1200 pics, 1100 miles, 15 deluxe dining meals, 1 great time at POR *Completed 9/5*

[alan_renfroe]

That sucks about T-Rex we have never been there thought about but with it being the same owner as rainforest we figured it would be very similar. That dessert does look good though. Maybe we will try it on a future trip.

Yeah, and to think if they would've just cooked our steaks correctly we enjoyed everything else. It was a fun time and I'm glad we went.

Ops I was behind for a couple days ! Your Magic Kingdom day sounded like an awesome day ! Staying late at Magic Kingdom is on our to do list for sure T-Rex is a really cool place, a bit loud and crowded but worth it to see it at least once anyway.

Let me tell you....you MUST do a stay late night at Magic Kingdom...it is so much fun! It's hot blistering hot, the crowds are thinner, strollers aren't all around you....it's a great experience!

I agree with you about T-REX. It was actually the very last reservation we made. We were keeping our options open for lunch on that day because we knew we wanted to sleep in after a late night at MK. We had to make the reservation by calling the restaurant directly. They took the reservation and instead of a number, your last name was your reservation...and no credit card to hold the ressie! I liked having that flexibility.

Just started reading along yesterday, but I lost your TR and only just found it again, so I'm posting now, so I can find it easier next time

So far I'm really enjoying it. We stayed at POR for our wedding a couple of years ago, so I'm loving your photos of the resort

Hi BecBennett!! Glad you found my trip report again! I hope you enjoyed your time at POR as much as we did!

Another person late to the party! I am really enjoying reading your report. Just love the fact that you guys went to the water park and left the teenagers sleeping!

We went to T-Rex for our 19th anniversary. I'm kinda drooling here, looking at your pictures of dinner there... That cheesesteak sandwich just looks good this morning!

Hi! Glad you made it to the party! Thanks for the compliments. Hahahaha...yeah, we totally left the teens behind! They want to sleep? Fine by me! I'm hitting the water park!

Oh how cool! We celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary ON THIS TRIP! That celebration will be coming up on Day 5 of our trip report.

 

[alan_renfroe]

Catching up on your TR this morning and just loving it! Ohana looked amazing!

Continuing reading and bam... I see pictures of Dd and I doing the YMCA dance at Yeehaw Bob's show. I'm the blond in the light purple shirt. We loved Yeehaw Bob and highly recommend him. This was our first time, but I have a feeling he will become a regular for us. We arrived prior to the show starting and stayed for the entire set. He is now a must see in our plans.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That's crazy! I can't believe you all were just a few feet away....talk about a coincidence! Another FB friend and her family (Sara) was there also. She thought she recognized me but wasn't sure so she didn't approach me because she didn't want me to think she was crazy! LOL! That's is soooo cool. (This is the part where we start singing "It's A Small World After All!)

The ice cave! Except for this past trip, we were always seated in the ice cave. Next time you go to T-Rex order the appetizer sampler as your entree. It has the queso and chips, onion rings, bruschetta and the quesadillas. It's way too much food but you get a good sampling of everything. It's too bad that your steak was overcooked. Like you said, it's easy to send back and undercooked steak but an overcooked one? Not so much.

Oh Lisa that would've been the PERFECT thing to order! I've made a mental note of that, and that's exactly what I'll order next time I'm there.

I'm a bit of a backyard weekend grill master, so I know how to cook a good t-bone. So I was disappointed that it came out so well done to the point of being really tough. I just ordered the wrong thing.

Hi! Subbing! I saw your TR update on the May 2014 FB pop-up this morning and I just spent my whole morning reading up! Enjoying every bit of it! I do keep thinking that is so much food on the deluxe!! Wow! But we like table service so much more than counter that I always contemplate adding it!

Hi TinksThree! Glad to have you along for the ride! Hahahaha! I've done the same thing lots of times.....find a good trip report and spend half a day reading it!

The Deluxe Dining Plan has its advantages and disadvantages. One thing I DO love about it is that it includes appetizers whereas the regular dining plan does not. Personally, I'd rather have an appetizer than a dessert. The other advantage is that your meals are paid for up front, so you don't even have to consider the price on the menu at all. It's the "all-inclusive" mentality that we do like about it. On the down side, I think we would come out cheaper and order less food if we just paid out of pocket.

