The Empty Nesters Magical Mystery Tour *1/28* Link to New Girl's TR p141

[AllAboutPaige]

I know I'm joining in late in the game but I'm really enjoying your trip report! The Disney break seems like such a great idea, plus the town is incredibly charming from what I can see.

 

[MEK]

A post-launch walk is just the thing to do.

It works every time! As long as I keep walking during the post lunch lethargy phase I am golden!!!!!

I agree, ghost tours are in almost every tourist destination. My city doesn't have any of them, but give it time... Actually, I went on a tour in Key West, made it was really interesting. I learned more about the history of the city and listened to some interesting stories more than experienced "ghosts" but that was even better. So, I'd say if you're going to do one in FL, do one in KW.

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the one in KW. I bet that's an interesting place to begin with so learning about the history of the town with a few spooks thrown in is probably really entertaining. I think Williamsburg might be a good place. I also think a Savannah ghost tour would be a lot of fun.

Bars close on Halloween? Huh? That seems strange. You'd think that'd be a perfect time to make some money.

I know, right? That just seemed so crazy to me. We were really surprised.

Yes, leaving FL is indeed difficult. I am quite attached to the place and will likely cry when Alex gets new orders.

OMG - you will! I know I would. It seems like such an awesome place to live weather wise. I do think parts of the midatlantic are a lot prettier, but nice weather the majority of the year definitely counts for a lot.

Oh no, those work troubles sound awful. That's the absolute worst thing you need on vacation. Such a damper....

I needed my work schedule, so there was no way to avoid. I just never expected to get back and go into that long stretch.

Those pictures definitely look like you were having a blast!

We really had a great time on our May trip. It was a fantastic trip. Girls trips are always SO MUCH FUN!!!!

I think the ultimate ghost tour would be in some type of vehicle like this...

Sign me up. I'm in!

Boy - that sure brings back memories. Love it!!!!!! But now I have the theme song stuck in my head, so thanks for that.

Indoor swimming pool. 1889. I'm sure they had chemicals to use on it, but all I can think about is how nasty that stagnant water would be without all the pumps and filtration we have now.

I agree. I wonder what pool rat pat would think about that. Plus the murkiness of the water inside would be sort of creepy. I don't know. I'm not sure if I am a fan.

Um... yeah.

Those decorations were pretty cool and pretty creepy!

Ok, looks like we're eating somewhere else...

If that spider had fallen on my head you can be SURE I would go somewhere else to eat.

Wow... they really went all out. Impressive.

I did really enjoy the way they decorated. Having Halloween decorations really helps with the celebration of the day.

Well, you've been talking about how seriously people take Halloween around there. Maybe it is such an important local holiday where the entire town shuts down.

I think it must!

That really is brutal. Vacation is meant to be a time away from all that crap. But I know that there is nothing you can do to turn it off once that news is broken to you. It really is too bad that work news had to ruin some of the experience for you.

I know, but I had to get my schedule. There was no way to avoid it. I just didn't expect to get thrown right back into the fire like that. It ended up being fine, but at the time it felt so overwhelming.

 

[MEK]

You think too much



(pot calling kettle black)

I definitely DO think too much sometimes. It's weird. I feel lucky every day that I can get out and exercise, but I always worry that someday I will have to stop. Hopefully that won't happen for a long, long time!

OMG I didn't want to say any spoilers. That was just wild, I wanted to send you a cocktail through the phone!

UGH - I really can't believe how sure I was that she was in the wrong room. I've been going over it in my head (because I am getting ready to write that update) and when I relive how I read her text message I totally see why I thought that.

that's just brutal, and honestly, the work quality suffers as does morale I would think.

I am surprised that the people I work with can work that schedule. I know its made more tolerable by all the overtime. In fact, I think the reason they don't complain is because they have gotten used to that extra money.

I cannot wait to go there in just 3 months!

You are so lucky. I know I am going in October, but I really MISS my AP.

It was a blast

It really was! It was a great vacation!

I know I'm joining in late in the game but I'm really enjoying your trip report! The Disney break seems like such a great idea, plus the town is incredibly charming from what I can see.

AllAboutPaige! Thanks for joining in. You are never too late!

