"ITS A SMALL WALLET AFTER ALL" trip report.

[pktbMouse]

Just back yesterday from a week at Pop century and loved it! I will try write a little bit every time I log on for ya.
We arrived Saturday night about 6pm..we had used the online checkin and were glad we did...there was a line of people at he regular one and no one at the express checkin desk...excellent..they had everything ready for us...we even got what we requested a nice room by the baby pool for our 11month. Now some of you may remember me saying I have no luck with rooms getting views of brick walls and dumpsters etc...well we finally hit the jackpot..a beautiful view of the baby pool. Next morning we got up and the room curse had returned...they dug up the whole baby pool...jackhammers, dust etc....we knew it was too good to be true...the pool is still closed fyi if you are going with a baby. We just laughed it off. It was a bummer without the baby pool though.
First day sunday we hit Animal kingdom..first stop the Safari..I just have to add about the weather...its normally in the high 80s at this time of year but this week was unseasonably warm at in the high 90s...this day was 95deg! phew. Very hot for this time of year. We took the baby on with us and the jiggling put him to sleep! My 7yr old loved it. we then headed to dinoland usa. This place cost us a fortune...the games take a token per play and each token costs $2.50!!! my 7yr old was determined he had to win something..we ended up dropping $40 in 5 mins here so be warned! plus the prizes are crap. I went on primeval whirl with my 7yr old and he hated it...hid his eyes the whole time then told me i was a bad mommy for taking him on...hehe. We then headed to the boneyard for him to play but it was sooo hot he didnt play for long...we then went to the Restaurantasaurus for lunch. It was ok..nothing special..we got burgers and chicken strips...it was nice to get cool for a bit too. We did some more rides, watched the parade then headed back to Pop for a swim. we loved Pop century..wayyyy better than the all stars..much better food, gardens etc..the pools were nice too and never busy mousekeeping was awesome (4 towel animals!). We then headed to the Magic Kingdom...there was no long lines at all...no need for fast pass all week. The baby loved pooh, pirates, buzz lightyear, smallworld, jungle cruise dumbo...infact there was very little he didnt ride. We actually missed wishes the first night as we were in the Monsters incshow..very funny...they put me and the baby on the screen saying a two headed monster was in the audience,,,then they said the baby was cute but not to pull his plug out or it could get messy!!. Extra magichours were on that nigh to 2am..yeah..we thought when the kids pass out in the stroller we can ride the big rides...nope..by 11.30pm we were all pooped out...we just went back to the hotel. I dont understand why they make the hours so late....they would be better adding on an hour to the week nights rather than one night to 2am...there was hardly anyone there when we left at 11.30. Just a quick note about the predictiion of the tourguides also...they said this day was an 8..WRONG!..not too busy at all..infact it wasnt busy all week...most rides were walk on with a max 10 mins for most. We never used a fastpass at all. A note about the room and the baby pack and play...we originally put it between the beds and my 7yr old fell out of bed onto it..luckily the baby was ok so we moved it to between the tv cabinet and the wall with the safe in it...not good..the ac blows right into this corner..the poor baby was a popsicle...we ended up squeezing it between the bed and the back wall. Also..the baby was crawling about the room that we thought we had made safe....ugh...wrong..he pulled himself up on the ironing board on the wall and the whole thing came down on his head.(our fault)..he was ok apart from a ding on his head so be warned...we ended up putting the ironing board up on the shelf so he could cruise about the room safely.
Day 2 coming next post.

 

[Micday]

Love your trip report so far. I'm glad you guys had a blast! We love Pop too.

Last year we stayed at AKL w/ a savannah view, all my DD could say was it's nice but it's not POP.

Your children look adorable.


Wanting for more.


