Trip Report Feb 8 - 11

[OhioDisneyLover]

DH and I have returned from a short 4 day trip to WDW. Here goes my trip report. Hopefully someone will read it.

We left freezing cold Cleveland on Friday, February 8th on a 7:40 a.m. flight. We had our cab pick us up at 5:15 a.m. Yikes, that’s early. Our plane was full. We had 24 cheerleaders on our flight that were going to a competition of some sort at WDW. Our plane left on time and the flight was great….until our landing. We landed really hard and it didn’t seem as though we were breaking as quickly as normal. I looked over at DH as he was in the Navy and worked on a flight deck and never seems concerned if we’re on a flight and something seems odd to me. We got to a point on the runway where the pilot broke really, really hard and then made a very sharp right turn. Turned out there was a plane behind us landing too and had our pilot hit the breaks immediately the plane behind us would not have had enough run way to stop. Yikes, I was a bit freaked out but hey, we landed and we were in Orlando.

We got off the plane and headed to get our luggage. Ah, the smell of the tram from the gates to the terminal. It’s unmistakable. This was the longest wait we’ve ever had for luggage. Over 30 minutes. We got our bags and then went to get our rental car. DH checked in on-line before we left so we got to go right to the car…no wait! The weather was just perfect…not too cold, not too warm.

We headed straight for Epcot. We wanted to be sure to ride SSE right away since we knew that the soft open would close the following morning. Check out this line!

We really enjoyed the changes, especially the touch screen interactive stuff!

We were both hungry so we went to the Electric Umbrella. We have not eaten here in years so we figured we’d give it a try. Big mistake. I am dieting so I thought I’d get the veggie wrap. OMG, it was disgusting! I could not believe it. It was so bad. I did end up eating fries because I was so hungry but they were the only fries I ate at WDW so that wasn’t bad (or so I told myself).

From there we went over to Mouse Gear. We’re big shoppers and Mouse Gear is a must for us. As soon as we walked in DH gravitated to a rack of sweatshirts. He was flipping through looking for his size when a GIANT daddy long leg spider jumped out at us. I freaked out but he laughed. I’ve decided to try scrapbooking so I purchased a ton of stuff from Mouse Gear that I have no clue what to do with.

After we ate we decided to go and see if our room was ready at SSR sine we knew we’d be coming back to Epcot on Saturday.

I saw this on the walk to the car. Never seen one before.

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh157/scyoungbauer/CIMG5668-1.jpg[/IMG]


We are AP holders so we booked a great rate on a studio at SSR.

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I put together a binder for each trip that has all of my confirmation numbers, ADR information, etc. which I left it in the car thinking that I probably would not need it at check in. Well, let’s just say that check in was anything but magical at this point. The CM handed me the nice little calculator showing the balance due at check in…I nearly fainted. It was nearly 3 times what it should have been and she had already charged my credit card. DH went to get my binder of information so that I could show the CM my receipt. It turned out that they gave us a free upgrade to a 1 bedroom suite and then charged us for it. After about 30 minutes of the CM and her manager calling central reservations they figured out what happened and then credited my account. We got to our suite and were very impressed. We’ve been toying with a DVC resale and after seeing this DH was ready to do it on the spot. Check out the suite.

After unpacking we had planned to go to MK for Spectro and Wishes. Turns out we were both too tired from getting up at 3:30 a.m. so we decided to go over to DTD instead. It was chilly that evening but still not so bad. We were able to go out without coats, just sweatshirts. We shopped at Basin for some bath bombs and then went over to the World of Disney, which is my favorite, especially given that we get the AP discount there.

After getting all of our souvenirs and gifts for family members, we went to Team Disney where we watched a man make a bat which I thought was very cool. After that, on to the 12 Days of Christmas to replace an ornament that DH stepped on this Christmas. We then checked out the Art of Disney before decided that we were really hungry. We stopped at Earl of Sandwich but it was packed so we decided to drive to Chick-fil-A (yummy). We picked up some food and went back to our resort where we ate and enjoyed our awesome view of DTD. We called it a night and decided that we’d be up and out early the next morning.

Here is another picture of the resort outside of our room.

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

We woke up early and headed over to Artist’s Palate for breakfast. I was surprised that they take DDE so that was nice. The weather was brisk in the morning but it was still very pleasant.

