~Snowbird Chat 2~

[Disney Mommy 3]

Kim & Jen!! glad y'all are back and can't wait to hear all about it,..I know it was just what you needed!!
Well...my kiddos (2 of 'em) had the sinus thing going on last week and I just felt sooo draggy!! So,. by Saturday I was down with it,..sunday was awful...I am still pretty wiped out today, energy wise, but have got a few things done around the house and the kids' schoolwork is all caught up,..so i feel that I am not drowning in 'catch up' all day....I was planning on cooking a big dinner tonight because ds15 starts baseball practice ,...but it is scheduled right at time I would be sitting down to eat,.and his school is in the next town from here,...so I don't foresee a homecooked meal again tonight But hey, schools done, bedsheets are all getting washed, I am dressed with my hair fixed and things are getting organized in the family room & kitchen-I can only do so much
Hope all of y'all are well, or mending, and thanks for letting me whine!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

I am dressed with my hair fixed and things are getting organized in the family room & kitchen-I can only do so much
Hope all of y'all are well, or mending, and thanks for letting me whine!

Well as long as your hair is done!!! I just love that Texan women have this thing about their hair! It's just fabulous!!! Love you Shawna!!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Welcome back Kim & Jen! Can't wait to hear all about your trip!!


We have had a little something going around here too. We spent most of the weekend laying around here not feeling so well. Luckily it has not been a stomach thing though! Sorry you had to deal with that Sheree. I hate nights like that!

Take it easy Shawna! As long as you got your hair fixed it is a good day in my book!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Welcome back Kim! I'm so glad that you and Jen had a great trip! Hope your PC is okay!

Shawna - you got a lot done! i, on the other hand, have not. I'd much rather stay home and not have anyone sick. I'm sure I'd be more productive. I did some of the laundry (the stuff that got puked on!) and updated the PTR. That's about it. Paige is parked in front of the TV just hanging out. She's been okay for the last few hours. I've been sneezing my head off for two days - I guess the cold is parked in my nose now! Going to get to bed early tonight for sure!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

well...it is because of our crappy humidity that we have to try to work on our hair! LOL...and Kim, I don't have normal Texas hair--at least not like Beth Moore,..her hair is wonderful, I 've seen it. My hair has a finer texture and the humidity/damp just makes it flat,..so if I don't try to at least put a little something in it and blow dry it I look 12. And today it would have been a sickly 12 yo,..so not a good thing! LOL!
I picked up ds16 from school and he says, I need new shoes. I said ,yeah, and didn't Dad take you yesterday for your cleats? He said, yeah, but I need reg shoes for school now. Look! --and I look and he has a hole in the bottom. Geez! Talk about wearing them out! he said, I thought all day I was stepping in gum or something because it kept peeling back. That cracked me up! so, we ran to Academy to look for shoes and I am now officially drained-- I have to take him back for practice,..but i gotta squeeze in a litttttle wee nap before then!!!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Hope you got your nap in Shawna!!

OK, so here is a quick general overview of My/Our trip!

TRAVEL

I got up at the butt crack of Waaaaayyyyy before dawn aka 445am! My mom came and picked me up and drove me all the way to the airport (we live exactly 6 mins away!) I had done online check in so only needed to check my 1 free bag! i was through security and in the boarding area at just shortly after 540am! My flight from home (which was supposed to depart at 630am) was delayed only slightly because of course we had to be deiced! One of my friends from church was working at the gate counter so I got to see one last familiar face before heading down the ramp! When I left my home airport it was about -15 C!

I connected in Toronto, did the customs thing and then cleared security again and then grabbed a coffee and played with the wifi at Pearson International Airport for a bit before boarding my plane for Sunny Orlando!

We landed almost on time in Orlando - only about 5 mins later than scheduled. It was 78 degrees at 115pm and I was so thrilled! So happy to not have to be wearing a parka and boots!

I grabbed my stuff, left the plane and whisked my self off to DME!!! I was on a bus and headed to my first Destination within 20 mins of getting off the plane! I was working some serious travel mojo!!!