Michelle

 

[pktbMouse]

Just a quick note before bed...day 2 we traitored...we went to Islands of Adventure..DS was desperate to see Jurassic park as hes a dino nut (more on the horror of T rex cafe later)..it was another scortcher...94deg. We headed right for Jurassic and ds was delighted...he just loved the entrance that looked like the movie. The baby fell asleep so I sat out the pteranadon fliers which they loved. I did go on the jurassic ride that has a massive drop at the end and soaks you...ds moaned at that..he hated getting wet!!! (weird kid)..we then went to the lab where we were just in time to see a baby raptor being born...DS was stoked as he got the name right. Of course it cost us a fortune in the shop//T shirt dino stuff. We then headed to Suess Land...wow..this place is amazing for kids...its all Dr suess books...we went on the cat in the hat ride...awesome..I loved one fish two fish..this is like a kind of dumbo ride but in colored fish...if you dont do what the song tells you ie go up up up or down down down you get wet.!! I loved it..DS hated getting wet...again!! We could have spent all day in suess land no bother..we got a t shirt and romper for DS and baby saying thing 1 and thing 2. Hubby and DS went on the suess trolly ride which goes overhead around the park...loved that. I got my photo taken with the cta in the hat and also the grinch..very cool. Hubby and I rode the duelling dragons...very good coaster but not all that if you know what I mean...just ok. We then headed to Popeyes ship "the olive" its a kind of interactive boat for kids...nice place for adults to get a sit down..also good spot to blast people on the barge ride below with water cannons (free) We then headed to Spiderman..DS loved it..its kinda similar to dinosaur...mostly special effects...very well done.
Hubby and I then rode the Hulk...very smooth coaster good fun. I nipped into the Betty Boop store to get my mom something (her name is betty) and there was Betty Boop herself in the shop....I have to tell you, she was a dead ringer for her..her voice was amazing and she was very funny..she was telling my hubby "come on over here big boy and get a photo with me" she was so funny she was joking with all the men in the shop. Just another thing...you know how people complain about people running into them with strollers....well...I got Captain Marvel in the shins!!! I didnt see him signing autographs and nearly mowed him over..hubby was mortified as the guy let out a big howl!!! I said well hes Captain Marvel...he shouldnt have even felt it right??? ( Im sure he swore at me under his suit)
We left about 4pm and headed to downtown Disney for reservations at the T Rex cafe. before we went in DS spied the Pearl Factory...he picked me a lovely one for Mothers day...I had it mounted in a 14k ring. It was a 8 3/4 inch pearl..beautiful...the pearl and ring together cost $220 (ouch! again) hubby said I should have it as they still owed me a past birthday and christmas pressie so I said ok...I do love the ring especially as DS picked it for me. The pearls cost $15.99 and you can get a silver cage to put it in for as little as $15 or a silver ring for $30. Or you can just bring your pearl home and have it mounted later. If your having it mounted later dont let them drill it or it could crack if left too long..they are desperate to drill it so you will buy a mount from them. They are also a bit pushy so stand your ground..the ring they showed me first cost over $400!! no way were we spending that. I finally settled for a mount for $195. I also asked to see the silver mounts and they brought out the white gold telling me the silver would tarnish..!!! Just be ready for them they try every trick in the book. They also sell a pearl in the shell in a kind of tin can thing for $20, DS got one to bring home...we opened it tonight and its a tiny little pearl and I mean teeny...we are not even sure its real its not even round!!!..oh well, you live and learn. Dont buy the pearl in the tin..it stinks too!
Next the T Rex cafe....DS loved it....I hated it.
see next report......

