The Real Housewives of WDW - 11/15: In Closing

[glennbo123]

Was all either of us said for about 10 minutes. Leo ate most of his cheese, pausing to give me a couple small bites, and all but one small bit of chocolate lava cake. This, he pushed toward me, eyes all aglow, saying, “Mommy, this is so delicious! You need to taste it, and make sure you get the sauce – it’s AWESOME!”

It was. AWESOME. It was also… ALCOHOLIC! Crap. I assumed the sauce was cooked, and alcohol evaporates in cooking leaving all of the flavor and none of the booze behind. Nope. That was one warm, chocolaty, boozy little cake. Whoops.

Uh oh, the little guy enjoys his lava cake with a kick. (Sounds pretty darned good to me too!)

Hooray for un-sweaty mornings!

I've had plenty of the sweaty ones.

That place was EMPTY! Has been all three years we’ve done this. Within 2 hours, we…

~ rode Peter Pan and the Haunted Mansion

~ hurled ourselves through the wildest ride in the wilderness (Bit Thunder Mountain Railroad) – twice!

~ cruised with the Pirates and braved the Jungle Cruise

~ twirled through the sky on Aladdin’s Magic Carpets

~ and shot down Zurg with Buzz and took a spin through the Galaxies on the People Mover.

Amazing!

If I may be so immodest, I think I did a bang-up job of it:

You may be so immodest -- that's awesome!

As for me, I was talked into dressing up this year, too. And went as my favorite ooky, kooky character. Can you guess who?

Hey, I thought that Halloween was on a Sunday this year, not a .....well, you know. Great job!

We watched 3 Epcot busses, 2 Typhoon Lagoon busses, an Animal Kingdom bus, 3 Treehouse Villas busses, and 2 Downtown Disney busses go by before a MK bus finally arrived. And that bus was FULL by the time it had picked up at the other SSR stops and departed for the MK.

Ay carumba.

Then came our favorite part, the Haunted Mansion characters. The Grave Diggers perform a creepy ballroom-y dance, using their shovels as “partners.” Several times per dance sequence, they bang or scrape the shovels on the pavement, sending sparks flying.

That sparks-thing must be really cool!

I’ll have one final post before signing off this report.

One more post!

 

[englishrose47]

Awesome pix V !!I loved the Ballroom dancers too !!!When I read the description of the cake Leo had I thought the same as you !!!What kid wouldn't enjoy that!!!!

 

[Sooze]

Aw, man... I was waiting for some scary Halloween Leo meltdown.. and all I got was a PERFECT Halloween mini-trip? You disappoint, V.







Sounds like a perfect little getaway! Love the costumes, love your feelings about SSR (I am getting the exact same ones about that place, also our 'home'), love your writing as always!!

 

[Tracy161]

So happy that you and Leo were at MK for Halloween! The whole day I kept thinking to myself "gee, I really, really wish I could spend Halloween at Magic Kingdom!" So I'm glad that I could live it through your report!

Also, your costumes were AMAZING!!!

Go Gators! Although I can't pretend to be a huge football fan, my husband is obsessed with the Gators... a couple years ago when we stayed at All Star Sports we stayed in the football section with the blue and orange helmet and he was SO happy!

Sad to see your report coming to a close, but excited for the next post!

 

[PrincessV]

Thanksgiving dinner at Tutto or Brown Derby?

TUTTO!!!

BUT - MNSSHP looks fantastic, I'm wanting to go that weekend, now!

That's a tough one - MNSSHP on Halloween plus Food & Wine is an awfully good combo. BUT... we get a week off for Thanksgiving and can't take more than a 3-day weekend in Oct. Does that help any?

I loved all the pictures. You did a great job on Leo's makeup, I can see why everyone noticed.

Thank you so much! It was shockingly easy - he has super sensitive skin, so I got my foundation in the lightest shade possible, used a charcoal gray eyeshadow around his eyes and a black eyeliner to draw in some lines and smudges.

Next time Halloween is on a Saturday I am there

Me too! ~sigh~ Except that by the time that happens again, Leo will likely be too old to want to do it up. Don't know what we'll do next year.

Love, Love, Love, your costume and Leo looked awesome

Thank you, thank you!

Uh oh, the little guy enjoys his lava cake with a kick. (Sounds pretty darned good to me too!)

