BFFs & Birthday Surprises! A "Girls Only" TR *Completed 3/13*
- Thread starter PixieMama
- Start date
beebeeryan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 9, 2010
Love love LOVE your TT pics. So much fun!
And now let's get back to our regularly scheduled TR!
Sunday morning was bittersweet I'd have to say good-bye to Angie and Kat, but it was also the day Mom, Heather, and Helen would be arriving and Part 2 of my trip would begin!
(Oh, BTW I had received a text from my Mom around 11:30 the night before. Mom, Heather, and Helen had decided to drive through the night, stopping if (and when) needed. It's a good 10 hour drive, at least I figured they'd have to make a few stops and wasn't expecting them until noon, at the earliest.)
Kat, Angie, and I decided to go to Downtown Disney for a little while, and they would leave from there to drive back home. We left our room around 9 a.m. (I think) and stopped at the front desk to settle the bill. I also dropped my suitcase off at the luggage desk, so I wouldn't have to worry about lugging it with me to DTD. While we were out front, we asked a CM if he'd take a picture of the three of us together:
To get that shot, the CM sat down and crashed through the hedges! I will never forget this guy (I wish we had gotten his name!) sitting in the middle of a bush, taking our picture!
After the photo-taking shenanigans, we drove to Downtown Disney. This was my first visit to DTD well, technically, I'd been there twice before, but both of those times were just to transfer busses. This was my first time actually walking around. We stayed in the Marketplace, first heading to World of Disney:
After doing some shopping, Kat and Angie went off to a few other shops, while I stopped in at Guest Relations to pick up the park tickets for Mom, Heather, and Helen. I was just making my way into GR when my phone rang it was my mom, letting me know they were near Ocala (about an hour and half away)!
I then met back up with Kat and Angie at Goofy's Candy Co., where we drooled over all the yummy treats:
We then decided to grab some lunch at Earl of Sandwich. I think it was around 11:00 at this time the place was busy, but not too crowded. Kat and Angie went to place our orders while I grabbed a table. I had the Italian sandwich, and it was very good!
After lunch it was time for Kat, Angie, and I to part ways. We said our good-byes, I waved them off, then walked over to the bus stop. I waited maybe 15 minutes for the bus. It was around 12:30 when I got on the bus my sister called me to say they had made it to the condo, and they would be on their way to pick me up at Pop. After making stops at Pleasure Island and Typhoon Lagoon, the bus finally rolled into Pop around 1:00! The condo was only 10 minutes or so away, so the others were in the parking lot waiting for me. I picked up my suitcase from the luggage desk and we were on our way!
Mom, Heather, and Helen hadn't eaten lunch yet, so we stopped at T.G.I. Friday's so they could eat. After a leisurely lunch, we headed back to the condo around 3:00. Even though check-in wasn't officially until 4, Helen had been told that our unit should be ready early and we were hoping it would be.
Of course it wasn't. We drove from the main office over to the clubhouse to sit and wait. Around 3:30, Helen went back to the office to check but the unit was still not ready.
4:00 - still not ready.
4:30 - still not ready.
5:00 - STILL. NOT. READY.
Up next: Would our condo ever be ready?!
Sunday morning was bittersweet I'd have to say good-bye to Angie and Kat, but it was also the day Mom, Heather, and Helen would be arriving and Part 2 of my trip would begin!
(Oh, BTW I had received a text from my Mom around 11:30 the night before. Mom, Heather, and Helen had decided to drive through the night, stopping if (and when) needed. It's a good 10 hour drive, at least I figured they'd have to make a few stops and wasn't expecting them until noon, at the earliest.)
Kat, Angie, and I decided to go to Downtown Disney for a little while, and they would leave from there to drive back home. We left our room around 9 a.m. (I think) and stopped at the front desk to settle the bill. I also dropped my suitcase off at the luggage desk, so I wouldn't have to worry about lugging it with me to DTD. While we were out front, we asked a CM if he'd take a picture of the three of us together:
To get that shot, the CM sat down and crashed through the hedges! I will never forget this guy (I wish we had gotten his name!) sitting in the middle of a bush, taking our picture!