Hi Alan! Great updates! We haven't been to T-Rex, and we originally had it booked and then our plans changed. It seems like it isn't very consistent with the quality of food. The dessert looks great, though!

Hi! Thanks for the compliment! On the T-REX thing...you just never know. They may have one cook in the kitchen who doesn't know how to cook steaks properly but then have four or five that cook them to perfection. I do know this: they have a very wide variety on there menu, which can be both good and bad. Usually that means there's something for everyone, but there's no one real speciality or 'must-do' item. But we did enjoy it.

Alan so glad to stumble upon your trip report!!

Hi Jeanine! Glad you found the report and are enjoying it! We're glad to have you read along!

 

[alan_renfroe]

After getting completely stuffed from a late lunch at T-REX, we drove back to POR to get some rest. DW did not sleep much the night before...she said the late night Dole Whip kept her up! I slept okay, but I was up early and now ready for some rest. We had a great late afternoon and evening planned, so we wanted to be ready for it.

DW and I went to the hot tub at Ol Man Island to relax a bit. I ordered us two Long Island Iced Teas from the pool bar. After the Long Islands and about 15 minutes in the hot tub, we were ready for a nap!

Following a nice nap, we were all up and getting ready to go to Disney's Hollywood Studios. We had scheduled our Fastpasses as follows: Star Tours at 4:30pm, Tower of Terror at 5:30pm, Rock n' Roller Coaster at 6:30pm. Our dinner reservation was for 8:00pm at Flying Fish, then we planned to come back to Hollywood Studios for Extra Magic Hours until midnight. Due to our "take it easy today" attitude, we didn't make it to Hollywood Studios until about 5:15pm on Monday, June 2.

















By the time we got to Sunset Blvd it was already 5:25pm, so we missed our Fastpass for Star Tours. No biggie. I figured we could do it when we come back after dinner tonight.











Anticipation was building as we marched toward the Hollywood Tower of Terror! DW and DD had never experienced this attraction! DD was only 9 years old on our last trip here, but now at 14 this was one of the attractions she was looking forward to the most.







---continued in next chapter---

 

[disneymania0711]

Love the TOT pics!! I've never done this ride. Always been too chicken. Lol. I did promise my husband I will try I next time. I can do it!!!!

 

[alan_renfroe]

It was a little after 5:30pm on Monday, June 2 when we approached the Fastpass entrance for Hollywood's Tower of Terror. DW and DD were excited to ride for the very first time!



For some reason, this reminds me of the song "Hotel California"











I'd say the look on DW and DD's faces says it all for first timers!



DW and DD LOVED it! I was hoping they would! In all of Walt Disney World, this attraction is my number 3 favorite, only behind Rock N Roller Coaster and Expedition Everest.

After Tower of Terror, I checked my phone for messages. Fellow DISers KatMark and MaryAZ were planning to be at Hollywood Studios this afternoon also. They were going to send me a message and see if we could meet up to say hello and possibly get a photopass picture. I had not gotten a message from them yet. We had our next Fastpass at 6:30pm for Rock 'N Roller Coaster...my favorite!

We had time to make a restroom pit stop and take a few pictures along the way:











We waited until the clock turned 6:25pm then headed to the Fastpass line.

DS and I are veterans of this ride. We've ridden a ton of times! But this would be the very first time for DW and DD.









DD was a little nervous about this ride. She and I had a wager for this trip. If she would ride EVERY thrill ride, I would give her $20 cash. If she didn't ride every ride, she had to go to "Playhouse Disney" and do all the hand gestures while I took video! LOL! At this point I reminded her that she had already done ALL of the big thrill rides except this one. $20 was on the line! There was no turning back now!



Despite the closed eyes, she LOVED it!



She was unsure about how she would feel about the inversions, but that was her favorite part! I think I've created a new thrill junkie in the family!

___________________________________________________________

It was now about 6:40pm or so and we had dinner reservations at the Flying Fish at the Boardwalk at 8:00pm, so we made our way to the exit. I had not decided yet whether we should drive, walk, or take the Friendship Boat to the Boardwalk.

