Why Not Just Queue Up Another Disney Trip? Link to New TR 6/24 p136!

[MEK]

A Couple New Updates:

Since this TR includes several of my upcoming trips, I feel obliged to keep you updated on those happenings.

FIRST - I bought one park ticket for December. Of course, it will be upgraded to an AP, but I had an AAA rebate certificate that was about to expire. I basically bought a 4 day base ticket with all rebate certificates. Total expenditure $3.50

Second - I was able to rebook our return flights for December, earning $69 in SWA credit.

Third - My SIL confirmed that she will be joining us in June 2012 in a treehouse villa. That will be my Brother/SIL and their four boys. Watch out!

 

[KatMark]

Love the campus photos and the Williamsburg photos thus far (the condo looks really nice).

Score on the airlinje credit.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I must say, I'm very impressed with your $3.50 4 day pass!! Good for you!

 

[Roxychica7]

Poor Brian! I graduated from Salisbury in 2006! The campus has expanded so much in the last few years, but tell him I said good luck and definitely do lots of activities on campus! I was part of Saferide, and worked at the Gulls Nest/Cool Beans..take advantage of the movie nights and comedians, it's free!! And the commons, especially the Bistro at night for dinner and the brunch on the weekends are DELICIOUS! Especially the belgian waffle stations!
Irene was definitely no fun...in Baltimore we got lucky, with the amount of rain we ended up getting!

 

[Queenofallthings]

How amazing is all of that? A credit with SWA...score....and $3.50 for a park pass...where do I sign up I am so happy for you...and a treehouse villa stay is in your future....could this get anymore exciting...I think not my friend

 

[TanzUnited99]

on getting a 4 day park ticket for $3.50 and the SWA credit!!

I'm also happy to read that your SIL and family will be joining you in June 2012 - should be different experience with 4 boys!

 

[littlezar]

Joining in ~ thanks for the invite from the "Happy" trip report!

I'm currently in VB and love the CBBT ~ except the price! We're originally from NJ so that's the way home for us ~ 13 to 1 to 95/NJ Turnpike!

Crazy start to your Williamsburg trip! Glad everything worked out and can't wait to read more!

 

[Nermel9]

I'm here! This TR is going to be so interesting, I can't wait to hear about all of these different trips!

Glad you got your son moved in, ugh, I pretty much blocked that hurricane from my mind already, it was such a pain!

I love Williamsburg, VA, I went there so many times with my family growing up. We always did Busch Gardens, but we did the historic stuff too, I absolutely love American history, I seriously wish I majored in history in college so I could be a history teacher!

I'm so afraid of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge! We went over it once or twice on the drive to VA when I was little and I didn't think anything of it then, because I was a kid, but now...I'd just rather take the long way around it!

 

[MEK]

Love the campus photos and the Williamsburg photos thus far (the condo looks really nice).

The condo was really nice. I really enjoyed my stay there. More pics soon!

Score on the airline credit.

Even $69 is a score as far as I a concerned!

I must say, I'm very impressed with your $3.50 4 day pass!! Good for you!

I had $400 dollars in my AAA rebates, so I used $250 on that ticket! I still have $150 left, but I figured I would wait until closer to the trip to see if I get another $50 certificate. Then I am going to transition over to the Disney Visa because I really won't need the AAA certificates for awhile.

Poor Brian! I graduated from Salisbury in 2006! The campus has expanded so much in the last few years, but tell him I said good luck and definitely do lots of activities on campus! I was part of Saferide, and worked at the Gulls Nest/Cool Beans..take advantage of the movie nights and comedians, it's free!!

Wow - that's so cool. I never expected you to say you graduated from Salisbury! He is a business major and I just toured the Frank Perdue school of business on Saturday and it is amazing with a capital AAAAAAA! Not only is it so visually pleasing, but it is so technologically advanced. OMG, I don't know what you major was, but this building is off the chain (that's kid speak ). It has several $35,000 100 inch flat screen TV's in several of the classroom and state of the art computers and screens in many of the others. All I can say is WOW. I also took a bunch more pictures of the campus and they just opened 600 more upper classman beds.

We live in Delaware so Brian pays triple the Md rate for tuition. It's funny because we live so close to parts of Maryland. I am trying to figure out how he can become a Maryland resident. He is involved in intramurals, but I will ask him about other activities. I would like to see him get more involved. He really does love the school so far!

And the commons, especially the Bistro at night for dinner and the brunch on the weekends are DELICIOUS! Especially the belgian waffle stations!
Irene was definitely no fun...in Baltimore we got lucky, with the amount of rain we ended up getting!

