3 Families doin' a Surf & Turf Trip! AKL CL & Dream...Good-Byes

[jennyjinx3]

Oh my gosh I laughed hard out loud at those pics of the kids and your accompanying narration. Too funny! Thanks for the update!!

 

[hstrickland]

Oh what fun! Faith is a lucky girl!! I'll look forward to that trip report...if you do one that is

You must have read my mind .....I was thinking about a mini-TR. We've never been to POR, so there will be LOTS of pics!

What a great birthday surprise!! Faith is going to love it. And those Royal Rooms look so cute. Enjoy!

Let's hope they're as cute as they look! She first asked if we were going to the resort with the pretty red roof (aka...the Grand Floridian) I told her this trip was going to be short and sweet.

How cool is that! Will the boys be going too?

Loved the Royal Palace update. That was my favorite restaurant. I agree, waiters can make or break the cruise. Awesome how they entertained the kids.

The boys will be in tow, also! They wouldn't miss it and would be furious with us if we took Faith and not them Last year when we went to the American Girl restaurant and ate lunch, they were really good sports and actually enjoyed it for their sister.

Oh my gosh I laughed hard out loud at those pics of the kids and your accompanying narration. Too funny! Thanks for the update!!

Glad you got a good laugh Too bad we don't have it on video...I could title it "What NOT to let your children do on a cruise..."

 

[Sweetpeamd]

Yea!!!!! I am so excited for you and your family!!!! You MUST do a mini TR so we can see the Royal rooms! I'm dying to hear all about POFQ, too! I can't wait to see your photos.

We are heading down for Spring Break and we considered staying at one of the PO resorts. Alas, our beloved OKW won out instead. Maybe one day we'll stay at PO. If I can EVER figure out how to change my ticker, I'll update it. Yikes, I'm computer challenged!

 

[MomToPrincePhillip]

You must have read my mind .....I was thinking about a mini-TR. We've never been to POR, so there will be LOTS of pics!

I'll be looking forward to it!!

 

[WDWaddictt]

Awesome!! Congrats!!

I have 27 days until AKL!! Can't wait!!

Have a great time!!!!

 

[Sue M]

What a great birthday surprise for everyone! We check in at POFQ jan 23. Will you be there then, at POR? If you are, PM me. We can meet for Beignets!!

Did I say I wasn't going to over-pack AGAIN? for 2 weeks so far 20 shirts? We haven't even gotten to the bottoms or shoes yet . Sheech.

 

[Tricia's mom]

I am soooo loving this TR. We leave for AKL end of March. This is the first TR that has gone into such great detail about this resort. Most people say " Its nice... look there's animals."

I guess it helped that you spent 3 days enjoying the resort before you cruise.

We did the dream last April with a double dip on CC it was awesome. I am hoping to cruise the Fantasy for 7 days in 2014 !

Can't wait to hear more about your trip.

OOH and where did you get ears for your daughters AG ??

 

[MissPrice]

Great update. The restaurant looks beautiful. What a nice surprise for your parents anniversary. -Amanda

 

[hstrickland]

Yea!!!!! I am so excited for you and your family!!!! You MUST do a mini TR so we can see the Royal rooms! I'm dying to hear all about POFQ, too! I can't wait to see your photos.

It will definitely be "mini" since we're only going to be there a few days. I'm looking forward to totally checking out a new resort....I've never stepped foot on the grounds of POR, so this is uncharted territory for me

We are heading down for Spring Break and we considered staying at one of the PO resorts. Alas, our beloved OKW won out instead. Maybe one day we'll stay at PO. If I can EVER figure out how to change my ticker, I'll update it. Yikes, I'm computer challenged!

Yes....your ticker is stuck on BLT Get the kids to help ya...mine seem to be more electronic savvy than me.

I'll be looking forward to it!!

Awesome!! Congrats!!

I have 27 days until AKL!! Can't wait!!

Have a great time!!!!

Thanks!! I know y'all are chomping at the bit and ready to go to AKL. I always get excited when "DisFriends" travel to the World Have you started any packing yet?

What a great birthday surprise for everyone! We check in at POFQ jan 23. Will you be there then, at POR? If you are, PM me. We can meet for Beignets!!

