Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho. It's off to the Grand Floridian We Go! June 2014 (Update: Video)

[TheMaxRebo]

wow - that is so great that you have those (at least) similar photos to see how the kids have grown - though I feel bad that I love the one with the two kids in the stroller crying

I tend to like Starbucks whenever but their frozen drinks on a hot summer day are even better.

 

[KelleyK75]

The pictures of the kids in the same spot is awesome! I bet that is so neat for you to have and watch each of them grow.

The Starbucks drinks will make anyone feel better.

 

[fototaker5857]

Love the pictures of the kids, really is a great way to look back at previous trips and see how much everyone has grown and changed.

 

[disney meema]

Love the pictures of the kids growing up in pics especially in front of spaceship earth (( their all so beautiful )) half of mine our hard print film copies before digital cameras but I've never put them side by side and year by year ... I'm inspired to dig them out and take a look. Well someday : ) Test track is always so fun and nice Pickle is tall enough to ride too and not afraid : )
I love your Dad & Mom spent the morning with ya' all and I noticed they were fabulous in spending extra time with each small group of their big family ... You have some amazing parents from the time they spend you with all of you to the WDW trip itself!!
Looking forward to reading what the day has ahead for all of you ...

 

[MarbleBob]

Oh My Gosh! Cupcake Palooza! We seriously may have to stop by Contempo In September, those cupcakes are calling my name! Jeremy and I ate there when we stayed at Bay Lake and we loved the food! I think it is an underrated Quick Service Location for sure!

Those photos over the years are such a great thing to have! How amazing how they have all grown up!

I am on the fence about whether I like the new Test Track or not, I love the design your own car aspect of it, but the inside when you are actually in the cars is a little blah! It is still really cool though!

I agree about Contempo Cafe being underrated

I wonder how many other people like the new Test Track. I rarely complain about Disney stuff, but I felt like this was a bit of a let down.

Those photos through the years at Epcot are priceless!

Doesn't everyone's mood improve with a frozen drink from Starbucks? Your chocolate croissant looked pretty tasty. I would have trouble sharing that!

Ha! I hear you about not sharing. And I didn't.

Hi, I just read through your TR and I think it great so far! You have a wonderful family.

Thanks! Nice to have you reading along

wow - that is so great that you have those (at least) similar photos to see how the kids have grown - though I feel bad that I love the one with the two kids in the stroller crying

I tend to like Starbucks whenever but their frozen drinks on a hot summer day are even better.

Ha! I questioned whether or not I should have included that last one of the kids, with it being dark and awkward. But I figured, oh well. Just do it!

The pictures of the kids in the same spot is awesome! I bet that is so neat for you to have and watch each of them grow.

The Starbucks drinks will make anyone feel better.

Love the pictures of the kids, really is a great way to look back at previous trips and see how much everyone has grown and changed.

Thanks fototaker! In hindsight, I really wish that I would have stopped for that photo on all of our previous trips... but still cool to have as many as we do

Love the pictures of the kids growing up in pics especially in front of spaceship earth (( their all so beautiful )) half of mine our hard print film copies before digital cameras but I've never put them side by side and year by year ... I'm inspired to dig them out and take a look. Well someday : ) Test track is always so fun and nice Pickle is tall enough to ride too and not afraid : )
I love your Dad & Mom spent the morning with ya' all and I noticed they were fabulous in spending extra time with each small group of their big family ... You have some amazing parents from the time they spend you with all of you to the WDW trip itself!!
Looking forward to reading what the day has ahead for all of you ...

Yes, I feel very blessed to have such amazing parents. They live about 30 minutes from us in St. Louis and we are lucky to get to spend a lot of time with them. And happy to be able to say that my kids have visited WDW more times with my parents than without them

 

[MarbleBob]

Day 9 - Wednesday the 11th - Part 2 - More EPCOT

After the bathroom break, we were all ready to ride Spaceship Earth. Using our FP+, we were basically able to walk right on. But not before getting a selfie with Princess.