Is the Bistro the name of their main dining hall - I forget???? All I know is he has already spent half of his extra dining dollars. The belgian waffles sound so wonderful.

I hear ya about Irene. We totally lucked out too, but Williamsburg - not so much!!!!

How amazing is all of that? A credit with SWA...score....and $3.50 for a park pass...where do I sign up I am so happy for you...and a treehouse villa stay is in your future....could this get anymore exciting...I think not my friend

Jacquie - there is no doubt about it, I am very fortunate to have all these wonderful trips in my future. I am so appreciative.

I belong to AAA so we get our 2% back in their rebate certificates. Since I had so many I was literally able to pay for almost the entire ticket. I have $150 in rebates saved towards the next ticket and then I have a single one day ticket saved from when Denny and I went in 2009.

I just signed up for the Disney Visa, but their return is only 1%. That's fine - I will use my rewards in June.

on getting a 4 day park ticket for $3.50 and the SWA credit!!

:

I am all about saving $, so I am pretty excited on both fronts!!!! I Just had a bunch of AAA certificates, so I decided to use 5 of them on the park pass. figured, why not!

I'm also happy to read that your SIL and family will be joining you in June 2012 - should be different experience with 4 boys!

You are DO right - 4 boys and Disney will be a totally different experience. I know the older two boys will love it. It should be interesting with the younger two, because the youngest is only 5.

 

[podsnel]

I am sooooooo late, but I am here! You are going to love HHI- such a beautiful island- you are going to LOVE all the paths everywhere for bike riding/running. It's heavenly. Ok- going back to read...I only just finished the BIG one, now on to this new one.....

 

[Wicket's Mom]

MEK, you should have no problem with the five year old. My youngest GD is five & she was no problem (well some , but that is for my TR), she liked to ride most everything.

Yeah, 2000 miles was a long way, I really hated driving away from the school with my son standing there without us.

The next one went to a school that was only 75 miles away. At least he could get home most holidays.

 

[tinacaplan]

Wow...I thought I had just saved a ton of money..you got tickets for less than five bucks!

Should you ever journey back up to New England, I should point out that I live right off I-91, so you'll have to stop and say hi to me, too.

I have to say, much as I love Connecticut, you might have been a bit bored in Mystic unless you enjoy casinos. I always forget they're out there.

I'm glad to hear that your son is getting off to a good start at college. In some ways, that day seems so far off for Max, yet I know it will go all too quickly.

Looking forward to the rest of the report. I haven't been to Williamsburg since I was in highschool, as part of our class trip to D.C.. Your condo looks lovely, too.

 

[MEK]

Joining in ~ thanks for the invite from the "Happy" trip report!

Welcome again littlezar! I tried to welcome you last night but my computer got all jammed up after my first set of replies. I gave up. Unfortunately, this computer is not much better.

I'm currently in VB and love the CBBT ~ except the price! We're originally from NJ so that's the way home for us ~ 13 to 1 to 95/NJ Turnpike!

Crazy start to your Williamsburg trip! Glad everything worked out and can't wait to read more!

So you are originally for Jersey and live in Vero Beach now? Did I read that right? If so - lucky you!

Yes - the W-burg trip started off quite strangely, but it gets better - trust me!

 

[MEK]

I'm here! This TR is going to be so interesting, I can't wait to hear about all of these different trips!

Welcome Jen!!!!
So glad you are here to join in the fun!

Glad you got your son moved in, ugh, I pretty much blocked that hurricane from my mind already, it was such a pain!

It really was a pain and I was very thankful that his eventual move-in did coincide with the rescheduling of our trip! Very happy about that indeed!

I love Williamsburg, VA, I went there so many times with my family growing up. We always did Busch Gardens, but we did the historic stuff too, I absolutely love American history, I seriously wish I majored in history in college so I could be a history teacher!

That's why I need to go back. I need to do more history. Of course, my brain is mush so I never remember things very long, but I find old buildings and the interactiveness of Williamsburg so very cool.

I'm so afraid of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge! We went over it once or twice on the drive to VA when I was little and I didn't think anything of it then, because I was a kid, but now...I'd just rather take the long way around it!

Oh No! Actually - mile wise I think it is shorter to go down 95, but that traffic around DC is crazy, so I prefer the solitude of Rt 13, even though it can be painful!

I am sooooooo late, but I am here! You are going to love HHI- such a beautiful island- you are going to LOVE all the paths everywhere for bike riding/running. It's heavenly. Ok- going back to read...I only just finished the BIG one, now on to this new one.....

