"It’s a Nice Song, but They Won’t Stop Singing!!” A June 2013 TR LAST Update!!! 12/11

[Zuzu03]

How was yall's trip to AKL????!!!! Or are you still there? If so, hope you're having a great time!

Heather

Hi Heather!!! Thank you for asking!!!! Back as of late last night! It was GREAT! Emma has tons of pictures that I'm sure she'll post. We had a decent view - we were on the Kudu trail so we were able to see some animals! We packed a lot in to 3 days and unfortunately, Emma flew back to Vermont last night (HATE that part of it) - but hopefully she'll be back really soon!!! I got her an annual pass, so maybe that will be a incentive for her.

Take care - Nancy

Oh, and for everyone: Emma's laptop died a painful death just before she came last week, so we had to rush out to get another one for her when she got here - she's in the process of moving everything over (luckily from a backup hard drive) - so she should be updating soon!!!!

 

[hstrickland]

Hi Heather!!! Thank you for asking!!!! Back as of late last night! It was GREAT! Emma has tons of pictures that I'm sure she'll post. We had a decent view - we were on the Kudu trail so we were able to see some animals! We packed a lot in to 3 days and unfortunately, Emma flew back to Vermont last night (HATE that part of it) - but hopefully she'll be back really soon!!! I got her an annual pass, so maybe that will be a incentive for her.

Take care - Nancy

Yay! So glad yall had a nice trip together. Knew you would! Can't wait to see her pics. I bet she had that camera by her side the entire trip You're such a sweet mom to get her that annual pass. Now she'll be able to snag some good resort deals - but of course you get the FL Resident deals, too. So, yall should definitely be set with Disney incentives

Oh, and for everyone: Emma's laptop died a painful death just before she came last week, so we had to rush out to get another one for her when she got here - she's in the process of moving everything over (luckily from a backup hard drive) - so she should be updating soon!!!!

Oh geez! Computers are great when they function, but we're lost with out them. Good thing she had backup My computer keeps acting up. I'm holding my breath that it will make it one more semester at least.

Ok, Emma - brand new computer = extra nice Trip Report

Yall have a nice weekend!
Heather

 

[emma212010]

How was yall's trip to AKL????!!!! Or are you still there? If so, hope you're having a great time!

Heather

It was wonderful! It was sad to leave, but we had a great time! I will be posting some pictures, but I have to get rolling on this one first, right??

I am joining in for this TR! We were there at the same exact time and stayed at the Beach Club! So you never know, we may have crossed paths at some point!

Yay! Welcome! Oh, how exciting! I really want to stay at the BC! It's beautiful! Did you like it?

 

[emma212010]

Waiting for the Amtrak
June 17, 2013​

We got to the autotrain station just before 8:00am, right when they opened! Perfect timing!!



I had to pee so bad, so I RAN inside to use the rest room. The station was empty at this time in the morning, so I could take some pictures without people!





We had to wait a bit to check in, but once everything was settled, we hopped back in the car and looked for breakfast.

Our little info booklet!!



We plugged in a Dunkin Donuts into my phone’s GPS and the car GPS, and got really excited when it said there was one! We literally could not find it! It was bad. This was the first and only scuffle we had! We were both very tired and hungry, and that combination doesn’t work very well. We ended up just choosing the McDonalds that was right there, and I got the egg mcmuffin and Troy had the breakfast burritos. Once we had food in our bellies we were feeling much better.

We got back to the train station at 9:30am. We could check our car at 11:30 and the earliest we could board was 2:00. We had a TON of time to kill, so we plunked ourselves down in the seats and I Instagrammed and read magazines while Troy played on his phone.

We waited for what seemed like forever watched more and more people trickle in. The train arrived back from Sanford, so we watched people unload and wait for their cars. The process was strange, as each car is given a number, and the worker calls the number over the loud speaker, one by one as the car is driven off the train. Then, the passenger goes outside to claim their car. It took so long, and by the time the last few numbers were called, I was DYING to move around.

We went out to our car and brought it around to where you’re supposed to line up to check vehicles. There was already a line forming, so we hopped in line about 8 cars back.

The train was here!!



It was HOT and we waited for a while for the line to start moving, but once it did, we were moved through pretty quickly!







We finally checked our car at 12:30 and it was quick and painless! Except for the pizza…remember the slices we kept in the box? Well, as I was hurrying to get my luggage out, I accidentally hit the pizza box and it came tumbling down to the ground. I was holding my tote bag, purse, and my pillow, so my hands were full. I was having the hardest time trying to manage to bend over a pick it up, and all of a sudden I hear a man with a very thick accent yell “NO!” I jumped and turned, and this man came flying over and picked it up and handed it to me! LOL! I was so embarrassed! I mean a Dominos pizza box- which obviously had to fly open and dump the uneaten pizza slices on the ground!!! I was literally dying! I threw it in the back of the car and literally ran inside! It was awful! Troy had no idea what was going on because he was on the other side of the car! It was a very strange situation!!

