Are You Ever Coming Home?...No! I am playing with Wizards, Farkles and Sparkling Friends

[Timon]

Yikes, I am so far behind

We spotted this bird and I stalked him to get some pictures. LOL.

I first read this as "I asked him to get some pictures"

OMD! I laughed for like 5 minutes

Not much of a wait for Everest and soon we were loading.

Love that ride! I can't wait to go and have Kira actually ride everything with us. Such a chicken

We were having lunch at Be Our Guest today and I had never done the pre-order prior to the trip. I decided while riding we should do that. It makes the line faster if you do so, so I gave Claire her choices and we made an order and were all set for lunch then.

I love doing this! And I love that other places have that option now, so awesome

Wait! I sure could use a snack since we haven’t had breakfast. Let’s try some corndog nuggets. Would you believe I have NEVER had these before?

How have you not had these before?

It's like going to Disneyland and not eating the chicken nachos

I got a smile!!!

Are you sure it wasn't gas?

It was all really good and we did our best to eat as much as possible, but priority was the cupcakes. LOL.

Hahahaha, we are polar opposites, which is probably why we get along so well.

We saw this service dog and he was wearing slippers….probably to protect his feet from the hot pavement.

Great owners!

We have winter booties like this for Boo for our winter walks but she refuses to wear them

We had a lot of fun, but we always laugh a lot as it is so rough on your body.

LOL, nice that you can still laugh about body pain

After Space Mountain, we decided to do something we never have before, Stitch’s Great Escape.

I liked it as Alien Encounter but not as Stitch! How is this ride even still there?

how Miguel came to visit but brought all of Puerto Rico with him. I can’t remember the exact words anymore but we were roaring with laughter.

HAHAHAHAA! I love that show

They now take your picture on Pirates….obviously by the look on my face I did not know that.

OMD!!! This was funnier than you asking the bird for pictures ROTFLMAO!!!

Hey Claire….let me take your picture.

There's the Claire we all know and love

We made a bathroom stop and I pulled out my deodorant….it had melted in the heat! Whoa!

So, just slightly warm out, then?

We went up and got a couple of plates. I let Claire know that this was supper. LOL. Yes, I fed my kid cap for dinner today!

HAHAHAHA! Kira would not be happy with me if I said that! She would have a few little treats and then be like Ummm, okay, I need some fries a hot dog

Nick mentioned that there was a dispenser of milk and it was yellowish, so we had to go see it.

 

[jenseib]

I first read this as "I asked him to get some pictures"

OMD! I laughed for like 5 minutes

Well maybe I did. hahahaha. He wasn't cooperative though.

Love that ride! I can't wait to go and have Kira actually ride everything with us. Such a chicken

I hope she does. Claire really likes so many things now, which makes it so nice to be able to do things I like to do.

I love doing this! And I love that other places have that option now, so awesome

It worked out so nicely.

How have you not had these before?

It's like going to Disneyland and not eating the chicken nachos

I know. I don't know why. I guess we usually just have a full blown lunch and don't come by here for a snack or lunch. I will be back for sure.

And yes!! It's important to have chicken nachos at Disneyland!

Are you sure it wasn't gas?

Probably was. hahahah

Hahahaha, we are polar opposites, which is probably why we get along so well.

You don't like the cupcakes there?

Great owners!

We have winter booties like this for Boo for our winter walks but she refuses to wear them

I thought it was so cute and so nice

LOL, nice that you can still laugh about body pain

It's either laugh or cry! Might as well laugh....I've done that a lot of the past few months!

I liked it as Alien Encounter but not as Stitch! How is this ride even still there?

I agree. It was pretty bad. The Alien Encounter scared the HELL out of me the first time we went on it. My friend's brother was 17 at the time I believe and he screamed like a little girl.

HAHAHAHAA! I love that show

The words he said were just hilarious. Totally cutting on the tour groups, but in a fun way.

OMD!!! This was funnier than you asking the bird for pictures ROTFLMAO!!!

Obviously I had no clue the picture was being taken. I look totally clueless.

There's the Claire we all know and love

Yep..I get that look daily.

