SOOZE 10 year Anniversary Getaway.. All DONE!

[Hendoendo]

My wife and I got a rental from Hertz and it was a Ford Taurus with GPS.. We also had a hard time finding POR so we just loaded the address in the GPS and just hit return when we left a park or anywhere else. We only had a slight problem with one bridge being closed

 

[jwwi]

Soarin is so much fun , I agree everyone in the know should ride on the top row!

 

[mkycrzy1971]

Hello Sooze! Okay, you told me that my day would come soon to take an adult only trip to WDW...well, last night DH and I went out to dinner alone (belated Valentines dinner) and he mentioned taking an anniversary trip with our best friends who share the same anniversary (within a couple days of the exact date but 2 years after our wedding day)!!!! We have not finalized anything yet, but when I told him there would most likely be free dining offered during this time, he fell for the idea even harder....AND...I talked him into upgrading to Deluxe Dining (if they offer free dining that is)!!! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself!

Okay, enough about me...now I am off to read your latest installment, just had to share my excitement!!

 

[TKDisneylover]

Hi Sooze,

I'm finally caught up on your TR. We also went to DD in the evening and it was a zoo for sure! I think we will stick with daytime shopping next time. And I remember taking that boat to POR, I so loved the convience of it! We did Soarin' for the first time on our most recent visit and were front & center. I will definitely wait extra time to get that same seat again, no dangling feet for this gal! Can't wait to hear how your next day went!

 

[eliz72586]

Sooze,
I am reading your TR and LOVVVVEEE it! You have inspired me to write about my Jan '08 trip- Like yours, it was an adult trip! Your epcot photos are BEAUTIFUL!

 

[dddisrunner]

Great update! You are sooo brave waiting in that Soarin line all by yourself. Sounds like a scary boat ride back to POR Can't wait for what's next

 

[Sooze]

Congrats on the trip this summer. Sounds like a fun one! Loved all that you got done at EPCOT in a short time! I always love the boatride to DTD from POR, but alone and never doing it before it is indeed dark! Can't wait for more.

It's funny how when you are there, you don't really feel like you are getting a lot done, but when you look back at it, you realize you did a good job!!

Thanks for the update, what an awesome Saturday night surprise. So funny, Tim was surfing the Dis and he very excitedly said "Lesley, there's an update from Sooze!!!"
We took that same boat and you are right it IS DARK!!!! Was there a reason you didn't get off at POFQ and take the bus from there? Just curious, didn't know if you stopped by your room or something.
That stinks about the AP and the Soarin' cue and seat. I agree, top is by far the best, riding without others feet dangling ROCKS. You got a lot in. You are braver than us with MS, we will go green this year after doing it before the orange/green and feeling sick . So the SE updates are good? Tim doesn't like that ride but if it's updated well I should be able to convince him to give it another try, the kids and I enjoy it.
Can't wait for another update, hope all is well with you.
HOW EXCITING for your surprise trip for Ty!!!!!
Lesley

You know, I can't remember why I didn't get off at POFQ. I know I didn't stop at my room because I got off the boat and walked right to the bus. Maybe I was just wanting to get the 'full' boat ride? Or maybe I was just not thinking!!

The SE updates are okay... you'll notice a few things at the beginning, and a few major changes towards the top of the ride.. but the entire ending is different... it's mostly in the dark and the stuff you're looking at is on the screen in your car. Obviously, it won't become my favorite ride at Disney.. but I'm sure I'll ride it every time we go, simply because you can walk right on!!

Are you not a roller coaster type of person? Have you tried orange side yet? It's really not as bad as they hype it up to be... it's intense.. but so is the take off for RnRC!!

My wife and I got a rental from Hertz and it was a Ford Taurus with GPS.. We also had a hard time finding POR so we just loaded the address in the GPS and just hit return when we left a park or anywhere else. We only had a slight problem with one bridge being closed

GPS.. good idea!!

Soarin is so much fun , I agree everyone in the know should ride on the top row!

Yes, for sure! And later in the trip, when I actually start asking for the top center, and see how easy it is to do... I will never go bottom again!

 

[scottny]

great update and pics. I love the boat ride from DTD to POR. so relaxing. I loved Epcot and SE and oh wait I have not gotten to that part in my tr yet. Sorry I cannot discuss this any further.

It was a great update.

 

[Blueyed Girl]

Glad I can finally start catching up on all the TR's I was reading!! How exciting that you get to surprise Tyson with a trip. Can't wait to read more. We took that water taxi too from Downtown to OKW and I agree, it is DARK!!

 

[Sooze]

Hello Sooze! Okay, you told me that my day would come soon to take an adult only trip to WDW...well, last night DH and I went out to dinner alone (belated Valentines dinner) and he mentioned taking an anniversary trip with our best friends who share the same anniversary (within a couple days of the exact date but 2 years after our wedding day)!!!! We have not finalized anything yet, but when I told him there would most likely be free dining offered during this time, he fell for the idea even harder....AND...I talked him into upgrading to Deluxe Dining (if they offer free dining that is)!!! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself!

