Sure he has his Disney driver's license... a March 2016 Trip Report

[Sydney2977]

Hello! Loving your trip report! Know what I love even more??? YOUR SHIRT IN THIS PIC!
My fav character is The Evil Queen, but Maleficent is a close second ( and it was even before the movie came out! Lol!)
I'm from the Charleston Area originally - I know what you mean about the traffic! I live in New England now, but the last time I was at Gillette was for a Jimmy Buffet concert! ( Don't tell your DS)

Thanks! Maleficent has been my fav since I was a teenager! I have a collection of all kinds of stuff (DH has contributed to that extensively) and even made a pinewood derby car shaped like her when the boys were in Cub Scouts. Where in the low country did you live? We are in Summerville. IF DH and I actually went to Gillette Stadium it would probably be for a concert too!

Agreed. That Maleficent shirt is awesome. Where did you get it from?

Thank you! I love it too, but it's getting old- I think I need a new one. I remember getting it at DHS- back when it was MGM. I had another one DH got me that was even cooler, but it has shrunk to the point where it looks like a belly shirt Brittany Spears would wear. The last time I was able to wear it was on our 2013 trip.

Hahaha you're so right- I don't think your husband and son would go for the Little Mermaid room either!!! My boyfriend and I are actually staying at a Little Mermaid themed room, but he's never been to Disney so the theme is really cool to him!! I can't wait! We leave one month from tomorrow! We wish they offered different standard rooms though. We are huge Lion King fans, and would love to stay at a standard room themed like that! We were stuck between a moderate or AoA. We chose AoA for the price. Plus we don't think too much Disney is a thing- and love the idea of a heavily themed Disney resort!!! But we will definitely be trying the moderates someday!!!

If just DH and I were going it would be fine. Although DS likes Little Mermaid (and even randomly sings the songs), he'd be asking why we weren't in the Lion King or Cars section!

Me too! And Disney Danish is heavenly.......


Again, I have this every chance I get down there!

I see we share the same taste in Disney treats!

 

[Sydney2977]

Sunday March 6: "I think we're on the wrong side." "Of the stadium?" "And the continent."

Being from Houston DH and I are big Astros fans. DS has played baseball for years (although won't be this year due to his ankle) and loves the Astros too. We didn't plan the trip around Spring Training, but when I figured out we'd be there at the same time and could go to a game I decided we needed to go. Originally we were going to arrive on Sunday like we usually do, but when I checked the schedules the only days we could see the Astros during the week were on days we already had park plans and adr's, and I didn't want to rearrange all of that. So DH simply asked "Well can't we just leave a day early?" Really? OK! I called and had the extra day added on to our reservation. Then I had to wait until January to buy the tickets in the pre-sale. We didn't tell DS where we were going till that morning either and he was really happy. After eating we headed into the stadium for the 1:05 game.


When I picked the seats I chose ones on the home (right) side and got one of them as an aisle seat. As we made our way to sit down I felt something was off. Sure enough, we sit down and as the other fans started arriving we were surrounded by a sea of blue- as in Toronto Blue Jay blue! Looking across the stadium we saw the Astros were in the opposite dugout and most of the fans on that side were in Astros gear! Ugh! Well, they were still really good seats. Soon it was time for the national anthems. A gentleman sang the Canadian anthem and then we got a cool treat- a guy playing trumpet played the American anthem. He was really good too! I wished older DS could have been there since that's what he plays.


The game kicked off with our team getting three outs easily. Then one of my favorite players was leading off hitting. He's only 5'6- my height- but he rocks!


I won't bore you guys with a complete play-by-play, but there were a few 3 up, 3 down innings, and then Rasmus hit a homer! Woo hoo! The Blue Jays came back at their turn and one of their guys hit a homer too.

During the game Orbit the mascot came around to say hi!


We noticed one of the Toronto players was from Goose Creek, SC- it's a suburb of Charleston almost right next to us. I texted my friend who lives there- and whose husband and son are Astros fans too- to tell her. Then she texted me back that her son knows the guy and went to high school with him! It really is a small world!


I won't bore you with a play-by-play of the whole game, but Singleton homered so they were up 2-1.


A few more 3 up, 3 down innings for both teams, and then in the bottom of the 8th the Astros came alive! It started off with a single, and then hit after hit came, and the guys were moving around the bases.


They scored 5 runs that inning, and the Blue Jays were not able to score again at their last at bat. So our team won 7-1! I will say that even though we were sitting on the "wrong" side, the Toronto fans were really nice and we didn't get any dirty looks when we cheered. Everyone was just having a good time and it was a really cool experience.



