I too had wanted to do an entertaining trip report like so many I have enjoyed reading here. I will just type the highs and lows...
Lowlight
ME from airport to hotel. No kidding, our driver got lost and we drove around for 1 hour and 17 minutes. She also turned off the AC and turned on the HEAT! Luckily the 8 year old in the front seat told her what button to push to turn the AC back on after about 20 minutes. And, we didn't get to watch any movies!
Highlight
ME from hotel to airport. Driver was great, we had AC and Movies too! When we told him about our ME experience earlier in the week, he asked who the driver was. When we told him and we said obviously she wasn't familiar with the area, he replied, "no, she's just STUPID!" We laughed so hard, he was right, she was.
Lowlight
Response from maid service at ASSports when they didn't make our room up or give us clean towels after day 1 (we really only wanted clean towels). Of course they said, "you must have had your do not disturb sign out." I ABSOLUTELY hate it when someone blames their own incompetence on someone else (well, me really). I didin't even know we had one of those signs. We didn't even use it. Then, they came to the door, DH said to please come back in 5 (I was still wrapped in a towel). They didn't understand so he says, okay come in now. They leave. We get a call from housekeeping and they say, "get your room made up now or you get nothing." Yes, that rudely. They come back and we leave (I manage to get dressed FAST).
Highlight
We got six towels one day instead of four, WHOOPEE!
Lowlight
We took a cab to AKL one night to look at the animals (I highly recommend this to everyone, a good freebie, with the exception of the cab ride) and the cab broke down in the middle of the road. Yes, really. He turned off the cab, restarted it and we were on our way, thankfully.
Highlight
The friends we were meeting there had an even worse time getting there. Oh, gee that wasn't so nice. The highlight is that we got to see quite a few zebras and giraffes up very close! Great pics of this outing. Also the lodge is beautiful and we had a great CM that gave us some great tips on how and where to see the animals. We want to stay there next time we go.
Highlight
Went to EPCOT and Studios on the 4th. Love Soarin, rode it 4 times in two days. LMA at Studios was great. Had dinner at 50s Primetime and had Amber aka Aunt Theresa for our server, she was FAB! Shoulda seen the looks on the kids' faces when she started in on the other DH in our party. They didn't know about the acting involved. Unfortunately, I was in the powder room when the kids had to do Little Teapot. The pot roast was great and the Smores dessert was delish.
Lowlight
Went to hotel before fireworks, rushed out of the room to see them through a gap in the trees (barefoot) stepped on a piece of mulch and it poked into the arch of my foot and I was bleeding!
Lowlight
Cost of meals. Still need to do my food total and compare to what the Dining Plan would have been.
Highlight
Brought a suitcase of food, and brought only a small bit home. Saved a ton on breakfast and snacks. And,
went the honest route and told all servers that DD was 11, but could she please eat off the kids menu? All answers were YES! This saved a ton of money and they all get extra tips for that. Since we were a party of 8 we had gratuity automatically added, but we always gave more beacuse of this.
Lowlight
Heat, heat and more heat.
Highlight
Water spray bottles that we paid $5 for at Walmart, got some questions about where the closest Walmart was to WDW (don't know we are from PA), Cool neckties from Walmart for $2.88.
Lowlight
Funky neck rash from the cool neckties from Walmart for $2.88. Not sure that is what the rash is from, but it is pretty gross... and DH has it too!
Lowlight
It rained a whole bunch the second day we were there.
Highlight
We were at Blizzard Beach so who cared?! We were wet anyway. Also, we had a covered area so we got to be dry when we were eating. And, we got there early and did a bunch of rides before it got crowded. This was a very enjoyable day.
Lowlight
Kids decided they wanted to become pin collectors. $$$$ Mom and dad got in on the action. No Soarin pins available.
Highlight
DD decided her souvie from us was a starter set of pin lanyard and 4 Stitch pins so she was set to begin. DS chose several pins of his own and paid for with his own money and he started to trade as well. One of the CMs at EPCOT gave each of the kids a free pin, no trade required.
Highlight
On the 4th we started at EPCOT and after the first entry point you usually walk to the next rope. Only, the rope wasn't up and an obvious newbie was there asking someone else that didn't know, "do I put the rope up?" We cruised on by, and RAN to TestTrack and I was the first one to the ride for the day! HA! As we all hustled to the "briefing room area", a CM burst throught the side door, and said, "Uh, we're not quite ready for you yet, they didn't tell us they dropped the rope!" She was huffing and puffing. We didn't tell her, they didn't know any better to put the rope up! We were on the very first run of the day. I didn't end up being first in line as my DH, DD and DS were all LAGGING their sorry butts behind.
