FOOD, WINE, AND SANDERSON SISTERS OH MY!

[vamassey1]

Glad Danielle was able to get you the 50% off at POR. That's awesome! I'm sure since this trip is going to be a little more laid back, you'll enjoy having a well-themed resort to stay at. And hopefully you'll be able to sneak in a few new restaurants.

I hope we can keep it more laid back. I want the option to hop around and not stay in the park from open to close. I still want to take advantage of rope drop and the 30 minutes of extra time due to staying in a resort.

I'm planning on doing Via Napoli for dinner the 16th, and I'll be in the Mk on the 17th. I'm seriously debating doing the firework dessert party now that HEA is back.

Are you planning on Epcot all day on the 16th? I have noted MK on the 17th for HEA in my plans.

 

[vamassey1]

I love your plans. The PO resorts are so much fun and that boat ride to DS (it was DTD when we stayed there lol) is so relaxing and makes for a lovely stress-free way to travel.

I'm really hoping that's the way it works out.

The changes announced yesterday made me love Disney a wee bit more again even though the parking fee drop wouldn't really impact a trip for me. It just made me think they are starting to value their guests again and are trying to bring some magic back for us all.

It lifted my love too. It also helped justifying another trip with Dennis. He really hated being charged for parking and not having Magical Express.

Btw I think both you Vanessa and Alicia should book that dessert party. You know what they say-you're a long time dead (or life is short if you prefer ).

I agree I think we should do the party too.

So good that Danielle got you a great rate and that Denis is going too. Exciting times ahead

Very exciting!

 

[vamassey1]

I’m really excited for the changes! We are thinking of a dessert party at MK as well.

Sounds like we need to all do it on the 17th if possible.

I got charged for parking last trip and didn’t have a car, ugh! I did get a refund for it but I wouldn’t have if I didn’t look closely at the charges.

Totally not right!

We will have to meet up! We could have a drink at F&G that would be nice!

I like that idea.

I’m a little nervous about Tron the vehicle does not look comfortable to me. I should be fine since I have rode Hagrid’s motorbike at USO.

I'm nervous too and I've never done Hagrid's. But I am willing to try it once. Dennis is still on the fence. He doesn't like heights and being able to see the height. He still has trouble with TOT but loves RNRC since it's indoors and in the dark. He also loved GOTG.

I hope more changes emerge before our trip like park hopping before 2pm, I hate that.

That would be great. They did it for DL.

I want to try for up close with rhino tour. Andi and I did it in 2019 and I think my sister would love it.

That does sound good. I was thinking about the Behind the Seeds Tour for Dennis and I.

If Jack comes along I will have to focus several days on HS with SW being the primary thing we do.

That is understandable.

 

[vamassey1]

I think the 17th would be a great night for a dessert party...

I think so too.

Are you thinking of the before or after party?

 

[vamassey1]

I JUST booked this today for this Sunday night! I am so excited to try it. DH and I have a "date night" this evening so we are hoping to get into the DVC lounge for the fireworks, then go to dinner at 8:50

That's a great plan. I'm going to push for Steakhouse 71 for Tuesday night.

Yes! I actually just cancelled my shuttle reservations and booked a rental car. Traveling with the two babies DD2 DS10 months, DH and my brother our "manny", so essentially traveling with four children! We are flying in Southwest so we would have to go down to baggage claim A, then over to the B side and it is a LOT. So I am thrilled to have a rental. I will take the babies and get their car seats installed and the boys can get the luggage!

A car makes so much more sense for you. I think we'll see more people renting cars too.

Oh I miss these days when my Best Friend was a CM!

Michelle's best friend from college is a CM and she has used her discount in the past. It really helped when she got married in 2015.

 

[pkondz]

Was today not an exciting day in Disney news?

He knows if he doesn't go with me, I'll go without him again.

He knows you well, it seems.

Don't stand between a Disney nut and their park!

We lucked out and Danielle was able to get us another reservation with her 50% off CM discount.

Whoa! Niiiiice.