 

[pktbMouse]

Ok quick T rex cafe report...please bear in mind we are not picky people and dont complain alot but this place takes the biscuit.
The decor is amazing and DS loved it...very coold for photos..heres were they let theirselves down...the tables and chairs are like the inside of a cafeteria..they are plain metal and literally crammed in wall to wall. There is hardly any room to get into your seat without hitting off the person behind yours chair with yours. Unlike the rainforest cafe which Landry ownes also they have really scrimped on the rest. Rainforest at least have nice wooden themed chairs and fancy tables and there is room to breath.
Anyhoo...we get seated or wedged in!! and try to order...10 mins..20 mins...30 mins..finally someone appears and takes our order. What happened next is not the fault of the T Rex cafe but peed me off anyhow...I admid now I over reacted but I was tired after a long day at the parks and now 40 mins later I was hungry and still no sign of food. DS decided he needed to go to the restroom..as usual he left it to the last min where he was bursting!! he was walking crouched over holding it!! We run to the restroom and stop at the entrance...a man had obviously slipped and fell and was lying right across the floor at the entrance to the restrooms!!! argh..the paramedics were checking him out...I yelled out..my son has to go to the restroom NOW...they would not let me pass...I said "cant we step over him" they said no...I then said (cant believe I said this) "well cant they drag him off to the side"...they wouldnt do it..we had to run out of the restaurant down the street and into McDonalds...we just made it...I felt so bad about my comments..what if tha old man hurt himself...anyway..we get back in the restarant and the man is back at his table eating as if nothing has happened!!!!!! (I wont tell you what I called him under my breath)
Still no food...just as I was about to read the riot act the food came...cold! We were so hungry we didnt care...we both ordered the half rotisserie chicken...it was half raw inside..it was still pink in bits. No fries...it came with waffle fries which were hard. Also DS pizza was tiny..the size of a saucer under a t cup. He could only get a banana or apple with it so when we ordered waffle fries they charged us $2.99 extra for them, there were literally 5 fries on his plate. I went into my bag to get the baby food and discovered I had left it in the car so I asked if they had any crackers or something for the baby to chew on..they said no but they then came back with a finger sized bit of bread for him which he ate in 2 seconds. I thanked them anyhow for that. I then come to find out my cold garlic mashed potatoes were not garlicy at all so I fed him them which he devoured.
Even the margaritas we ordered were not good..they tasted of just watery lime juice. I think they just rinsed the glass out with the tequila. I left mine.
When we got the bill it came to nealry $100..they had charged for everything despite us sending back the chicken and getting nothing in its place..they even charged $1.99 for the bit of dry bread they brought for the baby!!!!
We left and went into the Build a dino shop as we had promised DS this for his birthday. He had one built for himself andf one for the baby (which he was taking care of for the time being!!) We were hardly out of the shop when the stuffing was falling out of a big hole in the bum of one of them...I took it back in and they stitched it up for us. When we got home today DS wanted to wear his T shirt we bought him there. He put it on and one of the sleeves on the back side where it joins the back is not stitched at all with a gaping hole of 3 inches!!! the stitching that is on it is terrible..it looks like a kid sewed it. I intend to take photos and send them a howler of a letter. So please be warned...this place might look the game but its set up to be very expensive for what you get...they are no where near the same quality of food and merchandise as the rainforest cafe. If you are going and dont want to spend a fortune you can just go in and order a nice sweet. They do something similar to the rainforests "volcano" for $15 that 4 + people can share...I think we would just do that the next time as the food is a rip off and the waiters are so busy they dont give a monkeys uncle. Shame on you Landry..shame shame!!!!

 

[pktbMouse]

On a Grosser note...Im not easily shocked at things...but this left me gobsmacked and jaw open...that night we went into POP for some hot chocolate before bed...I swear if I hadnt seen this with my own eyes I wouldnt have believed it..... a guy (part of a big family at the next table) was drinking from a refillable mug still with the yellow clip on the handle..at first I thought oh they forgot to cut his clip off.....but NOOOOOOOO...he finishes his drink...wipes out the cup and lid then placed it back on the shelf for sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im sorry...but that left me speechless...if there was an award for the most balls-iest thing ever her would get it...Im still in shock when I think about it...not to mention grossed out at the thought I could have bought one he used earlier in the week..ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

 

[joy13]

