PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
- Messages
- 108,007
We're home and planning the next one!!
- Thread starter Busy Busy
- Start date
No, thank goodness, but when we were trapped for all that time, with the Nemo, Nemo on constant repeat....all of a sudden we heard a cast member's voice telling us all to stay in our shells - it was the most ocker Aussie accent I have ever heard, the only thing missing was the voice saying "fair dinkum" at the end!!
So, we always remember Nemo, Nemo, and Arthur Dunger's grand daughter's voice!!
So, we always remember Nemo, Nemo, and Arthur Dunger's grand daughter's voice!!
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS: We were at the bus stop by 8.15am and ready for the opening crush of HS. Everything was very smooth and off went DS15 with the tickets to get Toy Story fast passes - we watched his tall blonde head bounce off into the crowd and we were very excited. We planned to jump into the normal Toy Story line and then come back and use our FP's later. Except
there were cast members all over the place yelling out to grab your FP's because TS was down at the moment - HUH??!! The place had just opened and it was already down? What a nightmare!!
So, FP's in hand we sadly wandered off wondering what to do - this was not part of the plan!!
We made our way to the Backlot Tour and jumped onto the first one of the day. Maybe watching it through younger eyes might make it more impressive, but to me it was more of a fun ride on a tram!! I honestly feel that there are GREAT things at HS, and a few things in need of an update (the Backlot Tour being in the update column)!!
Anyway, the tanker explosion in the canyon and then the flash flood were pretty groovy and the kids were impressed. The funniest thing was happening in the 2 rows in front of us - there was a family with a couple of teenage boys who seemed to be exchange students with them. One of the boys was sitting in the row in front of us along with an older couple that he didn't know. Well - this kid was impressed with EVERYTHING on this ride, to the point of needing to reach right over the front of the couple next to him to film the stuff on their side of the tram - it looked like this couple were being "punked" - it was hilarious. Later in the ride my DH reached over in front of me on purpose while the couple were watching and hilarious laughter ensued - fun ride!!
You also get to see some original movie props and costumes at the end - they have the dress that Scarlet O'Hara made out of her mother's curtains to wear to town to see Rhett Butler - OMG - there it was, green velvet and soooo beautiful. This was not just a highlight of Hollywood Studios for me - but a highlight of my LIFE!! Amazing!!
We rode Star Tours (DD wouldn't ride last time - this time the kids went on it over and over)! The Jedi Training Academy is so funny to watch - and the parents up the front get so into it - poor old Darth Vader can't take down a single 6 year old with his light saber - he's losing his edge!!
Eventually, DH checked the app and TS was finally up and running - hooray!! We headed over and grabbed some more FP's while we were there. DH and I fought to the death on this ride, and he eventually beat me by only 200 points - damn!!! Great, great, great ride - a DEFINITE must-do!!
We did lots of other things that day, the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, Light, Camera, Action Stunt Spectacular (both were spectacular - hahaha), Beauty and the Beast on stage (gorgeous), the Little Mermaid (amazing and air-conditioned!), the Muppets 3D (I love the Muppets, but I enjoyed my quick nap there!) We passed on the Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - the boys were headed that way, but the lines were mental so they settled on Beauty and the Beast (and a giant ice-cream!)
We saw the green army men from Toy Story, and ate lunch at the ABC Commissary - there were hardly any lines and the burgers there were very yummy - with SALAD on them - hooray!!!!
Just a quick lesson that I learnt - if you want to do something in WDW and you see it - do it. Don't think that you'll do it when you come back next week or next time - do it now. This refers to the fact that I LOVE carrot cake, and I had been planning to get a carrot cake cookie from the Writer's Stop when I was at HS. Well, I walked past, thought that I would get back there that day, then thought that we would go back later next week - and neither of those things happened - so I am sad to not be able to review this much talked about Disney treat - but not to worry, as this is another reason that I am planning the next trip!!
We left with still about an hour to go until we could use our FP's for TS - it was just too hot to stick around - again, we thought that we would be back next week for another go - so we grabbed 4 people at the entrance and gave them our FP's - wow - they were beyond happy, we left with a spring in our step.
My family and I love Hollywood Studios, the street performers are hilarious and there is lots of seating at the shows - there always seems to be something going on there - I just wish that I could have beaten DH on TS!! Another MUST-DO (of course)!!
So, FP's in hand we sadly wandered off wondering what to do - this was not part of the plan!!