So, just slightly warm out, then?

Just a tad!

HAHAHAHA! Kira would not be happy with me if I said that! She would have a few little treats and then be like Ummm, okay, I need some fries a hot dog

I was glad Claire didn't argue about it. She had plenty to eat over the last 14 days...she didn't need real food. LOL.

It was so gross looking. Didn't anyone tell them that presentation is important?

 

[jenseib]

As we got close to the end, the girls yelled to us to ask if we could go around again so they could take video of Space Moutian. When we got there we didn’t even have to ask. The CM asked if we wanted to go around again!


happily246 by Jenseib, on Flickr


The kids were happy.


happily247 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And I took more pictures as we went by.


happily248 by Jenseib, on Flickr


There was a guy in there that waved to us as we rounded.


happily249 by Jenseib, on Flickr


happily250 by Jenseib, on Flickr


happily251 by Jenseib, on Flickr


happily252 by Jenseib, on Flickr


That was fun! Sadly it was getting close to park closing time. I wish it had late hours tonight as we would have made use of them. We worked our way to the front.


happily259 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I liked the fountain, so I took a few pictures.


happily260 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Jeanne came up with the idea of getting the castle too….cool shot.


happily261 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Boohooo! I don’t want to leave.


happily262 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We said our final goodbyes and went to our bus stops! Our trip is almost over. We were not homesick at all and could easily do another week, but unfortunately our wallets (and husband) didn’t agree with that.


We took the bus back to Music and headed back to the room. I played with the suitcases a bit to get them ready for to be checked in tomorrow. I kept moving things around to get the weight right but they seemed to be all under. Patty had told us the day before that her bags weighed over the 50lb limit when they checked theirs in with Southwest and she didn’t expect them to be. I wanted to be sure I had mine close but not over. And I was also trying to keep the carryons not overly heavy.


After playing with the cases I went to bed. Tomorrow we would be heading home.

 

[canyoncam]

One nice long day at the parks.

I was there during the transition from Wishes to Happily Ever After. I hadn't watched Wishes in years and watched the finale from Poly beach. Very nice. The next night we were in MK for HEA I decided to ride the mountains to see the fireworks as I knew it would be impossible to get a good view without spending forever waiting. Thinking next year I should try the dessert party.

 

[jenseib]

One nice long day at the parks.

I was there during the transition from Wishes to Happily Ever After. I hadn't watched Wishes in years and watched the finale from Poly beach. Very nice. The next night we were in MK for HEA I decided to ride the mountains to see the fireworks as I knew it would be impossible to get a good view without spending forever waiting. Thinking next year I should try the dessert party.

It was a great day. We did a lot and we were happy with how everything went for the most part that day.

How neat! Yes, try for the dessert party. It was so nice to have good seating.

 

[jenseib]

July 10, 2017, Day 15, Departure Day


I can’t believe this trip of a lifetime is coming to an end! The time just flew by. I know people at home, namely Skip, were missing us, but we felt like we hadn’t been gone long at all. Claire is like me too…..she would have gladly stayed another 2 weeks.


I got up and got ready and made my way to get something to eat. I let Claire sleep in a bit as I knew she needed it.


music1 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music2 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I already had started picking at my muffin before I remembered to take a picture.


music3 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I took it back to the room and ate it along with some water. We had a few bottles left yet and I was trying to get those drank up rather than tossing them.


After that I decided I better take a walk around the resort and take some pictures. I had neglected to explore since we had been so busy…and tired.


music4 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music5 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I also browsed the gift shop, feeling like I should buy something, but in the end I didn’t.


