That's the first time we had to wear a poncho in Disney! A Mar./April '11 TR DONE 9/5

[kathleen27]

Old Key West looks really beautiful! I love the colors!

Leaving the parks and heading home is always sad!


That's so exciting that your sister got her name tag!!!

 

[PirateKate]

I can't believe you both got Quasimodo! I don't like him either. I bet you'd be able to trade it just fine at WDW. And you couldn't hardly get anything worse.

 

[wdwgirl03]

That stink that both you and your sister got the same vinlymation. Love your sister's St. Patrick's day vinlymation. I like the holiday ones. I haven't gotten super into the whole vinlymation thing. I wish i were more into it though. Nice that you still had some time at DTD before you had to leave. were you leaving that day or just leaving super early in the morning? My last trip we were leaving super early in the morning so our last day was great because we were able to stay at the park the whole day. sad you trip is almost over but yay for you new PTR!!!! You were smart to start you ptr relatively close to your trip. I just started mine and my trip isn't untill january

Vinylmations are so much fun and very addicting. You should be glad you're not into it. haha! Yeah, the only reason why I just started my new PTR is because we just made it official not too long ago. We were originally planning on going after Christmas but changed it to October!

Packing up and heading back home is the worst, isn't it? I never can get things to pack just right how they were on the way down, either!

That is crazy how you both got Quasimodos!! I do like the Shamrock one, though. And Hamm is really cute! I guess that's the point of them, right...so cute you have to buy more!

I hear ya on the packing. Plus I always end up going home with a souvenir or two...(or 10).

Yup, Disney has definitely created another craze with vinylmation!

See, that's my biggest fear when buying those vinylmations. I'll get one I don't want and won't be able to get rid of it I like the St Patrick's Day one. But what are the odds both of you would get the same one?! They must purposely make more of the ugly ones or something. So sad it's your last day I'm happy to hear your sister is getting settled. Working at DHS would be awesome. If only.....

That's mostly why I stick to the park designs because I'm usually pretty OK with any of those. Plus I want to try to stick to ones that have some Disney theme. Atleast now they have the trading so if I really hated it I could always try that.

Yup, she seems to be having a good time!

OKW looks so pretty! It keeps moving up the list of resorts I'd like to try

How strange that you both got the same Vinylmation! I thought the ones up for trade are like pins and the CMs have to trade with you?

It's always sad when the trip has to end but lucky for you another one is already in the works!

You should definitely try OKW sometime. It is somewhat similar to SSR and it seems like you guys like it there.

Believe me, that is not the first time two of us have gotten the same vinylmation. We have bad luck!

Yup, it's nice now to have TWO trips...but I'm sure you guys have a couple more to plan now too...

Sorry to hear you guys didn't exactly get the vinylmations you wanted, but you can't go wrong with Quasi, even though you wanted something really cute. I would've kept him because he's a pretty cool dude, but that's just me.

OKW looks so pretty! I would definitely like to stay there. Especially with having the boat transportation to DTD, no buses needed And that's so cool about the wildlife being spotted around (when I'd rather see otters since deer are EVERYWHERE here), though sorry to hear you didn't get to see any. :/

Awwww... I can't believe this is ending already, well, it was good your last Disney meal was at Earl of Sandwich, another thing to put on my list of "must-try". Good thing you always have a trip to look forward to, as well!

Can't wait to read more!

LOL yeah, I still have my Quasimodo even though he's not my favorite one ever.

OKW does have a bus that goes to DTD too (along with Typhoon Lagoon). Saratoga Springs is like that too but it takes a long time! The boats are a nice change of pace though.

Ahh, you haven't had Earl of Sandwich yet?! Once you do you will be addicted! It's so good!

Sounds like a nice afternoon. A boat ride to Downtown Disney and a meal at Earl of Sandwich sounds wonderful right about now.

I agree!

What, you don't think that Quasimodo is cute?

I actually traded a Vinylmation on my February trip (which apparently I forgot to mention in my TR). I just happened to luck out and find the Donald one that I wanted (the little key chain one). I just plucked one of my key chain ones off my bag and traded that sucker.

He's cute in an ugly sort of way. LOL!

That's cool you found the one you were looking for. The keychains are cute too.