I arrived at our first resort just shortly after 2. I checked in and found that my room was ready! BONUS!!! I found the room, flicked on Miss Stacey and got myself cleaned up and ready to head to my first park! I walked through the main building and jumped on a bus just after 3pm!

Resorts

Our first and my last nights were spent at Pop Century! I had stayed there with my family for one night on the last night of our first trip in 2009. Really didn't have a chance to have a good look at the place then. It is actually a really nice resort! I could totally see myself staying there with the girls some time in the future! The rooms are a little on the small side but the resort itself is nicely laid out with so much to see and do.

Our second resort we stayed at - for 3 nights - was Coronado Springs! Neither of us had ever stayed there. We stayed in Casitas building 4 right near the quiet pool and just a few steps away from the gym! It is a very large and spread out resort but again it has so much going for it the size could be forgiven.

Our third and final resort we stayed at was Animal Kingdom Lodge! Jenny had a friend who needed to use up some DVC points before the end of February and was kind enough to let us have them for FREE!!! So we spent 2 nights in a Savannah view room at Jambo house! We woke up to Giraffes and Zebras munching their breakfast just outside our balcony! AWESOME!!!


Food

Columbia Harbor House - I ate here solo my first afternoon in the MK! I had a small taste of this place on our family trip in August and vowed I must return! It did not disappoint! I Love me some good fish and chips and these ARE some great ones! Yummy!

Aloha Isle - On our trip in August I tried a dole whip from the Poly and was VERY disappointed. As I was strolling through Adventureland on my solo MK afternoon, I spotted this place and vowed to try an authentic Dole whip! I ended up having a pineapple/orange swirl - O.M.G. it was so delish! Glad i tried it again!

Casey's - At around 630 on my first eveing I found I was again quite hungry. I was sort of on my way out of the park so I decided that before I left I just HAD to try a Casey dog! It was pretty good. Glad i tried it but probably wouldn't make a special trip to eat there again.

POP food Court - After my one solo evening I needed to restock my breakfast supplies so I grabbed an OJ, a water and a banana from the food court. All was good.

Writers Stop (DHS) - 3 words... Carrot Cake Cookies! Need I say more??? I thought not! Also, the best cup of coffee to be found at DHS!!!

Captain's Grille (YC) - Neither of us had eaten here before so we decided to give it a go. We both had fish and chips and they were absolutely devine! Not greasy and oh so flavorful. The fries were perfectly salted and hot! Not greasy either! I will DEFINITELY be eating here again!

Earl of Sandwich - I had The Mediterranean Salad with Chicken...yummers to the maxx! It was just the perfect size. Just filling enough to leave room for....

Goofy's Candy Co. - I had 2 pretzel rods. Mmmmmm, so good.

The Wave - we ate a late breakfast here after doing am emh at mk. I was pert near starved by the time we sat down to eat so just about anything would have tasted good to this girl but we had decided on the breakfast buffet! If you haven't been to this place...you really should try it! Sweet potato pancakes with maple pecan honey butter, eggs benedict, gritts with bacon and cheese, ok enough i am drooling just thinking about it! Seriously, try it out! 18.99 for an adult, amazing food, And coffee and OJ to boot! We left full and happy!

The Plaza - we ate an earlyish dinner here as we had some plans later on in the evening that also included food. We both had the philly cheese steak sandwich. mmmmmm, so yummy! The chef actually double dared us to finish all our fries and then he said he would bring us more! I don't think he believed we could do it! Well we showed Him! We finished off all those fries and then he brought us another plate and we finished those too! He was so impressed that he just sat down and had a good ole chat with us! Told us he had been with Disney for nearly 30 years! He was so sweet! I have some pretty major food allergies so I got to talk with a lot of Disney chefs! They are always so sweet and helpful!

Wishes Dessert PArty!!!!! - This was my Christmas Gift from Jenny! We had ressies for 705. We were let in at 655 and seated at a table right at the railing! Tinkerbelle flew right over our heads! The food was deadly! Sooo much dessert! I think we each went 3 times and came back with full plates! I would definitely do this again! The prime viewing of wishes alone is worth the cost of admission!

