Sshhh, The family doesn't know we left!

[ArmandXG]

Ok, this is only my second attempt at writing a trip report, so please be patient!

The cast is: Me (Shaughn, 46) and Hubby (James, 47) and our dear friends who just recently moved to Florida, Lee and Deborah.
Our travel dates are December 11 to the 17th.
Staying at the Coronado Springs Resort with the Free Dining Plan!

The back story to all this is this: Almost two years ago I lost my job and it put a big dent in our finances. We like to vacation every two years because it usually takes me that long to save up for it and we like to do it up big. We had just done a Disney cruise so I was good on my Disney fix. Well, fast forward to the end of the second year and our vacation time was coming around. Our planned trip was cancelled for obvious reasons and I was getting depressed.

I decided to go check out the Walt Disney World web page and just take a look and see what it would take to just make a very short visit to the World. If I could just escape for a weekend I would feel much better AND get my fix for the year. I started looking at resorts, counting remaining paydays and crunching numbers. If we did this resort for two days... or we could do this resort for three days... well, four days wouldn't be much more if we cut back on this or that. AND THEN I SAW IT... Five days and free dining! I counted and crunched and added and subtracted... If we tightened our belts a little tighter and gave up on a few extras, I think we could do it!

So, we started out not wanting to say anything to anyone in case we didn't make it and would have to cancel. My DH was surprised I could carry on a conversation without talking about Disney! As the date got closer, we started telling only close friends (who don't cross paths with any family members). I had to tell our friend who will be watching the cats for us! And I had to tell my DF who boards my horse. Yet we still said nothing to the family. This was a very hard task because I am the main caretaker for my parents. Neither drives and I take them to all their appointments. I just had to make sure I didn't schedule anything during our vacation time! Unfortunately, the V.A. Hospital decides to install a lift on my parents back deck so my Dad has better access to his home right before we leave. Thankfully, they pick one of the coldest days to pour the concrete which delays the process! I also get into an argument with one of my siblings which causes a bit of an uproar. So I take this opportunity to check out for a while! I tell my Dad that if he needs anything, he can get one of my siblings to do it because I'm unavailable! He takes this as a sign that I'm off pouting and that I need the time to cool down! Little does he know that I am cooling down in sunny Central Florida! (This later turns into a joke!)

Saturday the 11th, Day 1 of our secret trip

I get everything I need to get done finished up by Friday evening. One of my last stops is at the local CVS. I'm standing in the aisle, reading the label of a face soap, most likely talking to myself as I am known to do. and all of a sudden I see a flash go off. I look up and there's two teen boys at the end of the aisle with a camera in hand laughing in my direction. I look to see what they're laughing at but there's no other person in sight, so I'm guessing it's me. I check to see if my shirt's unbuttoned...nope...zipper down?... nope. Was it because I was talking to myself? Probably! Oh well. I went back to reading and talking and figured I'll be on some silly web sight as the crazy lady in the store!

I get home, finish packing and give a big sigh of relief. We can finally get some sleep before hitting the road at Oh dark early, which is only a few hours away. I'm wanting to leave at midnight but DH demands more sleep and we agree on 3 a.m. We manage to actually pull out of the driveway at 4:15, which isn't too bad considering the paranoid man I'm married to. He takes longer than a girl to get ready and get out the door!

Our drive is pretty uneventful. We make a stop at the National Cemetery in Bushnell Fla. to visit the grave of our dear friend who recently passed away. His headstone was put in, so we took photo's for his family who are unable to visit.

We finally make it to our first stop, Lee and Deb's home. We spend the night there before we head out on Sunday for our five day stay at Coronado Springs. Lee and Deb will be joining us on Monday. I had already done the online check in before we left the house, but I still wanted to get up early and get to the parks as soon as I could.

Day 2 coming up, and hopefully if I don't mess it up, I'll post pictures as well!

 

[bumbershoot]

I like secret, don't tell the family, trips. So keep writing!

 

[ArmandXG]

Well, I forgot to mention that before we left the house, we put the phone on call forwarding. While we were at a fuel stop one of my siblings calls the house to ask a technical question about flat screen t.v's. She has no clue that we aren't in our living room, but sitting in the car hoping a big truck doesn't drive by and make some unexplainable noise!

Dec. 12th Day 2 begins

I'M TOO EXCITED TO SLEEP! I tossed and turned all night, excited about my first day back to WDW in six years. I can't stand to lay in bed any longer so I finally hit the floor running, trying not to wake anyone else up (except my husband of course). I go to get in the shower and as I turn on the water I realize how loud the shower actually is. When you pull the lever to turn the water from tub to shower, it sounds like a rocket taking off. There's a loud click, a rattling of pipes and an extremely loud gush of water that jets into the tub like Niagara Falls! It probably wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that the bathroom is right next to the master bedroom! I guess they're accustomed to the noise because no one stirs... including my hubby!

As I'm walking around getting ready to leave, gathering things and making sure we don't leave anything behind, hubby is still in bed playing with his smart phone! I keep prodding him, trying to get him to move while he's looking at which park opens first, which park has the less crowds, etc. "You can do that on the drive over! Get up and get dressed!"

We say our good byes to our friends who we will be seeing the next day and finally get on the road! On the way, I keep looking to my left, watching these big black clouds roll in. Now, growing up in South Miami, I am pretty familiar with Florida weather. I look at the clock and estimate our time of arrival, check in, etc. and realize that this ugly front that's approaching is going to mess up my plans. I wanted to go Resort hopping, looking at all the Christmas decorations and also get a sneak peak at some of our future vacation homes. I tell my DH that things are not looking good. By the time we get there, the rain will be there and the parks will empty. Everyone will be going back to their resorts to rest, eat lunch and wait out the rain. If we stick to our plans the buses and resorts will be crowded. So we decide to hit the parks first. I won't let a little rain ruin my vacation!

