A No Snooze Bar Christmas, Harry & Mickey are Waiting..it is done

[momabaarjo]

POP Goes Our Last Day Touring Plan & Everyone’s Disney Attitude​

Our last “official touring plan” day began with a BIG change; we were resort hopping for just the night. When I originally booked we were to be leaving for home on this day, but SW airlines came out with a great deal that cut the airfare for the following day almost by 70%...so I added ONE MORE DISNEY DAY, but it was too much of a hassle to try to add one more day to our existing BWV point rental. Instead I opted to book 2 adjoining rooms at the POP, a resort that attracted both the kids and me when we started thinking of a DREAM WDW trip, but did not book because I got so much of a better deal at the BWV by renting points. When we returned from MK last night, I finished up one more load of laundry and got everyone packed and ready to go so our morning resort hop would be seamless and we could get to DHS around rope drop time, I was looking forward to meeting Betsy (a DISfriend) in the park later in the day when she arrived. While everyone finished getting around I went down to the lobby and ordered a taxi van, checked out of BWV and had a CM come for our luggage.

The move to POP went perfect. When we arrived, we were all mesmerized by the theming, that is until while the luggage was being unloaded and the driver paid (he only changed us $10), Goo found the Lego blocks and began building…then Ab joined in to help him and he had one of the biggest meltdowns I have ever seen!

It was due; I had been pushing everyone so hard, that we were all tired and just frankly ready to go home. So while Jeff took care of the luggage and the kids, I went inside to check us in,

and little did I know they were staging a hostile takeover of my day’s touring plan. When they arrived in the lobby, it was decided that we were NOT going to DHS instead they wanted to go to DTD and then swim (yes, the weather got warm enough to swim again by Friday). Okay (all I could think of was everything we missed in DHS that I had planned for today, along with not getting to meet up with Betsy)…knowing that it was way too early for DTD, I suggest that we do a little resort tour (the front desk assured me the room would be ready within the hour).

As we did our little tour (and I must say that I love the theming) I tried my best to get the family back on plan to DHS but they would not budge. While looking across the lake, Goo found the resort of his dreams

and the phone rang saying our rooms were ready. We were close enough that it was an easy walk to find them. I believe we were in the 80s-90s area and then called for our luggage. When we entered into the adjoining rooms, the kids were happy to see that they got a separate room,

but we all realized right then that we had been spoiled and in a week we had become resort snobs…wishing we were back at BWV where we had room to spread out. There is nothing at all wrong with the rooms, they were clean and you could tell recently updated…we just longed for the “freshness” and open feeling of the BW. Our luggage was delivered and it was time to head to DTD as my family requested. At the bus stop, I made one last attempt to get them to change their mind and head to DHS…will they accept my attitude to regain control of my touring plan?

 

[annmarieda]

Your final days seem to be very full of fun.

I love that you did CRT. The tour group was quite amazing!

The pictures of Rupunzel and AB are awesome!

And the dessert party!!! I have never done that, but we will be this next trip. Was it all just amazingly yummy?


I can't wait to here how things were hijacked!

 

[annmarieda]

I have a love/dislike (not quite hate) with Pop. I love the cost and how fun it is... but yes, queen beds more space...and sometimes even a bit more "upscale" atmosphere is a bit more welcome. Overall, I would choose to stay there again... but I dream of the epcot area resorts.

Was there a reason you took your own luggage over having disney transport it over for you? When we switched, we woke... dropped off all our bags with luggage services and then headed out from that resort to our destination for the day. Then when we left there... we just traveled back to the new resort...and the luggage was there already waiting for us. However, $10 sounds like a pretty good deal.. Looks like we are doing a split stay again... just thinking about how to make it work the best. We will be on the moving for one night on the back end..just like you did. I anticipate it won't be as easy as at the beginning.

 

[lovethattink]

You were smart to book two rooms after BWV! I love walking around POP! I remember texting you this day because we ended up meeting some friends for dinner at the food court. I remember you were upset with your family.

 

[momabaarjo]

Your final days seem to be very full of fun.

Yep, they were until the last day when I was overthrown as leader!

