Cast of Characters:
Me, Lisa, 39
DH, Tony, 40
DD, Ashley, 14
DS, Anthony, 6
DD Friend, Megan, 14
We just had to have "one more trip" before the PAP's expired July 30, 2001. To convince my DH to go, I said I would be able to do the trip for less than $1000 and we wouldn't have a lot of sit down meals. Well, after spending over $200 at Beltz and the Disney outlets, I made the trip for $1001!!!! This shows, it can be done, lol.
We had the tickets, drove from Lafayette, Louisiana, and stayed 1 night in a Hampton Inn near Tallahassee and 7 nights at the ASSports. We brought our ASMugs, had breakfast in our hotel room every day, ate at the Food Court, counter service at the parks, and at Spoodles on the boardwalk one time.
Saturday, July 21, 2001.
Left Lafayette, LA and was on I-10 at 6:00 PM. We stopped at about 1 AM around Tall, FL, at a Hampton Inn. We tried 4 times to stop sooner but it was VERY HARD to get a vacancey, especially on a Saturday night. The hotel only had a King room but we jumped at it and the girls slept on the floor while DS, DH, and myself shared a King-sized bed.
Sunday, July 22, 2001.
We woke up around 8, ate the comp. breakfast and were on the road by 9. After numerous bathroom stops, we made it to theASSports about 3 PM. We never stayed at this AS Hotel and were pleasantly surprised. It was so cute. We got the Surf's Up Building! After having dinner at the food court, My DH went to the room to relax and go to bed. Me and the kids hopped a bus to Epcot and saw Illuminations. We had a really good viewing spot which allowed for a "quick getaway." We were one of the 1st ones on the bus and went to bed by 10 PM.
Monday, July 23, 2001.
Woke up at 6:30 AM for EE at MK. By 10:30, we had done all of Fantasy Land and the girls did the mpountains. We left the park via monorail and had lunch at the Food-N-Fun at the Contemporary. After more monorail rides, we went back to ASSports to take a nap and swim. After swimming, we had dinner at the ASSports food court then went to MGM. My DH, DS, and I saw the first showing of Fantasmic while the girls rode ToT and RnR. We again did not wait long for a bus back to the hotel and once there, we crashed.
Tuesday, July 24, 2001.
We sort of slept in as we did not leave the hotel until 9:30 AM. Went to MGM to see Indiana Jones. We had lunch at TS Pizza Planet and saw Hunchback show for the 1st time. After the show, we took boat to Epcot, then bus back to hotel. My DS thinks the modes of transportation are rides and likes them a LOT. We didn't take a nap today and spend a couple hours at the pool. Later that afternoon, we took a bus to Epcot, went to the boardwalk. At this point, the girls went to MGM (ToT, RnR), and DH, DS, and I ate dinner at Spoodles. It was great. Another 1st, we had never went to Spoodles ands will definitely return. After dinner, walked back through Epcot, took monorail to MK, then bus to ASSports.
Wednesday, July 25, 2001.
Another "sleep-in" day. We left hotel in our own vehicle around 10:30 and DH and DS went to Disneyquest while I went to the Premier Outlet Mall near DD to check out the WDW outlet store. After 2 hours, I picked up DS and DH and we proceeded to Beltz outlet. We had lunch in the food court at Beltz and I went to the 2 WDW outlets while Dh shopped at Burlington Outlet. The girls stayed at WDW and went to MGM again! I love it when Ash brings a friend to keep her "occupied." After an afternoon of shopping, Tony's cousin and family visited us at hotel while girls went to a waterpark. We all went to bed around 10:30.
Thursday, July 26, 2001.
We slept in again and went to Typhoon Lagoon water park (we drive to water parks). We arrived around 10 AM. We stayed a couple hours then headed back to ASSport Food Court for lunch. After lunch, we napped and when we woke up, DH went to DD to the Virgin Record Store (had to have another Latin CD) and DS and I did the laundry (with no wait). It started to rain and they closed the pool. Once it rained, it seems everyone needed to do laundry and there quickly became a line (not for us though). After we met back at hotel room, girls went back to MGM and DH, DS, and myself went to Epcot. We had dinner at the Lotus Blossum Cafe in China and dessert at the Kringla Bakery in Norway. We watched Illuminations and again made it out the park and to the bus before the crowds.
Friday, July 27, 2001.
