Last Trip? It was until we met Food & Wine -- Recap 2/12

[schmass]

You got so much done that night! I guess that's what happens when you can last until midnight. I'm such an early bird that it's rare for me to be up that late even in WDW!

Awesome travel plans for next year - so excited for you!

 

[SarahDisney]

I love that you have 2 Disney trips planned for next year when you thought you wouldn't have any. So awesome!

Congrats on beating Mark at Space Ranger Spin. It's always nice to get a win ... especially if it was your first one!

Sounds like a fun night ... even though you called it quits a little early. I can't wait to read about your breakfast ADR!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Haha, wow when you pull out the "last trip" card you really pull out all the stops. That's it, I've had my "last trip" too. Now to start planning...

This is great to hear Kathy. I'm glad you're able to get a few trips in next year. Too bad about Disneyland, but it will still be there when the time is right.

Even if you didn't have the best spot, Wishes is still Wishes which is to say perfection.

Wait... there's a ride photo for the Mine Train???? I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!!! Aw man!
Yup, those are the 2 most common "negatives" I've heard about it.

Awwww I love that Mark loves Dumbo. It is the essential Disney ride.

I bet if Mark wore one of his hats he'd be "That Guy".

 

[MissMaryQC]

You guys really did cover a ton of ground that night! We almost always skip EMH, not really sure why...?

I love all your photos! Mark and you are about the cutest couple I've ever seen; the posing, the hats, I just love it!

Congrats on next years plans! So much for this being the last trip for a while! Yay!! For me half the fun is in the planning, so three trips would just make me the happiest clam, just as I'm sure you are.

I can't wait for the SDMT and the Little Mermaid. Who I kidding? I just can hardly wait to see any of it! Thank goodness for TRs; not sure id survive with out this source of vicarious living!

 

[annie170]

Planning Disney trips is the best! Congrats on the plans for next year!

I love your t-shirt. I need one of those!

Dumbo and Thunder Mountain Railroad are my two favorite night rides. They just photograph so well, also.

How are your mom and Alisha doing?

 

[RGirl]

Hi Kathy!

How wonderful of your friends to get the auction WDW tickets for you! It’s such a special thing to have such good friends like that. :

I LOVE the pic of Mark waving in the hallway - something about the way it came out is just really cool!

It was great to read about Olivia’s - that is not a place that you hear about much on here. It sounded (and looked) like a great meal!

You got some great pics from the People Mover! That’s one of my favorite things about that attraction - the challenge of getting any decent pictures.

I have never done Jungle Cruise at night - I bet it’s a whole different experience. Gotta remember that!

Oh, the Tiki Room! I have a newfound appreciation for this attraction after doing the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps tour at Disneyland (something that I will eventually get to in my TR, I’m sure…. ).

You know, you two really got a lot of attractions in before the nighttime shows. Impressive!!

Your plans for next year’s trips sound great!

Loved seeing the pictures of 7DMT - can’t wait to try it out myself next year! 

Oh wow, Kathy! Beautiful pictures from Dumbo!

What an absolutely amazing MK night - I cannot believe how much you two did! And what a perfect PP pic to end the evening. :

 

[GrammyJudy]

I love the night pictures at MK and Mark's bucket hat.

Good for you on your planned trips. Looks like we won't be going back till 2016

 

[Clarf]

Hah! Best. Picture. Ever!

I'm a couple updates behind, so first, love your people mover pics! That is such a great ride, and you get to see so much. I also love that both of your shoes look brand new!

We tried our first Dole Whips this trip. WE really liked them, Jason especially. He went back for a second one later in the day!

You got a lot done on your EMH night! Love the Little Mermaid ride.

And that Mine Train video and pics! I swear, we must have JUST missed that. I think you arrived the day we left, and we didn't get those. Next time!

 

[ValarDisneyus]

I love your updates. I love all the PP photos at night, too. I hope I can convince my family to stop for pictures frequently!