I love that you did CRT. The tour group was quite amazing!

Everyone should eat in the castle once...​

The pictures of Rupunzel and AB are awesome!

I think Rapunzel liked have an older girl in the mist of all the little ones...it was a fun conversation between the two of them...like 2 girlfriends and just like you think she would act!

And the dessert party!!! I have never done that, but we will be this next trip. Was it all just amazingly yummy?

The only think I did not like was the cannoli...the rest was so yummy...we all are in agreement that we want to do this again!


I can't wait to here how things were hijacked!

I have a love/dislike (not quite hate) with Pop. I love the cost and how fun it is... but yes, queen beds more space...and sometimes even a bit more "upscale" atmosphere is a bit more welcome. Overall, I would choose to stay there again... but I dream of the epcot area resorts.

I am dreaming of the beach club...I hate that I had to get 2 rooms for a party of 5...but I am so glad now that we stayed at the BWV...although we probably would have not known better had we stayed at POP. Goo wants to stay at POR next time if we can't do AoA...personally POP was better than POR in my opinion!

Was there a reason you took your own luggage over having disney transport it over for you? When we switched, we woke... dropped off all our bags with luggage services and then headed out from that resort to our destination for the day. Then when we left there... we just traveled back to the new resort...and the luggage was there already waiting for us. However, $10 sounds like a pretty good deal.. Looks like we are doing a split stay again... just thinking about how to make it work the best. We will be on the moving for one night on the back end..just like you did. I anticipate it won't be as easy as at the beginning.

I hired the taxi because I had read that it was so much easier to check in with your luggage and I wanted to make sure that everything got there and not late that afternoon/night. Really the entire check out, move, check in took less than an hour. I am more in control when I am calling the shots with the move, than allowing a CM to take care of everything. Plus, having to take a bus to a park and then transferring to a POP bus would have taken a lot of time...especially since they were getting ready for marathon the next day!

You were smart to book two rooms after BWV! I love walking around POP! I remember texting you this day because we ended up meeting some friends for dinner at the food court. I remember you were upset with your family.

DId not have the choice on 2 rooms...I could have lied about only having 4 in our party and saved money with 1 room, but it just was not worth the hassle and I tend to be a rule follower!

Yep, you are in my next update...about the time I was planning to meet up with you the family took control of my plans once again and we missed meeting up with you! I think I was just tired and worn out from a year of planning, 2 weeks of vacation...and the sadness it was all coming to an end...the last day was not my best attitude day! Yep, the next up date it gets worse!

 

[momabaarjo]

Thanks! I know we will Would love to do a trip report when we get back, but not sure I have the patience for it....

It is certainly a test on endurance!

I went Pro, so much better!! You can choose your size as you download it AND it saves the original size too!

I should upgrade, but I just use it to host my pictures for websites...
QUOTE]

Dining in the castle was such a magical morning for us. Glad you didn't get seated by the rule breakers!

So glad that party of 30ish was across the room!!!!

I love monsters inc laugh floor it's to funny! Love the Rapunzal meet and greet looks like ye had fun

I had planned to skip it, but Boo thinks he is so funny and I knew he would love it!

A hostage takeover....they wouldn't dare!

Oh but they did...can you blame them....

I hope he didn't hear the CM saying all little boys need to be spoiled because I can just picture "I want that" "no" "but the lady in disney said I need to be spoiled"

Whew! i finally had time this morning to get all caught up on the updates. Reading them goes so well with my morning coffee. Whatever am I going to do when your TR is finished! waaaaaah

You could start a PTR and I could follow along...

First of all, all your scrap pages are amazing. Mine are so simple and boring and i don't really journal on them at all so I am really impressed with yours. I get impatient to move on to the next page so I just do things really simple, one day I'll regret not doing more journaling I'm sure.

Thank you...I am loving the digital thing! Mine are nothing special compared to the ones I see on Mousescrappers.com...have you checked out this website. It is like DIS for scrappers who scrap their Disney trips! I am a journaling fool...I think everything has to have a story on the page or the page is bare. I have to force myself sometimes not to have words on the page!

