Our trip report: Cast-Me, DH, DS26, DS21, DD18 and DDs friend20.
Mon. Jan.4th, 2010-Today we arrive! Flight was on time. We left New York at 19 degrees, and arrived in Orlando at 26 degrees. Hmmm .what is wrong with that picture?? Not to worry we were here! Picked up the minivan at National (went very smoothly) and headed out to our first visit to Animal Kingdom Lodge! Arrived there at about 11:45, and our rooms were ready! At first I was very disappointed, because I didnt get anything close to our room requests. We were put on the 4th floor in rooms 4550, 4552 and 4554 .all the way at the end of the Zebra Trail. It looked like miles away! BUT it turned out better than we hoped! It was really not a far walk at all, once we figured out the best routes to everything in the hotel, and our animal viewing was the best! We were on the Uzima Savannah, and we had more animal activity than most of the others (we found this out when we did the Wanyama Tour) So, if you are ever given rooms way at the end of the hall dont despair! They were GREAT! Spent the day exploring the resort, then went to Downtown Disney for a great dinner at House Of Blues. Called it a day!
Tues. Jan. 5th- Animal Kingdom day! It was FREEZING! Dressed from head to toe, and had a great day. Walked on to everything! Too many trips on Everest to count. We had a blast! Then, back to resort, and to Cirque Du Soliel at 6:00. What an amazing show! We had the best seats in the house, I think. I highly recommend this to anyone. It was too much fun, and all of us loved it! Then we had dinner at Raglan Road. This was a little bit of a disappointment. We asked for a table where we could see the entertainment, and was put in the farthest booth from it. We never saw one bit of entertainment. When I asked if perhaps we could be moved because we would like to see the show, the hostess said (fairly rudely) that EVERYONE wants to see the show, and not everyone can. Food was decent, but we wont be back.
Wed. Jan. 6th- This was an amazing day. We started out doing an 8:30 AM Segway tour at Fort Wilderness. It was amazing! We were the only ones on the tour besides our 2 guides. We went all around Fort Wilderness, through the woods, around the lake everywhere. This is another tour I highly recommend. Such a great experience! Then we had a late breakfast at Trails End, which was great mostly because we were pretty chilled, and the heat and hot coffee was very welcoming! Then the day got even better! We did the Wanyama Tour at AKL. I was very worried about this, because it is MAD expensive! But, my worries were put aside when we did the tour. It was so amazing! We had a great group, and two great guides. We saw every animal up close. Then, it was topped off with one of the best meals of our trip. The dinner at Jiko was more than I could have imagined. The food was so good! And I am so glad we didnt order ourselves, because I know we never would have been able to taste so many new things if we had. What a great experience! Again, I highly recommend it!
Thur. Jan. 7th- We went offsite to Busch Gardens in Tampa. It was fun, glad we went, will not go again. I did ride Sheikra, for anyone that is familiar with that ride. Oh my God. Never again! Loved it hated it! Hubby and I ate in our room with a take out dinner from the Mara. Mara was the worst part of our trip. The food was mediocre at best. We used it for our refillables, but that was it. Worse food court of any we have ever used. Kids went to DTD to eat.
Fri. Jan. 8th- Magic Kingdom day! Loved Space Mountain. Was sad that Splash Mountain was closed. Rode everything multiple times no wait. Hopped the monorail to Epcot for dinner at Biergarten. This is always a favorite of ours, and a must do every trip. Had a blast, ate well, saw Illuminations, and collapsed in bed.
Sat. Jan. 9th- Epcot day! Again, no wait for anything. Did absolutely everything we wanted to do. Had dinner at Coral Reef. It was fabulous! I wasnt sure what to expect, as I had read mixed reports, but all of our meals were really good, and our waiter was so professional. Loved it will be back!
Sun. Jan. 10th- Resort change day! Packed up and moved to Old Key West. Arrived about 11:30, and our villa was ready! LOVED our room! We were in building 62, in room 6230. Third floor (elevator building, thank you God!) Huge rooms. Really big balcony overlooking the water. We could see the Epcot fireworks really well from out there. I will be staying at OKW again. Great resort! Kids went off to DTD, and hubby and I called for a pizza delivery.
Mon., Jan. 11th- Hubby drove to Palm Bay for the day to visit an old friend, and the kids and I did Universal Studios. We love Universal, and had a blast! Did everything multiple times with no wait. Still chilly, but not as bad. Hubby picked me up at Universal, and we went back to eat at Olivias. Food was pretty good, but not memorable. Kids stayed at Universal to see Blue Man Group. They all said it was one of the highlights of their trip. If anyone goes, do not pay full price! Keep asking about discounts until you hit on one! Asking price was 90 bucks a ticket, but with student IDs they got them for 30 bucks each! Great seats, too!
