What the heck? Is this allowed? The mickeystoontown gang is back in the World and together again! Updated 4/13 x 6

[mickeystoontown]

I'm joining in to read another trip report

Thank you for joining in!

Room does look nice for that rate, even if it wasn't done. I would have been bothered by it not being done staying there, but as you said it looks good for a decent sleep before you hit the road again!

It was pretty much finished. The edging stuff that was supposed to go around the door was basically just noise/draft deterent so I was okay with it. And we were so tired since both of us had been up since 5:15 that morning. I could have slept on a log.

Hi Lisa! I'm here! I will try my best to do a better job of keeping up with this one!

Your intro photos are just plain awesome!

Welcome!

What a compliment on the pictures especially since that came from the king of cool pictures.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Milkshakes? Cupcakes? Yes please!

It was after 7 p.m. by the time we got everything into the room, called Mama and told her that we had settled in and we had a minute to breathe. Our reservation was a room only reservation for these first couple of days so no dining plan. We figured why not just sit down at our tabed (that's the word that I made up for table/bed) and made ourselves another chicken salad sandwich and just enjoy sitting down somewhere other than in a car. And, just like my overpacking, I over-made when it came to chicken salad. There was a lot. Like enough to feed a hungry family but it was just the two of us.





You can tell that we were looking a bit worn after having slept only six hours and driven 800+ miles. The sandwiches were good but they didn't satisfy our sweet tooth. Yeah, we had some chocolate and some cookies in the snack bag but they weren't going to cut it when I knew they had some deliciousness in the food court.

We cleaned up our table and walked to Intermission Food Court to see what they had to offer. We looked in the ready made desserts and had almost decided on something when a sign caught John's eye.





He opted for the souvenir cup:


while I decided to go back to the pre-packaged desserts and get a cupcake. I love all things citrusy/fruity and this looked to be right up my alley. The pineapple should tide me over until I could get my hands on a Dole Whip.





See that little thing sticking out of the top? That had a tangy juice in it that you squeezed into the center of the cupcake. Here's what it looked like when you cut into it. You really couldn't tell but the juice went right into the middle and the tanginess paired well with the sweetness of the filling. It was quite good.



I went to the mug washing station and tried to wash out John's glass and the chocolate would not come off of the inside rim. It was some tough stuff. We wiped it the best we could and later washed it in the room where the hot water helped wash it away.

While we were in the main area of the resort, we looked around in the store a bit before going back out and looking at the resort grounds. The Toy Story area was the only area that I took pictures in that evening.









Lacey called us at some point and said that she was going to our house and make sure that Hunter had the majority of his things packed. She is like me and is an organizer when it comes to Disney trips. She didn't want to wait until the last minute especially since Hunter is notoriously slow.

**Up next: Whatever shall we do when we have no tickets?​

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Those both look delicious! Why are the best options always the seasonal ones?

 

[debedo]

Oh my goodness.... you two look great driving 800 miles! That cupcake looks amazing...

 

[mickeystoontown]

Oh my goodness.... you two look great driving 800 miles! That cupcake looks amazing...

Thank you!
We were so tired by the time we arrived. I think that it was a combination of the MRI getting scheduled on the day we were to leave, driving that extra 60 miles and not getting much sleep.

Those both look delicious! Why are the best options always the seasonal ones?

Ain't that the truth!

 

[natebenma]

You asked:

It's Complicated

4 nights, 3 resorts, October 3-7

 

[natebenma]

That is a good start for your trip and you definitely deserved some treats after completing your drive to the World.

I'm not a big cupcake or shake fan, but both of your selections looked really good!

I love the theming at All Star Movies.

We figured why not just sit down at our tabed (that's the word that I made up for table/bed)

Perfect!

 

[Bethislucy]

Chicken salad is just the best road trip food. We do chicken salad or pasta salad a lot on our trips to Disney and just stop at the rest area eat really quick and back on the road.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Chicken salad is just the best road trip food. We do chicken salad or pasta salad a lot on our trips to Disney and just stop at the rest area eat really quick and back on the road.

