Who we are:
Me (Fiona) 41 – Commando and Food Planner and Holiday Booker.
DH (Steve) 41 – He really does not like the cheese of Disney! Has got rather keen on golf since our last visit.
DD1 (Kate) 17 – I am ashamed to say that she wants to know if there is a hairdryer everywhere we are staying…shame on her!!
DD2 (Laura) 14 – The Fantasmic Laura of old.
DD3 (Sally) 10 – she will out park the lot of us…… and needs the least sleep.
Pre Trip Report Saturday 16th December 2006 - Monday 1st January 2007
Day 1 Sat 16th Dec Are we nearly there?
Day 2 Sun 17th Dec AK and Boma.
Day 3 Mon 18th Dec EPCOT and Le Cellier
Day 4 Tues 19th Dec MK and Narcossees
Day 5 Wednesday 20th Dec MGM and Spoodles
Day 6 Thursday 21st December 2006 Day AK (or Golf!) and Kona Cafe
Day 7 Friday 22nd December 2006
A very sad day, no we are not going home but we have to check out of the lovely Port Orleans Riverside. We all love it here, but are beyond being able to squash all of us in one hotel room for more than a few nights. In retrospect I wish I’d booked two rooms for the whole holiday, with DDP for 3 people in one room to use over a fortnight. We would have had much better value that way, and mixed in the off site restaurants too. However, Steve and the girls were really looking forward to the villa and some space!
I digress, we requested late checkout first thing in the morning, but decide not to use it. I had cancelled Chef Mickey breakfast at the Contemporary and Bomas in the evening. We were going back to Le Cellier to use our last credits for the Candlelight Processional Package. So the plan is to pack up and head to EPCOT in the car via Downtown for some very essential shopping. I had some liasing with Father Christmas to do, that took an hour or two whilst I avoided the girls with my secrets!! I never got beyond World of Disney, and FC used three of my snack credits to buy boxes of cookies and another one to buy 3 huge Mickey lollies. I disapprove of the American FC, I would never allow my children to have such disgusting teeth rotting lollies. As for what else he bought, that’s a secret until Christmas Day!
The weather forecast today is not too good for later on, we still have no rainwear at all!! We navigate our way to EPCOT, the first time we have ever been to a park and parked in the car park. OMG, those trams are lethal. In 3 WDW holidays we have never yet been on a car park tram or approached MK by ferry! This is a first. Much easier going by bus me thinks.
The essential FPs for Soarin were our first stop, with a return time of 5.30, it’s getting noticeably busier now. We ride Universe of Energy, and enjoy the ride, thanks Ellen. We head to Canada in plenty of time for our 2.10pm reservation at Le Cellier. We were plenty hungry enough now, and after such a good meal on Monday we were looking forward to dining here again. First we had to wait, and wait and wait. We finally sat down about 2.45. The restaurant was practically empty by now and it was obvious they wanted us through and out. We had also mentioned that as we only had 4 credits left we would sharing, we understood we would only get 4 CP tickets. As we had booked for 5, and this has a 48 hour cancellation, we had to pay for a full extra CP package even though the fifth order was only $15 of food. It wasn’t like we hadn’t turned up, and we were still spending 4 credits with associated tip. Absolutely no flexibility at all, we pointed out that Sally is only 10½, surely can’t we just order her something and pass on the CP ticket, even just let us pay the kids price and order a kids meal? No give at all. I was not impressed.
Anyway, the food. We order:
2 x Prince Edward Island Mussels served chowder style, with Applewood smoked bacon and potatoes $9.99
2 x Crab and Salmon Timbale - Smoked salmon layered with Canadian rock crab, Mascarpone cheese, and citrus syrup. $11.99
1 x Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup - smoked bacon and Moosehead beer $4.99
The starters were all good, the soup is as good as the reviews say and we were all quite jealous of Sally’s choice. Main course offerings were different to evening, no Mushroom Filet Mignon.
2 x Grilled Petit Filet - served over cream cheese mashed potatoes, finished with a roasted garlic demi glace $21.99
1 x 10 oz. New York Strip Steak - with sauteed leeks, frisee, and roasted Yukon potatoes and finished with veal demi-glace $21.99
1 x Asian Grilled Chicken Sandwich finished with watercress and cheese spread, and marinated Asian vegetables. $12.99
1 x
Grilled Angus Chuck Burger topped with your choice of cheddar or blue cheese. $11.49
The strip steak was the best, filet mignon was very very small, and comes with a scoop of mash, gee whiz, nothing else. Burger was fine, but it was all very bad value for money, even on the DP. We had 2 x Chocolate on Chocolate Whiskey Cake $7.99 to go, and 2 x Double-Berry Buckle $6.99 . The buckle was the most flavourless dessert ever, much prefer my apple and blackberry crumble! We did have 2 mango Smoothies, Pink Lemonade (guess who?) and a frozen cappuccino and we never did order a coffee for Steve as we couldn’t stand the atmosphere by that time!!