Secondly...that dessert party sounded perfect! I can never get enough dessert.

Me either....

i'd say all in all you guys had a very successful trip. Exhausting and full for sure! Can't wait to hear what went on the final day

AMAZING trip report, I've been reading it from front to back for days & I've enjoyed it so much. Hate to see it come to an end, what a great job you've done & what a great family. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for reading along!

Cannot even tell you how excited that I am that we are almost at our booking window... And..... we can start our PTR!! Oh the insanity!!

How far is November? We are almost 13 months out!


We will try anything and everything on Ladies Trip! If I nor anyone else is sick, Im not opposed to sharing! We could even bring collapeable cups in our park bags and split them up like that! That way we can taste more without stumbling all over the parks hahaa

I share anything but a few things...my own margarita, my own french slushie, my own caramel corn, my own....okay so I dont share!

I hate that feeling.



Love all your updates. I missed too many to comment on all together. I need to get my butt in gear and finish mine. I know I won't do it justice cause I've forgotten a lot.

It is not like you have been moving or starting a new job....

Sounds like a plan to me.

Ann is awfully agreeable tonight!

 

[Chelley00]

Okay, I'll be honest. I'm kinda sad this one is over I started reading to get an idea of your touring plan for US/IOA and got hooked.

 

[momabaarjo]

Mom Has Lost that Disney Feeling​

My pleading at at the bus stop was rejected, and off we went to DTD and not DHS. By this time we were getting pretty hungry (darn we are missing ADR at 50s Primetime Café) and once we unloaded at the bus stop the kids wanted to know where we were eating. I pretty much knew that anyplace we went into we could probably get a table with it being at the very early end of the lunch service…then it hit me, a place I wanted to go and try, plus the family would be really happy with the meal…Earl of Sandwich and we were really close.

It ended up being a great choice, there was no line (but when we left the place had exploded) and the food was really good…of course I ordered the holiday (something about cranberries and stuffing) and was not disappointed.

Boo decided this was one of his favorite meals and top on his list to return to (my family loves sandwiches). After lunch I felt myself getting really cranky…my plans were shelved for the day (Betsy had just called and I had to tell her the DISmeet was off) plus I knew we were headed to too many stores (I am not a big shopper). We then went into the World of Disney,

we had yet to find the “right” Mickey ears and I insisted they we needed to pick a pair out. Well, Ab did not want a pair (which made me frustrated, I HATE TO SHOP WITH HER) then the boys could not decide, finally Boo decided on his and then Goo (and I had a melt down over his final selection that I am not proud of). With hats on the boys head and me being grumpy we headed into the Lego Store (so much for trying to get my attitude back in check), thankfully it was pretty much empty and the boys made a bunch of little people for their collection at home.

I was pretty impatient with them, as they both spent about 30 minute trying to find the right pieces. Making our way back to the bus stop area we shopped at a few more stores

before making our way into Goofy’s Candy shop…

I had planned to use up a few snack credits, but it seems no one wanted to help me so we left the store empty handed (and a little more grumpy, if that was even possible). By this time the crowds had exploded and we were back at the bus stop with the kids begging to swim and I really needed a nap! So it was back to POP where Jeff took the kids to the pool,

I went in search of…

Yep, stress eating and then went back to the room to enjoy and get a little nap (okay a chance to have a touring plan pout). Will the swim and a little nap all get us back into the Disney Attitude for a nice last night?

 

[momabaarjo]

Okay, I'll be honest. I'm kinda sad this one is over I started reading to get an idea of your touring plan for US/IOA and got hooked.

You are so sweet! I hope that I helped with a touring plan!

 

[petals]

love the updates. They painted Lady very quickly! Sorry your family didn't want too do your touring plan and made you miss the Dis meet.

 

[vleeth]

I'm mad for you! All the hard work we put into planning only to have your own flesh and blood reject your plans. Ugh!

Excuse me while I go warn my family they are NOT allowed to do that or I will leave them home the next time!

Okay, I'm better now. Take deep calming breaths. Okay, at least you were at Disney. I sure hope the night went great!