We woke up around 8 and were at Blizzard Beach by 9 AM. We didn't rent a locker this time and just put all of our stuff on chairs. We did a lot and by about 11 AM, we had lunch at the Lottawatta Lodge. After lunch, we went on the Cross Country Creek for 2 full circles of the park. We then returned to ASSports and hung out at the pool. DD and friend went to Disney Quest. When we regrouped at about 6 PM, we went to MK and while DS and DH ate burgers at Pecos Bills, girls and I had Taco Salads at El Pirate (yummy). For dessert, DH, DS, and I had Dole Whips while girls went back to ASSports to swim. (They met some boys who were from our town) DS wanted to see Illuminations again so he and I monorailed to Epcot while DH went back to relax (i.e. TV) at hotel. We all went to bed around 10 PM.
Saturday, July 28, 2001.
Our last full day at WDW. We returned to BB and was one of the first ones in the park. Again, we secured chairs rather than a locker and proceeded to go on stuff. My dh, ds, and I went on Toboggan Racers and Snow Stormers 10 times before a line set in and we were too tired to keep climbing up! After that, DS went to the kiddie section while DH and I took turns resting on the chairs, lol. We ate lunch at Lottawatta Lodge again and after lunch, went back to hotel to nap and swim. We packed everthing except what we would need in the morning before we went off property to DH cousin's house for dinner. His house is located a little north of Orlando and while we were there, I did a final load of laundry. (On this trip, I went home with clean laundry with the exception of the clothes we were wearing.) We went back to hotel and were all in bed by 10 PM.
Sunday, July 29, 2001.
Today was our Travel Day. My DH and I didn't sleep too well last night knowing we had to get up early to leave. We woke up very early, packed the Surburban, and pulled out of the ASSports at 4:24 AM. We drove home with numerous stops and pulled into our driveway at 4:25 PM!
Final Thoughts.
We had a VERY relaxing vacation this time. We only woke up early one time-Monday, for ee at MK. The ASSports was a very cute hotel. It was also the first stop when a bus was shared with Music and Movies. The food court was good. I especially liked the $65 rate and if our tickets would have expired a month later, the rate would have been $49!!! The counter service meals were all good. We are not pickey eaters at all and we will eat more counter service meals on future trips. We ususally eat one full service each day but no more! This was our last trip on these AP's. We were able to go 5 times since July 29, 2000. As I type this, it has been 2 weeks since we returned home and my DS and I are already wanting to go back to WDW. Dh says we will give it a break cause he wants to go to Puerto Rico next summer to visit his mom and family. We did WDW on a budget this time and it worked! (Only because we didn't have to buy tickets). We had a truly relaxing and fun vacation.
Lisa
Me, Lisa, 39
DH, Tony, 40
DD, Ashley, 14
DS, Anthony, 6
DD Friend, Megan, 14
We just had to have "one more trip" before the PAP's expired July 30, 2001. To convince my DH to go, I said I would be able to do the trip for less than $1000 and we wouldn't have a lot of sit down meals. Well, after spending over $200 at Beltz and the Disney outlets, I made the trip for $1001!!!! This shows, it can be done, lol.
We had the tickets, drove from Lafayette, Louisiana, and stayed 1 night in a Hampton Inn near Tallahassee and 7 nights at the ASSports. We brought our ASMugs, had breakfast in our hotel room every day, ate at the Food Court, counter service at the parks, and at Spoodles on the boardwalk one time.
Saturday, July 21, 2001.
Left Lafayette, LA and was on I-10 at 6:00 PM. We stopped at about 1 AM around Tall, FL, at a Hampton Inn. We tried 4 times to stop sooner but it was VERY HARD to get a vacancey, especially on a Saturday night. The hotel only had a King room but we jumped at it and the girls slept on the floor while DS, DH, and myself shared a King-sized bed.
Sunday, July 22, 2001.
We woke up around 8, ate the comp. breakfast and were on the road by 9. After numerous bathroom stops, we made it to theASSports about 3 PM. We never stayed at this AS Hotel and were pleasantly surprised. It was so cute. We got the Surf's Up Building! After having dinner at the food court, My DH went to the room to relax and go to bed. Me and the kids hopped a bus to Epcot and saw Illuminations. We had a really good viewing spot which allowed for a "quick getaway." We were one of the 1st ones on the bus and went to bed by 10 PM.
Monday, July 23, 2001.
Woke up at 6:30 AM for EE at MK. By 10:30, we had done all of Fantasy Land and the girls did the mpountains. We left the park via monorail and had lunch at the Food-N-Fun at the Contemporary. After more monorail rides, we went back to ASSports to take a nap and swim. After swimming, we had dinner at the ASSports food court then went to MGM. My DH, DS, and I saw the first showing of Fantasmic while the girls rode ToT and RnR. We again did not wait long for a bus back to the hotel and once there, we crashed.
Tuesday, July 24, 2001.