After breakfast we made our way back to Epcot. I had to go back to Mouse Gear to get a specific bag for my mom so we did that first. I wanted to ride Journey Into Imagination with Figment but it was closed. We went over to The Land so that we could ride Living with the Land and take pictures for my mom. She loves that attraction. It was a walk on...the first of many on this trip.

From there we decided to go over to ride Nemo and Friends. I love this attraction but it's not DH's favorite. He just humors me. We also spent some time looking at the fish before we moved on.

As we were leaving The Land there was a mother with three small children trying to get on the escalator. The lady got on with a child in her arms and one of her other two girls got on the escalator and fell. I hate escalators so it really upset me. She got her up but the other little girl, maybe 3 or 4 would not step on the escalator. DH told her that she could walk down the stairs with us and her mom seemed pretty freaked out to be nearly at the bottom while her other child was scared at the top. We told her to hold on to the rail and come down the stairs with us and she kept saying “look mommy, I’m walking down the stairs.” She was so darn cute. I was glad to see that no one was hurt. Ok, on to Nemo and Friends. I love it. DH isn’t thrilled but it was a walk on, literally. We had an 11:30 ADR at LeCellier so we decided to start walking over to WS. I love the walk and all of the roses along the way.

Our CM at LeCellier was wonderful. A bit chatty, but she was very nice. I had the 5 oz filet which I didn’t take a picture of because I dove right in and didn’t even think to take a picture! DH had the cheddar cheese soup which he loved and the shaved prime rib sandwich. We shared the S’Mores which was very yummy. Now, I don’t want to offend anyone here and please don’t bash me, but there was one thing that was not so pleasant about our dining experience. There was a lady at the next table that decided that this would be the best place to breast feed her child and she literally just did it with no blanket, no cover, nothing. And once the child fell asleep, she left him there, if you know what I mean. I have no issue with breast feeding however I think that there should be some sort of privacy or at least a small blanket covering, well, you know. The CM that was waiting on that table seemed very uncomfortable and she kept trying to approach the table from a way where she wouldn’t be “right there” to so speak. Aside from that, we loved LeCellier.

We leisurely walked throughout the rest of WS stopping in each country. I wanted to get tea from the UK since everything I got last September is already gone. I know that I can order it on line, but it’s just not the same. I got my first Steiff bear in Germany too so I was happy. We rode Maelstrom which was about a 5 minute wait. After finishing up at WS we were going to head back to the resort since we had PPP tickets for that night and wanted a bit of a break. The weather was cool in the morning but started to get warm so I decided to take off my jacket and stuff it into my bag from Mouse Gear. It was at that time that I noticed that the CM didn’t take off the security tag from the bad that I got earlier that day. Good thing I noticed! We went and had that taken care of and then headed off to Wal-Mart for beverages before going back to SSR. Since we had the full kitchen suite we figured we should put something in the fridge!

Here is a picture that I took on the way out.

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

This was my favorite part of the trip. It was a brisk evening so we grabbed our jackets and headed over to MK for the PPP. We did have to make a stop at Guest Relations to pick up our tickets before heading into the park. We tried to get them from Guest Relations at Epcot but I forgot the confirmation number and they were unable to find the reservation without it. We got our loot bags (very cute draw string bags) and headed on in. When we first arrived, MK was packed …. like the week between Christmas and New Years packed. That was at first glance though. By the time 7 p.m. came around, it was wonderful. We rode TTA which was a walk on and headed over to Pooh. We made two stops for loot on the way. First stop we got gems and all other stops for the night we got beads. We didn’t ride at that time since the wait was 30 minutes. We decided to watch the sunset over Dumbo which was beautiful.

After enjoying the sunset we decided to head over to Philharmagic which I really, really enjoy.

I took this picture on the way.