Tues. Jan. 12th- Hollywood Studios! We joined in the Toy Story dash, as we had never done Toy Story before. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! We rode it three times, with very little wait, thanks to Fast Pass! Did everything no lines. I love this park! Then off to Epcot for dinner at Le Cellier. Great dinner, but not as good as our last time there (about 3 ½ years ago). May not go there again.
Wed. Jan. 13th- Seaworld! We always enjoy one day here, and Manta made it even better! Great ride!! Then, we had the best meal of our trip California Grill. Oh my God, the food was indescribable! And the wines. And the sushi. And the desserts. And the service. And the view. Could not have been better. Will definitely go there again. Really expensive, but we left there feeling we got our moneys worth. Best meal of all!
Thur. Jan.14th-Today we all split up to repeat our favorites. Hubby and I went to Animal Kingdom for a more relaxed visit. Walked around at an easy pace, saw Devine (if you have not seen her make a point of it .not to be missed!!) Lunched at Yak And Yeti, which was actually very good! Then .we all met up at Epcot, because my 21 year old son was doing the Dive Quest! He is the only one eligible to do it, as none of the others are certified Scuba divers. So, we watched. What a great experience for him! And for us! I was so happy that he was able to do that!(It was not in our original plans, but we saw the divers when we ate at Coral Reef, and was able to schedule him in!) Then we had dinner at Teppon Edo, and enjoyed it thoroughly! California Grill had better sushi, but it was good here too.
Fri. Jan. 15th- Time to go home. We packed up at a leisurely pace, and checked out at 11:00. Loaded all our luggage into the car, and went to DTD for the day. Had lunch at Earl Of Sandwich. This was the first time we ever ate there, and all 6 of us loved it! GREAT sandwiches, and probably the best deal Disney has as far as food cost goes. Then we headed to MCO returned our car (again went smoothly I will stick with National in the future, for many reasons one of which is the free second driver) The longest line we waited on all 11 days was the security line at MCO! But it really wasnt so bad. Plane left on time, and we fell into our house about 10:30 PM. Happily greeted by 7 labrador retrievers and 3 cats.
All in all, I would say this was a once in a lifetime trip for us. We did so many extras that we really cant afford, but we did anyway. We ate so many great meals, because food is a big deal for our family. We love to eat well! True, the weather could have been warmer, but I think it helped to make the lines shorter at the attractions, so it worked to our advantage. Our departure day was the first day we were without jackets! It will be several years before my entire family can go back, but I am now going to work on a small trip for myself, my step daughter, and my 6 year old step grandson! It will be his first trip, and I am excited to plan it for him!
Mon. Jan.4th, 2010-Today we arrive! Flight was on time. We left New York at 19 degrees, and arrived in Orlando at 26 degrees. Hmmm .what is wrong with that picture?? Not to worry we were here! Picked up the minivan at National (went very smoothly) and headed out to our first visit to Animal Kingdom Lodge! Arrived there at about 11:45, and our rooms were ready! At first I was very disappointed, because I didnt get anything close to our room requests. We were put on the 4th floor in rooms 4550, 4552 and 4554 .all the way at the end of the Zebra Trail. It looked like miles away! BUT it turned out better than we hoped! It was really not a far walk at all, once we figured out the best routes to everything in the hotel, and our animal viewing was the best! We were on the Uzima Savannah, and we had more animal activity than most of the others (we found this out when we did the Wanyama Tour) So, if you are ever given rooms way at the end of the hall dont despair! They were GREAT! Spent the day exploring the resort, then went to Downtown Disney for a great dinner at House Of Blues. Called it a day!
Tues. Jan. 5th- Animal Kingdom day! It was FREEZING! Dressed from head to toe, and had a great day. Walked on to everything! Too many trips on Everest to count. We had a blast! Then, back to resort, and to Cirque Du Soliel at 6:00. What an amazing show! We had the best seats in the house, I think. I highly recommend this to anyone. It was too much fun, and all of us loved it! Then we had dinner at Raglan Road. This was a little bit of a disappointment. We asked for a table where we could see the entertainment, and was put in the farthest booth from it. We never saw one bit of entertainment. When I asked if perhaps we could be moved because we would like to see the show, the hostess said (fairly rudely) that EVERYONE wants to see the show, and not everyone can. Food was decent, but we wont be back.
Wed. Jan. 6th- This was an amazing day. We started out doing an 8:30 AM Segway tour at Fort Wilderness. It was amazing! We were the only ones on the tour besides our 2 guides. We went all around Fort Wilderness, through the woods, around the lake everywhere. This is another tour I highly recommend. Such a great experience! Then we had a late breakfast at Trails End, which was great mostly because we were pretty chilled, and the heat and hot coffee was very welcoming! Then the day got even better! We did the Wanyama Tour at AKL. I was very worried about this, because it is MAD expensive! But, my worries were put aside when we did the tour. It was so amazing! We had a great group, and two great guides. We saw every animal up close. Then, it was topped off with one of the best meals of our trip. The dinner at Jiko was more than I could have imagined. The food was so good! And I am so glad we didnt order ourselves, because I know we never would have been able to taste so many new things if we had. What a great experience! Again, I highly recommend it!
