Home for the Holidays-Wizards-Grinches and Sparkles. 14 nights @Royal Pacific Resort, Nov/Dec 2021

[Cara]

Thank you! I am doing really well! I've recovered well from treatment, and my hair is growing back CURLY after a lifetime of being completely straight. I am just thankful to have hair!

My husband and I enjoyed a lovely national parks trip to Utah this past May, and we enjoyed a week at the beach earlier this month with our daughter, SIL and beautiful grandson. Next year, we're hoping for a 30th wedding anniversary trip to Hawaii and a short trip with the grandson (and his parents) to WDW. I'm plotting about adding on a couple of days at Universal, but I've not shared that with my husband yet. DH also has a conference in June in Anaheim, so I'm planning to tag along and sneak over to Disneyland.

I can't wait to read your holiday report! So excited for you all! It really feels like life could be getting back to normal if there's a new schumgirl trip!!

 

[SCDizFan]

OMG!! This is fantastic news!

We are heading to Paris December 1st and can't wait.

We were at a wedding in Orlando Monday so my husband wanted to spend the day at Disney Springs and it was packed! I was shocked at how busy it was.

 

[schumigirl]

Thank you! I am doing really well! I've recovered well from treatment, and my hair is growing back CURLY after a lifetime of being completely straight. I am just thankful to have hair!

My husband and I enjoyed a lovely national parks trip to Utah this past May, and we enjoyed a week at the beach earlier this month with our daughter, SIL and beautiful grandson. Next year, we're hoping for a 30th wedding anniversary trip to Hawaii and a short trip with the grandson (and his parents) to WDW. I'm plotting about adding on a couple of days at Universal, but I've not shared that with my husband yet. DH also has a conference in June in Anaheim, so I'm planning to tag along and sneak over to Disneyland.

I can't wait to read your holiday report! So excited for you all! It really feels like life could be getting back to normal if there's a new schumgirl trip!!

Cara, I`m so happy to hear you`re doing so well now....you`ve been through such a traumatic time and a happy outcome is wonderful to hear!! And curly hair too......lol.....yes, it`s hair!!

You`ve certainly had some lovely trips recently, I`d love to see Utah, always looks so beautiful in pictures.

It`s our 30th wedding anniversary next year too......your plans sound lovely though, Hawaii is also a place we`d love to see, not sure we`ll ever get there though with one thing and another. Yes, you can let your husband know his plans later lol......

It is lovely to see you back and hope you enjoy this one too.......

 

[schumigirl]

OMG!! This is fantastic news!

We are heading to Paris December 1st and can't wait.

We were at a wedding in Orlando Monday so my husband wanted to spend the day at Disney Springs and it was packed! I was shocked at how busy it was.

back SCDizFan.......I always have to recheck how I type your user name......lol....always get it wrong!

We always loved Paris.....haven`t been for years though, but wow.....hope you enjoy your time there. It is an ideal city for tourists with so many recognisable iconic venues to visit, wrap up warm though!! Have you been before? I do think it`s one of those cities you can visit often and never get bored.

And nice to hear you enjoyed a wedding recently, I haven`t heard how crowded Disney Springs has been but hope you still enjoyed your time there, too many crowds are not fun!!

Good to see you though.......

 

[NashvilleTrio]

Woohoo! I know you guys are excited to get back. Maybe we'll run into each other this trip??? You never know!!

 

[schumigirl]

Woohoo! I know you guys are excited to get back. Maybe we'll run into each other this trip??? You never know!!

NashvilleTrio......I`m so happy to see you post on here......yes, we are so excited to finally be travelling again to the USA.

Oh I do hope so, it would be lovely to be able to say hello finally.......are you at RP too or another hotel??

And hope you enjoy this one too.......

 

[macraven]

I believe she is local

 

[schumigirl]

I believe she is local

Doh!!!

Of course she is, completely forgot, I`ll blame the username lol.....thanks mac.....

 

[PixieT78]

Yay so exciting to see your PTR!!! It must mean things are starting to get back to normal

We are looking at May and September 2022 as well, though we are splitting time with WDW. We might even sneak in a Feb/Mar 2023 but we'll see what the bank account says about that hahahaha. May should be our first RPR stay though so I'm excited!

 

[schumigirl]

Yay so exciting to see your PTR!!! It must mean things are starting to get back to normal

We are looking at May and September 2022 as well, though we are splitting time with WDW. We might even sneak in a Feb/Mar 2023 but we'll see what the bank account says about that hahahaha. May should be our first RPR stay though so I'm excited!

PixieT78

Oh I do hope things are starting to get back to normal for all of us outside the USA.......it has to really.....

How lovely to have your plans for next year.....and definitely go for an earlier Feb/Mar trip if you can, why not!!! And your first time at RP?? I`m sure you`ll love it there....

It`s good to see you here and look forward to chatting along the way.......

 

[AuroraluvsPhillip]

So happy to see your resurrected trip report, not much longer now. I have 2 trips booked for next year, May and September (like so many others I see!) Will have to renew my AP's as they lapsed and I want to get TSA PreCheck as well next year to ease the security at MCO.

 

[schumigirl]

So happy to see your resurrected trip report, not much longer now. I have 2 trips booked for next year, May and September (like so many others I see!) Will have to renew my AP's as they lapsed and I want to get TSA PreCheck as well next year to ease the security at MCO.

back Aurora.......thank you, it was long overdue to start a new one!!

I think May and September are fabulous times to go, we`ve been going in September forever, but May only from 2018, but we love those times.

I agree with TSA PreCheck, it might make a huge difference now. We have Global Entry which hopefully we`ll appreciate as we have to now show proof of vaccinations on the way in, it could get time consuming as we all worry we have the correct information!!

