How Do You Think We Stay So Happy?*Final Thoughts & Farewells* 10/7 p100

[All7OfUs]

OH! You're finally all together!! I love it!! And what a great place to start- Raglan Road!! Nice choice!


We're going to start learning Ceili dance this week, so I really enjoyed hearing about the dancing!

and now, I'm really super hungry for some reason!

Cynthia- VERY creative gifts!! love it!

 

[Poolrat]

OH! You're finally all together!! I love it!! And what a great place to start- Raglan Road!! Nice choice!

Home where it belongs.



Raglan Road looks better everytime I see it. It may need to go on the short list.

So great to see all of you together. I hope that headache clears up without an ER visit.

 

[eandesmom]

I admit, I didn’t get any pictures of the pool either. I arrived there before Mary Ellen, she’d gone to get her mug refilled and I think Jen might have gone to rest and would maybe meet us at the pool (she didn’t). It was medium full but no towels to be found. I walked around perplexed, feeling like I must have missed them, but I hadn’t. Finally I asked a couple nearby the loungers I’d selected and they told me that there were none to be found, they’d gotten theirs at the main pool. But they had a couple extra and graciously offered them to me. SCORE! I got settled and went straight into the pool. I then had to do a bit of dodging to not be run over by the power water walker man who was doing laps back and forth mumbling to himself. It was interesting to say the least. Mary Ellen arrived and we hung out, floating around and chatting for a bit. Finally well cooled, I went to the lounger to try and deal with my jewelry order. A friend of mine had just had a Stella and Dot party and while I’d blown off the party there was a bracelet I had my eye on for myself and then needed to get a Mother’s Day gift for my MIL. My friend had originally said Sunday was the deadline for orders to get them by Mothers day but then had sent me an email asking for orders to be in today so that she could make sure hers got there by mothers day. I wanted to comply but the site did not. It had popup windows that just didn’t want to work well with my Android and kept getting hung up at one of the address windows. I tried to call the rep but no answer. I emailed my girlfriend and told her what was up and that I’d try to do it later using someone’s laptop or ipad if possible, knowing at lease Melissa and Tracy had ipads and thinking maybe Christine had her laptop. And if not, then it wasn’t meant to be. Mission not accomplished we went off to get ready.

After I ironed my ridiculously wrinkled dress we walked over. It is SUCH a pretty resort and walk. I was wishing I had brought bug spray though as with the river, they were finding me. Jen got to the boat line right about when we did, it was perfect timing. It’s funny, I’ve taken the boat from WL and FW to the MK, and contemporary and the boats from the GF to the MK but for some reason I assumed the DTD boats would be a lot bigger than they were. It was a good 4 boat loads before we got on and did seem like quite the wait. We’d had visions of a stop at the margarita shack on the way to Raglan but that wasn’t to be.

I did take some pictures. Such a pretty ride!

My POR and POFQ pictures are pretty similar so I'll skip them but, I did take a few treehouse pictures to show the E’s as they are dying to stay there.

Heck, who’s kidding. I’m dying to stay there!

And look! The bobcat!

Our destination was almost in sight

I’ve never been here but love the look

I didn’t take a single picture on our race to Raglan but wistfully glanced at the stand as we walked by.

Soon though, I had this. YUM!

I admit. I’d sent Jeff a picture of my blood orange margarita earlier and proceeded to do the same with this. It’s kind of fun to torture people long distance, what can I say. Even more fun when your new camera has a bluetooth adapter and you can send your pictures straight to FB or Photobucket and not try to deal with taking low light phone pictures.

Our location was a bit of a bummer, we did have to all get out of the booth to see the entertainment. Impressive that the dancer also had to do hostess duty!

I had fun handing out the gifts. Heck, I’d had a lot of fun making them! I even made one for me.

After dinner we decided to shop. I admit, WOD was a bit much for me after our very long day (sensory overload) and nothing really caught my eye. Well, not quite “nothing” but not much. Not enough to buy now at any rate, I wanted to wait and see as I rather enjoy that extra 10% off if you spend enough and I had a loaded rewards card ready for that moment if and when it happened. A few people found some things to buy then, some to keep an eye on, think about and maybe get later.