Ooooh I hadn't thought of pasta salad. It will do well on a road trip. I may need to add that to our picnic!

That is a good start for your trip and you definitely deserved some treats after completing your drive to the World.

I was ready to get out of the car and into our room. Adding that extra 60 miles to the trip really made a difference.

I'm not a big cupcake or shake fan, but both of your selections looked really good!

I'm not a cupcake fan either but, as you will see throughout the report, I turned into one this trip.

I love the theming at All Star Movies.

I do too! So much so that we are staying there again next trip.



Perfect!

 

[MINILvr]

Waving HI from NOLA. I love your trip reports. Thank you so much for taking the time to do them.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Waving HI from NOLA. I love your trip reports. Thank you so much for taking the time to do them.

Hey! I appreciate your being here. It's been about a little over a years since we've been to NOLA. It's one of our road trip destinations.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Before I start on this next chapter of the report, I found a few pictures on my phone that I had failed to upload to my 2018 trip folder. Several years ago, we bought a luggage carrier for our car and we love it. It's very streamlined so you don't hear or feel it on top of the car when you drive. It's also very easy to put on and to take off. As I said, I always overpack so even when it was just John and I, we still took it with us. On this trip, I had bought a small rolling garment hanger. It was tossed into the luggage carrier along with our "miscellaneous" suitcase. Oh and a small folding step stool.

One of my friends/agency clients bought a carrier just like our's and they loved it. John told them to take along a step stool so that it would be easier to load and unload the carrier. When I booked their Disney trip, he sent me a picture of him standing on their stool while unloading the luggage carrier and titled it "ain't no shame". Of course, I had to take one and send it to him.



The other two pictures that I found were taken in the store at All Star Movies. One of my friends/agency clients' daughter had just had a baby boy and they were traveling to Disney a few months after we traveled. I found this super cute onesie, snapped a picture and text it to her. She asked me to get it and I happily obliged.



And then a picture of the Christmas themed refillable mugs that were available in the store.



Alrighty, now I can move on to the next chapter.


God is great! God is good! Let us thank Him for this Disney food! Let's eat!

After the long drive, we were tired so we were in the bed semi-early...around ten p.m. Our plan for our first full day at Walt Disney World was to have no plan. We were still on our room only reservation so there were no tickets and no dining plan. And, we were okay with that. Normally, our "down days" are in the middle of the vacation. But, with Lacey and Hunter coming in later and them only having five park days (or was it six? I'll have to look back), we would be going full force after they arrived.

We slept in which is very unusual for me. I don't sleep in at home and sure the heck don't sleep in when we travel somewhere. With the stress of John's medical issues, the scheduling of his MRI, working and making sure Mama was taken care of, I was drained, physically and mentally.

I had packed styrofoam bowls, spoons and cold cereal and the night before, we purchased a half gallon of milk in the resort food court. Our morning started slowly and with a bowl of cereal. How's that for an exciting start of a Disney trip?

We took our turn in the shower and discussing what we could do that day. We knew for sure that we wanted to go to Disney Springs. When I look back at our earliest visits to Walt Disney World, we never even considered going to what was then Downtown Disney (a name that I find myself still using for Disney Springs). After our first visit to Downtown Disney, we realized that we had been missing out and have returned ever trip since.

Our morning routine done, we were finally ready to venture out into the Disney "world" without a plan. I noticed that there were quite a few pieces of smallish paper on the sidewalk outside of the rooms along with a few cigarette butts near the door of one particular room. We saw a couple of mousekeepers working on the rooms in our building and we figured that they would be picking it up as they came to the rooms to clean. Little did we know. (insert ominous music)

Our room was in Building 7 on the backside of the building and almost at the end. I think we were like three or four rooms from the end. Having said that, the walk to the front of the resort was an easy one. Once we entered the little courtyard near Herbie the Love Bug (the actual one not the icons on the buildings), it was a straight shot to the front. We walked through the Fantasia section and past the pool and we were in the main building.

