Transplant girl and hubby visit WDW Christmastime AND we go cruisin in the BAHAMAS

Hey! I love your insight and appreciate your kindness on the CB (even if we don't always agree) and your trip looks like it was a blast. Can't wait to hear about the second half. You two are adorable.

PS: Saw your post on another thread and I wish you two all the luck in the world and hopefully good news soon!

LOL....glad you found my trip report:) Yeah...it can get a little carried away on that CB!! I DO have my opinion ::yes:: lol.....
 
Hey T! Great report so far! Great to see you guys back at Disney! Can't wait to hear all about your inaugural visit to your home resort.

Sorry the Boardwalk wasn't all you had hoped. I have never been, but I think I would have the same response to it. Plus, even though I tend to be a night owl, when I do decide to sleep I really like quiet, so I think it would not be the best place for me. I did love Yacht & Beach Club, but I expect the Villas over there are probably a lot harder to get than the Boardwalk.

At least after staying at the Boardwalk, hopefully your arrival at your home resort will be even more exciting. (Obviously it would not have been good if you decided you liked the Boardwalk more!)

I have learned so much about the cruises from reading your report. Like you, I would also be inclined towards more dressy attire at the dinners....too bad not everyone subscribed to this view. Just makes the whole experience a little more special IMO.

Reading each of your summaries of the trip was great....how wonderful to find an entirely different Disney vacation that you each love so much!

Oh, and as for the Tim Horton's reference - I had to laugh! I am from Canada where it is a staple. And I have definitely met Canadians in the Parks after overhearing people wishing for a Tim Horton's as they are drinking that Nestle crap! Obviously I know Tim Horton's has invaded New England and some of the northern border states, including Ohio, but I still think it is funny to now hear Americans pinning for the stuff - LOL! (I guess now I can't always assume someone making a Tim's comment in WDW is always going to be a Cannuck!)

Finally, I keep hearing this reference to "fish extenders", and even after seeing your photo I am at a complete loss. Can you fill me in?

Can't wait for more!!!:goodvibes

Oh yes....Our FISH EXTENDER.....:lmao: .........OK....let me explain...

Each cabin has a "brushed metal" fish that is on the wall next to the door. We think they are only decorative, as we can't think of any practical purpose that they serve. Apparently, it's become something of a tradition on the ships to decorate these "fish". People make very ornate "wall hangings" that they hang off of these "fish".

Most of these decorations contain pockets so people can use to put things in. If a group is travelling together on the cruise, you can drop little trinkets and/or notes into cabin's "fish extenders". We think they're called "fish extenders" because they hang off of the fish...thereby "extending" it (We know, it sounds crazy).

During our cruise, we noticed that many of these "fish extenders" had a Christmas theme, as if they were hanging Christmas stockings. We're not sure why no one ever put anything into our stocking??? :-) We were just trying to be funny by hanging one of my "stockings" on OUR Fish extender:rotfl2:


Thanks for subscribing by the way!!:goodvibes

I'm trying to get the next post out....it's just been crazy around here!!:crazy2:
 
We have been on many cruises but never tried Disney. Usually can't get away fron their parks.:) :) After seeing you report,I am convinced we have to try Disney.

Hi!! I see that your from Pearland!! That's our old stomping ground!! We built a home in Rosharon, TX then moved to OHIO about 2.5 years ago!! My hubby worked for AIG. I love Pearland!! It's a small world after all.......It's a small world after all...:hyper:


By the way.....you HAVE to give Disney Cruise Line a try...its was FABULOUS::yes::
 

WDW Vacation Day 1—Arrival at Saratoga Springs
Pulling out of the Port Canaveral parking lot, we were amazed how chilly it was. “Honey, I don’t think we’re at Castaway Cay anymore!” It was cool and dreary, and began raining once we got on the road headed to WDW.
We arrived at Saratoga Springs around 10:30am. The parking area in front of the main lobby was quite congested, as it was full of people who were loading up their cars and checking out. We found a place to park, and went inside to check-in and begin the second half of our vacation. It was such a great feeling to be “HOME” once again (even if this was our first time here, LOL).

We had one minor issue at check-in. They initially couldn’t find our Disney Dining Plan reservation. This is a “potential” problem because the DDP needs to be reserved before you check in and apparently they had already pushed the “check-in” button on their computers so they couldn’t add it to our itinerary after the fact. DISASTER RESOLVED!