Welcome Ellen!!!!!
Thanks for joining in! Any suggestions you have for HH would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to do the kayak tour they offer at the resort. I also want to do the nature tour with the naturalist. Restaurants suggestions would also be helpful!!!!!

MEK, you should have no problem with the five year old. My youngest GD is five & she was no problem (well some , but that is for my TR), she liked to ride most everything.

Well, I do know that a 5 year old boy can be a little bit more difficult than a 5 year old girl! Just sayin! Seriously - this kid is the youngest and he totally uses it to his advantage. I'm sure he will be fine, though. I think its the number of kids that intimidate me, not so many his age!

Yeah, 2000 miles was a long way, I really hated driving away from the school with my son standing there without us.

The next one went to a school that was only 75 miles away. At least he could get home most holidays.

I bet. That must have been some of the saddest drives home. Now 75 miles, on the other hand, that's nice. Brian is about 90miles which really isn't bad. I think anything longer would start to feel far.

Wow...I thought I had just saved a ton of money..you got tickets for less than five bucks!

It was actually only one ticket. I wish it was multiples. Denny keeps telling me that we didn't really save any money since our rewards ARE money, but I disagree. I really can only use the rewards at AAA and since I never book packages through them anymore, I need to buy tickets. I have $150 saved up for the next ticket, which I will buy right before we leave. Then we have a 1 day pass from 2009 that we will upgrade for the third ticket!

Should you ever journey back up to New England, I should point out that I live right off I-91, so you'll have to stop and say hi to me, too.

I have to say, much as I love Connecticut, you might have been a bit bored in Mystic unless you enjoy casinos. I always forget they're out there.

Well, Tina, if I ever do get back up to NE I am definitely up for a DIS meet at your house! Good to know!

I didn't realize Mystic was all casinos. Interesting!

I'm glad to hear that your son is getting off to a good start at college. In some ways, that day seems so far off for Max, yet I know it will go all too quickly.

I really hope things continue to go well for him. He has a tendency to be unpredictable, so anything could happen.

Yes - unfortunately , Max's high school and college years will be here before you know it! It really DOES go that fast!

 

[MEK]

I am definitely updating tonight!!!!!

 

[manntra]

Sorry I am late but I am here now

 

[Pinkocto]

I am in awe of the park ticket! Of course it is savings! The 1% on the Disney Visa isn't much, but it does add up which is nice. I'm constantly checking SWA to see if the prices drop. So glad you were able to switch to a lower price, they are so easy. So awesome about staying in the treehouse, that is on our bucket list.

 

[podsnel]

There are soooo many fantastic restaurants on HHI- Two inexpensive ones are Roastfish & Cornbread (this was really, really good- the chef used to work at the Seashack) and Dye's Gullah Fixin's (which Miss Dye is a character, but I don't know if she still has arestaurant or opened more of a take-out place). Her food is like going to your Southern Grandma's house for dinner. Those two are probably my favorites, because they are so unique.

Hudson's is very good, they have really great hushpuppies- what is nice for you is that it won't be crowded while you're there, so you won't have to wait too long. We waited almost 2 hours, I think, in August one year!

The Studio was very good, very high-end. The Black Marlin was nice to eat outside and reasonable. OO Factory I have been told serves frozen seafood- I would double-check going there with some locals. We did try Wiseguys for cocktails and small plates (Dottie & I) and I REALLY enjoyed it and would want to goi back for more. The Old Fort Pub is very nice, but I liked the food at these other places more- we both felt like it was over-rated (but it is in a gorgeous setting).

We did enjoy Redfish. Not crazy about Bistro 17. I have heard the Ritas are good at San Miguels just over the bridge, but we never made it there- we were always busy with our kids. Ocean Grille was good, but $$.

OMG, there are SOOOO many great restaurants down there- ask Dottie in the mercantile which ones she likes lately- she has excellent taste, and you are going to ADORE her- she is a former DISser, who stopped DISing when she became a CM at HHI- please give her a HUGE hug from me, I really do miss her!!

Oh! And great choice on the kayaking and nature walk- you are going to go NUTS taking photos of all the wildlife, it's SPECTACULAR!!!! I am so jealous!!!

 

[MEK]

Got Electricity?

I know I have some replies to do, but I hope you guys will forgive me if I do an update first.

Denny & I had just arrived at our Williamsburg condo. We took our time getting settled in and freshened up. I packed lunch, so we ate and snacked on the drive. We weren't particularly hungry, but it was dinner time, so we thought we better set off in search of food. But first I called home to check in on Nick.

