POR in January- Romantic Trip for Two

[teachermommy78]

I just deleted my entire response. UGH. Anyway, we will have a car, but won't be bringing a huge stroller like we did last time. It wasn't a huge deal with the car, but I'm looking toward to not having such a huge contraption this time. We'll have our super nice high end light weight Mac Claren (it was the ONE thing we got when Finn was born!) and our cheapo hand me down umbrella stroller. I would like to trash the umbrella (maybe it can "break" before the trip!) and spend the $125 and get another Mac Claren. We'll see.

And wow! What an awesome adventure you had! Truly amazing! Was it as you expected? Worth the cost? And your picture is adorable!!!

 

[LilAnn]

Joining in! We'll be at POR in under 2 weeks so I can't wait to read more of your trip! I'm also hoping that the weather cooperates and that our travel plans will not get waylaid by the frequent snowstorms. By the way, that dress in your first posts - super cute!

 

[NMW]

subscribing

 

[jwwi]

Welcome back. thanks for the in depth report on the Dolphin experience. Sound like you had a great time. 10 days at POR must be great, all my trips are much shorter.
Can't wait to hear more.

 

[lnk1229]

Joining in! We'll be at POR in under 2 weeks so I can't wait to read more of your trip! I'm also hoping that the weather cooperates and that our travel plans will not get waylaid by the frequent snowstorms. By the way, that dress in your first posts - super cute!

I am so excited for you- the day before we left we got a TON of snow.. and our flight left right on time from a little airport with only one runway... I will keep my fingers crossed for you!!

 

[irishdancer86]

I'm in! oooh those first photo's of your room just look lovely!

I love the volcano dessert, did your server shout really loudly 'vooolcaaanoo?' me and my sisters used to love when they shouted that as they brought it out, it used to have a lovely sparkler too!

The dolphin experience looks great, and that sushi plate looks very cool!

Looking forward to reading more...

 

[lnk1229]

I love the volcano dessert, did your server shout really loudly 'vooolcaaanoo?' me and my sisters used to love when they shouted that as they brought it out, it used to have a lovely sparkler too!

Haha- that was the best part... Mike isn't one for public displays so he begged Tyrne our waiter not to make the giant announcement... and Tyrne was like- I'm sorry- We HAVE to... so he made the huge announcement on the way to the table and then like.. walked around a bit before sneakily dropping it off at our table... haha- Mike totally appreciated the effort... but he still turned red!

 

[lnk1229]

So on Day#4 we opted to wake up late and head to Hollywood Studios around 11a. We snuggle in bed, showered and grabbed a quick breakfast at the resort before boarding the bus to the park. When we arrived we went straight to the Rocking Rollercoaster for fastpasses. Mission accomplished- and we were off to the Backlot Tour ride!
I convinced Michael we would have plenty of time to enjoy our ride before the "Lights, Action, Motors!" show- and it turns out I was wrong... So we decided to walk around and find a place for some lunch- and we found Rosie's All American Cafe. I must say- I wasn't impressed with many of the QS burgers but this one was amazing. (It reminded me of the Bloomin' Onion Burger at Outback for anyone who knows how awesome that is! sorry there are no pictures- I devoured it!) After lunch we checked the times guide and learned we wouldn't be able to make the second showing of "Lights, Camera, Motors!" because I made early dinner reservations at Mama Melrose so we could watch Fantasmic- I was pretty bummed to also learn that we didn't need to have dinner that early because there was a second Fantasmic Show as Hollywood Studios had extra magic hours that day... oh well...
We watched the Indiana Jones Stunt show and then walked by Star Tours which was closed. We still managed to get a few photos though...

Then walked to Mama Melrose. I must say I was not looking forward to this reservation going in because our last trip had a disappointing experience- we were seated right next to the kitchen area and I couldn't hear myself think. I was pleasantly surprised by our experience this trip. We were seated towards the back this time and the food was amazing. Michael ordered a spicy sausage flatbread and I ordered the steak. The food was amazing, dessert excellent, and the upside down pineapple martini even better!!

After dinner we walked to Fantasmic but arrive very late and there was only standing room left. After talking it over briefly Michael and I decided we would rather watch from the back row than wait for the later show... So we grabbed a seat and I polished off my second martini of the night. After 25 minutes the show started and we were able to see everything okay- but we were adults.

I would say if you plan to bring children you are better off arriving early because they would not have seen the show from where we stood. After Fantasmic we rode the Rockin Rollercoaster- my favorite ride at Disney!