After a tense 30 seconds or so, the DDP reservation was found “hidden” on another screen. WOO HOO! The cast member immediately reached under her desk and proclaimed “Happy Honeymoon” and presented us with two "Just Married" buttons to wear during our trip. This turned out to be one of the “hidden gems” of our trip, as we were congratulated no fewer than 10 times a day by cast members and other guests! How Special!!! I mentioned to the cast member that we were here to relax, and if we could get a room in a quiet section of the resort. The cast member replied, “Oh, you are in a very nice room, plus it’s available now.” Boy, was she right. We were in a studio in Congress Park, with a GORGEOUS view of Downtown Disney. We thought the view was just as good as the view we had at The Boardwalk at the beginning of our trip!
Check-in took about 20 minutes, and before we knew it, we were back in the car heading to our room.

Saratoga Springs is HUGE. It is a massive resort, built around a golf course and a lake. It’s directly across from Downtown Disney. Our room location was perfect for us…quiet and secluded. We were about a 5 minute walk to a very nice “quiet” pool and a laundry facility and only a short drive to the main resort lobby, main pool, restaurant, food court and spa. I say it was a “short drive” and it was. That means it would probably be a very long walk should you attempt to do this (maybe 20 minutes or so). That being said, I will reiterate what I’ve always said…rent a car. We were so glad we did. We feel it makes the vacation so much more relaxed…no waiting at the bus stop, or wondering how long the bus ride will be. Every time we left the resort, there would be people waiting for the bus to take them to the park of their choice. When we’re on vacation, we want to do what we want to do when we want to do it!
We loved everything about the room!

We unpacked and then decided what was next on the agenda. Since it was quite chilly and was raining, we opted to forego the parks today and decided to head over to Downtown Disney. We got over there around 1:00 and it finally stopped raining (Fortunately, this was the last rain we encountered during our trip). We spent about an hour or so strolling around and shopping and then decided it was time to begin taking advantage of the DDP!

We decided to try Wolfgang Puck Express, and BOY, were we glad we did. This quick service restaurant has now become a MUST DO each year. If you’re on the dining plan, this is probably one of the BEST VALUES AROUND! The meal would have cost us around $38…for counter service!!! We each had a pizza (Margarhita for me and Meatball and Parmesan for hubby), a cookie and soda. I thought hubby was going to eat the plate! He said it was probably one of the top 5 pizzas he’s had in his entire life—it was that good. (Hubby: She’s not exaggerating, my pizza was that good. The meatballs were the perfect size and were nice and “garlicky”. The cheese was chewy and the sauce was nice and thick. The crust was also great, not too thick and also chewy. We WILL be back. This pizza ranks right up there with Gino's East in Chicago or a pizza shop in NYC or NJ. A different style of pizza, but every bit as good!).


After lunch, I decided it was time to “take the plunge” and become a full-fledged Disney Dork! I dragged hubby to the Pin Trading Station and became an official Disney Pin Collector. On our cruise, we were given DVC lanyards to keep our IDs in. I thought they’d work great for WDW as well, EXCEPT…they seemed a bit bare. I felt they needed some “bling”. Hubby was great about it, and even though he opted against buying any for himself, he did help me pick out some cute pins. Plus, the lanyards were a great place to attach our “Just Married” buttons.


We then headed over to Guest Relations so we could activate our Annual Passes. We opted to buy them for this trip as we are planning on returning for a week in June and then also returning for a week later in the Fall. We decided to cram as much Disney as we can this year in order to take full advantage of the annual passes. Sometimes it's good to be married to an accountant!

We decided to head back to SSR and relax for a few hours before heading out to dinner. We ended up doing a few loads of laundry and simply lounging around the room. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that the washers and dryers were free! If you stay in a 1-BR suite or larger, they have a washer and dryer in the room, but Studio rooms do not. Having access to this is another great perk of membership in the DVC!


Dinner tonight was something we had been waiting for for a very long time…Kona Café! We ended up cancelling our Kona Café breakfast reservations last year so we could sleep in, and we have heard so much about this restaurant on “The DIS” that we couldn’t wait to try it. Our verdict…”just OK”. It was good, but I think it gets played up a bit too much on the message boards. The restaurant reminded us of a hotel coffee-shop (bright, noisy and open to the rest of the resort). It seemed to be lacking in that “Disney magic”.

For our entrees I had the Pan Asian Noodles - Asian egg noodles with sliced chicken, pineapple, seasonal vegetables, and a housemade sweet and sour sauce.