I then headed back out and took a walk around the place.


music6 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music7 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music8 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I actually left my camera in the room, so I had to use my phone for pictures.


music9 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music10 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I used to play the trombone, so I always try to take a picture when I see one.


music11 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music12 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music13 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music14 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music15 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music16 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music17 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music18 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music19 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music20 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music21 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music22 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music23 by Jenseib, on Flickr


For those who have not stayed at Music before….each section is dedicated to different types of music.


music24 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music25 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music26 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music27 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music28 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music29 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music30 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I thought the theming was great, but some of these buildings were pretty far back.


music31 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music32 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music33 by Jenseib, on Flickr

 

[jenseib]

I made my way back towards the front.


music34 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music35 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music36 by Jenseib, on Flickr


music37 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I went back to the room and got Claire up and ready. We then packed the rest in our bags, reweighed and did a little shuffling and then we took the checked bags up to the resort airline check in desk to get those on their way. They weighed them and 2 of the 3 were overweight. I knew then and there their scales were off. I had weighed mine with 2 scales and both had them about 2- 5lbs or more underweight, yet they were coming up close to 5 lbs overweight. UGH! I opened the 2 that were under and took out a packing cube from each and they were then under. I have since heard others saying it seems that scales have been wrong lately too.


I took the cubes back to the room and we put them in the carryons. We had room, but it did make them fuller and more heavy to deal with.


We lounged around a bit and then headed back to the front to wait for Magical Depress. We passed by the gift shop and saw this cute quiz on the whiteboard outfront.


music38 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We then found a spot in the shade and sat and waited for the bus.


music39 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I am so happy we ended up changing our flight to later in the day. We got to get enough sleep and I was able to explore the resort a bit. We felt more relaxed for sure leaving at this time instead of buttcrack thirty in the morning.


We got on the bus and made our way back to MCO…..Boo Hoo!!!!


music40 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We passed the new terminal that is being built. I still don’t know much about it and what it is being used for.


mco1 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We made the stop and I asked if it this was for A or B and the driver said everyone gets off here. In the past they always told us which airlines were at each stop and made a stop at both places. It’s been a while since I rode ME, so maybe that has changed.


mco2 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We soaked up the last of the Florida sunshine and then went in and headed to the precheck TSA line. I had gotten global entry last year and it includes TSA precheck (though in some cases you could possibly be excluded, though it’s rare) and it is so wonderful. Claire can go through with me until she is 13 (which is coming up fast). Once she turns 13, I am going to get her at least precheck as well and possibly global entry since the price difference is minimal. Global Entry has already paid for itself as far as I am concerned. If you fly at least twice a year, I think it’s totally worth it. I have used it for 4 round trip flights already (and have 2 more round trip flights this year yet) since I have gotten it. Claire has done 2 of those round trip flights with me. It is good for 5 years, so I see myself using it many more times. It’s only $100, though you do need to schedule a meeting to get fingerprinted and interviewed, and right now, with the amount of times Claire and I have both used it, it has come to around $8.40 per use. By the end of this year, with my other scheduled flights it will then average about $6.25 per use….and I have 3 ½ years left on it then still!


Now the precheck line isn’t always short, but it is shorter usually than the regular lines and moves at a faster rate in most cases. We moved along and the TSA agents were shouting stuff, but it was hard to understand them. One in particular was yelling at people a lot. We put our bags through and prayed we weren’t singled out because she was really touchy. She would tell people things like “come on! You are in the precheck line…you should know what to do by now”. And really how does she know it’s not some ones first time coming through the line. And some people just get selected randomly to come through it.


We waited for our bags to come through…and waited and waited. There was a guy who was getting the what for. He had a bottle of water in his bag and they kept putting his bag back and forth. The TSA officer kept asking him stuff and he wouldn’t answer. I think English was not his first language. He was holding up the line. Then the belt stopped and nothing would come through. They kept trying to fix it and were having issues. Basically someone had to put half their body inside to find a blazer stuck in the belt and that is why it wouldn’t go through….and you can guess who’s blazer it was…the man who had been having issues bringing water in his bag. Finally after that our bags came through and we were off.

My theory is to treat these agents with as much kindness as possible and you will fare much better than playing stupid or getting snippy.


We stopped off at McDonalds and got some lunch. While in line, someone commented on my Samantha Brown carry on. People always love them.


mco3 by Jenseib, on Flickr


After we had our fill we headed off to our gate and took a seat.