I know POR isn't for everyone

It is for me! I loved it there.

I'm thrilled not to have to worry about the parking fee charge on the backend.

Dennis is a creature of habit and wants to spend the first night at DS. It will be great to take a relaxing boat ride there.

I love that boat ride. It's (IMHO) the biggest perk of staying at POR/POFQ.

Dennis has requested Be Our Guest since we cancelled it in favor or doing Liberty Tree.

I've taken BOG off my list. Ever since they switched to the prix fixe menu. Not a fan. I would usually go and just have a bowl of soup.

She has been having us meet and tour the parks with her friends so she should be ok with meeting some of my friends.

I'm excited to try Tron since it will already have opened

Oh! I wasn't aware of when the opening was supposed to be. Lucky!

Anyone else excited about all the news released in the last 2 days?

 

[vamassey1]

He knows you well, it seems.

Don't stand between a Disney nut and their park!

Exactly. He also knows better than to keep me from visiting one of our kids.

It is for me! I loved it there.

Glad to know we think alike.

I love that boat ride. It's (IMHO) the biggest perk of staying at POR/POFQ.

It's a big selling point for us too.

I've taken BOG off my list. Ever since they switched to the prix fixe menu. Not a fan. I would usually go and just have a bowl of soup.

I took it off my list after we ate there in 2019, but Dennis has a short memory of that visit and wants to go back. I think he is remembering when we use to eat there with the CS option.

Oh! I wasn't aware of when the opening was supposed to be. Lucky!

Tron opens April 4th!

 

[Paulaparm]

Your plans sound great!
I, too love the boat ride from POR/POFQ to DS. So relaxing
No more parking fees is great. Last year my parents and Aunt/Uncle were both charged for parking even though neither had a vehicle! They took it off the bill for them as soon as they went to the front desk. Makes me wonder how many people don't really look at their bill and have paid that fee when they should't have...

 

[amazingact21]

Are you planning on Epcot all day on the 16th?

No, I have to run the 10 miler that morning. So I'm planning on taking a nap and doing laundry after the race. We'll probably head over to Epcot around 3-4.

Are you thinking of the before or after party?

I'm not sure yet. It's been 4 years since I've done a dessert party, and I don't remember which one I did. Did you have a preference?

 

[pkondz]

Exactly. He also knows better than to keep me from visiting one of our kids.

Do NOT stand between a momma and her cubs!

Glad to know we think alike.

I took it off my list after we ate there in 2019, but Dennis has a short memory of that visit and wants to go back. I think he is remember

Wish they’d bring back the CS version.

 

[suse66]

I'm shocked that Dennis has agreed to go back so soon. He really hates giving more money to the Mouse but I think he also hates being left out. He knows if he doesn't go with me, I'll go without him again. We actually booked our trip before all the news was released so this just makes it better.

That's so exciting! Dennis sounds like Bill....he will usually only go every 2-3 years. So I was really surpried when he cane twice with me this year!

We lucked out and Danielle was able to get us another reservation with her 50% off CM discount. The reservation is in her name and she is listed in our room. If she uses her discount but is not in the room the discount is only 40%. We also really like for her to be able to stay with us when she can.

That's amazing! So nice to have time with your sweet girl!

I priced out rooms with the AP discount but hers is so much better. We looked at POR in the regular Mansions rooms, CBR and Pop. Of course Pop had the best price and the skyliner. CBR was just $2 more than POR and it has the skyliner, but we didn't enjoy our stay there in 2021 as much as past stays at POR. Dennis has stated this trip will not be about running around in the parks riding everything so transportation to the parks isn't a top priority, so of course we went with POR. We really enjoyed our one night stay there in December. It was our first stay in the Alligator Bayou area and it was so pretty. I know POR isn't for everyone but we have always enjoyed our stays there, it feels like home. The penny pincher in Dennis is still debating if we should switch to Pop.

If it is a more relaxing trip I would definitely stay at POR. It is so beautiful with the lush theming.