That too was a walk in and the CM didn’t even ask everyone to go to the end of the row. I’d say that less than ½ of the theater was full. I wanted to ride Peter Pan but the wait was around 30-40 minutes, which was the longest wait that we encountered at MK. We decided to skip it and moved on to iaswaa which was also a walk on ….seeing a pattern here? From there we headed over to HM, DH’s favorite ride, and you guessed it, a walk on…literally right into the stretch room! Next we decided to get a Casey’s dog (what is it about them? They are so good). We wanted to get a good spot for the Enchanted Adventures Parade so after we ate we went over to the bridge near Adventure Land and set up the tripod (which we didn’t use and should have). We met a CM named Chris who was really, really nice. I felt bad for him after he closed off the bridge. People were so rude when they found out they had to go around. Incredible. I don’t know how the CM’s can take the abuse. Here are a few pictures from the parade. This was the first time we used our new camera at night. I need to take a photography class to figure out how to use the thing properly. The parade was great. I think I like the MNSSHP parade better, but we really did enjoy this one too. There were some funky lights on the floats that made it a bit difficult to take pictures but I think it was the cameraman (DH and I) and not the camera with the issue.

After the parade ended we went over to PotC. We had our own boat because guess what, it was a walk on too. While we were walking in the que area a CM jumped out all porate style and scared me half to death. DH got a good laugh out of it. Since we had our own boat, DH took a couple of pictures. Here is my favorite

Sine we’re AP holders we signed up for the “special” viewing spot for Magic, Music and Mayhem Fireworks. We made our way over to the assigned location and I have to say, we were disappointed. They didn’t turn the lights down in that area and we had a giant tree blocking the castle. I think that they could have found a better spot.

Here are a few shots of what we were able to see.

After the fireworks we went over to ride Buzz and Pooh, both walk ons. DH creamed my on Buzz. The photo section was closed so we didn’t get to see the photos this time. We went to get rice krispy mouse ears to take home to my mom, sister and nephew (got a giant one too) and then headed back for the night. It was a wonderful time and I am so glad that we decided to go. I hope to be able to go to another PPP someday.

We took these on the way out. They're not the best but we're still getting to know our camera.

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

We started off day three with yet another trip to DTD. We needed to get mouse ears for DH’s boss and his wife and found that we couldn’t get them at MK so back to 12 Days of Christmas we went. We placed our order and headed to DHS. Before leaving though we decided that we would prefer to go to Fulton’s for dinner instead of Yachtsman so we changed our ADR at Guest Relations at DTD.

We arrived at DHS where there were zillions of cheerleaders. The weather was perfect so we decided to stay even though the park was crowded. We went to see my favorite show, Beauty and the Beast. I cannot get enough. I would watch that show over and over again if DH would let me. It brings a tear to my eye every time.

I was hungry so we went across the street and got snacks. We had carrot sticks and celery with Ranch dressing, bananas and a soft pretzel to split. I for one am happy to see the selections of fruit and vegetables at this stand. It’s great! After we ate we went over to the Animation Studio and sat through the show. Very cute. I wanted to go and draw a character but I wasn’t feeling well so we went and sat outside for a while.

They are still in the process of changing all of the signs throughout the park. I did notice though that the stores had MGM merchandise….shirts, jackets, and other items as well.

We walked on the GMR next. Literally walked right in!

Around 2 or so we went to get our spot for the parade. We found a nice shady bench and sat down to people watch. Of course, the bench area that we selected was for wheelchairs during the parade so we ended up having to move across the street which wasn’t bad. Oh, and speaking of wheelchairs, DH forgot his handicapped parking pass (he is a disabled war vet) which really put a damper on things. I felt bad for him but he didn’t complain. I was impressed that he was able to get around as well as he did. Normally we only use the pass when the pain is great or to rent a scooter and thankfully, he didn’t need a scooter this time. Ok, back to the parade. DH could take it or leave it but it’s a must see for me. I didn’t get as many good pictures as I had hoped for since this couple decided that 2 minutes before the parade they needed to stand right in front of me. Why do people do that? I am always amazed by those that try and stand in front of others at the very last minute.

After the parade DH and I decided to go to Kissimmee. Our first trip together we stayed off site so we drive down there each trip. We stopped at a surf shop and took “the long way” back to the resort.