We then decided to head to Downtown Disney. The only problem- you can't just board a bus from the park to Downtown Disney. So we picked the nearest bus station and hopped aboard. Well- we picked the bus the farthest from DTD... Animal Kingdom Lodge. After nearly an hour on two seperate buses we finally reached DTD with an hour to go before closing. We walked around the shops, got Michal's Vinylmation fix, and then headed back to the resort. On our way to the bus we snapped this amazing picture by a lighted fountain.

At the resort we got a quick service meal to share because we were both getting hungry again. After our "midnight snack" we walked around the resort and went to sleep.

 

[lnk1229]

We had ADRs for Chef Mickey's at 11am so we woke up early (well.. early for us that is...), showered, opened the door.... and found POURING rain!! Ugh.. we could have saved time and showered outside! We darted around the buildings under cover for as long as we could and then made the long run from our building to the main bus station... stopping along the way for the umbrellas we didn't pack. Looks like the umbrellas may have been a bit late...

When we finally arrived at MK we ran from the bus stops to the monorail station, umbrellas completely useless in the heavy wind and rain- and when we got there they told us the monorail wasn't working! So we had two choices- abandon ADR or walk there.. and we so we walked! We finally arrived we were soaking wet and in a "not so magical" mood.. And then its gets better... we are seated in a section SWARMING with screaming kids running around... now let me preface this by saying we have been to Chef Mickey's before and understand its a Character Experience intended for kids... but there is clearly an "adult" section with MK views and then there is a Kids section that is meant for just that. Well we ended up next to table with four adults and six kids... the Adults far to wrapped up in their own conversation to monitor their children. So when our waiter arrived, we were soaking wet and already in foul moods, and he makes some sort of cheerful comment like, "looks like someone needs coffee!" and I just start crying... He ran off, grabbed some OJ, and when he returned I had managed to pull it together... time for some grub
Of course- pictures... I tried to capture some of our misery but when you're meeting Mickey and Minnie... hard to not smile.

After breakfast we stopped by the gift shop and I checked out a Vinylmation set.. the more I looked and found one's I liked... I was hooked!! Ahhhh- I picked up 5 boxes and swore I wouldn't pick up anymore... haha- boy was I wrong!! It was still raining hard and we had plenty of days left in the parks... so we opted to go Downtown Disney's AMC and watch Tangled. We got tickets for the 2:30 movie and had time to kill so we went to the Downtown Disney store that also sells Vinylmations... haha.. see a recurring theme? So nearly $300 later between the two of us (oh yea, its that bad..) Mike had found all but two of his desired Star Wars characters and I had the three I had been looking for! We thought we were done and we would keep looking for others we like by trading our spares... We had several duplicates and you can trade them at theme parks and shops similar to pins. We figured we would try our luck with trading in mystery boxes and if we found one's we liked we would hold onto them- no need to buy more. That lasted until our very last day at Disney... but we'll get there... My collection: Toy Story

So- back to our day- We watched Tangled (good movie! I actually was surprised by how much I enjoyed this kids film!) Once it was over the rain had stopped and we were in much better spirits- almost time for Tony's Town Square in MK... I loved the food, the atmosphere, and the location- pure magic. We stopped by our resort on the way to grab clean clothes and dry shoes before heading to MK. Captured this picture on our way in...

Tony's was being renovated but we didn't have any problems with noise, getting a table,.. anything! We were seated immediately in a quiet corner with views of Main Street... and of the beautiful window!

We met our waiter and she was just perfect... I wish I could remember her name.. but she was exactly what we needed. A breath of fresh air- we got our drinks and food right away- and it was amazing... of course, pictures!

Mike's Scampi

My DiVoli

Our amazing desserts.. thats chocolate stamped on the plate!

After a perfect dinner we stepped outside and immediately found a spot for the Electric Parade! Amazing timing...

After the parade we walked down Main Street looking for the perfect spot to see some fireworks.. I walked towards Tomorrowland looking for a bathroom and found a small patio area... no one was there and it was a perfect view of the castle!! I pulled up two chairs, flagged Mike over, and then waited for the magic to begin! Captured a few pictures of the fireworks...

After fireworks Mike's mom called so while he was chatting I took a few more pictures..

We headed back to the resort and grabbed milkshakes before heading to bed early...

 

[Disney_Jill]

Great report and pictures! I love that last picture by the fountain, its really beautiful.

 

[jmskinner]

I saw your title and thought I would check it out and then once I got to reading you are from Connecticut, I just had to join. See, we also were on a romantic Disneyworld trip the same time as you for our 15th Anniversary. Originally booked for POR, but switched to POFQ since our honeymoon was in New Orleans. But the Connecticut reference comes up because my DH traveled to Hartford that Thursday after the big storm and had to come back on Friday for us to leave on Saturday. I wasn't a happy camper those two days, but he did make it back in time.

