The Holidays Are Over So Let's Get This Trip Report Rolling!
- Thread starter mariezp
- Start date
HDDR is so fun, glad you enjoyed it.
Loved the faces.
mariezp
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Day 11, December 12, 2009
Woke up this morning and started straightening up for our guests that would be coming today. I love the house we are staying in but I do miss maid service! Since they are staying overnight with us we did some rearranging in our sleeping arrangements so that they could have the upstairs for their family. (Another reason to love the house.) The 4 bedrooms took care of everyone except my son who volunteered to sleep on the couch.
The N family arrived right at noon. We showed them around the house and visited awhile.
My DD and her new BF.
Before too long we set out to go eat at Bubba Gumps. I had a slight idea of where it was located but I had no idea it would be inside the Universal City Walk area .nor did I have any idea how their parking was set up. We had plugged the address into DHs "evil I phone" which took us straight to the valet parking area. We thought that was a bit much so we set out to find the regular parking. We had no idea that the alternative parking was in the giant Universal parking lot which actually cost $2 more and was a lot longer walk. When you head into the parking area it is one way and there is no way to escape other than driving through the booth. Apparently this happens a lot. The attendant just handed us a slip of paper and gave us directions on how to exit the parking lot. I cannot tell you how silly we felt with our friends following us all over the place . lost and trying to find where the heck we were going. At one point Mr. N had gotten out from behind us and we were both going in circles trying to catch up with each other. Crazy but at least we had something funny to talk about when we finally did reach our destination. As you might have guessed, we did eventually end up back at the valet parking lot and then made our way to the restaurant.
Here's a photo of DS and his friends that are the main reason we made our trip to Florida.
At 3ish in the afternoon the place was practically deserted. Our group of 10 was seated right away. The food was great and the service was good.
Just like peas and carrots!
The host at the front was kind enough to take a group photo for us when we left.
For the second one he told us all to act silly. I really loved that. He should go to work at WDW. He would make a great addition to their Photopass crew.
We made our way back to the car and proceeded to find a location on the "evil I phone" to go bowling. Only one problem. This time it let us down. We ended up in some ritzy apartment complex where there was obviously no bowling alley. We gave it one more chance. It led us to a tiny little bowling alley . all of 12 lanes. We werent too sure about the neighborhood but went ahead and stayed for fear of where we would end up next. We were also quite wore out from our escapade and quite ready to take on the challengers. It didnt hurt that I had a 50% off coupon from the Entertainment Book either. None of us were great bowlers. I was a bit off from my usual game since my back had been hurting and I was afraid to bend too much. We also had a group next to us who failed miserably in being polite enough to stay in their own area when it was our turn. Still we managed to have a good time. After a couple games we made our way back to our home away from home.
The teens settled in for some cards. My DD and her new BF headed for the pool. And, the adults headed for the lounge chairs on the deck. We sat around and chit chatted and made plans for the next day. Although they live in Florida they had never been to WDW as a family. It was going to be our pleasure to introduce them to the Magic Kingdom as well as enjoy their company for the day. The plan was to get up nice and early for their first big day. We'll see how that goes....
Woke up this morning and started straightening up for our guests that would be coming today. I love the house we are staying in but I do miss maid service! Since they are staying overnight with us we did some rearranging in our sleeping arrangements so that they could have the upstairs for their family. (Another reason to love the house.) The 4 bedrooms took care of everyone except my son who volunteered to sleep on the couch.
The N family arrived right at noon. We showed them around the house and visited awhile.
My DD and her new BF.
Before too long we set out to go eat at Bubba Gumps. I had a slight idea of where it was located but I had no idea it would be inside the Universal City Walk area .nor did I have any idea how their parking was set up. We had plugged the address into DHs "evil I phone" which took us straight to the valet parking area. We thought that was a bit much so we set out to find the regular parking. We had no idea that the alternative parking was in the giant Universal parking lot which actually cost $2 more and was a lot longer walk. When you head into the parking area it is one way and there is no way to escape other than driving through the booth. Apparently this happens a lot. The attendant just handed us a slip of paper and gave us directions on how to exit the parking lot. I cannot tell you how silly we felt with our friends following us all over the place . lost and trying to find where the heck we were going. At one point Mr. N had gotten out from behind us and we were both going in circles trying to catch up with each other. Crazy but at least we had something funny to talk about when we finally did reach our destination. As you might have guessed, we did eventually end up back at the valet parking lot and then made our way to the restaurant.