So glad to hear about the work location for your sis! I wonder what location at DHS she'll be at! One of my former CP roomies (Katie) still works there seasonally in the QS area near ToT and RnR..Sunset market or something?! lol

Ooh, my sister would like to work near TOT and RNRC!

The boat rides sound just like the boat rides for Port Orlens Riverside (which is where I wish I was right now!)

Mmmmmm, in 27 days I will be eating at Earl of Sandwich!

Too bad about vinylmations. We don't have any, but they do look cute!

Yup, I'm sure they are very similar rides. I remember seeing the waterway that you could take to POR. I still want to go over there sometime.

Yay for eating at Earl of Sandwich soon!

Wow that's awesome your sister will be at DHS! I would LOVE to work there! I could totally be one of those creepy ToT CM's!

I don't get Vinylmation trading! I thought you asked for a number of a box or something? I want to do try it on my trip, but I'm afraid I won't know what I'm doing! I'm sure I can find out how on the DIS somewhere!

OKW is so pretty! I'd love to stay there sometime!

Yum, I LOVE EoS!

I think Emma would have preferred to have an attractions role but oh well, she can't really complain that she's working in WDW!

Who doesn't love the Earl?

 

[wdwgirl03]

You really got some great pictures of OKW, I really like to stay here too. I think the rooms are so spacious and comfortable.

Love EOS, can't wait to eat there during our next trip!

I agree. I now know what people mean when they say the rooms at OKW are the biggest out of all the DVC resorts.

Love the OKW pictures. Looking at them makes me miss it, too. I loved it there. It might be a while until we stay there again because I want to try out other resorts. I really want to stay at AKL next.

AKL is amazing! You'll love it there. It's so neat to be able to go out on your balcony or to one of the viewing areas and watch the animals.

We stayed at PORS a few times and saw way to many sea racers broke down. Our boat driver who was from FDL, WI said, many people leave the choke open and end up flooding the engine. Our driver retired from Mercury Marine in FDL and he told us how he made engines for Disney, and he took retirement at 55 and he is now a boat captain for various boats at WDW. He said he couldn't wait to retire.

As fun as those boats seem I know I wouldn't trust myself. I'd probably be one of the ones to end up in the weeds!

Hey Sarah! I spent some time yesterday catching up with your TR - thanks to your links. Did not read any of the chat but wow you guys sure got a lot of rain to deal with!

I loved all your pictures - they are great esp the safari ones. I can't wait to experience all these things on our trip!

You got through a lot on your MK day and I love your drawing of Pooh as well as your Rapunzel and Fynn M&G!

The disney project is great and I look forward to reading your next TR from the start instead of when it's near the end!

Yeah, we did have a TON of rain this trip. But we survived!

Glad you liked all my pictures. You are going to have a great time on your trip.

The Rapunzel meet and greet was definitely a highlight of this trip. So glad we got to meet them.

Old Key West looks really beautiful! I love the colors!

Leaving the parks and heading home is always sad!


That's so exciting that your sister got her name tag!!!

I loved the colors too. So peaceful and carefree.

I was very giddy when she posted the picture of her nametag on her facebook. It was exciting, plus she got a couple other goodies as well from Traditions!

I can't believe you both got Quasimodo! I don't like him either. I bet you'd be able to trade it just fine at WDW. And you couldn't hardly get anything worse.

haha, well, except for the Urban ones-I don't get those. Maybe because they have nothing to do with Disney.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Hey guys!

Wow, I've really been neglecting this TR lately even though it's almost done. I'm going to (hopefully) finish it up today so I can update some more on my PTR for October. According to Emma the fall decorations are starting to go up at the Magic Kingdom so along with that and reading some stuff on MNSSHP I am getting really excited for our trip! Less than 2 months now!

Enjoy your Monday off!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Saturday, April 2, 2011...Departure Day

Alright guys, I'm going to skip right to departure day since after our visit to Downtown Disney Friday night, we didn't really do anything other than pack up and get ready to go home.

Our flight back home was pretty early, around 9:30ish so our Magical Express bus back to the airport was also early. I think it was around 6:30. So, after one last check on the room to make sure we had everything we said good-bye to our lovely room and headed across the street to wait for the bus. Since we were flying Southwest we were able to check our bags and get our boarding passes right there, which I have to say is a nice perk. We were never able to do that when we took Midwest.