Beaches & Cream - This is another one that neither of us had tried. After all the excitement and hype I read about this place, I am not so sure that I would eat here again. The burgers were only so so, the onion rings were just ok and the No way Jose (even made with only 2 scoops instead of 3) was just waaayyy too much! It was ok but I really don't think it is a redo for me. Glad I tried it though!

Pepper MArket - we decided to give it a try and I would say that it was ok. The service is a bit lacking. The food was hot and the portions were huge! Another one I couldn't finish. Took it back to the room and ate the rest for breakfast the next morning!

Yak n Yeti - This is one that Jenny had raved about and I had been curious about so we settled on having lunch here on our AK day. It is a lovely restaurant and the service was great. The food was really good but the portions ARE HUGE!!! I could not finish hat I had ordered and i felt pretty wasteful. We only had appetizers!! The wok fried green beans are super yummy!

JIKO - Simply put this was THE BEST MEAL OF THE WHOLE TRIP!!!!! Again we only had appetizers but oh my what amazing appetizers they were! We each had 3 and then dessert! I had the mushroom flat bread, puree of sweet potato, pineapple and red pepper with creme frais and plantain fritters and also the roasted beet salad! Everything was totally drool worthy! For dessert I had The One LAst Cup. Pure chocolate heaven! Definitely eating there again!

La Cantina - We had chips and guacamole. Nothing too fancy. I found them to be quite tasty. The guacamole was yummy although Jen thought it was a wee bit too spicy for her liking. Part 1 of our "eat around the world" attempt!

Sommerfest - Jenny had a hankering for a bratwerst so we shared another little snack. It was really tasty! The sauerkraut was yummy too!!

Karamel Kuche - we both grabbed a few caramel laden tasties from here and then continued on our way!

La Boulangerie de Patisserie - I had a quiche, Jen had a croissant, I think. Yummy and filling! I was able to impress a child with my ability to say Orange Juice in French! I am just that cool!

Rose & Crown - Another place that I was seriously excited about...and then let down about. Well, not completely. The potato Leek soup was the redeeming feature. I would definitely eat that agin. Can't say the same for the fish and chips. I found the fish to be very greasy and very tasteless. The chips were dry and tasteless. We had a great table and a pretty great view of Illuminations! So all in all I guess it wasn't too bad. I will probably eat here again and just order something different!

Boma - We ended our stay at AKL with the quintessential African Breakfast buffet! Yummmmm! Definitely eating here again as well! Jenny treated me a Pressed Pot of coffee after I declared the swill..oops sorry I mean coffee ...undrinkable! BEST COFFEE OF THE WHOLE TRIP!!! I love me some strong coffee and this was absolutely the yummiest coffee I had the whole trip!

CHH - Jenny really wanted to try Tortuga Tavern but alas it was closed due to low crowds! The only drawback to late January! So we ate again at CHH. Jen had the shrimp platter and I had the lighthouse sandwich. I very much enjoyed the sandwich. I love hummus so it was a treat for me. I think Jen enjoyed her shrimp. I am extremely allergic to shellfish so I am not the girl to tell you about that!

POP food court - I ate solo for my last evening. I very enjoyed a parmesan crusted chicken breast with a side salad and a lovely breadstick! The chicken breast was HUGE! I could easily have shared it between me and both of my girls! I was super hungry tho so I managed to eat it all! I also grabbed a banana and an OJ for my breakfast the next morning.

Chick Fil A - I am very excited to announce that this Northern Canadian Girl has finally tried herself some Chick Fil A!!!!! I LOVE IT!!! As soon as I had checked in for my return flight and ditched my bags, I headed straight for this beautiful beacon of tastiness at MCO!!! SO NOT DISAPPOINTED!!! I am seriously thinking of finding out what i need to do to open one of these things in my city! Waffle fries??? OH MY WORD - delish!!! MUST. EAT. HERE. AGAIN!!!