I'm glad I've been reading comments, too, because now I need to ask about zebra domes? And is Dumbo popcorn actually a different-than-standard popcorn?

I hope your weekend is starting off well.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Mark's face was hilarious when he saw the crowds. And you got some good pictures of Wishes. I love the pictures and video from 7DMT, I hadn't seen those from anyone yet!

 

[heaven2dc]

Love the pic of you and Mark in front of the Castle with all of the Halloween decorations!

I am sorry to hear about your Mom, Kathy. You, your Mom and your family are in our prayers - we think of you and Mark as family here on the Disboards

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Finally joining in. Even though I thought I subscribed to this trip report weeks ago. I always enjoy reading about your antics. Though I am not always good at responding!

What a fun start to the trip!

 

[KatMark]

What a fabulous night at MK!!!
The lines must have shortened up for EMH so you could do all those rides after fireworks.

It really was. We got lucky...seems the crowds just disappeared.
Your PP shots are so cute!

Thanks.

Great that you get a bonus trip!! I love when that works out so nicely!

Well, since I'm not doing a trip with Mary and I knew I couldn't go a whole year until I saw Nicki again, this worked out perfectly.

Good luck to Mark on his new job. I want my daughters to work at Target when they're old enough. We live about 1/2 mile from one so they don't have to drive there, plus I NEED the discount!

I'm looking forward to that discount too.

Looks like a really fun but crowded night! I hate when tall people get in front of me! Glad he moved before Wishes.

Jill in CO

It was crowded early, but definitely cleared out after Wishes. I'm glad Daddy Long Legs left too.

Gosh, you two fit in quite a few rides that first day.

I was surprised how much we got done.

Mark's expression when seeing the crowds is priceless and that "tall guy" getting in front of you seems to be something happening quite often nowadays.

He cracks me up; I keep thinking I'm shrinking more as I never had problems with tall people in front of me before.

Love that Mark got to ride Dumbo and the hat he sported in the shop is just too funny!

No way a trip is complete without Dumbo.

And ..... congratulations on your trips for next year! You picked some great ones and it is going to be so much fun!
Plus it means more TRs for me to read!

I'm looking forward to two trips with Todd and Nicki.

You got so much done that night! I guess that's what happens when you can last until midnight. I'm such an early bird that it's rare for me to be up that late even in WDW!

Trust me, Sarah, at home I'm in bed by 10 if not before.

Awesome travel plans for next year - so excited for you!

Thanks; so excited to have these trips on the horizon.

I love that you have 2 Disney trips planned for next year when you thought you wouldn't have any. So awesome!

Well, we know we'd have trips, just not Disney World. But I'm glad we are holding off on DL for a few years and going back to DW with our best friends.

Congrats on beating Mark at Space Ranger Spin. It's always nice to get a win ... especially if it was your first one!

It was my first time beating him on this (I finally beat him on Toy Story two years ago).

Sounds like a fun night ... even though you called it quits a little early. I can't wait to read about your breakfast ADR!

It was an interesting breakfast.

Haha, wow when you pull out the "last trip" card you really pull out all the stops. That's it, I've had my "last trip" too. Now to start planning...

Rob, I did, didn't I? But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to DW with my best friends not once but twice.

This is great to hear Kathy. I'm glad you're able to get a few trips in next year. Too bad about Disneyland, but it will still be there when the time is right.

Like you said, DL will always be there and I will get there for my 60th.

Even if you didn't have the best spot, Wishes is still Wishes which is to say
perfection.

Absolutely!

Wait... there's a ride photo for the Mine Train???? I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!!! Aw man!

Yes there is (I added them once I got them downloaded).

Yup, those are the 2 most common "negatives" I've heard about it.

Otherwise, I think it is perfect!

Awwww I love that Mark loves Dumbo. It is the essential Disney ride.

Seriously, you should see his room and his collection of Dumbos. It was the movie we watched the night before we left.