We made our way to the Backlot Tour and jumped onto the first one of the day. Maybe watching it through younger eyes might make it more impressive, but to me it was more of a fun ride on a tram!! I honestly feel that there are GREAT things at HS, and a few things in need of an update (the Backlot Tour being in the update column)!!
Anyway, the tanker explosion in the canyon and then the flash flood were pretty groovy and the kids were impressed. The funniest thing was happening in the 2 rows in front of us - there was a family with a couple of teenage boys who seemed to be exchange students with them. One of the boys was sitting in the row in front of us along with an older couple that he didn't know. Well - this kid was impressed with EVERYTHING on this ride, to the point of needing to reach right over the front of the couple next to him to film the stuff on their side of the tram - it looked like this couple were being "punked" - it was hilarious. Later in the ride my DH reached over in front of me on purpose while the couple were watching and hilarious laughter ensued - fun ride!!
You also get to see some original movie props and costumes at the end - they have the dress that Scarlet O'Hara made out of her mother's curtains to wear to town to see Rhett Butler - OMG - there it was, green velvet and soooo beautiful. This was not just a highlight of Hollywood Studios for me - but a highlight of my LIFE!! Amazing!!
We rode Star Tours (DD wouldn't ride last time - this time the kids went on it over and over)! The Jedi Training Academy is so funny to watch - and the parents up the front get so into it - poor old Darth Vader can't take down a single 6 year old with his light saber - he's losing his edge!!
Eventually, DH checked the app and TS was finally up and running - hooray!! We headed over and grabbed some more FP's while we were there. DH and I fought to the death on this ride, and he eventually beat me by only 200 points - damn!!! Great, great, great ride - a DEFINITE must-do!!
We did lots of other things that day, the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, Light, Camera, Action Stunt Spectacular (both were spectacular - hahaha), Beauty and the Beast on stage (gorgeous), the Little Mermaid (amazing and air-conditioned!), the Muppets 3D (I love the Muppets, but I enjoyed my quick nap there!) We passed on the Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - the boys were headed that way, but the lines were mental so they settled on Beauty and the Beast (and a giant ice-cream!)
We saw the green army men from Toy Story, and ate lunch at the ABC Commissary - there were hardly any lines and the burgers there were very yummy - with SALAD on them - hooray!!!!
Just a quick lesson that I learnt - if you want to do something in WDW and you see it - do it. Don't think that you'll do it when you come back next week or next time - do it now. This refers to the fact that I LOVE carrot cake, and I had been planning to get a carrot cake cookie from the Writer's Stop when I was at HS. Well, I walked past, thought that I would get back there that day, then thought that we would go back later next week - and neither of those things happened - so I am sad to not be able to review this much talked about Disney treat - but not to worry, as this is another reason that I am planning the next trip!!
We left with still about an hour to go until we could use our FP's for TS - it was just too hot to stick around - again, we thought that we would be back next week for another go - so we grabbed 4 people at the entrance and gave them our FP's - wow - they were beyond happy, we left with a spring in our step.
My family and I love Hollywood Studios, the street performers are hilarious and there is lots of seating at the shows - there always seems to be something going on there - I just wish that I could have beaten DH on TS!! Another MUST-DO (of course)!!
RAGLAN ROAD RESTAURANT: We took the lovely boat from POR to Downtown Disney - it's such a gorgeous way to travel!! We stopped and picked up a few people at the French Quarter and then floated down past the Treehouse Villas and golf courses. You get to see the Saratoga Springs Resort and there is a great view of the whole of DD from the lake - the only thing is that they stop the boats when there is lightening around - and when it was time to leave, there was a storm coming, so we ended up catching the bus home - no big deal.
So, once at DD, we left the calm of the lake and stepped into the mayhem. Honestly, this place is bedlam in the late afternoon and night time, you can't walk in a straight line, there are people EVERYWHERE!!
We had a reservation at Raglan Road and none of the family seemed that keen on it - I agreed to check the wait time at T-Rex on the way to RR, and the line was CRAZY - we did eat at T-Rex later in the trip (with a reservation) and it seats nearly 1000 people inside - yet, outside there is nearly that many people wanting a table - soooo busy!!
So, with DH, DS and DD sad that we wouldn't be eating with a wooly mammoth breathing down our necks tonight, we headed over to Raglan Road - when will they learn to stick to my plans?!?!!
We checked in and were seated within about 3 minutes - OMG this place was packed too!! It was a Thursday night and they were turning people away. We were seated in a room just off the main room - so the band and the stages for the dancers were a little away from us. When the dancing began I took DD in to the main room to watch - they were fabulous and we both loved it. Back at the table I was really pleased that we were seated where we were because it was beyond loud in that main room - at least here we could still talk normally!!