 

[annmarieda]

I am dreaming of the beach club...I hate that I had to get 2 rooms for a party of 5...but I am so glad now that we stayed at the BWV...although we probably would have not known better had we stayed at POP. Goo wants to stay at POR next time if we can't do AoA...personally POP was better than POR in my opinion!

Ya know...the ab rooms are pretty snazy now with the refurb. I personally, love POR. I hope I love POFQ as much. Basically, favorite value = Pop (maybe that will change after our next trip and we stay in AoA) favorite mod = POR (again, will I like POFQ more?) and favorite deluxe = YC (or BC because they share that wonderful pool)

Ann is awfully agreeable tonight!

I am aalllways agreeable.

My pleading at at the bus stop was rejected, and off we went to DTD and not DHS. By this time we were getting pretty hungry (darn we are missing ADR at 50s Primetime Café) and once we unloaded at the bus stop the kids wanted to know where we were eating. I pretty much knew that anyplace we went into we could probably get a table with it being at the very early end of the lunch service…then it hit me, a place I wanted to go and try, plus the family would be really happy with the meal…Earl of Sandwich and we were really close.

I am sorry, but at least you got to try EoS. Wasn't that holiday sandwich yummy???

After lunch I felt myself getting really cranky…my plans were shelved for the day (Betsy had just called and I had to tell her the DISmeet was off) plus I knew we were headed to too many stores (I am not a big shopper).

I am sorry that you missed meeting Betsy. So you had 2 dismeets? Michelle and (sorry, was it Noel?)

I had planned to use up a few snack credits, but it seems no one wanted to help me so we left the store empty handed (and a little more grumpy, if that was even possible).

That happened to us too. It wasn't like it was super busy either.

this time the crowds had exploded and we were back at the bus stop with the kids begging to swim and I really needed a nap! So it was back to POP where Jeff took the kids to the pool,

Did they like the pool? I think the hippy dippy pool (isn't that the name) is pretty fun. I just wish they still had the goofy jets.

I went in search of…

Yep, stress eating and then went back to the room to enjoy and get a little nap (okay a chance to have a touring plan pout). Will the swim and a little nap all get us back into the Disney Attitude for a nice last night?

and how did you like that? And... did it add some color to your life on down the road?

I hope your night end up being closer to your plans.

 

[KSdisneymom]

Wow, so enjoyed your report and was enjoying your tips as my dh and I are going right after Thanksgiving. Just wanted to say that your daughter looks like a pretty . I can so see her working at Disney as a Princess in the future! Sure hope you get to make it back to Disney.

 

[momabaarjo]

Adios, Aloha, and Goodbye​

The family came back from the pool ready to go somewhere and do something before dinner at 7:30, and they had decided that they wanted to go back to Epcot…Ab wanted to pick up a treat in Mexico for her friends since we had already visited there when she came up with the idea of something from each country. Really, Epcot? You do realize that we really will not be able to ride anything, they were happy with that…it seems my 2 oldest had fallen into the World Showcase. Happy to get out of the room and do something, I agreed and after they changed from their swim it was off to the bus stop…the wait was over 30 minutes for the busy, and I could not help again wishing we were back at BWV and using the International Gateway. Sometime during all of this Tink called and they were headed to POP to meet up with some friends for dinner, but sadly we were off on our way. When we finally arrived at Epcot, it was time for one last photo pass picture

before making our way to World Showcase, starting in Canada and walking around counter clockwise, finishing in Mexico…where the last ride that we ride would be The Gran Fiesta…really!?

We then made our way towards the entrance and the monorail that would take us to dinner and then Wished from the beach. I remember the kids being Goofy on the monorail, but no one was around, which lifted my spirits. When we reached the transportation center, instead of switching monorails, I decided we would walk to the POLY, which proved to be a huge mistake…do not try to make your way to the POLY in the dark when you really do not know where you are going.