We didn’t get to see them actually load it on the train, though! We went back in and sat again in the station and waited. Again. We were hungry, so we went to the gift shop and grabbed two turkey and cheese sandwiches. Now, these sandwiches were very good, but I don’t think they were worth $8 each...do you?



We split one for lunch, and I packed the other one in my carryon for later. We also got a to go hummus and pretzel thing which was so good! I love those things! However, if I was going to do this again, I would bring my own food or leave to get it outside the station. The prices are insane- worse than Disney!! Anyway, we snacked on our food and waited...

Until 2:45pm when we were called to board because they were running 15 minutes late. We were getting delirious at this point. People were squishing into the rows and it was just not a fun time. We needed fresh air, so as they started calling people to board, we jumped up and made our way outside. We walked along the train reading the car numbers...none of them said our number. I was getting a bit panicked, but there were so many people around us and it was such a small platform that we had to just keep moving! We finally found our car wayyyy at the end. When we first got on, I was shocked at how narrow it was! I had been on a train in France in high school, but I had forgotten what it was like! It was definitely something to get used to. We had a Superliner Roomette, so it was pretty tiny at first, but once we got situated and used to it, it felt comfortable. I tried to take as many pictures as possible to share, but they didn’t come out great.

Looking across from my seat to the side of Troy’s. (We had seats facing each other)







Troy took the camera and snapped a shot of the storage space next to my seat.





Excuse the tiredness, but I wanted to show the seat. My pillow came in really handy at night because the pillows the train provides were very stiff and little.



The table folds down here, but it was sticky and got in the way, so we just kept it up.



We had some air and radio controls here.



And an outlet for charging!



They provided water bottles which was really nice!



Train!



They had a complimentary wine and cheese tasting in the snack car, so Troy and I made our way over. It was so scary moving between cars!! LOL! Troy wanted to try the wine of course, and I indulged in the cheese.

On the way to the snack car!





We had dinner at the 7:00 seating, so we went back to our room, and watched the train leave the station. We left at 4:30pm, and I instantly fell asleep! I was so exhausted and I was fast asleep when I felt Troy kick me and say “someone’s at the door.” I literally could barely pick my head up. A worker was coming around to lecture us about all of the options and things that are n board. I wanted to just tell her that we could figure it out and go back to sleep, but I listened. I’m pretty sure we both fell asleep while she was talking. I felt really bad, but she kept going on and on! LOL! Finally she left and I just crashed again. Troy couldn’t sleep, so he tried a basketball game he had on CD, but the drive wouldn’t work, and he ended up just listening to his iPod. Poor guy!

Finally, we were being called for dinner. I was so tired that I didn’t want to leave, but my belly was yelling at me. We were still bummy looking in our day-old gym shirts and shorts and messy hair! I felt so awkward. Dinner was awkward. OMG, why am I ALWAYS with the people who can’t hold a conversation?? We were seated at a table for four with another couple. They were older and retired. Oh, and they were from West Virginia. That’s basically all we could get out of them. Seriously, we would ask a question and they would like one word answer it and stop talking. I didn’t even take any pictures of my food because I felt so awkward. We all ordered the Amtrak steak which came with a red wine sauce on top. There was also a baked potato and seasonal vegetables. The steak was good without the sauce, and the potato was yummy! The veggies were carrots, green beans, and red peppers and it just tasted strange. There was some flavor that didn’t sit well with me on a moving train. However, it filled my belly, and I topped it off with cheesecake with raspberry sauce. The cheesecake was delicious!!! The train was really rocking during dinner, and I was really feeling motion sick. When we went back to the room after dinner, our beds were folded out, and ready for sleeping.





However, it was only 8pm. There was no room to really move around at all, so Troy folded the top bunk up, and we sat on the bottom bunk until we got ready for bed. I felt so yucky because I hadn’t showered in so long and I’d been traveling, so I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, wash my face, and try to freshen up. It was so difficult because the bathrooms and the sink was so tiny! We went to bed at 10:30pm and I was OUT! ​

 

[hstrickland]

Ok - wow! Your train ride sounds like an adventure for sure! Sorry about the boring non-talkative company you had to endure Kinda funny though. Bill and I had a similar situation on a cruise a few years ago - it made for a very long breakfast. Lots of awkward silence!