After resting for a bit, we headed to pick up the ears that we had embroidered and then went over our ADR at Fulton’s. We arrived on time, and didn’t have to wait for a table. I went to sit down at our table and was greeted by a German cockroach. I freaked out a bit and DH was a bit calmer than I was about the whole thing. We have visited Fulton’s on many occasions and have never seen anything like it before … ever. So, our captain said he’d return in a moment. About 2 minutes later the manager came by and said “I hear you had a visitor” and then quickly sat us at another table near the window. DH is German so he had a good time teasing me about dining with some German friends. I was sort of grossed out but I kept telling myself it was Florida and it was a restaurant. I hear that it’s not uncommon but I’ve never actually SEEN one so I was a bit apprehensive. Later on, another party was seated at that same table and DH kept teasing me using the voice from the guy from Hogan’s Heroes (anyone remember who I am talking about?) and saying ….”do you have zee papers?” It was quite funny seeing as he is German and has the ability to do the accent very well. Anyway, yes, we did stay and now that I think about it, it kind of grosses me out. I had a shrimp cocktail and the snow crab legs which were good and DH had the crab cake and the Lobster Narraganset (spelling). He also had the banana cream pie which he really enjoyed. Fulton’s is my sister’s favorite place to eat and we are going to WDW again in September 08. I’m wondering if she’ll still want to go there after I tell her my story.

We walked around a bit after dinner before heading back to SSR which by the way, we found the back entrance which is literally 2 minutes from DTD. I just love these windows.

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

We woke up early this day as we had ADR’s at Tusker House for 8:30 a.m.

It was EMH at DAK in the morning so it took a very long time to get through the lines. It was quite cold this morning and since we had checked of the resort, we dressed in layers knowing that it was going to be cold at home. We had our photo taken and then were seated in the far back of the restaurant. The buffet was good. I especially loved the sweet potato casserole. There was a table next to us where someone had a food allergy. It was impressive to see the chef come out and actually take the party to the buffet to go over each item. We got to see Mickey, Goofy, Daisy and Donald. It was nice that they stopped by to see us even though we were just two adults without children. Many times we have dined at a character breakfast or dinner and have been passed over for parties with children. It never bothered us but it’s always nice when they do stop by.

We left Tusker House hoping to ride KS however the wait was around 40 minutes. The day before there was a news story about a truck that had a small fire and had to pull over “somewhere safe” so that people could be evacuated. Since the wait was long we decided to walk the Maharaja Jungle Trek. I cannot believe how huge the bats are back there!

We moved along to the “kitties” as I like to call them. They were still sleeping but we did get this shot.

After finishing the Jungle Trek walked over to Nemo and we were able to get in right before the doors closed. This was the second time I’ve seen this show and I really enjoyed it.


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I wanted to see Festival of the Lion King this trip but it didn’t work out that way. It’s a must for our next trip in September. I love the Animal Kingdom and can’t wait for our next trip so that we can spend more time in the park.

Here are a couple of other pictures that we took that I like.

DH wanted to go back to DHS. I think the hills at DAK were bothering his back. The weather was getting warmer so we took off a layer or two and headed over to DHS.

I love the street performers at DHS. They are so much fun. We stopped and watched for a while before going back to Star Tours.

DH normally will do this ride but not today, too much pain I think. He didn’t complain but I think he was being a good sport. He did however want to stop at the shop at the end of the ride. From there we went over to the Muppets which I have always liked. I like the new pre-show … at least it’s new to me. I was determined to draw this trip so after Muppets we went over to the Animation Studio. We had the same animator this time as last September. He was so much fun. We drew Goofy this time. I didn’t have a pencil at my station but I did have one with an eraser in my purse! I know, cheater!!!

It was getting towards the time that we had to leave for the airport so I called home. It appears that Cleveland was under weather advisory and it was … get this …. 15 below zero!!!!!! DH had on shorts so we had to stop and get him some sweat pants or something before going to the airport. Good thing we both like to shop.

We left the park around 4:15 which I thought was early but it was a good thing that we did. The line for security was INSANE. It went all the way through the ropes and then across the hall, past the escalator. This was for gates 1-59 I think. I’ve never, ever seen it like this before…ever. Luckily we were there early but there were others that I’m sure ended up missing flights. I saw people trying to get the TSA agents to let them go further in the line but the guys didn’t budge. What was interesting though is that there were two ladies in front of us that were desperate to catch a flight that was boarding. They asked to go ahead and were told no yet a group of cheerleaders got their own line and there flight didn’t leave for hours…..how do I know….they were on my flight! I felt bad for the two women that most certainly missed their flight.

