Free Trip @ GF!

[SPAM]

here it is, my trip report. not very good, but oh well. ill post pics whenver i get them.

DAY 1-Leave Ohio/Epcot
Ok, so I got up incredibly early. 4:15 am to be exact. I was super tired because I only slept 3 hours the night before and that night I slept about 3 again so I was tired. We got on our very tiny plane from port columbus direct to orlando. We got there about 10:30 I think. We proceeded to ger our free rental car (this is the trip I won from alamo remember?) and drove to the grand floridian. I was really excited to be there cause I have always wanted to stay at the grand floridian but I must admit I was a little disappointed about the whole grand floridian experience. I mean, it was a really nice hotel but it wasn’t as great as I thought. And well, not to insult anyone but I thought everyone there was a little snobby, like some gift shop lady insulted my mom saying that “the robes are one size fits all, don’t worry” when she was asking for my brother. We just kind of felt out of place with everyone who well, seemed kind of rich. I don’t know, I liked the hotel but I don’t think I’d spend that much money to stay there.
Anyway, so we checked in and then hopped on the monorail to epcot. We first headed over to Soarin and got a fastpass and then paid out the butt to eat at the new seasons fair there. Lol, but true. Then we went and rode Imagination and Honey I Shrunk the Audience. We then headed over and rode Ellen’s Energy Adventure which my entire family proceeded to sleep through. As soon as we got to that room in the dark with the radio tower we were gonners. Lol. After that we finally made it to Soarin. I loved it, I thought it was so awesome. It really does feel like you are flying. We then squeezed in Test Track and Mission Space (both single riders line, cause that’s how we roll) before dinner. We ate at the Teppanyaki Dining Room in Japan. It was my family and this cute gay couple at our table. And our chef I kid you not had an eyepatch! When he walked out me and stephanie were like “yessss” under our breaths. Some of the food was interesting tasting but the steak and vegetables were very good. I would go back. We ended our first day by stopping by spaceship earth and then rode the monorail back to the grand floridian. And then I passed out on my bed.

 

[SPAM]

DAY 2-MGM/Magic Kingdom
This day was our MGM day. My parents and my brother went to animal kingdom for most of the day but steph and I decided to go to MGM. We started out by basically walking onto Tower of Terror and Rockin Roller Coaster. Then I made my sister go to Who Wants to Be A Millionaire for our first of three times. Then we went to the new show “Lights, Motor, Action!” which I think was my favorite new thing there. I thought that it was soo cool. The cars barely just miss eachother and there are explosions and everything is choreographed so finely I thought it was really well put together. For lunch me and steph ate at abc commissary. We also rode great movie ride, star tours, muppet vision 3-D, did millionaire again, and the little mermaid. Then we met my parents and brother at Sci-Fi Dine In Theater for dinner. I always thought it was really good, but I mean it was just okay. I think it would be a little better for all the money we have to pay. After that Steph, my brother, and I went to Magic Kingdom which was open until midnight. We couldn’t actually ride much because of the long lines. We did however manage to ride the new It’s a Small World, Philharmagic, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. After that we tried to beat the parade traffic and headed back to our hotel.

 

[SPAM]

DAY 3-Magic Kingdom/Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Me and Steph were by ourselves for the first bit of the day. We rode Stitch’s Great Escape and then Space Mountain. Then we met up with the rest of the family and rode Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Then it started to pour so we all put on our ponchos and went on Carousel of Progress (which I didn’t think was going to be open but was very glad that it was). It was still raining when we came out so we went to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café which was packed cause of the weather. After that it pretty much stopped raining and we went on Philharmagic and Winnie the Pooh. Then we tried to go see movies at downtown disney. But that did NOT work. My mom thought that we could take a bus from the TTC to downtown disney, I mean it is the transportation and ticket center. But no, so we ended up taking the monorail from MK to TTC then getting back on monorail to polynesian then taking bus to downtown disney, and we missed out movie. So we shopped a little bit then ate at chevy’s. which wasn’t overpriced and very good. Then we went back to MK for MVMCP. It was so cool. I ate like 5 of those free cookies. We went first on stitch again, then buzz lightyear, then space mountain. Then on to fantasyland we rode the teacups (barf), peter pan, dumbo. After that we went on and rode big thunder mountain railroad, and then pirates of the caribbean. We got our free photo taken and then my sister and I found front row seats for the special MVMCP parade. We had so much fun screaming at all the princesses and seeing it all.