Here's a photo of DS and his friends that are the main reason we made our trip to Florida.
At 3ish in the afternoon the place was practically deserted. Our group of 10 was seated right away. The food was great and the service was good.
Just like peas and carrots!
The host at the front was kind enough to take a group photo for us when we left.
For the second one he told us all to act silly. I really loved that. He should go to work at WDW. He would make a great addition to their Photopass crew.
We made our way back to the car and proceeded to find a location on the "evil I phone" to go bowling. Only one problem. This time it let us down. We ended up in some ritzy apartment complex where there was obviously no bowling alley. We gave it one more chance. It led us to a tiny little bowling alley . all of 12 lanes. We werent too sure about the neighborhood but went ahead and stayed for fear of where we would end up next. We were also quite wore out from our escapade and quite ready to take on the challengers. It didnt hurt that I had a 50% off coupon from the Entertainment Book either. None of us were great bowlers. I was a bit off from my usual game since my back had been hurting and I was afraid to bend too much. We also had a group next to us who failed miserably in being polite enough to stay in their own area when it was our turn. Still we managed to have a good time. After a couple games we made our way back to our home away from home.
The teens settled in for some cards. My DD and her new BF headed for the pool. And, the adults headed for the lounge chairs on the deck. We sat around and chit chatted and made plans for the next day. Although they live in Florida they had never been to WDW as a family. It was going to be our pleasure to introduce them to the Magic Kingdom as well as enjoy their company for the day. The plan was to get up nice and early for their first big day. We'll see how that goes....
mariezp
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Day 12, December 13, 2009
The next morning we all did manage to wake up by 9:00. However, we still didnt actually end up making it to the Magic Kingdom until about 10:30.
Of course, as I imagined they were all amazed and in awe on their first walk down Main Street. I had already informed them that our very first stop would be the castle for a photo to document our trip .. also, for a family picture for them on their first trip and us for our traditional annual pic in front of the castle. I will be so glad when my DD gets to the stage that she decides to keep her hair out of her face!
With that done the next destination chosen was the Carousel of Progress. Odd choice possibly but it was good to give them a good look at the genius of Walt and his animatronics.
Next, the bravest of our bunch headed to Space Mountain.
It was very tramatic... or should I say dramatic... for some.
The rest of us whimps went on the People Mover which was followed by Buzz Lightyear. Fearing that we might spend our entire day in Tomorrowland I convinced them that we really needed to move along and tackle the big rides throughout the park in order to do the most we could in the time that we had. They were wise enough to see the wisdom I possessed so I led them to the Haunted Mansion.
Afterwards we grabbed a meal at Columbia Harbor House. I don't think the town is big enough for both of them.
Tummies full we were re-energized and ready to move on. We headed to Pirates. We got held up briefly by the parade but even that ended up being okay because their youngest DD seemed to enjoy it very much. After Pirates we went through the Swiss Family Tree House and then followed up with a Jungle Cruise.
DD was still refusing to ride Splash so DH took her while I rode with the rest of the group.
When we got off half of the group rode Big Thunder while the other half made our way to Small World. And, last was Mickeys Philharmagic.
They needed to leave the park by 6:30. Since there was nothing else with a short wait time we decided to head out early for the night. Of course, we forgot to consider that the parade was in progress so we ran into that mess. It was crazy trying to keep 10 people together in crowds like that! We finally made it out to our cars and headed home. They gathered their belongings and then we spent another 20 minutes saying all our goodbyes. They finally hit the road for their hour long drive home and we went in to rest.