We never get to see them play that up close (unless we wanted to pay an arm and a leg) and we don't get back as often during baseball season, so I'm very glad we were able to make this part of our vacation.

 

[Sydney2977]

Sunday March 6: Play Time

After the baseball game we hopped in the car and drove back to POFQ. I thought it was weird because the toll on the way there was $2, but on the way back it was only $1.50. DH drove slow enough into the resort so I could get a good sign picture.


When we arrived back at the room we discovered the mouse keepers had visited and our towel animal had become a "hidden Mickey."


We relaxed for a minute and then decided to head to DS. We had a 6:45 dinner adr but wanted to get some fun in before that. DS got on his ECV, we headed to the front of the resort, and only had to wait about 5 minutes for a bus. We arrived at DS in no time and walked from Marketplace to West Side for our destination.


I will say that it's kind of annoying that both the bus and boat services drop off at Marketplace. I wish there were two different drop off locations. I know there is an internal boat at DS, but you might as well walk as long as it takes to get off and transfer. Another option would be to have both services drop off in the middle, that way all guests would have to walk about equal distances no matter where they were going. At least they have the cut through bridge that saves a like walking distance. The whole area was crowded as it was a Sunday but there was a nice breeze.

We arrived at Disney Quest and I have to admit I was a bit nervous. I had purchased the water parks and more ticket option, but now that we couldn't do the water park, it was really important to be able to enjoy DQ- because it wasn't worth the price for four rounds of mini golf, and plus we love going! I was reading here on the Dis that the "more" didn't include DQ any longer, but before I purchased I was assured it would be. So I called the week before we left and a very nice CM asked her supervisor, who checked and said it did still qualify. But you never know, and I didn't want to disappoint the guys.


Luckily we waltzed right in, scanned our magic bands, and were loaded onto an elevator for the third floor. What was first up? This should give you a clue:


They love this game, even though it's so "old" looking, but I stink at it. I played a couple times but then went to find something else. They were challenging each other to see who could score higher.


When the guys caught back up with me I had found something more my speed- skee ball! There just happened to be three lined up so we had a best out of 5 challenge. Guess who won?


On that level there are also some other classic arcade games that we played for a while before discovering the race area. The guys found the Star Wars pod racing one and I played another car one.


We next jumped on the row of Nascar race games- I think there's like 8- so we could race against each other and a few other people. That got to be funny and probably ended up being our favorite to play together. Poor Jared had to use his left foot for the gas and brake though. I was trying to take racing seriously but they kept trying to play bumper cars! Sometimes I'd end up winning because the two of them were too busy trying to wreck each other. When they started doing it to me though it was on! I'm sure the other people playing with us thought we were crazy, but we had a blast! At about 6:30 we took a break to head to dinner. Conveniently it was right across the street.

 

[Sarahh1027]

Awesome update!! So glad your team won and you all had a great time
I agree with the DS bus drop off!! It's poor planning in my opinion.
I've never been to Disney Quest but it looks like fun!
Hmmm where will dinner be??

 

[Sydney2977]

Sunday March 6: Dinner at House of Blues

You probably guessed in the last post where we chose to eat for dinner.


As many times as we've been to DTD and DQ, I don't know how we've never tried House of Blues. Now that we have I can say that we will definitely be returning in the future. The atmosphere and décor is eclectic and even though it's a bit noisy (though I think that's mainly from guests talking too loud) it is still a fun funky place.
We checked in at the podium outside and the nice young lady working there gave us a pager. We were told DS could drive the ECV inside but it would probably need to be brought back out- no problem since DH is experienced with this. We only waited about 5 minutes and were seated right at our appointed 6:45 adr time. Sweet- we got a booth on the outside "loop" of the main dining area right about in the middle. It offered a great view of the whole area and we didn't feel stuck in the middle of all the action either.


Our server was excellent- very friendly, joking around with us, kept drinks filled the whole time- loved her! I got berry tea, DS had Dr. Pepper, and DH just got water with lime. I had looked at the menu before the trip and hadn't totally decided what I wanted, but I knew what DS would probably order and I was right. DH was pretty predictable too. Our orders were taken and the food came out quickly, nice and fresh.

Just as I thought, DS picked the Voodoo shrimp- shrimp in a delicious sauce (yes, I tried the sauce) piled on top of jalapeno cornbread. He absolutely loved this dish- it was one of his favorites on the whole trip. DS enjoys spicy but he still said this dish had good heat while still being mainly flavorful.