Hubby had the Teriyaki-style New York Strip - sirloin strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and stir-fried broccolini.

For dessert, I had the Banana-Chocolate Creme Brulee - with a chocolate spiral and hubby had the Coconut Cream Kiki Tart .

The food was good; I guess we were just expecting a bit “more”. Hubby enjoyed his steak and said it was better than Longhorn or Lone Star, but not as good as Ruth Chris. For a $35 steak, I think he expected something a bit better. We’ll be back later in the week for breakfast, so we’ll see how that goes.

After dinner, we walked around the Polynesian for a bit and then headed home and went to bed.
Up next….”Can we please go to a park today”???

This is what we saw as we entered the "HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH"

DisneyVacation2008348.jpg


DisneyVacation2008349.jpg


DisneyVacation2008350.jpg


DisneyVacation2008351.jpg


It finally stopped raining!! WELCOME HOME!!!

DisneyVacation2008352.jpg


DisneyVacation2008354.jpg


LUNCH TIME at WOLFGANG PUCKS!!

My Margerhita Pizza..YUMMMMMMMY

DisneyVacation2008355.jpg


Tim's MEATBALL PIZZA....

DisneyVacation2008356.jpg


Here is our "Home" away from "Home"....... Saratoga Springs Resort.....YES..that's me with the CHEESY GRIN and YES, I am DORKED OUT in MY LANYARD!!

DisneyVacation2008907.jpg


DisneyVacation2008964.jpg


DisneyVacation2008963.jpg


DisneyVacation2008962.jpg


DisneyVacation2008961.jpg


DisneyVacation2008960.jpg


DisneyVacation2008958.jpg


DisneyVacation2008954.jpg


Our "View" of Downtown Disney from our Balcony...


DisneyVacation2008953.jpg


DisneyVacation2008952.jpg


DisneyVacation2008951.jpg


DisneyVacation2008950.jpg


DisneyVacation2008949.jpg


DisneyVacation2008948.jpg


DisneyVacation2008947.jpg



MORE PICS OF DAY 1 IN DISNEY CONTINUED ON NEXT POST.......
 
Well It sounds like you had a wonderful day!! I'm glad it stopped raining for you though. I hate it when it rains but as long as it doens't last the entire time it's all good. :)

I so want to try Wolfgang Puck's---looks good!! :)
 
DAY 1 PICS CONTINUED....

The "QUIET" pool

DisneyVacation2008940.jpg


DisneyVacation2008941.jpg


DisneyVacation2008943.jpg


DisneyVacation2008939.jpg


DisneyVacation2008938.jpg


DisneyVacation2008937.jpg


PICS OF THE MAIN POOL....

DisneyVacation2008838.jpg


DisneyVacation2008841.jpg


DisneyVacation2008837.jpg


DisneyVacation2008842.jpg


DisneyVacation2008839.jpg


ME..."HORSING" AROUND AT SSR


DisneyVacation2008905.jpg


DisneyVacation2008906.jpg



DINNER AT THE KONA CAFE....

DisneyVacation2008371.jpg


BREAD W/ Macadamia Nut Butter

DisneyVacation2008372.jpg


MY PAN ASIAN NOODLES

DisneyVacation2008373.jpg


HUBBY'S STEAK

DisneyVacation2008374.jpg


MY BANANA CREME BRULEE >>>>YUM

DisneyVacation2008375.jpg


Hubby's COCONUT CREAM TART
DisneyVacation2008376.jpg


WE GO EXPLORING AT THE POLYNESIAN.....

MY HUBBY SOOOOO LOVES STITCH..

DisneyVacation2008377.jpg


A Gingerbread house on display....

DisneyVacation2008378.jpg


THE Polynesian TREE

DisneyVacation2008379.jpg


"US" LOVEBIRDS

DisneyVacation2008382.jpg


YES, HONEY.....YOU STILL LIGHT MY FIRE.......


DisneyVacation2008381.jpg


NEXT UP........PARK TIME!!!!
 
Loving your report T. What a wonderful story you have!
Life is precious.

Looking forward to your report on WDW now. The cruise looked great.

Nora
 
Hooray for Hollywood!

Today’s the day!!!! After arriving in Orlando a week ago, we are FINALLY going to set foot inside an amusement park…! Yippee!!! The inner child is COMING OUT!!!!