All of a sudden, four of the dancers came and put an old wooden door flat on the carpet next to us and danced all over again. It was great to see them up so close with their stamping feet and high kicks - very impressive!!
So, the food - oh yum....this turned out to be a huge favourite for all of my doubting family!! We had the battered sausages (yum), cheesy dippy thingy with bread (more yum) as shared appetisers and cleaned the plates. Our main courses had great vegies (thankyou!!) and my "chowder" was full of faboo seafood.
The only problem was that we were too full for dessert.....noooooo!! We all loved this restaurant - great food, drinks (white peach sangria was
), and the atmosphere, service and entertainment were amazing - 10/10 - a must-do!!
So, once at DD, we left the calm of the lake and stepped into the mayhem. Honestly, this place is bedlam in the late afternoon and night time, you can't walk in a straight line, there are people EVERYWHERE!!
We had a reservation at Raglan Road and none of the family seemed that keen on it - I agreed to check the wait time at T-Rex on the way to RR, and the line was CRAZY - we did eat at T-Rex later in the trip (with a reservation) and it seats nearly 1000 people inside - yet, outside there is nearly that many people wanting a table - soooo busy!!
So, with DH, DS and DD sad that we wouldn't be eating with a wooly mammoth breathing down our necks tonight, we headed over to Raglan Road - when will they learn to stick to my plans?!?!!
We checked in and were seated within about 3 minutes - OMG this place was packed too!! It was a Thursday night and they were turning people away. We were seated in a room just off the main room - so the band and the stages for the dancers were a little away from us. When the dancing began I took DD in to the main room to watch - they were fabulous and we both loved it. Back at the table I was really pleased that we were seated where we were because it was beyond loud in that main room - at least here we could still talk normally!!
All of a sudden, four of the dancers came and put an old wooden door flat on the carpet next to us and danced all over again. It was great to see them up so close with their stamping feet and high kicks - very impressive!!
So, the food - oh yum....this turned out to be a huge favourite for all of my doubting family!! We had the battered sausages (yum), cheesy dippy thingy with bread (more yum) as shared appetisers and cleaned the plates. Our main courses had great vegies (thankyou!!) and my "chowder" was full of faboo seafood.
The only problem was that we were too full for dessert.....noooooo!! We all loved this restaurant - great food, drinks (white peach sangria was
), and the atmosphere, service and entertainment were amazing - 10/10 - a must-do!!
PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
- Messages
- 108,007
You were too full for dessert at RR??
And as I'm leaning in front of this post, your DHS day sounds fantastic.
And as I'm leaning in front of this post, your DHS day sounds fantastic.
ANIMAL KINGDOM: We decided on a later start on our AK day, breakfast at the Riverside Mill at 8.30am compared to 7.30am was crazy. It seemed that all of POR was starting later today - we got the last table there! Yummy breakfast done, we jumped on a bus and were at AK in no time.
In 2011, I planned AK for our first day, I was happy to go and then happy to leave - it wasn't my favourite day (and I'd had a tiff with DH in Dinoland - ugh), so returning was not a priority to me. DH talked me into it, so I took a deep breath (promised myself not to argue with anybody) and ended up having a fabulous day!!
Now, unless you get there early, or use FP's, plan to wait in lines. We spent 45 minutes in line for the safari (the longest that we waited the entire time in WDW), and OMG, SOOOOO many people walked past us in the FP return line. Deep breathing, deep breathing!!!
We loved the safari and saw squillions of animals, I liked that they have dropped the 'let's get the poachers' sideline - in 2011 it was distracting, now without it the entire focus is on the animals and the info that the guide is giving you - and those guides are amazing - they know everything about every animal - very impressive!!
It was so hot this day and Kali River Rapids had a 2 hour wait!! We got Expedition Everest FP's and headed to Dinoland (happy and in love - what argument in 2011??!!), and DS proceeded to play 2 of those arcade games and win 2 stuffed toys. Last time DH won a giant stuffed turtle which I had to pack and bring home - at least these weren't as big as Mr Turtle, but we packed them and now share our house with a dinosaur and a sabre tooth tiger!!
We rode Dinosaur which we loved, I also enjoyed the free chiropractic adjustment - it was bumpy!!! There were some really freaked out little kids in our jeep, and more crying after the ride - so beware if you have littlies. Although, there's always the amazing gift shop to make the kids feel better!!
