Seriously...You're Going Again?! Yep!! The Final Wrap-Up!!! 12.26.13

[TinksThree]

I have not fallen off of the face of the earth! It is incredibly busy around these parts and being gone the week of Thanksgiving just added to the business!! First I proudly introduce you to one of the newest US Army Soldiers!!!







It was amazing getting to see Chris and the graduation was awesome!! It was also soooo cold!!!! He has snow this week and said last night that he officially "hates snow"! We don't see snow much in these parts, and when we do, it is usually gone by 8 am! But he has enjoyed the experience so far and I am so glad this seems to be good memories in the making! Needless to say, we are so proud of Chris!

But now....back to this report! I am so close to the end!! Plus I have 22 days until I am back in WDW!!

Well, we successfully completed the 4 parks in 1 day plan! As a recap: breakfast at Ohana, then to Magic Kingdom, up next was Animal Kingdom and then a fun filled afternoon at Hollywood Studios! Now we plan to end our day at Epcot!!!

Of course we rode the boat...



And then we arrived but we weren;t very sure what we wanted to actually do! We made our way towards Future World and stopped for a visit with Monster's Inc University!!









Then we decided to skip Future World and make our way around World Showcase!

We walked through Mexico and made our way into Norway!







We rode Maelstrom and then made our way through China



Before heading towards a most important destination in Germany!!

First stop was the Christmas store where I got new ornaments for our tree (which are proudly displayed RIGHT NOW!!).





Back outside



But then I went to my favorite place because the caramels are so AMAZING!!!!

I got several caramels for later and an apple for right now!! I did not know they will cut the apple for you when you purchase! This is incredible!! Because otherwise I always pass by the candy apples! This one was delicious and needless to say we polished it off quickly!!



Our view while we indulged in wonderful sweetness!!





Italy is next and I made a quick stop by one of the Flower and Garden food kiosks. I had a Peach Bellini.



It was good but disappears quickly for $11.00!!

A few pics around Italy:





Then on to America!!



Continued in the following post....

 

[TinksThree]

This was my actual view while I enjoyed the Bellini (I was sitting on the fountain's edge)







Japan is the next country in the circle so there we go!








And a rest appears to have been in order!!



Morocco is the next local:



And the guys stop to watch a little entertainment!







It is getting very close to time to check in for our 7:20 pm ADR so we scoot through France!





And we enter into the United Kingdom!





We have arrived!!







We get checked in around 7 pm and we are seated almost immediately! We have an awesome table on the patio!

Now I had done research and learned if you can get a table at 7:30 pm on the patio, you are all set for the 9 pm Illuminations show! 7:20 pm was the closest I could get two weeks out but I felt it was pretty close! But getting seated 30 minutes earlier and the very, very, very quick service meant Illuminations wasn't in the cards! Bummer!!!

Our view from our table:





The menu:



And another view...



Everyone ordered fish and chips except me. No pictures of the fish and chips but I ordered the shepherd's pie. The picture which I had begun eating but so hopefully you could see the "inside"!



Continued in the following post...

 

[TinksThree]

And then there are more views...





This pretty much sums up how Madison and Keith were feeling:



But then they acted right!!





Our waitress tried getting a picture of all four of us but with little success!!



So what did we think of Rose and Crown? I had heard lots of really great things about this restaurant. The food was good and we really enjoyed the location of our table! Our waitress was very attentive and prompt. Would we return? Probably but I don't think it would be a must for every trip.

This restaurant is the one that Keith instructed me that no matter what, from now on, we will use the Dining Plan. No matter how many times I tell him the places I had ADRs at were considered in the budget, he freaked when he saw the Disney inflated food prices! Even though he knew differently he couldn't wrap his brain around it! So from now on...DDP it is!

Also, it felt like we were in and out in a flash! We were done by 8 pm. Maybe it had to do with us having an entree only but there really wasn't any sitting back and leisurely enjoying the meal. But it wasn't like they were rushing us, but that they were very quick! Maybe they are experts at rushing you but not making it obvious!!

With supper done, we decided to find a place to watch Illuminations. We made our way to Canada and found a great spot with this view:







After finding this great spot and standing there for about 10 minutes, Keith and Madison decide they are exhausted. The decision is made to just go ahead and make our way back to the resort.