We went into somewhere else after that and while whoever was getting whatever it was I popped over to hit TrendD. I hadn’t made it there on the last trip so…never. I wanted to check it out. I admit, I was not impressed. It was trendy…not TrendD if you ask me. Lots of non Disney stuff and what was Disney, was not exclusive to the shop. I looked at a ton of bracelets but none “spoke” to me.

With that we headed to the boat line. While waiting, I was checking out FB on my phone and noticed Anita (WigD) was posting some pictures of a concert they were at. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out where she was as until she posted a picture of the ticket. They were at James Taylor! I was so jealous and commented on it.

Jen went

“Who is James Taylor?”

I admit, Mary Ellen and I burst out laughing. Not at Jen, but with her. We kept tossing out song names, telling her she knew who he was and none of them resonated. Finally I said “Our Town” from the Cars Soundtrack.

She knew that one.

Mary Ellen was not feeling great, the headache creeping up and I really hoped sleep would take care of it. Gratefully we headed to bed.

 

[eandesmom]

Tell me about it. I told Denny I am just going to have to buy all the good ingredients and start learning to make my own!

I think minute maid limeade works great as the base mix!

y favorite. I have a hard time practicing it though, because I can't use the soprano instrumental versions. They are just too high. I wish I could find the right recording to practice with.

It is a hard song!!! I feel like I've forgotten how to sing. I sang alto all through HS and switched to soprano in college and now can't seem to read alto which is a much better range for me in my opinion.

DHS is hard on the TS options, no doubt. Sci Fi is fun, especially for lunch.

 

[sunny_stace]

Ooooh! What wonderful updates! I can't wait to take the boat ride from POR to DTD! It's such a nice, peaceful ride! I have to say I've never seen a bobcat along the way! Weird....

I really really really need to try out Raglan Road....C, you can keep your French waiters cause I have my eyes on the "penny whistle"-playing guy! I've been putting it aside because I'm such a picky eater...I didn't notice a burger on the menu but that could work....And you ladies all look so lovely! Alright....I'm going to look at my ADR list now and see what I can change....

MEK - I certainly hope you head got better quickly!

 

[All7OfUs]

Home where it belongs.

I'm laughing pretty hysterically right now!! I've not seen/done anything that funny in a while.

Ahhh, Cynthia, those elusive Treehouses... someday, my friend, someday.

All the books turned out so cute, I really can't say I have a favorite. How sweet of you to do those up!

I have to admit, I really don't care for WOD at all. Too MUCH. Too loud, busy, and frenetic. I know I'm totally in the minority here, but it's just not me. Didn't you do TrenD at DTD in California? I thought you weren't impressed there either.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Great updates ladies!!
I LOL at Jen not knowing James Taylor until you gave her a Disney connection!!!

Too bad you had to wait for the boat so you missed an extra chance for a Rita! Raglan Road looks so fun! I wonder if I could get my picky-eater family to try it?

Hope that headache doesn't last Mary Ellen!!!

Oh - and those little notebooks are so adorable!!

 

[Poolrat]

I then had to do a bit of dodging to not be run over by the power water walker man who was doing laps back and forth mumbling to himself. It was interesting to say the least.

Hey I know that guy!!!! Just any guy at at any Y community center around here.

And look! The bobcat!

.

That makes me want to look around more when I go for a walk. i wouldn't want to bump into the bobcat unexpectedly.

 

[pooh'smate]

You ladies sound like you are having so much fun. I tried to get a group of my friends interested in going to Disney in Oct and they all said they weren't interested!!! I really want to go on a girls trip so someday I am hoping it will happen. RR looks yummy. MEK I hope your headache goes away. I have migraines occasionally and they are no fun.

 

[KatMark]

Great update, MEK and Cynthia. I am so glad that Mark and I changed from Fulton's (which has gotten some really bad reviews lately and we've always loved it) to Raglan--it looks yummy.

Sorry about the headache MEK...hope it went away; and Cynthia great job catching the bobcat.

And love the group shot!

The gifts are great -- each one is terrific. But my favorite is Christine's because I love Tigger.