On a Grosser note...Im not easily shocked at things...but this left me gobsmacked and jaw open...that night we went into POP for some hot chocolate before bed...I swear if I hadnt seen this with my own eyes I wouldnt have believed it..... a guy (part of a big family at the next table) was drinking from a refillable mug still with the yellow clip on the handle..at first I thought oh they forgot to cut his clip off.....but NOOOOOOOO...he finishes his drink...wipes out the cup and lid then placed it back on the shelf for sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im sorry...but that left me speechless...if there was an award for the most balls-iest thing ever her would get it...Im still in shock when I think about it...not to mention grossed out at the thought I could have bought one he used earlier in the week..ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

OMG!!!!!!!!!!! That is horrible! I think I will for sure remember to wash out the mug well before I use it on my next trip. I've heard a lot of stories - but that's a new one for sure Sorry T-rex was a bust (for the adults anyway).

 

[pktbMouse]

Day 3..woke up and thought we would have a nice day at the pool...NOOOOOOOOOOO they start to dig up the baby pool with jackhammers and mega loud saws..dust everywhere and the NOISE!..we just pack up the car and head for Treasure Island for the day. The beach was awesome..hubby bought me a lovely silver dubloon necklace from the shipwreck store in Johns pass for mothers day. The ocean was lovely and warm to swim in too...the perfect day...or so we thought..we got an unexpected souvineer!!!! My fault...I took too long looking for pretty shells on the beach, the parking ticket expired and we got a lovely $30 fine!!!!! hubby was good!!!! Back to POP for 9pm and jumped in the pool. Baby pool is now a big hole roped off which is a bummer as this was one of the reasons we chose POP...oh well. It never opened back up for the rest of our vacation and is still closed.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Signing on until I can catch up! Will you be posting pictures?

 

[Janell]

Sorry to hear about t-rex. We were thinking of going there, but the wait was to long, so McD's it was. After reading your report, Im glad we did. I am so sorry you had that experiences.

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Signing on!

Happy Mother's Day to you and all the mothers reading!


I can't believe buddy took a cup from the merchandise area, used it and put it back.......wonder if anyone used that cup before him? .....what did you do? Did you take it off the shelf and bring it to the staff? ewwwwww!

I'm pretty casual about a lot of things, but dishes or kitchen stuff ALWAYS gets well washed in the dishwasher, or if I'm away from home, well washed with hot hot water and soap... )

I love John's Pass! Many pricey shops, but the area has a neat atmosphere for strolling!

pktbmouse, can I pls ask a favour? I've got some focus-ing/reading issues.... would you mind hitting the [ENTER] button every so often in your report? (I've been highlighting as I read, but apparently I don't have a steady hand either!).... if you'd rather not, that's okay, but these "old" eyes sure would appreciate it!

 

[Pikester]

Stopping by to read about your adventure in one of my favorite places!

 

[pktbMouse]

Signing on!

Happy Mother's Day to you and all the mothers reading!


I can't believe buddy took a cup from the merchandise area, used it and put it back.......wonder if anyone used that cup before him? .....what did you do? Did you take it off the shelf and bring it to the staff? ewwwwww!

I'm pretty casual about a lot of things, but dishes or kitchen stuff ALWAYS gets well washed in the dishwasher, or if I'm away from home, well washed with hot hot water and soap... )

I love John's Pass! Many pricey shops, but the area has a neat atmosphere for strolling!

pktbmouse, can I pls ask a favour? I've got some focus-ing/reading issues.... would you mind hitting the [ENTER] button every so often in your report? (I've been highlighting as I read, but apparently I don't have a steady hand either!).... if you'd rather not, that's okay, but these "old" eyes sure would appreciate it!