We had a fabulous time with our new friends! Gotta say that it is a huge amount of stress trying to keep 10 people happy and moving. Man! I was more tired from this one day than any other day in our entire trip! Going to miss them tomorrow!
The next morning we all did manage to wake up by 9:00. However, we still didnt actually end up making it to the Magic Kingdom until about 10:30.
Of course, as I imagined they were all amazed and in awe on their first walk down Main Street. I had already informed them that our very first stop would be the castle for a photo to document our trip .. also, for a family picture for them on their first trip and us for our traditional annual pic in front of the castle. I will be so glad when my DD gets to the stage that she decides to keep her hair out of her face!
With that done the next destination chosen was the Carousel of Progress. Odd choice possibly but it was good to give them a good look at the genius of Walt and his animatronics.
Next, the bravest of our bunch headed to Space Mountain.
It was very tramatic... or should I say dramatic... for some.
The rest of us whimps went on the People Mover which was followed by Buzz Lightyear. Fearing that we might spend our entire day in Tomorrowland I convinced them that we really needed to move along and tackle the big rides throughout the park in order to do the most we could in the time that we had. They were wise enough to see the wisdom I possessed so I led them to the Haunted Mansion.
Afterwards we grabbed a meal at Columbia Harbor House. I don't think the town is big enough for both of them.
Tummies full we were re-energized and ready to move on. We headed to Pirates. We got held up briefly by the parade but even that ended up being okay because their youngest DD seemed to enjoy it very much. After Pirates we went through the Swiss Family Tree House and then followed up with a Jungle Cruise.
DD was still refusing to ride Splash so DH took her while I rode with the rest of the group.
When we got off half of the group rode Big Thunder while the other half made our way to Small World. And, last was Mickeys Philharmagic.
They needed to leave the park by 6:30. Since there was nothing else with a short wait time we decided to head out early for the night. Of course, we forgot to consider that the parade was in progress so we ran into that mess. It was crazy trying to keep 10 people together in crowds like that! We finally made it out to our cars and headed home. They gathered their belongings and then we spent another 20 minutes saying all our goodbyes. They finally hit the road for their hour long drive home and we went in to rest.
We had a fabulous time with our new friends! Gotta say that it is a huge amount of stress trying to keep 10 people happy and moving. Man! I was more tired from this one day than any other day in our entire trip! Going to miss them tomorrow!
mariezp
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I sure hope they did. They said they did. I think they have fun no matter what they are doing. Great family! However, I do doubt they will ever become dedicated Disney fans like some of the rest of us hanging out around here.
We have had varying sizes of groups on most of our trips but this was the largest bunch so far. Me, being the planner and organizer of all things Disney I probably wore myself out more than the average person trying to make sure everything was just right. It is so much easier when it is just the four of us. Funny thing though, since my son became a teenager.... he thinks vacations mean that someone else should go with us.
I thought the photos would be good for cards too but I was lazy when we got home and didn't even get any cards sent out. Shame on me!
We have had varying sizes of groups on most of our trips but this was the largest bunch so far. Me, being the planner and organizer of all things Disney I probably wore myself out more than the average person trying to make sure everything was just right. It is so much easier when it is just the four of us. Funny thing though, since my son became a teenager.... he thinks vacations mean that someone else should go with us.
I thought the photos would be good for cards too but I was lazy when we got home and didn't even get any cards sent out. Shame on me!
Canyon girl
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Man, I don't know if I could handle a group. I had been thinking about suggesting a family reunion at WDW, but after your report, I think I will keep my mouth closed and keep it for our family of 4! BTW, how is your DD liking the snow???
mariezp
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Hi Canyon girl. You know, I was thinking that maybe all our days finally caught up with us and that might have been why we were so tired but I really don't think that was it. When we go to DL we are dog tired for the first week. The second week we seem to build up steam, have a resurgence of energy and it gets easier. So, I really believe that a large group is what tuckered us out. It was totally worth it! BUT if you decide to do the big group thing just be prepared. If you have a very large extended family you may be used to chaos already. There are only the four of us as we are seldom around many other family members so I am only used to mini chaos!
