Feeling Hot Hot Hot! The Rain Curse is Broken! Two Weeks of Fun in the Sun! COMPLETE

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Whew!! Finally all caught up.

Some highlights...these go back a bit...

Yep, unless you get to Rapunzel in MK right away, it's not really worth it. The lines are HUGE.

Hopefully it will be a bit calmer in a few years when we return.

That pic of Alek on Splash Mountain is just plain c_r_a_z_y!!

Ok, I know you'll think I'm crazy but I really liked the O'Canada version. I find anthems to be too serious and slow and well, boring.

Yup, you are crazy! I cringed through the whole thing, it was just awful!

Oh, -- the pics you took of those two ladies in the short, fluffy skirts!! Well, the Belle skirt is the one I bought for my 2 year old!! I just posted pics of her in it on my TR! My DD looks waaaaaaaay better!

Hmm, that cloudberry horn looks scrumptious! I never saw that before.

It is delicious, I highly recommend it!

Lastly, if you ever find that one of your special photopass pictures doesn't have the addition (i.e., fairy wings), then just contact photopass and they can correct it for you.

Good to know!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

May 16th continued

After spending just over an hour checking out the Animal Kingdom Lodge we jumped back in the car and made our way off property.

We were on our way to IHOP for lunch. A trip to IHOP is always a highlight of any trip for Erich, he loves his breakfast food.

I won't bother you with pictures of our food, I'm sure you probably have all eaten at any IHOP before and I already have too many pictures to post in the update!

The one thing that drove me nuts this trip that I have never noticed in the past is the "discount" ticket offices. They were everywhere! They also like to harass you as soon as you step out of your car. No we do not want to buy tickets off you and no we do not want to sell our tickets to you!

One of these ticket offices was attached to the IHOP so they bugged us when we arrived and when we left.

The IHOP was packed but we were seated right away and the service was quick and friendly. We did not have to wait long for our food either. I think we were in and out in about 30 minutes.

After lunch I decided that we were going to explore. We drove down the street/highway (Bronson) to see what the food and shopping offerings would be, I also knew there was a SuperTarget somewhere on the road and I wanted to see how far away it was.

Before leaving on the trip I had looked on google maps to see what the restaurant offerings were on Bronson so I wanted to check and make sure the map was accurate and it was.

We stopped our explorations once we got to the SuperTarget. It wasn't too far away from WDW but it certainly isn't a 5 minute drive either.

We decided to go in and check it out as Target usually has pretty good prices. We don't have Target in Canada yet (although it will be arriving in the next few years) so we always like to go when we are in the States, it is the best of the bargain stores, doesn't have that trashy vibe that other bargain/value stores emit. I wouldn't buy clothes or anything like that there but they always have a good selection of DVD's, cd's etc and the prices are typically pretty low. We also had never been to a SuperTarget before so we had to check out the grocery section as well.

We all found stuff to buy in the DVD section. I picked up the first two Harry Potter movies on Blu-Ray for $10 each. Before going on the trip I had been watching all of our Harry Potter movies in preparation for our Universal trip (which is coming up soon in this trip report by the way!). I discovered that our copy of the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone for all the Americans) was badly scratched and would constantly freeze and our disc for Chamber of Secrets was missing. This was a great opportunity to replace both! Only sad part was that it was the American version of the first movie so it was called Sorcerer's Stone instead of Philosopher's Stone which is its proper name! Anyways, you don't want to get me started on how irritating it is that the American publishers felt they had to change the title and certain words in the books to dumb them down for American consumption!

Alek and Erich both bought Nausicaa on Bluray for a really good price as well! Love Ghibli!

We wandered the aisles of the rest of the store and one of the boys found a t-shirt that they liked so that was thrown in the cart as well.

Next we checked out the grocery section, it was amazing how cheap everything was! It is always a shock seeing how cheap American grocery prices are but these were even cheaper than the Publix prices! We will be doing all of our grocery shopping for WDW trips at SuperTarget from now on! We didn't buy too much as our room was already pretty well stocked from our trip to Publix a few days ago. I did pick up a face mask/cleanser for sensitive skin, I hoped that it would help with my rash/hives.

Shopping done it was back to the hotel to drop off our purchases and get ready for an evening in the park!

Alek and Erich put on their war paint since we would be battling big crowds at the Magic Kingdom that night. We were going to the park that night for the specific purpose of seeing the Electrical Parade and the two nighttime castle shows.

One of the few times on the vacation where they actually applied sunscreen and it was just to goof around.

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom parking lot just before 2pm so we were relegated to the very back of the parking lot in the Donald (?) section. I know you are probably thinking that we should have taken the bus and skipped driving but there was no way I was dealing with the bus crowds after the fireworks, SCARY!

