dixonsontour
DIS Veteran
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- Apr 14, 2008
- Messages
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Hope they enjoy park fare in the new dresses.
How are you faring dining credits wise?
How are you faring dining credits wise?
We're here! Probably not a trip report
- Thread starter london75
- Start date
I wish, it's been a brilliant holiday but a lot of early mornings and late nights so still shattered. It's been entirely different to our usual villa holidays but staying onsite I feel like we've done so much more even though we'd only usually get a villa about 10 minutes away. We've had a car but the buses do make a huge difference. We've also had the luxury of having been here a number of times before so none of us feel like we've got to do every corner of every park in a fortnight.
Not bad, we had a tendency to save them a bit too much to start with but since discovering Wolfgang Puck Express takeout it's evened out. It depends how much we eat on the last day but suspect we'll have 4 unused quick service left.
We used 15 snacks on sweets in Goofy's candy store and still have 14 but we've got all of today and are on the late flight tomorrow so saving some for now.
Catch up again
Day 12 MK/Epcot
Since we've started getting up early, or more to the point I've got up early and made loads of noise leaving everyone else little choice, we went off to Downtown Disney to do our shopping and use our first 20% voucher. I'd been giving the girls a set amount each day as pocket money and if they wanted something bigger they had to save (mean I know) with no credit from future days being allowed, however, I gave them the rest of the week in one go so they could get more for their money with the coupon. I also tried to steer them a bit to get things they regretted not getting last year in favour of tat that only lasts 5 minutes like stickers. So they got one of the animators range of dolls each, the Brave and Tangled figure sets which are much nicer than the UK ones yet still cheaper and a very small sticker set. On top of that the dresses mentioned previously. I got a new mug for work that says mickey on it but not so much I can't hold down a job!
We deliberately booked our second Teppan Edo later in the day as we were finding early lunches difficult to work around and thought around 3 would let us do more in the morning when it would be dry. We also couldn't decide whether to park at Epcot and monorail to MK first or vice versa. We went with park at Epcot and went straight to MK by monorail for a few rides and snack but by the time we got there through a combination of monorails (we'd completely forgotten the Epcot monorail lands you at the Ticket Centre and not outside MK itself) we only had an hour at MK before heading back to Epcot for the meal. Our second meal there was lovely, the chef was different, possibly less bonkers style funny but the steak was cooked a bit better than the previous meal although both were superb. It was also more obvious that the routine is one taught to them with no real chef input as it was identical so maybe it's a once per holiday restaurant.
After the food we went wandering world showcase but the girls were pretty desperate to get back to inspect their toys and I assume most know that it's very hard to go against the incessant moaning of toy obsessed children. Not moaning but just lack of cooperation really. We hung around for a while hoping to goad them into staying for fireworks but when the rain came at 6 ish we called it a day and came back.
Once back they played while I went for WPE takeaway and that was another day gone!
Day 12 MK/Epcot
Since we've started getting up early, or more to the point I've got up early and made loads of noise leaving everyone else little choice, we went off to Downtown Disney to do our shopping and use our first 20% voucher. I'd been giving the girls a set amount each day as pocket money and if they wanted something bigger they had to save (mean I know) with no credit from future days being allowed, however, I gave them the rest of the week in one go so they could get more for their money with the coupon. I also tried to steer them a bit to get things they regretted not getting last year in favour of tat that only lasts 5 minutes like stickers. So they got one of the animators range of dolls each, the Brave and Tangled figure sets which are much nicer than the UK ones yet still cheaper and a very small sticker set. On top of that the dresses mentioned previously. I got a new mug for work that says mickey on it but not so much I can't hold down a job!
We deliberately booked our second Teppan Edo later in the day as we were finding early lunches difficult to work around and thought around 3 would let us do more in the morning when it would be dry. We also couldn't decide whether to park at Epcot and monorail to MK first or vice versa. We went with park at Epcot and went straight to MK by monorail for a few rides and snack but by the time we got there through a combination of monorails (we'd completely forgotten the Epcot monorail lands you at the Ticket Centre and not outside MK itself) we only had an hour at MK before heading back to Epcot for the meal. Our second meal there was lovely, the chef was different, possibly less bonkers style funny but the steak was cooked a bit better than the previous meal although both were superb. It was also more obvious that the routine is one taught to them with no real chef input as it was identical so maybe it's a once per holiday restaurant.