DH got the smoked bbq bacon burger. He said the burger was cooked perfectly, the bbq sauce was tasty, the brioche bun was a good compliment to the toppings, and those pickles were a nice extra (I tried them and liked them too).


Both the guys saw the bacon wrapped meatloaf on the menu and were tempted to order it, but want me to try to replicate it at home. I still haven't been brave enough to attempt that yet...

I was torn between many dishes and finally chose the fish tacos. Honestly I don't think I would have gone wrong with any of the other choices, and this is one more reason we want to come back- to try other things. There are such a variety of foods that I think would satisfy anyone in your travel party- from the types to the size of the meals. I was glad we chose not to do the dining plan because DS and my picks were actually on the appetizer menu. Ok, back to my tacos!


Yum, yum, yum! The fish was perfectly cooked, the tortillas were stuffed full, I loved the cheese on top,- melt in your mouth creamy, and the avocado dipping sauce gave it a nice kick. Great, now I want some now...

All in all it was a super dinner. Even though we won't likely be going to Disney Quest on our next visit (unless by some strange chance it remains open for another few years) we will certainly be returning to House of Blues to eat. I know our older DS will love it too.

While we were waiting for the receipt DH went to go play valet and get DS's ECV. Ugh, they are such hams!

 

[mdsouth]

Just got all caught up! Wonderful updates! The Astros game looks like something my son would love! We are Cardinal fans but my son and hubby love MLB so much they would watch anyone. Each summer my son tries to get us to take him to a new ballpark. He loves to travel and would love to visit all the ballparks. I know what you mean about a Spring Training game allows you to get close to the action without the huge expense. My hubby and I went to see a Cardinal Sprint Training game years and years ago (before kids) while they were in Clearwater Florida. It was a really nice sized ballpark.

It is great that the Astros won and there were lots of runs to watch!

Your review of the House of Blues has me adding it to my list of possibilities for the future.

 

[gardengirl628]

Great reviews. Looking forward to reading more.

 

[ariane37]

I have never even considered HOB, but think I'm going to check out the menu since I'm getting ready to figure out where we want to eat for our Nov. trip

 

[Sarahh1027]

I was so excited to see that you went to House of Blues! This is by far one of my favorites! My past two trips we went on arrival day, and pretty soon I'll be able to book for this upcoming arrival day! I'm not sure why their reservations open up so much later than the others but hey it's all good! I absolutely love this place. Your meals look amazing!

 

[Sydney2977]

Just got all caught up! Wonderful updates! The Astros game looks like something my son would love! We are Cardinal fans but my son and hubby love MLB so much they would watch anyone. Each summer my son tries to get us to take him to a new ballpark. He loves to travel and would love to visit all the ballparks. I know what you mean about a Spring Training game allows you to get close to the action without the huge expense. My hubby and I went to see a Cardinal Sprint Training game years and years ago (before kids) while they were in Clearwater Florida. It was a really nice sized ballpark.

It is great that the Astros won and there were lots of runs to watch!

Your review of the House of Blues has me adding it to my list of possibilities for the future.

Oh, you're Cardinals fans? I'm sorry, I can't talk to you... Just kidding! The teams are big rivals. DH's stepdad is from St. Louis so we always tease him, and his mom and stepdad go at each other during baseball season. DH got to go to a Cardinals game last season since he was there for a work trip- they got AMAZING seats right down front and had access to the VIP place- he had a blast! He said the stadium is beautiful. The Cardinals also have their Spring Training in Florida so maybe you could go either to their "home" field or when they play another team.

Great reviews. Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks! I hope I can keep you reading.

I have never even considered HOB, but think I'm going to check out the menu since I'm getting ready to figure out where we want to eat for our Nov. trip

Definitely check out their menu- I bet you'll find something for everyone you can think of to order there. What would have been even more fun is if a band or something was playing while we were there. Maybe you can figure out a schedule to go during your trip.

I was so excited to see that you went to House of Blues! This is by far one of my favorites! My past two trips we went on arrival day, and pretty soon I'll be able to book for this upcoming arrival day! I'm not sure why their reservations open up so much later than the others but hey it's all good! I absolutely love this place. Your meals look amazing!

I think it will be our new go-to place at DS. I couldn't figure out the late adr picking either. I had all the other plans in place and then was hoping they wouldn't be booked when the window opened up for HOB. Glad we got to try it!