Check In
We arrive at Coronado Springs Resort and are pleased with what we see! So far, so good! We get to the on line check in counter and we are greeted by a heavier version of the little old lady from the movie Poltergeist! That's exactly who she reminded me of! She is slow, but pleasant. She keeps apologizing for taking so long as it's her first day on the job. I cringe! Well, her first day at THIS RESORT she says. Everything seems to be going ok and I try not to slow her down with too many questions. I do point out that I made a request for a corner room with TWO windows. I requested this on line, three days before we arrived, one day before and just now at the desk. I tell her that I understand that it's not a guarantee, but it would be great if we could get it. "Oh yes, I see your request" she says. "Let's see what we have." As she consults a manager or two, she tells me we got a corner room! Yay for us!

I start to walk away from the desk and my DH, who had been sitting on the sidelines all this time, asks me if I asked about doing the AP's for our friends. Our little lady already has someone else at the counter so I have to go to someone else. This young lady answers our question and asks me if I want to see if their room was close to ours. Sure, why not. She pulls up our ressie and theirs and we're not even close! AND.. we don't even have a corner room! WHAT? So she gets everything squared away, corner room, friends next door... off we go! But not before she hands us our Anniversary buttons and congratulates us on twenty years of wedded bliss!

We decide to take our car over to the Magic Kingdom because I love to ride in the back seat of the tram. Sometimes I like to talk to the CM's on the back. They have lots of info and can be real funny at times. If it's a long ride you can get some great stories out of them! Unfortunately, this isn't a long ride so no chit-chat today. Plus, it's cold and drizzly... no one is really talking on the open air vehicle flying in the wind!

We walk into the Magic Kingdom and walk down Main Street. The crowds are thin due to the rain and it being lunch time. I'm standing in front of the Walt/Mickey statue looking at the Castle and I turn to my DH and exclaim "We're in freaking Disney World and NOBODY KNOWS!!!" The rush of excitement begins. We haven't been in the park ten minutes and two people have already wished us a happy anniversary, not counting the three at the resort. This is going to be fun!

Our first ride/ attraction was the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. We're in line, we're warm, happy and... uh oh! Nope, just ignore it! My DH is texting a joke. It's stupid, but I find it funny! "What's RED and smells like BLUE paint?" ...."Red paint!" We move up to the area where the pre-show starts. gurgle "Um, honey?" Nope, it can wait! As the doors open and we start to move into the theater. I see a CM and ask how long the show is... never mind, too long. "Hon, we're gonna have to catch the next show! I need to find the exit... NOW! Off we go, looking for the nearest bathrooms. I am upset that we're gonna miss our joke but this can't wait! When I finally think everything is good, we head back to the laugh floor. We do the pre-show, we find our seats and "gurgle, gurgle, glug" Forget it! I'm watching the darned show!

After round two, we hop on the people mover. I love this ride! We settle into our car and I snuggle into my honey's arms and whisper "we're here and nobody knows!" He squeezes me tight and I giggle with delight like a silly young school girl. This is where the fun really begins. I sit up and start waving to people in other cars and on the ground. Not just your average wave, but I wave with two hands and with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. This will later become a theme. I try to get people to wave back, yelling "wave with two hands... it's twice as fun!" If any of you know who Daniel Tosh is, that's where I got it. Well, guess what? People started doing it! My DH just sat back and let me have all the fun. The more waves I got back, the happier I got!

Our next ride was Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. There was a short line and maybe a 15 minute wait. In fact, all the rides we did were only 10 to 15 minute waits. 20 at the most, but they went real fast! This ride is a must do! I don't like spinning rides but I figured I'd give it a try. Well, the spinning was minimal and I had a blast. The ride got stuck for just a minute and I was perfectly aimed at a target so I kept firing away like crazy while DH just sat there. Needless to say, I kicked butt! DH couldn't figure out why my score was so high considering he is a better shot! I finally confessed to my cheating, but just because the ride stopped no one told him he had to stop shooting!

After this, we decided to go get lunch. We had already decided that we were going to eat at Joe's Crab Shack. So we left the park and headed toward some grub! We had a great waitress who had a wonderful sense of humor. When the food finally arrived, we were so hungry we just dove right in and started chowing down on crab legs, shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes and sausage. I looked up and realized that we were so busy stuffing our faces that we had sat there in complete silence for at least 15 minutes. This is not like us. In fact, I'm usually the last one to finish because I'm always talking! Not tonight! Our bonus of the night was when I ordered a drink from the bar and she told me I get to keep the mason jar! I joked about taking out a dirty glass and she informed me that she would bring me a clean one. She brings the clean glass and I politely finish my drink, wipe out the jar and walk away with a matching set... and the crab crackers! It's not like I actually stole anything. They gave us the crackers the last time we visited two years ago, and I only took the extra mug because I don't like odd numbers and I HAD to have two!

After dinner, we we're full and tired. We decided to call it a day and head back to the resort and see our home away from home for the next 4 days! We get to the room and are disappointed that it only has one window! We take a walk to El Centro, checking out the beautiful landscape along the way. We ask about a room with two windows and find out that the resort is completely booked but they would try to get us into a double window room the next day. I guess this will have to do. In the meantime, we received a complimentary "Champagne toast" for our anniversary. We walk outside to the bar and give him our coupon. He apologizes because he doesn't have any Champagne on hand and he'll have to check the other bar. He runs to the right... nope! He runs inside...nope! He runs to the left...Nope! He apologizes profusely and asks if we can come back tomorrow for our treat. No problem! He thanks us and walks off to tend to another guest. "Um, excuse me! Can I have my coupon back?" He apologizes again, gives me my coupon and we leave, slightly disappointed in the room and for the lack of a free drink! Oh well, we're at freakin' Disney and NOBODY KNOWS! Off to bed!

