Trip of Extremes and Dreams! Tons of Pics! 11/30 -12/10 Update Highlight to the End

[AshleyMWC]

I have been neglecting the Dis lately and I haven't even started my own TR yet, but I saw yours and just had to stop in and say hello!!! I can't wait to hear about your trip, especially the famous person Hopefully your TR will help me get through the next 300 days before our Disneymoon--ooohhhh, so far away!!!!!

 

[SkyGirl]

Thanks for posting!!!

Love the view! Looks so peaceful.

It was so nice, especially in the morning, to see that and walk past. But on our coldest morning it was all fog and covered in frost that looked like snow! We've got pictures of that, too!

Looks like you got a great room and cute towel animals.

Love the photos of the resort

We really did. I don't know if there are any bad rooms at POFQ!

Excellent view! POR is our favorite but really think we'll try FQ soon.

I've never walked around POR, but it looks so beautiful from the bus. And I really want to try the food court there!

I've never been to POFQ so your pictures are really fun to look at. In one of the lobby pictures there is a lady on a bench; she looks like she has the "Disney checking out" blues. You have the "I'm so excited to be starting our vacation" look! The grounds of the resort are so pretty!

I remember watching that lady when we were sitting in the lobby and feeling so sorry for her! But we knew we didn't have to look like that for eleven days!!!

Yay!! Your TR has started. Love, love, love the view from your room.

Can't wait to tell you more!!

AWESOME pictures, ladies! I've never been to Port Orleans, and these pictures are amazing! Can't wait to read more.

It really is an incredible resort!

Your room had a great view! What good luck! I love that little towel animal creature. Maybe it was one of Beast's mop heads come to life?

I bet both of you were so excited to be able to get into your room right away.

I love the picture of you in front of the Christmas tree andt he one of dd near the fountain. You both look so happy and beautiful!

I don't think I ever feel more magical and Christmassy-er than at POFQ! (Except on Christmas eve!) We just loved all of it.

Hey I just walked in looking forward to doing lots of " reading in the next few days . this was the most fun IVE ever had Although i will say it was a Lot more crowded than i expcted it to be ... . Ill be making one of these trip reports myself. soon It was Nice Seeing you Both there Cool!!

Hey! It was great seeing you there and hanging out, although I don't understand your lack of fixin's -- to be discussed later! I'm so glad that you had such an awesome time!

I have been neglecting the Dis lately and I haven't even started my own TR yet, but I saw yours and just had to stop in and say hello!!! I can't wait to hear about your trip, especially the famous person Hopefully your TR will help me get through the next 300 days before our Disneymoon--ooohhhh, so far away!!!!!

It'll go FAST, Ashley! I remember making lists and all sorts of things one year to the day before my wedding and before I knew it ...... I was married!! You'll have the best time!!

 

[SkyGirl]

DTD

We left the room and walked along the river to the boat to Downtown Disney. There were two seats left and they waited for us! It was a great ride, breezy and a few waves, not too hot, just perfect. We chatted with a couple from Utah, who were jealous that we lived so close, but realized they came more often than we did!

We really haven’t spent much time at DTD, so we had fun looking around a bit.

However, we were starving so we hurried to Earl of Sandwich, which was packed, but totally worth the wait! Super yummy!! We both had the Original, which was roast beef, creamy horseradish and cheddar cheese. Sooo Good and the bread was fabu!

(But look at how empty it looks! HA! Looks can fool you!!!)

On the Dining Plan we got a sandwich or salad, a drink, and either chips or a dessert. We both got Earl Grey Lemonade which wasn’t as good as we had hoped. It tasted as if it hadn’t been blended enough. DD got bread pudding and I got something called a cupcake coronet or something like that. We saved them for breakfast the next morning.

It was so crowded that there were no seats at all, so we ate in an entryway. We had a great view outside and watched the rain begin. But then it began to pour and soon it looked like a small hurricane was going on outside! It was coming down in droves, seemingly up from the ground and from the left and right -- it was crazy rain! After lunch we walked around the cooking store and I wanted everything in there!

I'm not 100% sure this is my daughter!!!!!!!

Then Pin Traders and DD wanted everything in there!!