I'm over the moon on getting to see Happily Ever After and thinking of doing the Desert party just to have a not so crowded area. I'm excited to try Tron since it will already have opened and see Epcot Forever again. I'm really looking forward to Flower and Garden and hoping to spend more evenings in Epcot. Dennis will be using Danielle's free pass so we will have to plan on when she can get him in. She has to scan in before someone with her free passes scans in. She doesn't have to stay with us and Dennis can hop with the pass without her.

I am SO excited about HEA!!!! I adore Flower and Garden as well...it is one of my favourite festivals.

I've suggested we eat at a Resort on Tuesday our day off instead of DS. I'm trying to push him toward Steakhouse 71. I'm also hoping Woody's Roundup with be open when we go.

I highly recommend Steakhouse 71. Our breakfast there was fantastic and I really enjoyed the lounge as well.

Anyone else excited about all the news released in the last 2 days? Is anyone planning a trip so they can take advantage of the new perks or ride Tron or see HEA?

I was very happy with all the positive news. Now if they got rid of park hopping restrictions, I would be over the moon!

If Jack comes along I will have to focus several days on HS with SW being the primary thing we do.

Your Jack might be going to Disney??? That is amazing!

 

[vamassey1]

No more parking fees is great. Last year my parents and Aunt/Uncle were both charged for parking even though neither had a vehicle! They took it off the bill for them as soon as they went to the front desk. Makes me wonder how many people don't really look at their bill and have paid that fee when they should't have...

Wow you're the second person to mention being charged parking fees with no car. When I dropped Danielle off for her first DCP in January 2020 we drove her car down and I left it with her. I was charged for parking but when I checked out the CM caught that I was waiting for ME and asked about the parking. I was honest and told her we had the car for 2 nights but after that Danielle had it at her apartment. She removed one night of parking.

No, I have to run the 10 miler that morning. So I'm planning on taking a nap and doing laundry after the race. We'll probably head over to Epcot around 3-4.

You go girl!

I don't know what park we're doing that day but, but I do like the idea of finishing at Epcot.

I'm not sure yet. It's been 4 years since I've done a dessert party, and I don't remember which one I did. Did you have a preference?

I've only done the after party. I think I've done both but liked the after party better. I felt the before party was too close to when we had eaten dinner. The after party felt more like a true dessert party. @disneyAndi14 do you have any thoughts?

 

[vamassey1]

Wish they’d bring back the CS version.

Me too! We loved it.

That's amazing! So nice to have time with your sweet girl!

I'm really looking forward to seeing her again.

I am SO excited about HEA!!!! I adore Flower and Garden as well...it is one of my favourite festivals.

This time of the year has so much to offer.

I highly recommend Steakhouse 71. Our breakfast there was fantastic and I really enjoyed the lounge as well.

I started thinking about breakfast after reading your review.

I was very happy with all the positive news. Now if they got rid of park hopping restrictions, I would be over the moon!

I agree!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I've only done the after party. I think I've done both but liked the after party better. I felt the before party was too close to when we had eaten dinner. The after party felt more like a true dessert party.

I have done the after party twice and the treats and seats party once. Two were before the pandemic and we loved both. The 2nd after party was in 2022 and it was nice but we did not like Enchantment! I would definitely pick the after party one if not the sit down one.

 

[vamassey1]

I have done the after party twice and the treats and seats party once. Two were before the pandemic and we loved both. The 2nd after party was in 2022 and it was nice but we did not like Enchantment! I would definitely pick the after party one if not the sit down one.

Thanks for chiming in. I've never done the sit down before. I think I would prefer the after party.

 

[Pyxie]

Saturday night we had dinner at the original Doe's and came back for karaoke in the music room. Sunday morning was breakfast together before we all headed back home.

I'm reading through and catching up, but I had to comment when I saw Doe's! I'm originally from Mississippi and grew up about 50 miles from Greenville. Doe's is awesome!

 

[jgl130]

I’m a little nervous about Tron the vehicle does not look comfortable to me. I should be fine since I have rode Hagrid’s motorbike at USO.