Waiting for the tram

Once the tram dropped us off at the TTC I suggested to the others that we take the path over to the Poly and grab a Dole Whip.

We saw more BABY DUCKS while walking around the Poly

I just love the Poly and I try and visit it each trip. It has sucha relaxed and calming vibe and just feels magical. In fact, we all love it and we will very likely stay here or at the Beach/Yacht Club on our next trip (provided we get a nice code, no way I will pay rack rate!).

It was a very relaxing visit. We relaxed in the lobby and checked out the gifts shops and art gallery.

I'll take one of each please!

Erich liked this one

Continued in next post

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

After looking through the art gallery we went over to Captain Cook's for our Dole Whips. We got a pineapple Dole Whip and a vanilla. We like getting Dole Whips here because it is self-serve so you can fill that cup as much as you want.

After savoring our yummy treats we explored the gift shop on the bottom floor where Alek spotted this lovely dress.

Then it was photo time!

We took the elevator up to the second floor as I was going to treat Mom to a Pina CoLava as a peace offering (she was mad at us for teasing her about all the drinks she had been ordering).

I ordered it to go so that I could get the plastic cup (easier to transport since Mom wouldn't enter the lounge with me).

I tried to coax Mom into drinking it but she only took a sip and wouldn't drink the rest. Oh well, looks like I will have to drink it, what a sacrifice!

After finishing off the drink we loitered in the upstairs gift shop while waiting for the next monorail to arrive. Once it did we were on our way to the Magic Kingdom!



[post=42548130] Click here to continue[/post]

 

[JessicaFaye508]

I like your brother's "Mine Mine Mine" shirt
I LOVE Target. I go there all of the time! And their clothes are actually really cute, I'm not gonna lie. Much better quality than like.. walmart.
Mmm I want a dole whip. I'm tempted to get a vanilla one.. that would probably be delicious. Maybe I can get a vanilla and pineapple twist. Mmm

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I like your brother's "Mine Mine Mine" shirt
I LOVE Target. I go there all of the time! And their clothes are actually really cute, I'm not gonna lie. Much better quality than like.. walmart.
Mmm I want a dole whip. I'm tempted to get a vanilla one.. that would probably be delicious. Maybe I can get a vanilla and pineapple twist. Mmm

Hmmm, well maybe I will have to take a look at their clothes when it makes its way to Canada. I am afraid I am a bit of a clothes snob and have often found that price and quality go hand in hand.

I do believe you can get the pineapple and vanilla as a twist in MK and if you get it at the Poly well you can mix and match the flavours as you see fit.

 

[shan23877]

Joining in late in the game, but I'm really enjoying what I've read. Your brothers are hilarious , and I've been sharing their posts with my little brother .

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Joining in late in the game, but I'm really enjoying what I've read. Your brothers are hilarious , and I've been sharing their posts with my little brother .

You are not that late, I'm not even halfway through this trip report.

 

[okw19]

Mmm a Dole Whip would be so good right now! I absolutely love your brother's "Mine, Mine, Mine!" shirt. Do you know when he got it? My dad would love that.

 

[jenbear123]

What! $10 for HP blu-rays?!? And here I've been paying $15 like a sucker. Speaking of HP, I've been re-reading all the books and watching the movies right after I finish a book. It's a good way to see how well the books transferred to movies. I must admit I like the Azkaban book much better than the movie. They cut out so much from the book and cut and pasted a lot of the story line. I sound like such a nerd

Love captain cooks for getting dole whips! I always try to make my swirlie the tallest I can. Gotta get my money's worth!

 

[englishrose47]

Great update Lessa !! Yes Target does have some very good grocery prices !!I Loved our visit to the Polynesian as well !! Of all the other resorts I've visited ,it is my favorite after Pop!!!

 

[Bethmsu]

Enjoying your trip report. I was in WDW the same time although for a much shorter (sigh) trip! Its fun to see someone elses trip at during the same period. Can't wait for more.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Target is definitely my favorite discount store too. Not a big fan of Walmart, but let me tell you, it is taking over everything here!

Boo to getting harassed by the discount ticket places. I had no idea that they did that.

I love the fact that the dole whips at Captain Cook's are fill your own. Gives me the opportunity to eat way more of it then I should!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Mmm a Dole Whip would be so good right now! I absolutely love your brother's "Mine, Mine, Mine!" shirt. Do you know when he got it? My dad would love that.

I'm pretty sure he bought it back in 07 or 08. I think they still sell it at WDW.

What! $10 for HP blu-rays?!? And here I've been paying $15 like a sucker. Speaking of HP, I've been re-reading all the books and watching the movies right after I finish a book. It's a good way to see how well the books transferred to movies. I must admit I like the Azkaban book much better than the movie. They cut out so much from the book and cut and pasted a lot of the story line. I sound like such a nerd

Love captain cooks for getting dole whips! I always try to make my swirlie the tallest I can. Gotta get my money's worth!