I will be honest with you. In years past, I thought that having one bus line was a drawback. After staying at Pop Century in 2016, we changed our minds. I like that you are in one line with chains that make it harder for people to break in front of you. At the moderates and deluxe resorts, you could be waiting for a while for a bus and someone else could walk up as a bus was pulling up and get on before you.

When we stayed at All Star Music (albeit, it was just for three days), we only shared a bus with the other All Star resorts once. Then, it was to Disney Springs. Today, that wouldn't be the case; however, we had a thirty minute wait before a Disney Springs bus came. We had nowhere to be at any specific time so the 30 minute wait wasn't messing anything up for us.

I snapped this one picture as we left the resort. Apparently, I was trying to take a picture of construction. I think and that's a big think, that it was at the entrance to Coronado Springs which was, at that time, undergoing some major construction.


I can't remember how long the ride to Disney Springs was but I don't remember it being a long one. We were dropped off at the "new-ish" bus stops and decided to go to the right. We strolled along, stopping here and there. Just doing some window shopping. We saw a cool store, Uniqlo, that sold all sorts of clothing and the prices were budget friendly. The only problem was the shirts ran really short.

From there, we continued on towards World of Disney which had been totally revamped since our last visit. I know that Disney is going for a more high-end, sleek, modern design look but I like the old version of the store better. I do like the more "open" design but I would rather see the more "themed" areas. Several items caught my eye but I am not one to buy something on our first day especially when I know that we will be going back to the area again. I make mental notes and decide later on if I want to revisit/reshop. Or would that be actually shop if I didn't buy anything the first time?

By the time we made it to the end of Disney Springs, we were getting hungry. The bowl of cereal had worn off. We knew where we wanted to go. Our old stand-by. Wolfgang Puck Express. It wasn't busy and we were able to find a table in what we refer to as the sunroom on the backside of the restaurant.

John ordered the bacon wrapped meatloaf sandwich with fries.





Not surprisingly, I ordered a salad. I love love love a good salad and could eat them every day if my stomach would allow. I believe that this one was a bbq chicken salad.



Y'all, the food was so good! John almost cleaned his plate.



I put a dent in my salad but I simply could not eat it all. As you could tell from the picture above, it was piled high.



**Continued in next post​

 

[dizneeat]

In years past, I thought that having one bus line was a drawback. After staying at Pop Century in 2016, we changed our minds. I like that you are in one line with chains that make it harder for people to break in front of you.

That's what I thought - thank god, they have lines with chains. But still not a huge fan of the buses.

however, we had a thirty minute wait before a Disney Springs bus came.

Yikes! This is one of the reasons we drive. I really am tired (and cranky) after having to wait for a bus for thirty minutes. We used the buses just a few times this last summer, but we went back to driving, even though with all the construction especially at Epcot it was a pain to get to the entrance. Still paid off when we saw the lines for the buses once it was time to leave.

I know that Disney is going for a more high-end, sleek, modern design look but I like the old version of the store better.

We still call it Downtown Disney and I definitely liked the old themed rooms better. It even looks smaller to me now, even though it is so open and I hate the long checkout lines.

Our old stand-by. Wolfgang Puck Express.

Yeah! Our favourite as well. Even though Wolfgang has lived in the US longer than his native Austria, we still consider him a countryman.

That looks yummy. One of the things we have often considered, but never ordered. I guess Tom would really enjoy this sandwich.

 

[mickeystoontown]

That's what I thought - thank god, they have lines with chains. But still not a huge fan of the buses.



Yikes! This is one of the reasons we drive. I really am tired (and cranky) after having to wait for a bus for thirty minutes. We used the buses just a few times this last summer, but we went back to driving, even though with all the construction especially at Epcot it was a pain to get to the entrance. Still paid off when we saw the lines for the buses once it was time to leave.