They were stacking chairs and wiping around us and generally giving the impression of closing time at McDs at 1am on a Saturday night. On the basis of this meal I would not go back, but 4 days earlier we had the second best meal of the holiday. It just goes to show how variable experiences can be.
We only just got round to America in time for the Candlelight Processional, the reserved seating is not at the front under cover, not sure how you get those seats? We were 20 mins early, they let the stand by queue in about 10 minutes later, we could have queued up and still got in. The choir troops in, and it was all OK, but the awful treatment of some of the traditional carols, making them into show tunes and far too much messing around with tradition. It was a little too evangelical for my tastes, typical American treatment, but if that’s their tradition fair enough, we are the guests!! Carols sound a lot better in our ancient old village church for the Christingle Service on Christmas Eve. The highlight was the Hallelujah Chorus. Some supposedly famous guy or other narrates the Christmas story, but it’s all quite surreal when it’s over 20deg! Over all, I wouldn’t spend the money on the Candlelight Dining package, we enjoyed listening to bits as we walked round at other times, just stand outside and listen if you don’t get a seat, don’t wait more than 20 mins to get in!! also, it was better once it was dark, so go to the later shows.
The CP was about an hour long so it was gone 6pm when we came out, with my sore knee we decided to get the friendship boat across the lake to get back to use our Soarin’FPs, except we got on the boat and ended up in Mexico, duh, wrong one!! Quite glad we got the wrong boat as the heavens opened big time, it stopped by the time we docked and we splashed over to Soarin. The 6.15pm CP would have been awful with no cover, thank goodness we went to the first one. The rain started again just as we got inside and we managed to stay dry. Even in the FP queue we had a 45 minute wait, but standby was something daft over 2 hours. This time we were all in the front row, it was amazing, if at all possible try and get in the front row, wait a little longer if necessary. Yes I ducked the golf ball, and lifted my feet out of the waves and thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Disneyland. Mmm, perhaps I should wangle a day here when I have to go to Anaheim for work in 3 weeks.
It was throwing it down outside, seas of yellow ponchos were swarming in, so we delayed and rode Living with the land again. We could tell it was raining, the greenhouses leak like sieves, and sound like Niagara Falls. We delay again, and decide to use up our final 2CS and 3 snack credits in the Sunshine Food Court, we may want something later whilst waiting for Illuminations….so we thought.
1 x Black Forest Ham and Salami Grinder $7.59
1 x Caesar Salad with Oak-fired Chicken $7.59 to go
2 x Carrot cakes to go
2 x Chocolate Chip ice creams
1 x Apple Danish.
We ate the ice cream, and sandwich and Danish, and drank our drinks and decided that the weather was looking very miserable to wait around 1 ½ hours for Illuminations, and it may even be cancelled….and as we still had to find the villa perhaps it was enough for one day. By sheer luck we managed to dodge the rain and get back to the car for 8.30.
The directions to the villa were good, we were in Esprit just off the end of the 192, on US27. We have never been to the 192 before, definitely not Disney down here, all a bit samey. It seemed to take a while, although it was probably only 20 minutes.
Some houses on the estate had really entered into the spirit of the season, we had to turn left at the fantastic Pooh and friends “Holiday” display, and our villa was opposite a very wintery display, pretty snow dripping from the eaves!!
We had a 4 bed villa, and after the scary key safe and alarm combo worries, we were in the dry. It was all immaculate, and the girls quickly bagged their own bedrooms and we admired the pool in the rain, and most important of all the lovely Jacuzzi. No swimming tonight, although apparently Illuminations did happen, there was the odd flash of lightening. Steve and I nipped back out to. the garage on the corner for very essential supplies and we had an early night. Nice not having air con noise, although it did seem very hot as the air con couldn’t go below 74degrees. Good old Weather Channel is saying Christmas Day is going to be very iffy weather wise…..sorry no photos!
Tomorrow: Shopping, Chilling and TGI Fridays
Day 8 Sat 23rd Dec Shopping, Chilling & TGI Fridays
Me (Fiona) 41 – Commando and Food Planner and Holiday Booker.
