POR in January- Romantic Trip for Two

[amyrella]

ok... so i looked at the menu for the turf club, and i didnt see neither one of those meals on it.... has it changed? or were those specials?

 

[lnk1229]

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!

Haha- I was a guilty lurker too before our trip! This weather has been terrible! I am so ready to pull those summer dresses back out of the attic!!

Our dinner @ the Turf Club Bar and Grill was amazing- DBF said it was the BEST meal he has ever had... ever!! It was a juicy burger topped with a lobster claw and cheese.... yum!! The fires were both regular fries and sweet potato fries with a parm. crust.

My camera is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. Its a 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD. It was a gift from DBF for graduating from nursing school and passing my boards. My little Canon died after four years of school and I wanted something that was a lot nicer for our Disney trip! I found it on Amazon and it didn't come cheap... but it was well worth it because I am a bit of a photo-holic... And I haven't had a crummy picture yet! As an example.... this photo was taken of the castle.. from the TTC- all the way across the Lagoon!!

 

[amyrella]

ok so found the real menu for the Turf Club on the WDW site and i made an ADR for there! woohoo! i want that buffalo chix salsa! lol

and that pic is awesome!! omg!! i'm gonna have to go see what kind of price i can get for it!

thanks!! and ditto to the summer dresses!!!!!


*eta* so the panasonic is half the priceof the canon rebel (which seems to take amazin pics as well) sooo... i may go for the panasonic! thanks for teh info!

 

[jwwi]

Wow what amazing meals. Both of your dinners look so good. I am hoping that we have buffalo chicken dip at our Superbowl party on Sunday. Such a yummy dish. Your pictures are amazing, so clear. Glad to hear you took a boat trip to DTD. It is one of the best things about staying at POR.

Sorry about your wash experience, what a bummer.

 

[lnk1229]

(UGH- I just deleted my entire post and have to redo it- GRRR)

We spent the morning sleeping in and then caught a bus to MK. We went straight to Thunder Mountain and picked up fastpasses. After grabbing fast passes we walked to Fantasyland and I couldn't resist getting my picture on the Dumbo ride...

After riding Dumbo we got a snack- a strawberry shortcake sundae at Mrs. Pott's.. yum!! We probably could have gotten two but we opted to share.. more romantic that way and we didn't want to spoil lunch!

We shopped a bit in Fantasyland and then we walked towards Frontierland and hopped on Thunder Mountain using our fastpasses. After our ride we went to Pecos Bill for a QS lunch. I was a bit wary of another QS burger but this one was actually pretty good- a burger topped with BBQ sauce and an onion ring. I regret not getting the taco salad because it looked so good but my burger was yummy so its all good! After lunch we went to the Haunted Mansion and we got stuck on the ride for a bit! After 15 minutes in the seance room we were back in daylight and tried the Pooh ride. It was a long wait but there was plenty of the little kids (and us) to do. After the Pooh ride we rode the teacups- my childhood favorite. We even caught a bit on video!

We then went to the Raceway- Mike and I wanted to "race" each other but some rude foreign kids shoved past him and took his assigned car. (Can I just say I HATED the large groups of foreign, unsupervised kids but this was the last straw. I considered taking the leader's flag that they all follow and throwing it off a cliff in the hopes that they would follow..) Mike was able to capture this picture of me seeing as how he wasn't even on the track at the same time as me...

After our car ride we checked out the billboards in Fantasyland- Disney had just announced their plans to improve Fantasyland and I wanted to see what they are working on! The plans include a Dining/Storytelling with Beauty and the Beast, A Snow White's Dwarves Rollercoaster, Ariel theater, and a Double Dumbo ride... Took a few pictures so that you could see!!

After reviewing the billboards we waited in line to fly on Astro Orbiter and can I just say.. This ride has amazing views and has some serious potential to be romantic.. If we weren't crammed into this tiny rocketship!! (Clearly not meant for two adults...) We looked at the Space Mountain wait and opted to grab a bite to eat instead.
We picked up a snack at Liberty Tavern because we needed to use up snack credits and I love the funnel cakes! We must have gone at least twice during our 10 day stay and I think its probably the snack I miss most being home.
Mike got a giant ice cream sandwich and we shared a Liberty Tavern Icee.

After our snack we "toodled" around Main Street and then it was time to head back to the resort to get ready for our big dinner date. I showered, tossed on some makeup and slipped on the dress I bought special for the occasion. We then boarded a bus back to MK.