Thur. Jan. 7th- We went offsite to Busch Gardens in Tampa. It was fun, glad we went, will not go again. I did ride Sheikra, for anyone that is familiar with that ride. Oh my God. Never again! Loved it hated it! Hubby and I ate in our room with a take out dinner from the Mara. Mara was the worst part of our trip. The food was mediocre at best. We used it for our refillables, but that was it. Worse food court of any we have ever used. Kids went to DTD to eat.
Fri. Jan. 8th- Magic Kingdom day! Loved Space Mountain. Was sad that Splash Mountain was closed. Rode everything multiple times no wait. Hopped the monorail to Epcot for dinner at Biergarten. This is always a favorite of ours, and a must do every trip. Had a blast, ate well, saw Illuminations, and collapsed in bed.
Sat. Jan. 9th- Epcot day! Again, no wait for anything. Did absolutely everything we wanted to do. Had dinner at Coral Reef. It was fabulous! I wasnt sure what to expect, as I had read mixed reports, but all of our meals were really good, and our waiter was so professional. Loved it will be back!
Sun. Jan. 10th- Resort change day! Packed up and moved to Old Key West. Arrived about 11:30, and our villa was ready! LOVED our room! We were in building 62, in room 6230. Third floor (elevator building, thank you God!) Huge rooms. Really big balcony overlooking the water. We could see the Epcot fireworks really well from out there. I will be staying at OKW again. Great resort! Kids went off to DTD, and hubby and I called for a pizza delivery.
Mon., Jan. 11th- Hubby drove to Palm Bay for the day to visit an old friend, and the kids and I did Universal Studios. We love Universal, and had a blast! Did everything multiple times with no wait. Still chilly, but not as bad. Hubby picked me up at Universal, and we went back to eat at Olivias. Food was pretty good, but not memorable. Kids stayed at Universal to see Blue Man Group. They all said it was one of the highlights of their trip. If anyone goes, do not pay full price! Keep asking about discounts until you hit on one! Asking price was 90 bucks a ticket, but with student IDs they got them for 30 bucks each! Great seats, too!
Tues. Jan. 12th- Hollywood Studios! We joined in the Toy Story dash, as we had never done Toy Story before. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! We rode it three times, with very little wait, thanks to Fast Pass! Did everything no lines. I love this park! Then off to Epcot for dinner at Le Cellier. Great dinner, but not as good as our last time there (about 3 ½ years ago). May not go there again.
Wed. Jan. 13th- Seaworld! We always enjoy one day here, and Manta made it even better! Great ride!! Then, we had the best meal of our trip California Grill. Oh my God, the food was indescribable! And the wines. And the sushi. And the desserts. And the service. And the view. Could not have been better. Will definitely go there again. Really expensive, but we left there feeling we got our moneys worth. Best meal of all!
Thur. Jan.14th-Today we all split up to repeat our favorites. Hubby and I went to Animal Kingdom for a more relaxed visit. Walked around at an easy pace, saw Devine (if you have not seen her make a point of it .not to be missed!!) Lunched at Yak And Yeti, which was actually very good! Then .we all met up at Epcot, because my 21 year old son was doing the Dive Quest! He is the only one eligible to do it, as none of the others are certified Scuba divers. So, we watched. What a great experience for him! And for us! I was so happy that he was able to do that!(It was not in our original plans, but we saw the divers when we ate at Coral Reef, and was able to schedule him in!) Then we had dinner at Teppon Edo, and enjoyed it thoroughly! California Grill had better sushi, but it was good here too.
Fri. Jan. 15th- Time to go home. We packed up at a leisurely pace, and checked out at 11:00. Loaded all our luggage into the car, and went to DTD for the day. Had lunch at Earl Of Sandwich. This was the first time we ever ate there, and all 6 of us loved it! GREAT sandwiches, and probably the best deal Disney has as far as food cost goes. Then we headed to MCO returned our car (again went smoothly I will stick with National in the future, for many reasons one of which is the free second driver) The longest line we waited on all 11 days was the security line at MCO! But it really wasnt so bad. Plane left on time, and we fell into our house about 10:30 PM. Happily greeted by 7 labrador retrievers and 3 cats.
All in all, I would say this was a once in a lifetime trip for us. We did so many extras that we really cant afford, but we did anyway. We ate so many great meals, because food is a big deal for our family. We love to eat well! True, the weather could have been warmer, but I think it helped to make the lines shorter at the attractions, so it worked to our advantage. Our departure day was the first day we were without jackets! It will be several years before my entire family can go back, but I am now going to work on a small trip for myself, my step daughter, and my 6 year old step grandson! It will be his first trip, and I am excited to plan it for him!