Lunch was at Flame Tree BBQ - the kids had hot dogs and DH and I had pulled pork sandwiches - oh yuuuummmmm!! It was lovely to eat yummy food while looking out over the lake and listening the blood curdling screams coming from Expedition Everest!!
We spent more time wandering around and finally made our way back to EE to use our FP's, now I am sooo scared of roller coasters, so DH and DS used 2 of our FPs and ended up in the back row - yikes - it looked beyond scary, but they came off on a complete high and my loving DH handed me the last 2 FPs and pushed me on my way. I think I had my eyes open for 10% of the ride - poor DS had to handle me squeezing his arm and screaming in his ear - he laughed the whole ride while I freaked out!!
Afterwards, I have never known adrenalin like it - we bought the photos because they are hysterical AND because I wanted proof that I had conquered that sucker!!! I also bought a little fuzzy yeti on a key ring to hang on my christmas tree - I plan to remember how brave I was that day forever!!
So, I now have a new love for Animal Kingdom. We all had lots of fun there and will always go back in the future - I am so glad to have great memories to go along with my slightly stressful ones
Another must-do!!
In 2011, I planned AK for our first day, I was happy to go and then happy to leave - it wasn't my favourite day (and I'd had a tiff with DH in Dinoland - ugh), so returning was not a priority to me. DH talked me into it, so I took a deep breath (promised myself not to argue with anybody) and ended up having a fabulous day!!
Now, unless you get there early, or use FP's, plan to wait in lines. We spent 45 minutes in line for the safari (the longest that we waited the entire time in WDW), and OMG, SOOOOO many people walked past us in the FP return line. Deep breathing, deep breathing!!!
We loved the safari and saw squillions of animals, I liked that they have dropped the 'let's get the poachers' sideline - in 2011 it was distracting, now without it the entire focus is on the animals and the info that the guide is giving you - and those guides are amazing - they know everything about every animal - very impressive!!
It was so hot this day and Kali River Rapids had a 2 hour wait!! We got Expedition Everest FP's and headed to Dinoland (happy and in love - what argument in 2011??!!), and DS proceeded to play 2 of those arcade games and win 2 stuffed toys. Last time DH won a giant stuffed turtle which I had to pack and bring home - at least these weren't as big as Mr Turtle, but we packed them and now share our house with a dinosaur and a sabre tooth tiger!!
We rode Dinosaur which we loved, I also enjoyed the free chiropractic adjustment - it was bumpy!!! There were some really freaked out little kids in our jeep, and more crying after the ride - so beware if you have littlies. Although, there's always the amazing gift shop to make the kids feel better!!
Lunch was at Flame Tree BBQ - the kids had hot dogs and DH and I had pulled pork sandwiches - oh yuuuummmmm!! It was lovely to eat yummy food while looking out over the lake and listening the blood curdling screams coming from Expedition Everest!!
We spent more time wandering around and finally made our way back to EE to use our FP's, now I am sooo scared of roller coasters, so DH and DS used 2 of our FPs and ended up in the back row - yikes - it looked beyond scary, but they came off on a complete high and my loving DH handed me the last 2 FPs and pushed me on my way. I think I had my eyes open for 10% of the ride - poor DS had to handle me squeezing his arm and screaming in his ear - he laughed the whole ride while I freaked out!!
Afterwards, I have never known adrenalin like it - we bought the photos because they are hysterical AND because I wanted proof that I had conquered that sucker!!! I also bought a little fuzzy yeti on a key ring to hang on my christmas tree - I plan to remember how brave I was that day forever!!
So, I now have a new love for Animal Kingdom. We all had lots of fun there and will always go back in the future - I am so glad to have great memories to go along with my slightly stressful ones
Another must-do!!
Aussie Wendy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2008
- Messages
- 2,298
LOVE your TR. We also love Epcot World Showcase and exploring all the detail but was amazed at the price of chocolates in Germany when we can buy them for a fraction of the price in Aldi. Expect your DH noticed similar in the UK compared to real UK prices. We loved AK from the word go, but we are animal nuts and wherever we go, if there is a zoo we normally visit. DHS was our down park but DH was in a grumpy mood and DD felt travelsick on Star Tours, which didn't help. Looking forward to a revisit one day in the future and see if our priorities get rearranged!