On the other hand with a bug bunch you do have plenty of opportunities to try out new ride buddies. And the thrill riders can do their thing while the non thrill riders can do there choice. I just found the process of making decisions of what was next to be much more time consuming in our case. Maybe your group would have a better idea of what they would like to do and speak up. Or maybe you are a take charge kind of girl and can tell them what they are going to do next!
We have too much Texas blood running through our veins to enjoy snow much! It was really pretty to look at but a day of it is enough for us. My DD was very proud of herself this time around because she did not cry this time when her hands started thawing out after we had come back inside. That is a milestone! Every time she had played in it before when her fingers would start tingling she would cry and proclaim how she hated snow and never wanted to play in it again.
It's all melting now leaving a big old mushy, muddy mess. Not so pretty anymore. We lost a lot of tree limbs and one entire huge old oak tree from the weight of the 12" of snow. More clean up work in the future when it dries out.
Did ya'll get much in your area?
On the other hand with a bug bunch you do have plenty of opportunities to try out new ride buddies. And the thrill riders can do their thing while the non thrill riders can do there choice. I just found the process of making decisions of what was next to be much more time consuming in our case. Maybe your group would have a better idea of what they would like to do and speak up. Or maybe you are a take charge kind of girl and can tell them what they are going to do next!
We have too much Texas blood running through our veins to enjoy snow much! It was really pretty to look at but a day of it is enough for us. My DD was very proud of herself this time around because she did not cry this time when her hands started thawing out after we had come back inside. That is a milestone! Every time she had played in it before when her fingers would start tingling she would cry and proclaim how she hated snow and never wanted to play in it again.
It's all melting now leaving a big old mushy, muddy mess. Not so pretty anymore. We lost a lot of tree limbs and one entire huge old oak tree from the weight of the 12" of snow. More clean up work in the future when it dries out.
Did ya'll get much in your area?
Canyon girl
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Marie, I grew up in AR, so I know the reaction your DD had. I remember going out in the snow without gloves and coming in with my hands burning. We like you (probably) are used to more ice than snow. However, we moved west and up in elevation a couple of years ago and were indoctrinated to real snow. We had just over 54 inches of snow in 5 days about 3 weeks ago. We haven't had much snow since then, but we really needed that snow to help us get out of a drought. Here is a picture of my poor Nissan Sentra.
I'll PM you more.
mariezp
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Okay, be warned that the report part for today is rather short but since it lacks in words I threw in extra pictures.
Day 13, December 14, 2009
Today we decided to use as a make up day at AK since DDs big park day had gotten rained out. The weather was certainly bright and sunny. It actually ended up being too hot. When we arrived at the park DD and I headed straight for the Kilimanjaro Safaris. We stopped along the way to have some Photopass pictures taken.
The safari ride was really very cool. I knew both of us would enjoy it. We saw quite a few animals and took lots of photos.
Day 13, December 14, 2009
Today we decided to use as a make up day at AK since DDs big park day had gotten rained out. The weather was certainly bright and sunny. It actually ended up being too hot. When we arrived at the park DD and I headed straight for the Kilimanjaro Safaris. We stopped along the way to have some Photopass pictures taken.
The safari ride was really very cool. I knew both of us would enjoy it. We saw quite a few animals and took lots of photos.
mariezp
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Continued....
When we finished we went down the Panganui Trail and looked around . And took more photos.
The guys had headed for EE when we had split up. DH ended up saying that it was the best ride of the whole trip. After DD and I had done a good bit of exploring DH called to say that they were ready for lunch. A quick vote and we were heading to RFC again. It had been everyones favorite plus I had brought my $25 gift card that I had forgotten to use just in case, so I hated to let it go to waste. It did take us a little while to get in since we did not have an ADR but it was worth it. The food was great again.