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We arrived at the park an hour prior to our ADR time so I begged Mike to let us get some pictures in front of the castle. You see- I wear scrubs at work and Mike works behind a computer so we don't have many reasons to get dressed up and take pictures. (I wanted to feel like a princess- hence the special dress and rare makeup!) Mike humored me and we were able to get a few photos taken by the Disney Photopass Photographers:

After a few photos we boarded the monorail to the Contemporary Resort. When we arrived we took the elevator to the 2nd(?) floor to meet the hostess at the check in desk. I was so excited!! We checked in and waited for our special elevator up to the restaurant.

(I started to exceed the number of photos with my next post so I had to split them... )



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[lnk1229]

When we arrived on the 15th floor we were instantly greeted by another host and he told us they had a special seat for us- right by the window with views of the Magic Kingdom. I was completely shocked- I thought there would be no way we would see the castle from our seat. I thought they had the wrong couple but nope- we were seated at the perfect table just for us. It was so magical! I think with all my planning for this trip this was the one night I was most excited for- and it worked out perfectly! I day-dreamed about how perfect this night could be and it was so amazing!
A picture of the view from our table.. just so you can get an idea of how amazing this view is...

When we looked at the menu everything looked so amazing. We decided to order appetizers on top of what is covered by the regular dining plan- it was our big night and we wanted to celebrate it the right way! (The meal plan covered one of the main entrees and a dessert.) I ordered a sangria and we couldn't decide on an appetizer. So we ordered both: a California roll and Lobster salad on the side

After our appetizers it was getting close to fireworks time so we asked our waitress if it would be okay to hold off on ordering our entrees.. We didn't want them to come right in the middle of fireworks! She said of course- refilled our beverages and then left us to ourselves- just the way we wanted it. We chatted and actually took the time to relax and enjoy time together not running around- I think we spent so much time wrapped up in all that was going on around us during the day that we sorta exhausted ourselves for our nights together.
When the music started playing signaling it was nearly fireworks time we left our seats and went out to the walkway. We probably could have watched the fireworks from our seat but there was something about being outside on a gorgeous night watching the whole thing- fireworks, the castle... I wanted to be snuggled close to my man on a balcony in the warm night air!

A few of the million photos I took:

So after fireworks it was time for dinner. Here is dinner and dessert:

Dessert was especially awesome- handmade ice cream with a melty-center cake and strawberry goo to spread all over it...
(haha- like my classy assessment? Like I said- we don't get out much!)

Our waiter took a picture of us- tried to get the castle in the photo but its too dark in the back.. Still love this picture of the two of us...

So after an amazing dinner I took a few pictures of the place so you could see it and then our amazing dinner was over! There was a small bar/lounge area you could relax at before being seated if you weren't seated right way. And then a very small seating area- I guess it adds to the feeling of exclusivity. I loved this romantic dinner for two and I really hope we can go back again! I was easily the best night I have ever had.

I didn't want the night to be over just yet so we opted to board a bus and head to DTD. We walked around holding hands, giggling, drinking margaritas together and then we snuggled up on the boat ride back to our resort. There is something just so completely magical about falling in love with someone all over again at Disney. Don't get me wrong- DBF and I were happy before going... but that fluttery feeling you get when staring into someone's eyes while basking in a post firework glow... So perfect!

Best. Date Night. Ever.

ZzZzZzzZZzzZzZz...

 

[cinderellabride2011]

Love your trip report!! My Fiance and I are going on our disneymoon in May, I love reading all the romantic trip reports to get ideas of romantic things to do while there. I had a question, how much was the tour with the dolphins? And how far in advance do u have to book the tour? That would be a fun tour for us to do and I think my fiance would really like it too.

Your photo by the fountain was gorgeous!! You have great photographer skills, all of your photos are amazing! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[lnk1229]

Love your trip report!! My Fiance and I are going on our disneymoon in May, I love reading all the romantic trip reports to get ideas of romantic things to do while there. I had a question, how much was the tour with the dolphins? And how far in advance do u have to book the tour? That would be a fun tour for us to do and I think my fiance would really like it too.

Your photo by the fountain was gorgeous!! You have great photographer skills, all of your photos are amazing! Thanks for sharing!!

Aww- Thanks!! So excited for you! There is tons of romance to be had at Disney! I think the best thing you can do is not not get too wrapped up in all the rides and shows... they can be fun but the most romantic things we did were quiet walks on resort beaches, quiet dinners at resort restaurants, and small, quiet tours like the dolphin one we did!