SANAA: We love Indian food - DH is a Pom after all, so I made this ADR so that we could have a break from American food and so that we could check out the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
We hit the pool for a swim after such a hot day at Animal Kingdom, then got ready and took a cab over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I didn't quite understand the difference between Jambo House and Kidani Village - Sanaa is in the Kidani Village section - which is about 10 minutes walk from Jambo House (which is where the really big lobby is). We were about to jump out of the cab at Jambo House when the AK driveway guy asked us where we were eating - when we said Sanaa he sent us on our way over to Kidani Village - OK - have we got that all sorted? Phew!!
Right, we were welcomed at Kidani Village with lots of "Jambos" and made our way into the lovely lobby - it's the little brother lobby of Jambo House - but still absolutely gorgeous. We were early, so we got to go outside and check out the savannah - wow - there were 4 giraffes having dinner courtesy of the top branches of a tree and they were soooo close!! There we lots other animals and birds and also an area outside where they have a fire that you can sit by (a bit hot to sit by on our night there), and you really feel close to the animals, yet safe at the same time - it IS Disney!!
I knew from what I had read that it would be gorgeous there - but I couldn't imagine how lovely it would be - my family were amazed and I was thrilled that I had decided on coming here - I LOVED this night!!
Anyway, we headed downstairs and checked in a little early for dinner, we decided to have a drink in the bar - I love WDW for the fact that the kids can come into the bar with you - don't worry, I love it for other reasons too!!
I had a Magical Star cocktail that was delicious - and I got another light up ice cube to add to my growing collection....yay!!
We were taken to our big round table right by one of the huge windows - make your ADRs people - you WANT a window seat here!! We had a lovely waitress - Michelle - who explained everything and was freaked out when my DH spotted a loooong black snake slithering past the window (on the outside)! She had never seen that before!!
We orderd the naan bread and the plate of 9 dips - oh wow - Michelle told us which dips go well with each other and we were off - we ordered extra naan too!!
We loved watching DS branch out and eat some of the really spicy dips, they were all delicious!! We all had curry, DD had a kids tandoori chicken pie which she enjoyed, and DH had a bison curry - I had to wonder if one of that poor bison's relatives was wandering around the savannah!!
DS said that this was his best Disney meal ever, we all loved it here, absolutely everything was perfect, watching the amazing animals, the gorgeous Kidani Village, our lovely waitress, the beautiful restaurant and the delicious food - I can't think of any more adjectives!! Even the ladies toilets were great!!
We spent more time upstairs in the lobby and in the gift shop, we didn't want to leave!! We eventually jumped into a cab and headed back to our lovely Port Orleans Riverside - how is it possible that Disney can think of such different themes for their resorts and still make them all so perfect?? What a great day, I had survived the Yeti and had a wonderful dinner in a stunning place - I slept with a smile on my face that night!!
Sanaa - from now on, this will be the first ADR that I make.....a MUST DO!!
We hit the pool for a swim after such a hot day at Animal Kingdom, then got ready and took a cab over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I didn't quite understand the difference between Jambo House and Kidani Village - Sanaa is in the Kidani Village section - which is about 10 minutes walk from Jambo House (which is where the really big lobby is). We were about to jump out of the cab at Jambo House when the AK driveway guy asked us where we were eating - when we said Sanaa he sent us on our way over to Kidani Village - OK - have we got that all sorted? Phew!!
Right, we were welcomed at Kidani Village with lots of "Jambos" and made our way into the lovely lobby - it's the little brother lobby of Jambo House - but still absolutely gorgeous. We were early, so we got to go outside and check out the savannah - wow - there were 4 giraffes having dinner courtesy of the top branches of a tree and they were soooo close!! There we lots other animals and birds and also an area outside where they have a fire that you can sit by (a bit hot to sit by on our night there), and you really feel close to the animals, yet safe at the same time - it IS Disney!!
I knew from what I had read that it would be gorgeous there - but I couldn't imagine how lovely it would be - my family were amazed and I was thrilled that I had decided on coming here - I LOVED this night!!
Anyway, we headed downstairs and checked in a little early for dinner, we decided to have a drink in the bar - I love WDW for the fact that the kids can come into the bar with you - don't worry, I love it for other reasons too!!
I had a Magical Star cocktail that was delicious - and I got another light up ice cube to add to my growing collection....yay!!
We were taken to our big round table right by one of the huge windows - make your ADRs people - you WANT a window seat here!! We had a lovely waitress - Michelle - who explained everything and was freaked out when my DH spotted a loooong black snake slithering past the window (on the outside)! She had never seen that before!!
We orderd the naan bread and the plate of 9 dips - oh wow - Michelle told us which dips go well with each other and we were off - we ordered extra naan too!!