When we finished eating it was so hot back outside and we were all still so tired from the day before that we bribed DD with one last souvenir and headed home to spend the rest of the day resting and relaxing in the pool. We ended up playing more ping pong. I washed more of our clothes. And we got ready for our last day in the park tomorrow.
When we finished we went down the Panganui Trail and looked around . And took more photos.
The guys had headed for EE when we had split up. DH ended up saying that it was the best ride of the whole trip. After DD and I had done a good bit of exploring DH called to say that they were ready for lunch. A quick vote and we were heading to RFC again. It had been everyones favorite plus I had brought my $25 gift card that I had forgotten to use just in case, so I hated to let it go to waste. It did take us a little while to get in since we did not have an ADR but it was worth it. The food was great again.
When we finished eating it was so hot back outside and we were all still so tired from the day before that we bribed DD with one last souvenir and headed home to spend the rest of the day resting and relaxing in the pool. We ended up playing more ping pong. I washed more of our clothes. And we got ready for our last day in the park tomorrow.
Canyon girl
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54" of snow!WOW! Talk about a state of extremes! Stow storms in winter and heat waves in summer. Texas has nutty weather but it doesn't vary THAT much. Did you manage to dig your car out?
A huge chunk of the snow fell over 36 hours. It was snowing so fast that I gave up on the snow shovel. I called a guy with a heavy duty snow blower to blow us out the next day. It was WILD! Because of the equipment that our town has, 54" to us is like a foot to you guys...just too much! Now, I need to read your addition.
ETA: I just finished your pictures. It looked like your DD had a great time at AK! I'm glad you were able to get back there. Are you planning on another trip to WDW next year, or are you going back to DLR? Since your family hit it off well with your DS's friend's family, it would seem that another FL vacation would be in order.
If you enjoy watching shows you really should make it to see Lion King.
mariezp
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Day 14, December 15, 2009
Well, our vacation is just about over. This is our last day in one of the parks so Magic Kingdom seemed the appropriate choice since it is our favorite. I feel like we have been ripped off cause we only got to spend 5 days there whereas when we go to California we usually spend the majority of 2 weeks in Disneyland. 2 weeks is just not enough time to cover everything in WDW! At least not at our pace.
We started the day out with my list in hand of rides that we all really wanted to do one more time. We rode the monorail over one last time. Everyone seems to enjoy getting to the park better by this mode of transportation than the ferry except me. I think they mostly don’t like the idea of the boat sinking. I, however, found the monorail to have a very unpleasant odor.
Anyway, we got to the park and everyone decided we should go eat first so we rode the train around to Frontierland. We grabbed FPs for Splash. Then DH and DS headed off for one last turkey leg while DD and I got in line for corn dogs. DH seemed to think that it might save a little money if we ate a meal where we were not sitting inside a restaurant. I am not so sure. $27 for 4 corn dogs, chips and drinks and I have no idea how much the hot dog, roasted corn, turkey leg and their drinks cost. At any rate, I personally think it is well worth quite a bit to have an air conditioned place at your own table. Instead we wandered around until we finally managed to snag a pair of benches where we sat down in the heat and listened to the blaring music of Tianna’s Showboat. Lordy, they had those speakers up loud!
When we finished eating, our FPs were still not good yet so we wandered over to Pirates and were able to mark it off our list. We headed back over to Splash and the guys got in the FP line while DD and I sat out to wait til my DS got off so I could go ride with him. After a few minutes DD asked me if we would buy her a bubble gun if she decided to be brave enough to ride Splash. Of course, by this time it was already too late to catch up to the guys so we went and got another set of FPs so when they got off we could all ride together.
The new batch of FPs were not good until later so when the guys disembarked we made our way over to Haunted Mansion and then Small World. We grabbed a FP for Peter Pan. Then we all headed back to Splash. DD was pretty nervous about her first ride. I was really proud of her for finally giving it a try even if we did have to pay with a bribe. At the end she said she would never ride it again but I think she really liked it because she did come off smiling. And, she has since then started making plans for what kind of a deal she can make if she rides Splash next time we go to DL.