We finally made a break for it. Our shoes and socks were soaked, as was the rest of us and we were freezing! We ran to the boats, and although I wondered what it would be like on a boat in that rain, it never occurred to either one of us they would be closed. So back off we went to the bus. Everyone was shocked and soaked by the crazy rain and we couldn’t wait to get back to our resort to change!

 

[Figment's Friend]

The boat ride was one of my favorite parts of our vacation I highly suggest this to anybody staying at a Port Orleans resort, it's so beautiful and you can see a good bit of the old Treehouse Villas and some of Saratoga Springs, as well as one of the golf courses. It's about fifteen minutes, just lovely

Earl of Sandwich was PACKED! It was about noon when we arrived, so I don't think it helped we arrived at peak-lunch time! (We waited 20 minutes for food, it felt like we were in line for a ride!) I'm not really a sandwich lover, but The Original was one of the best sandwiches I've had in my whole life! The Earl Grey Lemonade was very disappointing, I still swear it wasn't even lemonade they gave me It was so funny eating in an entry way, sitting on the columns they display Earl of Sandwich merchandise. There was just nowhere else to sit unless it was on the floor!

I want that cookie jar very, VERY badly, it was a little pricey though.

My jeans were drenched up to my knees as we waited for the bus!

Here are some more pictures from the boat ride to DTD

 

[DisneyJo]

However, we were starving so we hurried to Earl of Sandwich, which was packed, but totally worth the wait! Super yummy!! We both had the Original, which was roast beef, creamy horseradish and cheddar cheese. Sooo Good and the bread was fabu!

We love EoS, I always have the Original but without the horseradish

I got something called a cupcake coronet or something like that.

OMG I love those cupcakes, so sweet but yummy

I'm not 100% sure this is my daughter!!!!!!!!

Scary eyes

The boat ride was one of my favorite parts of our vacation

We love that too, so relaxing

 

[Figment's Friend]

We love EoS, I always have the Original but without the horseradish

OMG I love those cupcakes, so sweet but yummy

Scary eyes

We love that too, so relaxing

WITHOUT THE HORSERADISH?!?! That's my favorite part!

 

[jaycns]

I love the pictures with the Stitch cookie jar! HOW CUTE WAS THAT JAR?!

That picture of the trees that you took on the boatride was just amazing. I love it. Do you mind if I set it as the background on my desktop for awhile?

I am glad you got to eat at EOS. That stinks about the Earl Gray Lemonade. Mine have always been very good there. Maybe you got a skunky bunch OR maybe I have skunky tastebuds. ??

Did you end up getting anything from the kitchen store?

I am with Jo on ditching the horseradish!

 

[DisneyJo]

WITHOUT THE HORSERADISH?!?! That's my favorite part!

Sorry

I am with Jo on ditching the horseradish!

Thank you Jay

 

[disneydusted]

Good grief! You guys sounded like you were drenched!
I love the boat rides too. We would take the boat to MGM from BWV and it was so relaxing. One night we saw the "high" stuff over the trees from Fantasmic while waiting for the boat.
We have yet to make it over to DTD!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Cool! That boat ride to DTD looks so relaxing. It's funny, because the more you know about WDW, the more you realize that you DON'T know! I believe you could spend an entire month at WDW and still not see everything completely.

Those are awesome pictures. We are enjoying the report!

Alan

 

[SkyGirl]

We love EoS, I always have the Original but without the horseradish

OMG I love those cupcakes, so sweet but yummy

Scary eyes

We love that too, so relaxing

NO horseradish? Shocking!! I could have used extra!

That cupcake was too sweet. I saved it for breakfast but just couldn't eat it. But it sure was pretty!!

WITHOUT THE HORSERADISH?!?! That's my favorite part!

A girl after my own heart! This is how mean of a Mommy I am: When DD was little I took her to Arby's and as we were eating lunch she asked me if the Horsey sauce (creamy horseradish) was mayo. I said ..... yes. The expression on her face was priceless!! We still laugh about that. Now if I could only teach her to like onions!

I love the pictures with the Stitch cookie jar! HOW CUTE WAS THAT JAR?!

That picture of the trees that you took on the boatride was just amazing. I love it. Do you mind if I set it as the background on my desktop for awhile?

I am glad you got to eat at EOS. That stinks about the Earl Gray Lemonade. Mine have always been very good there. Maybe you got a skunky bunch OR maybe I have skunky tastebuds. ??

