And a Very Happy Birthday to ME!! A Journey in October 2012 That's a Wrap! 4.27.13

[TinksThree]

Once Illuminations was over we set out to see what else we could find to do.

















I suggested Soarin but Keith wasn’t up to it. So no Soarin this trip but I was okay with it. It was PM EMH at Epcot. However, we found that PM EMH doesn’t mean there is a lot to do especially if you aren’t doing Mission Space or Soarin and Test Track was still closed. I did go in search of the t-shirt for Keith but so many places were closing up. Eventually we decided to just give up on EMH and find something else fun to do. So we made a decision to head over to the Boardwalk.



The Boardwalk was very quiet with not a lot going on. We went to ESPN Club to get something to drink and some chicken wings.



Surprising yes, I know, that after indulging on the buffet in Germany we could eat wings! We weren’t terribly hungry but the wings were just enough to sustain us!

Once we were done at ESPN Club we headed out to the bus stops to catch a bus back to POP Century.







We did have to wait a bit for a bus, maybe 30 minutes. A bus driver arrived and since no one else was waiting…it was 1am after all! He called in and got permission to go “off-route” and deliver us at POP. The bus driver was extremely friendly and helpful!

Soon we were back at POP and realized the trip was over! It was time to get back to a very, very busy real life including high school soccer games, our annual Thanksgiving trip to Gatlinburg, Christmas and all the activities that consume December plus adding in work and a work trip back to Orlando! Wow! No wonder I seem to have been absent from the Dis Boards more than I was here!

Up next: the drive home and closing thoughts.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Yowza! That was a BIG update! I'm hoping that we'll get a chance to go over to AoA and have a look around. It looks so cute from your pictures.

We've never tried the Germany restaurant for the same reasons that you guys hadn't. I wonder if my picky eater would find something to eat there. Oh and John's weird about sitting at a table with lots of folks that he doesn't know.

 

[TinksThree]

Yowza! That was a BIG update! I'm hoping that we'll get a chance to go over to AoA and have a look around. It looks so cute from your pictures.

We've never tried the Germany restaurant for the same reasons that you guys hadn't. I wonder if my picky eater would find something to eat there. Oh and John's weird about sitting at a table with lots of folks that he doesn't know.

I figured I needed to start wrapping this thing up! Rare for me to have such a big update!

The Germany restaurant is so good! And picky people (eh-hm, Madison) can find something...actually a lot to eat there!! I was pleasantly surprised! Keith isn't big on eating with strangers either but it worked out pretty good! The most awkward thing was they toasted and being we aren't that cultured, I haven't toasted much...I hope I didn't look as backwoods as I felt!!

 

[TinksThree]

November 1, 2012

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
― Marcel Proust

Our final day we slept in a bit since we had been out so late. We loaded the car and then went to the food court to spend the last few snack credits (Chocolate Croissant!!!) and grab breakfast. Then we did a little last minute shopping at the gift shop. Soon we were in the car heading back north. I knew I was coming back in a few weeks so this journey wasn’t too sad.

Thankfully we had good weather and we were home by 9pm!

Final thoughts….

This was such a great birthday trip! I enjoyed every second of it. Once we got past the guilty feeling of leaving the kids behind, we just really went with the flow! Going with the flow seems to be our motto now, although Keith thinks we still want to go too much and not stop on park benches quite enough!

We enjoyed the restaurants:

San Angel Inn: This one was good in the end but the closeness of the tables took away a lot of the intimacy you would expect in that environment. And I mean intimacy not completely romantically but just a quiet moment to enjoy a lovely atmosphere with just your significant other, children or friends. When I can hear the person next to me better than my husband across the table from me, that isn’t particularly a good thing!





Ohana: Amazing as usual and the fireworks on the beach were an added bonus!!







Biergarten: I am so very happy we tried this place!! Good food and entertainment! We definitely will be back!





Hoop Dee Doo: Again one that has yet to disappoint us!





ABC Commissary: I am glad we chose to give this one a try! It is a good stop to rest, relax and eat!!







Food and Wine Festival! This was so good and lived up to my expectations! Now that I have been, I know what to expect and how to line things up to not miss anything I really want! I am very pleased with how this go-around turned out and I am even more excited to make plans down the road to experience this one again!









Thanks everyone for following along…especially the few that stuck with me! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed reliving the memories!!


“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
― Ernest Hemingway

 

[mickeystoontown]

Good gosh woman are you trying to torture me? I come to read the wrap up and there are tons of pictures of food and I'm starving! Just kidding! Not kidding about the starving part but of the "torture" part.

I know that the guilt of leaving the kids at home was a little hard but it was well worth it in the end. It truly was a great birthday trip for you!

 

[TinksThree]

Good gosh woman are you trying to torture me? I come to read the wrap up and there are tons of pictures of food and I'm starving! Just kidding! Not kidding about the starving part but of the "torture" part.

I know that the guilt of leaving the kids at home was a little hard but it was well worth it in the end. It truly was a great birthday trip for you!

Haha...sorry for the torture!!! Leaving the kids behind was weird but I did have a great birthday trip!!!

 

[Angies1274]

I was finally able to get caught up on your TR!

I'm glad you had a wonderful birthday trip! It looks like you had so much fun!

We really need to give Ohana another try! (Next time without the boys though...) Your pictures are making me so hungry!

What a great spot for Illuminations! I'll have to remember it for our next trip. We've only seen it once and unfortunately we were stuck behind some big trees so we definitely need a re-do!

Thank you for sharing your trip! I really enjoyed reading about it!

 

[TinksThree]

I was finally able to get caught up on your TR!

I'm glad you had a wonderful birthday trip! It looks like you had so much fun!

We really need to give Ohana another try! (Next time without the boys though...) Your pictures are making me so hungry!

What a great spot for Illuminations! I'll have to remember it for our next trip. We've only seen it once and unfortunately we were stuck behind some big trees so we definitely need a re-do!

Thank you for sharing your trip! I really enjoyed reading about it!

I have just spent an hours catching up on two TRs so I understand!! Thanks for sticking it out with me! And glad you enjoyed reading along! It really was a great trip! Ohana was really good so maybe you can get another shot at it sometime!!

That illuminations spot was probably one of the best I have had. The first time we saw it we were between China and the Outpost...not a good spot since the island blocks most of it!! I am slowly figuring out things like where to stand and not stand!