I was just staring off and I noticed this huge bug skittering across the floor. It was funny, because people walking would see it and jump over it. Eventually someone was brave enough to squash it.


mco4 by Jenseib, on Flickr


We were called to line up and we saw our plane waiting for us.


mco5 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And off we go. I am not remembering anything special about the actual flight as we left.


mco7 by Jenseib, on Flickr


I did know that storms were predicted in Columbus. I had texted Amanda to let her know we had left on time. As we got to Columbus we were informed that it was storming badly and we would not be able to land for awhile. Of course our flight did not have wifi, so I couldn’t let Amanda know we would be landing late. I also tried to turn my data back on to see if I could text her….but no service this high up. We circled for an hour before we finally were able to land.


Once we did and turned out phones back on, the text came in. Amanda said she had looked online and knew we would be late, so she didn’t rush to get us. The rain had been so bad she had to pull off the road for a bit till it let up. She still arrived early and was waiting at McDonalds parking lot.

I told her we had landed and that we were told bags might take a bit since several flights just landed all in a row. I would let her know once the bags came through. We were in no rush.


We exited the plane and used the restroom and then went to check on our luggage. Another flight’s was coming out currently, so we walked outside. The rain had stopped for the most part and the weather wasn’t too bad. After a bit we went back inside to see if our bags were coming, but not yet. We kept Amanda updated.

Once our bags started coming in from our flight we gathered them and I had Claire sit at a bench outside the door and I brought them to her one by one to guard. We let Amanda know they were coming out so she could make her way towards us.

I went back to fetch the last bag off the belt and the handle was broken! UGH! This was a brand new bag, used for the first time on this trip.

I walked out to Claire and showed her the bag and complained a little bit.


mco8 by Jenseib, on Flickr


And airline employee was out there and told me to take the bag in and show them to make a claim. I told her I would just do it at home and she told me it had to be done at the airport. I have always done it online in the past, but it was never this bad or obvious. Usually I notice a rip or something when I get home. I decided to go back in and see what could be done.


It was hopping in this little room, with people looking for bags that didn’t make it in because of the storm….or they were on one flight but the bags were actually coming in on the next one due to some delays. One lady left her cell phone on the plane.

When it was my turn the ladies were really nice and could see what my issue was. They had me fill out a form and took the bag. They would send it in for repairs. I was given 2 big duffles to carry everything in.


I took another picture just to have a personal record and then transferred everything into the duffles.


mco9 by Jenseib, on Flickr


Amanda had arrived and Claire texted me that they were loading the luggage and spotted a tear on my other bag.

The ladies said if it was bad to come back in and they would empty that bag too and send that off.

Amanda and Claire took off to circle around so they wouldn’t get in trouble for sitting there and I finally came out to wait. A text then came through with a picture.


mco6 by Jenseib, on Flickr


You have got to be kidding. At this point I was too tired to go back inside to take that bag and the 2 duffles I had were super heavy. There is a reason I have 4 wheels on my luggage. I said I would file a claim with the manufacture as this luggage is guaranteed to hold up. Just an FYI…it is Samantha Brown luggage through HSN and they are complete idiots there. They will not admit to any issues and the warranty is pretty useless. They said they would give me $20 to get it repaired. I actually just now have taken it in and the local guy is going to put a patch on it. I am sure it will not match, but at this point, I just don’t even care.


So Amanda and Claire pulled back around and we crammed the 2 duffles in the car.


mco10 by Jenseib, on Flickr


In the meantime, Skip had been calling and I told him I would get back to him later as it was crazy right now and we had to circle the air for over an hour. I called him back and he told me not to hang out too long as there would be storms at home tonight. I told him we were going to get something to eat before taking off. He didn’t think this was necessary and he was driving me nuts. One thing that drives me crazy is being told what to do. I knew he was missing us, and we would get home as soon as we could, but we were hungry and a little cranky too.


We finally took off and headed off and decided the Cheesecake Factory is what was needed for dinner. I didn’t take any pictures, but the food was great as always and hit the spot.


We headed back to Amanda’s and loaded our luggage back into my car and then started home. We have about a 2 ½ hour drive when we add in our bathroom breaks and at first we were making good time. It started getting dark at about the halfway mark and then there were a few rain showers starting. By the time we made it to our favorite McDonalds for a bathroom break it was raining pretty hard.