 

[saintstickets]

Ok I Have a December Trip Question If Anyone Would Care to Give Their Opinion.

I can't get VWL for the last night, so do I
1. Waitlist the last night at VWL and book OKW as a back up.
OR
2. Switch the whole reservation to OKW. Apparently its wide open.

You will enjoy OKW. All the rooms have been refurbished and the size of the studio rooms are great. We have stayed in a studio and a dedicated 2br at OKW. As you know, the studio has 2 beds and plenty of room so that you do not feel like you're walking on top of each other. We like building 62 which is right across the road from Olivia's restaurant (One of the best kept secrets at WDW), The Gurgling Suitcase (I have a feeling you might enjoy the libations here! ), pool and the boat launch to DTD as well as one of the many bus stops.

I decided to turn my camera off and rest it in the bag. Big mistake. When we finally got to the brush near SSR we were all astounded to see a giant cat. That's right - a big old bob cat taking his time, strolling along the water edge. The only person who seemed undeterred was our captain. He reminded us that Disney is one big nature preserve and seeing wild animals is common place. Ummmmm....OK? Maybe that's just the speal Disney has the CM's say so that guests aren't freaking out.

So with that I picked the camera back up, but old Bob the cat was gone.

Yes, it is true that WDW is one big nature preserve. We found this outside our balcony during our trip May, 2010...

As well as this...

Enjoying your TR and all the comments from the ladies. I'm taking notes of the "rita stop" locations for our next trip!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Raglan Road is so much fun, isn't it? I can't believe the bobcat prowling around, but I guess there is a lot of nature within the Disney whereabouts.

Ugh, I hope your headache gets better and you don't have to go to the hospital!! I remember Dilaudid from post-surgery...hope it doesn't get to that point!

 

[TanzUnited99]

Great POR pics! Wow at having to wait in such a line for a boat - you guys sure are patient!

It's a shame you didn't like the way the booths were - they don't look very comfy in the pics.

Lol at Cynthia's saying! Love the food and gift reviews.

I really hope your headache goes away and is just temporary.

 

[Queenofallthings]

Great updates ladies!

I love the pictures from RR...I see what you mean about that booth though, not much elbow room at all! The food pics.....yum....can't wait to be there again!

 

[MEK]

Oh NO! I hope your headache is better in the morning.

Well, you are just going to have to stick around for the next update! But, I promise I will do it soon.

Nice to see you all together. I am surprised at how long the boat line at POR was - I don't think I've heard about that before.

I took us forever to all catch up, didn't it! Not really though. It just seems that way.

MMM, your RR dinner looks wonderful. I can see why the booth was awkward - the table doesn't really fit the size of the benches, it looks like.

No, it didn't fit right. Plus it was like sitting in a pew in church. It was just awkward and not very comfortable.

Looking forward to more!

We promise more is coming!

It would have been fine for 4 but was really awkward for 6. The weird part is the table was significantly larger than the benches. Had they matched, it would have been fine.

Yeah, like I said, it was like sitting in an old church pew. Weird.

Beef Murray

Beef curry pie with spinach, potatoes, mushrooms & apple chutney.

And it was DELISH! loved loved loved it. The apple chutney was just ok but the curry pie was the bomb.

Well, at least I was in the ball park. I'm glad I know what it is, because it really looks great! I know Denny would love that. I would love me some of that right now!

And your TOTALLY lame roommate slept through the whole thing. I felt SO bad when I heard.

I'm glad you slept through my headache adventure. I would have felt worse if you had been awake while I was awake.

Looked like a very nice evening ladies. I haven't made it to Raglan Road yet, but some of those dishes looked really good.

That steak and that beef curry thing-a-ma-gig thing that Cynthia had looked so good. In retrospect, I'm not really sure why I went with the fish. What was I thinking?

apparently dork, nerd and geek are all vastly different

not that I can recall how or why

Good to know! I will try not to make that same mistake in the future!

UGH...I really hope you didn't go to the hospital. ARe they migraines you get? How awful- I'm glad you liked RR...did anyone get the bread pudding? And I am positively ecstatic you have a group pic posted!!

