A very late EE5K trip report! *~* Completed 28/2 *~*

[DisneyJo]

As with all my trip reports it starts with a long journey. I won't bore you with all the details but I left my house at about 8am and finally landed at MCO at 8pm (3pm EST) this was 30 minutes ahead of schedule thanks to a rare tail wind I was soon through immigration and was amazed when my suitcase was one of the first off, this meant I arrived at the Magical Express desk at the time I was actually meant to land, bonus!

Sorry, back track a bit, I haven't even told you who is on this trip and why! Well it was me Jo, just me, yep I was going solo, well for the flight from England anyway I'm a member of the Disney World Moms Panel and I have made the most fantastic friends with the other panellists and we had decided to have a huge reunion. All of the 2009 panel and some of the 2008 Moms were meeting to take part in the Expedition Everest 5K Challenge, note how I said "take part" rather than run This was scheduled for the end of September 2009 and thanks to my Tesco club card points I managed to get my return flights free with airmiles!!! I also managed to persuade my sister, who has recently moved to New York, to join me there too. So although I was on a solo trip the only time I was on my own was on the flight

So as I arrived at the ME desk early I tried to remember the list that Diane L from the panel had made with everyone's arrival times on, I had originally thought I would be too late to see anyone but those extra 30 minutes meant I could stalk a panellist! After chatting with the lady at the ME podium for a while and even giving her my card I spotted Whitney. I waved like a mad thing but it took her ages to see me, she was with her wonderful husband and we posed for a photo before going our separate ways. Me to Animal Kingdom Lodge and Whitney to POFQ, we weren't sad as we knew we' be seeing lots of each other soon. I was so pleased to spot someone so quickly!

Luck was really on my side today because as soon as I boarded the ME coach we were off. AKL was the second stop and I was soon in the check-in line which was only about 4 deep. When the next guests were called imagine my delight when it was Kay and Joanne from the panel, there was lots of screaming and hugging and the people around us must have wondered what an earth was going on, we were also talking ten to the dozen, it was hilarious and so fantastic. Kay was also a sweetie and had pressies for me, she really spoils all of us on the panel and this time had a wooden Halloween egg, party hat and a T-Shirt for me It really was like meeting old friends and no-one would believe that the first and only time we'd met was over 9 months ago at training. (TR in my signature if you're interested)

I was quickly checked in and found out we'd been upgraded to a savannah view, I was so chuffed but knew my daughters would be gutted. I have 2 girls aged 11 and 13 and although they understood that I had to go to WDW without them, OK they actually said I could only go if I bought them back lots of American candy, I knew that they'd have loved the view from the room! The room was gorgeous and the view was really cool!

The original plan was to rest a little but instead I headed straight to the pool to meet some more Moms. On the way I bumped into Margaret, again lots of hugging, screaming and talking occurred and we found Joanne and Kay by the pool with Cathy and her husband. We're all chatting away when we hear this booming voice shouting "are there any Disney Moms here? I've heard there are Disney Moms around here!" Everyone started looking and we're all in hysterics as this was Disney CM Gary/Jerry who has become a big Moms Panel friend after we'd met at training. We all chatted for a while before going back inside where we met another Mom Tanya and after chatting briefly I went for a drink and some nibbles with Joanne and Kay where we put the world to rights

Me, Margaret, Kay, Cathy & Joanne

Next up will my sister ever arrive?



I'd just like to thank all of my Moms Panel BFF's as I didn't seem to take many photos so I pinched some of theirs, thanks!

 

[Goofysmate]

Great start Jo

 

[joolz1910]

Great room!

 

[jamjar84]

Great start.

 

[disney_princess_85]

Great start Jo.

 

[natalielongstaff]

Fab start Jo

 

[jockey]

Great start, I love AKL. the savannah view is amazing

 

[UKDEB]

The excitement is palpable, Jo! I already know this has the makings of a very engaging trippie!

 

[fizz13]

Ooh I can't wait to read more, fab start!