All in all it was a nice four day getaway. The weather was great, there were practically no lines, and the PPP was awesome! There were a ton of things that I wish I could have done but we’re going back in a little over 200 days……let the planning begin!

 

[OhMari]

Thanks for all the great pictures. Do you know how nice it is to see flowers growing outside. I am so tired of the cold and snow in Wisconsin.

Are you going back for free dining?

 

[TinkerSouthernBelle]

I have enjoyed reading your TR. I was at BCV the week before you. We had very HOT weather, out last day was the 9th.

I think your photos during the PPP are very good. Photography is my hobby too. By any chance did you take any photos during the castle "attack" during the PPP fireworks??? I didn't take any photos but I wish I had some from when the castle looked like it was "on fire"

You can find my TR on page 2 now. I'll post another update in a day or so.

Look forward to reading more!

 

[earthfaries]

Hi

I haven't started reading yet but I can't wait!!!

I've been looking forward to this for days

I'm going to read it tomorrow~looks so great ​

 

[stagemomx3]

I love all the pictures! Thanks so much for sharing your trip.

 

[ChelleinNC]

Great report & pictures! I've only gotten as far as the P&PP, looking forward to the rest

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

Thanks for all the great pictures. Do you know how nice it is to see flowers growing outside. I am so tired of the cold and snow in Wisconsin.

Are you going back for free dining?

Thanks. I agree that it's nice to see flowers growing in the winter. One of the first things that DH commented on when we got there. It's been really cold here in Ohio too lately and frankly I am ready for it to go away now.

We normally don't do free dining. We use the DDE card instead. My family however does join us in September and they love the free dining!

I have enjoyed reading your TR. I was at BCV the week before you. We had very HOT weather, out last day was the 9th.

I think your photos during the PPP are very good. Photography is my hobby too. By any chance did you take any photos during the castle "attack" during the PPP fireworks??? I didn't take any photos but I wish I had some from when the castle looked like it was "on fire"

You can find my TR on page 2 now. I'll post another update in a day or so.

Look forward to reading more!

The viewing area that they had us in for the PPP fireworks made it so hard to take pictures. We signed up to be able to go to a "special AP viewing area" and I have to say you could not see the castle at all. The only pictures that we got were of the fireworks in the sky without the castle. I really want to take a photography class before going back in September.

Thanks for letting me know that you have a TR posted. I'm going to subscribe!

Hi

I haven't started reading yet but I can't wait!!!

I've been looking forward to this for days

I'm going to read it tomorrow~looks so great ​

earthfaries, I could not have done this without your help! Thanks for all of your help telling me how to post pictures, etc! You'll have to let me know how I did.

I love all the pictures! Thanks so much for sharing your trip.

Thanks! We took over 1,000 picutres in 4 days and it was hard to decide on what to post

Great report & pictures! I've only gotten as far as the P&PP, looking forward to the rest

The PPP was the highlight of our trip. It was so much fun and everything was a walk on!

Thanks everyone for reading! This is my first TR on this board and I was wondering if anyone would read.

 

[earthfaries]

​

Hi!

I finally had a chance to start reading your TR

I'm going to post my comments day by day so I don't leave anything out.

You guys had a really early start! That was scary about the plane behind you on the runway Last time I was on a plane for our trip out west we sat in the little plane leaving Asheville for a long time because of problems. I was already nervous from that, then about 40 minutes later it started going and going down the runway and then all the power went out and the plane stopped! I was so scared Luckily everything worked out great, but it can be scary!

Wow!!! What a nice place you stayed! It's beautiful! It's crappy about the overcharge though, I know that's the last thing you want to deal with when arriving at the magical WDW.

I LOVE your pictures! They are wonderful!

I can't believe that line for SE! So they closed it again? When will it open up? I had no idea it was closing and that that was just a soft opening. I thought it had just opened early. How long did you have to wait?

Sounds like you guys had an injoyable evening at DD.

I have to say again what a beautiful apartment you guys got! How neat​

 

[earthfaries]

Sounds like a great day at Epcot ~ once again your pictures are wonderful

I love the picture of the rose and LWTL boat ride. I really love that attraction and want to do the tour next time. I'm sorry I didn't get to ride it last time.