Did you end up getting anything from the kitchen store?

I am with Jo on ditching the horseradish!

That would be great if you used the trees as a background!

I think the Earl Grey Lemonade was not blended enough. It was just more tea than anything.

We didn't buy anything from the kitchen store. It is my dream someday to have a ton of Disney stuff in my kitchen.

Good grief! You guys sounded like you were drenched!
I love the boat rides too. We would take the boat to MGM from BWV and it was so relaxing. One night we saw the "high" stuff over the trees from Fantasmic while waiting for the boat.
We have yet to make it over to DTD!

How cool to see a bit of Fantasmic. Those boats are so much fun. I kept teasing DD that it was on a track.

We aren't huge fans of DTD. Living in FL ... we have enough touristy crap to see! But with all the restaurants, we'll be making more trips. I really want to eat at Fultons!

Cool! That boat ride to DTD looks so relaxing. It's funny, because the more you know about WDW, the more you realize that you DON'T know! I believe you could spend an entire month at WDW and still not see everything completely.

Those are awesome pictures. We are enjoying the report!

Alan

I think you're right, Alan, you just can't know everything about Disney. There is always more to learn. That is one of the best reasons I have for finding the DIS, besides making great friends!

 

[Figment's Friend]

I love the pictures with the Stitch cookie jar! HOW CUTE WAS THAT JAR?!

That picture of the trees that you took on the boatride was just amazing. I love it. Do you mind if I set it as the background on my desktop for awhile?

I am glad you got to eat at EOS. That stinks about the Earl Gray Lemonade. Mine have always been very good there. Maybe you got a skunky bunch OR maybe I have skunky tastebuds. ??

Did you end up getting anything from the kitchen store?

I am with Jo on ditching the horseradish!

Don't I take beautiful pictures? Of course you can use it!

Good grief! You guys sounded like you were drenched!
I love the boat rides too. We would take the boat to MGM from BWV and it was so relaxing. One night we saw the "high" stuff over the trees from Fantasmic while waiting for the boat.
We have yet to make it over to DTD!

It was pouring buckets of water, not raining!

Cool! That boat ride to DTD looks so relaxing. It's funny, because the more you know about WDW, the more you realize that you DON'T know! I believe you could spend an entire month at WDW and still not see everything completely.

Those are awesome pictures. We are enjoying the report!

Alan

You're right, you could spend a month there and not see it all! There's always something new to do you haven't experienced yet Thanks for reading!

 

[SkyGirl]

RESORT TOUR!

We got back to our room and changed into heavenly dry clothes (!!) and walked around our resort. It is just so beautiful, as I keep saying but I said it over and over again whilst there. After spending some time in the lobby and in Jackson Square gift shop, we hopped on the bus to Magic Kingdom and got the monorail to Grand Floridian. The rain had stopped, but it seemed to have let the cold weather in.

And this made us only more excited for our upcoming Christmas party!!!

The Grand Floridian was gorgeous, as always, but even more for Christmas. From the wreathes and tree to the gingerbread house and the Christmas music, it was just fabulous. It really put us in the Christmas mood. This is the only monorail resort we've never stayed at, always my decision!! What was I thinking?? We sat in the lobby and just took it all in. There were many guests there, doing the same thing we were. It’s just too beautiful to miss.

The little purses that Samantha Brown opened on her show! Anyone remember that? I had to see them!

The gingerbread house was just amazing. We couldn't stop looking at it and finding things with each look. So beautiful and the smoke from the chimney and the smell were wonderful. I want it to be Christmas everyday!

I had to take pictures on the stairs where DD and I had sat so many years ago! We were following in Uncle Jesse's footsteps from "Full House"!!

After sitting in the lobby, we headed outside.

To be continued .......

 

[momoftriplets]

RESORT TOUR!

I want it to be Christmas everyday!

But then you wouldn't appreciate it as much!

Love the picture of the poinsettias. Just beautiful.

Eagerly anticipating more!

B

 

[jaycns]

But then you wouldn't appreciate it as much!

Love the picture of the poinsettias. Just beautiful.

Eagerly anticipating more!

B

Good point about the appreciating it part.

