forward to your TR! My hubby is a Grumpy lover (has a tattoo on his lower arm even) and owns several pins, hats, jackets, watch - etc. You get the idea - which is how your title intrigued me to click.

Enjoy your week!

DFi is not so much a Grumpy fan as he has been very grumpy about going to Disney. He was convinced he wouldn't like it and was only going to see the kids and I enjoy it.

Looking forward to reading all about your Disney adventures!

Thanks! I'm so glad you joined in. I love all your PTRs and TRs. I always feel like I'm right there with the action.

Hi! I'm here! I feel like I've had a bit of a sneak peak with your FB pictures Can't wait to hear all about it!!

Thanks! I'm so glad you are here! It was so much easier to upload the pics on facebook than on photobucket. There is much more coming to facebook so be on the lookout for sneak peeks.

I am here...although I will have to come back to get caught up once I get back from our trip. We leave in SIX hours now.

I can't wait to hear how your trip went!

I can't wait to hear about your trip when you get back and I hope you're having a wonderful time!

Moved over from your PTR and can't wait to hear all about your trip!

Glad you joined in! I can't wait to share all the fun moments of our trip with you!

 

[flamestarrdust]

I apologize for not posting an update over the past couple of days. My job decided that since they let me have the time off to go on my trip that they would torture me by having me work 8 days straight. Tonight is my last night so I should have a few updates for you over the next couple of days. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Six hours eh? That IS a long time to wait around when you're so excited to get there! The Pit sounds delicious -- we are definately a barbeque family!

Your poor girls trying to make the train come faster I like Alleyah's blanket she's trying to nap with.

Can't wait to see your next updates!

 

[flamestarrdust]

Now before I begin this update, I must let you in on a few details. First off, I apologize for the frizzy hair pics for the first day or so. Our hair did not acclimate well with Florida's humidity. Second, a detail of our trip changed. We had made our reservation with a full dining plan upgrade from the free QS. Halfway through the trip we downgraded back to QS which I will explain more about later. It happened because during our trip we received a phone call from MIL telling us a plumbing issue we had before leaving had gotten worse so therefore some of our extra trip money had to go towards that once we got home. And last, I try to remember to take pics of exciting moments and our food, but sometimes get too into the moment to remember the camera. However, I will try my best to describe the moments I did not get on camera. Now back to your sort of regularly scheduled trip report .


Once we had boarded the train, we settled in with full tummies from our yummy food expecting a peaceful, comfy train ride. We were sadly mistaken. Our train was scheduled to leave at 9:13pm and arrive at Kissimmee at 10:55am. This meant a 13 hour long train ride but it was during the night so we expected to get some sleep. We had decided to ride coach instead of getting a sleeper car to save on cash. This is not a mistake I will make again. The chairs look comfy but are more along the lines of soft rocks. They lean back and we did not learn until later that the foot rest also would rise up. Therefore, I spent a large majority of the night trying to not slide into the floor. Haylee sat beside me and Alleyah sat beside DFi. Most of the night Haylee's head was in my side and anytime I got up to use the restroom, she would have taken over both seats. DFi and Alleyah looked comfy but also got restless at times. I apologize for not having pics of this but I was too tired to remember to take the camera out. I did doze on and off as everyone else did but never got a very restful night's sleep. By morning we had given up on sleep and just enjoyed the view. This was also the time I found out that the foot rest would rise up to make the seat a more comfy place to sleep. Also, I should mention that the restroom situation was not so great either. There are about 2 restrooms per car so you can usually get in with little to no wait. However, I think the place that is their sewer storage is set up like a motor home in the sense that it has to be dumped. And it isn't done every stop but more like every ten stops maybe. The only one I know we did that for sure at was Orlando but they could've done it overnight at another stop. Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because of this system, there is a bit of an odor in the restrooms. Sorry to bring this up but just figured I would give a heads up to anyone planning to take the train as to what they could expect.

Now back to the train ride, so in the morning we grabbed breakfast on the train. I got two breakfast sandwiches for me and DFi, a blueberry muffin for Alleyah and a Cinnamon Bun for Haylee, a coffee for me and a soda each for everyone else. It cost a little over $20. We all enjoyed the food. The breakfast sandwiches were a lot better than I thought they would be considering they were the gas station microwaveable kind. The kids also enjoyed their pastries and could not finish them because of how huge they were. We were about 3 or so hours away once we finished eating so we read magazines, chatted and looked at the outside scenery. Here are a couple pics of the train in the morning:

DFi and Alleyah

Haylee's cow, Bella, watching the scenery

At around, 10:15 we find out we will be late getting into Orlando. At this point, I start getting concerned since I have a scheduled pick up from Happy Limo. Especially since this information was not announced to us but passed on through another passenger. So I ask the conductor if we will be late getting to Kissimmee and she says she doesn't know, it depends on how long we stay in Orlando. She says usually it's 15 minutes but it could be less since we were already late. So I call Happy Limo and explain what's going on. They tell me to let them know if I find out anything else and that they will inform the driver. So we get to Orlando and I'm pretty sure we were there 15 minutes, not less. So it's about 11:10 at this point so I call Happy Limo back and let them know we are in Orlando and waiting for the train to leave. They tell me not to worry and that the driver is waiting. So we eventually arrive at Kissimmee at around 11:30 or 11:40. We struggle at bit to find our checked luggage and realize it's on a huge wagon type thing . However, there was a conductor there making sure all bags match baggage claim tickets. We also find Happy Limo waiting with an upgraded car. I had requested a Sedan and done my best to condense our luggage. The car they showed up with was a Suburban . We were very pleased and the kids oohhhed and ahhhed the whole way to POP. The driver was also very polite and even with us being a bit late allowed the complimentary 15 minute grocery stop. He stopped at a Publix. The kids and I waited in the car while DFi ran in to grab some water and sodas. Then we were on our way to Disney. All the while, rain clouds are building. Each time the kids notice it getting worse, they ask if it's going to rain which then DFi and I explain to them for the 100th time that it rains a lot in Florida and usually goes away pretty quick. Well a couple minutes away from POP, the sky bottoms out and this is the Welcome Sign greeting we get:

CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST...