We made our way back to Fantasyland. We watched Philharmagic again. Next we headed over to watch Storytime with Belle. DD got to participate as Belle’s father. She loves being on stage. It was a cute show. I love it when they pick a man from the audience to be beast. We had a good one. My guys knew better than to be anywhere near the front.
When we were done with the show we went back to Peter Pan to make use of our FPs.
Next we rode Snow White.
We then rode once more on Pooh.
DD had to get in one more ride on Dumbo even though the line was long again. What a shame too cause we got to spend way too much time behind the meanest grandma in WDW. It was so sad and I really had to bite my tongue to not speak up and say something. She was swatting and swinging at one grandson because he was taking up for his younger brother that she was chewing out. Some people should never be parents. After making a fool of herself she finally pulled the children out of line. I felt sorry for the kids but I was very glad to be rid of her. My DD could not understand how someone could be so mean. After that episode our wait in line was pretty uneventful. We spotted the guys playing chess on the "evil I phone" from our lofty elephant.
With Dumbo now behind us we headed for the Carousel. I took more pictures while waiting in line.
Pretty sad. I barely remembered to take and shots of the castle. This is one of the few.
Then we worked our way over to TL for the Laugh Floor.
Well, our vacation is just about over. This is our last day in one of the parks so Magic Kingdom seemed the appropriate choice since it is our favorite. I feel like we have been ripped off cause we only got to spend 5 days there whereas when we go to California we usually spend the majority of 2 weeks in Disneyland. 2 weeks is just not enough time to cover everything in WDW! At least not at our pace.
We started the day out with my list in hand of rides that we all really wanted to do one more time. We rode the monorail over one last time. Everyone seems to enjoy getting to the park better by this mode of transportation than the ferry except me. I think they mostly don’t like the idea of the boat sinking. I, however, found the monorail to have a very unpleasant odor.
Anyway, we got to the park and everyone decided we should go eat first so we rode the train around to Frontierland. We grabbed FPs for Splash. Then DH and DS headed off for one last turkey leg while DD and I got in line for corn dogs. DH seemed to think that it might save a little money if we ate a meal where we were not sitting inside a restaurant. I am not so sure. $27 for 4 corn dogs, chips and drinks and I have no idea how much the hot dog, roasted corn, turkey leg and their drinks cost. At any rate, I personally think it is well worth quite a bit to have an air conditioned place at your own table. Instead we wandered around until we finally managed to snag a pair of benches where we sat down in the heat and listened to the blaring music of Tianna’s Showboat. Lordy, they had those speakers up loud!
When we finished eating, our FPs were still not good yet so we wandered over to Pirates and were able to mark it off our list. We headed back over to Splash and the guys got in the FP line while DD and I sat out to wait til my DS got off so I could go ride with him. After a few minutes DD asked me if we would buy her a bubble gun if she decided to be brave enough to ride Splash. Of course, by this time it was already too late to catch up to the guys so we went and got another set of FPs so when they got off we could all ride together.
The new batch of FPs were not good until later so when the guys disembarked we made our way over to Haunted Mansion and then Small World. We grabbed a FP for Peter Pan. Then we all headed back to Splash. DD was pretty nervous about her first ride. I was really proud of her for finally giving it a try even if we did have to pay with a bribe. At the end she said she would never ride it again but I think she really liked it because she did come off smiling. And, she has since then started making plans for what kind of a deal she can make if she rides Splash next time we go to DL.
We made our way back to Fantasyland. We watched Philharmagic again. Next we headed over to watch Storytime with Belle. DD got to participate as Belle’s father. She loves being on stage. It was a cute show. I love it when they pick a man from the audience to be beast. We had a good one. My guys knew better than to be anywhere near the front.
When we were done with the show we went back to Peter Pan to make use of our FPs.
Next we rode Snow White.
We then rode once more on Pooh.