I bet if Mark wore one of his hats he'd be "That Guy".

Now there's a great idea! I think I'll buy him one next year and see if it works.

You guys really did cover a ton of ground that night! We almost always skip EMH, not really sure why...?

I especially love morning EMH's...we get so much done that we can get other things done at the same park or hop to another.

I love all your photos! Mark and you are about the cutest couple I've ever seen; the posing, the hats, I just love it!

Awww...you are very kind...thank you.

Congrats on next years plans! So much for this being the last trip for a while! Yay!! For me half the fun is in the planning, so three trips would just make me the happiest clam, just as I'm sure you are.

I can't believe that a week from Tuesday I get to make dining reservations for our trip in May.

I can't wait for the SDMT and the Little Mermaid. Who I kidding? I just can hardly wait to see any of it! Thank goodness for TRs; not sure id survive with out this source of vicarious living!

I bet...you are going to have so much fun.

 

[KatMark]

Planning Disney trips is the best! Congrats on the plans for next year!

Thanks; so glad we are going to do F&W again.

I love your t-shirt. I need one of those!

Isn't it great? And so VERY true.

Dumbo and Thunder Mountain Railroad are my two favorite night rides. They just photograph so well, also.

They are both gorgeous at night.

How are your mom and Alisha doing?

Mom is hanging in there; she's on a mild dose of morphine and they have given her something to help her sleep. She sleeps about 18 hours a day, but still sits at the table to eat and do her puzzles. Alisha goes for a final test on November 5 and then hopefully we will have all the answers. Thank you so much for asking.

Hi Kathy!

Roni!

How wonderful of your friends to get the auction WDW tickets for you! It’s such a special thing to have such good friends like that. :

I told them that tonight when we had dinner together. They tried grabbing the dinner bill but I prevailed.

I LOVE the pic of Mark waving in the hallway - something about the way it came out is just really cool!

It just really shows his excitement. He really is a big kid.

It was great to read about Olivia’s - that is not a place that you hear about much on here. It sounded (and looked) like a great meal!

Truly a hidden gem.

You got some great pics from the People Mover! That’s one of my favorite things about that attraction - the challenge of getting any decent pictures.

A challenge it is too with all those darn posts.

I have never done Jungle Cruise at night - I bet it’s a whole different experience. Gotta remember that!

Yes, you really need to do it in the evening.

Oh, the Tiki Room! I have a newfound appreciation for this attraction after doing the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps tour at Disneyland (something that I will eventually get to in my TR, I’m sure…. ).

I did too (as well as Country Bears) after our Keys to the kingdom Tour

You know, you two really got a lot of attractions in before the nighttime shows. Impressive!!

I was pleased with what we got done.

Your plans for next year’s trips sound great!

So excited.

Loved seeing the pictures of 7DMT - can’t wait to try it out myself next year! 

Oh wow, Kathy! Beautiful pictures from Dumbo!

I hope you enjoy 7DMT as much as us. And thank you...I love Dumbo at night.

What an absolutely amazing MK night - I cannot believe how much you two did! And what a perfect PP pic to end the evening. :

Thanks, Roni.

I love the night pictures at MK and Mark's bucket hat.

Thanks, Judy. How are you doing?

Good for you on your planned trips. Looks like we won't be going back till 2016

I'm sorry you won't be going back until 2016.

Hah! Best. Picture. Ever!

It is a good one, isn't it?

I'm a couple updates behind, so first, love your people mover pics! That is such a great ride, and you get to see so much. I also love that both of your shoes look brand new!

They were brand new. But we did break them in walking around the house before we went.

We tried our first Dole Whips this trip. WE really liked them, Jason especially. He went back for a second one later in the day!

I suppose if I liked pineapple I may have felt differently.

You got a lot done on your EMH night! Love the Little Mermaid ride.

We did; I do too (Mark's not a fan, but if I have to do IASW he can do Mermaid).

