bumbershoot
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2007
- Messages
- 69,750
A reluctant trip report. 
Apparently I'm addicted to writing these things, because I hardly want to do this one but here I am. 
author=molly
husband=robert
kidlet=eamon
As what seems to be usual for our January trips, the weather was not good. Sigh. This is getting old.
This whole trip was a do-over from last year, when my son and I got the "plague" aka "the lung thing" moments after landing in Orlando last year January, and it just destroyed our should-have-been-nice, long, trip.
We stayed at Royal Pacific except for one night when we *also* had a reservation at Art of Animation, just so I had access to race transportation for my half marathon. I did the Half last year, too, got a time I didn't feel I deserved, but it was because of the illness. E and I did the 5K last year and it was misery for me; I chose to not do that this year, and signed hubby and son up for the 5K. The kiddo did the Mickey Mile last year (that was the day he was just about to get the illness but we didn't quite know it yet) and this year (healthy healthy healthy!).
We keep Universal APs, and didn't want to get WDW tickets or passes this year. So we had NO WDW park days. We didn't know if we could do it, but (spoiler alert) we did.
We flew into Tampa. That was OK. Got a rental car, stopped at Trader Joe's there, stocked up on some things. Drove. Got to RPR.
At checkin we didn't set up charging, so she just took the CC and charged the balance of our reservation plus the nights of parking all up front. Easy peasy.
Got a room on the first floor of Tower 1, first room you come to on the left. Decent room. Possibly semi-accessible. Seemed to have a lot of real estate that I don't remember being in other RPR rooms. We got a minifridge and it was set up under the vanity, which had never been done before for us. (it's usually on an awkward cart or just on the ground in the room)
I was sleepy sleepy and wanted to unpack, so the guys went off to Jake's. They did bring food back. Pizza was OK, pretzel bread wasn't really soft pretzel-tasting, but was OK for what it was. They also got Jake's version of a caprese sandwich, which I guess was good when warm but not so much by the time it got to me.
Slept.
Up early-ish.
There's often a lot of discussion about the safe. We put my smallish baggalini, two kindles, one ipad, one non-apple-tablet in there (all devices were in cases, even), and there was room for more.
Got our Express Passes because we hadn't done so the night before.
This is the handy dandy Will Call kiosk at the resort, just to the right of the EP kiosks.
And along with the machine, there's a desk with humans there to help you with any ticket purchases, and also Hertz people for rental car needs. Those people leave at something like 5pm, though, so they aren't a bit of good if you want to pick something up late at night or very early in the morning. Plan accordingly.
Helpful sign.
The nondescript door you see there is the laundry room.
See?
Since we were in Tower 1, we decided to go through the building to the side exit. I took video, but it's very boring and it's sideways. So I'll just tell you that a non-rushing, but decent rate of walking, from leaving our room to exiting this door it was 1 minute 14 seconds.
Pretty pretty foliage.
But I don't want to play in it. Scared of creepy crawlies. Some young kid was running WAY ahead of his family and went off and hid behind that. I just kept thinking of the kid of the Dis'er about 5 years ago who dropped a toy in a bush at Disney, put his hand down to get it, and got bitten by a snake. Quite a bit of time in the hospital for that toy retrieval...definitely not worth it. Hiding in the bushes...shudder.
From just outside the door to taking this picture of the Margaritaville roof (this included time for bagcheck) it was 8 minutes 12 seconds.
Why he still wants these pictures taken, I don't know.
On the other hand, oh this is just too cute. Our first trip in December 2010. 6.5 years old vs current 10.5+.
Went on in for our very first time to see Diagon Alley! More later.
Apparently I'm addicted to writing these things, because I hardly want to do this one but here I am. author=molly
husband=robert
kidlet=eamon
As what seems to be usual for our January trips, the weather was not good. Sigh. This is getting old.
This whole trip was a do-over from last year, when my son and I got the "plague" aka "the lung thing" moments after landing in Orlando last year January, and it just destroyed our should-have-been-nice, long, trip.
We stayed at Royal Pacific except for one night when we *also* had a reservation at Art of Animation, just so I had access to race transportation for my half marathon. I did the Half last year, too, got a time I didn't feel I deserved, but it was because of the illness. E and I did the 5K last year and it was misery for me; I chose to not do that this year, and signed hubby and son up for the 5K. The kiddo did the Mickey Mile last year (that was the day he was just about to get the illness but we didn't quite know it yet) and this year (healthy healthy healthy!).
We keep Universal APs, and didn't want to get WDW tickets or passes this year. So we had NO WDW park days. We didn't know if we could do it, but (spoiler alert) we did.
We flew into Tampa. That was OK. Got a rental car, stopped at Trader Joe's there, stocked up on some things. Drove. Got to RPR.
At checkin we didn't set up charging, so she just took the CC and charged the balance of our reservation plus the nights of parking all up front. Easy peasy.
Got a room on the first floor of Tower 1, first room you come to on the left. Decent room. Possibly semi-accessible. Seemed to have a lot of real estate that I don't remember being in other RPR rooms. We got a minifridge and it was set up under the vanity, which had never been done before for us. (it's usually on an awkward cart or just on the ground in the room)
I was sleepy sleepy and wanted to unpack, so the guys went off to Jake's. They did bring food back. Pizza was OK, pretzel bread wasn't really soft pretzel-tasting, but was OK for what it was. They also got Jake's version of a caprese sandwich, which I guess was good when warm but not so much by the time it got to me.
Slept.
Up early-ish.
There's often a lot of discussion about the safe. We put my smallish baggalini, two kindles, one ipad, one non-apple-tablet in there (all devices were in cases, even), and there was room for more.
Got our Express Passes because we hadn't done so the night before.
This is the handy dandy Will Call kiosk at the resort, just to the right of the EP kiosks.
And along with the machine, there's a desk with humans there to help you with any ticket purchases, and also Hertz people for rental car needs. Those people leave at something like 5pm, though, so they aren't a bit of good if you want to pick something up late at night or very early in the morning. Plan accordingly.
Helpful sign.
The nondescript door you see there is the laundry room.
See?
Since we were in Tower 1, we decided to go through the building to the side exit. I took video, but it's very boring and it's sideways. So I'll just tell you that a non-rushing, but decent rate of walking, from leaving our room to exiting this door it was 1 minute 14 seconds.
Pretty pretty foliage.
But I don't want to play in it. Scared of creepy crawlies. Some young kid was running WAY ahead of his family and went off and hid behind that. I just kept thinking of the kid of the Dis'er about 5 years ago who dropped a toy in a bush at Disney, put his hand down to get it, and got bitten by a snake. Quite a bit of time in the hospital for that toy retrieval...definitely not worth it. Hiding in the bushes...shudder.
From just outside the door to taking this picture of the Margaritaville roof (this included time for bagcheck) it was 8 minutes 12 seconds.
Why he still wants these pictures taken, I don't know.
On the other hand, oh this is just too cute. Our first trip in December 2010. 6.5 years old vs current 10.5+.
Went on in for our very first time to see Diagon Alley! More later.
Great, great pics, so many details. Wall to wall muggles, though--ouch. Also loved the two pics of your ds at the height thingie--of course he loves the pic, because I'm sure it seemed like he'd never be able to get on everything the first time he lined up! My big kids still love to be measured against the doorframe, and see the difference. 
