Very Quick Trip Report -POR July 9-13

[AnnR]

Hello

Our main purpose of this trip was to meet up with relatives from Northern Ireland so we spent a good deal of time away from disney -they like to shop! I went with my father, both of us have APs so didn't mind going into the parks for a short time. So the party consisted of me, my DD, my cousin and her husband, DS 19, DS 15, DD8 and DS 15's girlfriend 15. I think I will refer to them as the IR for brevity reasons!

We arrived at POR about 4:30 PM =absolutely NO line in check in -very weird! We were given a room in the mansions section, Magnolia Terrace 2nd floor corner room overlooking the parking lot. Was good when we needed the car or to get to the East bus depot but a little ways to refill our mugs! Could have been a lot worse though.

We dropped our luggage, got a quick bite to eat in the food court and then headed to meet our relatives at the Buena Vista Resort and Spa. Came back and went to sleep!!

2nd day - The Irish come to POR! We met in the lobby about 1. We had had a late breakfast at POR so we skipped lunch. After walking to our room, we took the boat to DD and the older kids went off to shop on their own. We took DD to the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique -she had saved her money for a year to become a princess!!! What a proceedure! She looked very pretty when done! Unfortunately, while we were inside thunderstorms and pouring rain arrived outside. The princess and her mom were escorted with a large umbrella to the photopass place to get her pictures taken while the rest of us finished shopping, which of course had to include ponchos since ours were back in our room. I bought 1 child and 1 adult figuring I didn't mind a little rain and most of our party wouldn't. We did not want the princesses hair and makeup to be ruined! Not for that amount of money! After meeting back up with the older kids -who were a bit late of course we all ended up at the photo pass store. Because of the storms, no boats were running so we had to get the bus. Good thing I bought an adult poncho -the childs would not fit over the tiera!!!

Our bus took a roundabout way back, through Typhoon Lagoon and the back POR bus stops before the front one. Normally, this would have been good for my DD and I since the East Depot was close to our room, but we of course accompanied our IR back to the front to get their car and walked back to our rooms. The IR insisted on taking us to Cheesecake Factory at a nearby mall and were going right there so we just had a couple of minutes to brush hair and grab the car keys.

We met there after circling the entire mall looking for it -we had used the entrance right next to it but turned the other way! The wait was 50 minutes but since the IR had been there a bit it was only about 10 min. Dinner was OK, one person didn't get their meal until the rest of us were about done. There was an apology but I thought they should have done something for us. We then went shopping, again the older kids took off to do their own. We were told that the prices in the US are a lot less then in the UK. We shopped a bit and then sat and talked. Meanwhile a little girl about 5 saw DD in princess get up and kept coming up to her. She finally asked if she was really Cinderella!!! DD replied that she was, but did not like all the attention. Especially when the little girl found another and brought her to see the princess! We finally left about 9PM to go back to POR. I had bought a couple of cinnamon rolls that morning so that was our dessert -none of us had wanted cheesecake! But there is nothing like lying on a bed with a glass of milk and a cinnamon roll watching Disney tV!!!

More later.

 

[AnnR]

Saturday we met the IR at AKL for brunch at Boma. They were very impressed with all of it, the lodge, the food and the animals! It was a good morning although hot. Everyone loved the brunch. Yum!

After having a short rest at POR DF and I went to MK. We checked out the Hall of Presidents -very impressed. I wanted to go on Splash Mountain but the fastpass was over 2 hours away and as it was still very hot and humid, I did not think I would make it. So we decided to take the train. We got on at Frontierland and got off at .......Frontierland! CB was just letting in so we went to see some bears! Love the moose too! Went to the Haunted mansion the wait time said 15 minutes but the line was long so we decided to come back. Got out and decided I needed a Dole Whip!! While there it started raining. So we checked Pirates, no wait! One of my favorite rides. Went back to HM and there was hardly anyone in line, got on without much of a wait. We passed the riverboat several times -each time it was leaving so we missed that. Walked around a bit, saw a rainbow over Space Mountain (which was closed). We then went into the Stitch ride. Didn't know what to expect from it. It was OK. Left by way of the Main St Bakery, ate part of a Cinnamon Roll there and 1 to take back.

BTW my old favorite stop for a Diet Coke -end of Main St cart only sells it in souvenier cups now $4.25 for the plastic cups that used to be $2.50 and $5.25 for a large MK cup -twice as big. Got the large and found out later many of the other places still have large cup for $2.50 -not the plastic cup but that would be fine with me! Ended up giving my cup to my IR 8yr old girl who was thrilled so worth it.

Decided on the way out to check out EPCOT -rode the monorail over, planning to get some fish and chips. Wondered why there were hardly any gates open then realized it was 8:30 PM already! closed at 9. Figured no time to get food, would be closed so we decided on plan B -Ghiridelli's at DD.

Went to get bus to DD and discovered no direct bus so went back to POR and took boat. I got the Brownie sundae with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. Delicious but I think they used to put more hot fudge on it. DF got a dark chocolate sundae -dark hot fudge, chocolate ice cream, dark choc chips and a dark chocolate square, he loved it! So that was dinner!!

A little bit of shopping - can not go by Goofy's candy co and had to go to Basin to get some soap for a friend. Plus the team store were my DF watched how they make baseballs.

After that, back to the boats. Line was long and didn't get on the one leaving then. As it was 11:30 and the last boats were coming, the boat to Saratoga Springs said he would take us to PO after. Not many waiting for any boats except PO. We passed another boat coming in but still beat it back, even with the extra stop.