DD had to get in one more ride on Dumbo even though the line was long again. What a shame too cause we got to spend way too much time behind the meanest grandma in WDW. It was so sad and I really had to bite my tongue to not speak up and say something. She was swatting and swinging at one grandson because he was taking up for his younger brother that she was chewing out. Some people should never be parents. After making a fool of herself she finally pulled the children out of line. I felt sorry for the kids but I was very glad to be rid of her. My DD could not understand how someone could be so mean. After that episode our wait in line was pretty uneventful. We spotted the guys playing chess on the "evil I phone" from our lofty elephant.
With Dumbo now behind us we headed for the Carousel. I took more pictures while waiting in line.
Pretty sad. I barely remembered to take and shots of the castle. This is one of the few.
Then we worked our way over to TL for the Laugh Floor.
mariezp
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Continued....
We had covered pretty much everything on our list so we started towards the front of the park. We stopped off on the bridge for a parting photo in front of the castle. Really glad we did because it turned out to be the best one of the trip.
We picked up some goodies at the bakery and headed out the gate.
I don’t think anyone really felt too sad to be leaving. We were all just glad to be heading home tomorrow cause we were all pooped. We did have some fun but we really felt like we missed the magic. The whole trip was just hustle and bustle in the parks. There were always so many people walking everywhere even though the lines were not all that long. I guess most folks just end up like us… spending the majority of their time walking from point A to point B. In our household we have all agreed that bigger is not always better.
This time around I didn’t have as much leisure time to enjoy the fine details that makes Disney special. Also, the whole trip we ended up with only 2 autographs. And, I only used one memory card for photos. Way different than my usual methods of madness!
We did think the house was fantastic. And, meeting our new friends made the whole trip worthwhile. But as for future plans.... I think we will just head back to Disneyland on our next trip.
Ummmm...... tomorrow would be good!
We had covered pretty much everything on our list so we started towards the front of the park. We stopped off on the bridge for a parting photo in front of the castle. Really glad we did because it turned out to be the best one of the trip.
We picked up some goodies at the bakery and headed out the gate.
I don’t think anyone really felt too sad to be leaving. We were all just glad to be heading home tomorrow cause we were all pooped. We did have some fun but we really felt like we missed the magic. The whole trip was just hustle and bustle in the parks. There were always so many people walking everywhere even though the lines were not all that long. I guess most folks just end up like us… spending the majority of their time walking from point A to point B. In our household we have all agreed that bigger is not always better.
This time around I didn’t have as much leisure time to enjoy the fine details that makes Disney special. Also, the whole trip we ended up with only 2 autographs. And, I only used one memory card for photos. Way different than my usual methods of madness!
We did think the house was fantastic. And, meeting our new friends made the whole trip worthwhile. But as for future plans.... I think we will just head back to Disneyland on our next trip.
Ummmm...... tomorrow would be good!
Sherry E
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There was someone over on the DL side of the boards this past week that I referred over here so they could read your TR (and hopefully your Pre-TR too). They are also on the verge of making their first-ever WDW trip and, I think, were a little overwhelmed and intimidated by the massive volumes of info to be had on the WDW side of the board. I have a feeling that sometimes the people who are very helpful tend to give too much info at once, or the info is too technical, which can all be scary for a first-timer. Sometimes, I think, people want to talk to someone who has JUST done what you are about to embark on, who started out at the same point of uncertainty as they are, who can break it all down, one step at a time, in stages, in layman's terms! So I sent this DIS-er over here first, to kind of see how you went from not knowing where to start to putting together a whole 2-week trip to WDW and completing it. Hopefully they have been reading along!
Anyway, I was going to say that the Belle in your photos above is different-looking than the ones I am used to at DLR, because she has more hair - or rather, it is a wig and the wig has lots of hair! The ones I am used to at DLR don't have quite that much hair hanging down on their foreheads!! Interesting...
I am so glad you all made it back to AK. From the pictures I can tell I would love it there. I bet there are all kinds of cool Disney details aroudn that park, but you have to really have the time to be able to study them.
