10 go to Saratoga Springs October 2016 updated 5th February

[Hayley222]

Travel Day Saturday 1st October

Pre Trip Report here

I set my alarm for 3.50 but woke up at 3 and couldn't get back to sleep! John said I woke him up with me snoring. First job of the day was to feed the cats (Rory and Dixie)and change the cat litter. Rory and Dixie are both 5. This is Rory now



and here she is as a kitten










Here is Dixie








and here she is as a kitten



I had my shower whilst John and the boys had breakfast, too early for me so I just had a coffee. Said goodbye to my girls Rory and Dixie and we left at 5.15. Our next door neighbour Yvonne was coming to look after the cats and she was so good to them whilst we were away, visiting 3 times a day to see and care for them. We had a good journey and got picked up by the bus at the airport car park as soon as we arrived. Wrong car park as it turns out but that's another story for the end of the trip report! Once we got to the airport we met Mum, Dad, Joanne, Chris, Cameron and Katie. They were a bit ahead of us in the check in queue but we were all soon checked in and met up again in the departure lounge. Joanne, Mum and myself had a latte whilst we waited for the plane which was on time.



The plane left at 8.40 and we had a nice breakfast of bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, mushrooms and tomato.
The plane landed ahead of time despite have to queue over London as lots of planes were coming in to land at the same time.

Once we landed Mum, Dad, Joanne, Chris, Cameron and Katie has to board their plane to JFK which was leaving at 11.20.
We were flying via Philadelphia and that didn't leave until 12.45.
Got the kids a kinder egg and an Ok mag for me at WH Smith and then waited for our plane.



In hindsight we'd never get 3 planes to Orlando ever again as it was much too tiring. We normally fly direct from Gatwick and land about 3pm US time. We didn't get to our hotel until 12.45 am US time having been up since 3.30 UK time!

The flights were all good though but it's not for us.
I enjoyed the films during the BA flight and watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, Shallow Water and Finding Dory.
The kids were very good during all the flights.
They played computer games and watched tv and the angry birds film.

I had vegetable lasagne and john had chicken curry. We had chocolate mousse too. The kids had chicken nuggets, peas and mash.

We enjoyed several drinks onboard, I had 3 red wines and a whisky and lemonade. John had 4 beers.

Landed on time and didn't take too long to clear customs. Our flight to Orlando was delayed until 8pm was supposed to be 6.20.
We were hungry and had some tasty cheeseburgers and fries from Wendy's.
Eventually got on plane to Orlando and met up with everyone at Disney's Magical Express.
They didn't care much for JFK and had problem with buses at airport.

We had nice journey on Magical Express bus and finally reached Saratoga Springs Resort.

To end a stressful day, the kids bed hadn't been made up so was doing that at 1am! Apart from that we were very happy to be back at Disney World.

See you soon with Day 1

 

[heaven2dc]

Joining in! What a long day for you! The kids were troopers - I think I would have fallen asleep through most of the flights lol Anxious to see how you like the Saratoga Springs Resort!

P.S. Your kitties are so cute!!

 

[Hayley222]

We had a lovely time at Saratoga Springs, will definitely go back there next time. Yes the kids were great on the planes, better than us adults! Lol

 

[Hayley222]

Day 1 Magic Kingdom

Had a good sleep and woke up at 8.15, I think we were the last ones up as we met everyone else at breakfast at the Artists Palette. With the kids dining plan, children can get an adults quick service meal which gives them more choice.

The boys had scrambled eggs and bacon with some strawberries to have after.

I had the bounty platter which was very nice. It had bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, a biscuit and a Mickey waffle with syrup.


As on every holiday we went to the Magic Kingdom for our first day. It was lovely and hot, in the 90's.

I always love seeing the main entrance and was delighted to be here again. Cameron and Katie had never been to Disney before so was lovely to see their reaction.
Out first fast pass was for the Haunted Mansion

We love this ride and it's one of our favourites. Katie didn't like it as there were no princesses and it was scary!

You always see new things no matter how many times you ride it. I saw legs under the ghostly dining table at the banquet which I hadn't noticed before.
Next up was mum's favourite ride, It's a Small World. It was good as usual and the kids all enjoyed it. Mum was funny boarding the boat and stepped into the wrong row as she was getting on

Had some water as we were thirsty with the heat and then ice lollies and Mickey ice creams for the kids.

