Escaping Mardi Gras - Our 2 weeks in the World - 1st Trip Report w/pictures

[cara76]

The first post is copied from my pre- trip report

This is my first trip report so bare with me.....

The Plan

When we moved back to New Orleans after spending a year in Orlando and having PAP my loving DH mentioned that we wouldn't be going back to WDW for a long time. I looked at him and laughed and let him believe what he wanted.

So the decision for what to do for Mardi Gras came up

• we could stay here and enjoy the parades which both of us know after a few nights we would be done with the crowds and all
• we could ride Mardi Gras day and throw over $1000 away between the cost of riding and the throws or....
• we could go on vacation

Well as you can see going on vacation won!!!! Now the question was where. DH wanted to go see snow. DS and I wanted to go to WDW , somehow freezing for a week in the snow doesn't sound like my idea of a fun trip. Not to mention DS has food allergies and well no one does food allergies like WDW.

The originaly plan was to leave Mardi Gras day getting to the World on Wednesday (we like to break up the 12 hour drive into 2 days). We decided this because of Presidents Day and Mardi Gras and thought maybe we could miss the biggest of the crowds. Well plans evolved and DS got invited to a Birthday Party of a friend that lives in Orlando on the 26th, so days went into 10 days. Next thing I know DH wants to leave the weekend before Mardi Gras so 10 days go into 12 with us arriving Monday the 19th. Then DH changes his mind again and decides we will leave Saturday and drive straight through so 12 days turn into 14. Now we are leaving Friday, driving 1/2 way and getting to the World on Saturday.


So here's the plan -

14 nights at POP with dinning plan, 10 day park hopper , Pirate and Princess Party Tickets for the 23rd , 2 days with the IL's (they live in Orlando too but dont' do Disney ), a birthday party for DS's friend and a day at Sea World.


The Characters

Myself - 30 yr old Disney Fanatic whose favorite character is Tinkerbelle (this may be important to remember as the report goes along)

DH - 32 yr old who secretly loves Disney but won't let the world know it

DS - 5 y old who loves all things Disney just like his Momma. Minnie is his sweetheart (this will be important later on) and he loves the Princesses because they are Pretty and give him Kisses. I should mention he's a flirt and doesn't know a stranger and a social butterfly.

I've made no plans for this trip except ADR's and a few day things

Our Itinerary:

Friday 2/16:
Leave New Orleans and Drive to Crestview, FL spend the night at the Hamption Inn

Saturday 2/17:
Drive the rest of the way to WDW and check in at POP
Eat in the food Court at Pop for dinner and maybe go to FW for the campfire / movies

2/18 :
Breakfast at Whispering Cayon (may see about having this changed to 1900 Park Fare or Ohana's if possible)
After Breakfast we are off to spend the day with the Inlaws
Maybe DTD after we get back from the IL's

2/19:
One of the Parks (not sure yet)
Dinner at Olivia's

2/20:
Mardi Gras Day !!!!!!!
One of the parks (again not sure this is the part of the plan we are winging)
Dinner at the 50's Prime Time Cafe

2/21:
One of the parks again
Dinner at the Garden Grill

2/22 :
One of the Parks
Dinner at Plaze Place

2/23:
Breakfast at Crystal Palace
MK till lunch
Back to the hotel for a rest
Dinner at Trail End
Prirate and Princess Party

2/24:
One of the parks
meeting some friends at DTD for lunch
Dinner at 1900 Park Fare

2/25:
Breakfast at Chef Mickey's
Fishing Excusion for DS and DH
Shoppng for Mommy
Dinner at the IL's

2/26:
Morning at one of the parks
Bithday party for DS's friend
Late dinner at Le Cellier

2/27:
One of the parks
Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern

2/28:
One of the Parks
Dinner at Tony's

3/1:
Princess Storybook Breakfast in Norway
Epcot
Dinner at the ESPN club

3/2:
SeaWorld with friends
Dinner at Capt Jacks

3/3 :
Check out and return to the real world


Now that I've posted this, I must go finish packing and getting ready. Today DS and I are going to buy some special Mardi Gras beads for his Sweetheart and a few other characters and I'm going to get some Mardi Gras decorations to decorate our window at POP

_________________________________________________________________

Shopping for stuff for vacation:

Took DS shopping today to get some last minute stuff. We got food for breakfast and snacks. We got his soy milk, soy yogurt and soy pudding for snacks also. We got some stuff for the ride there.

And we got beads -

Word to the wise, don't bring a5 yr old to a shop filled wth Mardi Gras beads. I had to stop his spending. He did pick some cute beads though. For Minnie he picked a purple, green and gold bead with a crown, for Mickey he picked monkey and bannana beads, for the princesses it was hearts and some pirate beads for the P & P party. HE would of bought more but just the ones we got plus I got a few decorations for our hotel room was about $20.


So now we are set, food bags are packed, clothes are packed, DS's DVDs, CDs, CD player, and Gameboy are packed. Everything is sitting in the garage waiting for DH to put it in the van Friday morning.

Tonight I'm going to relax and tomorrow I'm going to clean the house ( I don't want to leave with a dirty house), do laundry that needs to get done (should only be a load or 2) and ge ready for Friday

3 more sleeps till we are at Disney, 2 more sleeps till we leave

_______________________________________________________________

Off to Neverland

Doing final prep for our trip, clothes in thr dryer we are wearing today (we wore them yesterday too ), the house is 90% clean, my mommy said to stop and she would finish the rest. Printed out my AAA membership and our hotel reservations for tonight.