DH (Steve) 41 – He really does not like the cheese of Disney! Has got rather keen on golf since our last visit.
DD1 (Kate) 17 – I am ashamed to say that she wants to know if there is a hairdryer everywhere we are staying…shame on her!!
DD2 (Laura) 14 – The Fantasmic Laura of old.
DD3 (Sally) 10 – she will out park the lot of us…… and needs the least sleep.
Pre Trip Report Saturday 16th December 2006 - Monday 1st January 2007
Day 1 Sat 16th Dec Are we nearly there?
Day 2 Sun 17th Dec AK and Boma.
Day 3 Mon 18th Dec EPCOT and Le Cellier
Day 4 Tues 19th Dec MK and Narcossees
Day 5 Wednesday 20th Dec MGM and Spoodles
Day 6 Thursday 21st December 2006 Day AK (or Golf!) and Kona Cafe
Day 7 Friday 22nd December 2006
A very sad day, no we are not going home but we have to check out of the lovely Port Orleans Riverside. We all love it here, but are beyond being able to squash all of us in one hotel room for more than a few nights. In retrospect I wish I’d booked two rooms for the whole holiday, with DDP for 3 people in one room to use over a fortnight. We would have had much better value that way, and mixed in the off site restaurants too. However, Steve and the girls were really looking forward to the villa and some space!
I digress, we requested late checkout first thing in the morning, but decide not to use it. I had cancelled Chef Mickey breakfast at the Contemporary and Bomas in the evening. We were going back to Le Cellier to use our last credits for the Candlelight Processional Package. So the plan is to pack up and head to EPCOT in the car via Downtown for some very essential shopping. I had some liasing with Father Christmas to do, that took an hour or two whilst I avoided the girls with my secrets!! I never got beyond World of Disney, and FC used three of my snack credits to buy boxes of cookies and another one to buy 3 huge Mickey lollies. I disapprove of the American FC, I would never allow my children to have such disgusting teeth rotting lollies. As for what else he bought, that’s a secret until Christmas Day!
The weather forecast today is not too good for later on, we still have no rainwear at all!! We navigate our way to EPCOT, the first time we have ever been to a park and parked in the car park. OMG, those trams are lethal. In 3 WDW holidays we have never yet been on a car park tram or approached MK by ferry! This is a first. Much easier going by bus me thinks.
The essential FPs for Soarin were our first stop, with a return time of 5.30, it’s getting noticeably busier now. We ride Universe of Energy, and enjoy the ride, thanks Ellen. We head to Canada in plenty of time for our 2.10pm reservation at Le Cellier. We were plenty hungry enough now, and after such a good meal on Monday we were looking forward to dining here again. First we had to wait, and wait and wait. We finally sat down about 2.45. The restaurant was practically empty by now and it was obvious they wanted us through and out. We had also mentioned that as we only had 4 credits left we would sharing, we understood we would only get 4 CP tickets. As we had booked for 5, and this has a 48 hour cancellation, we had to pay for a full extra CP package even though the fifth order was only $15 of food. It wasn’t like we hadn’t turned up, and we were still spending 4 credits with associated tip. Absolutely no flexibility at all, we pointed out that Sally is only 10½, surely can’t we just order her something and pass on the CP ticket, even just let us pay the kids price and order a kids meal? No give at all. I was not impressed.
Anyway, the food. We order:
2 x Prince Edward Island Mussels served chowder style, with Applewood smoked bacon and potatoes $9.99
2 x Crab and Salmon Timbale - Smoked salmon layered with Canadian rock crab, Mascarpone cheese, and citrus syrup. $11.99
1 x Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup - smoked bacon and Moosehead beer $4.99
The starters were all good, the soup is as good as the reviews say and we were all quite jealous of Sally’s choice. Main course offerings were different to evening, no Mushroom Filet Mignon.
2 x Grilled Petit Filet - served over cream cheese mashed potatoes, finished with a roasted garlic demi glace $21.99
1 x 10 oz. New York Strip Steak - with sauteed leeks, frisee, and roasted Yukon potatoes and finished with veal demi-glace $21.99
1 x Asian Grilled Chicken Sandwich finished with watercress and cheese spread, and marinated Asian vegetables. $12.99
1 x
Grilled Angus Chuck Burger topped with your choice of cheddar or blue cheese. $11.49
The strip steak was the best, filet mignon was very very small, and comes with a scoop of mash, gee whiz, nothing else. Burger was fine, but it was all very bad value for money, even on the DP. We had 2 x Chocolate on Chocolate Whiskey Cake $7.99 to go, and 2 x Double-Berry Buckle $6.99 . The buckle was the most flavourless dessert ever, much prefer my apple and blackberry crumble! We did have 2 mango Smoothies, Pink Lemonade (guess who?) and a frozen cappuccino and we never did order a coffee for Steve as we couldn’t stand the atmosphere by that time!!