I didnt do anything about the mug...I was in shock. On looking back I wish I had taken it off the shelf now. I was on my way out of the door when it happened.
If my little boy hadnt have been with me I would have told him what a disgusting article he was in not so nice a tone if you know what I mean.
I do love Johns Pass for strolling and yes..very pricey. We only went to find the "Shipwreck Store" which is on the 2nd level now. If you get the chance to go you should check out this store. They have all sorts of articles to see. They let my DS 7 hold a precious 400 year old cannon ball and let him see the cannon from which it came. Very cool stuff to see.
We usually go to "Scullys" for lunch while down there and love it but this time it was a big let down. We waited 30 mins to get served then when the food came it wasnt good. The shrimp were hard and didnt taste fresh. I treid to tell the waitress but she assumed as I had a scottish accent that I knew nothing about fresh shrimp.
I have lived in Houston for 13 years and know the difference from frozen to fresh gulf shrimp by now. Anyway I send the shrimp back but still got hit with the bill. I just payed it and left. It looks like its under new management.
I will post some photos soon. I have been doing my laundry all day today (some mothers day eh) when I get time this week I will load them to photobucket and post a link. The baby is funny seeing Mickey for the first time...he gave Mickeys nose a honk then wouldnt look at him for the rest of the time. Dale played peek a boo to him too and he climbed right out of the stroller and up the back of it to get away from him...too funny.
I will post more tommorow about Busch gardens. I have to go feed the dogs and beg their forgiveness for boarding them for a week by way of a rawhide chew. I have to say...those dang dogs cost more a night to board than the POP century did!!!
I will try remember to hit enter and do more paragraphs...I know Im guilty of just typing and not stopping. Hubby is always telling me that too.

 

[Dancegrl624]

Subbing!!!

Sorry you didn't enjoy T-Rex. We LOVED it in January. I thought it was loud, but I was expecting that. Our server was top of the line amazing! He joked around with us and had our DD laughing up a storm. I got the bronto-burger which was very bland, but other than that, we all enjoyed our food. I thought the waffle fries were outstanding. We also did Build-A-Dino and had no problems. Maybe you were there on an off night.

 

[marinapj]

I'm subbing!
Glad you liked POP in spite of the baby pool. We're staying there in September!
Yikes about the mug! That is so gross!

 

[pktbMouse]

Allright...next day..traitors again..we headed to Busch Gardens despite getting some bad reveiws on it. We got there around 10am and it was near empty. We had Seaworld APs so we got in for half off. Wow what a lovely place just to walk around. Beautiful gardens and flowers everywhere. We headed right for Jungala and DS7 loved it. He played for ages in the jungle playframe. He loved the pop up in the tiger cage. Hubby and I decided to nip off one at a time and do some of the rollercoasters.
The Kumba was awesome..so good I rode it three times , the rides were all walk on so it took no time at all. They have this new ride down there called the "Sheikra"..all Im going to say is if your going to ride it you may need a change of underwear...yeah its that scary. We then didi the safari train which was good too, I felt we seen more animals than the Animal Kingdon safari and they were coming right up to the train.
We then headed for lunch next to the urangotang enclosure. I was kind of hoping it would have been indoors but it wasnt. It was 95 that day , very hot.
After lunch we headed to land of the dragons for little kids. The baby loved wading in the shallow dragon pool then prompty sat down in it with his clothes on. Of course we had an anal guy that worked there, the babies butt hadnt even touched the water when he was over telling us we would have to put on a swim diaper on him for 2 inches of water. We purchased one at the shop for $4.95..sheesh. Of course I just got it on the baby and he decided he didnt want to be in the water anymore!
Hubby and DS headed to the rhino rally ride, I sat in the shade as the baby took a nap. They said it was the best ride ever.
The website that day had said it was closing at 7.30 but they decided to close at 5pm instead which was a bummer so we headed back to POP for a swim and a hot coco. We couldnt believe it was wednesday already..time really does fly when your having fun. We got back to the room to find DS toys arranged on the bed watching tv and another towel animal..first one was a basket of flowers and now a bear!! wow we thought, we are doing well. Of course I had to top the night off by spilling my hot cocoa on hubbys side of the bed!!!