 

[SPAM]

DAY 4-MGM/Epcot (Last Day)
So I got up and went to MGM to fit everything left in. We first went and saw Indiana Jones and my dad got picked as an extra and then it turned out that the woman running the show has known my parents for like 20 years so we get to talk to her after the show. After that we ate a healthy lunch of popcorn (mmmmm) and went to see the Lights! Motor! Action! Show again. Still really good. Then I went to see millionaire for the third time with my mom and sister, and we are still convinced that our boxes were running slower than others cause we should have been up there. We next went on Backlot Tour which since Lights, Motor, Action is a real snooze. It only takes you throught the costume tunnel and the canyon thing and shows you ALOT of the outside of the car show. Not worth my time.Then we ate ice cream and then my parents left and me and steph rode ToT and RnRC again. Met ShutterBug at MGM too which was a treat. Then we met up at Ohana’s for our last dinner. It was AWESOME. The food was sooo good. I kid you not. I ate so much its ridiculous. Then after dinner me and steph went back to epcot but strangely everything was down, for no apparent reason. So we rode soarin and spaceship earth again then went back to the hotel.

DAY 5- Time to leave
we checked out by 11, ate at mcdonald’s and then caught our 1:45 plane back to cold snowy ohio, joy.

 

[ziggystardust]

sounds like you had fun! things are so much better when they're free!

 

[Pam]

Great trip report! Sounds like you had a great time! I cringe at the restaurant prices, too!!

I don't like snobby people, either!

 

[SPAM]

Great trip report! Sounds like you had a great time! I cringe at the restaurant prices, too!!

I don't like snobby people, either!

lol no seriously ohana's is like 30 bucks a head. its ridiculous.

 

[budbeerlady]

We were actually there 3 times through the course of our trip. (1900 Park Fare Dinner, Wonderland Tea Party, Princess Tea Party) I dont know if I would stay there if I had won a free room, downgrade me to POFQ! The attitude drifting around the place is amazing, meanwhile I laugh to myself inside that these crazy people paid how much to stay here? And for what? I know people love the GF for their own reasons, but I am about 50yr to young to understand it and I hope I never have that attitude!

 

[AdventurerKat]

I think the GF is a beautiful hotel but I don't think I would feel like I "belonged" there either.

Polynesian on the other hand.... I can't wait to actually stay there!

 

[Shutterbug]

DAY 4-MGM/Epcot (Last Day) Met ShutterBug at MGM too which was a treat.

Hey there I guess they didnt close Disney after all did they?

Was neat seeing you too! Would have loved to have chatted more with you but my gf and I were running late to meet up with our party. My gf was like "okay.....how do you know those girls? hmmmm?"
I said, "oh, from online" (Not the smartest thing to say. LOL)

I then went on and explained you were a member of the DIS board. She then oh yeah all you disney people, and rolled her eyes...lol

We never did find our party so we rode TOT 4 times in a row. Basically walking onto the ride each time. One time there were only 6 of us in the car and the cast member said sit anywhere ya want!

 

[akhenaten]

Thanks for the report Spam....
how were the christmas decorations?

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your report ~ Thanx for posting.

 

[SPAM]

Thanks for the report Spam....
how were the christmas decorations?

beautiful. i love looking at the gingerbread house on my way to my room every night. i had to pass right by it (although there were good and bad things with that, it was always fairly crowded and i had to walk through the giant line of people trying to buy gingerbread. lol. )

 

[akhenaten]

beautiful. i love looking at the gingerbread house on my way to my room every night. i had to pass right by it (although there were good and bad things with that, it was always fairly crowded and i had to walk through the giant line of people trying to buy gingerbread. lol. )

Yes Disney would be wonderful if it was not so crowded!! LOL

Thanks for the info.......
glad you had a good time ...
keep entering contests...you are really lucky!!

 

[keri-k]

Nice report. We enjoy visiting the gf, but I don't think we would feel comfortable staying there either.

 

[pixiemomma]

Glad you had fun!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

I was wondering how your trip went and just found this thread. I think we were there at the same time, we were there from the 8-12. I totally agree about the GF. We were there for dd's birthday dinner (see pic below, lol) and although the place is really pretty, I kinda felt like everyone was watching us to see if we belonged there too. That's why we usually stay at the WL...it's so comfy there to us. Glad you had a great time!

 

[nmudisneyfan]

Thanks for the trip report! I really enjoyed reading it.