We sort of slept in as we did not leave the hotel until 9:30 AM. Went to MGM to see Indiana Jones. We had lunch at TS Pizza Planet and saw Hunchback show for the 1st time. After the show, we took boat to Epcot, then bus back to hotel. My DS thinks the modes of transportation are rides and likes them a LOT. We didn't take a nap today and spend a couple hours at the pool. Later that afternoon, we took a bus to Epcot, went to the boardwalk. At this point, the girls went to MGM (ToT, RnR), and DH, DS, and I ate dinner at Spoodles. It was great. Another 1st, we had never went to Spoodles ands will definitely return. After dinner, walked back through Epcot, took monorail to MK, then bus to ASSports.
Wednesday, July 25, 2001.
Another "sleep-in" day. We left hotel in our own vehicle around 10:30 and DH and DS went to Disneyquest while I went to the Premier Outlet Mall near DD to check out the WDW outlet store. After 2 hours, I picked up DS and DH and we proceeded to Beltz outlet. We had lunch in the food court at Beltz and I went to the 2 WDW outlets while Dh shopped at Burlington Outlet. The girls stayed at WDW and went to MGM again! I love it when Ash brings a friend to keep her "occupied." After an afternoon of shopping, Tony's cousin and family visited us at hotel while girls went to a waterpark. We all went to bed around 10:30.
Thursday, July 26, 2001.
We slept in again and went to Typhoon Lagoon water park (we drive to water parks). We arrived around 10 AM. We stayed a couple hours then headed back to ASSport Food Court for lunch. After lunch, we napped and when we woke up, DH went to DD to the Virgin Record Store (had to have another Latin CD) and DS and I did the laundry (with no wait). It started to rain and they closed the pool. Once it rained, it seems everyone needed to do laundry and there quickly became a line (not for us though). After we met back at hotel room, girls went back to MGM and DH, DS, and myself went to Epcot. We had dinner at the Lotus Blossum Cafe in China and dessert at the Kringla Bakery in Norway. We watched Illuminations and again made it out the park and to the bus before the crowds.
Friday, July 27, 2001.
We woke up around 8 and were at Blizzard Beach by 9 AM. We didn't rent a locker this time and just put all of our stuff on chairs. We did a lot and by about 11 AM, we had lunch at the Lottawatta Lodge. After lunch, we went on the Cross Country Creek for 2 full circles of the park. We then returned to ASSports and hung out at the pool. DD and friend went to Disney Quest. When we regrouped at about 6 PM, we went to MK and while DS and DH ate burgers at Pecos Bills, girls and I had Taco Salads at El Pirate (yummy). For dessert, DH, DS, and I had Dole Whips while girls went back to ASSports to swim. (They met some boys who were from our town) DS wanted to see Illuminations again so he and I monorailed to Epcot while DH went back to relax (i.e. TV) at hotel. We all went to bed around 10 PM.
Saturday, July 28, 2001.
Our last full day at WDW. We returned to BB and was one of the first ones in the park. Again, we secured chairs rather than a locker and proceeded to go on stuff. My dh, ds, and I went on Toboggan Racers and Snow Stormers 10 times before a line set in and we were too tired to keep climbing up! After that, DS went to the kiddie section while DH and I took turns resting on the chairs, lol. We ate lunch at Lottawatta Lodge again and after lunch, went back to hotel to nap and swim. We packed everthing except what we would need in the morning before we went off property to DH cousin's house for dinner. His house is located a little north of Orlando and while we were there, I did a final load of laundry. (On this trip, I went home with clean laundry with the exception of the clothes we were wearing.) We went back to hotel and were all in bed by 10 PM.
Sunday, July 29, 2001.
Today was our Travel Day. My DH and I didn't sleep too well last night knowing we had to get up early to leave. We woke up very early, packed the Surburban, and pulled out of the ASSports at 4:24 AM. We drove home with numerous stops and pulled into our driveway at 4:25 PM!
Final Thoughts.
We had a VERY relaxing vacation this time. We only woke up early one time-Monday, for ee at MK. The ASSports was a very cute hotel. It was also the first stop when a bus was shared with Music and Movies. The food court was good. I especially liked the $65 rate and if our tickets would have expired a month later, the rate would have been $49!!! The counter service meals were all good. We are not pickey eaters at all and we will eat more counter service meals on future trips. We ususally eat one full service each day but no more! This was our last trip on these AP's. We were able to go 5 times since July 29, 2000. As I type this, it has been 2 weeks since we returned home and my DS and I are already wanting to go back to WDW. Dh says we will give it a break cause he wants to go to Puerto Rico next summer to visit his mom and family. We did WDW on a budget this time and it worked! (Only because we didn't have to buy tickets). We had a truly relaxing and fun vacation.
Lisa