 

[ArmandXG]

Dec. 13, Day 3

We get up and dress warm, knowing it's going to be fairly cold today. The temps have dropped dramatically over night but thankfully, we brought many layers. We head out to the bus stop to go over to Hollywood Studios. The good thing about our room choice is that it's close to stop #4. It's a short ride to the park so we get there in a matter of minutes. We get just inside the gate and can already feel the wind blowing through our clothes. I'm guessing that the way H.S. is laid out, it causes the wind to blow straight down Hollywood Blvd. At least that's how it felt. We knew we were under dressed and wouldn't last much longer with the wind blowing like it was so we walked around for a few minutes before deciding we need to head back and add one more layer of clothes. Our friends Lee and Deb were due in soon so it was wise to just head back to the resort.

We were outside the park, waiting at the bus stop where the wind didn't seem so bad. We met a gentleman who was also heading back to the resort to join up with a wedding party. We waited about 5 minutes or so before a CM walked over and asked what bus we were waiting for and why. The wedding guy answered first, saying he had a wedding to go to, so the CM radioed for a bus to come get us. He told us that the return buses didn't start running until 11 a.m. It didn't quite make sense to me, but as long as we got a ride it didn't matter.

When the bus finally arrived a short time later, the Driver asked if it was ok if we just went to stop #1, at El Centro. Fine with us as we could see if our friends were in yet. When we got there Lee and Deb were already at the check in counter. When they were done, they headed to the car to take their luggage to their room, which was ready and right next to ours! We would walk back and meet them there.

We added an extra layer and told our friends to do the same. Although they are from Mass. (before moving to Fla.) and used to harsh weather, they were still not dressed warm enough. I strongly encouraged more layers and of course Lee later thanked me for that suggestion.

We all hopped on the bus and headed back to Hollywood Studios. Our first ride was Toy Story Mania. This by far was the longest line we had experienced; 50 minutes! It gave us time to chat and take a few pictures. After this post I promise I'm going to figure out how to add photos. TSM was fun! Similar to Buzz's SRS. Don't know which one I liked better! We then headed over to the Great Movie Ride. DH and I enjoy this ride, my hubby more so because he likes all the classics. I just forgot how cheesy the acting was!

We then headed over to the Studios Backlot Tour. We froze our butts off! Everyone got excited when the tanker blew up and we got that short burst of warmth, but it was very short lived! After that, we stopped for a hot chocolate break to figure out what we were going to do next. We decided to do the Lights, Motors, Action show but had some time to waste before the next showing so we just walked around for a bit. Everyone was cold and it seemed to be getting colder! Well, time for the show and "some" of us wanted to stop for more hot cocoa and the rest of us (me) wanted to get a good seat! I was worried that if we all got drinks then they would make us throw them out at the gate like they made Lee throw his fresh cup of coffee out while in line for TSM. So we get there and watch as throngs of people came in with their warm beverages This is just on of the many decisions I will not live down! Any who, LMA is a great show. Our host first opened the show with "Welcome to Sarah Palin's Alaska!" which got a big laugh from the frozen audience. The skill of these drivers was amazing. One or two people in our group referenced this skill to my driving... but not in a good way! I'm a good driver, but just not a SLOW driver!

By the time the show was over, we made a bee line to the procurer of hot beverages, as we were now frozen to the bone! We then decide to grab something to eat and head over to the Commissary to grab a quick lunch. The lines were outrageous but seemed to be moving at a decent pace. I really didn't like the way the lines were set up because once you got your food, you had to cut back through the line like a salmon going up stream and then cut across other lines to get to a hard to find table. The only good thing about this is that you could see what other people were ordering before you could actually see what was on the menu. Some of the stuff going by looked pretty good, so we all knew what we wanted by the time we got to the register. Deb had the chicken sandwich (I think), James and Lee opted for the cheeseburger with the shrimp on top and I had the fish and chips (fish sticks with fries). Nobody complained about the food which is a good sign. DH shared one of his shrimp with me and considering it was fried, it was pretty tasty! This is where the second phone call from home came in. We didn't answer it but did check the message afterward. It was just Dad asking for a grocery run. Sorry, we're busy and can't handle your request at this time... Get another sibling! We decided to call for a break and head back to the resort for an afternoon nap. We would head back to DHS later for our ADR and Fantasmic.

Now that we are warm and rested, we head back for Fantasmic. This is the first time Lee and Deb have seen this and they were very impressed. Unfortunately, I forgot the exact time our ADR's were for the Brown Derby... I knew it was close to the end of the show, but I figured we had plenty of time to get there. Lee and Deb decided to cut out early (right toward the end of the show) just to beat the crowds. Right as we got toward the exit, the show ended and the throng began to stir! Deb just wanted to get a head start because, like me, she has Plantar Fasciitis and needed the time to get to where we were going.