The Dolphins in Depth Tour was scheduled aprox. 30 days before we left by calling 1-407-WDW-TOUR. The total cost for the two of us was $330 (with a discount because I have a Disney Visa... you can also get discounts for being a DVC member or a AAA member) The cost covers a 3-hour tour backstage for no more than 8 people, wet suit and water shoes, shower facilities, locker rental, and a 5x7 photo with a dolphin. My DBF freaked when he saw the price (I made the mistake of handing him the confirmation page that I had written on ) but afterward he was was so excited and said he thought it was well worth it... My DBF heard about it last time we were there and he said he would love to try it. When I was researching online I found it and was like- no matter what, he deserves this surprise. So happy I did it!!

Enjoy your Disneymoon and please consider posting a TR- I would love to read it!!

 

[lnk1229]

We awoke early and boarded a bus to Epcot.

Our first stop was along the way to Soarin- I saw Chip and Dale and just had to get another picture! (Mildly obsessed with these furry twins)

After a quick photo it was on to Soarin to pick up fastpasses- despite the board saying they had all been distributed they were not! We picked up our passes and started off towards the Worlds showcase- stopping of course to take a picture with Duffy- Epcot's newest mascot!
We started in Mexico- picking up margaritas to start our Drinking Around the World attempt... and we sipped our margaritas all the way to Norway where we stopped for an amazing QS lunch! This meal was HUGE! You had a choice of sandwiches, a choice of sides (fruit cup, salad, or soup), a choice of dessert (any pastry in the bakery) and a giant soda! Yum!

No- we did not stop and drink in Norway... we pretty much failed at DATW at our second stop ... but it didn't stop us from continuing to drink throughout the day! Walked through China, no booze there either. No worries- we will still manage to drink yet! Our next stop was Germany- and despite being stuffed from lunch Mike wanted to use a snack credit to get a pretzel and I decided to have another drink- German beer!

It was onto Italy where I sampled wine but could not finish the entire glass- an absolute shame but I had to reserve some liver cells for the remaining worlds! You see, I am what my DBF lovingly refers to as a "cheap date" .. and I was already a bit tipsy! It was onward to Japan!
I love the Japanese shop and spent a long time looking around for the perfect gift for my little borther who loves anything Japanese or anime... I didn't find much but I did get drawn into the "Find a Pearl"... and created this necklace with the pearl that was found in my oyster. It was cool watching everyone else get their pearls.. one little girl got a gorgeous pink one and another girl got two pearls in her one oyster!

By the time we left the shop it was pouring- and time to use our fastpasses! We were exactly halfway around the World Showcase and it was raining HARD. We ran from Japan to Soarin and waited in a short line to board. It was a lot of fun but I cannot imagine waiting 70+ minutes to ride.. I was glad we had fastpasses! It was still raining when we got out but we wanted to get our free 5x7 photo as a perk for being Disney Visa members so we ran to Innovations. There we met Minnie and had our picture taken with her.

After our photo session we grabbed ice cream at Fountain View- a snack credit for one scoop in a waffle cone. I ordered mint chocolate chip and DBF ordered Strawberry. We were able to get a seat despite the rain by splitting up.. I waiting in line and DBF table stalked people as the left. Once we finished ice cream we decided to head back to the resort and pick up some dry clothing/footwear. (Our ponchos helped a bit but not with shoes..)

On the way out of the park we stopped at the photo center to pick up our free photo. Now on the bottom of the coupon they give you it says you must get a copy of the photo taken with the character at Innovations. But on the day we were there they were slow in uploading photos so our Minnie picture wasn't available for printing just yet. The guy offered to print it for us and have it delivered to our resort but to be honest I didn't want the Minnie picture printed because I was sure we would look terrible with the rain and all. So in a split second decision I told him we were leaving too soon to have it delivered and could we please print up a picture taken earlier in our stay... for example the one of us all dressed up in front of the castle. He agreed and I was so excited!! I love that picture and cannot wait to frame it! It was onto the resort to get ready for dinner

We showered and changed and were back in the park within 90 minutes. We had ADRs at Le Cellier for 7:45 and arrived a bit early- just enough time to snap some photos!

We were seated fairly quickly and immediately ordered some drinks. We both opted to choose from the Chef's pairings so we could get Cheddar soup with our Dining Plan meal as an appetizer. I think we both ordered the strip steak and "moose" for dessert! I really wanted to try the baked mac and cheese - It was absolutely amazing! The best mac and cheese I have ever had .... ever!