Saint Augustine is exactly that - charming! I really enjoyed our visit there.

And I noticed that you have a Disney moon coming up! Congratulations. That is super exciting!

 

[Poolrat]

Awww - you're so nice! I laughed when I saw them too! They are just so freaking awesome! Best PP pics EVER!

You should have yours very soon

Well, I suppose that's ONE way to learn how to swim! Probably wouldn't be my first choice of methods.

Yeah - when you first start you are just trying to give 110% and establish a good working rapport with everyone. I had reached a point where I felt I had established that, but I didn't expect to go back to and have to work so many days in a row. I had just finished a 12 day stretch prior to leaving. It was crazy.

Hey I didn't know you worked with me!!! I think I so the same thing for my trip in Aug. Work 11 in a row then come back to 11 in a row

I think Pat should be sending our PP pretty soon, those were some of my favorite pictures for sure, you can just feel the fun!

Indoor swimming pool. 1889. I'm sure they had chemicals to use on it, but all I can think about is how nasty that stagnant water would be without all the pumps and filtration we have now.

I agree. I wonder what pool rat pat would think about that. Plus the murkiness of the water inside would be sort of creepy. I don't know. I'm not sure if I am a fan.

Yup pegged that room as a former pool. I am sure they did something but I have no idea what, maybe salt water? Or just a giant bathtub? Drain and refill making it so that the very rich could only afford to do that.

that's just brutal, and honestly, the work quality suffers as does morale I would think.

Today I am delirious..... yes it does suffer..


Now to the update - Love the Town of St. A. Such a neat college too very ornate.

Oh yes the run that just won't go. I have had plenty of those.
Sorry your lunch place seemed to be closed to celebrate Halloween???? Go figure.

I am so in need of a beach trip. Just to stare at the ocean and relax.

I am sensing a checking in nightmare.

 

[MEK]

You should have yours very soon

I got it! Thank you!

Exactly!

Hey I didn't know you worked with me!!! I think I so the same thing for my trip in Aug. Work 11 in a row then come back to 11 in a row

OMG Pat. that is terrible. It just makes your vacation feel like so much less of a vacation even though you absolutely need to go on said vacation. I hope its not as bad as you think its going to be.

Yup pegged that room as a former pool. I am sure they did something but I have no idea what, maybe salt water? Or just a giant bathtub? Drain and refill making it so that the very rich could only afford to do that.

Really? You mean you could actually look at that room ahead of time and know it was a pool? I'm impressed. I guess if you spend half of your life around pools you get pretty good at that type of thing.

Today I am delirious..... yes it does suffer..

Totally suffers. I am surprised that the people I work with do it about every 5 weeks . They all look pretty beat up but I think they are addicted now to the extra money. It's a total trade off. I mean - it WAS really nice extra money.

Now to the update - Love the Town of St. A. Such a neat college too very ornate.

It's gorgeous. You should stop there on one of your driving trips. So many cool restaurants and historic sites. I just loved it and can't wait to go back.

Oh yes the run that just won't go. I have had plenty of those.

Yeah - me too! And I HATE when that happens.

Sorry your lunch place seemed to be closed to celebrate Halloween???? Go figure.

Weird, right? I mean it just looked like a hole in the wall dive bar to me, but apparently K&T really like the place. So maybe next time.

I am so in need of a beach trip. Just to stare at the ocean and relax.

Me too! And I was just on vacation 6 weeks ago. But this nice summer weather has me craving the beach. I need to take a drive down there soon. :good vibes

I am sensing a checking in nightmare.

Yeah - but not in the way you might be thinking. Let's just put it this way - it was bad enough for me to text Cynthia and say "what should I do?????"

 

[saintstickets]

Well now...I go to WDW for a week and then spend a couple of weeks getting caught up at work before I finally get back to the DISboards only to find that you have eleventy-seven new pages and umpteen updates! (Don't try to understand those Southern terms...it just means a lot!! ) I guess the Princess of the DISboards is still as popular as ever!

I have a confession to make - I'm getting a little weary from DISing and when my computer crashed and I had to have my hard drive replaced last week I almost considered giving up the DIS altogether. But I didn't and now I'm here with an update.