Love your pics of the resort, especially that first one with the docks, food court and lobby reflecting in the water. Beautiful pic!!! POR is our favorite. And love the pic in front of the fountain.

And we were MK doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour the day of the rain, so I know what you must have gone through that day. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

 

[MelMel11]

Great Pics. Enjoying the post. Count me in.

 

[KatGarcia]

That picture is frame worthy!!!!

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

That pic by the fountain is amazing! And I loooove your star dress in the intro post!

 

[LilAnn]

I have to tell you that I feel your pain with work. I also work the night shift and am always a sleep deprived mess the next day. The joys of the nursing profession.

The fountain picture is awesome! So pretty! I hope the crane is gone by the time we go. We had the crane for the last half of our trip last time too since they were doing some rehab to the outside of the castle.

 

[lnk1229]

Great report and pictures! I love that last picture by the fountain, its really beautiful.

That picture is frame worthy!!!!

That pic by the fountain is amazing! And I loooove your star dress in the intro post!

The fountain picture is awesome! So pretty! I hope the crane is gone by the time we go. We had the crane for the last half of our trip last time too since they were doing some rehab to the outside of the castle.

Thanks all- I LOVE this picture too! I had attempted to get a picture of Mike and I next to the fountain "myspace-style" but it didn't work and a passerby offered to take it for us! No flash, perfect blue lighting, and a sneaky kiss! Something about silhouette pictures- so romantic!

 

[lnk1229]

I saw your title and thought I would check it out and then once I got to reading you are from Connecticut, I just had to join. See, we also were on a romantic Disneyworld trip the same time as you for our 15th Anniversary. Originally booked for POR, but switched to POFQ since our honeymoon was in New Orleans. But the Connecticut reference comes up because my DH traveled to Hartford that Thursday after the big storm and had to come back on Friday for us to leave on Saturday. I wasn't a happy camper those two days, but he did make it back in time.

Love your pics of the resort, especially that first one with the docks, food court and lobby reflecting in the water. Beautiful pic!!! POR is our favorite. And love the pic in front of the fountain.

And we were MK doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour the day of the rain, so I know what you must have gone through that day. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

Wow- we must have crossed paths at some point! We actually went to AK the next day... and the day after that. Our last day in the parks was Saturday and it rained a bit then too.. but nothing like the downpour we had on Monday!
So glad you made it WDW in time! All that snow was stressful!

 

[lnk1229]

Woke up around 9:30- Caught a bus to Animal Kingdom early... We ran straight past the Tree and headed straight for the Fastpasses line of the Safari. When we walked around the corner we saw the wait was only 25 minutes so we hopped online. We boarded our truck and snapped a few photos..

Our Fastpasses weren't for another 40 minutes so we decided to grab Fastpasses for Everest and then headed towards Flametree BBQ for lunch.. Now in our previous visit to WDW this was my favorite QS meal- Love this place... and it only got better for our second visit! They upgraded the desserts to now be a key lime mousse instead of those cheesy chocolate cakes it used to be. Took a picture of my meal for all to see... I sing this place's praises to all who will listen... the way to go!!

After lunch we jumped on the Safari again and this time it was even better!! Mike and I got our own row on the safari so we could slide along the seat and capture as many photos as we wanted!! AND- a giraffe walked in front of the truck so we stopped and had plenty of time to capture photos!

After the second safari we rode Expedition Everest- Amazing ride!!! I tried to capture the picture that comes up when you get out of the ride but we were in the back row and got cut off by the boarder... After Everest we rode Dinosaur... Scary ride!!! Not for little kids! I was scared! That picture I did capture...

After Dinosaur we had plans to head back to MK- so we took the bus to the TTC and jumped aboard a boat heading towards MK.. aboard the boat they told us MK would be closing at 6pm.. I didn't check the time before all of this... DBF was not pleased.. .. only mistake made all trip.. I'll take it! A quick run on Main Street to get a picture of the castle without the crane! And then it was off to dinner!

So our ADR was at Saratoga Spring's Turf Club Bar and Grille. We arrive there a bit early.. okay an hour early.. and they seated us without a problem. We got right down to business and ordered drinks and appetizers:

We LOVED the Buffalo Chicken Nachos- they weren't really nachos at all- more like a spicy buffalo chicken dip (think pulled chicken, hot sauce, blue cheese, and celery. Amazing!! I usually don't like things this spicy but for this I was able to easily make an exception. DBF, however, loves all things spicy and this dish made his night!
Then it was on to dinner- once we checked out the menu it was easy to see what we both would be choosing! Yumm!!