My original plan was a much earlier arrival to Williamsburg and a visit to Busch Gardens. I didn't have a replacement plan, so I had no clue where we might eat.

It looks like I am having photobucket issues and I can't get my pictures to load. I am going to try to reboot my computer and see if it helps. All I can say is - figures!

Ok - 10 minutes later and I can finally access my pictures.

I took some cell phone pictures of our condo that I would like to post. I used these to upload to trip advisor.

Here goes:

The wall around the fireplace

Hot tub (which we use later in the evening)

Bathroom

Bathroom picture

Close up

Kitchen

Second bedroom

Shortly after 7pm we set out to find food. We passed an large outlet center first. We thought it was odd that all the shops were already closed and the parking lot was empty.

In the corner of the outlet center was a restaurant called Oceans and Ale. Hmmm - Interesting, I thought. Fish and Beer. Ok - I'm game. There were lights on. It looked open, so we drove over and walked to the front door. We were greeted by a staff a member who told us the electricity had just been restored and they would be opening at 8pm. We asked if we could sit at the bar and drink until then, but were politely told no.

So - that explained why the outlets were all closed. No Power.

We decided to drive around and see what else we could find. It immediately became clear that a great deal of Williamsburg was still powerless. Then suddenly we got to the "main drag" where restaurants were a dime a dozen. We saw a Chili's that looked open. Normally I don't want to go to a chain restaurant on vacation, but at this point I was just looking for a restaurant that was (1) open and (2) did not have a line of people waiting outside. Unfortunately, but the time we turned around and tried to park, the line which was non existent, had swelled to about 10 or 12 people. Forget it. We drove on.

It suddenly looked like everyone who had arrived and checked in around the same time as us were now out looking for a place to eat. We kept driving and ended up by William and Mary. We passed a couple of very upscale restaurants that looked busy. We were not dressed for that.

So, our search for food turned into a scenic tour of Williamsburg. By this time it was almost 8pm, so we decided to get on back to Oceans and Ale. It ended up being a good choice. We were one of the first customers and it was definitely more of a locals place. Score!

They had some very interesting beers here. Denny had an IPA and I ended up with a beer called Hoptober. Loved it!

Denny ordered the crab cake sandwich

I had the steak and shrimp fajitas

They were quite good.

Our waitress was quite persuasive in getting us to order this dessert (which is half eaten in this picture)

I have no idea what it was called, but it was deep fried and stuffed with this yummy whipped cheese and berry puree. It was quite good. It would have been wonderful for breakfast.

So we were please with our dinner choice. Fat and happy we drove back to the condo and took a little dip in the hot tub.

Continued next post

 

[MEK]

Got Electricity? (continued)......

On our first full day we woke up to what shaped up to be a beautiful day. Our original trip included a plan to spend some time on the water. Originally I had really wanted to take a sunset schooner cruise, but being that this was a budget friendly trip, I opted for a cheaper option. I found this great deal on a Norfolk naval base cruise. It was 2 1/2hrs long and only $18 with a coupon. Can you say bargain???? I knew Denny would like it.

We originally had it scheduled for Sunday afternoon. So when we got up on Tuesday morning I told Denny I was going to call and see if they were going out at 10am. When I called they were more then willing to take my reservation. They said there were only 4 people with reservations and they needed at least 12 to take the boat out. The young lady reassured me by saying, "Don't worry. We haven't had to cancel yet". So we decided we would go for it.

But I'll get to that in a moment. Earlier that morning I went out and ran around the property. I took a few cell phone pictures:

Even at 7am there were men out cleaning up from the ravages of Irene:

Here is a big tree that was literally uprooted. This seemed to be a common site.

This is the original historic building on the site where the resort was built:

The registration building

Restaurant on property (obviously not opened yet since the hurricane)

I'm done with the cell phone pictures now.

We left the condo in plenty of time to get to the cruise by its 10am departure time.

When we arrived in Hampton, VA we parked in a FREE parking garage directly across from the Virginia Air & Space Museum

Our vessel

The rest of the marina

The dock

Hampton University (across from the marina)

Fortunately, a large group of people walked up to the cruise registration and we ended up with just enough people! Yeah!

My obsession with flags (the one on the back of the boat)

Our cruise director

The gentleman was amazing. He narrated through the entire cruise. He had a fabulous speaking voice and was so knowledgeable.

Our first mate and cook

Time to set sail

Fishing boat

Continued......