We loved watching DS branch out and eat some of the really spicy dips, they were all delicious!! We all had curry, DD had a kids tandoori chicken pie which she enjoyed, and DH had a bison curry - I had to wonder if one of that poor bison's relatives was wandering around the savannah!!
DS said that this was his best Disney meal ever, we all loved it here, absolutely everything was perfect, watching the amazing animals, the gorgeous Kidani Village, our lovely waitress, the beautiful restaurant and the delicious food - I can't think of any more adjectives!! Even the ladies toilets were great!!
We spent more time upstairs in the lobby and in the gift shop, we didn't want to leave!! We eventually jumped into a cab and headed back to our lovely Port Orleans Riverside - how is it possible that Disney can think of such different themes for their resorts and still make them all so perfect?? What a great day, I had survived the Yeti and had a wonderful dinner in a stunning place - I slept with a smile on my face that night!!
Sanaa - from now on, this will be the first ADR that I make.....a MUST DO!!
WanderlustNZ
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2012
- Messages
- 3,132
Yay, Sanaa and Raglan Road reviews. i have to rush off to work now, but I'm already looking forward to reading them when I get home.
I love the energy and enthusiasm that you infuse in your re-tellings 
Makes reading them a real pleasure.
Marlea98
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2011
- Messages
- 2,128
I'm sure if you're stuck being a slave to seven little men you'd be a bit snippy too
I love Scarlett
Every time I watch GWTW I somehow develop a Southern accent for a day or so 
WanderlustNZ
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2012
- Messages
- 3,132
Given that I have ADRs at both, I love that your Raglan Rd and Sanaa reviews were so glowing.
Sanaa is the ADR I'm most looking forward to and least looking forward to. 'Most' because of the atmosphere, theming, and the fact that it will be my son's b'day dinner. 'Least' because it will be our last meal before we head home. Getting so excited.
Sanaa is the ADR I'm most looking forward to and least looking forward to. 'Most' because of the atmosphere, theming, and the fact that it will be my son's b'day dinner. 'Least' because it will be our last meal before we head home. Getting so excited.
IN THE BUBBLE & OUT OF THE BUBBLE: We had booked a car with Alamo car rental, (we used them for 1 day last time and it was very simple). They have a little bus thing that picks you up from your resort and takes you to their office just near the Magic Kingdom - too easy!!
DH kept saying that we wasn't going to fall for the upgrade talk, and that all we needed was a car big enough to fit DS's long legs into!! Yeah right, hubs was picked up by the Alamo bus at 7.30am at POR and by 9.20am was still not back. I had seen the alert on our email that he had used the credit card - and this told me 2 things: 1. He had paid for the car at 8.15am, and 2. From the price, it was no small car!!
DS was texting DH just as he arrived back - and I should have known where he'd been - he's a MAN!!!
Despite an amazing GPS system built into the car, and a GPS on his phone, he had decided that he could figure out the way back to POR on his own.....by the time he was seeing cows in pastures he realised that he might have missed a turn off!! So on with the GPS and he was back to us in no time - lesson learned!!
We headed out to the car park and the kids were trying to guess which car it was - I knew from the bill that it wasn't a small car - but I never expected the giant black "Infinity" that was sitting in front of me!! It was amazing and I could have moved into it - he ended up paying about $200 more than he had planned - but over the 8 days that we had the car - it was more than worth it - we loved it!!`
So we headed out to International Drive and had a late breakfast at one of the IHOPs (I think that I saw 3 on I-Drive) - the place that serves pancakes with your pancakes!! We loved it there, the service was fantastic and the plates of food were HUGE. We waddled out and headed back to WDW and to the Boardwalk....W O W....!!!
This afternoon was the Champions League Final - both DH and DS are crazy soccer fans (my pommy husband makes us call it football), and they were planning to watch the game at the ESPN restaurant on the Boardwalk. I had checked it all out and I knew that all would be fine - but DH wasn't convinced - so we headed over to check it out. Yes the game would be on, yes it would be on the huge screen, yes DS can come and sit at the bar if there are no other spots vacant, yes your wife was right when she told you all of these things before!!
We spent some more time checking things out - what a fabulous place (more on this later) and then eventually headed back to POR to drop the car off and go our separate ways....
The boys headed back to the Boardwalk after a quick swim, and DD and I went to the Grand Floridian for afternoon tea - officially one of the most gorgeous things that you can do with your daughter!!!