 

[Sydney2977]

Sunday March 6: We've got an appointment with Blackbeard

After stuffing ourselves at House of Blues, we crossed back over to Disney Quest for a little more fun.




We were sent up to the third floor as usual but immediately went back down to the 1st floor. We've done all the virtual games over the years but the one we really enjoy and is a must-do is Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold! There used to be lines for it, and we've even been put on the ship with other groups, but this time there was hardly anyone in DQ, so we could walk right up. (I really should check these pictures right after they're taken!)


Now we've achieved the highest level on past attempts, but we were missing older DS, and younger DS couldn't walk around- he had to stay in one place and lean over to reach all the "cannons" to fire them. DH took care of the steering and one other cannon and I was responsible for the three others. We must have been really trying hard because at the end we defeated the ghost pirate and got the highest level- woo hoo!


Next we went up to the second level where we played with Sid's Create-a-Toy. We like to see who can come up with the weirdest toy. We went to the fourth level next I think, and then the real competition began. We played a few back and forth next person plays winner games of air hockey, but the guys kept wanting to play. We used to have a smaller one at home so I guess they missed playing regularly.


I wandered off to play Tetris and Bejeweled (which can get really addictive) and when they caught back up with me we found the pinball machines and played those for a while. The competitiveness caught up with them again so they had to challenge each other in Guitar Hero. Meanwhile I found another puzzle game to play. Before we left for the night we played a few more racing games and then left about 9:30. DS looked so pretty at night as we wandered back over to the Marketplace side.


We decided to take the bus again back to the resort. We made our way to the bus stop, figured out where we need to go, and only waited a few minutes for the next bus.


Even though it was pretty busy and we were sharing with POR, the bus wasn't too crowded. Back at POFQ we got to our rooms and crashed for the night.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Just a heads up the next time you go to Disney look on restaurant.com for discount gift cert for the House Of Blue in Orlando. You can get a $50 gift cert for $20. Nice savings to put back in your pocket!

We have done it before and it was easy to use.

 

[mdsouth]

It looks like your night out at Disney Springs was a hit with your two guys. I have never been there.

 

[LinderInWonderland]

Just joined in and all caught up! I still haven't been to Disney Springs and I hear DisneyQuest will be closed by the time we go in May, but - SKEEBALL!!! You are a woman after my own heart!

I'm also a baseball fan. I did a double take when I saw the inflatable Astros mascot - I thought it was my beloved Wally the Green Monster at first! (Yes, I am a Red Sox fan.)

 

[Sydney2977]

Just a heads up the next time you go to Disney look on restaurant.com for discount gift cert for the House Of Blue in Orlando. You can get a $50 gift cert for $20. Nice savings to put back in your pocket!

We have done it before and it was easy to use.

Really?!?!? That would be a great value! Thanks for the tip! I'll have to tell DS for next time he goes too.

It looks like your night out at Disney Springs was a hit with your two guys. I have never been there.

To Disney Springs or Disney Quest? Disney Quest I can see skipping for the regular price and if you're not into games. But Disney Springs is so fun! Stores for everyone, great food, lots of other entertainment, and the cheapest form of entertainment- people watching!

 

[Sydney2977]

Monday March 7: Breakfast at Old Port Royale

Today was supposed to be the day we went to Blizzard Beach, but DS's fractured ankle kinda put a damper on that plan. Since we were going to drive to the water park I had planned a stop at Caribbean Beach for breakfast. So our new plans had us doing our DS shopping (which was supposed to be on Thur.) in the morning and then DQ in the afternoon, so why not still stop at Old Port Royale for breakfast. We got ready, loaded the ECV into the back of the Rav-4 (or Hi-Ho Silver, as I like to call it), and were on the way. That ECV was way easier to pick up than when older DS and I tried to get DH's in the back of our Tahoe. Of course that was a larger model, DS wasn't as big as DH to lift with me, and the Tahoe was higher off the ground.

It didn't seem busy on the road so it was a quick drive over. We haven't visited here before, just drove around the property once years ago on our way out of town. I really like the colors and décor, and it seems to be about the same size as CSR, which we really enjoyed. I can see us trying this resort in the future. I think the one thing that kept us from here in the past was not having queen beds, but that has been changed.


I have to say that we all really liked the set up of the food court. There is a wide walkway to the dining section and off to the side there are little stations to get the different types of food, and then you pay at the end. This is so much less chaotic than the other food courts. You can stand back out of the way to see what you might want, and it's not a fight to get past the people paying to get out just to get in. Plus it makes you feel like you're in an open market in the Caribbean, so that's cool.