After dinner it was extra magic hours so we decided to finish our walk around the worlds.. Starting with the next stop- the UK. I was still sporting a buzz from my drink at dinner so this was as close as I could get to drinking while there:

After the UK- we slowly strolled the remaining Worlds... enjoying each others company and in no particular rush to let the evening end. We stopped in Norway to pick up a cologne my dad likes... and so that i could chat with a troll.. okay.. I may have still been a bit tipsy...

After my chat with the troll we made one last stop at Mexico after learning about the Fiesta Margarita... who could resist?!

So in the end we only drank in Mexico (a total of three times during our trip), Germany, Italy and Canada... what can I say... we tried!
We sipped our drinks on the way out to the exit.. I had to chug mine at the end because you can't leave the park with it! Brain freeze!

We went back to the resort and rested up for our last full day in the parks!

 

[lnk1229]

So while we were at the Boardwalk the other night we decided to give the DVC a chance and see if they could answer a few questions about the program for us. I first heard about DVC right here and wanted more information. We scheduled a pick-up around 10:30 and they arrive right on time. When we arrived everyone was really friendly but we couldn't help but feel a bit awkward... I mean, it was obvious they wanted to sell something to us and we really didn't have enough information going into the process so we felt a bit.. wary. We met Tony, our DVC "guide"... he was friendly and easy going enough and answered all of our questions. We toured the sample rooms and learned about pricing... and when we left we actually thought we might be willing to go forward with it. Of course- DVC had an incentive if we agreed to purchase then and there but I wanted to think about it more. So we said goodbye and had all the information sent to our resort.

We decided that while we were at Saratoga Springs we might as well get Mike's Buffalo Chicken Nachos that he loved so much! Caught a few photos along the way... Actually, I think this one was taken the last time we were there but its still my favorite...

So we chatted over nachos and then DVC brought us right to Hollywood studios so we could finish our last day in the parks! Not ready to go!!

So the first stop was to Toy Story Midway Mania.. we just had to see what all the fuss was about! Well it was a 40 minute wait and well worth it once we finally got a chance to ride! I just wish we had known about it sooner because I would have loved to do it again! But we were hungry after a busy morning so it was back to Rosie's- too good the first time to not try it again!

After lunch we made sure to see the Lights, Action, Motor Show that we missed last time! We were one of the first people in line so we got amazing seats. I was freezing because the temperature dropped a bit that day and we were in the shade so instead of taking pictures I kept my hands warm inside my sweatshirt. After L,A,M it was time to ride the Rockin Rollercoaster!

On the way to the ride I found a Disney Snuggie and adapted it to be a creative "robe" that didn't drag on the ground despite its length... DBF just laughed at me because I am always so chilly when he is perfectly comfortable.. but even he was cold today! We forgot all about the cold on the ride- and caught this picture of us!

After the Rockin Rollercoaster we decided to head back to the resort and warm up a bit while packing to go home the next day. We hate 7:30 dinner reservations at Fulton's in DTD- at least 2 hours to kill at POR.

We packed and jumped on a bus to DTD- I wanted to ride the boat but I think I probably would have frozen to death.. bus was a safer option.
We arrive at DTD early and decided to use up our last quick service meal at Earl of Sandwich- we figured we could pack the sandwiches for the plane ride home. We shopped, traded Vinylmations, and then it was time for some dinner!

We were seated immediately and met our waitress Caitlin.. who just happened to grown up in our new hometown! It was a really cool chatting about all the small landmarks and hangouts- and its not a big down! What a surprise! After looking over the menu Mike decided to splurge and order expensive Crab Claws and I ordered 1.5lbs of Snow Crab legs.... YUM!

The view from inside and a photo of us after our last dinner at Disney:

After dinner we made one last stop to the Vinylmation store- I picked out 2 Star Wars boxes for Mike and he picked out a third... and guess what?! He go the last of the characters he was looking for!! It was like- a perfect ending to our perfect trip! I however still had Vinylmations to trade and I was desperate to find the sold-out Toy Story Vinylmations...So we traded around and I magically found Woody, Squeaky, and Rex all in one night- by guessing from mystery boxes!! After a hard night of trading we returned to our resort, packed the remainder of our things, and finished the night by grabbing apple slices and caramel sauce-my favorite "healthy" snack- using up the last of our snack credits! The next morning was going to be an early one..... And of course- we stayed up late, soaking up the last of our time at Disney...




Sorry if this post seems shorter.. I think after a long trip this day was more low-key.. we just enjoyed time together and I didn't take nearly as many pictures...