Okay, enough about me...now I am off to read your latest installment, just had to share my excitement!!

Congrats! I do hope it works out for you and you are able to take and adults-only trip!!! And with another couple, I think that would be SO much fun!!! And with free/deluxe dining.... wow! I'm excited for you!!

Did you check out the Hoosier DisMeet thread yet?! We're doing dinner on March 22 in Indy.. hope you can come!

Hi Sooze,

I'm finally caught up on your TR. We also went to DD in the evening and it was a zoo for sure! I think we will stick with daytime shopping next time. And I remember taking that boat to POR, I so loved the convience of it! We did Soarin' for the first time on our most recent visit and were front & center. I will definitely wait extra time to get that same seat again, no dangling feet for this gal! Can't wait to hear how your next day went!

Glad you're caught up! Now I need to get going on another update, eh?!

Sooze,
I am reading your TR and LOVVVVEEE it! You have inspired me to write about my Jan '08 trip- Like yours, it was an adult trip! Your epcot photos are BEAUTIFUL!

So glad you found me! I sure hope you do a TR. Make sure you put a link in your signature so we can find it!!

Great update! You are sooo brave waiting in that Soarin line all by yourself. Sounds like a scary boat ride back to POR Can't wait for what's next

I don't mind lines alone... it does get boring if the wait gets too long (like Soarin'!!) but it's fun listening to people around you.

 

[Sooze]

great update and pics. I love the boat ride from DTD to POR. so relaxing. I loved Epcot and SE and oh wait I have not gotten to that part in my tr yet. Sorry I cannot discuss this any further.

It was a great update.

Yes, don't divulge too much info before we can read it in your TR!! And relaxing is an excellent word for the boat ride. I literally just closed my eyes and took in all of the air and atmosphere... just loved it!!

Glad I can finally start catching up on all the TR's I was reading!! How exciting that you get to surprise Tyson with a trip. Can't wait to read more. We took that water taxi too from Downtown to OKW and I agree, it is DARK!!

Welcome home!! I didn't realize the taxi went to OKW until I took it this past trip. I'll definitely need to bring Ty on the taxi.. he'd love it!

 

[mkycrzy1971]

Hi Sooze! I have some questions about the personalized messenger bag you ordered through disneyshopping.com if you do not mind....did it have slots for credit cards and ID cards? I do not like to carry a wallet and have become VERY attached to a purse/bag that has these slots ...was it easy to get in and out of while you were in the airport? Was it a good size or did you find it too big or too small? I guess I would like to know the pro's and con's as you seen them. They have these bags on sale right now for $12.99!!! Thank you in advance for any advice you might have!

 

[jordanyosh]

I cheated and just read the installments, but I'm caught up.....

 

[Sooze]

Hi Sooze! I have some questions about the personalized messenger bag you ordered through disneyshopping.com if you do not mind....did it have slots for credit cards and ID cards? I do not like to carry a wallet and have become VERY attached to a purse/bag that has these slots ...was it easy to get in and out of while you were in the airport? Was it a good size or did you find it too big or too small? I guess I would like to know the pro's and con's as you seen them. They have these bags on sale right now for $12.99!!! Thank you in advance for any advice you might have!

There were not individual slots for credit cards, but there was a mesh, zip-up pouch that was small enough for these to fit in and not get lost in. The size was PERFECT, and I loved being able to wear it and not take it off whenever I needed to get to things in it. It was very easy to get in and out of. My ONLY complaint is that the inside ripped the second day we were there. I really don't think I did anything to rip it, I think it just pulled away from the lining. So that was annoying, but still worth it!

I cheated and just read the installments, but I'm caught up.....

Hey, that why I put the installments there! You are not a cheater!!

 

[Sooze]

I had no sooner put my head on the pillow, when I heard the phone ringing. Who is calling us in the middle of the night?.... Mickey? Is that you!? What? Stitch is running crazy around Disney World?

Honey... get up. Mickey needs our help....

What... ? OH!! It's the wake-up call!! DANG! It's morning ALREADY!!!

I hopped into the shower and was very disppointed when the temperature did not get any hotter than luke-warm. Bummer. I broke the bad news to Matt and he said "Come on Mickey, hook me up buddy".

Guess what? Yep, Matt had a nice, hot shower. What the...?

We enjoyed a GORGEOUS, early morning walk over to the POR food court for breakfast. There was a slight chill to the air, the resort was quiet, the water was perfectly still... it was AMAZING!! We soaked in every second.

For breakfast, I tried some french toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, and HOT CHOCOLATE (yes, hot chocolate in Florida!). I didn't really care for the meal, actually.. my french toast was cold Matt, on the other hand, enjoyed a delicious omlet with potato wedges. He is definitely having better luck than me this morning. But that's okay, because I get to spend the day at Disney and he has to be in meetings all day.. so there!

I really wanted a coffee, but I need froo-froo creamer and they only had plain. Oh well.