Along the way a few final pictures:























Before long we were at the bus stop and then back at Caribbean Beach. We had to leave very early the next morning for the drive home and thankfully it was uneventful and we arrived safely! It had been a wonderful trip!!

Next up I will give a final recap to bring it all to a grand end!!!

 

[wiigirl]

Great pics!

 

[TinksThree]

Great pics!

Thank you!!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Wow, thank you for sharing Chris' graduation and THANK YOU to him! I may be Canadian, but I have the utmost respect and appreciation for all the men and women in the service.

Four Parks, one day completed. I wanted to try it last week, but it just didn't happen so I settled for 3 in a day multiple times.

 

[TinksThree]

Wow, thank you for sharing Chris' graduation and THANK YOU to him! I may be Canadian, but I have the utmost respect and appreciation for all the men and women in the service.

Four Parks, one day completed. I wanted to try it last week, but it just didn't happen so I settled for 3 in a day multiple times.

Thank you...we are quite proud of him too!

Okay, so 3 in a day multiple times could be a great goal too! Hmmm...may need to think on that one!!

 

[TinksThree]

Before I officially wrap up this TR from March 2013 (hard to believe we are only a few months away from March again!) I thought I would update my plans that will become real life in just 13 days!!! And, honestly, my planning for a trip just two weeks away is more "real" than a trip that ended 9 months ago!!!

This trip planning began last April. I really wanted to take my family during Christmas happenings. We decided Thanksgiving would be perfect and we would only miss out on the MVMCP. Sad, but I felt skipping was okay. So planning began and reservations were made at Port Orleans Riverside. Fast Forward to July, we find out that Chris will be heading off to Basic Training and school afterwards.

I did lots of math and calculations and determined that with just Keith, Madison and myself going, we could stay at my dream resort for the same price as 4 at POR! Plus since we spend the most time in Epcot and DHS, the switch made so much sense!! Where did I switch to? The Boardwalk!!!

Thus I made the switch and began planning the most amazing trip! It was truly my dream trip!! Gary Sinise was announced as the narrator for Candlelight Processional and I was in heaven!!! I had the exact ADRs at the exact times I wanted them! This included Be Our Guest! It was perfect and all I could dream of.

THEN....we found out Chris' graduation would be held the day before Thanksgiving. Since it was not logically possible to fit in a decent vacation to Orlando and Chris' graduation in Missouri, everything had to be cancelled. Do you know how hard it is to hit the "cancel" button on all of those amazing ADRs? I needed counseling afterwards!!

We then learned that Chris would get a two week holiday leave (he comes home Friday!!!! ). So we began looking into the week following Christmas. I know!!! This is THE WORST week to go and everyone says "DON'T DO IT!!!" But we discussed the crowds. I reiterated this to Keith over and over about just how bad the crowds could get...that the parks (one or more) could be CLOSED due to peak crowds. But he said to press forward...okay!!

Now the challenge was the cost! To go back to POR Standard for four people is more than 3 at Boardwalk (Thanksgiving trip) during this time. (Not saying I was surprised but I pride myself on going and not spending the tons of money to enjoy my magical place!). So I begin crunching numbers and I went ahead and began making ADRs. This is around August and after the 180 day mark. I was pleasantly surprised at what I could get that matched Thanksgiving, minus BOG of course! My payoff was to be November 11 so I had lots of time to determine if I wanted to pay the big bucks!

In the meantime, I constantly look at the ADR options and low and behold there is a 4:30 pm for BOG!!!! So I book it because this is one place I really want to go!

Then, November 11th arrives and it is time to payoff the balance. I just couldn't justify it! POR is where Keith prefers to stay mostly because of the boat to DTD. We stayed at POP Century October 2012 and although most seem to love it, Keith DID NOT feel the love!! So I tell him I am cancelling.

Then he says (and I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP! Promise!!!!): "I was really looking forward to the trip. Is it more affordable if we stay at POP and take a few days off the trip?"

I picked myself up off the floor and begin doing more pricing. We were going Dec. 27 - Jan 4. I knock the trip down to Dec 28 - Jan 2 at POP Century and it is still slightly more than I would like to pay, but manageable. So there you go!!

When: December 28 to January 2!!!

Where: POP Century!!!!

Details?! I am not making ANY ride plans other than what I have booked for FP+. I received my invitation to book and did so immediately. POP is 100% in the test phase which means no hard tickets so we will not have the double dipping opportunity others seem to have.