We rarely drive anywhere on property simply because I hate traffic. I'd rather Disney handle it for me.

We still call it Downtown Disney and I definitely liked the old themed rooms better. It even looks smaller to me now, even though it is so open and I hate the long checkout lines.

Amen! The lines to check out seem to be long every time we visit.

Yeah! Our favourite as well. Even though Wolfgang has lived in the US longer than his native Austria, we still consider him a countryman.



That looks yummy. One of the things we have often considered, but never ordered. I guess Tom would really enjoy this sandwich.

Tom definitely needs to try the meatloaf sandwich. John has ordered it several times.

 

[mickeystoontown]

God is great! God is good! Let us thank Him for this Disney food! Let's eat!
Round 2!


Wolfgang Puck Express never disappoints! A stop was made at the nearby restrooms before we did more window shopping. We went in the Christmas store, Mickey's Pantry and then into the Co-Op where they had the cutest dresses.

Our stroll through Disney Springs took us to the Coca Cola Store where anything and everything has the Coca Cola logo on it. We went into Sugar Boo and I could have spent a crapton of money but didn't. We also saw these cute light up Christmas bulb necklaces. I almost bought four of them so that we could wear them at the Magic Kingdom. But I didn't. Y'all I was doing so good at tamping down my urge to spend.



After a while, we were both wanting something sweet. I also wanted to see some of the other resort Christmas decorations. Why not do both at the same time? We went to the boat launch and took it over to Port Orleans French Quarter.





We were going to nosh on some Louisiana sweets. Not those on display on the bottom shelf but those on the top shelf.



Beignets! Mickey shaped beignets to be exact...a large order of 'em.


Ummm, ummm, ummm, they were good! Just ask John. Actually, he couldn't have answered right then. He was eating the warm beignets.



I posted the beignet picture on facebook and my cousin ask "when are y'all going to the parks?". Hold your horses, missy. We'll get there.

**Up next:
God is great! God is good! Let us thank Him for this Disney food! Let's eat!
Round 3


​

 

[MickeyReeds]

Welcome! Was this your first Thanksgiving trip?

This was our first Thanksgiving trip and we loved it! Great weather and we loved seeing the holiday decorations!

 

[mickeystoontown]

This was our first Thanksgiving trip and we loved it! Great weather and we loved seeing the holiday decorations!

This was our first Thanksgiving trip and we loved it! Great weather and we loved seeing the holiday decorations!

We went over the Thanksgiving holidays way back in 2000 and our 2017 trip was the first Thanksgiving trip since that time. Like you, we loved the weather and the decorations.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Wolfgang Puck Express is definitely a fantastic QS! We have eaten there several times and it's been delicious each time. And I do the same thing as you do, walk around and find a ton of things I want in that moment, but then come back later to buy what I actually still want at that time. Otherwise I would own one of almost everything there!

 

[Steppesister]

So many good eats comin' your way! That bacon-wrapped meatloaf sammie sure caught my eye!

 

[natebenma]

Thanks for the bonus pictures. I especially like the one of John on the step stool and the story behind it.

Our room was in Building 7 on the backside of the building and almost at the end. I think we were like three or four rooms from the end. Having said that, the walk to the front of the resort was an easy one.

I had to look back at my pictures from the 8th grade class trip because we stayed in the same spot as you had. Room 7763 in 2012 and Room 7915 in 2015.

I agree, not a bad walk to the lobby/front of the report.

When I look back at our earliest visits to Walt Disney World, we never even considered going to what was then Downtown Disney (a name that I find myself still using for Disney Springs).

Same!

But still true for me. I'm not a shopper and there is plenty of places I like to eat in the theme parks.

Wolfgang Puck Express never disappoints!

I do regret that I have not dined here. All the reviews I have read are so positive!

This is a nice start to your Disney stay.