The 999'th Haunt stole my bra Completed 7-20, Final thoughts added 8-20

[thumper*]

Well hello friends new and old Welcome.

I'm back from our trip and now that I have begrudgingly pulled myself back into the real world it's time to share with you fine folks our escapades.

We got to enjoy all 4 parks, Disney Springs and a MVMCP. There was a family get together thrown in as well. We got to experience new resorts and an off site stay also. This was our longest trip to the world yet and it was full of all sorts fun, characters, making new friends, shopping, eating, drinking, relaxing and lot's of just being plain silly. I love being in Disney and be able to be a kid again.

Follow along with me as I share with you our many adventures for our Dream Grand Floridian Christmas Trip.



I'm Glenda and my husband is Mark. I'm a Realtor by day and save life's at night as a Radiologic Technologist. Mark has an online store on Ebay.



We have been lucky enough to be able to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge on two previous trips. This time we get to experience the beautiful Grand Floridian all decked out in all of it's Christmas splendor. We have been dreaming of staying here for several years and this is the year we get to experience that dream. I have been planning this trip for over a year and a half. I'm not sure what's more depressing that the trip is over or that I don't have another one planned yet. We are hoping to make it back for Magic Kingdoms 50'th anniversary. It will be whole new world by then with many of the new rides/lands open and with the gondola and new hotels going up.

edited to add: I'm such a dork I should have left you guys with a few more details.
Nov30 & Dec 1 Orlando Grand Villa's 1 br condo
Dec 2 & Dec 3 POFQ
Dec 4-7 GF CL
7 day Parkhopper tix
No dining plan been there done that x2, don't think it's worth it for us.
Memory Maker

I booked this vacation as soon our dates opened up (thinking 399 days out), but could have easily booked 3 months sooner if they had let me. Originally booked 5 nt's but ended up adding several days when I got 4 days of free tickets w/ my purchase of 3 at UCT. Then when the Winter discount offer came out I attempted to get that discount to no avail. So had to pay full rack rate. A few months before the trip discovered I had to have surgery on my legs for bad Varicose veins and that was another $1800 out of pocket. So about a week or two before our departure I had to cancel off one of our nt's from the GF. It was a tough decision but in the end we decided to splurge on MM.


So on with this trip report.

 

[thumper*]

Report links

Nov 29-30 Pre trip and travel day see immediately below.

Nov 30'th The Finale to our Disney Drive and a cross with the Suicide Crotch Rocket
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra.3652878/

Nov 30'th Animal Kingdom Adventures part 1
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-12-22.3652878/page-2

Nov 30'th Animal Kingdom Adventures part 2
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-12-22.3652878/page-2

Super Day-Super Moon Fri Dec 1’st
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-12-22.3652878/page-3

Super Day-Super Moon Fri Dec 1’st
part 2
Tequila and Pixie Dust
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-12-22.3652878/page-3

Super Day-Super Moon Fri Dec 1’st
part 3
Some Biers and more food.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-12-22.3652878/page-3

Super Day-Super Moon Fri Dec 1’st
part 4
lil balls and a recipe for snow angels ​

https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-1-5.3652878/page-4

Super Day-Super Moon Fri Dec 1'st
part 5
DHS and No Beers????
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-1-19.3652878/page-5

Sat Dec 2’nd
Alligators, Shrimp and a Duck
Part 1 a gator, speeders and tolls
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-1-19.3652878/page-6

Sat Dec 2’nd
Alligators, Shrimp and a Duck
Part 2 Revelers Row POFQ
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-1-19.3652878/page-6

Sat Dec 2’nd
Alligators, Shrimp and a Duck
Part 3 Disney Springs
Wine glasses, socks, an apron and those nutty reindeer
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-2-2x2.3652878/page-7

Sat Dec 2’nd
Alligators, Shrimp and a Duck
Part 4 Disney Springs and then there was the duck​

https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-2-2x2.3652878/page-7

Sat Dec 2’nd
Alligators, Shrimp and a Duck
Disney Springs part 5
Dancing and a surprise Dis meet.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-2-2x2.3652878/page-8

Sunday Dec 3’rd
Swept off my feet and everything’s coming up Daisy’s
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-2-21.3652878/page-9

Sunday Dec 3’rd part 2
The No Way Jose
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...ra-updated-2-21.3652878/page-10#post-59020454