After the photo-taking shenanigans, we drove to Downtown Disney. This was my first visit to DTD well, technically, I'd been there twice before, but both of those times were just to transfer busses. This was my first time actually walking around. We stayed in the Marketplace, first heading to World of Disney:
After doing some shopping, Kat and Angie went off to a few other shops, while I stopped in at Guest Relations to pick up the park tickets for Mom, Heather, and Helen. I was just making my way into GR when my phone rang it was my mom, letting me know they were near Ocala (about an hour and half away)!
I then met back up with Kat and Angie at Goofy's Candy Co., where we drooled over all the yummy treats:
We then decided to grab some lunch at Earl of Sandwich. I think it was around 11:00 at this time the place was busy, but not too crowded. Kat and Angie went to place our orders while I grabbed a table. I had the Italian sandwich, and it was very good!
After lunch it was time for Kat, Angie, and I to part ways. We said our good-byes, I waved them off, then walked over to the bus stop. I waited maybe 15 minutes for the bus. It was around 12:30 when I got on the bus my sister called me to say they had made it to the condo, and they would be on their way to pick me up at Pop. After making stops at Pleasure Island and Typhoon Lagoon, the bus finally rolled into Pop around 1:00! The condo was only 10 minutes or so away, so the others were in the parking lot waiting for me. I picked up my suitcase from the luggage desk and we were on our way!
Mom, Heather, and Helen hadn't eaten lunch yet, so we stopped at T.G.I. Friday's so they could eat. After a leisurely lunch, we headed back to the condo around 3:00. Even though check-in wasn't officially until 4, Helen had been told that our unit should be ready early and we were hoping it would be.
Of course it wasn't. We drove from the main office over to the clubhouse to sit and wait. Around 3:30, Helen went back to the office to check but the unit was still not ready.
4:00 - still not ready.
4:30 - still not ready.
5:00 - STILL. NOT. READY.
Up next: Would our condo ever be ready?!
TanzUnited99
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2010
Great PP pics and although you didn't get many on day 3 it looks like you got your moneys worth out of it 
I love the pic of the three of you at Pop and how sweet of that CM to go to such lengths to make sure you got the perfect shot.
Love the yummy treat pics and hope the condo is ready soon. You think it would be ready by 5.00 if check in was at 4!
I love the pic of the three of you at Pop and how sweet of that CM to go to such lengths to make sure you got the perfect shot.
Love the yummy treat pics and hope the condo is ready soon. You think it would be ready by 5.00 if check in was at 4!
I left off saying how Mom, Heather, Helen, and I were (not so) patiently waiting for our condo to be ready. As we sat on the balcony of the clubhouse, the skies got darker and darker, and thunder started to rumble. Heather made a comment that she just knew the rain would hold off
until the time we would have to unpack the car.
It was just after 5:30 when Helen got a text from the office hallelujah, our condo was ready!
And, just as Heather had predicted, the rain came down in buckets, right as we pulled up to the building our unit was in. We grabbed our luggage and made a mad dash through the pouring rain, but it didn't matter because we all looked like we had jumped in the pool with our clothes on, that's how wet we were! We walked into the condo and literally dropped our bags inside the door. And then went nuts, running around the place to check it out! It was gorgeous!
After taking photos, showering, unpacking, and taking a moment to relax, Heather and Helen went to the grocery store and to pick up some Chinese food for dinner. Once they got back, we presented Mom with her (first) birthday surprise: fresh flowers, a Mickey balloon, and small cake!
(Today was Mom's actual birthday, and she had no idea what was in store for her over the next few days!)
After putting the groceries away, we all sat down to eat dinner. About halfway through our meal, Mom asked, "What's that noise?" and turned around in her chair to look out the balcony doors. What did she see? Fireworks! Or, to be more specific, Wishes! We all jumped up and ran out to the balcony to watch the show.
It was getting pretty late by this point, and knowing we had a long and full day ahead of us we all got ready for bed. Our plan was to be at Epcot in time for rope drop
It was just after 5:30 when Helen got a text from the office hallelujah, our condo was ready!