Buddy and I rode together.



Pickle and Princess each rode with a grandparent, which left Stephanie as odd man out. Sorry Steph!



Another relaxing journey!

So, as I mentioned earlier, even though I got her to smile for a few photos, Princess was having a rough morning. That combined with the fact that she wanted to wash her hair before getting photos made later that afternoon, meant that she wanted to head back to the resort to have enough time for it to dry. Buddy was slightly off too, so also wanted to head back. Pickle didn't want to have anything to do with that, so Stephanie took the older two back to the Grand Floridian and then Pickle and I stayed with my parents for a while. And a couple minutes later, we bumped into Cassie's gang.

We all had FP+ for the Nemo ride, so we headed over as a group.



Peace, bro!





A relatively quick walk through the queue and we were on the ride.





For whatever reason, this is one of my least favorite rides. So... another chance to rest my eyes.

On the other hand, I do have fun looking at the aquariums!









After that, we decided to part ways with Cassie's group again. We were ready for lunch so we headed towards the world showcase. But first, a quick look back at the passing monorail.



We decided to head towards Mexico. But first a stop to meet the real Duffy!!!



Duffy had to take a break from the heat, so we waited patiently.



And a few minutes later, he was back and ready for us. Pickle was super excited!!! Too cute



We decided to have QS at La Cantina de San Angel. Pickle had the kids chicken.



And then my parents shared Tacos de Pollo (Seasoned Chicken served on fresh homemade Corn Tortillas with Salsa and Lime), and I went with that as well.



It wasn't out of this world amazing, but it was pretty good.

I went with a Coke, but my dad had a Pineapple soda. I tasted his and quickly decided that I had made the wrong choice.



After we finished eating, we headed inside the pyramid to explore and ride Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. It had been a couple years since Pickle rode this, so she was pretty excited and had a great time.







At that point, it was almost 2pm, so we started making our way back to the Grand Floridian to get ready for photos and dinner at 'Ohana.


.

 

[KelleyK75]

The aquariums are really neat by Nemo. Yay for being able to just walk on the ride.

The duffy picture is really cute!

Lunch looks great!

 

[disney meema]

I agree with you Nemo ride at WDW is a bit of a snooze, but of course it's nice to take a snooze here and there. We enjoy the Nemo ride at Disneyland much better since it's in the old submarine ride there's something about the combo of Nemo and being In the submarine that makes it better. But of course the aquarium's at Epcot are amazing so for me it's a tie between the parks.
I can't say enough how completely adorable Pickle is with Duffy and her Duffy bear ... Totally a happy happy darling girl!

 

[annie170]

I love monorail shots! Looks like it was a really pretty day at Epcot.

I agree that the many of the counter service portions are large enough to be shared. Quite a few of the kids portions are rather pitiful, in my opinion. My three year old grandson could eat two or three of those kids meals from LaCantina. He's definitely a buffet kind of kid!

 

[FancyNancy]

Love the pic of Pickle and Duffy. So adorable!

I didn't realize there was pineapple soda in Mexico. I'm going to have to give that a try.

Can't wait to see the group photos!

 

[DaeHyFoog]

Day 9 - Wednesday the 11th - Part 3 - Gasparilla Lunch

Splitting up as a family is still very new for us, but doing so made a lot of sense. Princess and Buddy just weren't feeling it at Epcot and wanted a more relaxed lunch and afternoon break back at the Grand Floridian. So we headed to the resort on the monorails with no problems this trip...whew!



I figured I would get the kids set up with some food in the room, and afterwards I would get out to really explore the resort and take a bunch of pictures. I headed off to Gasparilla Island Grill to get our lunch.



This was a fairly nice QS location, with some customizable options and a decent-sized grab-and-go section. The seating area seemed both fancy and casual at the same time, but I never ended up seated inside.