Waiting on the van to come back from the service center across the street , they are changing the oil and the transmission fluid / fliter before we leave and checking all fluid levels etc.

Then I guess we will be off!!!!!!!

I'll probably check in tonight, I think Hampton Inn has internet and then it will be a few days because of the $10 a day price for internet LOL

Have a safe and happy Mardi Gras everyone!!!!!!!!

 

[cara76]

We're here because we're here beacuse we're here because we're here

Yep we've arrived in Sunny Cold Flordia. We drove all night Friday night instead of stopping like we were supposed to. Got into Orlando about 10:30 pm, drove around for an hour an a half because DH insisted on it looking for a hotel (knew I should of taken the room at POR for $185 for Friday night). No hotels to be found something about it being race weekend. So to SIL's we went. Thank God she lives in Orlando or we would of been SOL.

Get to SIL's, wake the house up. Catch up and go to bed. On her couch It was not the most comfortable thing and it's in her family room and her kids get up at 6 am So I think we got 3 hours of slee after driving for 12 hours. YAY

Got to POP about 1pm. Checked in, didn't get a ground floor room. No biggy, I choose the 4th floor, kinda like it, it's quiet and with the elevators it's not that bad of a hike. Oh we are in th 50's second in the building closest to Classic Hall, building 1 I think. Our room was ready so we went straight to it after eating some lunch and getting our Mugs. BTW DS loves the fact that he can have unlimited icees while we are here.

We were greated by this guy in our room

Got to the room, unpacked. DH decided he needed a nap so I left him to nap and took DS to DTD. I want to walk around and browse the shops. DS had one thing on his mind - One Upon a Toy and was not very happy with me and my slow shopping .

Went to Once Upon a Toy, found out my room charge wasn't working. So since DS was being uncoopertive and I had to go back to the hotel and sort things out. We left and came back. Got the room charge sorted out, seems the person that checked me in never added it to our keys.

After we got back, got the room charged settled we woke DH up and went to Walmart for some stuff we had forgotten. We found one closer then the one someone told me about, this one you go 429 to 192 to 27 and it's right there on 27 it's really nice. Got back, had dinner and went to bed.

 

[cara76]

Day 2 (Sunday)

6 am comes too early esp when your tired. Phone rings at 6 am , it's Mickey telling us to get up. DS answers it and this soon becomes his favorite thing for the moment.

So we get up and get dressed. We had breakfast reservations for 8am at Whispering Cayon Cafe.

Get to the Cayon before ate and were seated right away. Chef came to the table to see what he could do for DS, he ended up making him some pancakes and sausage. DH and I get the big sampler platter. Food comes and everything is going great untill..........

This is going to get a bit gross so here's your warning.

DS puts to much in his mouth and then decides he doesn't want it at all. Well we told him t take a sip of drink and swallow. Nope he can't do that, he proceeds to make himself gag. What happens next?Oh well his gagging sets off a chain reaction that ends in him throwing up everywhere. Now I want to hide in a hole somewhere. But I don't. I clean him up, take his food away and go on like nothing happened. Oh and I mentioned it to the waitress so we could get some new napkins as I used all of ours cleaning him up. Well next thing I know as I'm getting back from taking DS to the bathroom, the manager is at our table asking how DS is doing, and he had sent someone from housekeeping to clean up the mess. I tell him he's fine and that I think he was just excited and had too much and gagged. Well the next thing I know he's telling me he will comp us for DS's meal since he didn't eat it because he threw up. Ok this is great and all but we are on DDP, his meal is already paid for so now DS has one more TS meal on his plan then DH and I do. I guess I may go ask if we can get it transfered to a CS credit or a snack credit because we don't need it.

After throwing up DS was fine, he proceeded to color,play and he got up and sang "It's a Small World" to the whole resturant

After that he road the little wooden horses around the resturant and did some pledge they had them recite.

On the way out we were greeted by some Buffalo. A momma and a baby.

After breakfast and a trip back to our hotel, we headed off to SIL's where DS and his cousins bounced in one of those Bounce House things all day long. After we got back we went to DTD for a bit, then dinner in the POP food court (which isn't half bad) and then to bed we went as Monday would be our first park day. Of course before bed another wake up call set for the morning.

 

[disneediva]

Great report

 

[LouDisney]

Loving your report cara!!

 

[Nicole786]

this is great so far! throwing up seems to be the thing to do to start your vacation! cant wait for more.

 

[KatInHat]

Loving your report so far. We are also from the New Orleans area. I knew we should have evacuated to Orlando for Katrina.

Are you glad to be back home?

My sons also hates shopping with me unless we are getting something for him. i guess thats boys for ya.

 

[a_sailor's_wife]

Great report! Can't wait for more.

 

[swillis]

Great start...looking forward to more Your son is a doll by the way, I'm betting you got a couple of "dreams" during your stay

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

Great report so far!

Just FYI...My son, who is almost 10, has thrown up at least once at WDW every time we've gone... Once a year every year since he was born.

Its always at his first TS... He gets so excited and eats too fast..and you know!

Oh well!

 

[PoohGal05]

Loving it and can't wait to read more!

 

[team weasel]

Loving it!

 

[Magic2000]

We're from the New Orleans area too (actually the Northshore) - tried to talk my DH into Disney for Mardi Gras but he LOVES Mardi Gras, so we were on Napoleon Ave Mardi Gras day! Had a great time! But wish we could have been in Disney!!!!!!!!

 

[dwaddict]

Love your report so far!! We are in South Mississippi here!!!
OH, your DS is a cutie!!
Lydia