So that about wraps up most of what I know you all were just dying to know! The crowds were awesomely low, the weather was awesomely perfect for me! The company was wonderful! Food, overall I would rate an 8.5 out of 10. With the exception of CHH I ate at all new places. Got to stay at a new resort. Doing Disney without kids was a whole new experience for me too! I got to do and see a lot of stuff that they were never interested in seeing/doing but by the end of the week I realized that I was missing them somethig fierce and ready to head home!

We are very tentatively planning a mother/daughter girls only trip for next fall to experience MNSSHP!!!

I would be very happy to answer any and all questions!

 

[Lil'Mermaid75]

Hope you got your nap in Shawna!!

OK, so here is a quick general overview of My/Our trip!

Sounds like you and Jen had a great trip!!! So happy for you!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

WOW!! Y'all did a lot!!!! Yachtsman-I am sooo glad that worked out for you..we went on our arrival night in 2010..I was leery because I the reviews for it were very mixed and varied from "perfect" to 'disaster'...well,...for us, it was terrible!!! Long story, but the worst service we have ever had at any Disney property in all our stays,,and our food was bad. Really strange...
Rose & Crown,,the fish is pretty greasy! But we still eat here EVERY trip it's a family fave! We do love,love,love that soup too!!!
I could kick myself--the Writers Stop was on the list for things I wanted to do last trip- I wanted to take Mike and ds16---this is the first I thought of it!!You reminded me...danggit!! Well,...hopefully we will hit it next time....
CFA Is that place not THE best!? We eat there at least once a week-and on Wed nights after church most of our youth dept goes there for a late dinner and to yack...and the breakfast chicken-minis are faaaaaboo!!!
Okay MNSSHP.. Dont miss it! I think y'all would really, really enjoy it! I love and adore the Christmas party, but man oh man!! This one is even better!! It is a totally different feel--much more kid-party-feeling I think. If you do get the chance, it's definitely worth it..my kids still talk about and it has been a long time since we were there...
I think a trip for you and the girls would be awesome!!Got any ideas of which resort you would do? Or if its gonna be a Value or a Mod? If we could fit in a Mod we would probably do Riverside...but for some crazy reason I really wanna try a Family suite at AllStars. Keep us posted!!!

 

[Lil'Mermaid75]

Okay MNSSHP.. Dont miss it! I think y'all would really, really enjoy it! I love and adore the Christmas party, but man oh man!! This one is even better!! It is a totally different feel--much more kid-party-feeling I think. If you do get the chance, it's definitely worth it..my kids still talk about and it has been a long time since we were there...
I think a trip for you and the girls would be awesome!!Got any ideas of which

Okay - tell me all about MNSSHP! We're debating doing the extra ticketed event when we go in the fall (we did the pirate & princess party - which really was nice because of the low crowds!). DS isn't into stopping for the characters confused3 ) and I don't know that we'd be interested in dressing up. Is it worth it???

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Nice recap Kim! I'm so glad you got to do some things you haven't done before! I bet it was a whole different feel with out kids along!
I would love the dessert party!

How DO you say orange juice in French? sil vous plait? It could come in handy!


Do you remember the AKL room #? We stayed in a savannah studio at Jambo too - LOVED it!!

We'll be going back in mid-October if that happens to work for you...Planning to go to MNSSHP too! Wouldn't that be fun! There's a whole slew of DISers going around that time.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Okay - tell me all about MNSSHP! We're debating doing the extra ticketed event when we go in the fall (we did the pirate & princess party - which really was nice because of the low crowds!). DS isn't into stopping for the characters confused3 ) and I don't know that we'd be interested in dressing up. Is it worth it???