Before long we were on our way to Orlando International Airport. I tried to enjoy the video they play on the way back but that's always kind of depressing. BUT, it is fun when they talk about coming back for the different holiday seasons/special events knowing that I've been lucky enough to experience most of them. You have no idea how much I am looking forward to our trip this October. Well OK...maybe you do.

Once we arrived at the airport we were able to get through security relatively quickly. We got some breakfast from McDonald's and then just waited for our plane to arrive.

The flight home was uneventful (always a good thing, especially because I had heard Southwest had to cancel a bunch of their flights after one of their planes had to make an emergency landing because of a hole in it! If you want to read the story...) and we were soon back in Milwaukee. Our parents picked us up from the airport. My dad said to me, "you guys look tired and sad" or something like that. Yup, that about sums up coming home from a Disney trip.

Overall, we had another great trip despite some lousy weather. I know it's been said before but the thing that makes trips to Disney World so much fun is that there is always something new to experience. So even for Disney veterans like ourselves, we still had a couple of firsts:

1. Staying at Old Key West
It was great getting to check another DVC resort off of my list. From the minute we arrived we enjoyed the place. One thing that I will remember from this trip is roasting marshmallows/making smores that first night there. So much fun! We lucked out in getting a room right near the Hospitality House so it was a convenient location to catch the buses or go to the general store. The room itself was spacious and comfortable. There's no doubt about it, I will definitely want to return to Old Key West on a future trip!

2. New Dining Experiences
On this trip we tried two new restaurants. We had dinner at Via Napoli and also did the character breakfast at Chef Mickey's. We had pretty good service at both places. Via Napoli seemed to have a nice selection of meals and both my sister and I enjoyed our food. The buffet at Chef Mickey's was also nice-there's a little something for everyone. Plus, it was fun getting to see the characters. My only complaint is that both were pretty expensive but I guess I'm just so used to doing Quick Service places. I can see why people like the free Dining Plan but geez, I can't imagine eating all that food every single meal!

Other highlights of the trip included our meet and greet with Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, two AMAZING safaris, and seeing the Flower and Garden Festival again. Of course, we'll never forget all the rain too and having to sport those lovely ponchos (but we were still able to do so much!).

So...I guess that's about it! If you haven't already, feel free to come on over to my new PTR (which is probably going to quickly turn into a 2-in-1 PTR!!! ). The link is in my signature.

Thanks again for reading!



Sarah

 

[dawnbu40]

Thank you for sharing another great trip with us!!

After your praise of OKW we stopped and had breakfast there last week. We loved the atmosphere of the resort and the service and food at Olivia's was great! So thanks for sharing!

That ME video is so depressing! It always makes us cry

I'll be looking forward to hearing about your next visit!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us! I'm looking forward to your next report.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Aw it's over.

I'm glad that you enjoyed staying at OKW. My parents just got back from there. I need to hop on your PTR. I can't believe I forgot to do that.

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Awwwww... I can't believe this is over already Thank you for sharing this trip with us and I can't wait to read more about your trips

 

[RachelNinja]

Ooo, I'm not a fan of Quasimodo either. It's funny that we didn't see Quasimodo that often. We did keep seeing the one Danielle kept getting though! And you never know; Dani got the Mushu in the trade box, but she ended up trading it away later on because she liked the Cutesters. But I had to laugh when Claire got Quasimodo too!!! HAHA!!!

Oh man, you finished yet another TR! Haha. I had a lot of updates ready to post for the 2011 one, but I'm done posting them! That's why I posted the last 6 or so consistently. And now the school year's starting! I was like, "I have to finish one of the two TRs before I start a Disneymoon PTR!" Heading over to your new PTR!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

so sad it's over but how cool to know when your next two trips are

 

[Caretames1]

Sarah, you had a wonderful TR and I'm glad I got to "travel" along with you. It's nice to see things through others eyes like DVC, or eating at a new resturant.
We've never taken the ME, but I know how sad it is to drive away form Disney. Of course that just means we have to look forward to our next trip and future trips after that


Can't wait to see how your visit with your sister goes!

 

[meeko_33785]

I enjoyed the trip report, and I'm glad you had a great time despite the weather.

 

[Jennifer48]

I missed a couple updates!

At least you had a nice, rain-free day at Epcot on your last full day.

How funny about the Quasimodo Vinylmations! My DSS started buying the Park collection on our last trip. He only has 2 but man I didn't realize how expensive they are!

I love me some EoS!