I never really got headaches until I started going through the lovely hormone shifts that we golden gals must eventually endure. Now I get them on a regular basis, but they aren't really bad. I don't know WHAT that headache was all about. But, in retrospect, I wonder if I drank too soon. Headaches are a flagyl/alcohol reaction. I thought waiting 36 hours was enough, but maybe not.

Isn't it great we got a group pic. I think we might have maybe one more! As I recall, no one got dessert. Everyone was too stuffed from apps and entrees.

OH! You're finally all together!! I love it!! And what a great place to start- Raglan Road!! Nice choice!

That was Cynthia and, I agree, it was a great choice. Really a fun place to eat.

We're going to start learning Ceili dance this week, so I really enjoyed hearing about the dancing!

How cool! The dancing was great, but she really didn't stay up there long enough IMHO. Just enough to leave you wanting more.

and now, I'm really super hungry for some reason!

After looking at those pictures again, me too!

Cynthia- VERY creative gifts!! love it!

See how she really does put her dorkiness to such good use. Those books were adorable. I love mine!

 

[tinacaplan]

Loving this TR! I really hope your headache got better Maryellen. That's just no fun at all. Especially at Disney. POR looks lovely. Definitely considering if we're lucky enough to back in February. Raglan Road looks great, too!

Cynthia...I ate Fulton's when it was the Empress Lilly. It was a family trip way back in the 80's and we must have stayed someplace very close to what was then Disney Village because we seemed to end up there often. They were just starting to build Pleasure Island, as a matter of fact. We had dinner one night on the Empress Lilly, at the Steerman's Quarter's. It was a delicious meal, as I recall. I had prime rib and we had house made potato chips, which I thought were the most amazing things, ever, as they were a rarity back then. Haven't been back there since!

And you will stay in those Treehouses someday. They do look super cool.

 

[MEK]

Raglan Road looks better everytime I see it. It may need to go on the short list.

I really would like to take Denny and Nick there in December, but I'm not sure if its gonna make the cut. I know they would love it.

So great to see all of you together. I hope that headache clears up without an ER visit.

It was so fun when we finally all met.

As for the headache....you'll soon see how that turned out.

I'm so glad you posted these because they are all so cute and I really only got to see each one briefly. They are so creative and so special. Thank YOU!

Also - I can't believe you got a picture of the bobcat. Way to go! There he goes, just minding his own business.

“Who is James Taylor?”

I

I think when we reacted with utter shock and disbelief Jen felt bad. But I don't think its a reflection of Jen, it just shows that we are from a different generation. My kids wouldn't know who James Taylor is, so I think a lot of people under the age of 30 probably haven't herd of him. They've heard his music, but not his name.

I think minute maid limeade works great as the base mix!

Yeah - it probably would. I'll start with that and see if I can work my way into some different flavors. I could also consult my cocktail app!

Ooooh! What wonderful updates! I can't wait to take the boat ride from POR to DTD! It's such a nice, peaceful ride! I have to say I've never seen a bobcat along the way! Weird....

It is a lovely ride. I wish every Disney resort had a boat to DTD. But that's what makes the POR resorts so special.

The whole bobcat thing was a little weird!

I really really really need to try out Raglan Road....C, you can keep your French waiters cause I have my eyes on the "penny whistle"-playing guy! I've been putting it aside because I'm such a picky eater...I didn't notice a burger on the menu but that could work....And you ladies all look so lovely! Alright....I'm going to look at my ADR list now and see what I can change....

I better go back and have another look at him.

OK - Yes - He is rather cute, isn't he????

I do think Raglan was fun just for all the entertainment. I do wish we would have been more immersed in it, but it was still a fun night!

MEK - I certainly hope you head got better quickly!

Well, make sure you stick around and find out what happened with that nasty headache!

I'm laughing pretty hysterically right now!! I've not seen/done anything that funny in a while.

So great to come to the DIS boards for a good laugh, isn't it!!!!

Ahhh, Cynthia, those elusive Treehouses... someday, my friend, someday.