DH kept saying that we wasn't going to fall for the upgrade talk, and that all we needed was a car big enough to fit DS's long legs into!! Yeah right, hubs was picked up by the Alamo bus at 7.30am at POR and by 9.20am was still not back. I had seen the alert on our email that he had used the credit card - and this told me 2 things: 1. He had paid for the car at 8.15am, and 2. From the price, it was no small car!!
DS was texting DH just as he arrived back - and I should have known where he'd been - he's a MAN!!!
Despite an amazing GPS system built into the car, and a GPS on his phone, he had decided that he could figure out the way back to POR on his own.....by the time he was seeing cows in pastures he realised that he might have missed a turn off!! So on with the GPS and he was back to us in no time - lesson learned!!
We headed out to the car park and the kids were trying to guess which car it was - I knew from the bill that it wasn't a small car - but I never expected the giant black "Infinity" that was sitting in front of me!! It was amazing and I could have moved into it - he ended up paying about $200 more than he had planned - but over the 8 days that we had the car - it was more than worth it - we loved it!!`
So we headed out to International Drive and had a late breakfast at one of the IHOPs (I think that I saw 3 on I-Drive) - the place that serves pancakes with your pancakes!! We loved it there, the service was fantastic and the plates of food were HUGE. We waddled out and headed back to WDW and to the Boardwalk....W O W....!!!
This afternoon was the Champions League Final - both DH and DS are crazy soccer fans (my pommy husband makes us call it football), and they were planning to watch the game at the ESPN restaurant on the Boardwalk. I had checked it all out and I knew that all would be fine - but DH wasn't convinced - so we headed over to check it out. Yes the game would be on, yes it would be on the huge screen, yes DS can come and sit at the bar if there are no other spots vacant, yes your wife was right when she told you all of these things before!!
We spent some more time checking things out - what a fabulous place (more on this later) and then eventually headed back to POR to drop the car off and go our separate ways....
The boys headed back to the Boardwalk after a quick swim, and DD and I went to the Grand Floridian for afternoon tea - officially one of the most gorgeous things that you can do with your daughter!!!
GARDEN VIEW TEA ROOM: While the boys were at ESPN watching the Champions League final - DD8 and I went off to the Grand Floridian. We caught a cab since the thought of a bus then a monorail, or a bus then a boat, or a boat then a bus, was a bit much on such a warm afternoon. The cabs from one place to another around WDW were rarely more than about $12 - so it was an easy choice considering that we were saving a lot of time.
We arrived and walked into the beautiful lobby - it's so amazing there!! On our last holiday to WDW we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, so it was very easy to get to the GF (a lot of the time the buses leave the WL and then go to the GF when picking up and dropping off - so we just asked the bus driver if he was heading that way and jumped on). As it was so close, we had gone there a few times to eat or just hang in the bar and the lobby, and DD and I had done the afternoon tea then too - so we knew what to expect, but nothing really prepares you for how stunning that place really is.
Oh, and just to add to the gorgeousness, there was a BRIDE having her pictures taken with her bridal party before her wedding - she was amazing - I was beyond jealous!!!
So after watching the bride and checking out the gift shops, DD and I headed down for our 2.20pm reservation - this reservation was more for the experience than the food considering we had just been at IHOP a few hours earlier!!
We were seated by the window at a table with a chair on one side and the banquette on the other - DD chose the seat with the view (and wouldn't swap later), so I just got to look at the gorgeous flowers and her!! I did move my chair slightly so that I could see out to the pool area - this is such a gorgeous resort!!
We had a lovely waitress who explained everything to us, (DD had the Mrs Pott's tea with chocolate milk, sandwiches, jam tart, scone and pastries) and I had the Princess Kate (I think) with tea, sandwiches, jam tart, scone and strawberries and cream.....groan.....so much food!!!
We changed out a few of the sandwiches - which they are more than happy to do - the pear and gorgonzola sandwich just isn't my thing, and DD was not having a bar of the PB & J!!
The atmosphere here is so lovely, there was a lady having tea on her own next to us - what a great lady - she knew everything about WDW and even told us to keep an eye out because she had seen Cinderella's coach go through the resort earlier - possibly off to a wedding!! OMG - do you mean to tell me that the gorgeous bride then got into Cinderella's coach - DD was freaking out!!