Messy faces all round after the Mickey ice cream!
Pirates of the Caribbean didn't have too long a line, so we went on that. Few little changes since 2013. Great ride which everyone enjoyed.

We were all racing drivers next as we went on the Speedway. Ross and Owen drove their cars with John and Dad as passengers. Mum was my passenger. Fun ride.
Splash Mountain was next and I always love this ride. Love having the memory maker and all the great photos you get with it.


Mum doesn't like the big drop in Splash Mountain so her and Dad were going to go to see the Country Bear Jamboree whilst we went on Splash.

Didn't quite go to plan as Mum went to the toilet and then couldn't find Dad when she came out. Poor Dad was waiting 45 minutes before he finally met Mum again! They tried to find each other but eventually Dad went to the "if you get lost" meet up point beside the Walt and Mickey statue. After we came out of Splash Mountain we went over to the Country bears but didn't see them come out. By this time the Festival of Fantasy parade had started so stopped to watch that. It was a good parade and I liked the fire breathing dragon, you can tell I'm a Game of Thrones fan!



Once traffic had cleared we went down to the hub area and saw mum and dad at the meet up point. We heard what had happened and Dad said he didn't even get to see the bears! Felt sorry for poor mum being lost that length of time.
We all then decided to go back to the hotel and John and the boys went swimming whilst I finished the unpacking.

John couldn't find his swimming shorts and was hunting all over for them when he discovered he'd been wearing them as "normal" shorts all day ha ha
We all had showers and got ready for Disney Springs (DS), it was funny calling it that as it's always been Downtown Disney to us. Had lovely boat ride down and walked to the Rainforest Cafe. It was pouring rain ️ once we got to DS so we sheltered in the Lego shop until nearer our reservation time.

Got our table after 10 mins or so.

Mum, Dad and myself had
Jungle Steak and Shrimp

Fiat Iron steak, steak butter, Shrimp Scampi, Caribbean Coconut Shrimp, choice of a side

$28.49


It was lovely but my steak was very rare and not medium as I'd asked. On our second visit there, right at the end of the holiday, the waiters were asking diners to cut into their steak when it arrived at the table to check if it was cooked correctly. They must have had complaints as I've never seen them do that before.
My steak was very nice though and the shrimp was lovely. Ps everyone else's steak was fine.
John had
Primal Steak

Aged USDA choice center-cut NY strip steak, char-broiled, steak butter, red skinned mashed potatoes, choice of a side

$34.99

Joanne had

Ribs, Steak & Shrimp Trio

Caribbean Coconut Shrimp, Mojo Bones Ribs, flat iron steak with steak butter, coleslaw, Safari fries

$30.99


Chris had





Rainforest Burger

Lettuce, tomato, pickle, cheese, topped with a fried onion ring, choice of a side. Add bacon or sautéed mushrooms 1.49

$15.99
Ross had
Hot Dog

Traditional favorite served with mac and cheese and drink

$8.99


Owen had hotdog and fries
Cameron had
Rainforest Rascals

Char-grilled mini burgers served with choice of side and drink

$8.99

Katie ordered
Macaroni & Cheese

Pasta with cheese sauce served with choice of side and drink

$8.99
Poor wee girl fell asleep so Jo and Chris took it back to the room.
I had

Tribal Cheesecake

Our traditional cheesecake served with creamy whipped topping and topped with raspberry sauce

$8.99

This was nice but only managed a bit of it as it was very filling.


The kids had an ice cream sandwich


Got boat back to Saratoga Springs. Lovely first day

Day 1 video is here

 

[Hayley222]

Day 1 video is here

 

[Wish Upon A Starbucks]

Nothing better than starting your holiday in MK! Great parade pictures.

 

[Hayley222]

Day 2 Animal Kingdom

Woke up about 7.30 and we all got ready and went to the Artists Palette for breakfast. I had the Bounty Platter again which was yummy.
We then went to the bus stop and didn't have long to wait for a bus to Animal Kingdom.
Lovely hot day again.

Mum's Magic band wouldn't let her in to begin with but then we were soon inside the park.
The bands were like that sometimes and we needed our bands scanned by a cast member with an iPad.




First up today was Its Tough to be a Bug. It was great fun as usual, I think it's really well done and like the bugs exiting under your seat at the end.
All the kids enjoyed it too.

