First-Timers Take on Disney World - Pictures!!! Multiple Updates - 10/10

[ddstratton]

Our Day 12 is Friday, October 31st. This is our last Disney day, and DH's birthday. Breakfast today will likely be a light one in our room. We plan on going to Hollywood Studios this morning.

We'll be having lunch at the Sci Fi Dine In. (From what I've read, we'll stick to the burgers for lunch here.) Again, it's the atmosphere and experience that won out when choosing this ADR, not the food.

We'll head back to the resort for a while after lunch. Can you guess what we'll be doing???

Supper will likely be at someplace like Great Western Steaks & Buffet. This is DH's birthday, and he likes this kind of place for dinner. He loves a steak, and a buffet is perfect for him. He's not a real fussy guy.

After supper, we may brave Epcot's EMH's, as this is our last night at a Disney park. There's a (sold-out) MNSSHP at Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom closes at 5:00 and Hollywood Studios closes at 7:00. If we feel like visiting one last park, it's gonna have to be Epcot! At least we can see IllumiNations one last time if we do end up going to Epcot.

Only two more days left for this TR. We leave in less than 10 days. WOOO-HOOOOO!!!!!

 

[ddstratton]

Our Day 13 is Saturday, November 1st. We'll be getting up a bit early this morning. We plan to have breakfast either at Kona (have an ADR) or at Captian Cook's. This just depends on how early we get up. The Kona ressie is just before 8:00 am.

After breakfast, we'll be packing up the van.

We need to head out toward Sanford, FL, to catch the Auto Train. We'll catch some fast-food lunch in Sanford before boarding the train. Since our minivan is considered an oversize vehicle, we need to be at the station no later than 2:00 pm, to have our van loaded.

Our train is supposed to leave at 4:00 pm.

Now, we are REALLY looking forward to this part of the trip. Last year, we took a 2-hour train ride in North Carolina, but that one never went over 35 mph, and wasn't a sleep-over ride. We have two sleeper compartments for our trip. Each compartment has two single beds, one upper and one lower. Our assigned compartments are on the lower level, and right across from each other.

Our supper is included in the price. There is a lounge car that offers some free snacks and movies. Our train is supposed to leave at 4:00 pm.

I'm happy I changed my original plans. I had us taking the Auto Train down and driving home. What was I thinking? This way, we get the drive out of the way first thing. It also gives us something to look forward to at the end of our Disney trip.

 

[ddstratton]

Our Day 14 is November 2nd. This is our last day of vacation.

We'll wake up on the AutoTrain! I may try to catch a quick shower, since there are facilities on the train. We also get breakfast as part of our fare. It's a continental breakfast, though. Still breakfast.

After we arrive at the Lorton, VA, station, we get off the train and wait for our van to be unloaded.

Once we get our van, we are going to make one last vacation-type stop before going home. You may remember that my DD has ... odd ... interests. We are going to head over to Philadelphia, PA, to visit the Mutter Museum.

The Mutter Museum contains a collection of medical oddities, anatomical and pathological specimens, wax models, and antique medical equipment. Just the type of things my DD is interested in. We'll spend a few hours here, then head on home.

Lunch and supper will be whatever catches our eye. We really don't know where we will be at lunch and supper time. It all depends on how long it takes to get our van at the Auto Train. And that depends on whether or not we get in on schedule, and whether our vehicle is one of the first or last to be unloaded. We may get an early start, or it might be closer to noon before we leave the Lorton station...

That's it. That does it for our vacation itineraries. Up next, my Binder! And other planning tools and such.