And that Mine Train video and pics! I swear, we must have JUST missed that. I think you arrived the day we left, and we didn't get those. Next time!

I'm not sure when they started it. I had seen the TOT video before we left.

I love your updates. I love all the PP photos at night, too. I hope I can convince my family to stop for pictures frequently!

Are you getting the MM? If so, tell them you need to get your money's worth (that's what I do with Mark).

I'm glad I've been reading comments, too, because now I need to ask about zebra domes? And is Dumbo popcorn actually a different-than-standard popcorn?

The Zebra Domes are at the AKL...they are a cake like thing and I just didn't care for them. Dumbo popcorn was probably just a reference to the area we got it. All the popcorn is the same...and Disney popcorn is the best.

I hope your weekend is starting off well.

It has. I got a lovely massage with Edward and Markie came in as he has to drive to South Bend tomorrow so he joined us for dinner with our good friends (the ones who got us the Disney tickets).

Mark's face was hilarious when he saw the crowds. And you got some good pictures of Wishes. I love the pictures and video from 7DMT, I hadn't seen those from anyone yet!

Yes it was, Stephanie. I was happy with some of my Wishes photos; by next time, I'll know my camera better yet. I'm glad you enjoyed the 7DMT photos.

Love the pic of you and Mark in front of the Castle with all of the Halloween decorations!

Thank you.

I am sorry to hear about your Mom, Kathy. You, your Mom and your family are in our prayers - we think of you and Mark as family here on the Disboards

Awww...you made me tear up. Thank you so much. I feel the same way about all of my DIS friends.

Finally joining in. Even though I thought I subscribed to this trip report weeks ago. I always enjoy reading about your antics. Though I am not always good at responding!

Thank you for joining. Feel free to respond whenever you feel like it or have the time.

What a fun start to the trip!

Thanks; it was a good first day and a half.

 

[Poolrat]

All caught up - just before I get really behind again.....



Nice evening of EMH and great pictures - I think the new camera is working great.




Lovin' the 7DMT pics and video- I am thinking they were not really working in Aug.


Good work in hanging in there.

 

[LuvvsMickey]

Whew. Had quite a few pages to go through to catch up, Ms Kathy. Your pictures are amazing and did you ever make great use of your park day! This put a smile on my face this morning. ♥ Andddd, reading this is making me want to book another trip asap. I'm not sure I can wait 10 months before I see my happy place again. I keep reading about all of the construction and wonder how depressing that would be to see, though. Ugh.

I am SO happy that you get to go twice next year to see your bestie. Nothing heals the heart more than seeing your BFF.

As everyone else, I'm looking forward to another entry.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Your plans for next year sound great! Glad it is working out for you!

While perhaps not ideal for picture taking - especially Mr. Tall Guy - looks like a pretty good spot to just take in the castle show and Wishes ... nice a close and in the "feels" zone

You got so much done post-Wishes o'clock. How was Mine Train at night? I enjoy BTMRR better at night, but haven't gotten on the Mine Train at night yet. Speaking of rides that are great at night, Dumbo is right at the top of the list!

Congrats on whooping on Mark at Buzz

That first PP from Mine Train is great - wonderful looks on your faces

 

[jenseib]

I love the video. What a fun memory to have now.
I love those late EMH nights. it does look like it was pretty busy though.
I have seen a lot of people get the dwarves with dark faces. I think it's the flash pictures that does it, though I didn't use flash and I think I got one or 2 as well. It must be how the camera reads them.

 

[KatMark]

All caught up - just before I get really behind again.....

I hope you had a good trip.

Nice evening of EMH and great pictures - I think the new camera is working great.

Thanks, Pat. I noticed some tings I could have done with camera when I got home, but I'll be better prepared in May.

Lovin' the 7DMT pics and video- I am thinking they were not really working in Aug.

Aren't they fun? I love it.

Good work in hanging in there.