I usually do that when the newest movie comes out. It has been a few years since I have read all the books, just don't have the time.

Great update Lessa !! Yes Target does have some very good grocery prices !!I Loved our visit to the Polynesian as well !! Of all the other resorts I've visited ,it is my favorite after Pop!!!

POP and Poly, two very different resorts. I know which I would choose in a heartbeat. If money weren't a question would you still stay at POP over everything else?

Enjoying your trip report. I was in WDW the same time although for a much shorter (sigh) trip! Its fun to see someone elses trip at during the same period. Can't wait for more.

Welcome! Maybe you will spot yourself in my pictures.

Target is definitely my favorite discount store too. Not a big fan of Walmart, but let me tell you, it is taking over everything here!

Boo to getting harassed by the discount ticket places. I had no idea that they did that.

I love the fact that the dole whips at Captain Cook's are fill your own. Gives me the opportunity to eat way more of it then I should!

Yeah, the discount ticket places are annoying. They are like vultures and prey on you as soon as your car is seen entering a parking lot that they cover.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Well folks, summer is officially over for me. I am sitting at work right now after having completed a bazillion different safety modules so that I can start my clinical placement for school this week. Tomorrow is upper-year check-in where we have to go to the school and show them all our documentation (CPR, First Aid, Police Check, WHMIS, etc). Then classes start on Wednesday, Clinical (Hospital) Orientation on Thursday and Readiness (Refresh) Lab on Friday. Then next week things are in full swing with my schedule jam packed with classes, lab, clinical, homework and work! What does all this mean for the trip report? Well it means I will probably be limited to 2 updates a week (hopefully). Don't worry, I won't abandon the TR it will just be moving a little bit slower than it has all summer.

I still have much more to write about, we haven't even gotten to the halfway point of the trip!

Coming up: Magic Kingdom nighttime entertainment, Universal Studios featuring a bazillion pictures of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a chocolate dance, a duel to the death, water park fun, Star Wars Weekends and much more!

 

[englishrose47]

I'll be waiting !!!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I'll be waiting !!!

 

[PirateKate]

First of all, the scenery from the hiking trips is beautiful! I don't think I'd be a big fan of hiking over all those logs, though. I'm sure I'd fall right in the water. I can't believe the others didn't have a cell phone with them and didn't bring you your dinner! That's horrible.

I've always thought AKL is a cool resort. It's funny that the ducklings were the biggest wildlife thrill that day. Baby ducks are cute, though. I once had a little baby goose that was mine and she loved to cuddle and she'd fall asleep on my lap. And then, she grew up and turned into a big mean goose. Oh well.

Good find on the HP blu rays! I wonder if they're still only ten dollars. Maybe I'll go tomorrow and check.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

First of all, the scenery from the hiking trips is beautiful! I don't think I'd be a big fan of hiking over all those logs, though. I'm sure I'd fall right in the water. I can't believe the others didn't have a cell phone with them and didn't bring you your dinner! That's horrible.

I wasn't a fan of crossing those logs either. I'm not a fan of climbing over jumbled shifting rocks either like I had to do on some of the hikes. Scary!

I've always thought AKL is a cool resort. It's funny that the ducklings were the biggest wildlife thrill that day. Baby ducks are cute, though. I once had a little baby goose that was mine and she loved to cuddle and she'd fall asleep on my lap. And then, she grew up and turned into a big mean goose. Oh well.

Cuteness wins out every time!

Awww, that is too bad about your goose.

I once had an adorable black kitten, Smokey, I loved him to bits, when he grew up he developed a nasty habit of hunting me around the house. He wouldn't hunt anybody else, just me. He would get a glint in his eye and I knew it was time to run and hide! The family thought it was hilarious.

Good find on the HP blu rays! I wonder if they're still only ten dollars. Maybe I'll go tomorrow and check.

Happy shopping!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

The Crazy Stepmother Chronicles: August 2011

Day Four

This was a no hiking day for all of us. Instead the plan was to go wine tasting. Erich was not thrilled with the prospect but Dad dangled a carrot in front of him to get him to comply with his plans. The Okanagan Valley is the Napa of Canada and is absolutely littered with wineries. The climate is perfect for growing fruit of all kind, especially grapes! The area is still relatively unknown on the world market which makes the prices pretty reasonable.

We didn't really do anything in the morning. I pretty much hid in my room reading to avoid a certain person in the household.