We woke up around 9 a.m. and hubby ventured outside to pretend he’s a meteorologist. His forecast, “Dress Warm”. Yes, it’s a bit chilly today. No wait a minute, let’s revise that forecast, “It’s COLD”. It’s hard to believe just 48 hours ago we were swimming with the sting rays at Castaway Cay. We bundled up (in layers, since we’re hoping it warms up a bit) and ventured off to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This has always been one of our favorite parks. We love the glitz, the glamour, the paparazzi…

As soon as we got to the park, our first order of business was “The Great Movie Ride”. We always do this ride first. It gives us a chance to “get into character” and see what Hollywood has to offer. Unlike most guests, we don’t race off to get fast passes to The Tower of Terror or The Rock and Roller Coaster. You see, with my heart condition, those two attractions are big “no no’s” for me. Instead, we spend most of our time in this park simply strolling the streets, window shopping and taking silly pictures of one another.

Off the ride, and it’s time for a little snack. We headed over to Starring Rolls Café. We had a Cinnamon Roll, a Napoleon and chocolate milk (Hubby is boycotting Disney coffee and he now considers it UNDRINKABLE). The snacks were great, EXCEPT there is no inside seating, and it’s COLD outside. Oh well, it just made us eat quicker.

We walked around and passed the new PIXAR area. We wanted to try out the new Toy Story ride, BUT…fast passes were already gone by 11:00, and the standby line was 2 hours long. Ummm, no thanks, maybe next time. We walked through the Magic of Disney Animation and then sat through the short video presentation of Walt’s life. We loved this and think it’s a great, underrated attraction. It’s so cool to hear about the history of WDW.

We then raced over to the theater to catch The Beauty and The Beast. We sat down near the front as we were hoping it would be warmer near the stage! The show was GREAT, as usual. The only downer was that Four For A Dollar didn’t perform a pre-show. Maybe they’ll be back when we return in June!

After the show, we spent some time shopping (and searching for new pins). We then caught the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and then went and saw The Chronicles of Narnia. (Hubby’s comments…The Little Mermaid seems to be a bit dated. Perhaps it’s time they do a rehab of this attraction, or perhaps try and spice it up a bit. It just seems a bit “dull”. Am I the only person who feels that Narnia is nothing more than a big movie trailer??? I hate to be a buzzkill, but come on!!! What a joke). Please forgive my husband, he’s a bit cranky since the Cardinals lost the Super Bowl.

We then spent some time walking through the “Streets of America”. We love this section of the park. It never fails, but we always find something new in this area every time we visit. Disney’s attention to detail is UNBELIEVABLE. We were a bit bummed that so much of this area was blocked off due to the Osborne Lights. We love getting pictures in front of the different businesses and landmarks, but it was hard to do with all of the lights and equipment strung everywhere.

We then headed over to Star Tours (loved it), and then went on the Backlot Tour. Hubby was smart enough this time to sit on the right side of the tram, LOL.

By this time our stomachs were beginning to rumble and that’s a good thing since it’s almost time for an early dinner at 50’s Prime Time Café. We slowly made our way to the restaurant and checked in about 10 minutes early. We absolutely LOVE this restaurant. It’s fun, the food is great, and the theming is incredible! We both had Ceasar Salads, Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Greens. For dessert I had the Apple Cobbler and hubby had Dad’s Brownie Sundae complete with hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream and Cracker Jack. During dinner, we sat next to a large group of people that were on the cruise with us. What a small world! Our server was great, and was very funny.

After dinner, we walked through the Osborne Lights, which were just getting started. The lights were wonderful, and with the music playing and the “snow” falling, it really got you into the Christmas spirit. But BOY, were those streets crowded!

We rushed over to Fantasmic, which was also packed! It’s amazing how many people they can fit in that theater. The show, of course, was great. It never disappoints.

After Fantasmic, it was time to head out for the day…but what a day it was. We accomplished everything we had hoped for today (other than the Toy Story ride), and created many wonderful memories.

Next up…Christmas in England, or France, or Germany, or Mexico…

PICS....

DisneyVacation2008384.jpg


DisneyVacation2008383.jpg


THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE

DisneyVacation2008391.jpg


DisneyVacation2008392.jpg


Beauty and the Beast
DisneyVacation2008394.jpg


DisneyVacation2008400.jpg


DisneyVacation2008398.jpg


DisneyVacation2008405.jpg


DisneyVacation2008410.jpg


DisneyVacation2008403.jpg


DisneyVacation2008418.jpg


DisneyVacation2008420.jpg


DisneyVacation2008422.jpg


A "DVC" moment

DisneyVacation2008423.jpg


American Idol Experience!!! BUT NOT THIS TIME

DisneyVacation2008424.jpg


DORK CITY..... Hey, I'm proud of my lanyard and pins!!