I did, however, use the self-serve drink stations quite a bit. I got funny looks taking the next two pictures, but I figured I had spent so much time using this area, I should really take a few to remember it by.





When I indicated that I wanted our food to go, the cast members were very helpful. They packed everything up nicely and gave me a bag to carry it back to the room. So, you just want to lay in bed and have your food brought to you? You could call room service, but why do that, when you can enjoy Mom Service?



Over the years I have learned that just because something isn't on the menu, it doesn't hurt to ask. Buddy wanted a regular hamburger instead of the Angus bacon cheeseburger; no problem. They offered typical hamburger toppings, too, so he was able to get lettuce and tomato. Score!



Princess wanted chicken and fries. These were typical Disney chicken strips and fries, but were perfect for Princess, and I snagged one or two to add to my salad.





After finishing up, I took the trash to an outside trash can so it didn't stink up the room, and I left the kids relaxing while I went off to explore.

 

[DaeHyFoog]

Day 9 - Wednesday the 11th - Part 4 - The Grand Floridian

Time to explore. First I decided to head out from our building (Big Pine Key) towards Seven Seas Lagoon. I had fun watching this boat zoom around and enjoyed the view of the Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary.





After that, I turned around and got this shot of the main building taken from around the entrance to Big Pine Key.



The courtyard fountain and pool.







Narcoosee's and the view from Narcoosee's.







The boat dock is right next to the restaurant, and it's fun to get some shots of the castle and the monorail.











The Grand Floridian marina.





Quick stop into the arcade.



The other side of the marina and the view at the end of the walk.





When I started my exploring, it was bright, sunny, and beautiful. At this point, however, it became obvious that a big storm was rolling in. This is the view looking towards the convention center.



I made it back into Big Pine Key just as the storm was letting loose. One final photo, looking out towards the Poly, of the storm rolling through.



It would have been nice if the storm had held off so I could do more exploring, but I was grateful to have gotten 45 minutes to myself. Taking time to look around and enjoy the Grand Floridian was my main goal for myself on this trip. I'm glad that we split up earlier, because it worked out great for me.

 

[FancyNancy]

What a wonderful photo tour of the Grand Floridian. I really enjoyed looking at all of those gorgeous pictures. Great update!

 

[AAshleySEG]

The Grand is such a great resort, I have really enjoyed the two one-night stays we managed to get at the villas with DVC, it is so difficult to get in there right now! It is definitely a great place for an afternoon stroll, or should I say, "Jolly Holiday" !!

We got to eat at Gasparilla once and it was around the holidays and they had this amazing like holiday sandwich, with like turkey, dressing/stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce on this toasted bread, it was seriously one of the best things I have ever eaten at Disney World! It sounds a little odd, but man, I dream about that sandwich!!

I'm glad you got some you time!! It is really nice to be able to just enjoy your surroundings sometimes!

 

[Hardheadedwoman]

Really loving your review!

 

[disney meema]

Oh I'm so with you on needing time for yourself Stephanie even for an hour during a trip with the family : ) You took some incredible pictures of the Floridian and the views ect. I love the views from the resort it's so spectacular! You made my evening to see your pictures of my favorite resort so thank you! I think I saw the corner of my favorite room in conch key in one of your marina pictures too
I've also done Mom & Meema Service from Gasparilla's many times since the kids get tired and need some down time for sure. I think it's better than bringing along tired kids for sure. We usually plan at least 2 non park days for a pool day, rest or shopping and for sure the Floridian is the place to be for all of that. Yikes it rained a lot though during your trip but like you mentioned there is so much to do indoors and outdoors plus your at WDW so it's always a day good!

 

[DaeHyFoog]

What a wonderful photo tour of the Grand Floridian. I really enjoyed looking at all of those gorgeous pictures. Great update!

I'm glad you liked it! I certainly had fun taking the pictures.

