BurleyGirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2003
- Messages
- 728
Well, I'm not a great writer, but I do so enjoy the insights and reports I read on this forum, so I just wanted to post my trip report in case it can be useful to anyone. I just love the Disboards!
Cast: me, 40/DH (Bruce), 41/DS (Cole), 8
Dates: 12/15-12/17
Background: DH had a business trip at JW Marriott Grand Lakes all week, and we decided to fly me and DS up there on Thursday night so we could go to DW on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This would be our first Disney Christmas trip, and I was so looking forward to it, and enjoyed the planning. We got a great rate for YC on Travelocity, purchased 10-day no-expire Hopper tickets from Undercover Tourist, and used mileage for our flights.
What a magical trip! Cole was totally surprised. We ended up with a one hour flight delay, so when they finally called the boarding, Cole was asking why are we getting in this linebecause we have to go get Daddybut this plane is going to Orlando, and when we got into the tunnel I told him we were going to Orlandoto Disney World--, and he said he felt like he was going to faint, and then that he was in Heaven and then that he was scared (to fly)when we got in our seats, he put the pillow up to his face and screamed into it about three times! He was very excited and kept saying I cant believe this!
We arrived to an empty airport about 11:30p, and after going out at the wrong level, went back down to find the taxis. Hopped in one (called Bruce with their name and number) and was delivered to the Marriott ($36 incl tip) where a very tired Bruce was waiting outside for us. We talked to a few of Bruces friends, and then went up to bed. Bruce had to get up at 6:45a, I slept until about 9:00a. Got up and dressed and packed. Cole and I went down to the restaurant to find him some breakfast. The place was deserted. They said Cole could eat off the buffet for $4.95, and so we got him toast, scrambled eggs, bacon. The chef made him some eggs, as well. Then he made him some pancakes (Cole put whipped cream on them). They also let me have a bowl of oatmeal from the buffet (did not charge me, but I left a $4.00 tip). It was good!
We got the luggage down (which was not an easy task), and walked outside for a little, then met Bruce coming out of his meeting. We were in a taxi ($35 with tip) by noon, and arriving at the Yacht Club by 12:20p. No one at the check-in line (yippee) and the lady was niceshe gave us a water view room which we loved (3069)it was right next to a stairwell that let us outside very quickly. The view was awesome, and I loved the room. Double beds, but they were very comfortable. The sink was on the outside of the bathroom, which helped. There was a shelf under the sink which helped. It was very clean and bright. We unpacked quickly, and then headed for the pool. We were swimming by 1:30p, out by 2:00p. (There were some baby ducks at the pool.) We then walked over to EpcotI loved being able to walk there! We rode Mission Space (the tame version), and then headed over to Italy for our 3:45 reservation. (They turned several away that walked up, so I was glad I had a reservation.) We ordered fetucine alfredo and the calamari for appetizers. I was not impressed at all with the alfredo. We ordered pasta with shrimp, chicken with mashed potatoes, and cheese noodles. The food was just OKI definitely would not pay $130 for it again. We left there and rode Nemovery cute. Then went to get fast passes for TestTrack. We got in line for Candlelight Processional at a little before 6:00p The line was to Japan (or China?). At 6:15p, they let us move into the theater. We got very good seats. This show was fantastic! Very emotional. Kirk Cameron did a wonderful jobyou could definitely tell he was speaking as a believer. He conveyed the whole message so well. We left there and rode Test Trackwe all liked it. Then we got a spot for Illuminations. I would not wait around for that againnot nearly as impressive as Wishes (Wishes is just more emotional for me). We watched from the start of the bridge from England to France. After it was over, we walked back to the room.