We went in and got some drinks and they had these on display.


mco11 by Jenseib, on Flickr


mco12 by Jenseib, on Flickr


What a small world! If you remember way back towards the beginning of the cruise I had mentioned we started watching the movie “The Founder”, which was about McDonalds and it’s original owners and then how this man basically stole the company from them…..this was the original mascot and look of the stores. I mentioned it to the lady who was working. She was a manager and she had no clue about any of it. LOL. I still need to rewatch that movie and watch the end. I found it really interesting.


Back on the road again and the rain had let up a bit. Yippee! Well about 20 minutes later it started to pour….and I mean pour. I could not see at all and the highway was super black with no lights. The few cars on the road were all going at a snails pace. I was tempted to pull over, but I was afraid someone wouldn’t see me and hit us. I trudged on slowly and I could hear Skip’s voice telling me “I told you so”.


As we got closer to home it did let up and we could drive at a normal speed then. I was never so happy to see my house when we pulled into my driveway. I grabbed the suitcases and put them in the house and we said hello to Skip, who was already in bed….and we were not far behind. It had been a long travel day and it was great to be back in our own beds once again.


The following day consisted of emptying suitcases and lots of laundry duties. We had a lot of stuff, but it was actually the fastest I have ever unpacked and got things put away.


And of course, real life came crashing back.


And that’s the end folks! Thanks for reading along with me as I relived our fabulous vacation.


I’ll post some final thoughts later….

 

[rndmr2]

Sorry to see the TR come to an end, it really sounded like a great trip!

Sorry you had such awful weather for your trip home but glad you made it ok.

Crazy that 2 of your bags were damaged, hope they got fixed.

Cheesecake Factory is a great choice, love that place. Their menu is HUGE, though, I have such a hard time deciding sometimes.

Any more trips on the horizon?

 

[dolphingirl47]

The next text she tells me is that she booked the dessert party for her and Nick and they would be joining us.

What a great surprise.

Jeanne went to guest services and she was told they were all gone now and you have to go to first aid now to get wipes.

That is a strange way of going about things. Last year, bug repellent was everywhere.

h

Oh, that looks good.

I would have been all over those.

I can't remember when you went to Disneyland. Was Disneyland Forever showing when you were there? I think this new fireworks show may be quite similar and if it is, it will definitely be a winner for me.

That is so strange to see Space Mountain with the lights on. I love Space Mountain at Paris. I always knew that it has one inversion although I could not tell you were it is. I have now found out there are actually three. Graham said that I would ever see this ride with the lights on, I would never go back and I know he is right. Seeing those photos made me think of this.

The time just flew by. I know people at home, namely Skip, were missing us, but we felt like we hadn’t been gone long at all. Claire is like me too…..she would have gladly stayed another 2 weeks.

However long I am away, it never feels quite long enough. Graham however is ready to go home after about 2 weeks.

I had weighed mine with 2 scales and both had them about 2- 5lbs or more underweight, yet they were coming up close to 5 lbs overweight.

That stinks.

We made the stop and I asked if it this was for A or B and the driver said everyone gets off here. In the past they always told us which airlines were at each stop and made a stop at both places. It’s been a while since I rode ME, so maybe that has changed.

The last time we took Magical Express was in October 2015 and it had already changed to the single drop off then.

I went back to fetch the last bag off the belt and the handle was broken! UGH! This was a brand new bag, used for the first time on this trip.

Oh, how annoying.

A text then came through with a picture.


mco6 by Jenseib, on Flickr

I wonder what on earth they did with your luggage this trip.

Just an FYI…it is Samantha Brown luggage through HSN and they are complete idiots there. They will not admit to any issues and the warranty is pretty useless.

That really stinks. They should stand by the product.

Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed reading along.

Corinna

 

[canyoncam]

It’s so sad that it’s over.

I am so sorry about your luggage. I know everyone has their own thoughts on which luggage to get and what works for them. I spend as little as possible, usually about $100 every two to five years on a complete new set. Usually only one piece is damaged and I sell off the others to minimize my loss. But in my opinion, with the amount of abuse the bags take, even the “indestructible” ones will wind up damaged if you are utilizing any second hand luggage movers: porters, cruises, and airlines.

