My Feet Are Killing Me and I Want a Lollipop 6/17-6/24 (Complete 7/24)

[jecskc]

A kindly CM told us that we weren’t allowed in the pool area for safety reasons and we said we understood and decided to head back to the villa.

We were right across the parking area from the quiet pool and this playground.

While we were out there taking photos, it started to rain again. So we went inside and after checking out the radar, we decided that turning in early was a good idea. So I got a shower, DH poured us a glass of wine, helped me replace my pain patch and we watched Stacey for a bit and went to sleep.

 

[jecskc]

A few comments about this resort:

1. It was very spread out and lush with vegetation.

2. The shower had decent pressure, not as good as home, but good enough. hot water was plentiful.

3. Both of the TV’s were upgraded flat screens which was nice, but the channels had this strange volume thing where the sound was really low on one channel and then when you switched IT WAS REALLY LOUD.

4. The toilets were really loud when they flushed. We also experienced this at Wilderness Lodge when we stayed there in January, so maybe it was a Disney thing ?? We got used to it though.

5. LOVED having the washer and dryer in our unit. I stayed on top of it and did a load every night when we got back from the parks. So when we got home, I only had two loads to do. It was really great.

6. Our fridge randomly froze drinks in the door. I mean the bottled water that we had in the door was frozen solid. And our wine got a little slushy. DH tried to change the settings on it but it didn’t seem to help much. We were totally OK with it, because it was so hot outside that it was nice to have super cold drinks when we got back. And a Pinot Grigio wine slushy after a hot day in the parks is the complete Bomb-diggity !!

7. When you stay DVC, Mousekeeping only brings towels in the middle of your stay, so we had kind of a mess happening. Plus, I just washed towels as we needed them and we had brought some beach towels for the pool from home, so it was fine.

8. Beds were very comfy which was crucial on this trip.

9. There was something about the water that made my hair just ….. weird. I mean, I have lots of hair and it is naturally wavy. We live in South Carolina, so we are no strangers to high heat and humidity and its effect on hair, but I had the hardest time brushing out my hair after a shower. I used almost a whole bottle of that H2O conditioner that Disney leaves for you and that still didn’t work. It was just a tangled mess !! Thankfully, I had my daughter’s detangling spray. And I used a TON of it just to get a brush through my hair every day. So I didn’t really bother fixing it except when we went to California Grill. I just wore it in a pony tail the whole time.

Overall, everyone was VERY friendly and the resort was wonderful and we would definitely stay there again in a heartbeat !!

 

[tink too]

Loving your TR so far. We own at SSR, but haven't stayed at OKW yet - it looks great! Glad you enjoyed your stay there.

 

[jecskc]

Loving your TR so far. We own at SSR, but haven't stayed at OKW yet - it looks great! Glad you enjoyed your stay there.

I highly recommend OKW !! We really loved it there !! I hope to stay at SSR some day myself.

 

[Pixie Princess]

That pineapple-coconut bread is the bomb! We had it at the Spirit of Aloha dinner show last Oct. I detest coconut and loved it. DD doesn't like pineapple or cocnut and even she liked it. Need to search for the recipie!

 

[jecskc]

That pineapple-coconut bread is the bomb! We had it at the Spirit of Aloha dinner show last Oct. I detest coconut and loved it. DD doesn't like pineapple or cocnut and even she liked it. Need to search for the recipie!

It totally is the BOMB !! I don't like coconut either, but I like pineapple. I think both flavors are really subtle and that is what makes it so good. Yummmmy !! I wonder if they have the recipe on allears.net. We tried to make the cheddar cheese soup, but we used a cheddar that was too sharp and it didn't turn out as good as Le Celliers. It was still pretty good.

 

[jecskc]

We got up early on this day and ate breakfast in our villa. Our park for this day was Hollywood Studios and it had morning EMH 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM.

We have never made rope drop in all of our trips, so I was determined to make it this time. And we did !!! I know that all of the touring advice says to avoid EMH parks, but we have found that you can get so much done during morning EMH and that you can really get ahead on the fast pass times. Here is the crowd that had gathered.

DH is always our fast pass runner so he joined the TSM stampede while I took the kids to sign up for The Jedi Academy. This side of the park was really empty as most of the horde was on their way to get TSM fast passes.. I was steadily clicking away as I walked along

DS being Goofy

DD joining in

I signed the kids up for the Jedi Academy and they were in the 10:00 AM show. We were told to be there by 9:40 AM DH called and he said he was heading back our way with TSM fast passes in hand. Our return time was 10:40 AM and at this point it was only about 8:15 AM. We met up with him and went to ride Star Tours

At this point there wasn’t really a wait, it was basically a walk on. The refurbed ride was awesome !! 3-D effects were much better and the ride itself was less jerky. I found that with the old ride, near the end I was feeling queasy, but this time it didn’t happen. We all enjoyed it very much. We headed back towards RnR. Took more pics along the way:

 

[jecskc]

On the way towards RnR, we met up with some characters that didn’t have much of a line, so we stopped to get autographs and photos

DS with Stitch who is his favorite.