I think we ended up snaking through the entire resort until we came to the main lobby area. We headed up the stairs and checked into Ohana…fitting for our last night because Ohana means family and that is what this trip was about and we were saying Aloha to WDW. At the podium, I learned that they were about 45 minutes behind in seating…so much for wishes on the beach after dinner (hopefully we would get a window view). This did not bother the kids so much, because they noticed that the final Wizards of Waverly Place had just started on the TV in the lobby…

and the headed to watch along with lots of other kids. About an hour later, we finally were called to be seated and of course we were seated along the wall (opposite side of the grill area) and there was no view to be seen looking into MK (the tables near us that had a window view, the view outside was covered with trees).

I really did not journal very well about the meal (and I am thinking this chapter my of my TR is doing a good job reflecting the mood of the entire day, as I am having a really hard time writing this and adding excitement…maybe because like our last day and this my almost final chapter I am sad to be seeing it come to an end), I do remember the Lapu Drink…pretty strong but tasty.

The bread was really good, along with the salad and we all loved the appetizer round (I think that would have been a great meal alone)!

The grilled meat was okay (Jeff does a better job grilling, just ask him because he told us)

and the bread pudding was to die for!

Somewhere during the appetizer and the meat Wishes started along with some kind of parade that the boys joined in on! After dinner, I had planned for us to take the ferry across, but the boys wanted to ride the monorail. I stopped and stared at the castle drapped in lights one last time and then it was fitting to end our trip with one more line at the bus stop.

Which again reminded me how much I like the bus at the BWV we never really waited in line. On the ride back Goo had had enough and sat down on the floor along with Boo, and I let them…the bus was so packed and we were all tired.

We made our way back to the room we would sleep in for less than 6 hours…then again, did I really do any sleeping?

 

[momabaarjo]

love the updates. They painted Lady very quickly! Sorry your family didn't want too do your touring plan and made you miss the Dis meet.

A mutiny had to happen sometime, glad it was the last full day!

I'm mad for you! All the hard work we put into planning only to have your own flesh and blood reject your plans. Ugh!

Excuse me while I go warn my family they are NOT allowed to do that or I will leave them home the next time!

Did you get them straightened out!

Okay, I'm better now. Take deep calming breaths. Okay, at least you were at Disney. I sure hope the night went great!

Ya know...the ab rooms are pretty snazy now with the refurb. I personally, love POR. I hope I love POFQ as much. Basically, favorite value = Pop (maybe that will change after our next trip and we stay in AoA) favorite mod = POR (again, will I like POFQ more?) and favorite deluxe = YC (or BC because they share that wonderful pool)

Are we staying at AoA now.... As for POR I think we just had an awful room...but then again after staying at RPR and the Gaylord right before POR does look pretty shabby!




I am aalllways agreeable.

As long as no one is messing up your plans!



I am sorry, but at least you got to try EoS. Wasn't that holiday sandwich yummy???

I love that sandwich and you are right I got to eat at EOS

I am sorry that you missed meeting Betsy. So you had 2 dismeets? Michelle and (sorry, was it Noel?)

Yep, got to meet Michele and Noel!



That happened to us too. It wasn't like it was super busy either.

It really made me mad to leave without a custom mickey treat!

Did they like the pool? I think the hippy dippy pool (isn't that the name) is pretty fun. I just wish they still had the goofy jets.

They just did the 80s-90s pool...



and how did you like that? And... did it add some color to your life on down the road?

I hope your night end up being closer to your plans.

No color...

 

[momabaarjo]

Wow, so enjoyed your report and was enjoying your tips as my dh and I are going right after Thanksgiving. Just wanted to say that your daughter looks like a pretty . I can so see her working at Disney as a Princess in the future! Sure hope you get to make it back to Disney.

Thank you...I think she is too! I think she would love to do a character and meet people...Somehow I think we will get back to WDW...dh still talks to people about how cool it was!

 

[petals]

aws i don't like when trip reports come to an end. Mine isn't to far behind yours. I'm on day 13 only two more to go

 

[swwake]

so sad it's coming to an end

 

[momabaarjo]

Participating in a 2 Day Speed Scrap Challenge on Mouse Scrappers...expect some pages this weekend! Here is the first one I completed...

 

[momabaarjo]

I made it through round 2 of my speed scrap online challenge...right on time! Whew, this is too stressful for a Saturday!