Sunday Dec 3'rd parts 3, 4 &5
Sailing around the Yacht Club and Speeding around Test Track,
Finding ourselves in a Spot with some silly characters, and
The Big Flirt
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...ra-updated-3-31.3652878/page-10#post-59031866​

Sunday Dec 3'rd parts 6 & 7
Hamming it up in Future World
and a Freezing French Evening
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...a-updated-4-3-x3-and-2-more-x.3652878/page-11

Monday Dec 4'th MK part1
A Grand Dream come true
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...x3-and-2-more-x.3652878/page-11#post-59036698

Monday Dec 4'th MK p2
Lowered ears and Pixie Dust
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...x3-and-2-more-x.3652878/page-11#post-59036698

Monday Dec 4'th MK p3
Lowered ears and Pixie Dust part2
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...x3-and-2-more-x.3652878/page-11#post-59036698

Monday Dec 4'th p4
Main St. Shenanigans
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...x3-and-2-more-x.3652878/page-11#post-59036698

Monday Dec 4'th p5
Adventures abound in Adventure land
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-4-5-x4.3652878/page-12

Monday Dec 4'th p6
Lunch & a Hitchhiking ghost
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-4-5-x4.3652878/page-12

Monday Dec 4'th p7
It's a great day for a parade
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-4-5-x4.3652878/page-12

Monday Dec 4'th p8
A Grand Floridian Afternoon
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-5-27-x3.3652878/page-12

Monday Dec 4'th p9
A Grand Floridian Afternoon cont.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-5-27-x3.3652878/page-12

Monday Dec 4'th p10
Ta Da and the 999'th ghost stole my bra
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-999th-haunt-stole-my-bra-updated-5-27-x3.3652878/page-12

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Relaxin around the resort
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-12

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Relaxin around the resort cont.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-13

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Relaxin around the resort cont. part 2
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-13

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Relaxin around the resort conclusion
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-13

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Partying with Mickey
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-13

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Partying with Mickey pt 2
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-13

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Partying with Mickey/everybody loves a parade
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-13

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Partying with Mickey/everybody loves a parade pt 2
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-13

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Partying with Mickey/everybody loves a parade pt 3
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-14

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Partying with Mickey/everybody loves a parade pt4
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-14

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Partying with Mickey
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-14

Tuesday Dec 5’th
Partying with Mickey pt
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-14

Wednesday Dec 6’th The Grand Finale, AK and the most sought after FP
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-14

Wednesday Dec 6’th The Grand Finale, AK and the most sought after FP pt 2
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-14

Wednesday Dec 6’th The Grand Finale, you can Poly guess what's next
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-14

Wednesday Dec 6’th The Grand Finale, you can Poly guess what's next.....Trader Sam's Shenanigans
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-14

Wednesday Dec 6’th The Grand Finale, the final Grand Finale
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...my-bra-updated-completed-7-20.3652878/page-14

Th th th that's all folks.

 

[thumper*]

Pre trip and travel day


With Magic Bands decorated it was time to work on getting on with this vacay.



We drove down to Orlando from Indy and left on Wed Nov 29'th. I worked nights Mon the 27'th and Tues the 28'th was spent taking a quick nap and getting ready for the trip. Errands were ran and a trip to the nail salon for a mani/pedi is always on the agenda prior to most any trip I take. Had to have a little Mickey bling.


To help get ourselves into the Christmas spirit we watched Christmas cartoons while packing and having a few beers. Hey what can I say vacation has started.

It was an early to bed night as we wanted to be on the road by 4am. Alarm was set for 3am but wasn't needed I was up at 2:30am.

It's a good thing because with being up early we still didn't get on the road until about 4:10am.

Decide to stop for some breakfast at McDonalds about 6am pull in to the parking lot and it was closed.......what their never closed....unless their remodeling. So off to the Burger King next door and I realize why we never eat at Bugger King (pun intended).

We stopped to top off the gas tank before we hit Nashville and wouldn't you know it was closed, they were installing new pumps. At this point I remember @MeghanEmily trip report titled Disney is Broken and was hoping that this wasn't a sign of things to come at Disney.

We stopped in Marrietta Ga. for lunch. We wanted to try a place that was on Diners Drive Ins and Dives the Marietta Diner. After our lunch it was back on the road again to Valdosta Ga.