DD with Donald and Daisy

DD with Stitch

And DH sneaking in to get in the action

Early morning is always a good time to see these characters in this area. Both of the kids had $50 gift cards and both of them were ready to spend it !! DS bought this silly hat and even though it was in the upper 90’s all week, he wore it quite a bit.

Back to our original mission, which was RnR.

At this point it was a little after 9:00 AM and the Standby line said 30 min. I was a little concerned about making it back to the Jedi Academy in time, so DS and I agreed that if time got too close, we would bail on the ride. DD and DH didn’t ride – not big coaster people. So we got in line and didn’t really have to worry as it only took about 20 min. I was a little worried about my back on this ride, but I just kept myself pressed back into the seat and everything was OK. Oh, and if you are curious, those pain patches were working awesome !!!

Some Photopass Photos

 

[Pixie Princess]

I want you to know in a dozen or so trips to WDW I have NEVER noticed those busts. Just goes to show you, that you really gotta slow down and take in the details. Of course that is one of the things I love about Disney is I notice something new each time.

The kids have changed so much since last fall. Hate that growing up thing they do.

 

[jecskc]

I want you to know in a dozen or so trips to WDW I have NEVER noticed those busts. Just goes to show you, that you really gotta slow down and take in the details. Of course that is one of the things I love about Disney is I notice something new each time.

The kids have changed so much since last fall. Hate that growing up thing they do.

I noticed a lot of new things this trip as well. We were less commando this time and went back and took breaks at the resort. Plus, I had that bad back thing going on, so I didn't want to over do it.

Yes, they are growing so fast. When we got to Disney, three of DS's pairs of shorts were too small and two pairs of DD's shoes were too small. They are growing sooo fast !!!

 

[jecskc]

After RnR, we headed back towards Star Tours so the kids could do Jedi Academy.

This was the Jedi Master and she was really funny and great with the kids.

DD and DS learning the ways of the Jedi

Out comes Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers

There is gesturing and threats, but we weren’t worried. We had the goodness of the Jedi on our side. DS was first to fight him.

Then it was DD’s turn

No one volunteered to join the Dark Side and everyone got a diploma for graduating from the Jedi Academy.

Some of the people in the crowd weren’t sure how the show worked and thought that they might just get picked like they used to do it. When they asked, they found out that now you have to get in early and sign up for each session. By this time, which was about 10:30 AM, they were taking kids for the 2:45 PM showing and some were disappointed. But thanks to the DIS, I knew we had to jump on this early. And I was really glad that I did.

Afterwards, DD wanted to go to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground.
Photos along the way

Where ya goin’ honey ??

The playground

DD likes to trade pins ….. A LOT. She wants to trade with every CM she sees. Sometimes it becomes inconvenient, but we try to be patient.

 

[jecskc]

More playground photos.

Afterwards, we went towards TSM to use our fast passes. We were a little hungry, so we decided to use some of our snack credits. DD and DH each got a Mickey Ice Cream Bar

She’s a MESS !!

DS got a frozen Coke

And I got a Frozen Raspberry Lemonade

These were YUMMY and so refreshing on a hot day. Now it was time to ride Toy Story Mania

Glennbo123 fast pass shot

It was fun as always. It felt like my arm was going fall off though, LOL.
We still had some time before our Lunch ADR, so we did the Backlot Tour.

On the way out, we spotted Mike and Sulley, so we stopped for autographs and photos.

Who knew DH liked the characters so much ?? LOL. He shows up in a lot of the character photos. I was happy to see him so into it.

After that, we headed over to the Animation Studios. This was one of the main things on my “To Do” list this time. We watched the movie and went into the character area. DD and Pooh

We got in line for the Incredibles, but I had just discovered that the drawing class was starting right then and that was something I really wanted to do. So we made it just as they were trying to choose which character to draw. Pluto won the vote. I really liked this and now I am never going to miss it. The kids got a little frustrated, but overall we really enjoyed it.

DH and his drawing.

And here is mine

My family was so surprised by this and I’m not sure why. DS was like” Dang Mom, that is awesome”. Even DH was nonplussed over it. It was pretty funny. I was surprised myself that they had no clue that I could draw well. It IS what I do for my job (I work for a Landscape Architect) and I often bring work home, but I guess they never really paid attention. Most of what I do is computer generated, but sometimes I get to bust out the drawing chops and some colored pencils and some markers and actually get paid for it. Best job ever !! And I love the people I work with, so I am very blessed.
DH and DD got back in line for the Incredibles and right when their turn was next, it was time for their break and they said that Mrs. Incredible wasn’t coming back and that is who DD really wanted to see, so they bailed and we went to lunch.