Hope yall had some decent sleep on the train

 

[Britard]

I am not sure I would be able to eat on a moving/shaking train.
Too bad you had non-conversational people, that always makes time go slower.

 

[kgoodb00]

Yay! Welcome! Oh, how exciting! I really want to stay at the BC! It's beautiful! Did you like it?

We absolutely loved the Beach Club! The staff was very friendly and the grounds were beautiful. And you can't beat being right next to Epcot! The one and only negative was mousekeeping wasn't that great. We were there for 6 nights and our room maybe got cleaned 2 or 3 times. Our beds only made once. And absolutely no towel animals. I never thought about taking an Auto Train down to Florida. I am really interested to hear all about your trip! We have a family house in Sarasota/Bradenton and absolutely love the area. It is so beatiful on the Gulf Coast!!

 

[wiigirl]

Love the pics of the train!

 

[Goofy442]

Wow those corridor's are very small. I have always wanted to do the auto train, but we have our dog with us and I don't think that would work. My DH is very stubborn, he says if I drive that far I can make it the rest of the way.

 

[Zuzu03]

Wow those corridor's are very small. I have always wanted to do the auto train, but we have our dog with us and I don't think that would work. My DH is very stubborn, he says if I drive that far I can make it the rest of the way.

Hahaha, that sounds like my DH (AKA Emma's Stepdad).

He and I had a similar experience with the non-conversational, socially awkward at the Biergarten in Epcot. It was horrible, but after a few glasses of Liebfraumilch, I no longer cared.

 

[emma212010]

Ok - wow! Your train ride sounds like an adventure for sure! Sorry about the boring non-talkative company you had to endure Kinda funny though. Bill and I had a similar situation on a cruise a few years ago - it made for a very long breakfast. Lots of awkward silence!

Hope yall had some decent sleep on the train

It definitely was an adventure! I'm glad we did it though! Awkward silences are so awful!

I was so tired that I think I only woke up once! It had been a LOOONG day!

I am not sure I would be able to eat on a moving/shaking train.
Too bad you had non-conversational people, that always makes time go slower.

I don't usually get too motion sick, but it was pretty brutal! I was surprised at how much it actually rocked!

We absolutely loved the Beach Club! The staff was very friendly and the grounds were beautiful. And you can't beat being right next to Epcot! The one and only negative was mousekeeping wasn't that great. We were there for 6 nights and our room maybe got cleaned 2 or 3 times. Our beds only made once. And absolutely no towel animals. I never thought about taking an Auto Train down to Florida. I am really interested to hear all about your trip! We have a family house in Sarasota/Bradenton and absolutely love the area. It is so beatiful on the Gulf Coast!!

What?? Your rooms weren't cleaned?? That's awful! I hope that was just a one person deal and not common! I love the Epcot resort area! It's so pretty!! The Gulf Coast really is gorgeous! I can't wait to spend some more time down there!

Love the pics of the train!

Thank you!!

Wow those corridor's are very small. I have always wanted to do the auto train, but we have our dog with us and I don't think that would work. My DH is very stubborn, he says if I drive that far I can make it the rest of the way.

They are very tiny! It was definitely hard getting used to! Yeah, that sounds familiar!

 

[emma212010]

Troy's First U.S. Palm Tree
June 18, 2013
Day 2
We woke up bright and early at 6:30am and struggled to get ready. It’s just so difficult in that tiny room and bathrooms. I was feeling really yucky at this point and was about to do anything for a shower! Breakfast was still being served by the time we were ready which was about 7:20ish. We were seated with another older couple that live in Florida. We were lectured about using sunscreen and drinking water…like I’ve never been to FL before? Common sense, no? It went on for a good 20 minutes of our meal. We didn’t really learn much else about them because they were telling us what to do in warm weather because we mentioned that we lived in Vermont and apparently appeared very pale skinned to them.

Anyway, our meal consisted of your common continental breakfast- cereal, bagels, fruit, etc. After our meal, we went back to our room to attempt to put the beds up. Apparently the service staff had been running late, so they didn’t get to our section, but Troy did his best fighting with the cushions and levers. We pulled into the station early! At 8:15am!!

Troy’s first American palm tree sighting:



It took a long time to be cleared to detrain, so I was busy taking pictures of the station!



Once we got off, we went inside and waited for our car number to be called, so we could leave.