I do have to say, I like being able to know you can go to a park and ride at a set time for those "hard to get" FPs but I am not crazy about the tiered set-up nor the fact you can only get FP+ in one park per day. This has resulted in doing FP+ times for rides that aren't that important to us just to get the 3-because I am not passing up my 3! I have moved times and played with MDE a lot and I have had no issues. It has actually been pretty fun. I am anxious to see how it works once there and during such a busy time!

We also have had enough discussions to know that we may encounter crowd issues and we just want to embrace being at WDW to ring in the new year!

The Magic Bands were ordered and have arrived!!




And online check-in is complete!!

December 27, 2013

We will actually leave when Keith gets off work (no idea what time yet) and drive about half-way.

December 28, 2013

*Drive the remainder of the way
*Arrive at POP (hopefully around noon)
*Head to Animal Kingdom and just do whatever! The kids and I are not afraid of single rider line so EE is very likely could be on the to do list.
I do want to see the parade so this is my main #1 reason for going here first. As soon as the parade is over, we will head to DHS and use a few FP+.

FastPass selections:
Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania
The Great Movie Ride (because of the stupid tiered thing!! )

ADR(s): I actually have two here and I need to cancel one but I am so torn on what to do!!
1st Yak and Yeti at 4:15 pm. So many people rave about this one but Madison is not crazy about the menu. If I keep this one, then I will have to adjust the FP+ times to later.
2nd Chefs de France at 8:30 pm. We have made and cancelled this one so many times and is on top of Madison's list to try. But I am unsure Keith will like the menu.

I also hope to grab a view of the Osborne Lights prior to leaving for Epcot. And of course, I am cognizant of crowd issues so all of this may be last minute changes. Plus timing could be problematic so I am tentative on every thing! But this is also a pain with the new ADR cancellation policies!

December 29, 2013

This is a day I am greatly anticipating!! Obviously we will have park hoppers but today will mostly be spent in Epcot!

Tops for the day:
*Candlelight Processional
*World Showcase Storytellers
*Joyful: A Gospel Celebration of the Season.

We have narrowed the Storytellers down to: Canada, UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Norway plus the Voices of Liberty. Timing will dictate which we actually see.

*Candlelight Processional will be Amy Grant, and Madison and I are super excited! I have loved her since the 80's! Keith may skip this because it has singing...for some reason he hates anything with singing in it!

FastPass Selections:
Mission Space
Test Track
Spaceship Earth

Have I mentioned I really, really HATE this tiered thing!?!?!?!?

ADR: Coral Reef with the Candlelight Processional Package. I chose this one because Keith has yet to eat here, he likes unique places to dine at WDW and I felt the aquarium fit the bill! I am crossing my fingers that we get the "good" experience and not the "bad" since Coral Reef seems to be hit or miss. The kids and I ate here in 2009 and while the food and atmosphere were great, the service was awful!!

After that is iffy...we have the 1st CP showing so we will either remain at Epcot for Illuminations or maybe go back to DHS to hang out since it is open later...maybe try Osborne Lights again. As I mentioned, we are going with low expectations and open to changes to the plans.

December 30, 2013

This day begins with another shocker request from Keith: Ohana breakfast! It is a 7:50 am ADR and after this we will hop on the monorail and head to Grand Floridian to check out the Gingerbread House...or we head on to Magic Kingdom for a bit. At some point on this trip breaks will be taken to go to Grand Floridian, Beach Club, Boardwalk and Wilderness Lodge to see the holiday decorations!

Other ADRs for today: FastPass Lunch at Be Our Guest which is resulting in a cancelled 4:30 pm ADR. I went with the lunch mostly due to DDP credits and trying to cut down on out-of-pocket expenses. I already have two planned OOP ADRs so BOG is on the chopping block. However that was an easy cut with the FP for lunch!

The other ADR is an 8 pm at Ohana! This is another coveted ADR that goes quickly. One evening Keith and I were discussing the plans and he had said to skip Ohana this time around. The service last time just wasn't that great. But I guess he keeps thinking about the food itself and said book it. I said I would keep looking but it would be luck to find one available! Can you believe that 10 minutes later I am skimming through the available restaurants and there was an Ohana on a night we could fit it in! Fate? Maybe...he said BOOK IT!!! So I did!!