 

[jamiesmom07]

GREAT JOB on Pluto!!! I'm subbing as I can't wait to hear where your ADR is.
Lovin your trip report so far.

 

[jecskc]

GREAT JOB on Pluto!!! I'm subbing as I can't wait to hear where your ADR is.
Lovin your trip report so far.

Thanks !! We had some really great ADR's this trip. We discussed at dinner tonight which were our favorites. We loved the dining plan and hope to try it again soon !!

 

[jecskc]

We had 1:30 ADR’s for Sci-Fi Dine-In. I was very excited about eating here. And I wish I could say that I got some awesome photos, but it was too dark and I didn’t want to be rude and use flash, so here are the best photos I could get.

Yes ... I know .... lame.

We checked in and actually had to wait about 15 min. before we got seated. Jessie was our server and she was very cute and sweet and gave us very good service. It was very dark and hard to see the menu. Thankfully, I had researched it on Allears.net before we came, so I had a pretty good idea about what we should order. DH said we couldn’t see the menu at all.

DD ordered the kids macaroni and she didn’t like it at all. She said it wasn’t cheesy enough. She ate all of her fries though.

DS ordered a burger and some onion rings and he loved it.

DH and I split a Rueben and fries it was very good, I thought. They even split it up for us and gave us each a pickle.

We all had cokes or diet cokes to drink.

For dessert, DD got the ice cream sundae which she loved. DS got a chocolate milkshake which he loved as well, but he was too full to finish it. He couldn’t finish his burger either, so it was good thing that DH and I split something so we each took a couple of bites of his burger and It was VERY good.

DH and I ordered the cheesecake which turned out the be more of a red velvet cake with a thick cheesecake icing. It was OK. There wasn’t any taste in the red velvet part, but the cheesecake part was good. It just wasn’t what I was expecting when I order cheesecake.

Overall, we loved this restaurant and would definitely go back. The old 50’s movie clips and drive in movie decor were really fun.

DD wanted to ride the Great Movie Ride so we hopped on it. For once we got the cowboy scene and I was really excited until I saw which actress was the Cowboy. She was really lame and we couldn’t understand a word she said, so it was a disappointment. Our main tour guide actress was very good though and we could hear her well. It was almost three by this time so we decided to head back and get a swim in and then rest a little before dinner.

Some photos on the tram on our way back to the car.

DS and his silly Dale hat. (Chip has a dark nose, like a chocolate chip, that’s how we remember it)

DD and her baby Dalmation and Bolt that she bought with her money.

DH and DD

We headed back to the resort to swim. The kids were very excited about trying out the water slide, so we suited up and hit the pool. I didn’t take the camera, so no photos. The pool was very busy, but we were able to find an empty lounger to put our towels and the kids got in line for the water slide. They LOVED the water slide and so did everyone else. It was a hot sunny day and the water felt good after being in the park all day.

On a side note, I wore a pedometer and it said that I walked 6858 steps which equates to 3.3 miles.

The CM’s started a beach ball game. They had this huge beach ball and we had to keep it in the air. She said that the current record was about 60 hits to keep it in the air. After several tries, the crowd really got into it and we were able to keep it in the air for over 100 hits. It was fun. They also started a ballon game. Everyone had a partner and they tossed a water balloon back and forth until only one team was left. Those that participated had a lot of fun. We just enjoyed watching. At about 4:30 PM, DH quickly drove me back to the villa so I could take a shower. He then went back to watch the kids and let them slide and swim for a little while longer.
I enjoyed a quiet shower and I wrote in my journal with Stacey on in the background. After about an hour, DH came back with the kids. We rested for a while and we got them all cleaned up for dinner.

 

[heaven2dc]

Really enjoying your TR!! OKW looks so relaxiing - I think we need to break away from BWV and try another resort next trip. We have rented points the last 3 trips and have learned this saves SO much $$ (I even calculated our last trip saved us over $600 even when Disney was offering free DDP plus we got a boardwalk view). I don't think we will ever go to WDW w/o renting points (unless we could get a huge discount of at least 40% and free DDP and stay at Coronado Springs or another Mod resort). We got so spoiled at BWV!

I have only been to TSM once back in Feb 2008 and on the next 2 trips, I couldn't find it! I end up heading back to Animation Courtyard area and turn towards the left but end up at a dead end! On a map it looks easy to find but when I get there, I get all turned around!

Your kids are so adorable with their hats - makes me wish I were a kid again

 

[jamiesmom07]

So glad to hear you had a great lunch at Sci Fi, we have an adr there in November, new for us. Can't wait!