We finally get to The Brown Derby and we are about 30 minutes early! With sore feet and no available seats, we are forced to stand around for a while. Finally a seat becomes available so we jump for it! Of course for me, nature calls and I head for the ladies room. I return to find my party missing! I have to wait for a Hostess to come back so I can find them. They were way in the back, tucked in a corner and I never would have found them on my own. We start looking at the menu (and the prices) and I am so thankful we are on the FREE dining plan! I already knew I wanted to try the Cobb salad, which was going to come out of pocket. I also knew what dessert I wanted, thanks to all the food reports I read before we left. Now, I just had to decide what main course I wanted. Normally I like to take pictures of the food, but I was too tired and having too much fun with my friends to even think about it. This went on throughout the entire trip, so no food porn from me

The Cobb salad was interesting. It was finely chopped, but you can taste the different flavors that make up the salad. My lips were chapped by now, and whatever was in the salad was causing them to tingle and burn a little. For a quick second I thought I was dealing with a food allergy but Lee said his were tingling as well. Well, at least it's not life threatening! For our Entree's Deb and James had the char grilled beef, which they both enjoyed. Lee and I had the rack of lamb. The portions were huge! The lamb was melt in your mouth delish! For dessert, Lee and Deb shared the banana white chocolate toffee tower, which they said was very good. James had the strawberry cheesecake and I had the grapefruit cake, which was moist and delightful, but not too sweet. None of us were disappointed with our meal. Lee had a little sticker shock when it came to the bill... I was again thankful for the Free Dining Plan!

There is some misunderstanding with our bill and with the amount of points used and the Hostess says she can't fix it at the restaurant and I will have to straighten it out at the resort. I remember the CM at the resort telling me that I need to keep track of my points before leaving the restaurant because they can't fix it at the resort! Well, I have all my receipts and they did try to straighten things out the best they could so we went on our merry way!

We leave with full bellies and head toward the front gates as the park is now closed. I am happy and dancing in the street as my posse laughs at me behind my back! I don't care... I'm at freaking Walt Disney World and NOBODY knows!!!

We get back to the resort and head to our rooms. James and I decide to walk down to El Centro to get this point system straightened out. We find out that it is just a misunderstanding on my part. Although you buy tickets for 5 days, your Dining plan is only for 4 NIGHTS! They don't count how many days you are staying, but how many nights! This really didn't make sense to me as you eat during the day! The way Disney figures it is, your room usually isn't ready until 3 pm, so they figure you won't arrive until after that and I guess they figure you have already eaten! And Check out is before 11 a.m. so they figure you're gonna leave. So they only give you points for the amount of "NIGHTS". Well, I knew we were not eating on park property for our first night and I knew the Brown Derby was 2 points, so I calculated my meals around that and I still ended up short... my bad! So now I know that my last ADR will come out of pocket and the situation is fixed. No big deal. Now off to bed... I'm exhausted!

 

[ArmandXG]

Ignore the date on the photo. My camera never has the right date on it unless my DH changes it for me!

 

[ArmandXG]

My first rope drop ceremony at the Magic Kingdom, EVER!

James and Tigger

Me, James and the Chipmunks. It was really cold this day!

 

[ArmandXG]

Us with a few more characters!

 

[Zarabear]

Loving your trip report!

~Zara

 

[ConniegB]

Great Report so far, keep it coming! So glad you got the corner room and your friends a room next to yours! Hope you had a wonderful and very Magical Time, Happy Anniversary!

 

[ArmandXG]

Loving your trip report!

~Zara

Thanks for reading.

Great Report so far, keep it coming! So glad you got the corner room and your friends a room next to yours! Hope you had a wonderful and very Magical Time, Happy Anniversary!

Thank you! More on the way!

 

[EeyoreEma]

Enjoying the read so far! We were there at the same time and it was COLD!!

 

[ArmandXG]

Dec. 14, Day 4 of our trip

We get up and decide to do the Magic Kingdom rope drop so we head out Fairly early. On the way, we talk about having breakfast at Kona Cafe. We get to the rope drop just as it starts and I'm glad I got to see it. All these years of visiting the "World" and I've never done one. I promised myself that on this trip I was going to try all new things and this is one of them. I can now check it off my list!

We decide not to head into the park, but catch a monorail over to the Polynesian for some Tonga toast... another thing on my list of new things to try.
There is a 30 minute wait for the restaurant so it gives us some time to look around and do a little shopping. Deb buys a new jacket as the zipper on her other one just broke! We soon get called back the the restaurant and we meander through all the heavy jackets and coats hanging on the backs of chairs. We soon add our own to the mix and are greeted by "Uncle Bob". We get our drink orders in and glance at the menu. I know I wanted the Tonga toast, but I forgot about the Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes! Now I don't know what to do! If I were on a cruise, I'd just order both, but unfortunately I'm not! I know!... I'll force one of my friends or my hubby to order it so I can try it!!! NO GO! Nobody is willing to try something different or willing to help me out! I guess that gives me something else to try on a later trip!... Starting new list!

Uncle Bob returns to take our orders and overhears my DF Lee use a mild but common curse word (starts with a D). He chastises Lee sternly and walks away. Now we are afraid! Is he joking? Really mad? What kind of service are we going to get now?
My DF Deb ordered a $6.00 lemonade just so she could get a Buzz Lightyear light up toy. I certainly would NOT pay $6.00 for lemonade! Buzz arrives and he lights up! How cool it that! I'm still not paying $6.00 for LEMONADE!
James decides to get a Mimosa, so I'm thinking about the Wasabi Bloody Mary. Uncle Bob comes back with our food, which looks awesome! We order our drinks and I ask if I could get a light up Tinker bell with that. He smiles and says He'll see what he could do. In the meantime, we enjoy our breakfast. The Tonga Toast with the strawberry puree is fabulous! Even with other people taking bites, it takes me forever to finish it! Uncle Bob comes back with my glowing Tink on a Wasabi Bloody Mary and I am happy! I'm not going to say anything about paying $8.25 for a light up Tink! Well, let me tell you about this drink... IT'S HOT! I like spicy things, but this is WOW! Everyone tries it and no one really cares for it. I like it but it's gonna take a while to get this down! We settle our bill and leave a nice tip for Uncle Bob, cuz over all he turned out to be really sweet! Deb got a plastic cup with her lemonade, so we pour my drink into her cup and take it to go!