About the breastfeeding part...I'm all for nursing in public, it doesn't bother me at all to see it, or the breast, I nursed my kids for 3 years...but when dining, esp. at fine dining establishments, I think it's just common curtesy to use a blanket to cover up so no one is offended. Once again, they don't have to, and I wouldn't say anything bad about them, she's just feeding her child and in that case I view the nipple the same as a bottle nipple, but I always covered myself for the curtesy of others. I am shocked though that she didn't cover herself up, esp. after he fell asleep.

Glad you guys enjoyed Epcot so much



​

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

I find it disgusting, no offense, with breast feeding in public.
Not everyone would like to see that so why not go to the bathroom and do it?
Especially at a resturant where others are trying to eat.

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

Sounds like a great day at Epcot ~ once again your pictures are wonderful

I love the picture of the rose and LWTL boat ride. I really love that attraction and want to do the tour next time. I'm sorry I didn't get to ride it last time.

About the breastfeeding part...I'm all for nursing in public, it doesn't bother me at all to see it, or the breast, I nursed my kids for 3 years...but when dining, esp. at fine dining establishments, I think it's just common curtesy to use a blanket to cover up so no one is offended. Once again, they don't have to, and I wouldn't say anything bad about them, she's just feeding her child and in that case I view the nipple the same as a bottle nipple, but I always covered myself for the curtesy of others. I am shocked though that she didn't cover herself up, esp. after he fell asleep.

Glad you guys enjoyed Epcot so much



​

We did have a great day at Epcot. My mom loves LWTL so we actually took a TON of pictures there for her. We want to take the walking tour when we go in September.

I guess I was just surprised at the breast feeding thing. I've never experienced that before in a restaurant so it was surprising to me. There was another lady at MK that was breastfeeding but she had on a poncho and actually no one knew. DH and I just happened to be sitting at a table near her when she brought out her child from under the poncho. Anyway, while we were not offended, I just thought that there could have been a better place than the dining room of LeCellier.

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

I find it disgusting, no offense, with breast feeding in public.
Not everyone would like to see that so why not go to the bathroom and do it?
Especially at a resturant where others are trying to eat.

I know someone that suggested that Disney may want to think about designated areas for breast feeding..... Anyway, we sure had a nice day at Epcot.

 

[earthfaries]

I know someone that suggested that Disney may want to think about designated areas for breast feeding..... Anyway, we sure had a nice day at Epcot.

You know, it would be nice, esp. at a place like Disney if they had rooms to nurse in. Just one small room with a rocking chair and a changing table in the area of the restrooms.They have lots of them at Dollywood and it's so nice.

All I can say is your baby needs to eat, and depending on the age, every couple of hours, and without designated areas it makes it really tough and
sitting on a nasty toilet in a stinky bathroom while people are lining up to pee is not an appropriate way to feed your child! We wouldn't want to eat in there right? I don't even want to use the bathroom in public places, let alone try to nurse my child in them

When we were there last month, I saw on a couple of occasions women nursing their children on the benches with their shirts pulled up way higher than need be without covering up at all, and I was actually pretty shocked as open minded as I am LOTS of people would be offended with that and you'd really think they could at least be curteous and cover up a little, even if just for the sake of not upsetting others.

 

[earthfaries]

PPP sounds wonderful!

I love the sunset pic over Fantasyland and the castle pic with Walt and Mickey

I love the parties, the only one I've ever been to is my favorite thing at Disney ~ MNSSHP!!!

The rides are always walk-ons even though there are tons of actual people in the parks. They are just all so busy doing all the party stuff to ride a lot of rides

Glad you guys had such a wonderful magical evening at MK at the PPP ​

 

[ortegah]

Not that I want to get involved in a breastfeeding debate, but I assure you, the person nursing their child is concerned about feeding their child, not offending people who view breasts as sexual objects instead of what they were intended for.

 

[ortegah]

I find it disgusting, no offense, with breast feeding in public.
Not everyone would like to see that so why not go to the bathroom and do it?
Especially at a resturant where others are trying to eat.

As soon as you go eat in a stall where you take a dump, then maybe mothers will nurse their children in a bathroom.