The guys decided on the same thing so DH went to get in that line while I chose a different line for my meal. DS just went to get a table. We met up to pay and then got drinks- using those rrm's again. (Is that a Disney acronym yet? It should be, even though it's hard to say!)

DH and DS got the Mickey waffle with fruit topping. You can get it with bacon or sausage, but they chose bacon.


DS didn't really like the fruit topping so he had his with syrup but of course loved it. That just meant DH had extra strawberry topping. We almost sent a picture to my mom, who hates anything red, sweet, and sticky to eat. Ya know, I think that may be why I love anything red, sticky, and sweet to eat! Needless to say DH loved his breakfast.

I wanted to try something a little different this morning so I got the Western omelet with breakfast potatoes.


The omelet was cooked perfectly and was really stuffed with the ham and veggies. I don't know what it is about Disney potatoes at breakfast, but I love them all, and these were no exception- very flavorful and nice and tender. I don't ever order potatoes or hash browns for breakfast anywhere else. I was nice and let the guys try a bite, but only because I wanted them to know how good they were.

The dining area seemed a bit more spread out and though busy was not noisy. It was sectioned off and the bright colors and decorations were a nice touch.We were able to enjoy our breakfast and talk about our plans for the day. I could see us coming back here for a meal in the future.

 

[Sydney2977]

Just joined in and all caught up! I still haven't been to Disney Springs and I hear DisneyQuest will be closed by the time we go in May, but - SKEEBALL!!! You are a woman after my own heart!

I'm also a baseball fan. I did a double take when I saw the inflatable Astros mascot - I thought it was my beloved Wally the Green Monster at first! (Yes, I am a Red Sox fan.)

You gotta check out Disney Springs- a lot more will be open when you go. And the way it's going, DQ may still be open. The Red Sox are cool- DS played on a Red Sox team one year and he loved wearing the hat out, but then everyone thought he was a fan and would ask him questions- he was just confused!

 

[Sydney2977]

Monday March 7: Rollin' on a River

Back at POFQ we dropped off the car, dropped the rrm's back in the room, and headed to the boat dock. I had to take another shot of our wonderful room view.


Along the way we stopped to check out the new kid's water play area that they just installed at the pool. DS asked (I think jokingly) if he could wear his bathing cast cover and go play in there. We saw a lifeguard walking around in there but no kids at that time. It's really cute and I think it's a great option for younger kids- mine would have loved it when they were little.




There were some construction workers doing maintenance on the slide at the main pool so that slide was closed, but there were still guests enjoying the pool.


We made our way to the dock and there were only a few others waiting. It was between 5-10 minutes before a boat came to pick us up but it was so pretty outside that it was a nice wait.


When our vessel arrived our captain took DS to load first and the rest of us followed. There was a couple who seemed really impatient to get on and seemed annoyed that they had to wait. DH and I always find it crazy that people get ticked off that guests in wheelchairs or ECV's get on buses or boats or monorails first because they are also the last to get off. Plus, they should be happy they don't have to be in one! DH actually said something to someone on our last trip who was complaining while they were loading a guest in an ECV onto a bus. Some people are just so inconsiderate! Well, we weren't going to let those people ruin our day.


The boat pulled away from the dock and we were on our way to Disney Springs. Our captain reminded me of a guy that I used to work with. He was giving us a little mini tour along the way, pointing out features and giving us trivia facts.

The trip was so peaceful I wished we could get to every destination in WDW by boat. DH has said he wished everything was connected by monorail, but I'd take having everything connected by water and getting to take these relaxing ferries everywhere. I'm not a huge fan of Saratoga Springs, but it looks beautiful from the water, especially with the Mickey head flowers in bloom.


That is one thing I really loved about this trip- getting to enjoying the beginnings of spring. With the exception of our very first visit, every other one has been during fall or winter.


Before we knew it we were arriving at the Marketplace dock. It was just about 10:00 and we were glad to see that it looked far less busy than the night before- which would make for a very pleasant shopping time.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Wahoo! I've caught up! For some reason I hadn't been seeing alerts for your TR.

 

[mdsouth]

Enjoyed your update. I have been to Disney Springs (though it was called something different then) but not to Disney Quest.
I, too, enjoyed the ferry ride down the river from PORFQ to DS. Though when we rode it it was starting to get dark, so missed some of the details of the resorts that we passed.

At the time in 2014, all the construction was going on at DS and it was super crowded and lots of the paths were blocked. It will probably be a totally different experience if and when I go back.