We hop back on the monorail and head back to the Magic Kingdom. The Bloody Mary is starting to take it's toll. Lee decides to teach me how to "bus surf" on the monorail... it's all about the stance! Well, when you have alcohol in your system first thing in the morning, there's nothing you can do about the stance! I'm sure we got a few odd looks from the people in our car.

Back at the Kingdom, we manage to get in quite a few rides. We did Buzz's SRS again, this time with Lee and Deb. Lee out shot us all! We then did Stitch's Great Escape. I liked it better when it was the Alien thing. We walk around and do It's A Small World, which gets us laughing cuz we realize that we don't actually know all the words, like we thought we did. "It's a world of laughter, a world of tears, it's a world of hope and a world of fears, there's so much that we share, hum hum hum hum hum hum, it's a small world after all!" Thankfully, the boat got stuck at the end (in the English part) and we got to listen to the words! After that we headed to the Haunted Mansion (my fave!), where we met this cute little girl who taught me about not talking with a bubble in your mouth (You close your mouth and puff out your cheeks). I think she was trying to tell me to be quiet! On to the Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise! Our Captain on our JC boat was very whiny and annoying. We all know the jokes are lame, but she had to apologize after each one in a nasally, whiny voice... "I'mmm Sooorrryyy!"

Once we were done with the rides, we were on to lunch at the Liberty Tree Tavern. I really liked this place! I don't know why I never ate here before, but I'm sure I'll have to come back again! James had the Pot Roast, which was full of flavor and melted in your mouth. Lee had the Tri-Corner Sandwich. He ate it all which I assume meant he liked it. Deb and I had the Pilgrim's Feast, which is a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixins. All the desserts we tried were good as well.
While we were there, there was this family in the corner opposite from us who had three young girls, the youngest being about 6 or 7 and the oldest about 12. We were absolutely horrified when they left! It caught our attention because one of the girls dropped something on the floor and Dad was standing over her with a flashlight helping her find whatever it was she dropped. While on the floor, she was sifting through a mound of paper that was ripped, crumpled and just thrown on the floor. It matched the mound that was left on the table. I would have excused some of this if they had been toddlers, but these girls were old enough to know better! I felt so bad that I actually apologized to our dear CM, Sue and her team mate who had to clean this mess up! It made me want to go over and help them! They had to clear all the paper before they could even find the dirty dishes on the table! If this is what their table looked like after 90 minutes of eating, I'd hate to see what their resort room looked like! Shame on them! Sorry for the rant... back to the report!

We were heading out of the park for our afternoon break when everyone started lining up for a parade. We opted to stay and watch. I LOVE a parade! As the floats went by, Lee and I started our two handed wave again. We had this silly little contest to see how many CMs we could get to wave with two hands. Bonus points for characters! We eventually lost count but I think Lee got the biggest bonus when He got Bullseye to wave with two hooves! Lee and I were having a blast while our spouses just stood back and watched (probably with embarrassment)!

We head out of the park for more bus surfing and a much needed rest because tonight is MVMCP!!!

 

[ArmandXG]

Lee and James

Me and Lee

Sorry that I'm not posting too many photo's. When we got back from our trip, we realized that we were having so much fun that we were forgetting to take any pics! We actually came home with less than 50 Disney photos and some of those are too blurry (hubby's fault) to post! Notice the quality of the shots... I took the top and DH took the bottom! Not saying that I'm a good photographer, just better than him!

 

[ArmandXG]

Enjoying the read so far! We were there at the same time and it was COLD!!

Indeed it was! I'm a Pooh sized person, but with all the layers, I look twice as big in the photos! I didn't care though, I was having a blast... and nobody knew we were there!

 

[Disney Spaz]

Loving your secret trip. It sounds like a total blast.

 

[ArmandXG]

Day 4 continued

Tonight is our MVMCP! We get back to the Magic Kingdom and there is a small crowd forming to get their wrist bands. Lee is so excited, he just walks right past them. We had to call him back to get his band! By the way, once we were in, and it was after 7 p.m. NOBODY checked our wristbands! We had coats and gloves, so they weren't easy to see, but not once did anyone ask to see them! We get inside and the place is PACKED! All we see down Main Street is wall to wall people! This is insane! We check our maps to see what we want to do first. We first tried looking for the free hot chocolate and cookies but the few spots we saw, the lines were super long. We decided to duck into Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe for something to eat. Deb got the chicken, Lee and James got the bacon cheeseburger and I just got the plain cheeseburger. I then realized that it had guacamole on it, which wasn't too bad. While everyone went to get the "fixins" and find a table, I noticed the other end of the counter was handing out the hot chocolate and cookies. So I scooted over and got enough for the four of us... with little to no waiting! We sit down for some chow and see people dancing in the other room. "Anybody wanna dance? No? Chickens!" The hot chocolate was pretty good, but those cookies sucked (my humble opinion)!