The next morning, I was up by 6:00a, and we were at the bus stop by 7:15a, at which time a bus promptly arrived. We made stops at Beach Club and Boardwalk, and then went to MK. We stood in line for about 20 mins. Got our pictures on an empty street, and then went to Crystal Palace for our 8:05 reservation. They remembered it was Coles birthday, and gave him a birthday button and had Eyeore led him in the birthday parade. The food was outstanding! We asked for our ticket, and were out by about 9:05a. It was starting to get a little crowded. The sun was shining and it was going to be a beautiful day! We headed for Tomorrowland, and saw that Stitch had nobody in line, so we slipped in there. However, we ended up waiting 15 minutes, as the ride was down. Then we went to Space Mountain. The guys did Buzz a couple of times. We got fast passes for Space for later. We headed for Pirates next, and on the way I spotted a couple of people who were absolutely soakedapparently Splash was so full from the recent rain, so we decided to wait until afternoon for that to give it time to hopefully drain some! Pirates was not a bad wait, and we liked the changes. Captain Jack is right on! We headed to BTMRR (stopping for fast passes for Splash for later), and really enjoyed that. Next was Haunted Mansion. Then I went to get fast passes for BTMRR for later. We headed for Fantasyland, the line for Peter Pan was enormous! We decided to do IASW, and then grabbed fast passes to Peter Pan. Saw Philharmagic, and remembered how much we had enjoyed this before! By now, it was about 12:30p, and we decided wed go to MGM to ride Star Tours. Made it there by a little after 1:00p. When we got to the line for Star Tours, the CM noticed DSs birthday button and told us to go to the front of the line (not a long line, but very nice anyway!). Then we headed to RockNRoller Coaster (grabbing a fast pass for TOT on the way) and waited for about 40 mins (our longest wait) for RNR. While in line, I noticed that our digital camera still had our Europe pictures (which I had asked DH to delete prior to this trip so wed have enough room, but he just decided to reduce the size of the picture/pixels to allow more room, which ended up making lousy pictures once we got home), and so while we were standing in line he started deleting them. However, he was talking and didnt notice he was deleting all the pictures from earlier in the dayyep, the ones we took on an empty Main Street prior to breakfast this morning which I had planned on using (already had the cards addressed and ready) for our family Christmas cards (after all, it was our first trip to DisneyWorld at Christmas time!). I was crushed!! That caused a little riff, but we recovered (by the time we got out of MGM). DS loved RNR! We made our way past the parade, and got on a bus back to MK. (On the monorail, I asked if we could sit in the front (our first time), and was told that another couple was already waiting, but that two of us could ride, so DH said for me and DS to ride up frontDS really liked it, and I got a great photo of him with the Contemporary approaching). We were back by 4:00p Starting to get hungry, we went to Pinocchios. I had researched this and decided this would be the best place for us to eat (pizza being the deciding factor, and the turkey sandwiches sounded fairly healthy). However, it was the worst dining experience weve ever had! The place was filthy! Tables not clean, trash everywhere, fool all over the floors. We ate on the balcony outside, and cleaned our area as best we could. Im talking stepping-over-trash filthy. DS was not impressed with the pizza (it really wasnt that good), and the turkey sandwich was nasty. However, my brother had gone over Thanksgiving and said they really enjoyed Pinocchios. All places have bad days, and we just hit them on their bad day. Im not sure Ill give them another chance though. As we were sitting there, and I was looking down on the throngs of people in Fantasyland, I started thinking to myself just why is this considered such a magical place (I know thats how I definitely think of it), when youve got food that can be lousy just like anywhere else, crowds of people, lines for amusement rides, etc. Well, I didnt lose heartI realized that it is a magical place, my happy place, because of the memories it evokes from my childhood (I only went there once as a child) of this place that I came to with my parents, and the Disney movies and characters I grew up witha place where magic and make-believe are alive, where you dont have to grow up, where goodness lives (in the kindness of CMs and fellow visitors), where time stands still on Main Street to a time when life was simple and just plain goodI get teary-eyed just thinking about these things, and wish I were more of a writer than a reporter so that I could convey what Im trying to say in a better way! We then rode PP with our FP (this is my favorite ride). We went back to BTMRR and Splash. Thankfully we did not get soaked! Did some shopping on Main Street on our way over to Tomorrowland, and then decided to get a spot for the parade. We stood along the fence going from the hub to bridge to Tomorrowland. It was pretty crowded. I went to get snacks (cheesecake and smoothie from Main Street Bakery), and it was very hard walking in all the people. Had about a 20 