We next saw the Flights of Wonder show which was very good. Lovely birds.







Joanne was so lucky and got picked to go up on stage where she and another guest got to film a large owl fly over to them.

Our first fast pass was for Kilimanjaro Safaris. Got good views of the animals and even saw a bit of the lion!��




Went on Kali River Rapids twice after that and got soaked! ��
Really good ride which we all enjoy. The kids enjoyed shooting water at the people on the ride when we came off.

We had a drink and ice creams etc after this.
Our next stop was Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. We all enjoyed our walk here and saw cute meerkats and zebra. We saw some gorillas but the big males were hiding. Mum and Dad saw them later on on the holiday. On previous holidays I've seen the big gorillas behind the viewing window and sometimes they would pound on the glass! We've seen lovely baby gorillas there too which are so cute.





Everyone except Mum, Dad and Katie went on Expedition Everest. Poor Owen didn't particularly want to go on but was persuaded by John. Huge mistake! The poor wee man hated it and was crying throughout! I sat with him and didn't like it either. I was looking forward to it as I like roller coasters normally but I think it was because Owen was so upset it put me off. I also didn't care for the backwards bit!! I said I wouldn't go on it again but I probably will the next time we're there but I will not be sitting next to Owen. �� Ross loved it though��












I don't know where the photo of me and Owen has gone, I think he's deleted it!

John then took the boys on Primeval Whirl which they loved. I missed that one out but I went on it at the end of the holiday and you'll get my opinion on it later!
Before we went back to Saratoga Springs Mum accidentally dropped her Magic band down the toilet! Ha ha
Poor Mum she gave it a good clean though.

We had a nice rest at the hotel and then showered and got the bus to Epcot.
We got a lovely photopass photo and then walked over to Japan.


During our walk I noticed that Dad had a big red mark on his shirt and I thought it looked like blood. ��As it turns out the blood belonged to me as I looked down at my right arm and saw a large patch of blood! An insect had bitten me and I didn't even feel it! I remember saying to Mum before our holiday "I never get bitten" famous last words though as I got bitten numerous times before we went home. ������ By the way my Mum got the stain off my Dad's shirt.

Soon we reached Teppan Edo. Whilst we we waiting for our table, Mum and Dad bought the kids Japanese fans with their name written in Japanese on the back.
We all love it here and everyone enjoyed watching the chef cook our meal.
I had steak and shrimp. It was yummy. I had a nice Japanese beer too which was good. I had green tea icecream for dessert which was tasty.




















Had to stand on the way back as the bus was full and we got off at the wrong stop which meant a long walk back to the room! ��

Lovely day xx

Day 2 video here

 

[Hayley222]

Day 3 Hollywood Studios

Day 3 Hollywood Studios


Woke up about 8am and then went to Artists Palette for breakfast. I had the chicken florentine omelette and some fresh pineapple afterwards. It was lovely.
We then went swimming to both the hotel pools, boys had great fun on the water slides.
Lovely and hot day. After swimming we all had showers and caught the bus to Hollywood Studios.

We saw the Star Wars March of the Troopers first which was very good.




Next up was Indiana Jones Show which we all enjoyed. Got good seats near the front.

Soon after the it started raining really heavily! We took shelter for a while but as it showed no sign of slowing down, we ran over to Star Tours.
I rode once and John and the boys twice as it wasn't too busy. Good ride, I always feel a bit dizzy when it starts and then I'm able to open my eyes and watch it. Our tour went under water which was fun.

Then we went over and watched the Muppets show which was very good as always. We were lucky and got straight into show without having to watch the pre show.

We were all feeling hungry so John and I had a chocolate brownie sundae each and the boys had an icecream cookie sandwich. They were tasty.

As we were eating our snacks, we met up with Mum, Dad, Joanne, Chris and the kids.

Tower of Terror was up next which is mine and Dad's favourite ride! Mum doesn't like this at all, has ridden in the past but won't go on now. She stayed with Katie. We went on twice, first stand by then fast pass! Got great photo pass video of ride. You can see this on my YouTube video.




We watched Voyage of the Little Mermaid next which was good.

We then went on Toy Story Mania which we enjoyed, didn't manage to go on it on the last trip.
John and Ross then went on rock n rollercoaster and Ross loved it!

Look at Ross's face!



Chris, Cameron and Owen went to watch the Star Wars film whilst myself, Mum, Dad, Jo and Katie went to see the Frozen show For the First Time in Forever. It was really good.