The Grand is such a great resort, I have really enjoyed the two one-night stays we managed to get at the villas with DVC, it is so difficult to get in there right now! It is definitely a great place for an afternoon stroll, or should I say, "Jolly Holiday" !!

We got to eat at Gasparilla once and it was around the holidays and they had this amazing like holiday sandwich, with like turkey, dressing/stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce on this toasted bread, it was seriously one of the best things I have ever eaten at Disney World! It sounds a little odd, but man, I dream about that sandwich!!

I'm glad you got some you time!! It is really nice to be able to just enjoy your surroundings sometimes!

I imagine the villas are stunning. We had fun exploring the lobby and grounds over there, and I'm not surprised that it is hard to get rooms. One night would be worth it, though!

That turkey sandwich sounds really good. It reminds me of the holiday sandwich at Earl of Sandwich, which is without a doubt the best sandwich I've ever had. I only got grab-and-go at Gasparilla's: yogurt, sushi, and salad, but the menu seemed interesting with make-your-own pasta and salad.

I really did enjoy the "me" time, and I think the kids enjoyed their time, too.

Really loving your review!

I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Oh I'm so with you on needing time for yourself Stephanie even for an hour during a trip with the family : ) You took some incredible pictures of the Floridian and the views ect. I love the views from the resort it's so spectacular! You made my evening to see your pictures of my favorite resort so thank you! I think I saw the corner of my favorite room in conch key in one of your marina pictures too
I've also done Mom & Meema Service from Gasparilla's many times since the kids get tired and need some down time for sure. I think it's better than bringing along tired kids for sure. We usually plan at least 2 non park days for a pool day, rest or shopping and for sure the Floridian is the place to be for all of that. Yikes it rained a lot though during your trip but like you mentioned there is so much to do indoors and outdoors plus your at WDW so it's always a day good!

It was really nice having some alone time, and it was a lot of fun taking the pictures. I'm so glad you liked looking at them!

I usually enjoy having a non-park day, too. We didn't do that this trip, though, and it probably would have been a good idea. The big kids could have slept in, and that would've helped. We had been going non-stop for over a week, and I think it was catching up to us. I completely agree that any day at WDW is a good day.

-Stephanie

 

[annie170]

Alone time is a great cure for too much togetherness. We all need it now and then, especially on vacation.

Great photos of GF! Such a beautiful resort!

 

[KelleyK75]

Great update Stephanie! Yay for Mom service. The Gasparilla Island Grill looks really nice and the food looks great.

The pictures of the resort are gorgeous. It really is a beautiful resort!

 

[MarbleBob]

Day 9 - Wednesday the 11th - Part 5 - Family Photos

I have to say, it's really nice being able to tag team with Stephanie on this TR!

So, after spending the early afternoon with Pickle and my parents at EPCOT, we made our way back to the resort to meet Stephanie and everyone so that we could get ready for some group photos at the Grand Floridian.

Every couple years, my parents hang a new photo of their grand kids above their fireplace, and they were overdue for a new one. Everyone agreed that it would be fun to put the kids in white shirts/dresses and see if we could get a worthy replacement photo on this trip.

I snapped hundreds of photos (and my sister and dad also took a bunch with their cameras too), and here are some of the best from my batch.

We started out in front of the main entrance, next to the old car and the horse carriage.

Beautiful sisters!



And we can't leave out our handsome Buddy!



Next we thought about trying the fountain over by the Villas.



We weren't really feeling the fountain, so we headed over towards the lagoon.



We decided that this was a pretty good spot, so we snapped quite a few photos here.



I think this was one of the contenders for the photo above the fireplace...



But of course, we took the opportunity to get a bunch of smaller group photos too.



Hey, I know that guy!









My awesome parents!



Hey Pickle!



The oldest grandsons...



And the entire set of loving grandkids.



After photos, we headed back to our rooms to regroup with aunt Denise and her gang before heading over to 'Ohana for our next big family meal.

.