We arrive on Friday, Jan. 25th and leave Sunday afternoon on the 27th....very short trip. Luckily we live close. We'll be going to MK on that Saturday. Would love to meet for beignets!

Did I say I wasn't going to over-pack AGAIN? for 2 weeks so far 20 shirts? We haven't even gotten to the bottoms or shoes yet . Sheech.

I'm shocked.... And how many suitcases are you carrying????

I am soooo loving this TR. We leave for AKL end of March. This is the first TR that has gone into such great detail about this resort. Most people say " Its nice... look there's animals."

I guess it helped that you spent 3 days enjoying the resort before you cruise.

You're so kind...thanks Sometimes dad and I go a bit crazy with our cameras Part of our vacations revolve around the whole photography thing and sharing our pictures.

We did the dream last April with a double dip on CC it was awesome. I am hoping to cruise the Fantasy for 7 days in 2014 !

Can't wait to hear more about your trip.

OOH and where did you get ears for your daughters AG ??

The 2 days at CC are awesome, aren't they?! I could have spent 3 days there!!!

The AG doll ears....well....don't look too closely or you will see some flaws Mom and I made them. We found a pattern online and then went to Wal-Mart and bought the stuff to make them. We bascially just used hot glue and felt. Not too hard. Once we got to WDW, we did the Minni outfit for dolls over at the Poly. The ears that came with the outfit don't stay on the head very well.

 

[hstrickland]

Great update. The restaurant looks beautiful. What a nice surprise for your parents anniversary. -Amanda

Thanks, Amanda. Y'all are leaving in just a few days, right?! How excited are you??!! Can't wait to hear about your adventures!

Safe travels and here's lots of pixiedust for ya...
Heather

 

[princessamie]

Oh my goodness Heather! I've got Disney fever so bad I've spent most of my Christmas vacation researching and running the numbers on several options using my pin code! We've toyed with December, September, and now June dates! (See the trend here!) Tonight though we decided on the Royal rooms in June. I'm ready to book it but Daymon says lets wait a day to make sure schedules with grad school and budgets will work out just so before I jump the gun! So I decided to return to your trip reports to satisfy my Disney needs until I book (hopefully tomorrow!) To my surprise, it looks like the Royal rooms were on your mind as well! Great minds think alike! I'm giddy with excitement!

 

[pas130]

I'm just a little excited....

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo cool Faith will LOVE it

 

[hstrickland]

Oh my goodness Heather! I've got Disney fever so bad I've spent most of my Christmas vacation researching and running the numbers on several options using my pin code! We've toyed with December, September, and now June dates! (See the trend here!) Tonight though we decided on the Royal rooms in June. I'm ready to book it but Daymon says lets wait a day to make sure schedules with grad school and budgets will work out just so before I jump the gun! So I decided to return to your trip reports to satisfy my Disney needs until I book (hopefully tomorrow!) To my surprise, it looks like the Royal rooms were on your mind as well! Great minds think alike! I'm giddy with excitement!

Hey there!! Good to "see" you! I saw your FB post... Disney Fever... I so know the feeling! I thought it would be quite some time before we went back, but fortunately Bill had other ideas Of course it's a super short trip, but who cares?! MK is my favorite park and that's where we'll be going. I'll get plenty of pictures of POR...no worries Hopefully you'll get that room booked. Let me know what you decide

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo cool Faith will LOVE it

 

[hstrickland]

Day 7
After Dinner with the Characters



After our escapades at dinner, we ventured into the atrium where lots of characters were waiting for anxious children. Even though the ship holds 4000 people, it never seemed to be too chaotic when they were out greeting families.


The kids first spotted Ariel, so we jumped in a short line. Ivy was up first and was a bit mesmerized by Ariel ….I’m not sure she knew quite what to make of the characters.

Jesse, on the other hand, continuously asked question after random question …

Goofy was located down in the middle of the atrium area. We couldn’t miss him….nor could anyone else miss him for that matter! I’ve seen this character act crazy, but I’ve never seen Goofy act like this ….he was out of control. He literally had me laughing out loud.

When Goofy’s “helper” was trying to get him under control, he just kept falling down and rolling around on the floor!....No lie!

