Fun in the Florida Sun! ~ Trip #3 w/many firsts, new friends & TONS of food!*NEW 9/30

[martinolichfamily]

In case you missed it and would like to look back at our PTR to get all the details.


Let's re-introduce ourselves!

Me(29): Heather ~ DH(30): James ~ DS(9): Hunter ~ DD(3): Ashlynn


Here's the links for our report:
Day 1 ~ July 2: AK Part 1
Day 1 ~ July 2: AK Part 2
Day 2 ~ July 3: MK Part 1
Day 2 ~ July 3: MK Part 2
Day 3 ~ July 4: Epcot Part 1
Day 3 ~ July 4: Epcot Part 2
Day 4 ~ July 5: Hollywood Studios Part 1
Day 4 ~ July 5: Hollywood Studios & DTD Part 2
Day 5 ~ July 6: To Waterpark or Not to Waterpark?!?! Part 1
Day 5 ~ July 6: To Waterpark or Not to Waterpark?!?! Part 2
Day 6 ~ July 7: MK Part 1
Day 6 ~ July 7: MK Part 2
Day 7 ~ July 8: Pirate Cruise
Day 7 ~ July 8: AK
Day 7 ~ July 8: Dinner
Our Room Window
Day 8 ~ July 9: Our last park day...


OT Links:
Hunter's 9th Birthday Party


So...Here we go....I Hope!!

Thursday July 1, 2010

I wake up...barely...DH & I stayed up too late the night before making sure we had everything we needed for our Trip...making sure everyone had all the info they needed for taking care of the house and pets...

My alarm was set for 6:30a! Off it went...snooze button was hit a time or two as well! Finally....I jumped up got showered got everyone else up and moving...slow moving that it! Our goal was to pull out of the driveway by 8am! Did we make it???

Why...yes we did!!!

With all smiles...well except for DS..maybe he was still sleeping??

We were off...Disney Bound! Finally!!

We did stop to pick up breakfast at McDonald's.

We had a pretty uneventful drive (thank goodness) minus the rain bands once in a while. We got through Texas... partly through Louisiana and stopped for lunch at.............


McDonald's for the kids.......I don't love Mickey D's that much....so me and DH opted for Taco Bell! While making our lunch stops....DH stops at Game Stop to pick DS up a charger for his PSP (he says he cant find) and also comes out of the store w/a new game for DS too! Hello....we are trying to get to Disney!!!
Down the road a bit...DS can't get the new game to work on his PSP....OH...AND DH finds the PSP charge in the backpack!! Boys!!?!?!
So...we must stop and find ANOTHER Game Stop to exchange the game that is not working and also pick up a memory stick! Craziness!!! FINALLY....we get back on the road!!

In all this mess...my new DIS Friend, Debbie (adisneymama) emails and says they are on the road as well...they we leaving that afternoon. We had met from the DIS...realized we are practically neighbors and so we met up at a nearby mall ( @ The Disney Store...of course!). We kept in touch on the road and planned to meet up that Saturday at MK!!

Headed to.....Mississippi.....and before we hit Alabama...DH has a bright idea to cancel our original hotel room (in panhandle of Florida) and call POP to see if we can get in a room that night! So...he did so and was able to get a room.

We drove and drove and drove some more......................

FINALLY....we are almost there!!!!!!!

THEN.....DH decides he needs a 'smoke' break...we exit off the freeway and go down this street...pull into a parking lot so DH can get out (remember...no smoking in my new car!).
As I'm looking around...making sure the GPS is taking us in the right direction...we see this:

It's the entrance into Downtown Disney area!!

Here's the kiddos reaction when they see it too!

A little excited huh?? Being that it's almost 1 AM!!

And....DH, thinking he needs to TAKE HIS TIME to finish up...

Off in search of POP!

At 1 am picture taking isnt great! I'll post some better daytime pics later.

We walk in to check in...our room is #9113, 80's Building, first floor and a REFURBISHED Room! That was my main goal...a refurbed room! Thanks to my great TA for making the request!

Our Room...well a pic of the bedding at least and a poster on the wall!

Up Next....Day 1: Where do we end up?

 

[Dsnygrl1205]

That's awesome that you made it all the way there in one day! I wish we lived close enough to drive but it's just too far from New England. How are the new beds at Pop? I'm staying their next weekend! keeping my fingers crossed for a refurbished room!

 

[martinolichfamily]

That's awesome that you made it all the way there in one day! I wish we lived close enough to drive but it's just too far from New England. How are the new beds at Pop? I'm staying their next weekend! keeping my fingers crossed for a refurbished room!

IMO the beds were nice! Comfy...well....as much as they can be w/a 3 yr old!!
Did you request a certain building? If not....try to request the 80s building...most of it is refurbed...that's what my TA told me.
Good luck! I hope you get the room you want.....have a great time too!!

 

[adisneymama]

I'm here! I managed to get all my pics uploaded so I'm hoping to start mine soon! So far so good!

 

[lillylynnb]

ok i want to read more !!! bring i on get me ready for our trip!!!!!