We got a room at a newly remodeled Hampton Inn. Once I get us checked in and Mark starts to drive to the back a warning alarm goes off on the car computer saying to check oil pressure. He shuts the car off and the alarm stops, but restarts just as we parked in the back of the hotel. We decide to let it go for the moment thinking that maybe it was because we had driven it so long today (12hr's) and it wouldn't be an issue after sitting for a bit. We get all our luggage and pillows out of the car and walk to the door to discover it was broke and we needed to go to the front of the hotel to park and enter. Again Meghan Emily's TR comes to mind. So we haul all our stuff back to the car to do it all over again. After taking potty breaks we go down to the lobby for social hour 5pm-7pm and free beer and wine. We each get a glass of the Cabernet and head back to the room. Mark wasn't in the mood for the wine and just got a glass so that I could have it, such a sweet guy. He opens a Heineken from our cooler and after we've chilled for a few we walk next door to Cheddars for dinner. Off to bed at 9:30 so we could get on the road before 8am. I woke at 2:30am and never did fall back asleep and Mark was tossing and turning. He didn't sleep all night because he was worried about the car. Up for our free breakfast and lot's of coffee and on the road about 8am. Do we make it to Orlando or do we have car issues? Stay tuned.

 

[natebenma]

Hi!

Great start to your report and intriguing title!

I look forward to following along- I love your mistletoe picture, the color of your manicure and the blinged-out magic band.

YIKES on the warning light on the car and all the broken stuff you have encountered so far. Hoping the car is ok and this isn't an ongoing theme for your trip.

 

[Rista1313]

I sure how your trip gets better! Following!

 

[gwynne]

Following along, looking forward to hearing about your holiday time trip!

 

[xlsm]

Ugh, what a way to start the trip! Hopefully things start picking up and no more rogue warning lights and closed businesses!

Looking forward to reading about your trip!

 

[dnllmz]

Hi Following along! I hope the car is okay.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Count me in, we were there the week before you!

 

[chicagoshannon]

Sounds like you stop at all the same places we do on our drive down. Looking forward to reading more.

 

[thumper*]

Hi everybody so glad your all following along.

Hi!

Great start to your report and intriguing title!

I look forward to following along- I love your mistletoe picture, the color of your manicure and the blinged-out magic band.

YIKES on the warning light on the car and all the broken stuff you have encountered so far. Hoping the car is ok and this isn't an ongoing theme for your trip.

Hello and welcome. It's interesting how the title came to be. Sorry you'll have to wait for it, it comes about on the last part of our trip.

I sure how your trip gets better! Following!

Hi thanks for following, spoiler alert it gets much better.

Following along, looking forward to hearing about your holiday time trip!

Welcome thanks for following hope you'll enjoy it.

Ugh, what a way to start the trip! Hopefully things start picking up and no more rogue warning lights and closed businesses!

Looking forward to reading about your trip!

Thanks xlsm I've enjoyed reading your TR's. enjoy.

Hi Following along! I hope the car is okay.

Hello and thanks.

Count me in, we were there the week before you!

Hi disneyAndi14 sorry we didn't get a meet up with since our times didn't cross but I hope Andi enjoyed her birthday?

Sounds like you stop at all the same places we do on our drive down. Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks and welcome to the TR.

 

[thumper*]

The Finale to our Disney Drive and a cross with a Suicide Crotch Rocket


So I last left you all hanging on our car issues. As it would happen the warning light came back on just as we were getting ready to get onto the interstate. Mark wanted to keep going and hope it would go out after a bit. I didn’t feel it would be a good idea to break down on the interstate and recommended he pull over and etleast check the oil. So he pulled into a gas station and checked the oil. It registered slightly low so he added a little since we had some in the trunk. That must have been the answer because we never had any more issues with it the rest of our trip. Sometimes it’s the simplest fixes…YAY.