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[lnk1229]

 

[lnk1229]

 

[lnk1229]

 

[lnk1229]

 

[lnk1229]

That's All Folks!
*~*~*~*~*~*
The End​

I am more than happy to answer questions, share more memories as they come to me, and get advice/input from other DISers...
I will need something to keep me going until our next trip!! I am not sure how long it will be before we get a chance to go again..

So pretty please, if you have questions or comments, post away!

Thanks all- It's been fun posting the story of our trip for you!​

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Hi there I just finished reading your TR and it looks like you guys had an awesome trip!! We are headed to POR next month and I was wondering what condition you found the room to be in? I have read lots of negative reviews due to the obvious need of refurb which is starting AFTER our trip . So, just curious on your own thoughts regarding the resort and room. Thanks!!

 

[irishdancer86]

wow, just go caught up in your whole trip, I liked hearing about the romantic moments, that silheouette photo is AMMMAAAAZING, might have to steal that idea!

I loved your dressy night dress! and some of the food photos have given me some new thoughts for ADR choices!

I might have missed this but have you got another trip planned?

 

[KatGarcia]

Great great report! I am really enjoying it!!!

Do you ever come to NYC? I run a Disney Trading group (Mouse Traders NYC) and we meet every couple of months for trading Vinyls, Pins and stories about WDW, and I was wondering if you'd like to come?!

Looking forward to the rest of the report.

 

[lnk1229]

Hi there I just finished reading your TR and it looks like you guys had an awesome trip!! We are headed to POR next month and I was wondering what condition you found the room to be in? I have read lots of negative reviews due to the obvious need of refurb which is starting AFTER our trip . So, just curious on your own thoughts regarding the resort and room. Thanks!!

We have only been to Disney Resorts twice- Caribbean Beach and POR... and when comparing the two, Caribbean Beach room was much more updated (but we also got a pirate room by mistake ) That's not to say I found our POR room to be run down or anything... The carpet was clean/unworn, linens neat and furniture just fine.. I think the only place where I really looked at it us was a bit turned off was the shower... tiling looked like it had seen better days. Other than that we were happy with the resort, the food service, the pool area, and condition of the building. All I can say is- if you are bringing kids and plan to use the buses be sure to request a room close to transportation! Otherwise- have an awesome time and I wouldn't worry about the condition of POR too much... We would return again!

wow, just go caught up in your whole trip, I liked hearing about the romantic moments, that silheouette photo is AMMMAAAAZING, might have to steal that idea!

I loved your dressy night dress! and some of the food photos have given me some new thoughts for ADR choices!

I might have missed this but have you got another trip planned?

Glad you like the pictures and by all means- steal away!! I would love to see your version of the silhouette picture- fountain by Hard Rock Cafe at DTD, no flash and wait for a "bright" color... think light colors like light blue, yellow, light pink. I think in my next lifetime I am going to be a Disney photopass photographer and just follow people around capturing magical moments.. Is it wrong that I was at Disney wishing I had children just so I could capture magical moments like first Mickey Mouse Ears Ice Cream and first time seeing the castle?! I literally had to stop myself from taking pictures of other people's children.. don't need to be escorted out for being a creeper!!
And as far as another trip goes... Nope, no trip planned... I wish we did but the DBF wants to try our next vacation somewhere else... I guess I can see that but I am already having Disney withdrawals!! I am thinking I will have to plan an girl's trip soon because I am not going to last more than year at this rate!

Great great report! I am really enjoying it!!!

Do you ever come to NYC? I run a Disney Trading group (Mouse Traders NYC) and we meet every couple of months for trading Vinyls, Pins and stories about WDW, and I was wondering if you'd like to come?!

Looking forward to the rest of the report.

We do occasionally take day trips to NYC and I would LOVE a chance to share my pin addiction/new Vinylmation collection!! I purchased a binder at Disney to keep all my pins in and its already too full!! I must have 300 Chip and Dale pins.. and maybe 200 other assorted pins... I like to complete collections and of course, any cute character pin is a keeper!

 

[DisneyKira]

I love your trip report . You two seemed like you had an awesome vacation! I love how you wore dresses to the park. I was thinking of doing that on our disneymoon. I never really cared about my looks on past trips, but I want to look nice for at least some of the pictures on the honeymoon. I am just a little worried that my sundresses will get too torn up/dirty/stained/whatever in the parks. I also need to find some comfy shoes that actually go with dresses (I usually just wear tennis shoes).

I am surprised by how warm you said it was on your trip! I went once in February and it was freezing! It did seem to rain a lot on your trip, though. I hate being cold and wet (I am from Seattle, though. I don't mind the rain if it isn't too cold ).