We were waiting until about 10am during which time I was debating going to the restroom because I didn’t know when our car would be called! I get so nervous about those types of things! I didn’t want to miss it, but I REALLY had to go, so I took off power walking, did my business at lightning speed, and power walked back…it took another 20 minutes for them to call our car!!! LOL! I’m paranoid like that! Anyway, once they called our number, we went outside, picked up our vehicle and drove off! It was about 10am when we left the station. We filled up with gas and then listened to our trusty GPS and my iPhone to lead us to Downtown Disney!! Wooot!! We hopped on I-4 and were off!! There was only one traffic jam, but it wasn’t even that bad!

Soon we were seeing these signs!!! Ahhhh!!! I was literally freaking out!! Troy was embarrassed, but he had to get used to it!



We made it to DTD by 10:50, and saw Mom as we pulled in!!



We parked and ran over to meet her!! Yay!! We were hungry, so we walked over to EoS to get some lunch.



It wasn’t too crowded yet which was nice! I love this place!! I got the Caprese Sandwich which was absolutely amazing!!! OMG it is literally so good!



Troy ordered the Chipotle Chicken Avocado sandwich which he loved! I tried a bite, and it was fabulous!



Mom was healthy and got the Berry Chicken Salad which was also really yummy! So light and fresh!!



We went over to Guest Services and bought Troy’s park pass and stopped into Goofy’s Candy Co. for a treat for the road!








We were on our way to Naples by 12:15!



We still had a long 3 ½ hour drive left, so we were not excited about it. Luckily we had our Mickey Rice Krispie treat to munch on!





Troy also got a piece of fudge too!



We were getting pretty bored, so of course I was taking pictures like crazy!



Troy was not impressed.



We cracked open the Tootsie Pops, and OMG they had a blueberry one!!! I was so excited, but it turned my tongue blue!





They are my favorite!!



95 degrees baby!!



We stopped at about 3:10pm to look for a Dunkin Donuts because Troy and I were getting really tired. We told my mom to keep going because we would catch up to her! Well…this Dunks was not so close to the interstate. We were searching and searching and FINALLY we found it- in a gas station... a self serve Dunks... what? Has anyone else ever seen this? This was so weird! Anyway, we made our coffee and hopped back in the car and were on the interstate by 3:30. Buuuuuuut then we had to stop and pee..... this is a trend of mine you will notice! We FINALLY got to the apartment at a little after 4:00pm. And no, we never caught up to Mom until we got there.​

 

[emma212010]

Sonic, Mansions, and a Beach
June 18, 2013​

It was so great to see Step Dad and Jolie (the dog) and Zuzu (the cat) again!

We jumped right into unloading the moving van! It was HOT! And HUMID! It took us about 1.5 hours to get the stuff staying at the apartment and left the things going to the storage unit in the truck. It started pouring at 5:30, so we ran in and cooled off for a while. We showered and waited for the rain to let up a bit. We left for dinner at 7:30. Jolie came with us!!



We drove around the area a bit, and OMG this place is gorgeous! Like, the Downtown area is so pretty! We ate at Sonic because Troy and I have never had it before, and we really wanted to try it!





It was so good!!!

I had the classic Sonic Cheeseburger with French Fries and a Chocolate Banana Shake! Lordy, I was in heaven! Everything was so good and it was so cool that they bring food right to your car! I’m lame, I know...I can’t help it, I’m from the middle of nowhere!!







Anyway, Troy had the Super Sonic Double Cheeseburger with Onion Rings and a Peanut Butter Fudge Shake. This was also amazing! I LOVE their SHAKES!!!!

We took a quick took a quick tour through the streets with all the mansions near the waterfront. Everything is just gorgeous!! I mean, these houses are insanely huge!!! Absolutely beautiful!! We went to the beach for a few minutes before it started raining!







It was really pretty, but very cloudy and dark.



Ahh, I love the ocean!



It was really cool to watch the rain come in from across the ocean. We couldn’t stay for long because it started pouring, so we ran back to the car and drove back to the apartment. We were home by 9pm. We hung out and watched So You Think You Can Dance and went to bed!​

 

[Goofy442]

When we are missing Florida then we go and eat at one of these restaurants. We drive to Boston and then change our minds as to where we want to eat. Sonic, Chick-fil-A or Earl of Sandwich.

 

[Zuzu03]

Great update, Em!!!!

You all don't know how happy I was to see them and the Jeep pulling into DTD!!! I had been worrying and worrying about them all of MY way down to Florida and to see them pull in was a HUGE relief.

 

[amandaw]

Joining in!

I'm so glad y'all made it down safely to Florida. That's really cool that the trains will load up cars. I don't think I realized that they did that.

When you said that y'all ate at Sonic for the first time, I was like, "What?!?" I guess since I've grown up with Sonics (and I'm getting pretty old), I just assumed they were everywhere by now. I do love me some Sonic....especially their onion rings. YUM!