After the food we went wandering world showcase but the girls were pretty desperate to get back to inspect their toys and I assume most know that it's very hard to go against the incessant moaning of toy obsessed children. Not moaning but just lack of cooperation really. We hung around for a while hoping to goad them into staying for fireworks but when the rain came at 6 ish we called it a day and came back.
Once back they played while I went for WPE takeaway and that was another day gone!
Day 13 MK
Another early start and this time straight to MK which is very busy from the get go. We use the bus this time as parking at MK and getting the monorail has become a bit of a pain (think we're just old and haggard, we used to love it).
As mentioned before we stopped in the bakery to get breakfast. As we have too many snack and quick service credits but quick service credits can't be used for candy to take home, we actually order too much food by going for the QS breakfast and saving the snack credits although we only want a pastry each. There we get another 20% off voucher and here's the bit I'm ashamed of, as we tipped the rubbish in, I noticed another that someone had discarded so being a tramp I took hat one too. Little did I know later in the day I'd get 3 more lol.
We did a bit more shopping, presents for nieces and nephews etc to be left at the park entrance and then head off. Poppy loves meeting characters this year so we stop for fast passes for the princesses then head to Adventure Land and pick off the odd ride here and there including the Tiki room which we have never visited before believe it or not so never saw it's new management. You can tell it was a blast from the past but it was really nice and quaint and the kids loved it! Time to go for fast passes for Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain for me and Daisy. When we get there I hear a bit of fuss in the BTM fast pass queue and then notice that the woman next to me at the next ticket station has no less than 2 inches of stacked tickets getting fast pass after fast pass, the people behind her were understandable peed off so I let some in front of me although they declined and went behind. (That brings me to another observation of locals in the US, there seem to me to be 50% of people exceptionally well mannered calling me Sir, rushing ahead to open doors etc, better than the British by a long shot and 50% downright ignorant such as pushing ahead of children or letting doors slam in your face when you have your hands full and there seems to be no grey area in-between, strange)
Back on track, being brazilianed at the FP station we decide we'll aim to get back for the tail end of the FP window to avoid them, if they all turn up at the same time the FP queue will be slower than the standby. So we head off on the train back to Main Street for the girls to get autographs from the princesses and it was Cinderella, Belle and Rapunzel on this occasion. All were really chatty and made the girls leave with massive beams on their faces.
We bought our snack candy and I caved and let the girls get the 12" tubes of powder that they always pester about but never eat. 24 hours later there are 2 tubes of barely touched powder! At least it was on snack credits this year.
Heading up to Adventure Land again we struggle to find something to go on having used our FP allocation for now as it's super busy. We end up back at BTM so decide to split up while Jo and Poppy head for somewhere cooler and Daisy and I go and ride BTM. Just as we get there we get Brazilianed again as another large party start showing up and as two of them are ahead of me, the other 298 try to push past and by this point I've head enough so put my arm across to the rail to protect Daisy more than anything turn and just firmly say NO which I'm sure is understood in every language (did I mention I'm 6'5" as well lol). They stopped dead and muttered to them selves in Spanish or Portugese whichever it is. It didn't actually stop them having more goes at sneaking past or just plain pushing later in the queue. The standby queue is also rival tour groups of Brazilian girls (actually one group from Paraguay I noticed), barely any conventional tourists there at all so cue lots of chanting, shouting and singing. We got on the ride and the whole of the rest of the train was 15 year old girls from Brazil so my God was it a loud coaster ride but Daisy loved it.
We then head to Splash Mountain to use the other two tickets but just stop dead as we see yet another couple of hundred Brazilians forming a fast pass queue 3 people wide all the way back past the store easily 150 people and definitely rivalling the standby queue so we give up and go and meet the Jo and Poppy muttering about Brazilian this and Brazilian that.