They were stacking chairs and wiping around us and generally giving the impression of closing time at McDs at 1am on a Saturday night. On the basis of this meal I would not go back, but 4 days earlier we had the second best meal of the holiday. It just goes to show how variable experiences can be.
We only just got round to America in time for the Candlelight Processional, the reserved seating is not at the front under cover, not sure how you get those seats? We were 20 mins early, they let the stand by queue in about 10 minutes later, we could have queued up and still got in. The choir troops in, and it was all OK, but the awful treatment of some of the traditional carols, making them into show tunes and far too much messing around with tradition. It was a little too evangelical for my tastes, typical American treatment, but if that’s their tradition fair enough, we are the guests!! Carols sound a lot better in our ancient old village church for the Christingle Service on Christmas Eve. The highlight was the Hallelujah Chorus. Some supposedly famous guy or other narrates the Christmas story, but it’s all quite surreal when it’s over 20deg! Over all, I wouldn’t spend the money on the Candlelight Dining package, we enjoyed listening to bits as we walked round at other times, just stand outside and listen if you don’t get a seat, don’t wait more than 20 mins to get in!! also, it was better once it was dark, so go to the later shows.
The CP was about an hour long so it was gone 6pm when we came out, with my sore knee we decided to get the friendship boat across the lake to get back to use our Soarin’FPs, except we got on the boat and ended up in Mexico, duh, wrong one!! Quite glad we got the wrong boat as the heavens opened big time, it stopped by the time we docked and we splashed over to Soarin. The 6.15pm CP would have been awful with no cover, thank goodness we went to the first one. The rain started again just as we got inside and we managed to stay dry. Even in the FP queue we had a 45 minute wait, but standby was something daft over 2 hours. This time we were all in the front row, it was amazing, if at all possible try and get in the front row, wait a little longer if necessary. Yes I ducked the golf ball, and lifted my feet out of the waves and thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Disneyland. Mmm, perhaps I should wangle a day here when I have to go to Anaheim for work in 3 weeks.
It was throwing it down outside, seas of yellow ponchos were swarming in, so we delayed and rode Living with the land again. We could tell it was raining, the greenhouses leak like sieves, and sound like Niagara Falls. We delay again, and decide to use up our final 2CS and 3 snack credits in the Sunshine Food Court, we may want something later whilst waiting for Illuminations….so we thought.
1 x Black Forest Ham and Salami Grinder $7.59
1 x Caesar Salad with Oak-fired Chicken $7.59 to go
2 x Carrot cakes to go
2 x Chocolate Chip ice creams
1 x Apple Danish.
We ate the ice cream, and sandwich and Danish, and drank our drinks and decided that the weather was looking very miserable to wait around 1 ½ hours for Illuminations, and it may even be cancelled….and as we still had to find the villa perhaps it was enough for one day. By sheer luck we managed to dodge the rain and get back to the car for 8.30.
The directions to the villa were good, we were in Esprit just off the end of the 192, on US27. We have never been to the 192 before, definitely not Disney down here, all a bit samey. It seemed to take a while, although it was probably only 20 minutes.
Some houses on the estate had really entered into the spirit of the season, we had to turn left at the fantastic Pooh and friends “Holiday” display, and our villa was opposite a very wintery display, pretty snow dripping from the eaves!!
We had a 4 bed villa, and after the scary key safe and alarm combo worries, we were in the dry. It was all immaculate, and the girls quickly bagged their own bedrooms and we admired the pool in the rain, and most important of all the lovely Jacuzzi. No swimming tonight, although apparently Illuminations did happen, there was the odd flash of lightening. Steve and I nipped back out to. the garage on the corner for very essential supplies and we had an early night. Nice not having air con noise, although it did seem very hot as the air con couldn’t go below 74degrees. Good old Weather Channel is saying Christmas Day is going to be very iffy weather wise…..sorry no photos!
Tomorrow: Shopping, Chilling and TGI Fridays
Day 8 Sat 23rd Dec Shopping, Chilling & TGI Fridays