And, just as Heather had predicted, the rain came down in buckets, right as we pulled up to the building our unit was in. We grabbed our luggage and made a mad dash through the pouring rain, but it didn't matter because we all looked like we had jumped in the pool with our clothes on, that's how wet we were! We walked into the condo and literally dropped our bags inside the door. And then went nuts, running around the place to check it out! It was gorgeous!
After taking photos, showering, unpacking, and taking a moment to relax, Heather and Helen went to the grocery store and to pick up some Chinese food for dinner. Once they got back, we presented Mom with her (first) birthday surprise: fresh flowers, a Mickey balloon, and small cake!
(Today was Mom's actual birthday, and she had no idea what was in store for her over the next few days!)
After putting the groceries away, we all sat down to eat dinner. About halfway through our meal, Mom asked, "What's that noise?" and turned around in her chair to look out the balcony doors. What did she see? Fireworks! Or, to be more specific, Wishes! We all jumped up and ran out to the balcony to watch the show.
It was getting pretty late by this point, and knowing we had a long and full day ahead of us we all got ready for bed. Our plan was to be at Epcot in time for rope drop
Nermel9
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2009
Getting caught up! Your PP pics are great, I love the matching shirts you guys had! And the Pop picture is so cute, I have that same Snow White shirt!
OMG everything at Goofy's Candy Co. looks so good! I think I've only been in there once or twice, and I get so overwhelmed that I never get anything!
Your condo is beautiful, and how awesome that you could see Wishes! I love that little cake!
And the Pop picture is so cute, I have that same Snow White shirt!OMG everything at Goofy's Candy Co. looks so good! I think I've only been in there once or twice, and I get so overwhelmed that I never get anything!
Your condo is beautiful, and how awesome that you could see Wishes! I love that little cake!
TanzUnited99
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2010
Love the pics of the condo - it sure looks amazing and even makes that wait worth it! 
Yay on surprising your mum and
on being able to see Wishes from your balcony.
Yay on surprising your mum and
on being able to see Wishes from your balcony.I can't believe you could see Wishes from your balcony! Might be a nudge to make me think about staying offsiteWas your condo part of a time share only - or can anyone stay there?
That is awesome you were able to see Wishes from your balcony!! I don't think I would be patiently waiting either for the condo
Love the pics of the condo - it sure looks amazing and even makes that wait worth it!
Yay on surprising your mum and
Watching Wishes from our balcony was a definite treat!
Kat, I don't know if the resort was timeshare only or not. Google "the fountains bluegreen" and it should be the first result to pop up. The place is HUGE and really pretty.
Great photos!
The condo is gorgeous!! It looks like it was worth the wait! Nice bonus of being able to see Wishes too
You're back, MARsMama! Can't wait to hear all about your trip!
Just to refresh your memory:
This was Helen's first trip to WDW, ever it was all new to her!
Mom had last been to WDW in 2004 with my brother, sister-in-law, and then-3-year-old nephew. They did not go to HS on that trip, so that park would be new to her.
Heather's last trip to WDW was in 1999, but that was just a day trip to the MK. Previously, she'd been to MK and Epcot on our family trip when she was 7 so she hadn't been to AK or HS prior to this trip.
Monday morning we woke up, ready to have a fun day at Epcot! Mom's birthday surprise today was an autograph book. We gave it to her before we left, and told her it was for her to get signatures of not only characters, but anyone who wishes her a "Happy Birthday!"
We left the condo at 8:45 and arrived at Epcot by 9. As soon as we made our way through the turnstiles, I saw Stitch the same place he was the other day. There wasn't anyone waiting in line, so we stopped there for pictures and for Mom to get her first signature in her birthday book!
When I had picked up the park tickets the day before, I had meant to get buttons while at Guest Relations but I forgot (oops). So Heather, Mom, and Helen first went to GR to get their buttons and would then head to Test Track. Meanwhile, I ran over to Soarin' to get FPs for all of us.