I notice my outbursts and bad mood at the tour groups is making Daisy into an unknowing racist of sorts so I have a talk with her and try and say what I hate is the large tour groups and it's nothing to do with where they are from. She mustn't use the word Brazilianed or generally shout out "oh no, not more Brazilians" (yes she did that) as there are perfectly well behaved Brazilian families here having holidays like us. Unfortunately moments later the massive Spanish looking and sounding family in Columbia Harbour house start shouting and chanting at the table then all the kids push past us trampling over our bags and Daisy's foot to look out of our window in the restaurant and the hard work persuading Daisy is wasted even thought they were Spanish not Brazilian.
I will have to work harder on that one! I accept it's all my fault and I'm finding it quite hard to not form an opinion on a whole race by the behaviour of their children too but it's only because they are so in your face and so obnoxious all the time!
Putting that behind us we tackle a few more rides and as Poppy is getting tired we call it a day and head back to the pool. We have a 6:45 reservation for Planet Hollywood so a quick swim, get dressed and head out again.
I know I'm harping on about it now but guess what, we got Brazilianed at Planet Hollywood too! Outside the check in desk I notice 4 printed signs up saying things like Planet Hollywood welcomes Grupo Tourismo 98ppl etc etc. Spotting that their meal was 7 and it was now 6:25 we check in early and head on up. I think PH was at least aware of the massive task facing them and dedicated an entire floor to them if not two as when we went up in the lift most of it was empty until all the families were on the top floor.
The meal was nice but slooowwwwww and they were out of a lot of things. Jo said she was glad we'd been but we wouldn't go again which was nothing to do with the food more the service speed (not the waitresses fault although she did seem overworked) and it was so damn hot in there. Also chanting, singing and clapping from the floors below is a bit annoying too 'nuff said.
We then had a wander around DTD and bought a few things in Little MissMatched and got 15% discount for our annual passes which was good considering a lot of stuff was reduced anyway.
Then back to villa to relax. I know it sounds like I need to but in all fairness the tour group incidents are a few 10 minute inconveniences in a loooong day so really not that significant. Unfortunately it's enough to make me not go in July again though.
Today is our last full day and we're going to break with tradition and go to Animal Kingdom for a bit.
Another early start and this time straight to MK which is very busy from the get go. We use the bus this time as parking at MK and getting the monorail has become a bit of a pain (think we're just old and haggard, we used to love it).
As mentioned before we stopped in the bakery to get breakfast. As we have too many snack and quick service credits but quick service credits can't be used for candy to take home, we actually order too much food by going for the QS breakfast and saving the snack credits although we only want a pastry each. There we get another 20% off voucher and here's the bit I'm ashamed of, as we tipped the rubbish in, I noticed another that someone had discarded so being a tramp I took hat one too. Little did I know later in the day I'd get 3 more lol.
We did a bit more shopping, presents for nieces and nephews etc to be left at the park entrance and then head off. Poppy loves meeting characters this year so we stop for fast passes for the princesses then head to Adventure Land and pick off the odd ride here and there including the Tiki room which we have never visited before believe it or not so never saw it's new management. You can tell it was a blast from the past but it was really nice and quaint and the kids loved it! Time to go for fast passes for Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain for me and Daisy. When we get there I hear a bit of fuss in the BTM fast pass queue and then notice that the woman next to me at the next ticket station has no less than 2 inches of stacked tickets getting fast pass after fast pass, the people behind her were understandable peed off so I let some in front of me although they declined and went behind. (That brings me to another observation of locals in the US, there seem to me to be 50% of people exceptionally well mannered calling me Sir, rushing ahead to open doors etc, better than the British by a long shot and 50% downright ignorant such as pushing ahead of children or letting doors slam in your face when you have your hands full and there seems to be no grey area in-between, strange)
Back on track, being brazilianed at the FP station we decide we'll aim to get back for the tail end of the FP window to avoid them, if they all turn up at the same time the FP queue will be slower than the standby. So we head off on the train back to Main Street for the girls to get autographs from the princesses and it was Cinderella, Belle and Rapunzel on this occasion. All were really chatty and made the girls leave with massive beams on their faces.