It is on this part of the drive that I made Mark mad. Yesterday when we were driving down and getting ready to enter into Nashville Mark asked me to look up what interstates we were to follow to get to I75. I was totally flabbergasted that he didn’t know. I didn’t argue with him on it just looked it up on my phone and was able to tell him that he needed I 24 to Chattanooga before we hit I 75. I didn’t say anything but I was thinking you had 1 job just 1 while I planned every bit of this vacation. As we were heading down the road he asked me where we’d need to turn off next. Again, flabbergasted and not understanding why he didn’t research this ahead of time as any good wife I look up the answer and tell him. I also added in that he needs to do a better job of knowing our directions. I know terrible wife for questioning his driving directions. He’s lucky I never did say to him you only had 1 job. As you can imagine this created an attitude and a bickering fest. As we rolled into Orlando he still wasn’t over it and of course when a guy on a motorcycle (crotch rocket) cut in front of us and weaved in out of traffic going extremely fast (not cool and very reckless) he freaked out and started yelling big time. I must say that it was not the way I wanted to start our first Disney Day. Oh well hopefully the Disney Magic will surround him.

I would like to say that I have several friends with motorcycles and don't mean to be derogatory towards cyclist in general. But when your going over 80mph and weaving between cars and driving on the white line I'm calling it as I see it a suicidal crotch rocket. Oh and by the way I can't even count how many dead motorcyclists I have had to xray in my 30+ yr's of XRAY/CT. Let alone how many have survived to be handicapped afterwards. So please be save and wear a helmet. Pls Pls Pls. I'm looking at you @pkondz

When I purchased our park hopper tickets from Undercover Tourist we received 3 free days of tix with our purchase of 4 days. So of course in my planning stages I figured we could add on 2 nt’s at the beginning of our stay at on offsite hotel and add on 1 day at the end of our trip the GF to be able to enjoy these extra freebie days. I was able to find a great deal for a 1br condo at $75 a nt. All of the hotels were much more expensive. So we were heading to our condo at Orlando Grand Villas (run by Diamonds resorts). These condo’s are only 2 miles up I 4 from Disney and very easy to get to. We found the condo easy enough and I got us checked in around 11am. Check in was quick and friendly and the condo was ready early. I wasn’t pressured into a time share presentation. We were offered a great deal to stay at another Diamonds resort else where in the next yr. I really did consider using it for a stay in Branson Mo. or Gatlinburg TN. but decide to decline. The condo was clean and everything that we needed, even if we weren’t going to use the kitchen for anything but the fridge. We did not spend any time here other then sleeping but it had a great pool and was very family friendly. I would stay here again.

After getting all of our luggage up to the condo and taking a quick bio break we hugged out our differences and agreed to make the most of the rest of our day. It was then off to our first park of the trip. Which one will it be?

 

[Araminta18]

Your magic band decorations are so cute! I love them! Did you make them yourself, or did you buy them somewhere?

 

[Rista1313]

He’s lucky I never did say to him you only had 1 job.

Oh I totally would have said it. Good thing you're not me!

 

[chicagoshannon]

We always use Waze for GPS. It lets us know the fastest way to get to where we're going. I highly recommend it. There won't be any arguments if you do.

 

[heaven2dc]

Joining in as well! So glad that the problem with the oil was a quick top off of oil! (keeping fingers crossed no other car issues the rest of your stay and glad you hugged out your differences )

Can't wait to see how the rest of your day goes!

 

[thumper*]

Your magic band decorations are so cute! I love them! Did you make them yourself, or did you buy them somewhere?

Thank You. I purchased fingernail stickers and applied them to the bands Disney sent and then covered them with clear nail polish to keep them on.

Oh I totally would have said it. Good thing you're not me!

But I gotta pick my battles and I didn't want to be mad myself, which would have happened if I'd allowed myself. But it's still itching to come out.

We always use Waze for GPS. It lets us know the fastest way to get to where we're going. I highly recommend it. There won't be any arguments if you do.

I have the Waze app and use it frequently. But I didn't understand why he didn't take the time to check out our route prior to leaving home or the hotel?

Joining in as well! So glad that the problem with the oil was a quick top off of oil! (keeping fingers crossed no other car issues the rest of your stay and glad you hugged out your differences )

Can't wait to see how the rest of your day goes!

Thanks for joining. Fortunately that was it for car issues and things being closed except for the occasional ride at MK.

Oh I totally would have said it. Good thing you're not me!

 

[kilroy1966]

I'm following. Glad your car issue was ok.

 

[thumper*]

I'm following. Glad your car issue was ok.

Thanks for following along.

 

[Raeven]

Following along!