After dinner we plan to head back to Magic Kingdom (if we can get in ) and see Fantasy in the Sky at 11:50 pm because I plan to avoid MK at all costs NYE!!

FastPass Selections:
Space Mtn
Big Thunder Mtn
Jungle Cruise (I am excited about the Christmas overlay and hope it is still there!)

December 31, 2013-New Year's Eve

So this one was a tough decision! I was waffling between Epcot and Hollywood Studios. I actually had chosen DHS and had an ADR at Hollywood Brown Derby. I consulted a fellow Disser that I knew had experience with NYE trips and had been to DHS. Then I heard a podcast on the Dis where Pete Werner was reviewing his Epcot experience on NYE. Since those guys really cut no slack on their likes and dislikes, his review made me change my mind to Epcot. That is mostly because Epcot holds crowds better and is usually the last to close due to capacity.

I have zero plans for this day PERIOD!! The only plan right now is an ADR at Via Napoli at 3:30 pm. Otherwise, whatever. We may even give up the crowds and decide to exit and find other fun things to do! Who knows!

FastPass Selections:
Soarin'
Living with The Land
Mission Space

January 1, 2014

This day is kind of open as well. Since I don't know what the previous evening holds, I didn't want too many plans.

We have park hoppers and will probably use them if possible.

ADR: I had a tough time with this one. I had Raglan Road and decided we didn't want our final night in DTD. So then I started thinking about the MK loop. I narrowed my choices down to the Grand Floridian and The Wave. I thought and thought. I asked opinions from those I knew had been to both. One of which said her DH said neither. Keith said "You know what I like to eat. I don't care." Then I decided:

Whispering Canyon Cafe...this will be a first try so hopefully it will be okay!!

FastPass Selections:
Toy Story Mania
Tower of Terror
Muppet Vision 3D

So I suppose everyone can guess that DHS is planned for that day!!

On January 2 we will head out to New Orleans because we have to put Chris on a plane Friday morning. It is a shame when it is cheaper to drive 2 1/2 hours from home to fly than to fly out of the International airport 20 minutes from your home!

Then on January 3rd we head home to recoup and begin the new year of work and school!

Other things I have noted on my list are Splitsville and mini-golf. We really are going into this trip expecting very little and just enjoying being at WDW! I plan to do a TR when I return and hopefully I can keep it up at a decent pace!!

I shall return with a final recap of this TR and sign off until we return in 2014!!

Meanwhile...

 

[mickeystoontown]

Your New Years at Disney plans sound good and well thought out. Going in with the frame of mind that you might not get to do anything other than your FP+ attractions and ADRs is the way to go. Anything else that you get to see and do will be a bonus.

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!

 

[TinksThree]

Your New Years at Disney plans sound good and well thought out. Going in with the frame of mind that you might not get to do anything other than your FP+ attractions and ADRs is the way to go. Anything else that you get to see and do will be a bonus.

Every once in a while I read comments in articles about how crazy it is and looney people are for going this week. I keep reminding myself that we know this already... I need to stop reading things and just enjoy that we are going and have at least a small plan!!

Great update!

Thank you!!

 

[TinksThree]

Wow! I can't believe Christmas has come and gone! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!! I also can't believe that today is packing day and at some point tomorrow we will be hitting the road to Orlando!!!

I had wanted to wrap this TR up sooner but with the holidays, it was so busy and I really felt anyone reading would be busy too!

Alright, then, on to my final thoughts!!

Caribbean Beach:

This is a beautiful resort and so spread out that at times we felt we were the only ones there!

The pool is awesome!!! I put this at the top of the list for moderate pools! Coronado Springs is a close 2nd followed by Port Orleans Riverside and then French Quarter.



The pirate rooms were pretty neat and well themed. I wouldn't want to pay the extra for double beds but I also have older teens and not little kids. It is totally worth it if you have little ones (IMO) and especially boys! I am happy we got that little upgrade though for the experience!!



The food court was good the one time we ate there, which brings me to my final comment on CBR: this place is huge!! I definitely recommend paying the extra for Preferred. Had we been closer, I know we would have used the food court more. Otherwise we had to plan 30 to 40 minutes just to travel...within the resort!

But we would return to CBR! It really is a great resort!

Some Firsts!