min wait. Not enough time to stand in the popcorn line, so that would have to wait for fireworks. The parade ended, and we decided to stay put for the fireworks. Fireworks were awesome, and I cried again. After fireworks, we decided to leave (even though we had FP for Splash). We got our $2 refund for our locker and then got in line for our bus, and was on a bus within 20 mins. The ride took forever though! It took us at least 30-45 mins to get back to YC. Both me and DH said it was not fun, but it would even be worse if we were doing this after a long, hot day (like summer)! I think thats what will keep us from staying at the YC again bus transportation. My DH just does not like it! I dont either, but I love the YC, so Id be willing to do it. We got back to the YC, and I went to the gift shop to pick up some milk, as I had bought three boxes of cereal ($1.60 each) at Main Street Bakery. They were out, and suggested I go to BC gift shop. On the way over there, I decided to see if Beaches N Cream had milk, and was told they did, and told to stand in this line. Well, after standing in the line for 20 mins, the person in front of me is ordering and they tell him that this line is for picking up only. Ugg!! So, Im not waiting in the other line and head for the gift shop (its about 10:30p), and come across Cape May and venture in there. Its pretty deserted, but a waiter sees me and inquires if he can do anything. I explain that I just need some milk for cereal, and he goes into the kitchen and brings me out a tall to-go cup full of milk. I start to pay him, and he says no, for your trouble. That was so very nice of him!! I get back to our room, and find out that our home alarm has been going off since 4:30p that afternoon (were figuring our neighbors are about ready to burn a cross in our yard!). So, after tracking down my mom (who lives 45 mins away from our house), we finally get the alarm situation resolved. Im in bed by 12:30a, and at 2:00a, Im waking with an upset tummy. Uh, OhI do not want this to be that terrible stomach virus Id been reading so much about and was already picturing in my mind having to pay a lot for an extra night and dealing with airline reservations and wondering if the guys would get sickso I make my way to the bathroom and empty my stomach. Go back to bed (DH never even wakes up!), and wake up the next morning about 9:30a, feeling fine!!! Thank you God!! Its a beautiful day again, and the guys put on their suits and head for the pool, while I get us packed. We had requested a late check out, but our flight didnt leave until 8:00p, so we knew wed have to store our luggage anyway. The guys come back, and we head to the bus stop for Downtown Disney. Wait about 15 mins, and were on our way. We stop at Wolfgang Puck Express for lunch. The food was very good, and the crème brulee (my whole reason for going there) was good, too. (Not the best Ive had, but definitely worth having, especially at $3.95.) We ordered a chicken caesar sandwich, cheese ravioli, pizza margherite, and three drinks. Total was $48. I would eat here again. Next, we head to Once Upon a Toy so DS can build his own light saber (he was really looking forward to that). DH and DS finally figured out what all parts were needed, and DS emerged with a very cool Darth Maul light saber. He was happy, but still wanted to go to the Lego Store. All the Lego creations outside were really neat, and reminded us of Legoland. I had hoped that we could buy him the individual guys from like the Star Wars sets and stuff, but you could not. They had a kit with about 40 little guys, but they were just the generic Lego guysno Star Wars or specific characters. Those are only sold in the sets, we were told. But for $10, he could build three Lego guys with chosen weapons, and received a neck strap with a box they fit inI thought that was pretty cool. Especially for a kid that takes little Lego guys with him wherever he goes, at least this way he has somewhere to put them besides his hands and pockets! We stop at World of Disney for some souvenir shopping (DS had to have that Stitch Santa hat!), and then head to the bus. We waited about 20 mins, and then make the journey back. Again, my DH says hell not do busses again. (We stopped at Typhoon Lagoon, Swan, and then us, and on the way our bus driver did a sing-along, which the kids seemed to enjoy, so it helped pass the time.) We got back to the YC, and took a few more pictures, and I purchased a few more things at the gift shop (am now proud owner of a Disney jogging suit!) and then waited for our 5:00p pickup from Magical Express. Made it to the airport in about 30 mins, and breezed thru customs. It was very nice to have this Magical Express service!!
All-in-all, it was a wonderful trip (aside from the deleted pictures and waking up sick). Were not sure if were going back in May or June, as we had been discussing attending during Star Wars weekends and staying for 5-6 days so we could do the water parks, too. (I purchased 10-day hopper tickets, so I know well be back pretty soon!) I think this little trip was enough for DS, but were still discussing. DH thinks we should pull him out of school for one day, so we can go in April before it gets hot and really crowded. I look forward to our next trip, whenever that ends up being, and definitely another Christmas trip!