LOL, indeed he does! He also loves coffee, so it had that going for it, too.

You may be so immodest -- that's awesome!

Thank you!

Hey, I thought that Halloween was on a Sunday this year, not a .....well, you know. Great job!

Awesome pix V !!I loved the Ballroom dancers too !!!

That whole portion of the parade is just so neat, isn't it?!

When I read the description of the cake Leo had I thought the same as you !!!What kid wouldn't enjoy that!!!!

Right?!

Aw, man... I was waiting for some scary Halloween Leo meltdown.. and all I got was a PERFECT Halloween mini-trip? You disappoint, V.

Sorry Susie!

Love the costumes, love your feelings about SSR (I am getting the exact same ones about that place, also our 'home'), love your writing as always!!

THANK you! Isn't SSR weird that way? I'm back to only wanting to stay there. But, I've got something else up my sleeves in Dec...

So happy that you and Leo were at MK for Halloween! The whole day I kept thinking to myself "gee, I really, really wish I could spend Halloween at Magic Kingdom!" So I'm glad that I could live it through your report!

Aw, I'm happy to help! It really has been so much fun the past 3 years. I don't know what next year holds in store.

Also, your costumes were AMAZING!!!

Thanks so much!

Go Gators! Although I can't pretend to be a huge football fan, my husband is obsessed with the Gators... a couple years ago when we stayed at All Star Sports we stayed in the football section with the blue and orange helmet and he was SO happy!

I tried soooo hard to score that building when a friend and I stayed at ASSp for the Capital One bowl a few years ago, when Florida played Michigan! GO GATORS!!!

 

[MagicShell]

What a great way to spend Halloween! Leo looked scary, good job. I would really like to see that parade sometime, it looks like a lot of fun.

 

[AshClan]

I need to back up a smidge and talk about just how “right” my Saratoga Springs world was. Saratoga Springs Resort (SSR) is my home DVC resort. We’ve stayed there frequently, so it carries a lot of memories. It also reminds me a lot of “back home”; I grew up in Western New York, which isn’t all that different than Upstate New York in terms of landscape. In the spirit of discovery, I’d tried valiantly to get us a villa at the Wilderness Lodge… Bay Lake Tower…even Old Key West… but nothing opened up and we were “stuck” with SSR. I wasn’t sad about it, but maybe just a teensy bit disappointed.

Funny, SSR is our "home" resort, too, but we've yet to stay there. We just love the Epcot area so much. We've had one DVC stay at BCV, but all our other trips have been to the BWV and that has pretty much "become" our home. We were booked at SSR for our October weekend, but were granted our waitlist request for BWV a few months beforehand. Since we were there specifically for F&W, that worked out really well, but we will surely hit SSR one of these days.

Mmmmmmmm.

Was all either of us said for about 10 minutes. Leo ate most of his cheese, pausing to give me a couple small bites, and all but one small bit of chocolate lava cake. This, he pushed toward me, eyes all aglow, saying, “Mommy, this is so delicious! You need to taste it, and make sure you get the sauce – it’s AWESOME!”

It was. AWESOME. It was also… ALCOHOLIC! Crap. I assumed the sauce was cooked, and alcohol evaporates in cooking leaving all of the flavor and none of the booze behind. Nope. That was one warm, chocolaty, boozy little cake. Whoops.

Good thing you didn't have big plans THAT night. Then again, I wonder if it would've been easier to get Leo to take a nap with some alcohol in him!

WE WON!!! We won, we won, we won!!! Leo and I were jumping up and down, high-fiving and singing “It’s GREAT to be, a Flor-i-da Gator!” I apologized for delaying his movie so long and he looked at me with those big brown eyes and said, “It’s okay Mommy – that was a GREAT game!” Melts a mother’s heart.

What a sweetie!

A fool and her Plan are soon parted.

Except for the ridiculously long wait for a bus (I HATE that!! ), it sounded to me like your plan worked really well!

I found a tall dad pushing a stroller, headed in the same direction we were, and got behind him, holding tight to Leo’s hand. I let the tall dad carve a path and we just followed along in his wake. Works every time.

I happen to be married to a really tall dad, and we often have people do that with us (Actually, that same day, we had a group of people doing it behind us while trying to exit the Rally to Restory Sanity in DC ). I'll tell ya, he's hard to lose!! (Or, more nicely said, easy to find in a crowd!)