Fantasmic: I know...it took 10 trips to WDW before I finally saw Fantasmic! Shameful!! But it was wonderful! (even if it didn't top Keith's must-do list!)



Test Track...technically not a first but it was a first as the "Tron" version! We enjoyed it even if we weren't able to design a car. I am interested to see my take on this when we return!



Tom Sawyer Island...a fun get away from the crowds! Another place we had yet to explore. But it is fun!!



Liberty Belle...isn't it funny how we have missed so much of the "old timer" attractions!!



Rapunzel's Tower...the MOST talked about bathrooms and not to mention photographed! (This is based on an unscientific survey of all of the TRs I read!)



Donald and Goofy in their new Meet and Greet surroundings in Storybook Circus!





The Little Mermaid!



Pinocchio's Haus for lunch: very good!! This is definitely worth a try!!



Flower and Garden Festival...Its beauty never fails to amaze me!!











Continued in the following post...

 

[TinksThree]

And the food!!!

T-Rex which was a change from Fulton's. It was fun and good as usual. We have kind of worn this place out though!



Food Court at CBR (as I mentioned earlier!)



The French Bakery...so delicious! I hope I can make a return next week!!





Flower and Garden Food Kiosks! I am so glad they added this to the Festival!!!





Pinnochio's Haus again...and it is still remembered as very good!!



Ohana...the food was good but the service was painful this go around. We had decided to skip it next week. Keith remembered the food and asked for a return! Let's hope the service will improve!! This is still one of our faves though!!



Biergarten! Love this place!! The food is good and even my picky DD17 can find something to fill her up! The entertainment and atmosphere add a little something special to the whole experince!!



Ohana...for breakfast!! Good food, fun characters and even my "used to be anti-Disney" hubby enjoys going to eat here!!



Rose and Crown: The food and service were great here!! I would like to go back sometime when we aren't so tired and can really enjoy the restaurant. And the patio seating was awesome!!!



Overall, this was one of the best trips we have had! It was a last minute decision and with only two weeks to plan, I think it went great!! After this trip Keith has insisted on the Dining Plan from now on. He just wants to sit down and order without worrying about the inflated prices!

Thank you so much for reading along even though I became slow (as usual!) in posting!! I hope everyone has a Wonderful and Happy New Year!!!!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Wonderful wrap up to a great trip. I still need to do four parks, one day.

OMG have SO MUCH FUN on your upcoming trip in just a couple days!!! Yeah... a little jealous.

 

[TinksThree]

Wonderful wrap up to a great trip. I still need to do four parks, one day.

OMG have SO MUCH FUN on your upcoming trip in just a couple days!!! Yeah... a little jealous.

Thank you! Definitely put it on your to-do list!! You will love it!!

I am like a kid on Christmas morning...so excited!!!

 

[TinksThree]

I started my new Trip report...come on over!!

"It's a Marshmallow World...at New Year's"

 

[sherylcin]

So I finally finished reading the end of this report. I know.......soooo slow!! Holidays, viruses, my own trip to WDW at Thanksgiving all contribute to my lack of promptness! Anyway, great wrap up and congrats on another 4-parks-in-one-day day!! I would really like to try that sometime. Just looks fun! So happy to hear you're going again so soon and can't wait to read all about it!!

 

[TinksThree]

So I finally finished reading the end of this report. I know.......soooo slow!! Holidays, viruses, my own trip to WDW at Thanksgiving all contribute to my lack of promptness! Anyway, great wrap up and congrats on another 4-parks-in-one-day day!! I would really like to try that sometime. Just looks fun! So happy to hear you're going again so soon and can't wait to read all about it!!

I know exactly what you mean!! I have been fighting sickness since we got home and add in regular busyness...I find it hard to keep up!! Glad you enjoyed this one and hope the new TR is worthy! (haha)

 

[amandaw]

Sorry I missed your last updates but I finally caught up!

It really does look like y'all had a fantastic trip! I love how you can tell how much fun your family has together.

And I feel you about it being cheaper to drive 2 1/2 hrs to NO for the airport. We are also about 2, 2 1/2 hrs from NO & have to fly out of there b/c it's too expensive to fly out of the airport where we live. UGH.

I'm going to go check out the new TR. So exciting that y'all got another trip! I hope to do a better job of keeping up on that TR.