Cast: me, 40/DH (Bruce), 41/DS (Cole), 8
Dates: 12/15-12/17
Background: DH had a business trip at JW Marriott Grand Lakes all week, and we decided to fly me and DS up there on Thursday night so we could go to DW on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This would be our first Disney Christmas trip, and I was so looking forward to it, and enjoyed the planning. We got a great rate for YC on Travelocity, purchased 10-day no-expire Hopper tickets from Undercover Tourist, and used mileage for our flights.
What a magical trip! Cole was totally surprised. We ended up with a one hour flight delay, so when they finally called the boarding, Cole was asking why are we getting in this linebecause we have to go get Daddybut this plane is going to Orlando, and when we got into the tunnel I told him we were going to Orlandoto Disney World--, and he said he felt like he was going to faint, and then that he was in Heaven and then that he was scared (to fly)when we got in our seats, he put the pillow up to his face and screamed into it about three times! He was very excited and kept saying I cant believe this!
We arrived to an empty airport about 11:30p, and after going out at the wrong level, went back down to find the taxis. Hopped in one (called Bruce with their name and number) and was delivered to the Marriott ($36 incl tip) where a very tired Bruce was waiting outside for us. We talked to a few of Bruces friends, and then went up to bed. Bruce had to get up at 6:45a, I slept until about 9:00a. Got up and dressed and packed. Cole and I went down to the restaurant to find him some breakfast. The place was deserted. They said Cole could eat off the buffet for $4.95, and so we got him toast, scrambled eggs, bacon. The chef made him some eggs, as well. Then he made him some pancakes (Cole put whipped cream on them). They also let me have a bowl of oatmeal from the buffet (did not charge me, but I left a $4.00 tip). It was good!
We got the luggage down (which was not an easy task), and walked outside for a little, then met Bruce coming out of his meeting. We were in a taxi ($35 with tip) by noon, and arriving at the Yacht Club by 12:20p. No one at the check-in line (yippee) and the lady was niceshe gave us a water view room which we loved (3069)it was right next to a stairwell that let us outside very quickly. The view was awesome, and I loved the room. Double beds, but they were very comfortable. The sink was on the outside of the bathroom, which helped. There was a shelf under the sink which helped. It was very clean and bright. We unpacked quickly, and then headed for the pool. We were swimming by 1:30p, out by 2:00p. (There were some baby ducks at the pool.) We then walked over to EpcotI loved being able to walk there! We rode Mission Space (the tame version), and then headed over to Italy for our 3:45 reservation. (They turned several away that walked up, so I was glad I had a reservation.) We ordered fetucine alfredo and the calamari for appetizers. I was not impressed at all with the alfredo. We ordered pasta with shrimp, chicken with mashed potatoes, and cheese noodles. The food was just OKI definitely would not pay $130 for it again. We left there and rode Nemovery cute. Then went to get fast passes for TestTrack. We got in line for Candlelight Processional at a little before 6:00p The line was to Japan (or China?). At 6:15p, they let us move into the theater. We got very good seats. This show was fantastic! Very emotional. Kirk Cameron did a wonderful jobyou could definitely tell he was speaking as a believer. He conveyed the whole message so well. We left there and rode Test Trackwe all liked it. Then we got a spot for Illuminations. I would not wait around for that againnot nearly as impressive as Wishes (Wishes is just more emotional for me). We watched from the start of the bridge from England to France. After it was over, we walked back to the room.
