Tink10
Always Lurking
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2000
- Messages
- 1,740
This is my very first trip report, so I'll try to include everthing.......
July 20 - 27
The Party....
Myself (35), DD (13 & a crazed pin trader), My Sister (40), Niece (9), Mom (63) & Dad (66)....
This was quite a tough trip because I had planned it & cancelled it, then planned it again. It was supposed to be a trip for myself & my DD as a "Girls Week Out" to celebrate my DD's birthday, but it ended up a party of 6.
Day 1 (7/20 - Tuesday)
We flew on Spirit from Chicago to Orlando & it was a very full flight. Nothing eventful, we all just wanted to get there.
We arrived at the airport & had a bit of trouble finding our driver from Murray Hill Transportation, but soon, we found him & were on our way to the Dolphin.
We arrived at the Dolphin at about noon & checked in & our rooms were ready. We were in rooms 11049 & 11051 in the east wing. I paid $147.50 per room/per night. We booked the AAA rate for a standard room, but were upgraded to a resort view.
Our trek up to the 11th floor was quick. The 11th floor hallway was VERY run down as it hadn't yet been renovated. We entered our rooms to find that they had been renovated. They were nice....a bit on the smallish side, but nice. The beds are definately the highlight of the rooms & by far, the most comfy beds I've ever slept in.
The view was amazing! we looked straight out at the Swan, and could see World Showcase & Tower of Terror from our windows. Mom & Dad watched Illuminations from the room almost every night.
After we got settled, we headed down to The Dolphin Fountain for a little spot of lunch. We explored the Boardwalk & resorts for the afternoon, until 5:30, when we had our dinner ressie & Gulliver's Grill at the Swan.
Goofy & Pluto were at Gulliver's & it was really fun, but the food left a little bit to be desired. They offered the Meditteranian Buffet that night, which we all had. There was a Pasta Station, several pasta salads, eggplant parmigana, chicken caccitore & a few other dishes. There was a small buffet area for the kids with mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, spaghetti & meatballs & lots of desserts.
After dinner, we explored a little more & headed back to the Boardwalk to meet our Illuminations Cruise captain, Jeff. At 8:10, he was there waiting at the boat dock with a smile. The cruise was $120 (not including tip).
My daughter & I had been on the Illuminations cruise before, but this was everyone else's first time.
We boarded the pontoon boat & cruised around Crescent Lake, to MGM & back again. All the way, Jeff told us Disney facts, trivia & some really bad jokes.
We pulled into World Showcase & Jeff entertained us until the show started. Everyone really got a kick out of "blowing" out the torches at the beginning.
Illuminations was incredible, as always, and after the show, we cruised around a bit more & went back to the Boardwalk. I can't say enough about our Captain. He was wonderful & really made it a magical experience.
After the cruise was over, we stayed out on the boardwalk for about another hour, then headed back up to the room.
July 20 - 27
The Party....
Myself (35), DD (13 & a crazed pin trader), My Sister (40), Niece (9), Mom (63) & Dad (66)....
This was quite a tough trip because I had planned it & cancelled it, then planned it again. It was supposed to be a trip for myself & my DD as a "Girls Week Out" to celebrate my DD's birthday, but it ended up a party of 6.
Day 1 (7/20 - Tuesday)
We flew on Spirit from Chicago to Orlando & it was a very full flight. Nothing eventful, we all just wanted to get there.
We arrived at the airport & had a bit of trouble finding our driver from Murray Hill Transportation, but soon, we found him & were on our way to the Dolphin.
We arrived at the Dolphin at about noon & checked in & our rooms were ready. We were in rooms 11049 & 11051 in the east wing. I paid $147.50 per room/per night. We booked the AAA rate for a standard room, but were upgraded to a resort view.
Our trek up to the 11th floor was quick. The 11th floor hallway was VERY run down as it hadn't yet been renovated. We entered our rooms to find that they had been renovated. They were nice....a bit on the smallish side, but nice. The beds are definately the highlight of the rooms & by far, the most comfy beds I've ever slept in.
The view was amazing! we looked straight out at the Swan, and could see World Showcase & Tower of Terror from our windows. Mom & Dad watched Illuminations from the room almost every night.
After we got settled, we headed down to The Dolphin Fountain for a little spot of lunch. We explored the Boardwalk & resorts for the afternoon, until 5:30, when we had our dinner ressie & Gulliver's Grill at the Swan.
Goofy & Pluto were at Gulliver's & it was really fun, but the food left a little bit to be desired. They offered the Meditteranian Buffet that night, which we all had. There was a Pasta Station, several pasta salads, eggplant parmigana, chicken caccitore & a few other dishes. There was a small buffet area for the kids with mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, spaghetti & meatballs & lots of desserts.
After dinner, we explored a little more & headed back to the Boardwalk to meet our Illuminations Cruise captain, Jeff. At 8:10, he was there waiting at the boat dock with a smile. The cruise was $120 (not including tip).
My daughter & I had been on the Illuminations cruise before, but this was everyone else's first time.
We boarded the pontoon boat & cruised around Crescent Lake, to MGM & back again. All the way, Jeff told us Disney facts, trivia & some really bad jokes.
We pulled into World Showcase & Jeff entertained us until the show started. Everyone really got a kick out of "blowing" out the torches at the beginning.
Illuminations was incredible, as always, and after the show, we cruised around a bit more & went back to the Boardwalk. I can't say enough about our Captain. He was wonderful & really made it a magical experience.
After the cruise was over, we stayed out on the boardwalk for about another hour, then headed back up to the room.