And yes, get those AP`s renewed!!

Good to see you back.......

 

[schumigirl]

Our hotel choice is always easy......Royal Pacific is our first choice, last few years we`ve enjoyed split stays or alternated between there and the beautiful Sapphire Falls, both hotels are wonderful and we`re happy at either.

This being a relatively short 2 week trip, we decided like our previous 3 Christmas trips, our stay this time would be fully at RP. Our first Christmas stay at Universal was in 2017 and we only stayed a week, which was far too short for us. I know many folks do enjoy a week, but the flight times make 7 nights seem much shorter than it is, so, we gradually escalated each year since by adding a day each time, but this time we wanted 2 weeks.

When Kyle was planning to come with us, it meant him taking 3 weeks off work, which is fine as he does get a fabulous vacation allowance, but he decided he has other plans this year for a trip away, which is nice. He will come back with us at some point I imagine, but right now he has his own plans.

So, back to just the two of us.

I`ve mentioned before how much we fell in love with RP the first time we walked through the doors in 2009, we knew straight away we would come back the following year, we did only visit once a year then, but we didn`t realise just how special the hotel would become to us. I said later to someone who works there, I felt completely and utterly at home as soon as we walked through those doors, that`s something I`ve never experienced in any other hotel in my life.

We know we`re home when we see this beautiful sign.......

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The central area with the elephants is always a beautiful area to sit if it`s quiet and no one else is around, when it`s lit up at night it is stunning.

Of course one of the main perks or staying there is Express Pass for the duration of your stay, we are quite selfish and even in the quietest of times we do always appreciate having it, and always use it even if there`s only two folks in the regular line......but it is handy and many folks will book one night at the hotels that offer it to get two full days EP, not a bad deal.

The hotel has undergone quite a transformation last few years. It originally changed room styles in 2016 and although most either like or don`t like, we do like the new style. The bedrooms are much lighter and brighter than they were before for us.

Some folks say they find the rooms small comapred to other hotels, but for us they`ve always been fine, even when there was 3 of us in a regular room. But, it might be too tight for larger families or groups.

Many don`t like the sliding door to the bathroom, the sink unit is separate, again, it doesn`t bother us but we`re family. If you were sharing with someone you maybe didn`t know very well, it might not be as comfortable for you. No surprises after being together over 30 years for us!!

This is one of the rather nice King Suites.

Then they moved on to the lobby area which although it has been revamped, it still holds onto some of the original features like the beautiful wood carvings all around and the high wooden vaulted ceilings. Again, some love it, some don`t. We do like the more modern look they`ve opted for.

It now, since 2019 has the addition of Tuk Tuk......a much needed quick service food option for the hotel. We haven`t actually eaten anything from there, but it does get very good reviews, we keep saying we`ll give it a try, but never seem to be hungry whenever we`re there or we`re heading out for food.

And of course we cannot wait to see this beautiful sight again.......

More plans coming up..........

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[Dizney73]

So glad I came across your pre-trip report! We are heading to Universal over Thanksgiving and staying at HRH! Then... at Christmas/New Year's we are doing a split stay between RPH and Aventura! Can't wait to follow along!

 

[schumigirl]

So glad I came across your pre-trip report! We are heading to Universal over Thanksgiving and staying at HRH! Then... at Christmas/New Year's we are doing a split stay between RPH and Aventura! Can't wait to follow along!

along Dizney73......I`m so glad you joined along.......

You have some lovely trips coming up.......Thanksgiving and Christmas!! Sounds ideal and both trips will be fabulous I`m sure........

I`d love to hear your impressions of all the hotels you`re staying in, they are all very different for sure.....

Thank you for joining along....good to have you here.......

 

[EveDallas]

I'm so happy for you! I thought about you and Tom during HHN in Sept and wished you could have made it for the 30th. But at least you'll get to see all the Christmas trees - I know you love that! Can't wait to read another trip report

 

[schumigirl]

I'm so happy for you! I thought about you and Tom during HHN in Sept and wished you could have made it for the 30th. But at least you'll get to see all the Christmas trees - I know you love that! Can't wait to read another trip report

back EveDallas and thank you!

Yes, we’d love to have been there of course, hope you enjoyed your time at the event…..so many mixed reviews this year.

We do love all things Christmas, so I’ll be back to taking pictures of every Christmas tree I see…….lol……..love em!

Hope you’re doing well and glad to see you here……..

 

[jocelyn6]

So incredibly excited for you!! Have a wonderful vacation!

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[schumigirl]

So incredibly excited for you!! Have a wonderful vacation!

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jocelyn........good to see you!

Thank you......it`s nice to be able to say we go this month....finally!!! All going well of course.......but, we are excited and it`s lovely making plans again, well as much as our plans are. I`m struggling with having to make dining reservations this far out.....so we haven`t apart from the 2 restaurants we have. I think we`ll eat more offsite than on.

Happy you made it along though........and hope things are good with you and things are going well......

 

[SCSabresfan]

jocelyn........good to see you!

Thank you......it`s nice to be able to say we go this month....finally!!! All going well of course.......but, we are excited and it`s lovely making plans again, well as much as our plans are. I`m struggling with having to make dining reservations this far out.....so we haven`t apart from the 2 restaurants we have. I think we`ll eat more offsite than on.

Happy you made it along though........and hope things are good with you and things are going well......

We also are struggling to wrap our heads around having to make reservations this far out. Will we need to make reservations for dinners at RPR as well? We were hoping to try the sushi at the lounge this trip but that all depends on how we are feeling any particular day.