Ivy and Jonah finally made it to the front of the line to see Goofy, and he was still acting like a lunatic (in a funny way). The kids thought it was the best thing ever…and me, too (for the most part) …..the more it continued, the more I wondered if Goofy hadn’t been hitting the bottle before show time???

He spent a huge amount of time with the kids. His assistant finally told him he had to move things along.

Several of the characters were located on the deck above, so we hurried upstairs to get in line. At some point we lost Bill, but located him down below…..not sure exactly what he is trying to say????

Bill wanted to get in on the character action when he saw Snow White….as did Stephen and Pop

The last characters for the evening were…..

I’m really very surprised that the children were still awake after a very long day.




Finally, it was time to head back to the staterooms….I was exhausted to say the least.

Up next….a day at sea and some early morning photos!



​

 

[Lisa29]

Yay for a new super short countdown! Great character pics, I was going to question whether Goofy had partaken in some adult beverages before his shift!

 

[nannye]

....shocker

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!!! Check out my ticker!!! 21 days until we head to the MK!!! ​

Bill is such a sweetheart....believe it or not, this was his idea to surprise Faith for her birthday. I wanted to take her to Atlanta and do the American Girl Hotel package...he says "Why don't we just go to WDW for the weekend?" ....I couldn't get on the computer fast enough to price out rooms


Port Orleans, Royal Guest room is what I booked. Bill had a 30% off pin code....why let it go to waste

I'm just a little excited....

You are going to love it!!!!!! We stayed in a royal room last July and they are fabulous! the little touches are awesome! Port Orleans Riverside is my fave resort after staying there. It really just feels like home!

 

[nannye]

You must have read my



The boys will be in tow, also! They wouldn't miss it and would be furious with us if we took Faith and not them Last year when we went to the American Girl restaurant and ate lunch, they were really good sports and actually enjoyed it for their sister.

/QUOTE]

Are you guys getting 2 rooms then? Maybe that is answered further on. There is a max of 4 for the royal rooms

 

[hstrickland]

Yay for a new super short countdown! Great character pics, I was going to question whether Goofy had partaken in some adult beverages before his shift!

No kidding! While it was quite comical, I still wonder what in the heck was going on with him??!! This is why my husband really needs to invest in a video camera ...so I can catch all of this nonsense on tape!

You are going to love it!!!!!! We stayed in a royal room last July and they are fabulous! the little touches are awesome! Port Orleans Riverside is my fave resort after staying there. It really just feels like home!

Glad to hear the positives about POR I'm going to have to drop by your TR and check out the Royal Rooms....can't wait to see for myself!!

Are you guys getting 2 rooms then? Maybe that is answered further on. There is a max of 4 for the royal rooms

Nope...just one room. Jesse will most likely be in his sleeping bag on the floor. We usually stay in a deluxe resort for this very reason...not enough room. Or, when my parents go we get 2 rooms. Thought about FW cabins (love them) but we wanted to try something differnt. I would never attempt to do a long trip like this, but for 2 nights I think we can manage

 

[2xcited2sleep]

OMG! Sooooo excited that you have an upcoming trip. Truth be told, I was a bit concerned about how you would make it so long without another trip. Glad Bill has rectified the situation and what a special birthday treat. Fingers crossed for another TR... I know they are time consuming and a ton of work but I really love them.

Back to the cruise...

Looks like a perfect anniversary dinner. You totally lucked out on your table location. I am cracking up imagining the kids antics with their hats.

Bummer your entree was a dud.

Tons of great character interaction! Wow!!

 

[hstrickland]

OMG! Sooooo excited that you have an upcoming trip. Truth be told, I was a bit concerned about how you would make it so long without another trip. Glad Bill has rectified the situation and what a special birthday treat. Fingers crossed for another TR... I know they are time consuming and a ton of work but I really love them.

Thanks for your concern. Fortunately Bill has saved the day I'm planning on a mini TR....just can't help myself, ya know. Definitely a full report of POR

Back to the cruise...

Looks like a perfect anniversary dinner. You totally lucked out on your table location. I am cracking up imagining the kids antics with their hats.

Bummer your entree was a dud.

Tons of great character interaction! Wow!!

The entree wasn't good, however the appetizer and dessert made up for it....and the great service. Most of the characters were really good for the exception of Belle...not sure what was going on with her. She was just kinda blah.

Hope you're staying warm!!