The food here is really nice - I'm just an English or Irish breakfast tea person - I'm not big on fruity flavours and flowers in my tea - so I just went basic. The sandwiches were chicken curry, egg salad, cucumber and cream cheese, smoked salmon - all yummy. The jam tart was a tart filled with jam (!!) - pretty standard and they serve the scone with lemon curd and cream - different - but very yummy. The strawberries and cream are already in a little bowl - strawberries on the bottom and then the cream smeared over the top with an edible glitter GF on the top. The strawberries in WDW are ridiculously yummy - but the cream had a bit of a "mock" cream flavour to it - I dug down to the bottom and got to the strawberries and left most of the cream - not that I was at all hungry at this stage anyway!!!
So DD had a wonderful time pouring her own "tea" from her own tea pot - and we had a lovely chat about things - she remembered EVERYTHING from the last time that we were here, and we loved having some time alone.
We finished up and headed to the gift shops again to buy this and that - it was great not having the boys around - we took as long as we wanted!! I bought her a bracelet and some charms and we headed down to sit on one of the comfy lounges in the lobby to put it all together. The pianist was playing Disney songs and life was gorgeous.
We left the gorgeous life of the Grand Floridian lobby behind, and took a cab to enter the wild world of football fans and chili cheese fries at ESPN!!
PS....we got stuck in a bit of a traffic jam on the way out of the Grand Floridian - it was caused by a just married couple in a Cinderella coach!!
We arrived and walked into the beautiful lobby - it's so amazing there!! On our last holiday to WDW we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, so it was very easy to get to the GF (a lot of the time the buses leave the WL and then go to the GF when picking up and dropping off - so we just asked the bus driver if he was heading that way and jumped on). As it was so close, we had gone there a few times to eat or just hang in the bar and the lobby, and DD and I had done the afternoon tea then too - so we knew what to expect, but nothing really prepares you for how stunning that place really is.
Oh, and just to add to the gorgeousness, there was a BRIDE having her pictures taken with her bridal party before her wedding - she was amazing - I was beyond jealous!!!
So after watching the bride and checking out the gift shops, DD and I headed down for our 2.20pm reservation - this reservation was more for the experience than the food considering we had just been at IHOP a few hours earlier!!
We were seated by the window at a table with a chair on one side and the banquette on the other - DD chose the seat with the view (and wouldn't swap later), so I just got to look at the gorgeous flowers and her!! I did move my chair slightly so that I could see out to the pool area - this is such a gorgeous resort!!
We had a lovely waitress who explained everything to us, (DD had the Mrs Pott's tea with chocolate milk, sandwiches, jam tart, scone and pastries) and I had the Princess Kate (I think) with tea, sandwiches, jam tart, scone and strawberries and cream.....groan.....so much food!!!
We changed out a few of the sandwiches - which they are more than happy to do - the pear and gorgonzola sandwich just isn't my thing, and DD was not having a bar of the PB & J!!
The atmosphere here is so lovely, there was a lady having tea on her own next to us - what a great lady - she knew everything about WDW and even told us to keep an eye out because she had seen Cinderella's coach go through the resort earlier - possibly off to a wedding!! OMG - do you mean to tell me that the gorgeous bride then got into Cinderella's coach - DD was freaking out!!
The food here is really nice - I'm just an English or Irish breakfast tea person - I'm not big on fruity flavours and flowers in my tea - so I just went basic. The sandwiches were chicken curry, egg salad, cucumber and cream cheese, smoked salmon - all yummy. The jam tart was a tart filled with jam (!!) - pretty standard and they serve the scone with lemon curd and cream - different - but very yummy. The strawberries and cream are already in a little bowl - strawberries on the bottom and then the cream smeared over the top with an edible glitter GF on the top. The strawberries in WDW are ridiculously yummy - but the cream had a bit of a "mock" cream flavour to it - I dug down to the bottom and got to the strawberries and left most of the cream - not that I was at all hungry at this stage anyway!!!
So DD had a wonderful time pouring her own "tea" from her own tea pot - and we had a lovely chat about things - she remembered EVERYTHING from the last time that we were here, and we loved having some time alone.
We finished up and headed to the gift shops again to buy this and that - it was great not having the boys around - we took as long as we wanted!! I bought her a bracelet and some charms and we headed down to sit on one of the comfy lounges in the lobby to put it all together. The pianist was playing Disney songs and life was gorgeous.
We left the gorgeous life of the Grand Floridian lobby behind, and took a cab to enter the wild world of football fans and chili cheese fries at ESPN!!
PS....we got stuck in a bit of a traffic jam on the way out of the Grand Floridian - it was caused by a just married couple in a Cinderella coach!!
PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
- Messages
- 108,007
What a wonderful afternoon tea. Sounds like fun girl time.
The large car sounds great.
The large car sounds great.
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