We met back up at TT, which only had a 10 minute wait time! This is Mom's favorite ride, and Heather and Helen thought it was very cool. We rode TT for a second time, and then made our way to the Character Spot. More photos and autographs for Mom's book!
After seeing all the characters, we stopped in at Club Cool. Mom, Heather, and I have been to the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta before, but this was their first time at Club Cool (Helen's, too). I told Heather and Helen they had to try the Beverly:
Can't you tell it's now their favorite?!
We then made our way to the Land so we could use our Soarin' FPs. I wasn't sure how Mom would like this ride, as she'd never been on it before and she doesn't handle heights very well. Mom said she'd at least try it, provided that we ask to be seated on the bottom row since it doesn't get raised in the air as high as the othes! I love Soarin', and Helen loved it Heather and Mom enjoyed it, but not as much as TT.
It was just before 12:00 when we headed to the World Showcase. We started in Canada, but only stopped there to take this photo:
Just as we made our way to the UK pavilion, we noticed the World Showcase Players had started a show so we stopped to watch. After that, we took the requisite "phone booth photo" and walked through the shops.
Heather stopped in the shop (I don't know its name) where you can find your family crest/coat of arms and asked to see ours. The CM working pulled up our name (Phillips) and pointed out that our family crest has a Duke's coronet on top meaning that we were descended from nobility! Heather was all, "I knew it! I am so going to take advantage of this and demand to be treated thusly!"
We then headed over to France, and as soon as we got to that pavilion, we noticed Marie and got in line to meet her (but apparently I didn't get a photo!) I then Sleeping Beauty, so we went to meet her and got a good laugh! As we were talking to her, she called us princesses so naturally, Heather mentioned how she had just found out about the Duke's coronet on our family crest. To which Sleeping Beauty replied, "Oh, just like me! I didn't' find out I was a princess until I was 16!" As we walked away, Heather and Helen were tickled at how "in character" Sleeping Beauty was!
We walked through a few of the shops when we came out we noticed the Serveur Amusant were performing so we stopped to watch. It was 1:00 when their show ended, so we went ahead to check in for our lunch at Les Chefs de France. Our ADR was for 1:10, but they seated us right away.
None of us had dined here before, and we all LOVED our lunch. The food was absolutely delicious, the restaurant was beautiful, and our waitress, Miriam, was a sweetheart. You can read my review of our lunch on my Dining Review, but the highlight was definitely when our table had a visit from Remy!
I hadn't told the others that Remy makes appearances during lunch, so this was a little surprise for them all. Remy's "handler", Armand, was a hoot! They even sang "Joyeux Anniversaire" to Mom (click to view):
(In case you can't hear or make out what he's saying, Armand is chastising Remy for being early and then too sharp! He wishes Mom a "Happy 21st Birthday", and she asks him to sign her autograph/birthday book. Armand then tells Remy he'll sign for him, and it's ok because "it's not power of attorney"!)
Here's where Armand signed Mom's book:
After stuffing ourselves silly on delicious, rich food, we left Les Chefs to continue our way around the World Showcase...
This was Helen's first trip to WDW, ever it was all new to her!
Mom had last been to WDW in 2004 with my brother, sister-in-law, and then-3-year-old nephew. They did not go to HS on that trip, so that park would be new to her.
Heather's last trip to WDW was in 1999, but that was just a day trip to the MK. Previously, she'd been to MK and Epcot on our family trip when she was 7 so she hadn't been to AK or HS prior to this trip.
Monday morning we woke up, ready to have a fun day at Epcot! Mom's birthday surprise today was an autograph book. We gave it to her before we left, and told her it was for her to get signatures of not only characters, but anyone who wishes her a "Happy Birthday!"
We left the condo at 8:45 and arrived at Epcot by 9. As soon as we made our way through the turnstiles, I saw Stitch the same place he was the other day. There wasn't anyone waiting in line, so we stopped there for pictures and for Mom to get her first signature in her birthday book!
When I had picked up the park tickets the day before, I had meant to get buttons while at Guest Relations but I forgot (oops). So Heather, Mom, and Helen first went to GR to get their buttons and would then head to Test Track. Meanwhile, I ran over to Soarin' to get FPs for all of us.