 

[inkedupmomma]

I'm in! I'd like some more details of your ride there though lol! I love hearing about how other peoples drives go

 

[Cory's Gal]

Hi Heather!!! YEAH you started!! Awesome that you made the whole drive in one shot like that!! The kids look pretty happy for 1am!!! The refurbished rooms at POP look nice! So excited to hear about your trip!!!!!!!!!!

 

[martinolichfamily]

I'm here! I managed to get all my pics uploaded so I'm hoping to start mine soon! So far so good!

I just jumped over to your TR...nice start! I forgot what time you first emailed me.....around noon or 1p i think?? I didnt add it in b/c i forgot the time!

ok i want to read more !!! bring i on get me ready for our trip!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by!
I hope to update tomorrow!

I'm in! I'd like some more details of your ride there though lol! I love hearing about how other peoples drives go

Let's see what I can do!

Hi Heather!!! YEAH you started!! Awesome that you made the whole drive in one shot like that!! The kids look pretty happy for 1am!!! The refurbished rooms at POP look nice! So excited to hear about your trip!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Beth! Glad you made it over! That was the first time to drive the whole thing at once....16 hours!!!!
The refurbed room was nice!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Hopping over from MeMom's!

 

[kaileighbug]

congrats on the refurb room. Do the refurb rooms have the flat screen tvs? We were in 6123 from the 3rd - 11th and they had a flat screen and the room was in the 70's. Very clean we loved it.

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

2 people on the same trip at the same time. Hmmmm this will be a fun TR.

I'm also guessing you like 70's songs too?

 

[BabyEeyore]

I'm here! I can't wait to read more about your trip.

 

[adisneymama]

Yep the skies were ugly! LOL Can't wait to read more from your side!

 

[Goofy442]

Caught my interest so I'm jumping over from adisneymama.

 

[adisneymama]

Cool a dual trip report of sorts as well as a dual rider!

 

[martinolichfamily]

Hopping over from MeMom's!

Thanks for hopping over!

congrats on the refurb room. Do the refurb rooms have the flat screen tvs? We were in 6123 from the 3rd - 11th and they had a flat screen and the room was in the 70's. Very clean we loved it.

Thanks! Our room had a flat screen. Yes...we loved it too. How was your trip?

2 people on the same trip at the same time. Hmmmm this will be a fun TR.

I'm also guessing you like 70's songs too?

No..no 70s music for me.

I'm here! I can't wait to read more about your trip.

Glad you made it!

Caught my interest so I'm jumping over from adisneymama.

Glad you jumped over!

Cool a dual trip report of sorts as well as a dual rider!

Cool! A couple of dual riders!!
I better get busy!


Here's the 'daytime' pics from Pop!

We loved this sign...although we didnt hear that phrase too much on this trip really!

This was right outside our room....our room was there to the right of it!

Here's the wonderful sign that we missed when we arrived but got it the next day!

I hope to post about Day 1 at some time today!

 

[martinolichfamily]

Our first morning to wake up in Disney World!
We did sleep in a little this morning. Once we all got up and got ready to go, we headed up to Classic Hall to 'check out' (room only) of our room and 'check in' our room....good news...we got to keep our same room!

Once we got that all squared away...we headed to the Food Court for some breakfast and to get our refillable mugs! those mugs! DH used his every morning for coffee.
The food court was packed! We couldn't decide to stay or to try and get breakfast at another resort.....we stayed!
Off to the lines we went...
DH - Bounty platter
Me - Egg & Bacon Croissant and a Chocolate Croissant!! OMG...so good!
DS - HUGE Pop Waffle & sausage
DD - shared from our plates (she eats like a bird!)..mostly sausage
After stuffing our faces....(and yes....DH got a pic of ME doing that! lol) we headed back to the room to get the backpack for the park! The original plan was to go to DTD, no parks.
We ended up here at................

Got parked, loaded on the tram and we were off....

First...we walked near Rainforest Cafe to visit their Rainfall and take some pics w/the new camera!

Once in the gates with park map in hand, we walked around the Oasis Exhibits for a bit...we saw mostly birds!

Next up...Africa! We were searching for our Safari! We lucked out this time...baby elephant, baby giraffe and a baby rhino...the animals were really out!

After our 2 week long safari we headed out in search of some fastpasses for...Expedition Everest!
So, we headed toward Asia and got our fastpasses!
Then it was off to Dinoland to go on a Dino hunt!

This was a walk on basically so all 4 of us got in line to ride. Poor DD did not like this ride...I kept my hands over her ears and told her to close her eyes..not sure if she did. After this, she was pretty leary of getting on any rides that she did not remember from last year!

Up Next....Lunch time!

 

[adisneymama]

So far so good! Love the happy looking people on the tram! OH NO Dinosaur! LOL I'll wait to update mine until you've caught up to me. I forgot about you having that extra day in there.

 

[trinaweena]

Just joining in! What a lucky safari you had! We just got back from staying at AKL and I was convinced one of the giraffes in the family on the savannah was a 'baby' and everyone i was with told me i was wrong!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

You did good on your safari! Mine was mostly rear ends of animals! Big bottoms!
Then of course ours was cut short due to the poachers....

I'll bet your DD was scared on Dinosaur! I know adults that get shaken on that ride!
What was for lunch?
Can't wait to read about the rest of your day!