Our trip summary

[MiJo]

Cast: My DW and myself (two middle-aged WDW fans)
The Trip: 5 nights/6 days at POFQ (our first time staying there), 2/24-3/1.

We used Southeast Airlines out of Allentown, PA, into Sanford Airport for the first time and everything went well.

We also used Cartier Towncar Service for the first time and were very pleased with the service. The drivers were prompt, courteous and friendly and the Lincoln Towncars were very nice.

POFQ: This was our first time at this resort, although we did stay at Dixie Landings (POR) in 1999. We liked this resort very much: it is compact, the pool is nice and we really enjoyed the spa. The only drawback is the lack of a full service restaurant. We did eat at Boatwright's (POR) a few times and enjoyed it. The foodcourt at POFQ is pretty good as foodcourts go. We were upgraded from a standard view to a river view, Building 5 (Room 5324). We were told the resort was at 30% capacity; buildings 1, 6 and 7 appeared to be completely closed with some minor painting being done to the exteriors.

Transportation: As usual, the Disney bus service was excellent. For the 2nd time in as many trips, a driver went out of his/her way to take us to a destination that wasn't along the bus route. The boat from POFQ/POR/DTD was an added plus for those resorts and Captain Don was very entertaining and informative during one of our river trips.

Park Highlights: Finding the key under the mat at the Muppet Theatre (Studios); seeing the letters in the bottom of the Directory in the lobby of ToT that spell out "Evil tower U R doomed"; seeing several CM's cruising around EPCOT on Segways; Off Kilter (EPCOT Canada); Imaginum, the living statues in Italy (EPCOT).

Restaurants/Meals: We had 2 breakfasts and 1 supper at Boatwright's that we thought were very good. A breakfast at the Kona Kafe was disappointing, although the fresh brewed coffee was good. We again enjoyed a buffet lunch at Restaurant Akershus in Norway and were disappointed to hear the restaurant will be changing from a buffet format to a menu format on March 17. Lunch at Restaurant Marrakesh (Morocco) was excellent and the entire staff was very attentive and courteous. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. We also enjoyed a rootbeer float and sundae at Beaches and Cream. At the MK, we had another fine lunch at LTT.

Trip Highlights: I think our top highlight was seeing/hearing the Piano Man, Bob Jackson, perform at the River Roost Lounge at POR. He was very entertaining and I would recommend this as great family entertainment. We were surprised to hear that the Disney Institute is being torn down to make way for Sarasota Springs, a new resort/timeshare complex. The "treehouses" along the Sassagoula River are being rehabbed to become part of the timeshare houses for this resort scheduled to open next spring. Playing a round of mini-golf at the Fairways at Fantasia Gardens was also a lot of fun even though only 17 holes were in operation.

Thanks for reading our report and feel free to email with any questions/comments.

Once again, we would like to thank the members of The DIS for all their help and great tips! These boards definitely help make our trips a lot of fun!

 

[Marla Hellwig]

Sounds like you had a great time - I will check back later to see your additions - thanks for posting!

 

[mom2of2]

Glad you had a good trip. I have a few questions if you don't mind. We are flying out of ABE in less then 2 weeks! We're short pple lol, so leg room doesn't really matter to us. How did you find the airports? How early did you get to ABE? We most likely have the same flight times you had since Southeast doesn't fly everyday. Was the parking at ABE good? Did you unload first and then go park? Is the walk then far? Did you bring drinks or a snack on the plane and if not did they offer any? Did you have etickets? How did that work out for you? I've never had them before so this is new to me. Sorry for all the questions!
Thanks for the info!
Mom2

p.s. I'm in your neck of the woods quite often, gotta love Boscov's at Palmer Mall lol

 

[MiJo]

Sure, I will answer your questions!
1) Both airports are fine: small and easy to get around in. We have flown in/out of ABE (LVIA) several times before so that one is no problem for us. Sanford was new to us but it isn't much larger than Allentown so that one is no problem at all either.
2) We arrived at ABE at 5:00 AM for our 7:00 AM flight. We checked in and had breakfast in the airport. Our son dropped us off so we didn't have to worry about parking. We have used the economy parking in the past and it was fine. I believe it may have been moved farther from the terminal after 9/11, though. Here is a link to ABE Airport that includes a section about parking. If you do drive yourselves, you will have to have someone stay with the vehicle while you unload your luggage. The vehicle cannot be left unattended. The same seems to be true at Sanford. Our driver met us near the baggage claim area and was then told he had to remain with his vehicle. We got our luggage and took it outside where he met us across the street from the terminal and helped us to the car. If you are renting a car at Sanford, you won't have to worry about that.
3) We did not bring snacks onto the plane for either flight but I would imagine you can. They do serve a complimentary beverage but that's it.
4) I don't think Southeast has E-tickets. My DW asked them to FAX a confimation to us, which they did, but they claim we didn't need anything from them. Other than that, they have a list of names at the check in counter and they check your photo ID when you arrive. One thing: seating is given out first come/first serve so it's better to get there on the early side; there was already a line at 5:00 AM when we got there. The check in was pretty quick. Note: at ABE the TSA personnel are right at the check in area. So, what happens is, you show your photo ID to the counter person, are given seat assignments and then you take all of your luggage over to the TSA personnel who randomly search it. It is all done in front of you. The guy who checked ours was very appreciative of the fact that my DW had our bath items and other things packed in clear, zip lock bags. It made it much easier for him. Once your bags are checked, they are taken behind the counter to be loaded onto the plane. You then go through the customary security check before entering the boarding area. At Sanford, your stowed luggage is taken when you check in and I assume it is gone through in a back room somewhere, out of your sight. I like the ABE system better.
5) For our return to Sanford from POFQ, our towncar driver arrived a little after 4:00 PM for our 7:30 PM flight home. He was about 25 minutes early. It is about an hour to/from Sanford from WDW. I think they cannot let people into boarding areas until 2 hours before the flight so we waited about 15 minutes for the security area to open. Not bad at all.
6) We also like Boscov's!
If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to email me. I hope this helps. Have a great and safe trip!

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

Thanks for the report. As a former Allentown resident (many years ago), it's always interesting to hear about the ABE area.

 

[mom2of2]

Thanks so much Mike!!! I'm going to have to change our plans a little bit and get us there at 5am. I was hoping to let the kids sleep in just a wee and get there around 5:30. It only takes us about 1/2 hour or so to get there, since traffic will be light on 22 that early! THANK-GOD! I just want to make sure that we have at least one parent per child with the seating. I figured we'd stop at Dunkin Donuts and pick up breakfast on the way.
Again thank you so much for all the helpful info as well as the link to ABE.
Pat

mom2of2