Well, a lot more villains are out! the decor is,of course,for Fall, but the parade and music are spectacular...they have stations set up where you can Trick or Treat, and characters just out and about with candy. One of our faves was the Mad Hatter, Alice and the White Rabbit!! it was just a lot of fun..Even if he doesn't want to dress up, he can still have bucket/bag and TorT with them... Also, the weather for the MVMCP is usually kind of iffy---we have been in perfect weather, rain and in a weird cold snap where we all needed to buy hats, gloves and scarves. The Oct weather is warm, but usually not pouring down rain! And if that is the only 'extra' you are planning on doing, it is worth it $$ wise. We have started picking one extra thing to do and the next day we just crash..do laundry and swim, and then eat at one of the World Showcase places for dinner, because we stay as late as possible at these events. My kids still want to go back and do that one year,..but we are kinda hooked on going in Nov now right before Thanksgiving week and it is already over...but maybe next time. I think you can YouTube some of the parade stuff...

 

[Dancegrl624]

Okay - tell me all about MNSSHP! We're debating doing the extra ticketed event when we go in the fall (we did the pirate & princess party - which really was nice because of the low crowds!). DS isn't into stopping for the characters confused3 ) and I don't know that we'd be interested in dressing up. Is it worth it???

MNSSHP is AWESOME!!! We went to it Sept 2010 and it was the best money we've ever spent at WDW. We got so much candy, the parade was the best I've ever seen, the Villains show was great, fireworks = awesome....we can't wait to do it again!

 

[Lil'Mermaid75]

OK - you guys are getting me hooked on wanting to do MNSSHP!!!

I'm just so excited to be going back we haven't been to DW since 2009 scared1 - we did go to DL in 2010 and I got to DTD in late 2010 when we were in Tampa (I couldn't be that close to Mickey and at least not get ON property!). I'm having some serious withdrawal! DH and my first trip to DW together was in October, so I'm excited to go back during that timeframe.

 

[Dancegrl624]

OK - you guys are getting me hooked on wanting to do MNSSHP!!!

I'm just so excited to be going back we haven't been to DW since 2009 scared1 - we did go to DL in 2010 and I got to DTD in late 2010 when we were in Tampa (I couldn't be that close to Mickey and at least not get ON property!). I'm having some serious withdrawal! DH and my first trip to DW together was in October, so I'm excited to go back during that timeframe.

We are hoping to go back this September...or maybe August. My agency is having an agent summit in August and we're getting a great conference rate at the Boardwalk. That rate can be extended 3 days before the conference and 3 days after!!! I've always wanted to stay there (so we can walk to Epcot), so I've been doing lots of Disney math. We can even get conference rate tickets which would save us $300 on tickets alone!!! But, we wouldn't be able to go to MNSSHP. I can't wait to see how much we're getting back with our taxes. That will make all the difference. Luckily, the airfare is exactly the same for both time frames. No matter what we choose, we're going to end up with the QSDP. There is no way I want to have a sit down every day with a little one...I couldn't do it. I will miss all of our character dining though. We'll probably do one character meal....either Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace (2 all time favs). I'll also miss planning out all of our meals. Ok, I'm getting WAY ahead of myself!!!

 

[Lil'Mermaid75]

We are hoping to go back this September...or maybe August. My agency is having an agent summit in August and we're getting a great conference rate at the Boardwalk. That rate can be extended 3 days before the conference and 3 days after!!! I've always wanted to stay there (so we can walk to Epcot), so I've been doing lots of Disney math. We can even get conference rate tickets which would save us $300 on tickets alone!!! But, we wouldn't be able to go to MNSSHP. I can't wait to see how much we're getting back with our taxes. That will make all the difference. Luckily, the airfare is exactly the same for both time frames. No matter what we choose, we're going to end up with the QSDP. There is no way I want to have a sit down every day with a little one...I couldn't do it. I will miss all of our character dining though. We'll probably do one character meal....either Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace (2 all time favs). I'll also miss planning out all of our meals. Ok, I'm getting WAY ahead of myself!!!

I love Disney math! I think we're leaning towards a QSDP as well. DS will be 9 and is so over the characters. I haven't been able to price airfare completely yet, because I really want to take SW and they haven't released their rates yet.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Meghan I hope you can work it out for fall! Cole's first trip!!!