We bought our snack candy and I caved and let the girls get the 12" tubes of powder that they always pester about but never eat. 24 hours later there are 2 tubes of barely touched powder! At least it was on snack credits this year.
Heading up to Adventure Land again we struggle to find something to go on having used our FP allocation for now as it's super busy. We end up back at BTM so decide to split up while Jo and Poppy head for somewhere cooler and Daisy and I go and ride BTM. Just as we get there we get Brazilianed again as another large party start showing up and as two of them are ahead of me, the other 298 try to push past and by this point I've head enough so put my arm across to the rail to protect Daisy more than anything turn and just firmly say NO which I'm sure is understood in every language (did I mention I'm 6'5" as well lol). They stopped dead and muttered to them selves in Spanish or Portugese whichever it is. It didn't actually stop them having more goes at sneaking past or just plain pushing later in the queue. The standby queue is also rival tour groups of Brazilian girls (actually one group from Paraguay I noticed), barely any conventional tourists there at all so cue lots of chanting, shouting and singing. We got on the ride and the whole of the rest of the train was 15 year old girls from Brazil so my God was it a loud coaster ride but Daisy loved it.
We then head to Splash Mountain to use the other two tickets but just stop dead as we see yet another couple of hundred Brazilians forming a fast pass queue 3 people wide all the way back past the store easily 150 people and definitely rivalling the standby queue so we give up and go and meet the Jo and Poppy muttering about Brazilian this and Brazilian that.
I notice my outbursts and bad mood at the tour groups is making Daisy into an unknowing racist of sorts so I have a talk with her and try and say what I hate is the large tour groups and it's nothing to do with where they are from. She mustn't use the word Brazilianed or generally shout out "oh no, not more Brazilians" (yes she did that) as there are perfectly well behaved Brazilian families here having holidays like us. Unfortunately moments later the massive Spanish looking and sounding family in Columbia Harbour house start shouting and chanting at the table then all the kids push past us trampling over our bags and Daisy's foot to look out of our window in the restaurant and the hard work persuading Daisy is wasted even thought they were Spanish not Brazilian.
I will have to work harder on that one! I accept it's all my fault and I'm finding it quite hard to not form an opinion on a whole race by the behaviour of their children too but it's only because they are so in your face and so obnoxious all the time!
Putting that behind us we tackle a few more rides and as Poppy is getting tired we call it a day and head back to the pool. We have a 6:45 reservation for Planet Hollywood so a quick swim, get dressed and head out again.
I know I'm harping on about it now but guess what, we got Brazilianed at Planet Hollywood too! Outside the check in desk I notice 4 printed signs up saying things like Planet Hollywood welcomes Grupo Tourismo 98ppl etc etc. Spotting that their meal was 7 and it was now 6:25 we check in early and head on up. I think PH was at least aware of the massive task facing them and dedicated an entire floor to them if not two as when we went up in the lift most of it was empty until all the families were on the top floor.
The meal was nice but slooowwwwww and they were out of a lot of things. Jo said she was glad we'd been but we wouldn't go again which was nothing to do with the food more the service speed (not the waitresses fault although she did seem overworked) and it was so damn hot in there. Also chanting, singing and clapping from the floors below is a bit annoying too 'nuff said.
We then had a wander around DTD and bought a few things in Little MissMatched and got 15% discount for our annual passes which was good considering a lot of stuff was reduced anyway.
Then back to villa to relax. I know it sounds like I need to but in all fairness the tour group incidents are a few 10 minute inconveniences in a loooong day so really not that significant. Unfortunately it's enough to make me not go in July again though.
Today is our last full day and we're going to break with tradition and go to Animal Kingdom for a bit.
Fantasia Sam
I've been here so much longer!
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2000
- Messages
- 5,250
Just caught up with all your updates.
Laughed at the sherbert as I had one who pestered us too. He was not impressed that the colour went straight through him at the next bathroom visit TMI
Now see THAT actually makes me want to try one LOL!!
OK OK I take back the chillaxing.... but it did sound like you were able to go a nice easy pace, albeit early morning and late nights LOL but it still sounds like MY kinda holiday!
OMG you HAVE to go see Wayne's Live Trippy and the photo from the Mall!
