Jack Frost Nipped at Our Noses But Not Our Spirits! Day 6 - Tonga Toast & Epcot

[PRmamiDEdos]

Hey guys! Thanks for joining me!

If you don't know by now, my name is ShaeLee

That's me!!

and I am the wife to the BEST husband, Michael and mom to the BEST kiddos, Bobbi (11) & Michael (9).

That's them!!!!
(DH is a plainclothes cop so I'll try and disguise him a lot. Just bear with me.)

Since 2006, we've been trying to take the kids to Disney every other year and we weren't sure if we were going to make it this year, but DH kept a few secrets from me and in July, asked me to plan a trip to Disney for the holidays!!! I was so excited when he told me! We are both huge Disney fans and our children love it too!

When I logged onto Disneyworld.com, I saw they were running the Free Dining special so I booked a 7-night trip at Port Orleans Riverside. I really wanted French Quarter but at that time it wasn't available. Thankfully, a slot opened and I was able to get us into FQ.

For more on the planning, you can read here.

Skip the Chatter Links:

Part 1 - We're Off!!
Part 2 - New Crocs, Creepiest Town Ever & Lady and Sons!
Part 3 - Legos, Bikinis & Fireworks!
Part 4 - Day 1, Part 1 - Empty Park & Pooh
Part 5 - Day 1, Part 2 - Pirates!!
Part 6 - Day 1, Part 3 - Unexpected Dis-Meets and Pirates in Pixie Hollow
Part 7 - Day 2, Part 1 - Whaddya mean AK's not the warmest park??
Part 8 - Day 2, Part 2 - Food, More Unexpected Dis-meets & Fur!!!
Part 9 - Day 2, Part 3 - Magic Kingdom at night really gets things done.
Part 10 - Day 3, Part 1 - Snacking around the world
Part 11 - Day 3, Part 2 - Our Long Awaited Dinner at Le Cellier & Steven Curtis Chapman
Part 12 - Day 4, Part 1 - Army Men and Jedi Training Academy with Videos!!!
Part 13 - Day 4, Part 2 - Relaxing Day at HS
Part 14 - Day 4, Part 3 - Fantasmic and a late dinner
Part 15– Day 5, Part 1 – Dole Whip Meet!!
Part 16 - Dinner at LTT, MVMCP & Our First Time With the Seven Dwarfs!!
Part 17 - MVMCP Parade & Late Night Snacks
Part 18 - Tonga Toast & Epcot

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

Day 1 starts on Thursday, December 9th. We were going to be pulling the kids out of school for a week and a day so they were taking some last minute tests so they wouldn't miss anything while they were gone. I was so proud of them because they both scored in the 90's on whatever they took that day!

I spent the day packing warm clothes and watching the weather on TV and the web. I thought I was cute by never putting away our summer clothes and just packing everything into suitcases for our trip back in September. Lo and behold, Mother Nature had different plans so I had to scramble and find thermals, jeans, jackets and long pants for us to bring. Our suitcases were stuffed to the gills with clothes for two seasons of weather!!!

Once I had everything packed, a friend came over because she was spending the week with our Mini Schnauzers, Potter & Zoey. I had to show her where everything was and let her know their schedules. I was able to run out for a manicure and pedicure, buy some toiletries and come home to TRY and nap before we set out on our drive.

The kids came home around 4 and they went to their rooms to play while DH & I tried to sleep. I was too excited, but DH got a few hours of shut-eye. While he did that, I got the car washed and vacuumed. Can't drive to Disney with a dirty car can you? LOL

I came home and baked the leftover Pilsbury cookies so we could munch on them during the trip and we packed up the car! We hit the road, gassed up the Odyssey and we were off by 10:00 PM! Traffic was pretty good on the way down and with my new friend Gowalla, I was checking in to let my friends and family know where we were at each point.

Up Next - New Crocs, The Creepiest Town Ever and Lady & Sons!!

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

Because I was trying to stay awake with DH during the drive, I had bought myself a LARGE cappuccino at the gas station. This and a large can of Red Bull made for TONS of potty stops. A few of my friends on FB LOL'd at my "I HAVE TO PEE!!" check-in's. I know one of them was at the Davis Truck Plaza in VA and we were there around 5:30 AM so we were doing some pretty good time.