After our meal, Lee and James decide to do the Indy Speedway. Deb and I opt to sit in the bleachers and cheer them on! They were so disappointed because they say that the cars were very difficult to steer. Not happy campers! James and I want to get pics with the 7 Dwarfs. He said being I was distantly related to Grumpy I should get a family reunion photo! We spent quite a bit of time in that line! Who knew they were so popular!!! Just as we got up to get our pics, the fireworks started (and we were the last ones to get our pics before their break). So we hung around to watch the fireworks, which were nice but not as good as if seeing them in front of the castle!

We met up with Lee and Deb again and headed toward the front to watch the second parade. We ran into some people from the Dis boards; Katie & Glen, PoppyGirl and Tinkermom. While chatting and waiting for the parade to start, everyone notices a couple dressed up as giant pink bunnies! What the....? Only later did it dawn on us that it was the bunny suit from the movie "A Christmas Story". OK, but seriously, bunnies? We stood with the Dis group to watch the parade, which was nice (as any Disney parade is... I love a parade)! Deb's feet were really bothering her so she left early. After the parade we walked around again, looking for some rides to go on. We went back on the people mover again and looked for other rides, but by this time most of them were closing down. We decided to call it a night. For some reason, maybe we were just overly tired, we left the park and caught the monorail back to the TTC to look for our resort bus. Where are the buses??? Well, DUH! They're back at the park entrance! After wandering around confused for a few minutes a CM told us if we go wait on the side, a bus will come pick us up. Apparently, there was a group of us who did this, so the bus driver takes down our resorts and puts them in order. He tells us of the planned route and off we go! Several stops later and we are back home... sore and tired but happy! Our conclusion of the MVMCP was that it was pretty much a waste of money. We've never done it, we tried it, there wasn't much more in the form of extras... and for the extra $50.00 per person, not worth it! I would still like to try the MNSSHP, though.

 

[Googelibear]

Heehee, no one knows you're at WDW.

I got through your first day at WDW. Have to stop it's almost midnight (New Years Eve) and I am having myself a bottle of Lawrence Mawby's "Wet"
Tuning back in tomorrow

 

[LisaKeys]

Enjoying the report!

How nice to be able to share the experience with good friends.

Read you soon.

 

[ArmandXG]

Dec. 15th, Day 5

We slept in a bit because of the late hours last night. Lee and Deb call to let us know they are heading out for breakfast and going on over to EPCOT. We plan to catch up with them later. We have breakfast in the room and catch a bus over to meet our friends. When we arrive at EPCOT the first thing I have to do is make a mad dash to the ladies room. The bus ride wasn't that long, but I swear I have the worlds smallest bladder! By the time we get inside the park my foot is already on fire! I know I will not make it very far so we opt to get me a scooter buggy... but first, another trip to the ladies room!

We call Lee to see where they are, which is by the Living Seas. We head over to the Land to do Soarin' before meeting up with our friends. There is a long wait time so James gets the fast passes and we head off to the world showcase to try a Kimpossible mission. We pick Germany, mainly because it's close to Italy and that's where we're having lunch. While there, I check on our ressie time so as not to be late. We head back into Germany and start our mission. This is a fun little game. With the Kimpossible "cell phone, you can make things happen, like trains move, smoke stacks blow smoke, etc. It's obviously aimed at young kids, but we actually enjoyed doing this. We finished one mission and tried to start another one in Norway, where I wanted to pick up some school bread. We get there and the line to the pastry shop is very long, so we opt to come back at a later time. It's also getting close to our lunch time, so we head back to Italy.

We get to Tutto Italia and wait on Lee and Deb. We keep leaving phone messages, but Lee's phone sucks and he doesn't get the message on time! We ask if we can be seated, but the CM says we can't until our entire party has arrived! Lee and Deb show up just in time and we are shown to our table. They bring out some bread and olives and take our drink orders. I don't know what it is with Disney's Coke products, but everything tasted waxy. This time I order tea. I don't know what kind of olives they serve, but they were the best olives I've ever eaten. Big and meaty! Yum!!! I seriously could have eaten a bucket of those things. We order our meals: Lee had the Lasagna, Deb had the chicken (I think), James had a Pork Chop (I think) and I had the Salmon Filet. OMG, this food was so good! Our desserts were just as delish! Lee and Deb shared a cannoli, James got this Gelato sundae type thing and I got a sampler of three different things: a mini cannoli, tiramisu and a little torte thing. They were just the right size and sooo good!

I need to hurry up and finish this report... my memory is starting to fade on the details!

After lunch we decide to head over to Test Track. The line is long but we opt to just wait it out. We really don't have anything better to do. Earlier, when Lee found out I was riding a scooter buggy, he gave me a little pity party (Awwwweeeee). Now it has become a running joke, especially when I complain about something because they have no sympathy for me now that I am on wheels and they still have to walk everywhere. While standing in line for test track, they actually get some teen girls to join in and throw me a giant pity party. These girls have no clue why but that doesn't stop them from joining in!

After test track, it's time for James and I to part ways with our friends to go do our fast pass while they head off to do more stuff on their own. Now, I am very sensitive to motion and it is getting worse the older I get. I cannot do IMAX movies and I am a little concerned about this ride. Here is a tip for those with motion sickness: Ask for the bottom row! We didn't ask but got the bottom row by chance. My friend Lee suggested we ask for the top row as there are no dangling feet in the way, but this is what saved me. When I felt a bit queasy I looked toward the lower or upper corner of the screen or focused on someone's feet. On one occasion I did have to close my eyes, but only for a moment. I did love the breeze and the smells in the air, especially the pine and the oranges! I could possibly do this ride again... as long as I get the bottom row! When we leave, we decide to jump on a boat and tour Living with the land. It gives me some ideas to try for my garden this Spring!