Thanks.

Whew. Had quite a few pages to go through to catch up, Ms Kathy. Your pictures are amazing and did you ever make great use of your park day! This put a smile on my face this morning. ♥ Andddd, reading this is making me want to book another trip asap. I'm not sure I can wait 10 months before I see my happy place again. I keep reading about all of the construction and wonder how depressing that would be to see, though. Ugh.

Tracy, the construction is annoying more than anything. But the magic is still there. I'm glad I could put a smile on your face.

I am SO happy that you get to go twice next year to see your bestie. Nothing heals the heart more than seeing your BFF.

It made me smile when we talked the other day and made the plans. I truly couldn't bear not seeing her for another year.

As everyone else, I'm looking forward to another entry.

Thanks...soon.

Your plans for next year sound great! Glad it is working out for you!

Thanks, Phil.

While perhaps not ideal for picture taking - especially Mr. Tall Guy - looks like a pretty good spot to just take in the castle show and Wishes ... nice a close and in the "feels" zone

It really was a great spot; it would have bene just a tad better if we were a few feet over to not have the tree in my picture finder.

You got so much done post-Wishes o'clock. How was Mine Train at night? I enjoy BTMRR better at night, but haven't gotten on the Mine Train at night yet. Speaking of rides that are great at night, Dumbo is right at the top of the list!

I really enjoyed Mine Train at night like BTMR...it's really cool.

Congrats on whooping on Mark at Buzz

It was so fun to finally beat him; he was not a happy camper either.

That first PP from Mine Train is great - wonderful looks on your faces

I forgot they took pictures on the ride.

I love the video. What a fun memory to have now.

I hope they add it to more rides.

I love those late EMH nights. it does look like it was pretty busy though.
I have seen a lot of people get the dwarves with dark faces. I think it's the flash pictures that does it, though I didn't use flash and I think I got one or 2 as well. It must be how the camera reads them.

It was, but we got really lucky with lines. Hmmm...I can't remember if I had my flash on or not.

 

[KatMark]

Sunday, September 21

The first mistake I made was making an 8:30 ADR on the morning AFTER we stayed at EMH's until midnight. Oops...won't make that mistake again.

But I got up, showered and got Mark up. While he was getting ready, I went out to the patio to see what would greet me this beautiful morning:











Can't beat starting the day out like that.

We took the elevator down to the parking garage, hopped in the car and drove to our destination.



This was our first time EVER having a meal at the Grand Floridian. My husband is NOT a fan of the Grand Floridian. When we first visited the resort when the boys were little, he found it very snooty (everyone was dressed with nice shorts, polo shirts and the CM's were not very friendly to those who weren't dressed like that; they actually gave us quite the look because Markie was screaming his lungs out (poor kid had a stomachache because he hadn't gone to the bathroom in three days). Anyway, it took a lot of convincing to get Mark to go.

I took this photo while we waited for our turn for the photo they take at the entrance.







It took about 20 minutes before we were led to our table...seems they were running a bit behind. We had a table not too far from the buffet area.

Before we could even go up for our food, Mark had a friend



Then it was my turn for some Pooh love



We then went up to get our food. Mark's plate



My plate



Mark also got the strawberry soup that everyone raves about



What did he think? He said it tasted similar to the stuff they give you at Kona and it was just okay.

A few pictures of the dining area





Next up was Alice in Wonderland





She was okay...nothing special.

Then my boyfriend arrived



I let Mark have his picture with Tigger too



We had time to go back to the buffet before the Mad Hatter would arrive (Mary Poppins was out ill this day so we wouldn't be seeing her...and she was the main reason I picked this breakfast).

Mark's second plate



My second plate



Then the Mad Hatter arrived



Mark caught me with my mouth open (behave guys on here) as I was answering the Mad Hatter's question



As for the Mad Hatter, he was fun when there were kids, but rather dull when it was just adults.

Continued in next post