This ghostly lady was seated on a bench on the Haunted Mansion lawn next to the queue. She was flippin’ hysterical! Apparently, she was the ghost of a southern bell and was quite the comedienne.

A friend of mine was there a few days before you and TOLD me about her!! Sounds like she was a great addition!

Your costumes were FABULOUS! Glad Leo got the love from the parading peeps! And bravo to the families who so nicely made room for Leo. I love to hear stories like THAT instead of what you normally hear

Thanks for sharing, V. Sounds like a practically perfect visit!

 

[DisneyJo]

You guys looked fantastic and I'm glad Leo loved the attention he received for being in costume

 

[Stasieki]

Wow - you did do a great job with the costumes. Looks like a great time. I've been to the Pirate and Princess Party and MVMCP, but not the Halloween Party. Was supposed to go this year, but trip got postponed to end of Feb. Hoping for next year.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

I'm a lot like you and Leo, I don't really like attention or people staring at me. Makes me feel uncomfortable so I know how you two were feeling. But your costumes were fabulous!! Good job on his makeup! What a scary little cowboy!

I'm so happy to have read this today. We're planning on going next October and I was debating over the Halloween party. But it really looks like it was worth the cost. Would you agree? I love how much fun you and Leo always seem to have together. That makes me smile!

 

[PrincessV]

What a great way to spend Halloween! Leo looked scary, good job. I would really like to see that parade sometime, it looks like a lot of fun.

Thank you! And the parade is sooooo much fun - and this is coming from someone who generally hates parades!

We were booked at SSR for our October weekend, but were granted our waitlist request for BWV a few months beforehand. Since we were there specifically for F&W, that worked out really well, but we will surely hit SSR one of these days.

For sure, nothing beats BWV and BCV for proximity to Epcot! And I'd like to get back to the Boardwalk one of these days. But I swear, no other WDW resort relaxes me quite like SSR!

Then again, I wonder if it would've been easier to get Leo to take a nap with some alcohol in him!

Right?!

Except for the ridiculously long wait for a bus (I HATE that!! ), it sounded to me like your plan worked really well!

Y'know - you're right! It really did work out well in the end.

I happen to be married to a really tall dad, and we often have people do that with us (Actually, that same day, we had a group of people doing it behind us while trying to exit the Rally to Restory Sanity in DC ). I'll tell ya, he's hard to lose!! (Or, more nicely said, easy to find in a crowd!)

On behalf of short moms everywhere - THANK you Mr. AshClan! How was the Rally, BTW? Am I correct in thinking it was on the Mall? I'd be looking for the tall, stroller-wielding dad there, too, lol!

And bravo to the families who so nicely made room for Leo. I love to hear stories like THAT instead of what you normally hear

You guys looked fantastic and I'm glad Leo loved the attention he received for being in costume

Thanks Jo! He was over being looked at by the end of the night, but he really enjoyed it for the most part!

Looks like a great time. I've been to the Pirate and Princess Party and MVMCP, but not the Halloween Party. Was supposed to go this year, but trip got postponed to end of Feb. Hoping for next year.

I'm crossing my fingers for you - if you liked the P&PP, you'll LOVE MNSSHP!

I'm so happy to have read this today. We're planning on going next October and I was debating over the Halloween party. But it really looks like it was worth the cost. Would you agree? I love how much fun you and Leo always seem to have together. That makes me smile!

Every over-priced penny! Really, I say often that I think MNSSHP is worth the price for the parade and fireworks alone. The candy and short attraction lines are just an added bonus.

 

[PittypatBR]

Great posts, fun day, and AWESOME costumes! I almost couldn't recognize Leo! He was SCARY!! Thanks for a great description of everything - I would LOVE to go, but none of my grandchildren can get off from school to give me an excuse!

 

[PrincessV]

Great posts, fun day, and AWESOME costumes! I almost couldn't recognize Leo! He was SCARY!! Thanks for a great description of everything - I would LOVE to go, but none of my grandchildren can get off from school to give me an excuse!

Thank you! I say forget the grandkids and come down on your own!