The next morning, I was up by 6:00a, and we were at the bus stop by 7:15a, at which time a bus promptly arrived. We made stops at Beach Club and Boardwalk, and then went to MK. We stood in line for about 20 mins. Got our pictures on an empty street, and then went to Crystal Palace for our 8:05 reservation. They remembered it was Coles birthday, and gave him a birthday button and had Eyeore led him in the birthday parade. The food was outstanding! We asked for our ticket, and were out by about 9:05a. It was starting to get a little crowded. The sun was shining and it was going to be a beautiful day! We headed for Tomorrowland, and saw that Stitch had nobody in line, so we slipped in there. However, we ended up waiting 15 minutes, as the ride was down. Then we went to Space Mountain. The guys did Buzz a couple of times. We got fast passes for Space for later. We headed for Pirates next, and on the way I spotted a couple of people who were absolutely soakedapparently Splash was so full from the recent rain, so we decided to wait until afternoon for that to give it time to hopefully drain some! Pirates was not a bad wait, and we liked the changes. Captain Jack is right on! We headed to BTMRR (stopping for fast passes for Splash for later), and really enjoyed that. Next was Haunted Mansion. Then I went to get fast passes for BTMRR for later. We headed for Fantasyland, the line for Peter Pan was enormous! We decided to do IASW, and then grabbed fast passes to Peter Pan. Saw Philharmagic, and remembered how much we had enjoyed this before! By now, it was about 12:30p, and we decided wed go to MGM to ride Star Tours. Made it there by a little after 1:00p. When we got to the line for Star Tours, the CM noticed DSs birthday button and told us to go to the front of the line (not a long line, but very nice anyway!). Then we headed to RockNRoller Coaster (grabbing a fast pass for TOT on the way) and waited for about 40 mins (our longest wait) for RNR. While in line, I noticed that our digital camera still had our Europe pictures (which I had asked DH to delete prior to this trip so wed have enough room, but he just decided to reduce the size of the picture/pixels to allow more room, which ended up making lousy pictures once we got home), and so while we were standing in line he started deleting them. However, he was talking and didnt notice he was deleting all the pictures from earlier in the dayyep, the ones we took on an empty Main Street prior to breakfast this morning which I had planned on using (already had the cards addressed and ready) for our family Christmas cards (after all, it was our first trip to DisneyWorld at Christmas time!). I was crushed!! That caused a little riff, but we recovered (by the time we got out of MGM). DS loved RNR! We made our way past the parade, and got on a bus back to MK. (On the monorail, I asked if we could sit in the front (our first time), and was told that another couple was already waiting, but that two of us could ride, so DH said for me and DS to ride up frontDS really liked it, and I got a great photo of him with the Contemporary approaching). We were back by 4:00p Starting to get hungry, we went to Pinocchios. I had researched this and decided this would be the best place for us to eat (pizza being the deciding factor, and the turkey sandwiches sounded fairly healthy). However, it was the worst dining experience weve ever had! The place was filthy! Tables not clean, trash everywhere, fool all over the floors. We ate on the balcony outside, and cleaned our area as best we could. Im talking stepping-over-trash filthy. DS was not impressed with the pizza (it really wasnt that good), and the turkey sandwich was nasty. However, my brother had gone over Thanksgiving and said they really enjoyed Pinocchios. All places have bad days, and we just hit them on their bad day. Im not sure Ill give them another chance though. As we were sitting there, and I was looking down on the throngs of people in Fantasyland, I started thinking to myself just why is this considered such a magical place (I know thats how I definitely think of it), when youve got food that can be lousy just like anywhere else, crowds of people, lines for amusement rides, etc. Well, I didnt lose heartI realized that it is a magical place, my happy place, because of the memories it evokes from my childhood (I only went there once as a child) of this place that I came to with my parents, and the Disney movies and characters I grew up witha place where magic and make-believe are alive, where you dont have to grow up, where goodness lives (in the kindness of CMs and fellow visitors), where time stands still on Main Street to a time when life was simple and just plain goodI get teary-eyed just thinking about these things, and wish I were more of a writer than a reporter so that I could convey what Im trying to say in a better way! We then rode PP with our FP (this is my favorite ride). We went back to BTMRR and Splash. Thankfully we did not get soaked! Did some shopping on Main Street on our way over to Tomorrowland, and then decided to get a spot for the parade. We stood along the fence going from the hub to bridge to Tomorrowland. It was pretty crowded. I went to get snacks (cheesecake and smoothie from Main Street Bakery), and it was very hard walking in all the people. Had about a 20 