Wayne, have you been in July before? I've never read anyone describing them as we're seeing them this year but this is our first July! I wonder if there has been more marketing in South America as they all have booming economies due to oil and gas. Maybe Disney have been a little too keen to get to other markets as Europe has slowed down.
wayneg
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2003
- Messages
- 24,139
Never been so early before, we usually fly out around 5th August so we can fly home Bank hol weekend.
I wonder if the exchange rate is in their favour? like when we get $2\£1. I have never seen people buy like they are in the malls, they can hardly carry it, 7, 8, 9+ bags each.
Not ideal for us but for the local economy they must be a massive boost.
dixonsontour
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2008
- Messages
- 5,629
Your hearts must have sank when you saw the sign at planet hollywood - no escape!
Impressed with the pace you are keeping up
Impressed with the pace you are keeping up
Here's another bit of magic. Just had the Cinderella dinner at GF and found we've got a meal's credits left, could've sworn character meals were two credits! Need to book something in MK tomorrow. If anyone is up late, how is Crystal Palace for little girls? Poppy does love Winnie the Pooh.
disney13
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2000
- Messages
- 1,185
HI,
They'll love Crystal Palace. The characters are brilliant and will spend lots of time with the kids.
Enjoy!
Andy
Fantasia Sam
I've been here so much longer!
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2000
- Messages
- 5,250
Hope you got to do Crystal Palace - it's a favourite of mine for a character buffet I've eaten here too many times, breakfast, lunch and dinner LOL
We did and it was great. Now sat in the airport. Booooooooo.
Don't know if anyone saw my SIM card post on another thread but mine is going free if anyone is going soon, it has 600mb left to be used by 8th August or you can top it up. If anyone wants it then PM me. It's micro sim for iPhone and all working and activated.
Don't know if anyone saw my SIM card post on another thread but mine is going free if anyone is going soon, it has 600mb left to be used by 8th August or you can top it up. If anyone wants it then PM me. It's micro sim for iPhone and all working and activated.
Portugal1000
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2007
- Messages
- 1,718
Glad you liked Crystal palace. We are going on our 9th trip on Friday and have CP booked for the Sunday. This is the only restaurant that we have been to on every single one of our trips. It was our first Disney Restaurant we ever went to, my son was 5 the first time and to see him in the little parade with the characters was just the sweetest thing. He is 11 now (will be 12 on this trip) and unfortunately zero chance of him joining in nowadays!
Have really enjoyed reading your trip reports. i am going to attempt my first ever live report next week. We have 3 weeks there so will see how it goes.
Have a safe trip home.
Have really enjoyed reading your trip reports. i am going to attempt my first ever live report next week. We have 3 weeks there so will see how it goes.
Have a safe trip home.
dixonsontour
DIS Veteran
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- Apr 14, 2008
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- 5,629
Thanks for sharing all your trip. What a nice way to end with crystal palace.
Pootle
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Great trip reports, and really informative . I've no plans to ever go in July, but if I had, I'd be changing them about now. It will be interesting to see if Wayne gets 'Brazilianed' into August too. But well done for not trying to sound racist and making balanced comments 
. I've no plans to ever go in July, but if I had, I'd be changing them about now. It will be interesting to see if Wayne gets 'Brazilianed' into August too. But well done for not trying to sound racist and making balanced comments Yes, I think that's our opinion too. We don't mind the heat but it was a little too hot, the crowds were unpredictable ( touringplans/lines app were mostly wrong we found) and of course the tour groups (going to stop using the B word)
I'm not booking for a while until we know what we're doing next year work wise but after being offsite villa type people I would have no qualms booking OKW again from now on (subject to getting the right discount of course)
Home now recovering, I'll fill in the last couple of days when I feel human again!
I'm not booking for a while until we know what we're doing next year work wise but after being offsite villa type people I would have no qualms booking OKW again from now on (subject to getting the right discount of course)
Home now recovering, I'll fill in the last couple of days when I feel human again!
Fantasia Sam
I've been here so much longer!
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2000
- Messages
- 5,250
Welcome Home! Loved your live trippy and I look forward to hearing how the last couple of days went for you.
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