The details on that gingerbread house are amazing. Thanks for sharing those up close figures with us. I am amazed at what can be created out of food!

Doesn't the GF bakery out do themselves?!

Thank you for letting me use your beautiful picture as my laptop background for a bit. I am enjoying it now! AHHHH...what a pretty shot!

 

[DisneyJo]

Beautiful photos girls and wow Heidi you haven't changed a bit from the old photos

I agree about the smell of the gingerbread house, when the chimney smokes it's gorgeous isn't it

 

[disneydusted]

I wish I was standing right next to that ginerbread house right now! I love the smell of gingerbread. It must have been wonderful!
I love the Uncle Jessie retake!

 

[Figment's Friend]

The Grand Floridian will be our first choice once we can afford to vacation at a deluxe resort (okay, the Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, AND Beach Club are all in our top choices....or maybe just mine, I'm not sure ).

I loved the paintings on the walls of the beach scenes. I didn't even try to get a picture because it wouldn't have been the same to admire a picture of a picture. We spent quite a while in the lobby just admiring the decorations and that lovely elevator It sounds funny saying so, but if you've seen the Grand Floridian's elevator you know what I mean.

Here is a picture in a courtyard outside of their main food court, Gasparilla's. What a view! You could even hear the WDW Railroad huffing away in the distance. I would love to have breakfast out here in this courtyard overlooking the castle, knowing a full day in that wonderful park is ahead

It was very crowded! We should have seen this as a sign of what was to come, but we were hopeful it was just Thanksgiving leftover-vacationers.

 

[SkyGirl]

But then you wouldn't appreciate it as much!

Love the picture of the poinsettias. Just beautiful.

Eagerly anticipating more!

B

It's true, I know. Christmas coming once a year makes it all the more special! Same reason, well, one of them, that I wouldn't want to live in Orlando!

We put up our tree last night and it looks great! I might have the beast take you all on a tour if I get more done!

Good point about the appreciating it part.

The details on that gingerbread house are amazing. Thanks for sharing those up close figures with us. I am amazed at what can be created out of food!

Doesn't the GF bakery out do themselves?!

Thank you for letting me use your beautiful picture as my laptop background for a bit. I am enjoying it now! AHHHH...what a pretty shot!

The GF bakery is amazing and that gingerbread house was really something. I was so lucky when taking that picture. No one was in front of it and I swear as soon as I took it, there were forty thousand people in there!!

Beautiful photos girls and wow Heidi you haven't changed a bit from the old photos

I agree about the smell of the gingerbread house, when the chimney smokes it's gorgeous isn't it

Oh, Jo, I wish that were true, but thanks for saying it anyway!

I was so surprised when the chimney smoked! I hadn't been anticipating that.

Did you notice I used the word "whilst"? Just for you and Harry Potter!!

I wish I was standing right next to that ginerbread house right now! I love the smell of gingerbread. It must have been wonderful!
I love the Uncle Jessie retake!

It did smell wonderful and so many people were buying all different types of things. I thought they sold "walls" but they didn't!

 

[SkyGirl]

The Polynesian!

I have to tell you, I have broncitis (again!) and am on a ton of different meds and they are all making me feel a bit wooky, so if I say anything odd .... well, you're used to me and probably won't notice!

After leaving the Grand Flo, we grabbed the monorail to the Polynesian. We’ve stayed here many times but never at Christmas, so I was thrilled to see it all decorated. I really didn’t think they would have a lot of decorations for some reason, but it was gorgeous!

The first time we ever saw a celebrity at Disney, it was at the Poly. DD and I were in the quiet pool and a Backstreet Boy (AJ) walked past us. I thought DD was going to have a stroke right in the pool. We didn't speak to him but it was exciting. (Totally different from our super celeb sighting this time but that is just a teaser ....... lol)

They had handmade set ups of different items made of chocolate and candy. It wasn't as "professional" as GF, but there was something so sweet about it. We just loved it.

And of course, the Poly has loads of great picture opportunities all year round!

This picture had to be taken fast and on the sly to avoid the salesman of DVC!

In the gift shop!

Now, I have to tell you, DD has a weakness for blankets and sweatshirts, which is odd for a Florida girl, but she definitely does. In the gift shop at the Poly she saw a hoodie that she couldn’t live without!

Before:

After!

To be continued .......