And there was still dessert to think about.. ugh!! We were too stuffed to even consider it so we packed it to go... Basking in the post dinner glow:

We then headed towards Downtown Disney. Little did we know that we could have walked there- its so close! We grabbed a margarita and traded a few Vinylmations. I was a bit tipsy and we were both tired so we headed back to the resort and found this little fellow! :

After dessert we fell asleep!

 

[lnk1229]

Another day at Animal Kingdom. The weather on this day was by far the best it was during our entire trip- absolutely gorgeous.. even hit 80s at one point!!
We woke up late again, showered and headed to the parks...

First Stop was to get Fastpasses for Everest for later in the day. With that done we were free to wander the park and do all of the things we missed the day before. We went on a trek through some animal habitats.. met some Tigers!

After meeting with some rather large kitties we headed to Africa to get some lunch. I wanted to go back to Flametree BBQ because I loved it there so much but the DBF encouraged me to try something new.. So we stopped at Tamu Tamu and I ordered a cheeseburger basket... very disapointing... The burger was plain, dry and left plent to be desired... not my Flametree meal from yesterday! Luckily there was a pin stand close by to make up for it and I found a Chip pin I was looking for!! (Nerdy Chip)

after lunch we went to Camp Minnie Mickey so that I could try to meet Chip and Dale... my absolute favorite characters and we hadn't seen them yet!! We found them almost immediately and I was SO excited.. more excited than most of the kids in line!!

After meeting Chip and Dale we headed to the 3D Bug's Life Show... we loved it but I think its much too scary for little kids. there was a 4-5 yo next to us screaming!! After our quick show and a chance to cool off, (yes- cool off.. I wasn't expecting it to be so warm and I was in jeans and a knitted top!) we went on Everest. This time we were in the front row of our car and I got our picture!

From there we went to the Nemo show! Caught a few pictures:

After the Nemo Show we had pretty much completed the park and despite extra magic hours that night we were ready to head back to the resort and relax... That's exactly why we planned a 10 day trip this time!
We had ADRs at Captain's Grille at the Yacht Club Resort for 8pm so we opted to take the boat from our hotel to Downtown Disney and then catch a bus from there when it was time for dinner... A picture of Dontown Disney from the water...

We made it to our ADR just in time.. And again, we loved it!!

I will say this much- I was okay because I had dressed up a bit... however we did feel a bit over our heads as this resort is VERY nice and the restaurant felt fancy. However.. there were people there with kids, in t-shirts and talking on cells during meals so I think we were just fine! Our meal was amazing again- Crab Legs!:

and dessert: mine was a keylime pie

After dinner we walked along the walkway to the Boardwalk Resort. There we found an open house for the DVC, a few night clubs, and a few little shops. By the time we arrive there it was chilly and many of the shops were closing. We walked a bit then caught a bus to DTD and then back to our resort.

Back at the resort we attempted to do laundry.. It was late when we started around 11 or so but it was only supposed to take an hour... UGH- Its was a nightmare.. we got our laundry out of the washer 30 minutes after putting it in and we tossed it in two dryers. At that point it was 11:45.. And I watched our clothing tumble for 45 minutes or so.. when I opened the door I found one load dry and the other still soaking wet. I tossed the still wet clothing in the working dryer and let those dry until the dryer ran out... 15 minutes later... ugh... so As I folded my dry clothes I realized they were all still heavily spoiled. We were totally bummed- purposefully only packing 5-6 days worth of clothing and I was out of clean clothes! I ended up washing my clothes in our sink and hanging them ALL around our room to dry. By 2:30 we were exhausted, cranky, and still had all dirty wet clothing! Grrr- we did mention it to a cast member in the morning and they said that they contract out their washer and dryers. We did get a refund but we opted not to reattempt laundry.. I figured 3 hours wasted was enough. Lesson learned- next time we pay the extra $20 and check a bag!

 

[amyrella]

i've bee following your TR. (guilty lurker) i also work at a hospital in ct... (southwestern ct)! isnt this weather crazy!>?!??!

anyway that dinner you had at the turf looks amazing!!! was that burger looking meal good? (its probably easier for me to just look at the menu, but i figured i'd ask what and how it was)

oh one more question... what kind of camera do you have? it takes awesome pics.. if you say the Cannon dslr (or whatever its called) i think i'm going to have to purchase it!