I am really eyeing them up for next summer. That is one advantage to having SSR points. I can snatch up one of those babies at the 11 month window. Of course, if I love OKW I may need to go back there. I hear the 2BR villas now sleep 9. Love that!

All the books turned out so cute, I really can't say I have a favorite. How sweet of you to do those up!

She was so devious. She asked us months ago who our favorite characters were. We knew she was up to something, but didn't know exactly what until we saw the awesome surprise.

I

I have to admit, I really don't care for WOD at all. Too MUCH. Too loud, busy, and frenetic. I know I'm totally in the minority here, but it's just not me. Didn't you do TrenD at DTD in California? I thought you weren't impressed there either.

If I could go into WOD when it wasn't super crowded, I think I would like it better. When I went there with Jen I had just finished a rita, so that really helped tone down the sensory overload factor.

Great updates ladies!!
I LOL at Jen not knowing James Taylor until you gave her a Disney connection!!!

Nothing wrong with using that old Disney connection!

Too bad you had to wait for the boat so you missed an extra chance for a Rita! Raglan Road looks so fun! I wonder if I could get my picky-eater family to try it?

I know - we WERE really hoping for a rita pre dinner. Oh well. Picky eaters - there still has to be something on that menu. The steak looked fab and so did the burgers.

Hope that headache doesn't last Mary Ellen!!!

You'll find out soon enough!

Oh - and those little notebooks are so adorable!!

Hey I know that guy!!!! Just any guy at at any Y community center around here.


.

That makes me want to look around more when I go for a walk. i wouldn't want to bump into the bobcat unexpectedly.

Tell me about it. I can just see myself going out for a morning run and running right into one.

You ladies sound like you are having so much fun. I tried to get a group of my friends interested in going to Disney in Oct and they all said they weren't interested!!! I really want to go on a girls trip so someday I am hoping it will happen. RR looks yummy.

The same thing happened to me with my home friends. First they bailed on the May trip (which is part of the reason I went on this May trip instead). I got lucky because all the other ladies were looking for an excuse to go too.

Then I offered to use some of my points to take them for a few nights in October and the same thing - they didn't want to spend the $. So now we are going to Hilton Head instead. At least its Disney's HH.

Y MEK I hope your headache goes away. I have migraines occasionally and they are no fun.

Thanks! Let's just say it did not rank up there as one of my all time favorite nights!

 

[vamassey1]

Great update! Dinner looked really fun, aside from the cramped quarters. I need to talk DH into trying Raglan Road.

I got a kick out of your beer Mary Ellen. That's a Louisiana beer bottled by Abita. Purple Haze is for LSU, Geaux Tigers. http://www.abita.com/

Lovely gifts Cynthia! So creative.

I hope the headache goes away.

 

[MEK]

Great update, MEK and Cynthia. I am so glad that Mark and I changed from Fulton's (which has gotten some really bad reviews lately and we've always loved it) to Raglan--it looks yummy.

Oh, I think you will be really glad that you did. Seriously - not only WAS it yummy, but the atmosphere was great!

Sorry about the headache MEK...hope it went away; and Cynthia great job catching the bobcat.

Thanks!

And - YES - she did. I am so glad she got a pix of the bobcat. If for no other reason than to prove I wasn't exaggerating!

And love the group shot!

Me too!!!!!

The gifts are great -- each one is terrific. But my favorite is Christine's because I love Tigger.

Well, Tigger is your favorite, is he not? I love my littl Eeyore - he's my favorite!

You will enjoy OKW. All the rooms have been refurbished and the size of the studio rooms are great. We have stayed in a studio and a dedicated 2br at OKW. As you know, the studio has 2 beds and plenty of room so that you do not feel like you're walking on top of each other. We like building 62 which is right across the road from Olivia's restaurant (One of the best kept secrets at WDW), The Gurgling Suitcase (I have a feeling you might enjoy the libations here! ), pool and the boat launch to DTD as well as one of the many bus stops.

Thanks so much for posting this map. I am really getting excited about OKW now. And I will definitely be stopping at the Gurgling Suitcase, if for no other reason than I love the name. Well, clearly, there will be another reason. Good to know about Olivia's. I wasn't going to request a room location. I'm just going to go with the flow. If you have any other pix of OKW, feel free to post!