I have to go head over to your PTR now!

 

[Vwdiva93]

So sad that your TR is over! I really enjoyed reading it though! It was really cool reading another TR that was the same week we went (with that horrible weather those few days.)

That stinks your flight was pretty early, but yeah you're lucky you weren't on that one flight with the messed up plane! I remember hearing about that when we got back that day too, that's too scary!
That's very cool that you have your October trip to look forward to now though! I'll bet it'll be so cool seeing your sister as a CM now. I can't wait to hear all about that trip and I'll see you over on your PTR

 

[Angies1274]

Aww...finally got all caught up and it's over. I really enjoyed reading about your trip! Thanks for sharing!

Oohh...a PTR? Where have I been? I'll have to go check it out!

 

[PirateKate]

I think I might have an idea about how excited you are for the October trip, since I'm crazy excited about mine. I can't wait to see all of the fall stuff up at Magic Kingdom!

I'm sorry your TR is over. It sounds like it was a great trip, despite the weather. See you on your PTR!

 

[Queenofallthings]

I can't believe your TR is over, but I'm also excited that I know there is another one not far off!! Fall is probably my favorite time at the World...I enjoy the cooler temperatures and the decorations...well...they just scream cool fall days, comfy clothes and warm drinks!!! Looking forward to your next one hon!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Thank you for sharing another great trip with us!!

After your praise of OKW we stopped and had breakfast there last week. We loved the atmosphere of the resort and the service and food at Olivia's was great! So thanks for sharing!

That ME video is so depressing! It always makes us cry

I'll be looking forward to hearing about your next visit!

You're welcome.

Aww, I'm glad you guys ended up going to visit OKW! It really is a nice resort.

My next visit is coming up! I can't wait!

Thanks for sharing your trip with us! I'm looking forward to your next report.

You're welcome. I can't wait to do the next trip report for Halloween!

Aw it's over.

I'm glad that you enjoyed staying at OKW. My parents just got back from there. I need to hop on your PTR. I can't believe I forgot to do that.

We really did love OKW. I'm glad we had the chance to stay there. Hope to see you on my PTR!

Awwwww... I can't believe this is over already Thank you for sharing this trip with us and I can't wait to read more about your trips

It was a lot of fun sharing this trip with everyone. That's why I love TRs.

Ooo, I'm not a fan of Quasimodo either. It's funny that we didn't see Quasimodo that often. We did keep seeing the one Danielle kept getting though! And you never know; Dani got the Mushu in the trade box, but she ended up trading it away later on because she liked the Cutesters. But I had to laugh when Claire got Quasimodo too!!! HAHA!!!

Oh man, you finished yet another TR! Haha. I had a lot of updates ready to post for the 2011 one, but I'm done posting them! That's why I posted the last 6 or so consistently. And now the school year's starting! I was like, "I have to finish one of the two TRs before I start a Disneymoon PTR!" Heading over to your new PTR!

Yeah, I've read about some people finding really good vinylmations in the trade boxes but it seems like all the ones I saw were not ones I would choose. Oh well.

I can't wait for your Disneymoon PTR!

so sad it's over but how cool to know when your next two trips are

Yes...I am looking forward to both of those trips.

Sarah, you had a wonderful TR and I'm glad I got to "travel" along with you. It's nice to see things through others eyes like DVC, or eating at a new resturant.
We've never taken the ME, but I know how sad it is to drive away form Disney. Of course that just means we have to look forward to our next trip and future trips after that


Can't wait to see how your visit with your sister goes!

I'm glad you enjoyed my TR.

I always hate leaving the Disney grounds even though I've been there so many times. It just stinks coming back to reality.

I am so excited to go see Emma in a few weeks!

I enjoyed the trip report, and I'm glad you had a great time despite the weather.

Thanks. The weather sure was interesting but we still enjoyed ourselves. I just hope the rain stays away on our next couple trips. haha

I missed a couple updates!

At least you had a nice, rain-free day at Epcot on your last full day.

How funny about the Quasimodo Vinylmations! My DSS started buying the Park collection on our last trip. He only has 2 but man I didn't realize how expensive they are!

I love me some EoS!

I have to go head over to your PTR now!

Yeah, the last day was perfect. It was so nice walking around knowing there was NO chance of rain at all.

I know, they can be expensive but they are so addicting. I love vinylmations!