 

[DisneyJo]

Thanks for reading everyone, I really appreciate it

I'll be posting all updates on this thread BTW

 

[DisneyJo]

At around 6pm I left Kay and Joanne as they were headed for dinner at Sanaa (I think) so I returned to my room to unpack, I was very fair, leaving exactly half of the drawers and wardrobe for my sister, I even counted the hangers Em's plane was landing around 6 so I assumed she'd be at AKL around 7ish so I didn't really know what to do with myself, all my Mom friends were off somewhere eating before a big meet at Jellyrolls, I had decided not to go as they weren't meeting until 9pm which was 2am my time and I thought I may fall asleep on a chair somewhere I have heard that they had an absolutely fantastic time and looking at all their photos has made me wish I'd gone!!! Anyway It got to around 7pm and I decided I'd go and meet Em in the lobby, which by the way is gorgeous, the theming at AKL is just phenomenal. Well I waited and waited and waited some more and finally around 8.30pm she arrived, poor girl had been sat on the Magical Express for about 2 hours and she'd had a tour of almost every WDW resort Lets just say next time she'll be getting a taxi

Em now lives in NYC, she moved there for her job in December 2008 and although I'd seen her briefly in June it was so great to see her again and this trip allowed us to have some really good quality sister time together without 4 kids asking for things. Sorry I keep getting side tracked, we quickly dumped her stuff in the room, after I'd excitedly told her about the upgrade of course, and headed to Mara for some food. I wasn't really sure what I wanted as my body clock was all over the place but to stop myself from waking up about 2am starving I just had a kids chicken nugget meal which was fine. Em had some cous cous pita meal which she thought was good too, we also grabbed 2 refillable mugs

I was now ready to drop so back to the room we went, you'd think that as I'd been awake for 21 hours that I'd fall straight asleep, well I would if Em hadn't needed to do some work on her laptop and her typing kept me awake I know poor sensitive little me Finally around 11pm I fell asleep only to wake up at 3am This happens to me every trip, I managed to drift back to sleep for another few hours but gave up at 6am and went to refill our mugs.

It was looking like it would be another scorching hot day and it was also going to be a busy one. Months ago I found out that several DIS friends were also visiting WDW when I was and although I'd met 2 of them before I'd never met the other one Dawn, even though we'd been chatting almost daily for 2-3 years. So a breakfast reservation at Kona was quickly made on my first day and their last, I had never dined there for brekkie so this would be new to me! We caught the 7am bus to the Magic Kingdom, can I just say how lucky we were with the buses this trip, well except Emma's ME obviously, literally we waited no more than 5 minutes for any bus and several times the bus was waiting for us to board We then took the monorail round to the Poly and we were exactly on time for our ADR. Angela (askelton) was lounging on the chairs there waiting for us, this was my third time meeting Angela, first time last August and then for lunch in December when I was in WDW for my training trip, she is so lovely, very easy to talk too and her accent is so cute As we quickly catch up Dawn (HomeschoolMama) and Mel (Muffinygood) with their husbands creep up on us. After lots of hugs and a handshake for Dawns hubbie (he doesn't like hugs apparently and I'd been pre-warned) we wandered to Kona where they sat us immediately. I think that 6 ordered Tonga Toast and I just went for the french toast as I don't like bananas, I also switched from sausage or bacon to fruit, sorry but I just can't mix my sweet and savoury like the Americans do! It was all delicious and we chatted lots, we were even joined at one point by another DIS friend Rachel (rachel3) who was staying at the Poly with her family.

With very full tummies we waddled downstairs and had our own mini photo shoot before Dawn and Angela left to go home, oh I was wearing my nice new Moms Panel polo shirt for the meet which you can see in the photo! Mel, her hubbie NotBob, Em and I then walked to the Grand Floridian, I love this walk and also wanted to show Em the GF as we had stayed their as children the year it opened. It actually became a recurring theme during this trip where I'd say to Em "do you remember this?" and almost every time she would remember nothing, her memory is shocking After a brief look around we jumped on the monorail to transfer to an AKL bus as we had lunch plans.......

Dawn, Mel, Me and Angela

And a few more of the view from our balcony as there were hardly any photos in this installment!