We met back up at TT, which only had a 10 minute wait time! This is Mom's favorite ride, and Heather and Helen thought it was very cool. We rode TT for a second time, and then made our way to the Character Spot. More photos and autographs for Mom's book!
After seeing all the characters, we stopped in at Club Cool. Mom, Heather, and I have been to the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta before, but this was their first time at Club Cool (Helen's, too). I told Heather and Helen they had to try the Beverly:
Can't you tell it's now their favorite?!
We then made our way to the Land so we could use our Soarin' FPs. I wasn't sure how Mom would like this ride, as she'd never been on it before and she doesn't handle heights very well. Mom said she'd at least try it, provided that we ask to be seated on the bottom row since it doesn't get raised in the air as high as the othes! I love Soarin', and Helen loved it Heather and Mom enjoyed it, but not as much as TT.
It was just before 12:00 when we headed to the World Showcase. We started in Canada, but only stopped there to take this photo:
Just as we made our way to the UK pavilion, we noticed the World Showcase Players had started a show so we stopped to watch. After that, we took the requisite "phone booth photo" and walked through the shops.
Heather stopped in the shop (I don't know its name) where you can find your family crest/coat of arms and asked to see ours. The CM working pulled up our name (Phillips) and pointed out that our family crest has a Duke's coronet on top meaning that we were descended from nobility! Heather was all, "I knew it! I am so going to take advantage of this and demand to be treated thusly!"
We then headed over to France, and as soon as we got to that pavilion, we noticed Marie and got in line to meet her (but apparently I didn't get a photo!) I then Sleeping Beauty, so we went to meet her and got a good laugh! As we were talking to her, she called us princesses so naturally, Heather mentioned how she had just found out about the Duke's coronet on our family crest. To which Sleeping Beauty replied, "Oh, just like me! I didn't' find out I was a princess until I was 16!" As we walked away, Heather and Helen were tickled at how "in character" Sleeping Beauty was!
We walked through a few of the shops when we came out we noticed the Serveur Amusant were performing so we stopped to watch. It was 1:00 when their show ended, so we went ahead to check in for our lunch at Les Chefs de France. Our ADR was for 1:10, but they seated us right away.
None of us had dined here before, and we all LOVED our lunch. The food was absolutely delicious, the restaurant was beautiful, and our waitress, Miriam, was a sweetheart. You can read my review of our lunch on my Dining Review, but the highlight was definitely when our table had a visit from Remy!
I hadn't told the others that Remy makes appearances during lunch, so this was a little surprise for them all. Remy's "handler", Armand, was a hoot! They even sang "Joyeux Anniversaire" to Mom (click to view):
(In case you can't hear or make out what he's saying, Armand is chastising Remy for being early and then too sharp! He wishes Mom a "Happy 21st Birthday", and she asks him to sign her autograph/birthday book. Armand then tells Remy he'll sign for him, and it's ok because "it's not power of attorney"!)
Here's where Armand signed Mom's book:
After stuffing ourselves silly on delicious, rich food, we left Les Chefs to continue our way around the World Showcase...
beebeeryan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 9, 2010
I'm so jealous of a leisurely stroll through WS!!! I will get one someday! Remy is too cute, I want to see him.
TanzUnited99
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2010
Yay on Stitch being the first to sign your mum's birthday book!
Lol at Helen and Heather's Beverly faces - hilarious!!
We LOVED Soarin' but can understand people not liking it because of the height.
Enjoyed the WS tour and the interaction that took place with Sleeping Beauty.
Lol at Helen and Heather's Beverly faces - hilarious!!
We LOVED Soarin' but can understand people not liking it because of the height.
Enjoyed the WS tour and the interaction that took place with Sleeping Beauty.
I'm starting to feel better about "making" them stroll around the WS on our next trip. They've seen the pics from my trip, and are oooh-ing and aahhh-ing over some of the snacks! So I'm thinking we'll just eat our way around the World to make them happy!