We meet up with Lee and Deb in Innovations. Lee picks on me for riding my scooter buggy. I do NOT like riding these things because I tend to hit things and one is at butt level with the rest of the crowd. Lee tells me to pull up close so he can use my scooter as a foot stool. We chat for a few, deciding what to do next. Deb and James want to rest for a bit, so Lee and I decide to run over to Norway to get some school bread and a hot beverage. I have never tried school bread before, but it is now a new favorite of mine! It's like a doughnut topped with toasted coconut and this delicious, dreamy cream, but without all the greasiness of a doughnut. I buy two, but decide to just try one while we're there. Lee and I sit down and eat up one of these yummy rolls (and a pretzel he bought) before meeting back up with our spouses. We also jump on the Maelstrom before heading back as well. We just won't tell them this part!

We get a call (on my phone) that the spouses are heading over to the American Adventure and we are to meet them there. On the way, we see a stand that is selling hot beverages. We decide to grab a some coffee as the sun has gone down and the temp has dropped dramatically. It is taking forever for us to get our drinks and I drive over to find out why. There was a woman in front of us in line who ordered 6 drinks. After getting most of them, she realizes they have soy milk available and requests to have her drinks re-made with the soy milk instead! Seriously???? Finally, we get our drinks, but not before I run over Lee's foot with the scooter buggy! Now, before I tell you what I said, I have to explain why I said it the way I did. You see, Lee has been picking on me and teasing me the entire time about being in the scooter buggy. He uses it as a foot prop, steals it for joy rides when I'm not on it, etc! So, when I ran over his foot I didn't know if he was joking or not and instead of apologizing (like I would have and should have) it came out as "Did you stick your foot UNDER my scooter buggy???" The nerve of me to accuse him of intentionally sticking his foot under the wheel of my scooter! I was dead serious when I said this but considering I was laughing so hard, he didn't take it as such! I wonder why?

We finally return to our spouses and Lee has to tell them what I did. "Well, if ya'll are gonna pick on me, I'm just gonna go to the bathroom!" Of course, there's a long line for the ladies room behind the American Adventure. I think this is one of the worst bathrooms where lines are concerned. While standing in line this young girl sees my anniversary button and congratulates me on 20 years. She shows me her button and says she is celebrating "LIFE". She goes on to tell how her father had been ill and was diagnosed with cancer. He is now cancer free and the whole family is celebrating! She almost had half the line in tears! What a wonderful testimony from a beautiful young girl.

On my way back, I stop at the beverage stand again to get my handsome spouse a hot chocolate. By this time everyone was getting hungry again so they decided to head out for some Mexican food. We head on over to Mexico to see what they have to eat. The place is packed and there is nothing available. In the meantime, everyone needs another pit stop. It took us forever to find the bathrooms and the crowds were so bad I started feeling a bit claustrophobic! We gather back outside and decide to call it a day. We would have better luck finding food at the resort.

We head back to the front of the park, where I have to turn in my scooter buggy and we all catch the bus for home. We are all too tired to stay for Illuminations, which is one of James' favorite shows. We just don't have it in us. And besides, I broke a nail so I need to go back and file it! (Lee says "Really?... aaawwwweeee")

We get back to the resort and head into the Pepper Market for some Mexican food (?). Lee gets some Nacho's, Deb had chicken, James and I had steak. I wanted a dessert, but I wasn't sure what I wanted. I finally found some cheese cake and while I was ordering, I was watching a CM make this huge dessert in a big bowl. I saw him put the ice cream and whipped cream on it but I didn't know what was under it. I just know that it was huge! I get back to my table with my cheese cake and here comes the CM with the big bowl. He puts it down in front of me and wishes me and my missing spouse a happy anniversary. What the...??? I ask Lee and Deb if they ordered this for us and they denied it. James returns from his search mission, declaring that he couldn't find anything he wanted. I said "Good, you can help me eat this!" He thought I ordered this giant thing until I explained where it came from. It was nice to receive a little pixie dust, but kinda at the wrong time! So, I end up wrapping up my cheese cake to go and we all dig into this. It was the same cheese cake I just got with ice cream, whipped cream, berries and sprinkles on top! I must admit, it was very good, albeit very sweet! We eat as much as we can, almost finishing it, and head to the check out with our tickets. The cashier sees that James did not get a dessert with his dining plan meal and tells him to go get one. James does not want to get one but she is persistent! She points him to a small shelf and orders him to grab something off the shelf, so he grabs a small loaf of banana bread and we head off to bed!

It's 2:30 in the morning and I am awake! I close my eyes and try to go back to sleep but it's not happening! I start to think about everything we have to do the next day, as it's our last day in the parks and it dawns on me that I have nothing to wear! So I get up, gather all the dirty clothes and head out to the laundry room. I have enough change to get things started but realize I'm going to have to make a trip to El Centro for some singles! I take a nice quiet stroll in the middle of the night and the only other person awake at this time is a mom with a little baby. I come back and mouse keeping is in the laundry room cleaning and mopping. I scare her when I come in the room. I go get the rest of my loads started and try to stay out of the way when she comes mopping on my side! When she's done, I help out by cleaning all the lint traps in the dryers! To waste time, I stroll back outside, looking for trouble. I sit in the hammock for a few minutes... I write love notes in the sand for my hubby to find the next morning... I go kick off my shoes, roll up my jammie bottoms and stick my feet in the nice, warm water of the pool. How bad would it be if I went for a little skinny dip?? Nah, never mind! Time to switch the clothes to the dryers. By 5 a.m. I have all the clothes cleaned, folded and ready to pack. I am not ready to leave! There's so much more I want to do!!!