I bid my husband farewell and dropped the refillable mug off at the room. I headed to the bus stop. It was packed! Where did all of these people come from? The resort was empty this morning! I waited through 2 Epcot buses until another Studios bus came. It was already packed from POFQ so I had to stand. This wasn't a big deal, however, because I didn't have to worry about kids in tow!

I walked right in to the empty park:

The air was crisp and warming up already. The place smelled SO GOOD. I just love Disney World, don't you?

I grabbed a FP for RNRC then hopped into the 10 minute stand by line. I just love the theming for RNRC. I should've taken more pictures of the queue details because they rock!

The take off for this ride is FABULOUS!! I hadn't ridden in so long, I just forgot how intense it is. Awesome! I also scored the front seat! The ride was a little bumpier than I remember, but that could be my 6 hours of sleep and NO COFFEE!!

Next, I hopped over to ToT:

While waiting the quick 20 minutes, I enjoyed listening to a dad and his daughter discussing calculus and physics behind me. I'm not kidding. They were both EXTREMELY educated people and they were heavily involved in this academic conversation. I felt kinda dumb, actually!

The hidden Mickey in the ToT queue:

Love the ceiling in the lobby:

I LOVE TOWER OF TERROR!!! Again, the theming is just excellent. I also love the fact that you never know what the drop sequence will be. Just great!

I used my FP for RNRC again. This time, I scored the back of the limo. This made for a MUCH better ride. It seemed smoother, and you could see the front of the limo during most of the ride, so it just looked cooler.

On my way out, I heard the HSM show going on in front of the BDHat. Checked it out for a bit:

I enjoyed the show. The cast is obviously made up of very young performers, but MAN could they sing! This is a definite MUST SEE for anyone with HSM fans living in their house!

My next decision was between the Beauty and the Beast show or doing the animation stuff. I chose the animation stuff since I had never done it, and really wanted to do so on this trip!

The drawing class was PHENOMENAL!! You are sitting in a room with a bunch of other people, with a paper and easel in front of you:

The instructor has the same thing in front of him/her with a camera overhead that projects what they are doing onto a large screen. They start with a circle, and you add guide lines. Then you go from there!! We ended up drawing Donald in love (I totally thought about you, Dan and Candi!!!) Would you like to see my final creation? Here it is....

Sorry the lighting stinks, but you get the idea!

On my way out, I saw the Incredibles. They were just standing there with no one around them! So I walked over. I told Mrs. I that her boots were HOT!! Mr. I completely agreed with me!!

Here are a few shots from the animation exhibit. I adore Meet the Robinsons, and had fun looking at the stuff from that movie:

New stuff coming soon:

New stuff coming not-so-soon:

The Academy Award (in honor of tomorrow's festivities):

The infamous statue:

On my way out, I saw JoJo and just had to tell her Shaelyn said hi!

I stopped by Guest Services on my way out to AK. I wanted to pick our Anniversary buttons up so I could surprise Matt with them tomorrow night. You can tell they put the friendliest CMs in Guest Services. I wanted to take the guy that helped me with me to AK. He just seemed like he would be so much fun to hang out with!

Before I left, I took time to watch one of my FAVORITE things at DHS... the street performers! One of them was a police officer. He was comparing a "WANTED" poster to guests walking by. The poster was a stick figure!! Hillarious!

The other was a Hollywood director. He was up on a step ladder with an old fashioned camera (with a crank). He'd yell "ACTION" really loud and start 'filming' random people. It was SO much fun watching their reactions. Some would stop and wave and he would yell, "No.. continue with the lost and bewildered look-it works for you!!!" Then he'd film a couple and he'd yell, "Now, put your arm around her... YES!! That's Better!!" I loved watching him... and I'd LOVE to do that job someday!

I decided I was hungry and was ready to try that pulled pork from Flame Tree... I just didn't realize it would be several HOURS before I'd get to eat it!

..... stay tuned!!

 

[scottny]

great update and pics.

I love TOT. one of the best rides.

a few hours before you ate, ooh what happened.

 

[beckanoah]

Gosh, a solo (do anything you WANT to) trip sounds so amazing! *is jealous*

 

[DisneyJo]

Your Donald picture is really good, my girls love the drawing class and it's their #1 thing to do in DHS

Ooooh why didn't you eat for hours

 

[Sooze]

great update and pics.

I love TOT. one of the best rides.

a few hours before you ate, ooh what happened.

Thanks! ToT is just awesome! I will ride it every time.

I'll give you a hint... it was not a bad thing that kept me from eating...

Gosh, a solo (do anything you WANT to) trip sounds so amazing! *is jealous*

It was pretty fantabulous, I'll have to tell you. Though by the end of the first day, I missed talking to someone!

Your Donald picture is really good, my girls love the drawing class and it's their #1 thing to do in DHS

Ooooh why didn't you eat for hours

Why, thank you! I thought Donald turned out pretty good myself! The drawing class is a new thing for me, but I will DEFINITELY want to return again.

Just so much to do in AK when you're flying solo! You'll have to see what kept me from Flame Tree...

 

[Hedy]

Glad you had fun at DHS.