I too must finish watching The Founder. Very interesting.

Look forward to your final thoughts and hopefully another TR!!!!

 

[jenseib]

Sorry to see the TR come to an end, it really sounded like a great trip!

Me too...but glad I am done writing and editing. LOL

Sorry you had such awful weather for your trip home but glad you made it ok.

we were safe at least, but it's nerve racking

Crazy that 2 of your bags were damaged, hope they got fixed.

I know. I wonder if it happened in Columbus because they had a lot to unload in a short time

Cheesecake Factory is a great choice, love that place. Their menu is HUGE, though, I have such a hard time deciding sometimes.

It is huge and each time I say I will get something new and most times I get the same thing

Any more trips on the horizon?

Yes. 2 in Nov. One is business...actually 2 things but the same week, so I go from one to the other...in Ft. Lauderdale.
And then family vacation in NYC for Thanksgiving.

What a great surprise.

It was a great way to end the trip and Claire was so happy

That is a strange way of going about things. Last year, bug repellent was everywhere.

Yeah I was surprised the tamed it back

Oh, that looks good.

Very tasty

I would have been all over those.

Sadly I am not a fan of them. I keep trying them, but still not my thing.

I can't remember when you went to Disneyland. Was Disneyland Forever showing when you were there? I think this new fireworks show may be quite similar and if it is, it will definitely be a winner for me.

They didn't have any going when I went, but I think I went before they started doing those.

That is so strange to see Space Mountain with the lights on. I love Space Mountain at Paris. I always knew that it has one inversion although I could not tell you were it is. I have now found out there are actually three. Graham said that I would ever see this ride with the lights on, I would never go back and I know he is right. Seeing those photos made me think of this.

It's totally creepy

However long I am away, it never feels quite long enough. Graham however is ready to go home after about 2 weeks.

Yeah, Skip doesn't like to go long at all

That stinks.

Yes, they need to have accurate scales

The last time we took Magical Express was in October 2015 and it had already changed to the single drop off then.

Good to know

That really stinks. They should stand by the product.

I agree. I have heard HSN is terrible...basically they act stupid

Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed reading along.

Thanks for reading and commenting!

It’s so sad that it’s over.

Me too, but on to the next adventure

I am so sorry about your luggage. I know everyone has their own thoughts on which luggage to get and what works for them. I spend as little as possible, usually about $100 every two to five years on a complete new set. Usually only one piece is damaged and I sell off the others to minimize my loss. But in my opinion, with the amount of abuse the bags take, even the “indestructible” ones will wind up damaged if you are utilizing any second hand luggage movers: porters, cruises, and airlines.

I have bought many cheap sets but they just don't work well. The wheels are usually horrible and once you fill the case they only roll on perfect pavement. You just can't win then because good stuff gets dmamaged

I too must finish watching The Founder. Very interesting.

It is very interesting. Of course I have read it's not exactly like the "real story" played out, but on the same lines

Look forward to your final thoughts and hopefully another TR!!!!

I will try to get those up in the next few days

 

[rndmr2]

Yes. 2 in Nov. One is business...actually 2 things but the same week, so I go from one to the other...in Ft. Lauderdale.
And then family vacation in NYC for Thanksgiving.

Sounds convenient to be able to go from one to the other.

I remember last year you went to NYC too, that was a fun report, Loved seeing the parade pics. Are you making this a tradition?

It is huge and each time I say I will get something new and most times I get the same thing

I tend to do that at a lot of places

 

[jenseib]

Sounds convenient to be able to go from one to the other.

They are in conjunction, but only 14 are attending the first one.

I remember last year you went to NYC too, that was a fun report, Loved seeing the parade pics. Are you making this a tradition?

It was actually 2 years ago, but I wrote the TR last fall I think. LOL. Last year we all sailed the Fantasy.
We really do like NYC for Thanksgiving though. So much better than at home.

 

[jenseib]

Final Thoughts


This vacation was amazing! It was wonderful to sail with so many great friends.