I rode Tron in Shanghai when we went in 2018. It didn’t feel much different than Flight of Passage and it’s much shorter than that. You’ll totally be fine!

 

[vamassey1]

I'm reading through and catching up, but I had to comment when I saw Doe's! I'm originally from Mississippi and grew up about 50 miles from Greenville. Doe's is awesome!

Thanks for joining in!

I'm so happy to meet someone who actually knows Doe's. We have enjoyed our visits there.

 

[vamassey1]

Sunday, October 11, 2020- Animal Kingdom- Finishing out of Disney Time
Our time in AK was running out fast. After we finished Dinosaur, it was time to grab some lunch. Michelle and I wanted Flame Tree BBQ and Danielle wanted Satuli Canteen. This was covid times so everyone was pushed to do Mobile Order. Danielle made her order as she walked towards Satuli and we made ours. The first time we used Mobile order in 2018 it was new and not many people were using it. We felt like rock stars due to how fast it was, this time it was not so fast. Danielle made it back with her food before ours was even ready. I'm sorry but I don't remember what we got. I know we shared a meal. Please just image whatever is your favorite dish at Flame Tree. We did grab a table near the water so we could enjoy the quiet and some more of the cavalcades.



Once we finished eating it was time for Michelle to head back to Kidani to get ready for her ME pick up. We stopped to take some photos at the Tree of Life before we told her goodbye.



Danielle and I didn't have much time left but there was something she had been wanting to do in DinoLand so headed back that way. We caught Goofy, Chip and Dale as we crossed the bridge into DinoLand.


Danielle is going to be part of the crowd of people who will really miss DinoLand when it's gone. Dinosaur is one of her favorite rides to do especially with Dennis. They also really love to play the games. She would have preferred to play these with Dennis but she was also determined to win some of the new stuffed animals offered as prizes. The stuffed animal now had the Dino Institute marking on them. Normally she and Dennis play to compete against each other and give the stuffed animals away. Michelle likes to complete too but I don't think she is as diehard as they are. The overall area was pretty deserted but she was able to find a few games to play and won 2 of the dinos she wanted.





Continued in next post. . .

 

[vamassey1]

Having done most of what we wanted, but certainly not all, it was time for us to leave the park. We caught some more cavalcades as we crossed back over the bridge leaving DinoLand. It was really nice they all came to tell us goodbye.




It didn't take long at all to get back to Kidani. We retrieved our bags and headed to the restroom in the lobby to freshen up. We changed clothes and did our best to smell a little better. I learned the hard way that if you plan to visit a park on your departure day and you're flying, you need to have a change of clothes and some body spray. You do not want to share your smell with your fellow passengers on the plane even if everyone is wearing a mask.

I took another photo of the lobby and we played a trivia game about Africa before we headed out to wait for ME. I took one final shot of the area our room was in while we waited.





We were on ME by 3:15 and headed back to the airport. I know I'm not alone when I say I miss seeing this.

I would like to say we had no issues but we did have one small one. I will be the first to admit I have no sense of direction and I don't think Danielle is much better than I. I don't know if it was the tiredness or the sadness of leaving but we made a mistake when we exited security and headed towards the fake monorail. You know how there are 2 security areas based on what hub you're headed too? Well we got directed to the security area that was not the one closest to the hub leading to Southwest like we are use to using. Once we were through security we just went with the crowd like we usually do. I know it didn't look right when we got on the monorail and once I saw the signs for the airlines and Southwest was not one of them, I knew we were not where we needed to be. We rode the monorail round trip and then found the right monorail. We had plenty of time thanks to the ME 3 hour rule but we ended up not having as much time to sit and wait to board. We were soon home and Dennis met us at baggage claim in New Orleans. Our fun girls weekend was over.
I do want to share this puzzle I picked up while we were there. I had wanted to get it in December 2019 but didn't stop to get it. I really like doing puzzles.

Before I close this out I'm going to do a recap and maybe write a little about our May 2021 trip before starting our Girls Trip from 2021.