I can relate. After I got temporarily suspended from here a while back and add to that some personal drama, it was hard to get back in the swing of things. Writing good TR's are a labor of love and it requires a lot of both labor and love of Disney. You do it so well as evidenced by the throngs of followers.

Fish tacos and collard greens. Yup - some low country cooking here. The greens must have been flavored with bacon fat or ham. They were so yummy and I couldn’t even finish them. Notice the big chunks of ham in there. The fish tacos were pretty darn good, too!

Well...yeah...you can't cook greens (collard, turnip or mustard!) without rendering some bacon fat! As Emeril says, "Pork fat rules!"

From left to right: Danielle's mom Jackie, yours truly, Danielle's dad (the one and only Popadon), Danielle and Cynthia! We are just having TOO much fun!


How FUN are those pictures?????

Poor Popadon...he looks like he is so miserable!
Now that's my kind of trip!!

 

[annmarieda]

The dismeet photos sure are fun!

I think it is crazy that part of the museum was once a swimming pool! Love those pics!!!

The halloween decorations are great! It is such a fun holiday to decorate for.

Beautiful pool and beach time!

Sorry the run on the beach was less than great. Seems like it should be given the location but I guess overindulging has a way of doing that to runs.

The picture of the chef tied to the building made me laugh. He almost looks like he is prisoner and needs help.

What a great set of updates! I think you win queen of the updates!!!

 

[MEK]

Well now...I go to WDW for a week and then spend a couple of weeks getting caught up at work before I finally get back to the DISboards only to find that you have eleventy-seven new pages and umpteen updates! (Don't try to understand those Southern terms...it just means a lot!! ) I guess the Princess of the DISboards is still as popular as ever!

Oh yeah - I'm a Princess alright! I'm still updating once a week. Nothing special.

I hope you had a great trip and I'm glad I found your new TR. You know I need a bat signal. Can't wait to read all about your newest adventures!

I can relate. After I got temporarily suspended from here a while back and add to that some personal drama, it was hard to get back in the swing of things. Writing good TR's are a labor of love and it requires a lot of both labor and love of Disney. You do it so well as evidenced by the throngs of followers.

I remember that - which was so unnecessary. I'm glad you did come back after that. I can imagine it was REALLY hard to get back in the swing.

And, yes, TRs are a labor of love and a huge commitment.

Well...yeah...you can't cook greens (collard, turnip or mustard!) without rendering some bacon fat! As Emeril says, "Pork fat rules!"

Hmmmmmm. I didn't know Emeril made that quote, but he's right when it comes to collards. They were super yummy!

Poor Popadon...he looks like he is so miserable!
Now that's my kind of trip!!

Yeah - he was really suffering during that picture! He's such a fun guy and basically embraces his DIS celebrity status! :good vibes

The dismeet photos sure are fun!

I love the way they turned out! We really were having so much fun! It was great to meet Danielle and her parents!

I think it is crazy that part of the museum was once a swimming pool! Love those pics!!!

It was a neat place to tour. I wish we had gotten a chance to tour the entire museum, but you can only do so much. Gotta leave something for next time!

The halloween decorations are great! It is such a fun holiday to decorate for.

It really is. I wish I had that much creativity, but I don't. Christmas is my decorating limit. But it sure is fun to see people go all out for Halloween!

Beautiful pool and beach time!

It was a lovely afternoon and it was so cool how empty the beach was. Loved it!

Sorry the run on the beach was less than great. Seems like it should be given the location but I guess overindulging has a way of doing that to runs.

Yup - I was pretty wiped out that morning. You would think that when you have a beautiful place to run you should automatically get the runner's high, but it just wasn't happening.

The picture of the chef tied to the building made me laugh. He almost looks like he is prisoner and needs help.

That's probably why I took his picture. Just not something you see everyday. That's for sure!

What a great set of updates! I think you win queen of the updates!!!

Thanks! I really enjoyed writing about St Augustine. Next up - back to Disney!

 

[rentayenta]

How did I get so far behind?

The beach shots are gorgeous. The restaurant looks fun and I'm with you, I'll choose outdoor anything over indoor.

Cute little chalkboard. Tell Denny he doesn't look a day of 58. No really, he looks great, you both do.