Lowlight
Had to wait for Soarin this day.
More later if I can remember.
Lowlight
ME from airport to hotel. No kidding, our driver got lost and we drove around for 1 hour and 17 minutes. She also turned off the AC and turned on the HEAT! Luckily the 8 year old in the front seat told her what button to push to turn the AC back on after about 20 minutes. And, we didn't get to watch any movies!
Highlight
ME from hotel to airport. Driver was great, we had AC and Movies too! When we told him about our ME experience earlier in the week, he asked who the driver was. When we told him and we said obviously she wasn't familiar with the area, he replied, "no, she's just STUPID!" We laughed so hard, he was right, she was.
Lowlight
Response from maid service at ASSports when they didn't make our room up or give us clean towels after day 1 (we really only wanted clean towels). Of course they said, "you must have had your do not disturb sign out." I ABSOLUTELY hate it when someone blames their own incompetence on someone else (well, me really). I didin't even know we had one of those signs. We didn't even use it. Then, they came to the door, DH said to please come back in 5 (I was still wrapped in a towel). They didn't understand so he says, okay come in now. They leave. We get a call from housekeeping and they say, "get your room made up now or you get nothing." Yes, that rudely. They come back and we leave (I manage to get dressed FAST).
Highlight
We got six towels one day instead of four, WHOOPEE!
Lowlight
We took a cab to AKL one night to look at the animals (I highly recommend this to everyone, a good freebie, with the exception of the cab ride) and the cab broke down in the middle of the road. Yes, really. He turned off the cab, restarted it and we were on our way, thankfully.
Highlight
The friends we were meeting there had an even worse time getting there. Oh, gee that wasn't so nice. The highlight is that we got to see quite a few zebras and giraffes up very close! Great pics of this outing. Also the lodge is beautiful and we had a great CM that gave us some great tips on how and where to see the animals. We want to stay there next time we go.
Highlight
Went to EPCOT and Studios on the 4th. Love Soarin, rode it 4 times in two days. LMA at Studios was great. Had dinner at 50s Primetime and had Amber aka Aunt Theresa for our server, she was FAB! Shoulda seen the looks on the kids' faces when she started in on the other DH in our party. They didn't know about the acting involved. Unfortunately, I was in the powder room when the kids had to do Little Teapot. The pot roast was great and the Smores dessert was delish.
Lowlight
Went to hotel before fireworks, rushed out of the room to see them through a gap in the trees (barefoot) stepped on a piece of mulch and it poked into the arch of my foot and I was bleeding!
Lowlight
Cost of meals. Still need to do my food total and compare to what the Dining Plan would have been.
Highlight
Brought a suitcase of food, and brought only a small bit home. Saved a ton on breakfast and snacks. And,
went the honest route and told all servers that DD was 11, but could she please eat off the kids menu? All answers were YES! This saved a ton of money and they all get extra tips for that. Since we were a party of 8 we had gratuity automatically added, but we always gave more beacuse of this.
Lowlight
Heat, heat and more heat.
Highlight
Water spray bottles that we paid $5 for at Walmart, got some questions about where the closest Walmart was to WDW (don't know we are from PA), Cool neckties from Walmart for $2.88.
Lowlight
Funky neck rash from the cool neckties from Walmart for $2.88. Not sure that is what the rash is from, but it is pretty gross... and DH has it too!
Lowlight
It rained a whole bunch the second day we were there.
Highlight
We were at Blizzard Beach so who cared?! We were wet anyway. Also, we had a covered area so we got to be dry when we were eating. And, we got there early and did a bunch of rides before it got crowded. This was a very enjoyable day.
Lowlight
Kids decided they wanted to become pin collectors. $$$$ Mom and dad got in on the action. No Soarin pins available.
Highlight
DD decided her souvie from us was a starter set of pin lanyard and 4 Stitch pins so she was set to begin. DS chose several pins of his own and paid for with his own money and he started to trade as well. One of the CMs at EPCOT gave each of the kids a free pin, no trade required.
Highlight
On the 4th we started at EPCOT and after the first entry point you usually walk to the next rope. Only, the rope wasn't up and an obvious newbie was there asking someone else that didn't know, "do I put the rope up?" We cruised on by, and RAN to TestTrack and I was the first one to the ride for the day! HA! As we all hustled to the "briefing room area", a CM burst throught the side door, and said, "Uh, we're not quite ready for you yet, they didn't tell us they dropped the rope!" She was huffing and puffing. We didn't tell her, they didn't know any better to put the rope up! We were on the very first run of the day. I didn't end up being first in line as my DH, DD and DS were all LAGGING their sorry butts behind.
Lowlight
Had to wait for Soarin this day.
More later if I can remember.