DH handled most of the driving and kept telling me to go to sleep so I could take over when he was tired. It was hard b/c he either had the air too hot or too cold or would turn the radio louder during a song he liked so once I would wake up, it would be hard to get back to sleep.

Around 7:30 we stopped at the Premium Outlets in NC for a Cracker Barrel breakfast and some retail therapy. I picked out a few ornaments while waiting to be seated and had them hold them at the front while we ate. I had my favorite breakfast, the Uncle Hershel's. Sugar-cured ham, biscuits and gravy, apples and eggs. Can you say call an ambulance? It was GOOD! After breakfast, we paid the bill and bought the ornaments, made sure I got the kids to use the restrooms and waited for the Crocs store to open. I'm not sure why DH thinks it's too expensive to fly. Just the amount of $$ we spend on the Crocs we love makes the difference in airfare! DD & I both got a pair of the fur-lined Crocs, DS got the ones with the stripe and DH got a pair of hiking Crocs and we all picked out 2 jibbits each. $145 later, we were back on the road by 10.

Around 11:20, we hit South of the Border and decided to stop. We had the Spirit of Aloha dinner planned for the next night and wanted to see if they would have any tropical looking shirts. Boy, that place is SUPER CREEPY. It's so empty and all the stores have signs on the front saying firearms are not allowed in the stores. We couldn't find what we wanted so we got the heck out of Dodge.

We arrived in Savannah, GA around 3 PM and checked into the Best Western in the Historic District. DH loves Savannah and was looking forward to seeing how the city was decorated for the holidays. I slept while the kids showered and DH & I got ourselves ready. When we checked in, we noticed a few cops in the alley behind the hotel (where our room was facing). Lo and behold, they were homicide detectives and they were investigating a murder that had occurred there the day before. DH noticed what they were doing and went to go and speak to them. They exchanged cards (guess that's a thing fellow detectives do) and afterward we all headed out to Lady & Sons as we are HUGE Paula Deen fans. Now, a lot has changed since we were last there. L&S now has the store to the left of the restaurant and when you check-in you are directed to wait in there. Paula must be learning from Disney but instead of leaving into the store, you shop while waiting for your table. DH said she "sold out".

We were seated on the top floor and our server was sooo nice. DD loved the lemonade saying it wasn't too sweet and DS loved his sweet tea. DD ordered the chicken pot pie which was the size of her whole head. If you haven't figured it out, she didn't eat the whole thing but said it was good. It came with a puff pastry crust and very creamy looking chicken inside. DS got the kids chicken nuggets and fries and ate them all. DH & I went for the buffet. I will say this, Paula's fried chicken is good, but I still haven't had anything better than the fried chicken at HDDR. That chicken is great!!! Back to Paula's...her collard greens are SO STINKIN' GOOD!! I had fried chicken, greens, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and yams. I went back just for a plate of those greens. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. For dessert I had the ooey gooey butter cake but I couldn't finish it.

After dinner, we decided to walk around the main square to see the city. Everything was so pretty but it was cold!

Last time we were in Savannah (Aug '06) we had sweat dripping in our toes! We went to Savannah Candy Kitchen where I just HAD to buy a bag of pralines. They are my absolute favorite. I think I must have been Southern in a former life. We even had an American Bulldog named Praline. I miss that dog. But I digress...after walking back to the hotel and bolting the door against potential murderers (DH wouldn't stop bothering me about the hotel I picked), we fell asleep for the night.

We got up around 5, showered and got dressed and were on the road by 6. By 7 we reached the FL state line and by 10 we were pulling into Port Orleans French Quarter.

Next Up - Day 1 - Legos, Bikinis & Fireworks!

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

101 views and no comments? Stop hiding!