I hate that crappy overindulgent feeling when on vacation. Unfortunately that's how I felt the entire cruise after the first day. I don't feel that way at the parks though.

Work drama.

 

[goofy's_gurl]

I am checking into your TR. I read it all day! I am finally caught up now. I love all of your pictures. I do not think there is a bad picture, to be honest. You have a very artistic eye!! St. Augustine looks amazing! I always wanted to go there (even though I live in FL) to do a ghost tour and some sightseeing!

 

[ohboyx3]

Sorry! Wrong post

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Mary Ellen! I loved your sunrise on the beach shot!

I'm afraid I would have to find another dinner option. All the cats would creep me out - not to mention the overkill on the Halloween décor, but that's just me.

Too bad Denny's birthday lunch didn't turn out, but it looks like a beautiful area. I'm sorry your work stress interrupted your relaxation. Nothing like thinking about work while your trying to be on vacation.

Love the DISmeet shots! Looks like a fun group.

 

[GoofyFan1515]

Looks like you had a lot of fun meeting Danielle and her family! Some really good PP pictures!

With the area’s of the LIghtner Museum being so dead, are you really surprised they would have a Ghost Tour in the area???

You got some more beautiful scenery shots! Too funny all of the Halloween decorations. And your condo looked so relaxing, along with a walk on the beach for good measure!

Outside deck at Creekside being pretty dead too………..I’m sensing a theme here! Interesting that it goes along with all the Halloween decorations. The lobster looked good, but is that what everyone had??? What’s with the lack of food pics in a MEK restaurant update?

Your disappointment with your run is our treasure in the form of some fantastic beach pictures! And is it any wonder your picture of the bottle and glass “floating” would happen on Halloween Day………. More great beach photos at Flagler Beach, and how cool that someone left Denny a birthday message to find on the way back! Too bad his special lunch plans fell through. And as for work drama on vacation…..that just really sucks!

 

[MEK]

How did I get so far behind?

Cause you've been a busy girl this summer! And having tons of fun on the lake!

The beach shots are gorgeous. The restaurant looks fun and I'm with you, I'll choose outdoor anything over indoor.

Is it even a choice? I mean, seriously, who doesn't want to be outside in gorgeous, perfect weather?

Cute little chalkboard. Tell Denny he doesn't look a day of 58. No really, he looks great, you both do.

He said "thank you".

I hate that crappy overindulgent feeling when on vacation. Unfortunately that's how I felt the entire cruise after the first day. I don't feel that way at the parks though.

Ugh - I feel like that right now. We had a party to go to Friday nights, a grad party last night, and we took my mom to brunch today. Can you say" BLOATED?" The only saving grace this weekend was the 40 mile bike ride I did yesterday.

Work drama.

Yeah, why does work always have a way of crawling into your vacation and wrecking your fun?

I am checking into your TR. I read it all day! I am finally caught up now. I love all of your pictures. I do not think there is a bad picture, to be honest. You have a very artistic eye!! St. Augustine looks amazing! I always wanted to go there (even though I live in FL) to do a ghost tour and some sightseeing!

goofy's_gurl! Thanks for joining in. And Yay for getting caught up!
Thank you for your compliment on the pictures! It is very appreciated.

Saint Augustine was really amazing. I really would like to go back there again soon. It's a gorgeous city. It really has its share of unique sights. As far as the ghost tour - I think I really need to try one.

Sorry! Wrong post

No worries!

 

[MEK]

Hi Mary Ellen! I loved your sunrise on the beach shot!

Thanks! Saint Augustine really had a beautiful beach. It had nice hard packed sand for walking/running and stunning views. I'm so glad we got a chance to visit.

I'm afraid I would have to find another dinner option. All the cats would creep me out - not to mention the overkill on the Halloween décor, but that's just me.

And there were probably 3 or 4 different cats on that deck at any given time. It was like being in someone's back yard. I like cats so it didn't bother me, but I can see some costumers really not liking the felines at all.

Too bad Denny's birthday lunch didn't turn out, but it looks like a beautiful area. I'm sorry your work stress interrupted your relaxation. Nothing like thinking about work while your trying to be on vacation.

I wonder whether that restaurant would have been any good. K&T like it, but it really didn't look like much. That's OK, a place can still look like a dive and have really excellent food. Next time.