After leaving Les Chefs, we (along with our full bellies) headed over to watch Impressions de France. Helen's ancestry is French, so she was really looking forward to seeing this. We walked into the theater and was told the next film would start in about 15 minutes. We passed the time by getting in line to see Belle (PhotoPass pic to follow
) After the film, we checked out the shops and bakery before heading to Morocco, where we just wandered through the shops and looked around.
It was right at 4:00 when we started making our way to Japan and as we did, it started to sprinkle. Within seconds it began to pour, but thankfully we made it to the shops in Japan before rain hit us too hard. The downpour only lasted 10 minutes or so.
I had wanted us to watch Miyuki work her magic with sugar, but I guess because of the rain she couldn't make her scheduled show. We went back in the shops where Heather and Helen did the "pick a pearl"
By the time we finished walking through the shops in Japan, the rain had ended and we were able to catch a little bit of the Matsuriza drum troupe.
As we walked around through all the shops in the WS, Mom made sure to get signatures for her book from CMs who wished her "Happy Birthday!" Here's a pic of some she got from CMs in Japan and France:
We decided to skip the U.S. pavilion, and in Italy we just looked in the shops and watched a few minutes of the Ziti Sisters performance. I had never seen this group before those ladies were pretty funny!
More shops and Karamell-Kuche in Germany (where I was severely disappointed in the caramel cupcake), and then we visited the shops in China and sat down at Lotus Blossom to relax and cool off with smoothies.
We decided to skip Norway and Mexico. Somehow, time seemed to be passing very quickly! It was after 7:00 when we finished walking around the WS and we still had a few attractions in Future World to visit, as well as FPs for Soarin'.
Back in FW, we first went to ride Journey Into Imagination and then used those Soarin' FPs. While in The Land, I had figured we'd eat dinner at Sunshine Seasons, but when we got there none of us was really hungry. So we headed over to The Seas to ride Nemo and look around:
Sadly, we missed out on Turtle Talk with Crush. Then it was on to Spaceship Earth, and a walk through Mousegears before leaving.
We left Epcot right at 9:00 and made the walk back to our car. Of course, by this time we were hungry, so we ended up stopping at a McDonald's on the way back to the condo!
Up next: TSM or bust!
It was right at 4:00 when we started making our way to Japan and as we did, it started to sprinkle. Within seconds it began to pour, but thankfully we made it to the shops in Japan before rain hit us too hard. The downpour only lasted 10 minutes or so.
I had wanted us to watch Miyuki work her magic with sugar, but I guess because of the rain she couldn't make her scheduled show. We went back in the shops where Heather and Helen did the "pick a pearl"
By the time we finished walking through the shops in Japan, the rain had ended and we were able to catch a little bit of the Matsuriza drum troupe.
As we walked around through all the shops in the WS, Mom made sure to get signatures for her book from CMs who wished her "Happy Birthday!" Here's a pic of some she got from CMs in Japan and France:
We decided to skip the U.S. pavilion, and in Italy we just looked in the shops and watched a few minutes of the Ziti Sisters performance. I had never seen this group before those ladies were pretty funny!
More shops and Karamell-Kuche in Germany (where I was severely disappointed in the caramel cupcake), and then we visited the shops in China and sat down at Lotus Blossom to relax and cool off with smoothies.
We decided to skip Norway and Mexico. Somehow, time seemed to be passing very quickly! It was after 7:00 when we finished walking around the WS and we still had a few attractions in Future World to visit, as well as FPs for Soarin'.
Back in FW, we first went to ride Journey Into Imagination and then used those Soarin' FPs. While in The Land, I had figured we'd eat dinner at Sunshine Seasons, but when we got there none of us was really hungry. So we headed over to The Seas to ride Nemo and look around:
Sadly, we missed out on Turtle Talk with Crush. Then it was on to Spaceship Earth, and a walk through Mousegears before leaving.
We left Epcot right at 9:00 and made the walk back to our car. Of course, by this time we were hungry, so we ended up stopping at a McDonald's on the way back to the condo!
Up next: TSM or bust!
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