As we exited the park, I saw a boat approaching the dock so we decided to take the Friendship boat to the Boardwalk.



We boarded immediately and soon we were on our way. Just as we were leaving the dock, I got a text message from KatMark saying they were in the American Idol attraction and would be out shortly. We just missed getting to meet up with them. Oh well, maybe on our next trip!

Coming up next: a nice boat ride to Boardwalk, and dinner at Flying Fish!

 

[DaisyDuck001]

On the T-REX thing...you just never know. They may have one cook in the kitchen who doesn't know how to cook steaks properly but then have four or five that cook them to perfection. I do know this: they have a very wide variety on there menu, which can be both good and bad. Usually that means there's something for everyone, but there's no one real speciality or 'must-do' item. But we did enjoy it.

Your T-Rex comments interest me as I've yet to dine there and have it booked for a dinner on my next trip. I've thought all along that I'll like the themed atmosphere a lot (I've even walked through there a couple of times!) but may not be crazy about the food. I'm leaning towards ordering an entrée salad for dinner there, but will see what looks good at the time.

If they just had a not-so-good steak cook when you all were there, I wonder why your DD's steak sandwich turned out so much better than your other steaks? How did she order it cooked, and was it different than how you ordered yours? (I actually prefer well-done steak but not when it's as dry and leathery as a baseball glove!)

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Ahhhh nothing like a good rest followed by ToT and RnR!!

Wow, you're really planning in some late nights! I love that of course.

Haha, the last in front of Tower photo is awesome... but it appears DS missed the memo.

Good on the girls for taking first timing ToT and RnR back to back.

BTW, could I get in on this wager? I promise I've never ridden a thrill ride ever before...

Awwww, super bummer of the missed Meet. So close.

 

[ddstratton]

Sounds like a good afternoon at Hollywood Studios! Kudos to DW and DD for taking on the two thrill rides back-to-back for the first time!

 

[goofy's_gurl]

I am loving the ToT photo! Everyone's expressions are priceless!!

 

[vacantsea]

I'm a little bummed out that I'm finally caught up here. I am really enjoying your trip report! It's fueling my excitement!

 

[themommy]

Just wanted to let you know that I am lurking here and trying to catch up to you. My daughter ashleymrush told me that I should come and check out your report because I would love it. I can't wait to see what comes next!

 

[katriscari]

You have the same 3 favorite rides as my 5 year old. I was nervous to let him do Rockin roller coaster, but we spent 3+ hours going back and forth between rockin roller coaster and tower of terror In May

 

[aqua319]

For some reason, this reminds me of the song "Hotel California"

Haha. I always think the same thing every time I see ToT! Glad to know I'm not the only one. Great update!

 

[KatMark]

Sorry that your meal wasn't great at T-Rex, but the appetizers and dessert should looked yummy.

So glad that DD made it on all thrill rides, loved them all and earned her $20!

I'm so sorry that our timing was just off and we missed meeting. I certainly hope we have another opportunity soon.

 

[hdh23]

I am loving your trip report! You have a very cute family and it really looks like you have so much fun together! It's making me so excited for our trip in November and giving me some great ideas too. We also have a boy and a girl but ours are 6 and 9. This will be their first trip, and we are waiting to tell them until the day we go .

 

[maryj11]

Aww the Rockin Roller Coaster ! Every time I get off that ride I say " That ride is awesome ! " I still love that ride and never get tired of it.
I had to laugh at the looks on your DW and DD's photo of the Tower of Terror. They looked just like I did in mine, terrified lol !

 

[joy13]

What a great trip so far! I love your bet with your daughter - too funny!

 

[themommy]

I told you yesterday I was lurking and now I am caught up. You and your family reeled me right in! You guys look like you are having so much fun. Gotta love spending time with your family at Disney. Guess I have to wait patiently for more now. btw...I love school bread.

 

[ArmyWife3-4]

WAY late to the game, but I'm caught up and looking forward to more! What a great family you have. I love seeing families that so enjoy spending time together!

 

[TinksThree]

Listening to the Podcast and heard you are #10 in the Top 10 threads! Woohoo!! Congrats!!!!