Later we went to Mama Melrose and had a lovely meal.

Myself and Joanne had Shrimp Campanelle
Sautéed Shrimp and Campanelle Pasta tossed in a Four-Cheese Sauce with Cauliflower, Sun-dried Tomatoes, fresh Spinach, and Sweet Onions
$25.00

John and Dad had Charred Strip Steak
Four-Cheese Macaroni with Pancetta, Aged Balsamic-Shallot Butter, and a Chianti Wine Reduction
$33.00

Mum had Saltimbocca
Pork Tenderloin topped with Prosciutto, Sage, Fontina Cheese, Tuscan Mashed Potatoes, Broccolini, and Lemon Caper Sauce
$28.00


Chris had Spaghetti and Meatballs
with House-made Marinara, garnished with Pecorino Romano Cheese and Parsley
$20.00
I didn't take notes of what the kids had!! Prob pasta, fish, chicken etc.









We then got the bus back to Saratoga Springs

Day 3 Video here

 

[DVCPhilip]

This is fantastic! I especially love seeing Ride Photos. They are always so much fun!

 

[Hayley222]

Thank you, glad you liked it

 

[Hayley222]

Day 4 Epcot

Woke up at 8am and then we all got ready and went for breakfast at the Artists Palette.
I had a lovely cheese and mushroom omelette.
We then got the bus and went to Epcot.

First ride was Spaceship Earth, we all enjoyed this. It's a shame at the end when they don't put your photo on the cartoon of your future life like they used to.






We were all thirsty so went to Club Cool. I liked the pineapple Fanta best but also tried the raspberry and melon too.

Figment ride was next which the kids enjoyed.



After that we went on Living with the Land. I've always enjoyed this ride and like seeing all the vegetables etc growing.





The kids love the jumping water here


We then went on The Seas with Nemo & Friends. I think the seagulls at the front are funny.


Nice ride which the kids liked. We then had a wonder around the aquarium and we liked seeing the manatees eating their lettuce.

Saw a cute crab scurrying along and a lovely seahorse too.




John, myself and the boys had fruit and cheese plates and mum and dad and rest of family went to the food court at Sunshine Seasons beside living with the land. I wished I went with them when I heard what they had! Ha ha

We then went on Soarin and we loved the new film, I liked it better than the original. There's a good video of it on YouTube where it's like your on the ride. I have a clip of it at the end of my holiday video.

Back to Club Cool for more free drinks!

After this everyone went back to the hotel except myself, john and the boys. We went on Test Track and it was great. The boys love this ride.

A thunder and lightening storm had begun whilst we were inside but had stopped thankfully when we were out on the track. Of course it started again as soon as we left the ride so we got soaked on way back to bus. Boys loved being wet!

Once back to the hotel, John and Joanne took a taxi to Walmart to get some wine and beer for us all to have during our holiday.

Whilst they were gone we had showers then got ready for our meal at the Turf Club.

It was a lovely meal.

I had Grilled New York Strip
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus, and Sauce Vin Rouge
$35.00


John and Chris had Maple-Citrus Brined Bone-In Pork Chop
Oven-roasted Bacon and Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Warm Apple Compote
$27.00
Joanne had Oven-roasted Lamb Loin
Parsnip Purée, Spiced Swiss Chard, Smoked Tomato Jam, and Cranberry-Bourbon Demi Glaze
$34.00

Mum had Rancher's Reserve Prime Rib
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Broccolini, and Au Jus
$32.00
Dad had Crispy Fried Chicken
House-made Garlic-Herb Macaroni and Cheese and Haricot Vert Almandine
$25.00
with a side of Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes.



Owen had Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Grilled Fish
with Whole-Grain Rice Pilaf, Sautéed Green Beans, and Yogurt Parfait served with choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution
$11.00
Ross had Cheeseburger
with French Fries and includes choice of one (1) Beverage and one (1) Dessert
$11.25
Cameron and Katie had Hot Dog
with French Fries and includes choice of one (1) Beverage and one (1) Dessert
$10.25
For dessert myself and Joanne had Warm Bread Pudding
with Salted Caramel Sauce
$7.00


Mum and Dad had an Apple Crisp.


John and the kids all had icecream.

Had a glass of wine whilst watching TV then went to bed.

Here's our Day 4 video