Ugh to the work stress. Not fun!

Love the DISmeet shots! Looks like a fun group.

Thanks. We had such an awesome time that day and I think its really reflected in our pictures!

Looks like you had a lot of fun meeting Danielle and her family! Some really good PP pictures!

We had a blast getting to meet Danielle and her family. Popadon is just so great and they are such a close family and you can tell. It's pretty awesome. I hope our paths cross again!

With the area’s of the LIghtner Museum being so dead, are you really surprised they would have a Ghost Tour in the area???

Ba - da - boom

You got some more beautiful scenery shots! Too funny all of the Halloween decorations. And your condo looked so relaxing, along with a walk on the beach for good measure!

Thank you! There was just so much to take pictures of. It was easy to get some nice shots.

The condo was small, but it was adequate, in expensive, and it was wonderful to be able to get a 2 night rental that wasn't in a hotel.

Outside deck at Creekside being pretty dead too………..I’m sensing a theme here! Interesting that it goes along with all the Halloween decorations. The lobster looked good, but is that what everyone had??? What’s with the lack of food pics in a MEK restaurant update?

It was really dead that night and I don't think it was because we ate super late. I expected it to be more busy around Halloween, but nope.

Yeah - I sort of dropped the ball on some of the dining pics. I just wasn't feeling the need to take pictures of every single thing we consumed. It just felt exhausting, so I let it slide a bit. I did even worse at the next meal.

Your disappointment with your run is our treasure in the form of some fantastic beach pictures! And is it any wonder your picture of the bottle and glass “floating” would happen on Halloween Day……….

Very good points you make there!

More great beach photos at Flagler Beach, and how cool that someone left Denny a birthday message to find on the way back! Too bad his special lunch plans fell through. And as for work drama on vacation…..that just really sucks!

It was really fun writing his B-day wishes on the chalk board. What a great idea. And we did find another restaurant for lunch which I will be writing about shortly.

The work thing was really tough and threw me for a loop for a couple hours.

 

[MEK]

Hey You Get Outta My Room

In my last update we had just finished our stay in Saint Augustine and were heading down the coast looking for a place for lunch. It was Denny’s birthday, and Halloween, and the first place we visited for lunch was actually closed, for Halloween? Who knew?

So what’s a hungry bunch of tourists to do? We just kept driving to Daytona and stopped at a marina with a restaurant along the inter coastal.

Here’s our amazing view







I can’t even describe how perfect the day was and, as we settled in for lunch, I became less stressed about my work schedule. I actually started to forget about it. And, no, there was NOT alcohol involved. At least not YET!



Denny and K yaking it up



Could I just live here?





In the gift shop



I think Denny got a T-shirt. You know, one that just sits in his drawer that he never wears.



The pool at the marina.

After lunch we took K & T back to their house and said our goodbyes. We were heading back to the bubble. More specifically, we were checking into the AKL - Jambo House.

I was excited for this. I had stayed at Kidani, but never the Jambo House. With limited points left for my use year I booked standard view. I knew from one of Cynthia’s prior TRs that some of the standard view 1BR’s were actually reclassified savannah rooms. One can always hope, right?

I had hoped to get a slightly earlier start from Daytona. but I think the whole "finding a place for lunch" thing messed us up a bit. We were meeting our friends from Delaware and they were staying as our guests. They were driving down and had spent the night in Charleston.

We were probably still about 45 minutes outside of the bubble when I got a text that they were there and already checked in. I had reserved a 2BR lock-off.

And here’s were things got weird.

My friend, P. texted me to say how lovely the room was and there was definitely a view of the savannah. Then she texted, “But where are YOU sleeping?”

OMG. What? What did she mean by that?

You see, in my vision of the check-in process I figured that she and her DH entered through the 1BR part of the villa. So after her comment I logically assumed that she and her DH must have gone straight into the master bedroom and got settled there.

I sort of lost it here…or panicked…or both. What the heck just happened?

So I did what any logical…er, I mean illogical person would do. I texted the one person who would understand my dilemma. The one and only Cynthia. I explained the situation and said, “what should I do?”

She said, “You have to tell her to move?”