 

[flamestarrdust]

The rain begins and soon we are arriving at POP. We arrived at around 12:30pm. POP was exactly what I expected except better. I loved the theming and am so glad we chose this resort for this trip. Now here is a moment where I forgot to take the camera out because I was excited to be at Disney and also very tired from the train so I was really hoping our room would be ready and it was! We checked in with little wait and no issue and had room 7461. We were on the 4th Floor of an 80s building overlooking the computer pool. I had also done online check in so that could be why our room was ready so early but not sure. I will post some pics of the room location and area around it later. So here are some pics that DFi took of the POP lobby while I checked in:

After I check in, DFi tells me we need to get money for tip for the luggage carriers so he and the girls go to the room with the luggage while I run to get change. I grabbed a Mickey Candy Bar for the girls and rush back to the room. I arrived just in time to give the tip. We checked out the room and were excited to get refurbed one. I knew we already had one since we were in the 80s section and I knew it all had been refurbed. I unfortunately did not take pics at this point either because of excitement and exhaustion. However, later on I have a few room pics.

At this point, we are all starving and are ready for lunch. Our original plan was to eat at EoS or WPE at DTD. So we changed and made our way to the buses. However, my exhaustion took over and I decided it would be best to just grab lunch at POP and rest up for our Cape May Buffet dinner. Everyone agreed and we went back inside to have lunch. There was so much food to choose from that everyone was pleased with this choice. We also ate here a couple more times on the trip. I did remember to take pictures of what we had.

Beef & Bleu Sandwich with Homemade Chips, Carrot Cake and I got a bottle of coke. I also paid OOP for a Refillable Mug. I had gotten one on my last trip and have gotten lots of use out of it at home. So I decided it was time for a second one. This one got a lot of resort use, too. This sandwich is really good but it is very big so I was not able to finish the chips or my dessert. I took them both back to the room and they were finished off later.

Alleyah's - Chicken Penne Alfredo with breadstick, Dirt Cup, and bottle of Sprite. The Alfredo was delicious and we ordered this several different times on the trip. I don't know about the dirt cup since I did not taste it but Alleyah seemed to enjoy it. She also saved her dessert for later.

Haylee - Shrimp Lo Mein, Tie Dye Cheesecake and bottle of orange fanta. This was also very good but had a lot of garlic. I am a fan of garlic but it doesn't like me very much. Haylee also saved her dessert for later and I have funny pics to share with you later to prove it .

DFi - Beef and Broccoli, Cheesecake (not tie dye), side salad (as snack credit), and bottle of orange fanta. This was also very good but he said there was a bit too much rice compared to beef and broccoli.

So all in all, we really enjoyed this meal. After lunch we went back to the room and settled in for a nice nap before our Cape May Buffet Dinner.

Up Next, Cape May Dinner or do we decide to cancel and catch up on lost sleep?

 

[flamestarrdust]

Six hours eh? That IS a long time to wait around when you're so excited to get there! The Pit sounds delicious -- we are definately a barbeque family!

Your poor girls trying to make the train come faster I like Alleyah's blanket she's trying to nap with.

Can't wait to see your next updates!

The blanket she is using is mine that I got on the last trip. It was one of the WDW deals where if you spend so much, you pay a little more and get something else. The something else was that blanket. The friend that I went with decided everytime he saw that kind of deal that we had to spend extra and get it. So I have the blanket that has a large Mickey standing beside the castle and at the bottom it says Magic Kingdom,some sort of picture with the castle and a bunch of characters on it titled "Happiest Celebration on Earth" and a Tote Bag.

 

[Distopia]

Hi, great report so far! I'm going to watch for your details on heat/weather, as we're going around the same time next year. We've never been in August and I'm scared! Your welcome picture isn't easing my mind, either...

 

[flamestarrdust]

Hi, great report so far! I'm going to watch for your details on heat/weather, as we're going around the same time next year. We've never been in August and I'm scared! Your welcome picture isn't easing my mind, either...

The rain did stop shortly after we arrived. It drizzled off and on all week but it was a welcome relief from the morning humidity. Overall, it wasn't too bad regarding the heat/rain. Though one day it did rain most of the day but it was light so we didn't mind it. We did take a lot of breaks and retreats back to POP for some pool time. Our last/departure day was the worst as far as heat.

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Woo hoo! You've made it to Pop! Typical warm Florida rain welcoming you in too. I don't remember seeing that "Where's the Beef?!" sign.

I haven't had the tie-dye cheesecake yet! Definately on my must try list for Nov/Dec.

I LOVE Bella!

 

[flamestarrdust]

Woo hoo! You've made it to Pop! Typical warm Florida rain welcoming you in too. I don't remember seeing that "Where's the Beef?!" sign.

I haven't had the tie-dye cheesecake yet! Definately on my must try list for Nov/Dec.

I LOVE Bella!

I didn't see it either...lol. I told DFi to take a picture of that because of the little mushroom bowl on the left because my mom had the whole set when I was younger. He says he mentioned it to me by saying "Where's the Beef?" But I ignored him just figuring he was hungry...lol

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Fun report so far--I look forward to reading more!

 

[Mickey_Mom]

I didn't see it either...lol. I told DFi to take a picture of that because of the little mushroom bowl on the left because my mom had the whole set when I was younger. He says he mentioned it to me by saying "Where's the Beef?" But I ignored him just figuring he was hungry...lol