Can't wait to hear the rest!

 

[emma212010]

When we are missing Florida then we go and eat at one of these restaurants. We drive to Boston and then change our minds as to where we want to eat. Sonic, Chick-fil-A or Earl of Sandwich.

OMG they are all amazing choices!!! I LOVE those restaurants!!!! I'd like one now!!

Great update, Em!!!!

You all don't know how happy I was to see them and the Jeep pulling into DTD!!! I had been worrying and worrying about them all of MY way down to Florida and to see them pull in was a HUGE relief.

Joining in!

I'm so glad y'all made it down safely to Florida. That's really cool that the trains will load up cars. I don't think I realized that they did that.

When you said that y'all ate at Sonic for the first time, I was like, "What?!?" I guess since I've grown up with Sonics (and I'm getting pretty old), I just assumed they were everywhere by now. I do love me some Sonic....especially their onion rings. YUM!

Can't wait to hear the rest!

YAY!!!! Welcome!!!

It was such an interesting experience! It was pretty efficient too, and we had no real problems!!

You lucky Southerner you!!! They really should be everywhere by now!! I mean, really!! It's 2013 already!!! I honestly don't even know where our closest one is!!

 

[emma212010]

Two More New Dining Experiences That We Should Have Already Experienced!
June 19, 2013
Day 3​

We woke up at 9:45am- we were soooo tired!!! I slept like a ROCK! Step Dad had made us Monkey Bread for breakfast, so we had a bite, got ready, and left by 11am to go to the storage unit to store the rest of the stuff that won’t fit in the apartment. It was so hot and humid again, and it was hard to stay cool. We finally finished at about 1:15 and it was raining again! Wah!

Ahh! Panther crossing! This was probably the coolest things I’ve ever seen!



We drove to get gas and water because I was DYING! I was sooo thirsty!!!



We returned the truck to the Penske place and went to Chik-fil-a for lunch.



Oh.

My.

Gosh.

I LOVE CHIK-FIL-A.

It was literally the best chicken sandwich I’ve ever had. Like ever. EVER. I REEEEAAAALLLLYYYY wish they had it in the Northeast!



I mean, do you see this perfection???



How thoughtful!



We finished up and headed to the beach. It was so beautiful! The water was so warm and the sand was sooo soft! It was perfect!









We left around 3:30pm and drove around looking at those beautiful homes again! We got back to the apartment and were going to go swimming, but it started storming, so we couldn’t! Troy and I packed up our things and got ready for dinner.

We were headed to the Cheesecake Factory which was another first for Troy and I! Wooo!!



OMG, this menu was HUGE! I was overwhelmed! I just wanted to try everything! It all looked sooo good! I had such a hard time deciding!





BTW, there was a hidden mickey- I just can’t help spotting them!



I ordered the Fettuccine with chicken and sun dried tomatoes. It was really good!!!



For dessert I had the cookie dough cheesecake which wasn’t very good, but it was very sweet! I’m a huge fan of cheesecake, but I should’ve just ordered the original, but I thought I would be adventurous...oh well!!



Troy had lemon chicken that came with mashed potatoes and veggies- OMG this was so good! The chicken was juicy and so tasty!!



His dessert was wild berry cheesecake which was pretty good!



Mom had the Moroccan chicken with couscous and veggies which was also really good! It was a bit spicy, but really tasty!



For her dessert, she had the peanut butter, banana, and honey milk shake. Holy Moley Guacamole. It was so freaking good! I need to learn the recipe because it was SO GOOD.



Step Dad had the special which was some kind of fish, and he said it wasn’t outstanding, but he liked it! I didn’t get a picture of it though. He had the red velvet cheesecake which was very sweet!! A bit too much, but very yummy!!

​

 

[emma212010]

Debatably Too Many Pictures on the Beach at Sunset
July 19, 2013​

After dinner we went to the beach to watch the sunset. It was gorgeous! There were people doing yoga on surf boards! We played around and took pictures!



















Then things started to get weird…









And yes, we tried jumping, but I will spare you the failed attempts- they are a bit frightening and VERY awkward looking! LOL!



We were very tired and a bit punchy at this point. I apologize for the weirdness... HOWEVER, LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

My all-time absolute favorite picture!!



We got back to the apartment around 9pm and went to bed around 10:30. Disney tomorrow!!!!!!​

 

[Wood Nymph]

I love your sunset pictures. One of my favorite things to do on vacation is to watch sunrises and sunsets. Yoga on surfboards looks interesting.

My uncle has a vacation home in Naples. It is a nice area of Florida, but not very close to WDW.