 

[DisneyJo]

So whilst I was dining with DIS friends some of my fellow Moms panellists were visiting Give Kids The World which, incase you didn't know, is a fabulous place close to WDW where very ill children and their families get to have a magical vacation. Moms panellist Anna had been so moved by the great work done at GKTW that she had arranged a collection between the 2009 panel and some of the 2008 panel and between us we amazingly raised $1,550. GKTW offered us a tour so we could present the cheque and apparently it is an awesome place, all the Moms loved seeing the great facilities there albeit whilst holding back the tears. Here are a few photos of their trip and for more details you can read Anna's blog HERE

Our schedule had us meeting in the AKL lobby at midday ready to be picked up for a personal tour of the Wide World of Sports. This would be the first time since December that we'd all be back together, well except Amber who would meet us later at the party. Margaret had befriended people at Garrett's Popcorn and they had given her 2 huge tins for us all to share. I'd never had it before and OMG the caramel popcorn is to die for, it's so buttery and moreish and I'm sure has no calories whatsoever

Soon our 2 minibuses arrived and we all piled in for the short journey to the WWS, we were met by our guide who firstly told us that it was being rebranded to include ESPN and then took us on a tour. I was completely amazed at how huge the complex was, there were baseball fields, soccer/football areas, a huge basketball hall and we only touched the surface, it really is an outstanding facility. Also whilst we were there there was a huge CM sale going on, I think it was all old stock but people were coming out with ginormous bags full to the brim. You should have seen some of the Moms dying to get in there, unfortunately we're not classed as employees so we couldn't It was fun to see though!

We were then led backstage to a meeting room where we all had a little gift, it was an ESPN digital photo frame which was so generous of them. My sister straight away said I should give it to her as it wouldn't work in the UK because of the voltage but I brought it home anyway We then had a presentation all about the plans before heading to lunch!

Lunch was your typical ballgame food, well so I was told as I've never been to one, there were chicken tenders, wings, pulled pork sandwiches, fries etc. I gingerly tasted the sauce on the wings and OMG they were hot, I'm so glad I didn't just bite straight into it. Whitney and her husband couldn't believe I'd never had hot wings before and were also amazed I didn't put ice in my drink, I know silly Brit huh

I think I'm saying here, ooooh look what I got!!!

It was soon time to leave again, today was quite a rush, we had to pick up our Expedition Everest 5K packet from the front of WWS which contained our bib numbers, special T-Shirt, water holder etc before we all jumped back on to the minibuses for our trip home. On the way back the Black Eyed Peas came on the radio singing I've Got A Feeling and quite a few of us started singing, we claimed it as our theme tune for the weekend and it was amazing how often it was played after that giving us all a chance to get our groove on

 

[natalielongstaff]

great pics Jo

 

[mandymouse]

Great trippy Jo, and lovely pics too

 

[florida sun]

Great trippy and lovley pics

 

[jamjar84]

Great update and pics.

 

[DisneyJo]

So after our whistle stop tour of ESPNWWS we had about 45 minutes back at AKL before we had to head to the MK for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Em went off for a quick dip in the pool whilst I tried to nap as it was going to be a late night. All too soon it was time to go again so we put on our matching shirts and were off. All the Moms had decided against big hot heavy costumes, even though it was discussed and ideas such as giant M&M's etc were thrown out there, but we ended up ordering customised shirts. Phew..... goodness knows how I would have packed an M&M costume LOL. Thanks to Diane L I didn't even have to worry about packing my shirt as she had kindly ordered most of the shirts for us and handed them out at WWS, thanks Diane

We met up with a few Moms in the lobby, I can't remember who but they were wearing pink so must have been part of the group We arrived right at 4pm which was perfect timing as that's when our tickets allowed us in. We wandered down Main Street taking in all the gorgeous Halloween decorations and we were first to arrive at the Crystal Palace for our 4.30pm dining reservation. The reservation was for about 35 of us as many of the Moms were there with husbands, children, parents etc. Eventually we all arrived and checked in where we were told it would be a little wait. We amused ourselves by having our own photo shoot and chatting!