I am really happy we were able to fit some Disney World time in too. When I started planning this cruise, my first thought was cruise only. Then I went to 1 day in the parks, thinking that Animal Kingdom would be top priority….then when flights were so much cheaper coming in 2 days early and leaving 2 days later, it actually worked out perfectly. Tickets are good for 14 days from the first use, so we had them timed out perfectly to use before expiring.

We experienced a lot of new first for us, which is always a nice touch for anyone. We have been to the parks many times, but there are still so many new things to experience.

2 new to us resort stays, new dining places, new attractions and rides….plus mixed it with many of our favorites.

Claire hadn’t been to all 4 parks in 3+ years, so this really made her happy.


The cruise was just fabulous. We enjoyed each of the ports and the new ones were super exciting for us. We loved the 4th of July fireworks and I don’t think next year sitting at home will even be comparable. I am sure Claire and I will think about how we had been sailing the year before.

Not only did we visit many new ports, but we also did new things on the ship. And we actually took it easy a little more this time too. Playing games with our friends in Cabana’s is not something we would have ever thought to do normally, but we had so much fun and one of our best memories.

Being able to eat with both Cass’s family and Patty’s family made for a great mix for us.

I now know that 10 days on a ship is still not long enough for us. I know Claire agrees after all the tears she shed.


Were things perfect? Nope! We had a few issues here and there and by looking at a lot of Claire’s pictures you would think she had a horrible time…but she didn’t. That is just what she does to me when I go to take her picture. I told her some day she will wonder why I have all these pictures of her with a nasty look. I’d like to say it’s a phase, but she has been doing it off and on since she was 3. LOL.


Since this trip I have actually changed the company I work for, so I no longer can call these lovely people my co-workers….but I will call them friends for life. I am still doing the same thing I had been doing, but it was time to make the change and do what works for me better. I still have mixed feelings…LOVE my new company so much, but I do miss the comfort of my close co-workers from the old. The plus side is, this was NOT a work trip, so I can still do non work trips with these lovely ladies in the future.

And even some work trips too! I am actually going to CruiseWorld in Nov. and Brook (as well as a few other ladies I know) will all be there too. I am excited about this next trip and what it will have to offer…unfortunately no cruises. LOL. And on top of that, I was selected to arrive early and tour Fort Lauderdale for a few days prior with a group. (14 of us total).


After that, my next official vacation is over Thanksgiving, where I will be heading to NYC with my family for a few days. Once again, I may catch up with Brook again and possibly a few other past co-workers.


I do have a deposit on a cruise for Next Oct. and I hope to do it, but it will depend on a few other things and it may get changed eventually.


I want to thank everyone who has read and followed along as I relived this great vacation. I am so happy to have made these memories for not only myself, but for Claire. I am a big believer in making wonderful memories with your kids. When she looks back at things we have done together now, most of her memories have to do with a place we have traveled to and the fun we had together. I hope she keeps these memories forever!

 

[mickeystoontown]

And just like that, I get caught up and it's over. I so enjoyed ready about your fabulous journey. Our last two trips have been 16 days I can honestly say that we never ever missed home. My Mama and my dogs? Yes. But the "real world" absolutely not. Thanks for posting so many pictures of All Star Music. It's the only resort that was available when I booked free dining so All Stars it is. I'm excite to try something new but nervous as all heck.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

I really enjoyed reading along. Thanks so much for sharing your travels with all of us.

 

[jedijill]

Another great trip! Can't wait to hear about the next one.

Jill in CO

 

[jenseib]

So I was going through my report as I am copying some things over for my blog and I realized I missed a complete post on our last day of the cruise. I squeezed it in on a reply post. LOL.

Here is the link

Are You Ever Coming Home?...No! I am playing with Wizards, Farkles and Sparkling Friends

 

[dizneeat]

Just in time to see your TR coming to an end ......... uuuhhhh - took me a while to get over the post Disney depression this year.

I had to skip a lot of the discussion in between, but loved catching up on your adventures.

 

[bcwife76]

All caught up again!! What a fabulous trip!!! Some amazing memories that you and Claire are able to share