 

[jecskc]

Really enjoying your TR!! OKW looks so relaxiing - I think we need to break away from BWV and try another resort next trip. We have rented points the last 3 trips and have learned this saves SO much $$ (I even calculated our last trip saved us over $600 even when Disney was offering free DDP plus we got a boardwalk view). I don't think we will ever go to WDW w/o renting points (unless we could get a huge discount of at least 40% and free DDP and stay at Coronado Springs or another Mod resort). We got so spoiled at BWV!

I have only been to TSM once back in Feb 2008 and on the next 2 trips, I couldn't find it! I end up heading back to Animation Courtyard area and turn towards the left but end up at a dead end! On a map it looks easy to find but when I get there, I get all turned around!

Your kids are so adorable with their hats - makes me wish I were a kid again

OKW was very relaxing and quiet. BUT ... we had a car. I would say that if you don't have a car and your villa is a good ways away from the Main pool and the food places, you will have to take the bus back and forth because it is really spread out. So, something to think about. We loved it, though.

I would LOVE to stay at Boardwalk or any of the Epcot resorts !!! Maybe .... someday.

So glad to hear you had a great lunch at Sci Fi, we have an adr there in November, new for us. Can't wait!

Bring a little flashlight with you so you can read the menu. It was very dark in there. Seriously, my research of the menu on Allears.net saved us as we couldn't see it very well at all. We had some awesome ADR's. More food photos coming !!

 

[jecskc]

Our dinner ADR was at Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge at 7:20 PM. I was very excited about this ADR because this is just the kind of food that DH likes.

We stayed at Wilderness Lodge on my birthday trip back in January and it is an amazing resort. We loved staying there.

Security gate

Approaching the Lodge

The other side as we are approaching from the parking lot

Inside – pictures don’t really do it justice – especially my bad photography.

I checked us in at the podium.

They gave me a buzzer and told me it would work anywhere in the lobby.

I took a couple more photos

And got some pins from their pin kiosk

DD wanted this one.

 

[jecskc]

Just then, our buzzer went off. We went to the podium. This restaurant is very loud, but we were seated in a quieter section. Next to us there was a table of ladies that were staying at Wilderness on DVC points, so we asked them a bunch of questions about DVC. They were so nice and we really enjoyed our talk with them. DH really got into the discussion about DVC which got me really excited.
Our server’s name was Bob, but his nickname was Geppetto. You can see why

He was very sassy and fun.

I had another Magical Star Cocktail to start

DH had another margarita

It was huge and DH had a little trouble finishing it. But he did.

DD got a Chocolate shake

And DS just got a coke.

DD wanted chicken nuggets, but they weren’t on the menu. Geppetto heard us discussing this and he told us he could get her some nuggets if that is what she wanted. This made me very happy. DH, DS and I decided on the skillet. Smoked Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, Oven-roasted Chicken, Beef Brisket, Mashed Potatoes, Cowboy Beans, and Corn on the Cob Mixed Greens Salad with Apple Vinaigrette, Coleslaw, and Fresh-baked Cornbread
First they brought out cornbread

It was as yummy as everyone says it is.

And then some salad

Very good.

And then the skillet

DH was in heaven. He loves this kind of food.…. It was all good.
We ate as much as we could, but the three of us barely put a dent in that skillet.

And since we were on the dining plan we still had dessert coming.

DD had her chocolate shake so she was good. DH was stuffed so he ordered something light

No Sugar Added Seasonal Berry Dome

He loves berries and he really enjoyed this.

DS ordered the chocolate cake

We all had a bite. It was VERY good. He was too full to finish it though.

Me ?? I’m a chocolate girl. Since DS had already ordered the Chocolate cake, I ordered the S’mores Cheesecake

This was the best dessert of the whole trip. Or at least a solid tie with the one I had at California Grill. DD tried a bite and went crazy over it. Even though we were all stuffed, there wasn’t a bite of that cheesecake left. Super yummy !!

We all enjoyed this restaurant immensely and will definitely be back !!

A couple more photos

Rubbing Humphrey’s nose for good luck.

We had planned to go out to the dock and maybe catch the Electrical Water Parade and maybe Wishes as well, but DH was practically in a food coma and the radar looked really bad. So we hurried to the car to get ahead of the storm. Then back to resort where DH succumbed to his food coma and went right to sleep snoring VERY loudly. I read a book. I had finished my other one on the way down so the new Smut du jour was

My back was killing me so I took a painkiller and after a while it worked it sweet magic and I put in my ear plugs and went to sleep. I was so thankful for those ear plugs. DH’s snoring has gotten so bad. Especially in his food induced coma. At home, when he gets too loud, I make him sleep in the guest room. Since we didn’t have that option at OKW, I was very glad to have my ear plugs with me.