Whilst we were waiting I noticed a couple go past wearing tie dye Mickey shirts and just knew it had to be Lynn and Chuck aka Nts4wdw, so like any good DISer I ran like a mad thing and pounced on them Luckily it was them, by the way I did know they were going to be at the party and don't just attack random strangers, anyway they were so pleased to see me and we had a lovely chat. I gave Lynn some Moms Panel goodies that I had for her and she asked me if I'd received her gift. Lynn apparently had left a gift for me at AKL on Wednesday yet I hadn't received anything, thank goodness we met so I could go and ask for it!

So after all this you would have thought we'd have been called by now wouldn't you.......... nope, over an hour after our reservation time, when we were all dying of thirst and about to hit Casey's for a hot dog our name was finally called. Did these people not know who they'd kept waiting?

The meal was as good as always, but I must admit I drank more than I ate as waiting for over an hour in the heat sure makes you thirsty. During the meal we suddenly heard Happy Birthday being sung and there at the end of our big table was Gary-Jerry with an enormous cake. Since our first meeting with him back in December it has kind of become a Moms Panel tradition that he always celebrates his Birthday when we meet, goodness knows how old he is LOL We even had Tigger join in our celebrations!

It was finally time to get our ride on and as we only had 30 minutes before our next meet we had to be quick. Jodi & hubbie, Diane C & hubbie, Joanne, Emma and I all headed straight for Splash Mountain which was a complete walk on. We ended up in a boat with a single man in the back row, poor guy was subjected to all our giggling and singing, I think he had fun too though! Well Diane was sat in the front row and got absolutely drenched it was hilarious, so what's the best way to dry off? A ride on Big Thunder of course! This again was a walk on and is so much fun!

(sorry this is so blurry, I obviously need to work on my moving camera skills!)

After our ride we had just enough time to make it to the Main Street station where we were scheduled to shoot a mini video, Diane of course was still soaking All the Moms were already there including some of the 08 panel and we all stood around catching up, eating cookies and enjoying all the beverages, including alcohol, I know, this is the second time I've been allowed alcohol in the Magic Kingdom!!! Sometime during this Angela (Askelton) came by for a quick chat, I also got to meet her husband Mitch for the second time which was great.

The shoot didn't take long and it was soon parade time, the train station is a fantastic spot to view both the parade and fireworks but after my December trip I knew the photos wouldn't come out great so I didn't take any - sorry! I was stood next to Amber and her 2 gorgeous children who are about 1 and 3, well they were so cute during the parade pointing everything out and so well behaved!

There was time for a little shopping after the parade was over, it was just window shopping though, we didn't actually buy anything. By the time we got back to the train station near enough everyone had gone and it had been reopened to the public We still managed to grab a couple of chairs right by the railings and luckily right by the Garrett popcorn tins too, yep we still had loads of popcorn left! The fireworks were fantastic especially towards the end where they were literally going off all around us, I think my sister was pretty impressed!

It was now past 10 and since arriving at 4 we had only managed to do 2 rides, Splash and Thunder, we were itching to get going so some of us headed to Buzz. It all gets a bit blurry now, I know we hit lots of candy stations, rode lots of rides, met up with other Moms etc and generally had a fab time. I do remember after riding Haunted Mansion Diane L and her daughter went to ride Philarmagic with Em and I and when she saw me struggling with my bag she kindly gave me one of her Mickey Halloween bags, it is so cute, thanks Diane

Midnight came way too quickly but we were all ready for bed, remember how long I'd been awake? It was amazing I was still upright LOL Once we arrived at AKL I asked if there was a package for me and low and behold there was, why they hadn't given it to be before goodness knows, this wouldn't be the last time something like this happened!!!

The package was so cute and included a cross stitch book mark, notepad with my initial on, Halloween earrings and an enormous Tootsie Roll. This was such a coincidence as earlier in the day at WWS I tasted my very first tootsie roll LOL Thanks Lynn you were so sweet doing that for me

Oh and I can't go without showing you photos of our stash, all for the girls you understand!!!

 

[jamjar84]

Great update, glad you had fun at the party.

 

[mark&sue]

really enjoying your report as always Jo



susan

 

[Chilly]

Looking forward to hearing more