DisneyVacation2008426.jpg


GUESS WHO I SPOTTED....


DisneyVacation2008427.jpg


OLD ST. NICK himself!!!

DisneyVacation2008428.jpg


KERRRRRMIT the FROG HERE....
DisneyVacation2008429.jpg


NEW YORK, NEW YORK...

DisneyVacation2008430.jpg


DisneyVacation2008431.jpg


DisneyVacation2008437.jpg


I left my heart in San Francisco...................

DisneyVacation2008432.jpg


DisneyVacation2008434.jpg


Singing in the Rain....I can't stand under the umbrella....NO FAIR!!

DisneyVacation2008436.jpg





MORE PICS ON NEXT CONTINUED POST.......
 
Loving your report T. What a wonderful story you have!
Life is precious.

Looking forward to your report on WDW now. The cruise looked great.

Nora

Life is INDEED precious and I am sooo thankful for it! :goodvibes
 
I love your pictures as usual...and I am enjoying your TR VERY much!!! I've only been to DHS once--we were only there for half a day but I'm looking forward to going back!! Can't wait for more pics!!!
 
Great pictures!!!

Thank you for the report and the interesting tidbits about your heart condition. It never cross my mind heart transplant patient can't take rollercoaster ride. That's good to know.

Looking forward for more of your report and pictures.
 
Continued from previous post......


The Christ Child is born.....these were life size!!!

DisneyVacation2008438.jpg


Mermaid Fountain

DisneyVacation2008439.jpg


Ahhh....refreshing Coca-Cola.....coudn't resist this photo op..

DisneyVacation2008440.jpg


PIXAR STUDIOS........you can see in the background part of the new Toy Story attraction....

DisneyVacation2008441.jpg


Topiary....

DisneyVacation2008442.jpg


Here comes High School Musical Parade....

DisneyVacation2008449.jpg


DisneyVacation2008450.jpg


DisneyVacation2008452.jpg


Dinner Time.....PRIME TIME!!

DisneyVacation2008453.jpg


Waiting to get seated

DisneyVacation2008455.jpg


DisneyVacation2008456.jpg


DisneyVacation2008457.jpg


DisneyVacation2008458.jpg



We get seated!!! Look at the smile on hubby's face!!

DisneyVacation2008459.jpg


Looking at the Menu....

DisneyVacation2008460.jpg


Bring on the food!!

DisneyVacation2008461.jpg


Ceasar Salad

DisneyVacation2008463.jpg


Fried Chicken.....mmmmmmmmmmmm

DisneyVacation2008464.jpg



Fried Chicken AFTER......poor chicken....

DisneyVacation2008465.jpg



Hubby's brownie sundae AFTER....sorry....

DisneyVacation2008466.jpg


More Pics Continued on next post...........
 
Pics continued from previous post......

Osbourne Spectacle of Lights at DHS..

DisneyVacation2008468.jpg


DisneyVacation2008469.jpg


DisneyVacation2008470.jpg


DisneyVacation2008471.jpg


DisneyVacation2008472.jpg


DisneyVacation2008473.jpg


DisneyVacation2008474.jpg


DisneyVacation2008476.jpg


DisneyVacation2008477.jpg


DisneyVacation2008478.jpg


DisneyVacation2008479.jpg


DisneyVacation2008480.jpg


DisneyVacation2008482.jpg


Fantasmic at DHS....

DisneyVacation2008488.jpg


DisneyVacation2008489.jpg


DisneyVacation2008491.jpg



DisneyVacation2008492.jpg


DisneyVacation2008493.jpg


DisneyVacation2008494.jpg


DisneyVacation2008495.jpg


Here's a perfect end to a perfect day at DHS.....

We came back to our room and found this!!

DisneyVacation2008500.jpg


DisneyVacation2008501.jpg


Up NEXT.....

EPCOT!!!!!!!
 
Oh that was so sweet of them to do that for you guys!!! I'm sure it was a magical honeymoon that you will NEVER forget :)
 




New Posts









Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE






DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter DIS Bluesky

Back
Top Bottom