Yes, it is true that WDW is one big nature preserve. We found this outside our balcony during our trip May, 2010...

As well as this...

:

Well, I much prefer the creature in the second picture as opposed to the first picture. Snakes are definitely not my thing, but the rabbit is so cute.

Enjoying your TR and all the comments from the ladies. I'm taking notes of the "rita stop" locations for our next trip!

You must go to the Ditch! Hands down the best rita I have ever had. EVER!

Raglan Road is so much fun, isn't it? I can't believe the bobcat prowling around, but I guess there is a lot of nature within the Disney whereabouts.

It was a great meal and a lot of fun!

The whole bobcat experience still freaks me out a little. If there's one, how the heck many more are there???? When I think of all the remote running I did at WL last May. I could have run smack into one. Sheesh!

Ugh, I hope your headache gets better and you don't have to go to the hospital!! I remember Dilaudid from post-surgery...hope it doesn't get to that point!

What did you think about Dilaudid? I prescribe it all the time because people love it, but I was always hesitant to take it myself and I never thought I would ever need it for anything. Here's my experience. I literally had a 8/10 headache that went completely away after the Dilaudid - within seconds. I did not feel the least bit sedated or high. I just went from having a ton of pain to being completely pain free. It was like magic. No wonder people love it. It must block every pain receptor in the body.

Great POR pics! Wow at having to wait in such a line for a boat - you guys sure are patient!

Thanks! As far as the boat wait - at least we had each other to make the time go faster. We were so busy chatting it up! Get three girls together and that's what happens.

It's a shame you didn't like the way the booths were - they don't look very comfy in the pics.

Not comfy at all! But still a fun night!

Lol at Cynthia's saying! Love the food and gift reviews.

.

Yes, Cynthia the self-proclaimed dork. And she still can't remember what's fun for a dork like her.

I really hope your headache goes away and is just temporary.

Thank you. More headache saga to come!

Great updates ladies!

I love the pictures from RR...I see what you mean about that booth though, not much elbow room at all! The food pics.....yum....can't wait to be there again!

Two thumbs up for the yummy food and the great company. Thumbs down for the booth!

I look forward to going back, too!

Loving this TR! I really hope your headache got better Maryellen. That's just no fun at all. Especially at Disney.

The whole head ache thing was a surprise. I thought once I was on the mend from the strep throat and the cold that I would be good. Wrong.

POR looks lovely. Definitely considering if we're lucky enough to back in February.

I can't imagine not liking POR/FQ. It's a great resort. I think they gave it that little extra. It's near perfect.

Raglan Road looks great, too!

.

L

Cynthia...I ate Fulton's when it was the Empress Lilly. It was a family trip way back in the 80's and we must have stayed someplace very close to what was then Disney Village because we seemed to end up there often. They were just starting to build Pleasure Island, as a matter of fact. We had dinner one night on the Empress Lilly, at the Steerman's Quarter's. It was a delicious meal, as I recall. I had prime rib and we had house made potato chips, which I thought were the most amazing things, ever, as they were a rarity back then. Haven't been back there since!

What a great memory. Love that - the Empress Lilly. Great name. I better it would be fun to go back and look at those pictures from the Disney Village days.

And you will stay in those Treehouses someday. They do look super cool.

I know both Cynthia and I want to stay there. I can't wait. Maybe next summer.

 

[MEK]

Great update! Dinner looked really fun, aside from the cramped quarters. I need to talk DH into trying Raglan Road.

It was fun and I will definitely go back. It's one of those meals that is the experience as well as the food. I want to go sit in the main room.

I got a kick out of your beer Mary Ellen. That's a Louisiana beer bottled by Abita. Purple Haze is for LSU, Geaux Tigers. http://www.abita.com/

Thanks for the background on the Purple Haze. Very cool. I did not know that. I did love the beer. I was hoping for a Boddingtons, but apparently that was no longer on tap! I'll check out that site.

Lovely gifts Cynthia! So creative.

:

I hope the headache goes away.

Thanks! Stick around!