 

[Tinkermom76]

I'm here!!!! That is kind of a scary start to your vacation. Show DH what the cost of the flight would be and then show him how much you spent on gas, hotel, food an shopping on the way down and I bet next time you fly

 

[lucas43068]

did you find many disney items whil using gowalla?? i just started using it, and i cant wait to use it at disney! there were some many cool loking badges! and there were all kinds of "trips" down there

 

[justakrazymom]

Oh my..pralines on River St?? I'm very jealous.. One of my best friends lives about 45 west of Savannah and we visit her every April ( sans this April because of the upcoming WDW trip).. We love Savannah.. we go to River St, ride the ferry, eat at Five Guys.. walk around..it's awesome!!

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

Thanks for joining guys!

I'm here!!!! That is kind of a scary start to your vacation. Show DH what the cost of the flight would be and then show him how much you spent on gas, hotel, food an shopping on the way down and I bet next time you fly

Hey there Dole Whip buddy!

Funny thing is, we were on the 2nd floor with a outer corridor room facing the alley and our door was the only one that looked like it had been kicked in. It had a huge dent near the door jamb. Geez. You'd think that getting a room in the Historic District would be ok. How was I supposed to know? LOL

I know about the $$ going down. I think next time I'll make sure to tell DH how much I CAN'T WAIT to visit the Crocs outlet on the way down and maybe he'll be ready to buy plane tix! LOL

did you find many disney items whil using gowalla?? i just started using it, and i cant wait to use it at disney! there were some many cool loking badges! and there were all kinds of "trips" down there

Loved Gowalla! Just saw on FB that there's a new Cinderella's Castle with the Christmas lights badge for checking in at the castle. I'm mad because that wasn't available when I checked in there. DH laughed at me at first but then started making sure to remind me to check in at each state on the way back home so I got the state pins.

Oh my..pralines on River St?? I'm very jealous.. One of my best friends lives about 45 west of Savannah and we visit her every April ( sans this April because of the upcoming WDW trip).. We love Savannah.. we go to River St, ride the ferry, eat at Five Guys.. walk around..it's awesome!!

Their pralines are heavenly! I just found the bag in my luggage after pulling everything apart while looking for it! LOL I'm digging into them now.

 

[justakrazymom]

My friend sent me a pic of still warm pralines today..she was at the store.. she's evil I say..LOL

 

[firecracker725]

I'm reading!

If you think PD's is good, you should try Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House. It's amazing! Us Georgia gal's much prefer that to Paula Deen.

Also, we stayed at that same BW this summer. I am not too scared, but it was definitely on the corner of iffy and okay. We made sure to stick together and not be out at night and had no problems at all. We did use the elevator over at the Hyatt, however, and it definitely gave us hotel envy.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

My friend sent me a pic of still warm pralines today..she was at the store.. she's evil I say..LOL

When you walk in, they give you a free sample. I think it's just a way for them to make you buy a bag. You can't eat just one praline. I have to hide this bag because I'm making myself sick right now.

I'm reading!

If you think PD's is good, you should try Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House. It's amazing! Us Georgia gal's much prefer that to Paula Deen.

Also, we stayed at that same BW this summer. I am not too scared, but it was definitely on the corner of iffy and okay. We made sure to stick together and not be out at night and had no problems at all. We did use the elevator over at the Hyatt, however, and it definitely gave us hotel envy.

I think the fact that the BW backs the alley is what makes it bad. I'll definitely keep Mrs. Wilkes in mind next time we hit Savannah. Funny because you're not the first person who has said that to me.

I hope to move to GA one day. I love the way Ellijay looks!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

I'm in. Still thinking of a title for my TR.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

I'm in. Still thinking of a title for my TR.

Yay!

How about "Some crazy chick ran off a train to say hi to me"? LOL

 

[Tinkermom76]

Yay!

How about "Some crazy chick ran off a train to say hi to me"? LOL

LMAO who would that crazy chick be???

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

LMAO who would that crazy chick be???

I have NO idea who you're talking about!!

 

[Tinkermom76]

I have NO idea who you're talking about!!

Don't worry, his poor wife probably thinks we are all crazy

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

I was so excited at the prospect of checking in to POFQ that I took advantage of the 10 day online check-in. When we arrived, we parked in front of the main building and the doorman gave each child a coin to make a wish in the fountain. I could have sworn I got a picture of this but I guess I didn't. The online check-in line was non-existent so we jumped right on while the kids went to explore the lobby and registration area. While we got everything squared away, we were asked what we were celebrating about 5 times. I don't know about you, but don't people go to Disney, just to go to Disney anymore? I kept telling the CM that we were just happy to be here. After we received our documents and KTTW we took a stroll around the property while waiting for our room to be ready.


Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink. LOL

Jazz Gators

Does anyone think the lifeguard was cold?

Not 30 minutes later, I received a text from Disney letting me know my room number so we gathered our things and headed up to Room 7235, our new home for the week.

My first impression was the smell of new carpet. I had specifically requested building 7 because I knew it was recently renovated. Everything was sparkly and new and I loved it! Queen sized beds in a moderate are few and far between so I was happy to sleep on them.

Here are some pics...

Purple and gold bedspreads.

Sink area

Toilet/shower area. My only complaint; the toilet is practically on top of the tub. It's a very small bathroom.

After we put some stuff away, we got ourselves ready for some food and retail therapy at DTD.

First up - WP Express

We love this place and if you're on the DP it's a great deal.

I got the BBQ chicken pizza:

I thought it was tasty but the crust was a little soft.

DH got the meatball pizza:

He also thought it was good but felt the same about the crust.

We paid OOP for two glasses of Riesling. Wine and pizza go so well together! LOL

DD & DS got cheese pizzas and we all know what those look like so I didn't take pictures.

After we went to the Design a Tee store to make our family tees to wear at the MVMCP later on in the week.

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Next up on our list.....THE LEGO STORE!!! DS is a Lego FREAK! He had exactly $120 of his birthday money to spend during the vacation and he dropped it all here.

.

DD was getting tired and wanted to shop for some stuff of her own.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

After the Lego Store, we ran over to World of Disney to find some stuff for DD. She picked out a Nerds hoodie and some Club Penguin things and then found some pins that she wanted.

Last stop, the Christmas Store. I found some cute ornaments and stood on a 20 minute line to have them personalized. When they were done, they were going to ship them to our resort.

We took the boat back to the resort. Oh, did I forget to mention this before? Sorry. POFQ runs a ferry to DTD and it's so much nicer than taking the bus!

Here's a quick video



When we got back to POFQ, we went to the lobby to speak to the Concierge about our Spirit of Aloha plans for that night. We were assured that even with the cold, the show would go on. I was upset because I had planned on having the kids wear some cute "tropical-inspired" outfits that night but we had to scrap that plan and dress warmly.

Since we were running late, we decided to drive the car to the Poly for dinner. The place was packed!!! The security officer up front had said we would probably need to pay for valet, but at the last minute we found a spot and ran to Luau Cove. They had us wait in line to take a PP photo and then I had to run to another area to get our tickets (we paid online). I'm not sure why the Concierge at our hotel couldn't have just given these to us at POFQ so I wouldn't have to wait on another line. Oh well, I know what to do for next time.

The show was really nice and the food was great. I suggest paying $14 for that drink in the coconut monkey. Yummy. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the food. Take my word, it was good. DD loved the ribs and DS loved the chicken and I really like the salad and rice.

Here are some videos I recorded on my cell phone. Hope you can see them:

http://qik.ly/BU7ZuX5cm7yZItChPjH3GaH
http://qik.ly/B1RbwNzE2pagQIBnVVZ3tSw
http://qik.ly/dZFjK5CUzduYbHwX6Ix62t (This one is my favorite, rawr....ssshhh! LOL)
http://qik.ly/5WIb7bJAvGNMM9HXm9QGX9

One really cute part of dinner was a 4 or 5 year old girl who jumped on stage at one point and started to dance.

After the show, we noticed that everyone had grouped around the beach area and we saw the castle fireworks going off. We tried to watch as much as we could but it was cold and we had an early morning the next day.

Next up:

Part 4 - Pooh, Pirates & Pixies!!

 

[Tinkermom76]

Great update... I really want to try the luau next time. We didn't even make it to DTD this trip

 

[dmoore718]

I'm in.Loving it!! I learned my lesson from Jan 2009, so this time I bought all the kids a whole lot of Disney Sweatshirts and jackets...matching of course!