 

[PrincessV]

Well, I think it's time to put this story to bed. I believe I've waxed poetic about our adventures enough to get the point across... despite my cynicism and WDW's many faults, it's still a source for immense joy for Leo and I, and I'm so very glad we were able to spend yet another summer vacation in The World.

Even more, words can't express how much we enjoyed the company of our dear friends-family; as much fun as Leo and I have at WDW alone, that fun easily quadruples in the company of loved ones. Ladies, I cannot wait to do it all again someday!


As for future plans, well, yeah - we have some. I wouldn't be me without another WDW trip in the wings, right?! I'd really like to write a report about it, too, because it's all sorts of different for us. First, we're staying off property. Like, off-off. As in, several Interstate 4 exits away.




Crazy, right?! Wrong. See, last winter, Leo and I stayed with Lauralee and the Mominators at her company's condo, in the Reunion Resort. In a word, it was bliss. In a beautifully appointed 3 bedroom, 3 bath condo on a stunning golf course, we enjoyed going to and from WDW quickly, but leaving it all behind for relaxing dinners at "home" and fun nights spent playing games and watching movies. And we all had our own bedrooms and baths!

So, having had good experiences with VRBO.com for past trips to NC, I decided to see what might be found there for Reunion... and I found a condo nearly identical to LL's company's condo, in the the same area, for... $129 a night!

$129 a night. For 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, a full kitchen, dining room and living room. For comparison, a single room at Caribbean Beach at WDW runs about the same for our dates.

So Leo, Gramma and I are returning for our annual Holiday trip to Disneyworld in style. AND for cheap!

We're also planning some play time away from The Mouse; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is calling us, so we'll be spending at least a day at Islands of Adventure. We've tossed around a couple other ideas for non-Disney things to do, too. This will be an altogether different trip for us, and we're all pretty excited about it!


Like I said, I'd like to write a report about it. But life has become very, very hectic and I just don't know how much time I'll have. I think I can at least promise that I'll have a re-cap version, just to share thoughts on our new adventures.

Beyond that, we're knee-deep in plans for a long-awaited and much-anticipated road trip to the Southwest next summer. THAT, I will definitely be blogging! And there is much hope for a Real Housewives of WDW reunion next Fall - fingers crossed.


In closing, I want to THANK each and every one of you for reading, sharing and making my experience as a writer so much fun! I spend a lot of time writing in my profession, and seldom receive reader feedback due to the nature of my work. But it's that feedback that helps me hone my craft and work at becoming a better writer in the future. So, strange though it may sound, you all help me do my job better, too! Thank you so much. And take a look in the TR boards somewhere around Christmas - maybe I'll be there with a new adventure!

 

[jcc0621]

Wonderful as usual V

Love the rate you got for the condo! Especially for the "winter"! Can't wait to hear about Harry Potter too!

Chat soon

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Thanks for letting us join along with you and Leo. I really enjoy your reports. You have a great gift for writing V. I hope that somehow you find a little time in all the craziness that life brings to share your next adventure with all of us on the Dis. Sounds different for sure but oh so much fun!

 

[glennbo123]

I loved your trip report V! I hope to see another one sometime...if you start one and I don't hop on promptly, please pm me.

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

As always, thanks for letting us tag along, V....both in real life and cyber life. It was great, GREAT fun on both counts.

And there is much hope for a Real Housewives of WDW reunion next Fall - fingers crossed.

Um....T. That means you need to pick your dates, sister!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

Beyond that, we're knee-deep in plans for a long-awaited and much-anticipated road trip to the Southwest next summer. THAT, I will definitely be blogging! And there is much hope for a Real Housewives of WDW reunion next Fall - fingers crossed.

Just waiting for my 11-month window to open.... I don't dare buy flights until then.

AND I'm bringing a surprise...... a big, big, surprise!

Um....T. That means you need to pick your dates, sister!

Dates picked, K! We're doing November! Decided as much as we'd love to do F&W Fest, we'll save that for an Adults-only trip in 2012.
Anyone up for a day in Potterland?

 

[Tracy161]

So excited to hear about your upcoming adventures, both Disney and not! I will definitely be watching for a recap!

As for writing, I am completely unsurprised that you spend so much time writing as part of your profession, you are a fabulously skilled writer, and I am always highly entertained by your style!

Thanks for sharing your wonderful trip with us, I've really enjoyed it!!!