Everyone else is finally up and ready for Animal Kingdom. We pack everything up and load up our vehicles and head out of our rooms for the last time. Unfortunately, we have to make one more stop at El Centro because there is a $50.00 error on both our bills from our breakfast at Kona Cafe with Uncle Bob! We get it straightened out and meet up at Animal Kingdom for our last adventure!

 

[ArmandXG]

Dec. 16, our last day

So Lee and Deb get their stuff straightened out first and head off to Animal Kingdom. We finally get our bill straight (just a technical glitch... NOT Uncle Bob's fault) and head over to meet our friends. It's a much warmer day and more people are wearing shorts today. Mind you, it's "warmer" not warm! We meet at the Tree of Life to do "It's tough to be a Bug", which everyone loves. I think they shortened the show, because I remember from the last time that we got stung in the back, but this time we didn't. Still just as funny. We managed to get good seats, like 5 or 6 rows from the front, which I've never had before. We got sprayed with the bug spray which was very cold and almost took my breath away.

We then catch the Lion King show, which I love as well. I think it's done very well. My favorites are the monkeys and the two birds. I wish I had more pictures to share, but James and I were amazed at how few pictures we actually took on this trip. We can blame it on Lee, he distracted me!

By this time everyone is ready for lunch, but we also want to do Expedition Everest. So James and Lee run for fast passes while Deb and I peruse the shops. Oh, there's so much I would love to buy! We find these cute little Mickey egg timers and just for fun we set them off in 5 minute increments... there were about 9 or 10 of them on the shelf, so for the next 45 minutes a bell would go off. Lee and James come back but they only have two fast passes. Because of the return time, Lee decided not to get them as he and Deb were leaving after lunch to head back home. Silly Lee scheduled himself to return to work that evening! We head off to find some snacks. I originally had ressies for Tusker House, but because Lee and Deb were leaving early, I cancelled it. So we end up eating at the Flame Tree BBQ. I think everyone got chicken, ribs, or the combo of the two. The food was pretty good. I liked their BBQ beans but didn't finish them because we had a lot of food to eat! The onion rings were also very good. With the dining plan we also had to choose a dessert, which I got one of each. A chocolate mousse and a key lime pudding thing. Both were delish, but they could cut back on the graham cracker crust thing on the key lime. 1/3rd of my cup was nothing but crust! Over all, it was a very filling and delicious meal.

Lee and Deb leave us and James and I continued on our own to explore the park. We are just wasting time until our fast pass time comes up. When we finally get to Everest, the line is not that bad. It actually goes quickly enough that I really don't have time to enjoy the set, read all the signs and look at all the props. Let me tell you! Although this ride doesn't take off at a high rate of speed or do loops, it will get to you if you are sensitive to motion. I really enjoyed the ride, but the backward and forward thing really got to me. I actually had to sit down and catch my breath when we got out. I guess I'm just getting old and losing the ability to do all the big rides any more because I found myself doing this a lot! Not that we rode too many rides, but even after space mountain I had to stop for a minute!

After Everest, James and I decided to take it easy and just stroll through the park, looking at some of the animals, while we headed back up front to find a spot for the parade. We find a nice shaded bench and just decide to park it for a while and enjoy the scenery. We watched some kids doing the Hoola hoop. There was one little girl who was so cute. She tried so hard to keep up with the bigger kids. She kept watching this one older girl and tried to copy all of her moves. She was not very successful but she tried with all her might! She was just so much fun to watch.

The parade finally rolls around. It reminds me some what of the parade they used to have in EPCOT, with all the puppet type animals. This is not one of the fancier parades, but I enjoyed it none the less.

Our day is coming to an end. We slowly take our time heading out of the park, stopping to finish up our snack credits with the purchase of a Mickey ice cream bar and 2 sodas. We have a nice little chat with the two young ladies at the cart about love and how you know if it's the right person... I'm guessing someone thinks she's found Mr. Right! We say our good byes and head toward the gate. Before we leave we have to stop and see if anyone has turned in a pair of sunglasses that James lost while eating lunch. Nope. Oh well. I then get picked to do a quick survey and then we're finally on the other side of the gate. I am so sad! This is the end of my Disney trip!

We head back to Lee's house where we can get a good nights rest before heading back home. We have to leave pretty early because we have to pick up my dear friends Mother, who is spending the holidays with her daughter.

We get home safe and sound late Friday night and are greeted by the remnants of an ice storm. No wonder my Mother asked if we were keeping warm on one of the phone calls we answered. This could work to my advantage!

We spend all day Saturday unpacking and getting rid of all the evidence of us ever leaving. there's laundry gifts to be put away or wrapped. Disney bags to hide, luggage stored away. There is nothing left out that says we ever left! Which is good because the next day my pseudo-son wants to spend some time with us! The only tell tale sign was that we had already installed what little photos we took onto my computer and they flash up on the screen as a screen saver. Thankfully, we have LOTS of Disney photos that pop up from previous trips, so the new ones just blended in and the teenager was too busy playing World of Warcraft to even notice, especially the ones that include Lee and Deb!

Only two incidents came up the following week that could have blown our secret. The first, a sibling asked where I was the previous week because I didn't come over to Dads to supervise the work being done... "Um, hello! Ice Storm! We got lot's of ice in the hills!" And the second: Dad was talking about the cold weather and said something about it being warm when I left Florida. What? What do you mean "when I left Florida?" He says "You know, before you moved here to N.C.!" Oh, yeah! THAT time when I left Florida! Talking about having a heart attack! The good thing is, to this day, they still don't know we ever left... and I'm certainly NOT going to tell them!