On the one hand, I can see where someone would read your TR and say, "How could 2 weeks not be enough time?" But I totally understand where you are coming from. There is SO much to see at WDW - and I would have wanted to visit as many of the different hotels as possible too, because those have their own little details - and everyone has their own pace at which they are most comfortable when taking on the parks - whether it be WDW or DLR - so it is entirely possible that 2 weeks would not be enough at all. If you are not a 'commando' family, running to and fro, willy nilly every day, grabbing Fast Passes left and right and maximizing time to the fullest, your 2 weeks can easily pass by in no time, and you realize you didn't even get to really 'see' half of what there is to see - all the little nuances and hidden gems.
Hopefully you will be able to make your 2010 trip to DLR, and hopefully it will be close to when the holidays begin so you can get just a little taste of that. If it is like last year, they will begin 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. If it is like 2008 and 2007, they will begin one week before Thanksgiving. But you've got to see IASW Holiday with the new Disney character dolls, because some of the holiday additions were changed to complement the character doll scenes. And, of course, the Winter Castle at DLR seems to be much more beautiful than the one at WDW, from what I can see in photos (even though it is not as tall!), and the giant tree on Main Street is lit up in almost all blue lights at night, as though it has been covered in icicles (which was a new touch that was different from what it looked like in 2008 at night!).
Great report - love the pictures, especially with the nifty Disney camera and the PhotoPass pictures in front of the Castle! I am sad to see it end! Hurry and make another 2-week trip somewhere so we can all follow along!!
Anyway, I was going to say that the Belle in your photos above is different-looking than the ones I am used to at DLR, because she has more hair - or rather, it is a wig and the wig has lots of hair! The ones I am used to at DLR don't have quite that much hair hanging down on their foreheads!! Interesting...
I am so glad you all made it back to AK. From the pictures I can tell I would love it there. I bet there are all kinds of cool Disney details aroudn that park, but you have to really have the time to be able to study them.
On the one hand, I can see where someone would read your TR and say, "How could 2 weeks not be enough time?" But I totally understand where you are coming from. There is SO much to see at WDW - and I would have wanted to visit as many of the different hotels as possible too, because those have their own little details - and everyone has their own pace at which they are most comfortable when taking on the parks - whether it be WDW or DLR - so it is entirely possible that 2 weeks would not be enough at all. If you are not a 'commando' family, running to and fro, willy nilly every day, grabbing Fast Passes left and right and maximizing time to the fullest, your 2 weeks can easily pass by in no time, and you realize you didn't even get to really 'see' half of what there is to see - all the little nuances and hidden gems.
Hopefully you will be able to make your 2010 trip to DLR, and hopefully it will be close to when the holidays begin so you can get just a little taste of that. If it is like last year, they will begin 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. If it is like 2008 and 2007, they will begin one week before Thanksgiving. But you've got to see IASW Holiday with the new Disney character dolls, because some of the holiday additions were changed to complement the character doll scenes. And, of course, the Winter Castle at DLR seems to be much more beautiful than the one at WDW, from what I can see in photos (even though it is not as tall!), and the giant tree on Main Street is lit up in almost all blue lights at night, as though it has been covered in icicles (which was a new touch that was different from what it looked like in 2008 at night!).
Great report - love the pictures, especially with the nifty Disney camera and the PhotoPass pictures in front of the Castle! I am sad to see it end! Hurry and make another 2-week trip somewhere so we can all follow along!!
Just wanted to say thanks for the TR mariezp. Aside from the rain
, looks like you guys had fun
The house was marvelous.
I've only ever been to DL and planning a WDW trip to share with my parents(our dream)
. I'm actually excited about seeing the CB, because like others I grew up with it(even though it will be hokey). So now I'm just hoping my 3y old reaches 40" by Nov. so that he can ride on more rides (1 1/2" to go)
, looks like you guys had fun The house was marvelous. I've only ever been to DL and planning a WDW trip to share with my parents(our dream)
. I'm actually excited about seeing the CB, because like others I grew up with it(even though it will be hokey). So now I'm just hoping my 3y old reaches 40" by Nov. so that he can ride on more rides (1 1/2" to go)-
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