min wait. Not enough time to stand in the popcorn line, so that would have to wait for fireworks. The parade ended, and we decided to stay put for the fireworks. Fireworks were awesome, and I cried again. After fireworks, we decided to leave (even though we had FP for Splash). We got our $2 refund for our locker and then got in line for our bus, and was on a bus within 20 mins. The ride took forever though! It took us at least 30-45 mins to get back to YC. Both me and DH said it was not fun, but it would even be worse if we were doing this after a long, hot day (like summer)! I think thats what will keep us from staying at the YC again bus transportation. My DH just does not like it! I dont either, but I love the YC, so Id be willing to do it. We got back to the YC, and I went to the gift shop to pick up some milk, as I had bought three boxes of cereal ($1.60 each) at Main Street Bakery. They were out, and suggested I go to BC gift shop. On the way over there, I decided to see if Beaches N Cream had milk, and was told they did, and told to stand in this line. Well, after standing in the line for 20 mins, the person in front of me is ordering and they tell him that this line is for picking up only. Ugg!! So, Im not waiting in the other line and head for the gift shop (its about 10:30p), and come across Cape May and venture in there. Its pretty deserted, but a waiter sees me and inquires if he can do anything. I explain that I just need some milk for cereal, and he goes into the kitchen and brings me out a tall to-go cup full of milk. I start to pay him, and he says no, for your trouble. That was so very nice of him!! I get back to our room, and find out that our home alarm has been going off since 4:30p that afternoon (were figuring our neighbors are about ready to burn a cross in our yard!). So, after tracking down my mom (who lives 45 mins away from our house), we finally get the alarm situation resolved. Im in bed by 12:30a, and at 2:00a, Im waking with an upset tummy. Uh, OhI do not want this to be that terrible stomach virus Id been reading so much about and was already picturing in my mind having to pay a lot for an extra night and dealing with airline reservations and wondering if the guys would get sickso I make my way to the bathroom and empty my stomach. Go back to bed (DH never even wakes up!), and wake up the next morning about 9:30a, feeling fine!!! Thank you God!! Its a beautiful day again, and the guys put on their suits and head for the pool, while I get us packed. We had requested a late check out, but our flight didnt leave until 8:00p, so we knew wed have to store our luggage anyway. The guys come back, and we head to the bus stop for Downtown Disney. Wait about 15 mins, and were on our way. We stop at Wolfgang Puck Express for lunch. The food was very good, and the crème brulee (my whole reason for going there) was good, too. (Not the best Ive had, but definitely worth having, especially at $3.95.) We ordered a chicken caesar sandwich, cheese ravioli, pizza margherite, and three drinks. Total was $48. I would eat here again. Next, we head to Once Upon a Toy so DS can build his own light saber (he was really looking forward to that). DH and DS finally figured out what all parts were needed, and DS emerged with a very cool Darth Maul light saber. He was happy, but still wanted to go to the Lego Store. All the Lego creations outside were really neat, and reminded us of Legoland. I had hoped that we could buy him the individual guys from like the Star Wars sets and stuff, but you could not. They had a kit with about 40 little guys, but they were just the generic Lego guysno Star Wars or specific characters. Those are only sold in the sets, we were told. But for $10, he could build three Lego guys with chosen weapons, and received a neck strap with a box they fit inI thought that was pretty cool. Especially for a kid that takes little Lego guys with him wherever he goes, at least this way he has somewhere to put them besides his hands and pockets! We stop at World of Disney for some souvenir shopping (DS had to have that Stitch Santa hat!), and then head to the bus. We waited about 20 mins, and then make the journey back. Again, my DH says hell not do busses again. (We stopped at Typhoon Lagoon, Swan, and then us, and on the way our bus driver did a sing-along, which the kids seemed to enjoy, so it helped pass the time.) We got back to the YC, and took a few more pictures, and I purchased a few more things at the gift shop (am now proud owner of a Disney jogging suit!) and then waited for our 5:00p pickup from Magical Express. Made it to the airport in about 30 mins, and breezed thru customs. It was very nice to have this Magical Express service!!
All-in-all, it was a wonderful trip (aside from the deleted pictures and waking up sick). Were not sure if were going back in May or June, as we had been discussing attending during Star Wars weekends and staying for 5-6 days so we could do the water parks, too. (I purchased 10-day hopper tickets, so I know well be back pretty soon!) I think this little trip was enough for DS, but were still discussing. DH thinks we should pull him out of school for one day, so we can go in April before it gets hot and really crowded. I look forward to our next trip, whenever that ends up being, and definitely another Christmas trip!