We visited Grandma before heading out of town. Dad had chosen two wineries to visit in a little town called Oliver which bears the title "Wine Capital of Canada". http://www.winecapitalofcanada.com/

Dad decided we would head down to Oliver on the recommendation of our Uncle Rob who thinks the best wineries are located there. Oliver is about a two hour drive from where my Dad lives. It is a very scenic drive along the Okanagan Lake although Oliver itself isn't on the lake which was disappointing when it came time to take pictures.

I am getting ahead of myself. Remember the carrot that Dad was dangling in front of Erich to get him to come along? Well that carrot was the Kelowna IHOP, as you know from the recent Disney update, Erich LOVES IHOP. Dad and Maria were unimpressed with the food and the waitress, I thought the food was fine and had no complaints about the waitress.

Done with IHOP we were off to taste some wine. On the way to Oliver we passed through a few other small towns and in one we saw a real Lazy River. Tons of people were out in tubes floating down a river that ran alongside the highway. I have never seen people do that outside of a water park. Dad thought it was silly and can't imagine why people would want to waste their time floating in the water. He also disapproves of spending time at the beach or pool. He thinks it is boring and a waste of time. Really, he is just afraid of water as he had a near drowning experience as a kid. I find it rather odd that somebody who hates (is afraid of) water would choose a career in the Navy.

The first winery we visited in Oliver was Hester Creek Estate Winery

http://www.hestercreek.com/

It was very pretty

When we first walked in the door we were greeted by a lady who was setting up a display table with their featured Trebbiano. She offered us each a taste but first asked Alek and Erich for their ids (drinking age in most of Canada is 19, 18 in Quebec). Alek and Erich laughed and said I looked old because she didn't ask to see my id. The trebbiano was very good but don't take my word for it as I am not a wine aficionado.

We spent a long time here. I think that Dad and I sampled every wine available. Maria only tried a few since she was driving. They enjoyed Dad's business and as a result I got treated very nicely as well even though I am a poor student and only bought two bottles. I was also held back from buying more as I would have to fly it back, difficult to do without going over the weight limit in my luggage and also risking the bottles breaking. I ended up buying a bottle of their Reserve Merlot and a bottle of the Trebbiano. I really enjoyed the Pinot Gris as well but since Dad was buying what seemed like a lifetime supply I figured I would just drink what he bought whenever I visit.

Continued in next post

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Next up was Cassini Cellars http://www.cassini.ca/

It is a smaller winery just down the road from Hester Creek. This winery just had a tasting room whereas Hester Creek had private tasting rooms, a demonstration kitchen, a restaurant, a gift shop and vacation villas.

We didn't spend nearly as much time here but I did buy another bottle, this time a nice Chardonnay. They had a fantastic Merlot, award winning, but it was a bit pricey (for me) and my luggage was already pretty much at its limit with the three bottles I had already bought. Dad bought some though, so again, I will just have to enjoy it when I visit.

Funny story: I had wandered outside to take a few pictures while Dad decided what he wanted to buy. While I was outside Dad was tasting the above mentioned Merlot. It was so good that he came outside to find me so that I could come in and try it as well. Well I guess Dad was in his cups from all the wine he had been drinking as he had to ask Alek where the door to get outside was even though there was only one door and he was standing right next to it.

Horror Story: Again, as at the other winery, they were very happy with Dad's business so they were sucking up to me as well. One of the ladies who was helping us was offering Maria and I some freebies from the shop. She was handing Maria a bag with some stuff in it and said "Here is another one for your daughter". She then said something to me and referred to Maria as my mother. It took all my strength to smile politely and thank her and not correct her mistake. Maria is NOT my mother! Only funny part about this was that Maria was affronted that she was mistaken for my mother. I heard her mutter under her breath that she doesn't look old enough to be my mother (she is only 15 years older than me).

Later when we were back at the house Dad told me he was laughing to himself as he had overheard the whole exchange and he knew the horror I was experiencing. Jerk! Laughing at my suffering!

It was getting into the evening hours by this point so once everything was packed safely into the car we started the drive back home.

We stopped at a fruit stand on the side of the highway. The Okanagan is great as you can get fresh fruits and vegetables straight from the source as the locals growers set up little shops and stands near the highway.

On the way home Maria's "excellent" driving skills were once again displayed. Apparently she is incapable of reading huge highway signs and driving at the same time so she twice missed where we needed to turn. It was rather funny but would not have been if we had gotten lost. Dad says it is because she has poor navigation skills. I told him that the ability to read a big sign with a city name on it and an arrow pointing where to turn has nothing to do with navigation.

The Okanagan Lake in the evening as we drove back home.

That night when we got back home we had stuffed peppers for dinner (they were rather bland) and we watched Get Smart! We had brought the movie out for Dad to watch on his new Bluray player. He thought it was hilarious. I stayed up late on the computer with Marcus keeping me company. I love that dog!