OMG - How was I going to do THAT? She told me how great the room was and that they were all settled in.

So finally, FINALLY I calmed down and called her.

And said, “I think you are in the wrong room”.

She said “no I’m not”.

OMG!

So I said, “describe your room to me?”

Well, as it turns out the CM’s at Disney are way smarter than I gave them credit for.

The DID check her into the studio so I’m not even sure if she walked into the 1 BR portion of the villa yet. I just assumed the opposite.

I felt SO stupid. I know I was running on empty and my work schedule had thrown me for a loop, but I felt so silly that I thought she was in the wrong room.

Crisis averted. By now P and her DH, D, were on the bus to Epcot and we were nearing the bubble.

Thank goodness.



I wanted to get a picture of arrival, but darn that windshield was dirty



We had to see our room before heading to Epcot, so we parked, checked in (which I may have done on online), and headed up to check out our view.

I present to you our STANDARD view villa



How gorgeous is THAT?

SCORE!!!!!!

The view to our right.



And that’s all the pics I took because we had a F&W festival and a dinner reservation to get to!

The plan was to meet P & D at the Seas since they had ridden Nemo and now were watching Turtle Talk with Crush

A few hasty pics while waiting





We just missed them and ended up finding them outside



Well hello Spaceship Earth



The next picture I have is on TT, so I must have scheduled us FP’s here





In fact, now that I think about it. I also had earlier FP’s scheduled on Soarin, but only P & D got there in time to ride.



We traveled around the World Showcase in route to our dinner reservations. It was a gorgeous evening.





So where were we headed?

Any guesses?



If you guessed Via you are right on!

We ordered a picture of sangria. I remember really loving the sangria at Via, but the last time I was there with Cynthia it was just “eh”. Maybe they changed the recipe. I wouldn’t be surprised.



Continued In Next Post

 

[MEK]

For an app I had the pasta e fagioli. This was a shout out to my little old italian grandmother who made the most amazing soup. It was pretty yummy.



Denny must have gotten the fritto de vedura



Not sure what P and D had. I guess I was working them up to the idea of taking food pictures.

After apps we all split a pizza and for some reason I have no picture of that. Yup. I am totally flunking DIS dining. I can tell you that we got the pizza that is billed as serving 2-3, but we had plenty and someone had to force the last slice down. No, it wasn't me!

I DID take a picture of dessert

Zeppole di Caterina
Ricotta cheese fritters, served with whipped cream and chocolate sauce







For some reason I thought they would be better than they actually tasted.

Denny got the standard Via birthday dessert



The only other pictures I have from that evening are these





It appears that we went to take a ride on maelstrom.

I think we succeeded because I have this picture


and this one



I do NOT have a picture of the troll. It’s an embarrassment to admit that, but its true. I have decided that the key to taking my camera off autofocus. Unfortunately I never got to test that theory in May because the wait was 15 minutes, so we passed. And if that ride turns into an Elsa and Anna ride, I may never get a picture of the troll. How tragic.

Ah, yes - the end of the ride



Now here is something shocking. I have NO Illuminations pictures from this evening. Considering I watched Illuminations twice this trip, once from Rose and Crown and once from La Hacienda, I must have decided to put the camera away. And guess what? I lived to tell about it!

But instead of Illuminations pictures, I do have some PP pictures from that evening.

Denny and I on our way into the park





And on our way out



Up Next - Animals from Dawn to Dusk

 

[rndmr2]

That place you found for lunch looked good, the view was really pretty with the water and boats.

Glad you are back in the bubble, Wow that view from your villa is awesome!

 

[natebenma]

That was a beautiful spot for lunch but apparently the view distracted you from taking food porn or describing your meal!

Too funny about the room situation and I am glade that you didn't have to duke it out over who got to sleep in the master bedroom!

I really like this entrance arch photo. In most of them you can't see the purple road signs that are the norm once you are inside the bubble, but you can here!

Spaceship Earth looking Pretty in Pink!

 

[Pinkocto]

I'm sorry about the work stress, that would definitely put a damper on things.

Love your 'standard view'. We had one of those and saw tons of animals. Glad the room sutuation was ok, what did your friend say when you met up?

Via Napoli, oh how I love thee

How was the food at the Daytona restautant?