I have a favor to ask you snowbird friends. I know I can count on you for a few prayers. My dear friend that I've worked with over the last 18 years (my friend Jana, who just lost her father) has just been diagnosed with a tumor behind her eye. It appears that it is 90% likely to be benign, but has been causing her vision problems. If they can get it all, some of those problems may be reversible. Could you, if you are inclined to pray, add my friend to the list and pray that it is benign and they can get it all out? No word on surgery yet.
Thanks so much!

 

[Dancegrl624]

I love Disney math! I think we're leaning towards a QSDP as well. DS will be 9 and is so over the characters. I haven't been able to price airfare completely yet, because I really want to take SW and they haven't released their rates yet.

I was waiting what felt like FOREVER for Southwest to extend into September. They just extended to Sept 28th a few weeks ago. JetBlue only has their fares posted through Sept 4th....ugh!

Madison still loves character dining, so I hope she won't be too upset about it. I'm also trying to figure out if it will be busier this fall due to the new Fantasyland opening in phases (Little Mermaid and Beauty & the Beast are supposed to open in the fall). Too much to figure out!!!

Meghan I hope you can work it out for fall! Cole's first trip!!!

I'm hoping we can work everything out too. The conference rate for the BWI (room only) is less than staying at a Mod for that same time frame!!!! It's almost too good to pass up.

I have a favor to ask you snowbird friends. I know I can count on you for a few prayers. My dear friend that I've worked with over the last 18 years (my friend Jana, who just lost her father) has just been diagnosed with a tumor behind her eye. It appears that it is 90% likely to be benign, but has been causing her vision problems. If they can get it all, some of those problems may be reversible. Could you, if you are inclined to pray, add my friend to the list and pray that it is benign and they can get it all out? No word on surgery yet.
Thanks so much!

Praying!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Meghan I hope you can work it out for fall! Cole's first trip!!!

I have a favor to ask you snowbird friends. I know I can count on you for a few prayers. My dear friend that I've worked with over the last 18 years (my friend Jana, who just lost her father) has just been diagnosed with a tumor behind her eye. It appears that it is 90% likely to be benign, but has been causing her vision problems. If they can get it all, some of those problems may be reversible. Could you, if you are inclined to pray, add my friend to the list and pray that it is benign and they can get it all out? No word on surgery yet.
Thanks so much!

Sheree,...will definitely add Jana on my prayer list!! Bless her heart!!

 

[Lil'Mermaid75]

Meghan I hope you can work it out for fall! Cole's first trip!!!

I have a favor to ask you snowbird friends. I know I can count on you for a few prayers. My dear friend that I've worked with over the last 18 years (my friend Jana, who just lost her father) has just been diagnosed with a tumor behind her eye. It appears that it is 90% likely to be benign, but has been causing her vision problems. If they can get it all, some of those problems may be reversible. Could you, if you are inclined to pray, add my friend to the list and pray that it is benign and they can get it all out? No word on surgery yet.
Thanks so much!

Prayers being sent, Sheree.... Please keep us posted.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Thanks for your prayers my friends! Jana is scheduled for a 12 hour surgery on Friday to remove the tumor. a few days in ICU, 2 weeks in the hospital and 3 -4 weeks recovery at home. She has a great support system with family, friends and church family, so I know it will be fine. I will be getting updates often - she has a caring bridge site now too - and hope to visit her in the hospital next week.

In other news - Paige has her first dance competition on Saturday! She's so excited!! We practiced her hair do last night and she was standing in the bathroom later and said - I'm SO excited about it! It's cute! I've been studding her costume with rhinestones and all that is left is to do a little sewing - I have to tack on the ends of suspenders to her shorts. She just loves getting all done up and dancing! Such fun!

Sarah is having her oral surgery to remove 4 permanent teeth on Wednesday. She's pretty scared, despite my reassurances. Should only take a little while and we'll be home by noon! I'll let you all know how that goes too.

Boy, am I looking forward to getting on that plane! I need to work on my packing list. I wish I knew what the weather will be like in a few weeks. Paris had some REALLY cold weather the last couple weeks - it better get warmer!!

Meghan - BWI for less than a mod IS too good to pass up!!! I hope you can go!! We're going in October and I'll be anxious to see what stuff in Fantasyland is open by then.